STANLEY SIMMONS, the collaborative project of Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons — sons of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, respectively, from KISS — spoke to KTLA's Andy Riesmeyer about its debut single, "Body Down", which will arrive on December 5.

Regarding the collaboration's musical direction, Evan said: "We grew up loving a lot of roots stuff, Americana folk, so you hear a lot of that in there. It really has nothing to do with what our dads do. I think the interesting thing is we do actually have a lot of the same influences."

Nick added: "We were excited. I never get to do just stripped down, rootsy Americana music. And so it was, like, 'Let's do it. 'Cause it would be fun.' And then people were, like, 'No, you should do this.'"

STANLEY SIMMONS's upcoming debut album is being helmed by GREEN DAY producer Rob Cavallo, who said about the project: "The fact that it has nothing to do with the sound of KISS is the first thing that's interesting. And even the name STANLEY SIMMONS. And you realize they're kind of like the new Laurel Canyon mystical, magical. It's just got its own vibe that's very deep. So we're excited."

On the topic of what their famous parents had to say about STANLEY SIMMONS's musical output so far, Nick said: "My father is the master of the backhanded compliment. He'll be, like, 'This is much better than the last thing you showed me.' And I was, like, 'Oh, you said some nice things about that.' He goes, 'Nothing compared to this.'"

Evan added: "They're unbelievably supportive. If someone's honest with you, then when they say something's great, it's actually worthwhile, and it means something."

Nick acknowledged that STANLEY SIMMONS will likely encounter some pushback from fans, particularly criticism suggesting nepotism.

"I am like every other consumer out there — I'm a little sick of the family members of people trying to insert themselves into our eyeballs," he explained. "But it doesn't really matter if one of them is actually good."

For the past year, Evan and Nick have been sharing posts on Instagram of the pair making music together.

Regarding how STANLEY SIMMONS came about, Evan told told Tmrw magazine: "It was never supposed to be a project. We just wanted to sing together once. Then we heard it back and thought, 'Wait, this actually sounds special.'" Nick concurred, saying: "There's a kind of connection you can't fake. When we sing together, it feels like a third voice, something new."

As for what it's like to make music as the sons of KISS, Evan said: "People get hyped on the last names. But that doesn't get you anywhere. You can't network your way into making something that actually moves people."

This past February, Nick told People magazine about STANLEY SIMMONS's inception: "We've grown up together. We're essentially brothers, so we always thought we'd probably play together for fun at some point. But recently Evan picked up a guitar when we were hanging out, and we started humming some harmonies, and it was kind of an unexpected, magic moment. It all just snowballed from there."

In December 2024, Evan and Nick shared a video of them covering SIMON & GARFUNKEL's 1964 classic "The Sound Of Silence", with Nick captioning the clip, "he garfunkeled my simon till my hall got oates".

This past March, Gene told New York Post about Nick and Evan's musical partnership: "Both have been pals because they went to see their dads work since they were little boys. And they never thought about getting together, just strumming and humming and all that.

Referencing the aforementioned "The Sound Of Silence" video, Gene added: "[Nick] set up a camera, and Evan just started strumming his guitar. They did 'The Sound Of Silence' a few times and immediately everybody went, 'What is that?' Because you can't create that. You either have that chemistry — that sound that people react to — or not, right? Something about both Evan's voice and Nick's voice connected."

Gene continued: "The response was so overwhelming that now, even though they both have their own things, they're in the middle of writing tunes and recording their first album with a producer."

He added: "Both Paul and I are very proud."

This past July, Paul told Liz Svatek about Evan and Nick's collaboration: "They're just finishing an album. And it's fantastic. It really, really is. It's magical. I just got a chill because I see the two of them, and Gene and I have been together 55 years, 56 years, and started out as kids in our parents' house. And here's our boys having this fabulous, magical connection and making great music. And they're both great, great guys with really great talent, and to see them together is poignant… They've known each other their whole lives, and only in the last six months have they suddenly started playing music together. And it's clicked in a way that's incredible. I mean, it's just magical… It's kind of like the wonder of life, things that happen that are so, at least at some point in your life, beyond even your wildest dreams. Gene's and my sons are gonna be singing together and making great music, and the industry is gonna be buzzing about it. And it's not manufactured. And that's wonderful."

Seattle rock band TRULY has signed with Worldwide Entertainment Group, LLC (WEG). The firm will handle all day-to-day management of the group utilizing all assets, including talent management, licensed merchandise and live events. WEG will produce new branding to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary worldwide tour in 2026. The tour is titled "Then, Today And Tomorrow" and will feature new material and songs from the band's catalog.

Critically acclaimed worldwide, TRULY set its own path since the group broke on to the Seattle music scene in the 1990s. Fans and critics alike will be equally surprised as the band continues its musical growth, creating music that expands beyond any current and past trends.

