Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and acclaimed metal vocalist Jeff Scott Soto have once again joined forces and are set to release their second album, "Unbreakable", on August 15 via Rat Pak Records.

The duo ELLEFSON-SOTO is joined by Italian guitarist Andy Martongelli and Paolo Caridi on drums and features 11 studio tracks with guest appearances from Tim "Ripper" Owens (KK'S PRIEST, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and BURNING WITCHES frontwoman Laura Guldemond.

Recorded at Rogue Studios in Wembley, U.K. by Alessio Garavello and produced by Chris Collier (MICK MARS, KORN, FLAT BLACK),"Unbreakable" is a sonic assault packed with catchy riffs, melodic vocals, and thoughtful lyrics that blends their classic metal roots with modern rock intensity.

"This album digs even deeper," says Ellefson. "It's heavier, more personal, and shaped by everything we've experienced on and off the stage." Soto adds: "The energy we poured into this one — it's the sound of two lifetimes colliding in riffs, rage, and redemption."

Ellefson further comments: "One of the things I like most is I feel like you can hear a real sense of brotherhood on our records, that we're really in the creative process together as a band. The consistency of our sound has remained intact while allowing us to further build upon each other's strengths from our debut album. It's an honest, organic approach that blends well and lets us explore new sounds and musical paths. At the end of the day, I don't think there is anything that an artist desires more than that!"

"Unbreakable" will be available on all major streaming platforms with limited edition autographed vinyl, CD and cassette bundles exclusively through Rat Pak Records.

Track listing:

01. Unbreakable
02. SOAB
03. Shout
04. Hate You, Hate Me
05. Poison Tears (featuring Laura Guldemond of BURNING WITCHES)
06. Ghosts
07. Vengeance (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens of KK'S PRIEST)
08. Snakes And Bastards
09. It's Over When I Say It's Over
10. The Day We Built Rome
11. Death On Two Legs (bonus track)

In a March 2025 interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, Soto spoke about the status of the second album from ELLEFSON-SOTO. He said at the time: "The record's in the can.

"The way Erik Martensson, he's the ringleader, the overseer [of Soto's W.E.T. project], David is that with ELLEFSON-SOTO," Jeff explained. "He pulls the songs together, he gets the timing together, he gets the label side, all the industry-side stuff together. I just have to relax and sit back while I'm doing all the million of other things that I'm doing, and I come in and then I dive in and I put my input.

"I love working with David and Andy [Martongelli], who's our guitar player and also co-writer in the band. And I love the fact that they allow me to be me.

"I've proven myself as an artist, producer, writer, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, but there are still times where I'll do something and they'll go, 'Hmm, [it's] not really what I thought you were gonna do. Can you try more of this? Try more of that?' I don't mind that at all, because whatever is good for the song, the best thing for the song, of course. But when it comes to ELLEFSON-SOTO, I'm really, really headstrong on the ideas I come up with, and when I send it to David, [I'm] like, 'Oh, God, I hope he doesn't say, 'Oh, I don't know, man.'' And every time, him and Andy say, 'Home run. You knocked that one out of the park. That's awesome.' And that's what motivates me to wanna do more and to give my all into that, even that situation, because I know if I'm making them happy with what I'm turning in, I know in the end, it's gonna be a cohesive sound and project."

Regarding the songwriting approach on the second ELLEFSON-SOTO album, Jeff said: "It's weird because the first album, when we did it, it wasn't supposed to be an album. I was doing songs with David and Andy. We were just writing songs and recording songs during the pandemic. And it turned into, 'Hey, we're on to something here. We can't give these songs to someone else or just use 'em as catalog music. We have something here.' And that's what made us put that out as an album. This time around, we actually went in to record and write an album. We didn't say, 'Let's just write songs and see where it goes.' We actually went in and said, 'This is the sound. This is what we created on the first album. Now let's expand on it.'"

He added: "It's really, really good. I don't listen to my own stuff that often unless I have to learn songs for a tour or a show, but I actually find myself listening to this record just to listen to it."

ELLEFSON-SOTO's debut album, "Vacation In The Underworld", was released in October 2022 via Rat Pak Records. The duo was joined by Martongelli on guitar and keyboards and Paulo Caridi on drums. Giada Jade Etro from the Italian power metal band FROZEN CROWN made a guest appearance on the song "The Day Before Tomorrow". Steve Conley and Ken Mary from FLOTSAM AND JETSAM performed on the title track, "Vacation In The Underworld".

"Vacation In The Underworld" was produced by Chris Collier and featured eleven tracks and three bonus recordings.

To officially launch the project, Ellefson and Soto played concerts in September 2022 in Italy where they performed some of the music as well as ran through various catalog highlights, including selections from MEGADETH and Yngwie Malmsteen. They were joined by Martongelli as the musical director, as well as Caridi on drums and Valerio De Rosa on rhythm guitar.

In March 2021 — two months before David was fired from MEGADETH — Ellefson and Soto announced that they had been collaborating on some new material under the moniker ELLEFSON-SOTO. The ELLEFSON-SOTO version of the RIOT classic "Swords & Tequila" was simultaneously released across all digital streaming outlets via Ellefson's Combat Records.

When Ellefson's collaboration with Soto was first announced, David said in a statement: "Jeff and I have been friends for so many years that it's great to finally collaborate on some material together. He has such a distinctive voice and perfect style for some new ideas my guitarist Andy Martongelli and I have been composing. We are excited about the progress of it all and thought this would be a perfect time to give a little sneak preview."

At the time, Jeff added: "As COVID-19 became a big negative around the globe, it actually offered many artists a chance to finally collaborate with one another that might have never happened otherwise… As I have known David for many years, I knew from our other efforts outside of our day jobs that we could come up with some badass jams…and here we are, letting you in on our cool little secret."

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON are expanding their sonic universe with the release of "Lo-files", a 23-track album of lo-fi reinterpretations from across their celebrated catalogue of music. The album will be released on July 11 via RCA/Sony.

This unique project sees tracks from every era — from 2013's "Sempiternal" through to 2024's "Post Human: Nex Gen" — transformed into laid-back, atmospheric tracks by some of the most respected names in the lo-fi space, including Casiio and No Spirit, Lophiile, drxnk and more.

Frontman Oli Sykes describes "Lo-files" as "utility music", used for moments of quiet, creativity, or introspection.

He says: "The original idea for our 'go-to' record was actually something more chill, a record you could put on while studying or zoning out. It ended up way more chaotic than I originally intended. So I guess this is another attempt at creating something low key. I listen to a lot of lo-fi when I'm working or feeling anxious, so I hope this record can do the same for others."

The band adds that it had "collaborated with producers we love from the lofi scene to launch a new project where we've reworked BMTH songs and created lofi versions".

BRING ME THE HORIZON first teased "Lo-files" via social media on July 8, with the band confirming details of the release the following day.

"Lo-files" track listing:

01. canyoufeelmy<3.tmpx feat. Casiio & No Spirit
02. (U)topia.drm feat. Iophiile
03. in_the_dark.ech feat. Kanisan
04. followU.bnd feat. Dimension 32
05. Darkside.verXx feat. Casiio & No Spirit
06. [email protected] feat. Mondo Loops
07. sL33pwalking.idl feat. Iophiile
08. drwn.vvv feat. Dimension 32
09. losT_404.nll feat. Drxnk
10. seenitallbefore_xx.arch feat. Kanisan
11. parasite.ev3 feat. Mondo Loops
12. med!cine.fbk feat. Iophiile
13. koolaid.xxo feat. Drxnk
14. d1g_it.core feat. HM Surf
15. DOOMED.errX feat. Drxnk
16. avalanche_.drft feat. Iophiile
17. 1DayTheOnlyButterfliesLeftWillBInurChestAsuMarchTowards UrDeath.finx feat. Drxnk
18. sTr4nG3r5.vsn0 feat. Dimension 32
19. 1x1.syncd feat. Iophiile
20. shadowm0ses.frq feat. Mondo Loops
21. m0th3r.tng feat. Drxnk
22. DiE4u.sysrsk feat. HM Surf
23. Throne.GOD feat. Casiio & No Spirit

BRING ME THE HORIZON is set to hit the road for "USA Ascension Program+ Part 01" fall tour bringing its high-energy performances to select major markets. The first leg of this tour will feature MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, THE PLOT IN YOU and Amira Elfeky, making for a stacked lineup.