In 2014, TRULY's sophomore effort and major label debut, 1995's "Fast Stories… From Kid Coma", came in at No. 3 on the "Top 10 Underrated 90's Alternative Rock Albums" list at the Alternative Nation web site.

Founding members Robert Roth and Hiro Yamamoto state: "Right from the get-go, I knew we were in the right place as Dave Lory and Sandy Rizzo have dug deep to understand what makes us 'TRULY.' Their expertise, focus and passion is very inspiring to us as we plan our new music and tour."

TRULY is a band that still retains all original members with Robert Roth (lead vocals and guitar),Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Hiro Yamamoto (bass guitar and vocals) and Mark Pickerel (drums). The latter two were founding members, respectively, of SOUNDGARDEN and SCREAMING TREES. Hiro Yamamoto was honored November 8, 2025 into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a founding member of SOUNDGARDEN.

Dave Lory, president at WEG, along with Sandy Rizzo, executive vice-president, will co-manage the band for the company. Both state: "We have been fans for decades, so when the opportunity to work with them came along, we could not say yes fast enough. We are excited to be part of a band that always followed their own path and look forward to a great deal of success as we now have the proper team around them to succeed."

When author Greg Prato spoke with Roth for the 2009 book "Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History Of Seattle Rock Music", Robert recalled that at one point, Capitol Records, which released "Fast Stories… From Kid Coma", apologized to the band, saying: "'We're sorry we didn't have our shit together when your record came out. We were very confused and disorganized. Rather than stick more money into this album, why don't we just start working on a new one?' At that point, [Los Angeles radio station] KROQ was playing 'Blue Flame Ford'. I went there and edited a single version — they were ready to break it as a single. The guy at the radio department said, 'We have to get permission. Releasing a single costs $100,000.' I'm like, 'Why does it cost $100,000 if they're already playing it, and we've already edited it?' And he basically said, 'It's payola — you have to pay this money.' So they sent us back to the studio to make our next record, instead of paying up that 100 grand and continuing to promote the record."

In another interview with Songfacts, Roth theorized that Capitol was not solely to blame for "Fast Stories… From Kid Coma"'s commercial failure.

"And it was not just at Capitol," Robert said. "You had your EVERCLEARs and SILVERCHAIRs, and that ended up being the 'second wave of grunge' — not bands from Seattle but some other places that were copycats of bands from Seattle, because they were probably easier to deal with, more acquiescent to the typical demands of the industry.

"Seattle bands notoriously wanted to make a lot of their own decisions about how much to tour, about who was going to make their video, who was going to produce the record," he explained. "And after [NIRVANA's] Kurt [Cobain] was gone, I think the record companies said, 'We've got this now. We don't need you artists anymore to do this. We'll do this our own way.' And they ran it into the ground."

TRULY 2026 tour dates:

March 05 - Portland, Oregon @ Mississippi Studios
March 06 - Seattle, Washington @ Baba Yaga
March 09 - San Francisco, CA @ Kilowatt Bar
March 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge
March 12 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
March 14 - Denver, CO @ The Black Buzzard
March 17 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
March 18 - Detroit, MI @ Lager House
March 22 - Boston, MA @ Middle East
March 23 - New York City @ Mercury Lounge
March 26 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement

The tour is currently being booked by Tom Linden at CMMN PPL in North America. Worldwide dates will be added after the first run of shows, with a larger North American tour slated for mid-2026.

TRULY has a very credible reputation with a sound that evokes RADIOHEAD meets FLAMING LIPS. Formed in the midst of the Seattle grunge scene, TRULY forged a new path and distinguished themselves by merging mixtures of psychedelia and pop to visceral heaviness. This approach created a distinct blend of music that continues to defy current genres.

TRULY's press shows a band that did not follow trends. They were unique in their musical and lyrical approach as compared to the many bands coming out of Seattle at the time. Looking beyond the usual, TRULY crafted its own singularly recognizable style.

From mastering the language to becoming a force in the Japanese music scene, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman has called Japan his home for over two decades. On the latest episode of Kylie Olsson's YouTube show "Life In Six Strings", Marty shows us a side of Japan that most people never see... his side. Watch as Kylie dives headfirst into Marty's Japan: tasting the local flavors, visiting Fender's Japan headquarters, and a taxi ride through the city streets. Marty and Kylie's Japan journey wraps up with guitars in hand as Marty shows Kylie how to play his song "Miracle", from his 2017 solo album "Wall Of Sound".

Regarding how he ended up moving to Japan in 2003, Marty told Kylie (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was living, actually, in Arizona. I lived in Arizona, which was just the total normal middle of America — relaxed, [where you] kick back [and] nothing ever changes. Well, that's what Arizona's like. So when you come off tour, it's just very nice. But when you're not off tour and you're just living there, it's like living in a desert. So, then you start to think: what kind of music do I really wanna make? And I really was listening to J-Pop, Japanese music 24-7. And I just knew that I had to be here in Japan if I wanted to actually be in the world of Japanese domestic music. So that was the reason I came."

Elaborating on what it was like when he first moved to Japan and started getting involved in the Japanese domestic music scene, Friedman said: "Back then, when I first moved here, I'd already come to Japan a million times, but always as an international artist. And when you do that, every single thing is taken care of. And then when I came back by myself, of course there was none of that. And plus I didn't wanna be in the international music scene; I wanted to be in the domestic music scene. It's a different world, different people, different connections. I knew nobody, so I started from zero and I really had nothing. Even though I had platinum albums with MEGADETH for 10 years beforehand, [Japanese] domestic music fans, for the most part, they don't really even know the biggest American groups. So I wanted to get into that world, and it was really one person at a time, one connection at a time. And then I started working with a singer named Aikawa Nanase, who I was a huge fan of. I was listening to her music in the desert, listening to it on tour in America, in Europe, and all over the place. I couldn't believe that now I was in her band. That was where I got my first foot into the door of the [Japanese] domestic music scene, and I was very lucky."

Asked if he nervous at all about moving to Japan after leaving a very successful band like MEGADETH, Marty said: "When I left MEGADETH, I knew it was time to leave the band. I had nothing left to give the band, they had nothing left for me, and it was a good time for that to happen."

Friedman defined modern guitar playing with Jason Becker in CACOPHONY, was a key element in the wildly successful rise of thrash pioneers MEGADETH, and with his "Marty-esque" improvisations and exotic fusion of Eastern and Western music, has achieved global success with his 15 solo albums.

Friedman left MEGADETH in 2000 due to creative differences and pursued a solo career, having released his most recent album, "Drama", in 2024.

Friedman first visited Japan in the late 1980s with CACOPHONY, and came to Japan regularly with MEGADETH, all the while studying the Japanese language. After he quit the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit, he moved to Tokyo.

Since also embracing Japanese music and eventually relocating to Japan, Friedman has cemented his image as a unique and unpredictable solo artist while further solidifying his celebrity rock star status. He has earned several top 10 spots on the Japanese charts and has performed in Japan's largest venues — from the Tokyo Dome to Budokan. He has also guested on over 700 television programs, acted in four motion pictures, and appeared in several commercials and TV ad campaigns. On November 4, 2016, the Japanese government named Friedman an "Ambassador Of Japanese Heritage."

Friedman's autobiography "Dreaming Japanese", was made available last December. Written with veteran music journalist Jon Wiederhorn ("Louder Than Hell", "Raising Hell"),"Dreaming Japanese" debuted at No. 1 on Amazon's Heavy Metal Books chart and has received praise from major outlets including Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Decibel and Publishers Marketplace. The autobiography shares Friedman's inspiring journey from landing a gig as the lead guitarist for legendary thrash metal outfit MEGADETH during their peak years to his emigration from the U.S. to Japan, where he became a prominent television figure and Japanese pop culture household name as well as being appointed an official "Ambassador Of Japan Heritage".

Photo credit: Takaaaki Henmi

On January 23, 2026, THE DAMNED will release "Not Like Everybody Else", a deeply personal and celebratory covers album — dedicated to the memory of Brian James, the band's legendary founding guitarist, who passed away on March 6, 2025. Recorded in a blistering five days of emotion and creative fire at Revolver Studio in Los Angeles, the album finds THE DAMNED — Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible on guitar, Rat Scabies on drums, Paul Gray on bass and joined by longtime keyboardist Monty Oxymoron — reconnecting with the raw energy that started it all. "Not Like Everybody Else" marks the first time in 40 years that Rat Scabies has returned to the studio with the band.

Kicking off with R. Dean Taylor's "There's A Ghost In My House" and moving through classics like PINK FLOYD's "See Emily Play" and THE ANIMALS' "When I Was Young", the album closes with a powerful farewell: "The Last Time" by THE ROLLING STONES, featuring Brian James himself, taken from his final live performance with THE DAMNED at Hammersmith and lovingly remixed for this release.

To celebrate the album, THE DAMNED will play a one-off covers show at Albert Hall in Manchester on January 28, 2026 performing songs from "Not Like Everybody Else" alongside fan-favorite covers that have marked their career. It will be an unforgettable night honoring Brian James and the band's shared history.

The second video/single, "See Emily Play", can be streamed below. Sung by THE DAMNED guitarist Captain Sensible, this new cover blends the band's signature punk energy with the kaleidoscopic spirit of the original.

The first single, "There's A Ghost In My House", reimagines R. Dean Taylor's classic with THE DAMNED's unmistakable energy and dark charm. Driven by Captain Sensible's urgent guitar and Dave Vanian's atmospheric vocal delivery, the track perfectly blends Northern soul spirit and gothic rock swagger. It's both a nod to Brian James's love of raw, melodic power and a reminder of THE DAMNED's gift for turning familiar songs into something entirely their own.