Produced by Live Nation, "USA Ascension Program+ Part 01" kicks off on September 23 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, making stops across the U.S. in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City and Phoenix, before wrapping up in Los Angeles, California at Intuit Dome on October 3.

BRING ME THE HORIZON's critically acclaimed seventh studio album, "Post Human: Nex Gen", came out in May 2024 via Sony/RCA. Having been streamed over a billion times to date, it was the latest chapter in the series to be revealed and saw the band expanding both musically and conceptually.

BRING ME THE HORIZON recently played its biggest show to date in São Paulo, Brazil, selling out the 45,000-capacity Allianz Parque stadium. They wowed fans with a groundbreaking performance which incorporated the latest techniques in both live AI and AR, as well as a new hybrid paradigm that could be termed as "Generative Augmented Reality" (GAR) plus drones and pyro. They ended 2024 headlining arenas in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico.

BRING ME THE HORIZON is one of the most successful rock bands on the planet, having accumulated over 10 billion streams to date. They have toured the world multiple times, playing sold-out shows in over 50 countries.

BRING ME THE HORIZON is: vocalist Oli Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean and drummer Mat Nicholls.
Lo-files official tracklist
out 11th julyhttps://t.co/eiU8ac5kC9pic.twitter.com/0eAFukqY7C

— Bring Me The Horizon (@bmthofficial) July 10, 2025


Lo-files [out now]https://t.co/PhO28F8vHBpic.twitter.com/PNYgKKEkMF

— Bring Me The Horizon (@bmthofficial) July 11, 2025

SPINESHANK played its first show in nearly 13 years last night (Wednesday, July 9) at Jake's Sports Cafe & Backroom in Lubbock, Texas. Joining vocalist Jonny Santos, drummer Tommy Decker and bassist/vocalist Robert Garcia in SPINESHANK's 2025 lineup are new recruits Tommy Decker, Jr. (Tommy Decker's son) and Jason Hager (ex-CHIMAIRA) on guitar. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

SPINESHANK has teamed up with THE UNION UNDERGROUND for the "25 Years Of Rebellion & Callousness" tour this summer. This commemorative, co-headline trek, with special guests ADEMA and SICKSENSE, is celebrating the 25th anniversaries of SPINESHANK's sophomore studio album "The Height Of Callousness" and THE UNION UNDERGROUND sole studio LP, "…An Education In Rebellion".

Last month, SPINESHANK vocalist Jonny Santos confirmed to Rock Feed that a new song from the reunited band will arrive in the coming weeks. "We're literally in the studio trying to finish right now," he said. "The song has been recorded. Right now it's in the final process of being edited. We're gonna actually start listening to roughs this week."

Santos also addressed the reason he and the rest of SPINESHANK's 2025 lineup have decided to release one track as opposed to focusing on making a full-length record. "People are, like, well, why are we only doing one song?' Jonny said. "'Cause we don't know. We haven't put a record out in 12 years. "Cause let's face it, the SHINESHANK thing right now, [the upcoming tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of] 'The Height Of Callousness', this is nostalgic. We're not out there pumping a new record. We're celebrating one of our best records. That's what we're doing. So what we decided to do is… Do we wanna do a new record? 'Cause now we have little Tommy playing guitar, which is fucking awesome; he shreds. And we've got Jason Hager; everybody knows Jason. He's from CHIMAIRA. So we get these two new guys, and they obviously wanna do a new record. But five months ago, we didn't even know people even cared about SPINESHANK. So let's hold on here a second before we start putting new records out. I said, 'Let's do one song. Let's put this song out there. We'll get it out to the masses, and let's see how it's received.' That's gonna tell us right there — I feel it'll tell us if we are just a nostalgic act, that people just wanna come hear the hits and feel like they're 18 again, or we put this new song out. Does it trend? Does it fucking blow up? Then that will indicate right there, 'Okay, guys, let's go do a new record and start putting new songs out.' And I think that's a fair way to look at it instead of just assuming that since we're doing well and shows are selling out right now, that we're just gonna put an album and everybody's gonna love it."