The official music video for "There's A Ghost In My House", directed by Gilbert Trejo and filmed during the band's recent U.S. tour — including their legendary show at the inaugural CBGB Festival in Brooklyn, New York — can be seen below.

Set to coincide with THE DAMNED's 50th-anniversary celebrations, "Not Like Everybody Else" is a heartfelt homage, and a testament to the enduring spirit of one of punk's most pioneering bands.

50 years of THE DAMNED also means 50 years of punk, with the explosion of 1976 hitting a half century. The band jump started the revolution, releasing the first U.K. punk single in "New Rose" and album "Damned, Damned, Damned". Brian James wrote that debut single and was lead songwriter on the album. He left the group after the release of their second album, "Music For Pleasure", in 1977.

The band earned an ever-expanding fan base fueled by legendary live shows, while their dar lyrics and Dave Vanian's rich baritone vocals catapulted them to the forefront of the goth-rock genre.

THE DAMNED have announced a special 50th-anniversary show at OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday, April 11, 2026, marking five decades since the band first exploded on to the scene as one of the founders of British punk rock. The milestone celebration will also feature special guests THE LOVELESS featuring Marc Almond, PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT and THE COURETTES.

"Not Like Everybody Else" track listing:

01. There's A Ghost In My House
02. Summer In The City
03. Making Time
04. Gimme Danger
05. See Emily Play
06. I'm Not Like Everybody Else
07. Heart Full Of Soul
08. You Must Be A Witch
09. When I Was Young
10. The Last Time

In a new interview with Chris Akin Presents, BIOHAZARD guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei was asked if the state of the world, with so much hatred and division in society, was an inspiration for him and his bandmates to release a new album, "Divided We Fall", after spending two years touring around the globe. Billy responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've always been a product of our environment. And all of our lyrics, all of our music, everything we've released has been a product of that influence.

"'Divided We Fall', it is more timely now that there is no unity and there's such division," he continued. "And it could be anything… There's so much stuff. It was kind of like that a long time ago, and when I realized, being on tour and playing all those classic songs for the past couple years that our music is as timely and relevant now that it was then. With 'Divided We Fall', we sing about things that I think resonate with not just ourselves, but will resonate with new people, people who don't know BIOHAZARD.

"I think the other deep meaning is being back together, there's a twist on that," Billy explained. "We're stronger together than we are separately. I mean, even though I have [the] POWERFLO and BILLYBIO [projects], which I love, being in BIOHAZARD, it's a different thing. It's part of who I am. It's in my DNA for so long, I can't deny it. That's why I went with the name BILLYBIO [for my solo project]. I was gonna call it GENERATION Z. I was gonna call it GENERATION KILL, all these other names I had, and I was, like, 'You know what? This is who I am. Let me embrace it,' because there's songs in there that were gonna be BIOHAZARD songs, [that I did] with BILLYBIO, that there was no BIOHAZARD, so they became BILLYBIO songs.

"But back to BIOHAZARD, I think we don't pull any punches, we speak how it is, but unification and unity and survival has always been an underlying theme for us," Billy added. "And this record is a huge statement saying, especially with… 'Divided We Fall' is a line from 'Fuck The System'. So, I suggested it. I'm, like, 'Let's call the song 'Divided We Fall',' and we ended up not doing it, but it stuck perfect and seemed to summarize everything on the record and the times — like 'State Of World Address' did, like 'Urban Discipline' did.

"I remember making the first record we released, self-titled. We left New York, and we realized it wasn't just New York that was messed up. [We saw similar things] in Chicago, we saw similar things in Detroit and Seattle and L.A. and Dallas, all these cities around the country. We came home and released 'Urban Discipline'. That was our cry and what we've learned and how we realized it wasn't just New York that was affecting us. It was city life in general, that urban life. On that record, we toured so much and came back realizing that it wasn't just the cities in America, it was the world and cities all over the world. So 'State Of The World Address' was a reflection of that experience. 'Divided We Fall' is a direct mirror of what we've seen, collectively, not just in the past couple years since we've been [back] together — because I'm always writing, we're always creating stuff — it's how we've seen things have gone over the past 10 years, the past decade. And people who are gonna pick up this record might have been 10 years old, eight years old when BIOHAZARD stopped doing anything. So it's almost like we're the same microscope, we're the same telescope that we were back then, and we're just looking through it with a little bit more educated eyes. We're not so quick to form judgment or to judge, and we could see things a little bit bigger. Sometimes when you look at things very focused, you kind of miss out on everything around it, and you kind of back up to take a bird's eye view, you see the bigger picture. And our earlier records, it was more narrow. But we're a little bit older and wiser. We see the big picture, and 'Divided We Fall' kind of sums that up."