Regarding the musical direction of the new SPINESHANK song, Jonny said: "Well, I will tell you this much. It's got all the elements that is what is SPINESHANK. One of the biggest complaints we had on the last SPINESHANK record was fans were, like, 'It's not electronic enough.' And I saw that. I felt that in a way. There was a lot of programming on that album; we were just using organic sounds as the loops and stuff. But I understand what the fans meant. So this time around, the SPINESHANK recipe, if you will — the song's gotta have energy. It's gotta be heavy. It's gotta be catchy. It's gotta have a hook. I don't care. I fucking love singing in fucking metal songs. All those people out there [who say], 'That's lame that you sing' — fuck you. You've gotta bring girls to the show too. So you've gotta have energy. It's gotta be heavy. You've gotta have a hook. And with SPINESHANK, it's gotta have that electronic aspect and that dirty, nasty, electronic aspect. Very industrial — 'Antichrist Superstar' [MARILYN MANSON] industrial. I love when you have a cool loop. Distort that motherfucker. So it's that whole ATARI TEENAGE RIOT dirtiness to it."

When SPINESHANK's return was first announced, Decker said in a statement: "We are beyond excited to be able to celebrate 25 years of 'The Height Of Callousness'. This is the record that defined us as a band and changed our lives. We can't wait to play all of these songs and share the memories with all of you who lived it with us."

Santos stated: "We are extremely excited to celebrate the return of SPINESHANK for the 25th anniversary of 'The Height Of Callousness' tour and get to share this milestone with the people who were there back then, and the new fans that never got the chance to see us play. Truly an honor!!!"

Garcia said: "It's amazing that 25 years later people still react to 'The Height Of Callousness' the way they do. We're excited to get out and play these songs again, see old friends, and threw down for all the new fans who never got to see SPINESHANK the first time around!"

Decker, Jr. said: "I've been on tour with these guys since I was a little kid, watching them perform every night from the side of the stage. I can't believe it's come full circle and I get to share the stage with my dad and the rest of the guys who I consider my family. I was 4 years old when this album came out and seeing all the fans still show love to this album is crazy!"

Hager stated: "I am beyond excited and honored to be a part of the return of SPINESHANK, for the 25th anniversary of 'The Height Of Callousness' tour. They're not just one of my favorite bands, but have been great friends, ever since they generously, and selflessly helped us (CHIMAIRA) out, during our early days. I'm looking forward to seeing you all, out on the road, and excited about what the future may hold."

After releasing three successful albums ("Strictly Diesel", "The Height Of Callousness" and "Self-Destructive Pattern"),performing on countless world tours (including appearances on Ozzfest and the Download festival) and a Grammy nomination in 2004, the band went on a hiatus.

SPINESHANK's fourth album, "Anger Denial Acceptance", was released in June 2012 via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by SPINESHANK guitarist Mike Sarkisyan and drummer Tommy Decker and mixed by Mike Plotnikoff (PAPA ROACH, BUCKCHERRY).

SPINESHANK's third LP, "Self-Destructive Pattern", was released in September 2003. The album's lead single, "Smothered", was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Metal Performance".

This past April, Jonny told the "Talk Toomey" podcast about the possibility of SPINESHANK releasing new music to coincide with the upcoming tour:  "We never got a chance to really go out on a high note. And so when we first started getting ready to do all this, doing another record wasn't really even talked about. It was more of just, like, 'Hey, let's just go out and do ['The Height Of Callousness'] in its entirety' and give the band its warrior's death, if you will — going out on a strong note instead of just falling into obscurity.