"Divided We Fall" arrived on October 17 via BLKIIBLK. The recording sessions for the LP took place at Shorefire Recording Studios in Long Branch, New Jersey and The Hydeaway in Van Nuys, California, with engineering by Joseph DeMaio and additional recording from Matt Hyde. Guitar and production tech duties were handled by Phil Caivano.

BIOHAZARD recently teamed up with the American hip-hop group ONYX for a North American tour.

Photo credit: Istvan Bruggen

In a new interview with Gregg Bendian of The ProgCast, guitarist Mårten Hagström of Swedish progressive metal pioneers MESHUGGAH spoke about how he and his bandmates have managed to survive for more than three and a half decades despite consistently pushing the genre to dazzling new extremes. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're getting up in the ages now. We're getting older. We've been around for a while, been doing this for a long time. So, every once in a while, at least the last couple of years, we've kind of been reflecting on, or at least me, I've been reflecting on what our career has been.

"When you're in a musical project, and especially for us being glued together and pretty much all of us doing the same thing with the same people for a long time, it's been a really rewarding journey," he explained. "We're really grateful for the spot that we've been able to get to. But I also think that sometimes it's kind of hard to reflect, even though we maybe should. It's, like, you're so in the middle of it that sometimes we still see ourselves at as the upstart oddball band that we were as kids when everybody was side-eyeing us and going, 'What are you guys doing?' Even in the extreme metal genre or whatever, progressive genre, it was, like, 'Dude, what are you up to? What's going on?' Like Tosin [Abasi, founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band ANIMALS AS LEADERS] told me once, the first time he heard us, he said, 'This music is broken.'

"I guess us being stubborn and keeping true to our vision and grinding away at, well, our craft, or whatever you wanna call it, is a unique blessing, to be able to do that," Mårten added. "'Cause you can make up all the plans you want, but life gets thrown at you, and people go their different ways, you evolve in different directions. But even though we still have as musicians and individuals in the band, we still kept this a family thing and we still kept our joint vision in the forefront so that we've been able to do this for such a long time. And then, of course, having some moderate success has helped us as well. But we're truly grateful."

After Bendian noted that MESHUGGAH's success is "hard earned", Hagström reluctantly agreed. "Uh, yeah, I guess," he said. "It's hard to compare yourself to other [musicians]. A lot of times when I talk to other musicians, they've been in so many different settings. They might have been session musicians, they went to school, they've been in a bunch of bands, but for me personally, I got to know Tomas [Haake, MESHUGGAH drummer] in kindergarten. We were six, and we started playing at 11, 12 together. Jens [Kidman, MESHUGGAH vocalist] and Fredrik [Thordendal, MESHUGGAH guitarist] started playing [at] 13, 14 years of age together. Me and Tomas had this band. When MESHUGGAH's drummer left, the two other guys me and Tomas were playing with, they went their other way, they wanted to pursue other genres, so Tomas left for MESHUGGAH and then a year and a half after that I joined MESHUGGAH. So we've known nothing else. I mean, I know other musicians and you see other careers, but being so stuck in this bubble, so to speak, it's been… I think we've worked hard at our craft, but I don't know if it's hard earned. I think we're still just, 'Wow, are we able to do this with this?' This type of music and going outside of the box and still making a career out of it. 'Cause sometimes that's a hard thing. The mainstream's always trying to reel people in. And we've been lucky enough to resist that."

Regarding where he and the rest of MESHUGGAH are right now in their creative process, Mårten said:  "Well, at the moment I really think I'm in 'exhale' phase. 'Cause we've done this a long time, we've done this cycle and coming out on the back end of the touring for [MESHUGGAH's 2022 album] 'Immutable', I think I'm a bit — not like in a bad way, but creatively spent. And that's something that happens, 'cause first you write stuff and you record it, and then you go out and, almost like the crowd, you relate to it, you learn what you actually did. It's, like, 'Oh, I didn't realize it at the time, but this is this kind of song.' And 'this I thought would work well in a live environment and it doesn't, and it's obvious why it doesn't, but this works really well and I didn't think it would,' stuff like that. So you learn about your own music in many ways with going out and touring with it, 'cause it's a more visceral reaction to stuff. It's more straight from the heart. And you see it resonate in different ways, and then you get reactions."

He continued: "For me, I tend to, and this is mostly true, that as we've grown older, or as I've grown older, it takes a longer time for me to get up and running again, ball rolling for the creative process. So right now my ideas are few and far between comparatively. 'Cause what happens when we start a creative process, what happens when we decide to write an album and I sit down and I have a couple ideas that maybe were left over from the last time and I'm just picking things up, getting back into the groove of it. That sparks the imagination so that I get more ideas. But in order to have the energy to just feel like getting into a creative process, to shoulder that burden — it's not a burden per se, but to feel that you have the energy to go through the emotional gauntlet that a making of an album is, writing, rehearsing, debating, recording, all of that, you need that exhale. You need that downtime for the mind. And that's where I am right now."

When Bendian said that some musicians have three separate "modes" that they operate in — the " intake" mode, the "output" mode and the "off" mode, Hagström said: "Yes. And I think depending on who you are as a person and the way you're wired, those periods come in different order. Some people are just, like, 'All right, I had a week down. That's it. I need to get back into the swing of things.' And some people, I think, have to have more time to just recuperate and get that energy back.

"I hope I'm not a lazy person, 'cause I know that when I write, I work a tremendous lot, like many hours a day for months and months and months, and I'm just into the zone," he continued. "And having that bubble mentality, I think most composers do, I believe. It's like working out — you need to kind of get in shape in order to be able to do it for that kind of stretch of time, mentally get in shape. And that's where I am personally. But I know that Fredrik's working in his studio with his stuff and his projects and the bands that he and [producer] Daniel Bergstrand are working with producing, Most of us have stuff at home that we've been pushing to the side, 'cause we've been out touring, that we need to take care of practical stuff — renovating the house, stuff like that. But I know Dick [Lövgren, MESHUGGAH bassist] has started to fiddle around a little bit, just for fun. Not like seriously writing, but messing around with stuff. So I think it's a natural thing where there's a vacuum, and then you all of a sudden start feeling that maybe it's about time to [get back to work]. It's subconscious and it starts working and it tells you, like, 'Okay, now you need to do stuff. Here's an idea.'"

This past April, MESHUGGAH released the "Indelible Edition" of "Immutable", offering a fully immersive experience that extends over an hour of the band's meticulously crafted music. This special edition was made available in two exquisite formats: a two-LP gatefold vinyl and a single-disc digipak. Each format boasts a remastered audio experience, enriched by new artwork and layout. Notably, the inclusion of distinctive gold foil accents enhances both the tactile and visual appeal, making it a collector's gem.

The "Indelible Edition" arrived with a sonic enhancement, redefining the album's depth and clarity, and included three live tracks recorded during MESHUGGAH's world tours in 2023 and 2024.

Coinciding with the album reissue, MESHUGGAH kicked off a tour of the U.S. and Canada with support from CANNIBAL CORPSE and CARCASS.

The follow-up to 2016's "The Violent Sleep Of Reason", "Immutable" was recorded at Sweetspot Studios in Halmstad, Sweden; mixed by Rickard Bengtsson and Staffan Karlsson; and mastered by multiple Grammy Award winner Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SYSTEM OF A DOWN). Visionary artist Luminokaya once again created the stunning cover artwork.

MESHUGGAH completed its first pandemic-era U.S. tour in September and October 2022.

To honor ten years since Scott Weiland's passing, "If I Could Fly", a previously unreleased track written in 2000 after the birth of his son, is out today on all digital streaming platforms via Primary Wave/Virgin.

This is the first unheard song from Scott's archive since he left us. It is personal, raw and a reminder of the heart that ran through all his work.

Scott's legacy spans STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, VELVET REVOLVER, a stack of awards, and more than 50 million albums sold. But it's songs like this that show why people stayed connected to him for decades.

"If I Could Fly" bridges two generations of listeners and gives back a piece of Scott that's been held close for 25 years.

Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in at the age of 48 from a toxic mix of drugs and alcohol. The vocalist was also dealing with self-medication, estrangement from his children, financial difficulties and a steadily increasing drinking problem. The singer was on tour with THE WILDABOUTS in Minnesota when he was found unresponsive on the group's tour bus shortly before 9:00 p.m. on December 3, 2015. They had been scheduled to perform that night at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota. However, that concert was canceled more than a week earlier because of slow ticket sales, according to StarTribune.com. The group was set to perform in Rochester the following night (December 4) at the Wicked Moose.

A January 2016 report from Billboard revealed that Scott was dealing with hepatitis C, mental illness and the knowledge that both his parents had cancer in the final months of his life.

In addition to STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Scott fronted VELVET REVOLVER from 2004 through 2008. He rejoined STP in 2008 after a six-year hiatus, but was dismissed from the group in 2013 due to his erratic behavior.

With VELVET REVOLVER, Weiland released two albums, 2004's "Contraband" and 2007's "Libertad".

Weiland's latest album and first with THE WILDABOUTS, "Blaster", was released in March 2015.

Scott's solo albums included 1998's "12 Bar Blues", 2008's "'Happy' In Galoshes", a 2011 collection of Christmas songs called "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year", and the aforementioned "Blaster", which is his final released work.

Arizona thrash metal veterans SACRED REICH have announced the addition of drummer Eduardo Baldo to the band's ranks. Baldo, the Brazilian drummer who most recently played with the Los Angeles-based band RED DEVIL VORTEX, sat behind the drum kit for SACRED REICH's European shows in November with HATEBREED.