"Now it's gotten to the point… So right now I'm in the studio finishing up some edits and mixing the first SPINESHANK song since 2012," Santos explained. "So we have one new song coming out. Because I think the way that we feel that we'll know is, let's see how this SPINESHANK song does. If it's accepted well and people are excited about it, if it does well, then maybe there could be another album in the works. Or if anything, maybe even an EP. Who knows?"

Referencing the resurgence of "nu metal" in recent years, Jonny continued: "It's kind of weird how — it's uncharted territory. It's, like, is this here to stay? Is this gonna be a staple in heavy music or is this just a fashion fad for kids today? So I think once we release this new song and tour for the better part of this year, then I think we'll know if we're gonna put a new record out next year or not. I would like to, but I only wanna put a record out if it's gonna matter. I don't wanna put a record out if nobody's gonna give a shit."

Elaborating on his reluctance to release a full-length collection of new material, Jonny said: "Not comparing us to the size of THE ROLLING STONES or anything, but if I was gonna go see THE ROLLING STONES, I'm not too concerned with anything that they've done post 1979. You know what I'm saying?

"I think you hit a certain point in your career as a band when you have a legitimate and constant following that people just wanna go hear the hits.

"I've noticed, I'll put music out or whatever, and people are, like, 'Oh, man, it doesn't sound like 'The Height Of Callousness'.' It's just, like, dude, me putting out the same record twice is not gonna make you young again," he said. "Because that's how it is.

"Very few bands can get away with putting the same record out. AC/DC's done it. SLAYER's done it. But it works — that works for them, and it's fucking awesome. But for me, it doesn't.

"The thought of putting a new SPINESHANK record out there, it's exciting. But at the same time, we're gonna see how this goes.

"We're going into this with no expectations. This is really fun for us to do, and I think it's a chance for a lot of people that have become SPINESHANK fans in the last decade or so that have never seen us to get to see us. And being that 'The Height Of Callousness' was by far our best-received album, I can't think of a better record to do in its entirety out of our catalog."

In a new interview with the "Rock Camp The Podcast", hosted by Tommy London, Britt Lightning and Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp founder David Fishof, ex-GRAND FUNK RAILROAD singer Mark Farner was asked how he feels about his former band having yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think it's much like the U.S. government. There is no one there representing the will of the people. The collective will of the rockers is not represented at the Rock Hall. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is a bunch of just these music politics, but it's politics. And people say, 'Why ain't GRAND FUNK in the Rock Hall?' I say, because GRAND FUNK does not have that brown ring around our lips. And we don't bow to that God. All right?! And that's what it is. It's just totally political. It's bullshit. Excuse my English. I'm speaking truth."

Farner previously addressed GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's exclusion from the Rock Hall during a February 2021 interview with Sofa King Cool. Asked how it felt to see various rap and hip-hop artists inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame before the band he co-founded more than five decades ago, Mark responded at the time: "Well, it just shows the illegitimacy of that Rock Hall. And the people are definitely smart enough to know this. They need to be reminded, though, that the Rock Hall is not a representation of the will of the people; it is a representation of the will of the owners of the Rock Hall. That's what it is, and it is super political. And Steve Miller didn't have a good time there. I read some stuff that I just feel for him.

"You know something? I feel great about receiving the Cherokee Medal Of Honor," he said, referring to the award he received from the Cherokee Honor Society during a 1999 concert he performed in Hankinson, North Dakota. "I don't need to be in a Rock Hall. 'Cause without the people's opinion, it's fake. It's politicized, and, brother, it just ain't real."

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

Eligible since 1994, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD released 11 albums between 1969 and 1976, all of which went gold or platinum. "We're An American Band", "Some Kind Of Wonderful" and "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)" helped define 1970s rock and roll.

Farner wrote more than 90 percent of the GRAND FUNK music catalog and has always been known as the energetic driving force on stage, the engine that pulled the original GRAND FUNK RAILROAD to the top of the charts. His story and his imprint on music starts with Flint and since 1969 from his humble beginnings and a blue-collar outlook, Farner has captained a global crusade for love, peace and freedom and became a rock 'n' roll icon.

More than 60 years later, he commands the stage with the same intensity performing epic hits that defined a generation: "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)", "Bad Time", "Some Kind of Wonderful", "Foot Stompin' Music", "Heartbreaker", "Rock & Roll Soul", "Locomotion", "Mean Mistreater" and "We're An American Band". MARK FARNER'S AMERICAN BAND continues to tour, celebrating the 55th anniversary of the ground-breaking hit "I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)".

In a recent interview with TribLive, Farner — who has been embroiled in legal battles with GRAND FUNK RAILROAD drummer Don Brewer and bassist Mel Schacher over the years — was asked if he thinks a full-fledged GRAND FUNK reunion could ever take place. He responded: "Well, I don't anticipate that since Don Brewer has said in interviews, and people — I didn't read the interviews — but people, my friends, said, 'Hey, man, forget about it.' He's not going to ever put it back together. He's running the show in the 'Fake Funk,' as they call it, my friends. But I have always been open to it, and I have pitched them face-to-face in corporate meetings. I'm thinking, why isn't your head put in making the most for the corporation? Aren't you bound to produce the most? And anyways, I've been pitching it for 24 years to put the band back together, but it's heard, and it's answered with laughter and whatever. It's okay, though. I have got to the place where I have forgiven those guys. They're just off their path, and a lot of people get off their path. They're led by various things, motivation, pursuit of money, pursuit of the fulfillment of their ego. There's a lot of things that are in play in life. Take your pick. But I have come to the place in my heart where I forgive them. I really do. But I wish that they would have put it back together while we are all still sucking air so that we could give the fans the real GRAND FUNK, but, I don't know, they're against it."

As a frontrunner to the 50th anniversary for Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Foreigner, the band is excited to announce the September 12 release of extensive super deluxe editions of its 1981 smash multi-Platinum album, 4.



Recorded at the famed Electric Lady Studios in New York City alongside respected music producer Mutt Lange (Def Leppard, AC/DC), Foreigner 4 Deluxe will be available in black vinyl and various other formats on September 12 via Rhino. The release will encompass newly remastered Stereo or ATMOS versions, and a five-disc CD/Blu-ray package that includes a booklet containing over 60 exclusive photos, five previously unreleased songs, 14 early and alternate versions of various songs, 15 instrumentals, and 15 live performances from across the globe, spanning the band’s 1981 and 1982 “4” world tour. The digital deluxe release will also contain alternate versions, instrumentals, and live performances from the era.

Pre-orders are available here, where you can also find the complete tracklisting.



Originally released July 2, 1981, 4 spent more weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts than any artist in the history of Atlantic Records, including AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, and went on to sell more than ten million albums worldwide. 4 is certified 6x Platinum in the U.S. (RIAA), 4x Platinum in Canada (Music Canada), Platinum in Australia (ARIA) and Germany (BVMI), and Gold in 7 additional countries. It spawned three Billboard Hot 100 singles: “Waiting For A Girl Like You”, “Urgent”, and “Juke Box Hero.” Foreigner 4, as it’s often referred to, is the fourth studio album by the legendary British-American rock band released during a time of transition as they famously went from six members to four.

Mick Jones noted: “Recording our fourth album took the better part of two years. It was something that just had to be right and I truly believe that Mutt Lange, Lou, Rick, Dennis, and I accomplished something very special. This package, and particularly the stunning Atmos mixes present a spectacular culmination of one of the most exciting periods of my life.”

To coincide with the deluxe package release, Foreigner – Luis Maldonado (lead vocals/guitar), Jeff Pilson (bass), Michael Bluestein (keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitars), Chris Frazier (drums) will celebrate half a century of music with a new round of headlining tour dates which will include original lead singer Lou Gramm guesting on some of the songs he helped create almost forty-five years ago.