Earlier today (Wednesday, December 3),SACRED REICH released the following statement via social media: "We would like to officially welcome our new drummer Eduardo Baldo to band. Baldo played the recent shows in Europe with us and crushed it! He's a great dude and fit right in with us.

"We are excited to move forward with Baldo behind the kit bringing his own style, enthusiasm and power. Welcome to SACRED REICH!

"As an added bonus, today is Baldo's birthday! Let's all wish him a very happy birthday!

"We are finishing up mixing our new album 'Into The Abyss' and making plans for July and August in Europe. Looking forward to forward to a killer 2026!"

In late October, SACRED REICH's longtime drummer Dave McClain commented on his latest exit from the band, explaining in a social media post that he "decided to move on" and adding that he would "still [be] 100% doing my thing, whether it's touring, recording, teaching or just playing in my home studio."

When SACRED REICH announced McClain's departure on October 20, the band wrote in a statement: "Dave McClain is no longer a member of SACRED REICH. We wish him the best.

"We are excited for this new chapter in SACRED REICH history."

McClain was originally a member of SACRED REICH from 1991 to 1995. He played on the "A Question" EP (1991) and the "Independent" (1993) and "Heal" (1996) albums before leaving to join MACHINE HEAD.

McClain rejoined SACRED REICH in December 2018 and recorded the band's first album in 23 years, "Awakening", which was released in 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The LP was produced by Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE, among others.

The now-60-year-old musician, who joined MACHINE HEAD in 1995, announced his departure from the California metal band in October 2018. McClain, along with guitarist Phil Demmel, went on to complete the Robb Flynn-fronted act's "Freaks & Zeroes Tour" before they both officially exited the group.

"Awakening" was described in a press release as "a timeless collection comprised of blistering thrash, crushing grooves, killer solos and socially conscious lyrics that demonstrate a true understanding of everything that matters most in the world today."

"Awakening" was engineered by John Aquilino and was mastered by Maor Appelbaum.

We would like to officially welcome our new drummer Eduardo Baldo to band. Baldo played the recent shows in Europe with...

Posted by Sacred Reich on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Rufus Publications has announced the fully authorized "Pantera", a brand new PANTERA coffee table book from legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin.

Over the last few years Ross has had unrestricted access to the band on tour, backstage, days off and, of course, playing killer shows. This new, fully authorized book captures the current lineup in all its glory and Ross has also delved into his extensive PANTERA archive featuring stunning photographs of the original four including "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and Vinnie Paul Abbott, to produce a unique and often never-before-seen look at one of world’s most legendary metal bands. This is PANTERA in the raw.

This huge, A3 portrait coffee table book, with more than 300 pages, allows the images to breathe in a unique way and the edition comes in a distinctive, diamond plate style embossed slipcase. Only 666 numbered copies of the book are being made available and each copy is hand signed by PANTERA's current touring lineup of Philip Anselmo (vocals),Charlie Benante (drums),Rex Brown (bass) and Zakk Wylde (guitar).

PANTERA is one of the most successful heavy metal bands of all time. The lineup of Philip Anselmo, Rex Brown, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul recorded a series of ground-breaking albums before the band's 1994 LP, "Far Beyond Driven", debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, pushing PANTERA to sell more than 25 million albums worldwide! In 2022, Billboard reported that Brown and Anselmo were reuniting for PANTERA's first major tour in 22 years. The updated lineup of PANTERA played its first shows in 21 years in Latin America at the end of 2022 and has continued to tour the world.

"Pantera" by Ross Halfin can be pre-ordered from rufuspublications.com on Thursday, December 4 at 3 p.m. U.K. time. It sells for £250 plus worldwide delivery. The book is expected to ship in spring 2026.

This past summer PANTERA completed a U.S. amphitheater tour. Produced by Live Nation, the journey commenced on July 15 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania and wound its way through over two dozen cities, coming to a close on September 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Support was provided by Swedish heavy metal icons AMON AMARTH. The tour followed PANTERA's spring run of stadium shows with METALLICA and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES as well as a very special U.K. performance as part of BLACK SABBATH's and Ozzy Osbourne's historic final show alongside METALLICA, SLAYER, GOJIRA, HALESTORM, ALICE IN CHAINS, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, MASTODON and more.

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin (courtesy of Live Nation)

In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, former FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm spoke about his previously announced plan to release some new solo material. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have a friend of mine who was in my solo bands. His name is Bruce Turgon, and he eventually became the bass player in FOREIGNER for about 10 years. And he and I have been friends since we were teenagers. And he plays bass. He's played with a lot of great bands and musicians over the years, and we wrote songs together back in the day. And when I got him in FOREIGNER, he was a participating songwriter too. And I think that's when FOREIGNER sounded its best, actually. And so I'm still in touch with him, and he helped me write songs for my upcoming solo album, which is being released in March."