The upcoming Foreigner 4 Deluxe Tour signals yet another important transition for the band as these new dates will be the first major US shows featuring Foreigner’s Luis Maldonado on lead vocals. On the season finale of The Voice, it was announced that this year’s Summer tour would be the last for Kelly Hansen.

You can view their showstopping live performance and Kelly’s heartfelt farewell message here. Tickets for the “Foreigner 4 Deluxe” Tour are available here.

Of the transition, Luis Maldonado had this to say: “Earlier this year, we toured Mexico and South America with the incredible Lou Gramm. We all had such a fantastic time performing and being together, and it’s with that same excitement I look forward to working with Lou again. He was an integral part of the writing and recording of the Foreigner 4 album and his presence will add a historic dimension to our forthcoming tour.”

On June 27, Lynyrd Skynyrd released Celebrating 50 Years: Live At The Ryman on 2CD/DVD, 2CD, Blu-Ray, 3LP, and Digital.

“This historic night was the final performance for guitarist Gary Rossington and features many special guests including Jelly Roll, Brent Smith of Shinedown, Marcus King, John Osbourne of Brothers Osborne, Donnie Van Zant of Van Zant and 38 Special,” says Skynyrd.

Check out the official live video for the band’s iconic song, “Freebird”, taken from the show:



Order Lynyrd Skynyrd – Celebrating 50 Years: Live At The Ryman, now at this location.



Tracklisting:

“What’s Your Name”
“Workin’ For MCA”
“You Got That Right”
“I Know A Little”
“Down South Jukin”
“That Smell”
“Cry For The Bad Man”
“Saturday Night Special”
“Tuesday’s Gone”
“Red White And Blue”
“Simple Man”
“Three Steps”
“Call Me The Breeze”
“Sweet Home Alabama”
“Freebird”

Japanese rock music promoter UPP-tone Music has announced that former VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Antony "Abaddon" Bray (drums) will reunite for a special concert on November 30 at Shinjuku Antiknock, a legendary music venue in Tokyo, Japan.

According to the UPP-tone Music web site, Dunn and Bray will perform "VENOM classics" alongside some of Japan's finest black metal players: Masaki "Gezol" Tachi (SABBAT) on bass and vocals, Mirai Kawashima (SIGH) on vocals, Shinji "Samm" Tachi (METALUCIFER) on drums, and Noboru "Jero" Sakuma (ABIGAIL) on guitar. Support at the gig will come from SURVIVE and HELL FREEZES OVER.

Nearly a decade ago, Dunn formed VENOM INC. with Bray and another former VENOM member, bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan.

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

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

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

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

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

Abaddon was part of VENOM's classic lineup from 1978 to 1992. He then returned to the band in 1995 and stayed with them for four years before joining VENOM INC. alongside Dunn and Dolan. VENOM INC. released its debut album, "Avé", in August 2017. A year later, VENOM INC. revealed that it was recruiting Jeramie Kling of the Tampa-based melodic death metal band THE ABSENCE to fill in for Bray on a European tour while Abaddon stayed home to spend time with his newborn daughter.
Dunn, Bray and Dolan released three albums as VENOM between 1989 and 1992 — "Prime Evil" (1989),"Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

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

Mantas Venom Japan来日公演決定！

VenomオリジナルメンバーMantasと
Japan Black Metal界最強のメンバーによる
Venom Japan結成！！
更にスペシャルゲストにVenomオリジナルドラマー"...

Posted by UPP-tone company on Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Mantas Venom Japan来日公演決定！

VenomオリジナルメンバーMantasとJapan Black Metal界最強のメンバーによるVenom Japan結成！！更にスペシャルゲストにVenomオリジナルドラマー"...

Posted by Sabbat on Tuesday, July 1, 2025

During an appearance on the June 27 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Joe Perry spoke about the status of his HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES supergroup, which also features shock rock icon Alice Cooper and Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we're working on a documentary. It's got some great stuff on it. I just saw a rough cut. And it's pretty amazing.