Asked what fans can expect from his upcoming LP, Gramm said: "Well, I've been working on this album for over two years, and I have been looking through my backlog of songs that were great songs but were unfinished and didn't make it to the cut on my records and went back and finished some of them, and they're awesome songs. So I'm taking some new songs that were written and some of the older songs that deserve to be on the album. I finished 'em up, polished 'em up, and they're on the album. So it's a little conglomerate of past and present."

As for a possible release date for the effort, Lou said: "March for the album. I think that the single's gonna be early February. It rocks hard, boy."

Back in 2019, Gramm told Kiki Classic Rock that his upcoming solo LP is based on a lot of the material from the "masters" from his solo albums. "'Cause my solo albums always had 10 songs on it, but we always recorded 12 or 13," he explained. "And the ones that didn't make the album weren't necessarily the weakest songs — a lot of 'em were very strong ideas, but they weren't quite finished. And I'm finishing them, and I'm gonna release them."

Regarding how the idea to revisit his unfinished material came about, Gramm said: "My son Matthew came up with the idea. He just asked me, 'How many songs were on the albums? And did you have any extras?' And I said, 'Always.' He said, 'Let's listen to those, polish 'em up, finish 'em, and put them out to be downloaded.' So we went back and we started listening, and there's those songs, not quite finished, that I hadn't heard in 30 years."

Lou added: "I'm so excited to release them, because, to me, they sound great."

Less than two years ago, Lou told Lee Richey about his plans to release new music: "It's song ideas and bits and pieces from my recording of my first [solo] album, second [solo] album and SHADOW KING [project]. Now, what I mean is when you put an album out and you have 10 songs, you might record 13 and pick the best 10. So then you've got three songs that you don't know what to do with. And the years go by. Or maybe they're not complete songs. Maybe you have 10 songs on your album and there's a couple songs that you started and once the album was released, you just forgot about them. So when I was looking to put out a new album, I had freshly written songs too, but I just started going through the tapes in my tape closet and listening to these things that were 25, 30 years old, and the ideas were awesome. So I started them that long ago and I finished them about two years ago."

By the time Gramm left FOREIGNER for the first time in 1990, he had already released two successful solo albums: 1987's "Ready Or Not" and 1989's "Long Hard Look". He went on to launch LOU GRAMM BAND, which released an all-Christian rock album in 2009. He followed it up with "My Baby" in 2015.

SHADOW KING was a collaboration between Gramm and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell. The group released a self-titled album in 1991 and performed live only once, at the Astoria Theatre in London, England on December 13, 1991.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold as Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

FOREIGNER's ongoing tour features Gramm on guest vocals for some of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group's biggest hits. Gramm is sharing the stage with Luis Maldonado, who replaced longtime FOREIGNER frontman Kelly Hansen on lead vocals.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

After a nearly five-decade career as one of his generation's defining rock bassists, time and space have finally allowed RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Flea to work with a dream band of modern jazz visionaries, returning to his first instrument and musical love, the trumpet, for a new album that will be released in 2026 on Nonesuch Records. A preview, Flea's original song "A Plea" is now available. You can hear it below. Further details of the album will be announced in early 2026.

Written and performed by Flea, "A Plea" urges listeners to "build a bridge, shine a light, make something beautiful and see somebody, give it to somebody." Featuring Flea on electric bass, vocals, and trumpet, the ensemble also includes double bassist Anna Butterss and guitarist Jeff Parker, as well as drummer Deantoni Parks, percussionist Mauro Refosco, alto flutist Rickey Washington, and trombonist Vikram Devasthali. Chris Warren joins on vocals, as does the song's producer Josh Johnson, who also plays alto saxophone.

A music video, directed by Los Angeles-based photographer and filmmaker Clara Balzary, and featuring choreography by Sadie Wilking, is also available today. Check it out below.

Flea describes the song's lyrics, which reflect on the divisiveness in our country and our world, as "yearning for a place beyond, a place of love, for me to speak my mind and be myself. I'm always just trying to be myself." He continues, "I don't care about the act of politics. I think there is a much more transcendent place above it where there's discourse to be had that can actually help humanity, and actually help us all to live harmoniously and productively in a way that's healthy for the world. There's a place where we meet, and it's love."

Born Michael Peter Balzary, Flea rose to fame as founding member and bassist of the rock group RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. In addition to his 30-plus-year career with the band, he's collaborated with musicians like Tom Waits and Johnny Cash, acted in numerous films, including "The Big Lebowski", "My Own Private Idaho" and "Boy Erased", and written a best-selling memoir, "Acid For The Children" (2019). In 2001, Flea, who lives in Los Angeles, co-founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit music school that aims to bring music education to as broad an audience as possible.

Flea has won six Grammy Awards, has twelve No. 1 singles, and has sold 80 million records with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.