"I'm still pinching myself this band actually got moving, 'cause everybody's got other things going on, especially Johnny," Perry continued. "[For Johnny], it's not, like, 'I can't do it this day'; it's, like, 'I can't do it this month.' When he's on a project, he's gotta carve out months. And even then, he has to be available for things. So, when I'm in L.A., I've seen him work, and it's, like, man, that's tough. I mean, talk about putting a band on the road. Doing a movie, the kind of movies he does, it's a lot. It's a real lot. It takes a lot out of you, and you've gotta give up your life 24-7 for anywhere from a month to a year, whatever. And Alice is always working. If you don't book something almost a year ahead, he's gonna be booked.

"I know that everybody would love to play some more with that band," Joe added. "And I think the last record we did was amazing. It was so much fun. But we get into that in the documentary. So I don't know. Right now everybody's tied up. But I know that in the back of everyone's mind, it'd be great to get back together again. So anyway, we'll see how that goes."

Perry went on to praise HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, saying: "That band is something else, man. Alice got to be the lead singer of a rock band and he didn't have to be Alice Cooper… He's Alice Cooper through and through. But when he was with the VAMPIRES, he got to talk to the audience in real time and he didn't have to take on a character. And I know he loved it. But listen, he still went out looking like Alice Cooper. And that part of him is through and through. And everybody had a great time."

A trailer for the upcoming HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES documentary "Unleashed Spirits - The Rise Of The Hollywood Vampires" can be seen below.

Directed by Daniel E. Catullo III, "Unleashed Spirits - The Rise Of The Hollywood Vampires" was previously described in a press release as "an exhilarating and heartfelt film that takes viewers on a captivating journey through the formation of HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES and the profound impact they've had on their devoted fan base."

Named for a pack of famous musicians that legendary rocker Alice Cooper used to drink with in the early 1970s, including John Lennon and Keith Moon, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES also includes producer and songwriter Tommy Henriksen.

The three legends first came together to record in 2015, bonding over a shared love of their favorite songs and a desire to celebrate their "dead, drunk friends" by playing the songs of the fallen heroes. Riotous performances ensued around the world.

In 2019, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES — which also includes Cooper's drummer Glen Sobel and bassist Chris Wyse — completed a triumphant seven-city North American tour which included a sell-out show at the famous Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and were voted the "best performance" of 2018 at London's Wembley Arena.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' sophomore album "Rise", produced by Tommy Henriksen and the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, was hailed as one of the purest, most unapologetic and enjoyable rock and roll albums of 2019, made by masters of the craft and true fans of the form. Unlike their 2015 debut record, the latest album consisted mainly of original material, written by the band. There are however, in the spirit of the VAMPIRES' original mission, three covers of songs originally written and recorded by legendary rockers who died far too young.

Six years ago, Cooper told Billboard about his chemistry with Depp and Perry: "That's a very odd thing about this. You've got three alpha males who are used to running the show, and all of a sudden, three guys are sitting there with zero arguments. The whole thing is, 'Okay, let's try that.' Every time they would send me a track with scratch vocals on it, if I worked on it and chopped it up and did my thing, it would turn into an Alice song. I took my fingerprints off of it. I would hear the song and say, 'Let's do it as it was written.' My instinct might be to say that this part goes too long or the intro goes too long, but that's what makes it interesting."

Regarding HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' decision to record a second album as a follow-up to 2015's "Hollywood Vampires", which debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard 200, Cooper said: "We looked at each other and went, 'Let's do another album, but let's make this one original.' And just like that, Johnny was writing, Joe was writing, Tommy was writing, I was writing … and we just all kind of put it together while I was on tour. Tommy produced it, and the next thing you know, we had an album. The cool thing about it is that it doesn’t sound like an Alice album, it doesn't sound like an AEROSMITH album: It sounds like a HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES album."

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES released their first live album, "Live In Rio", in June 2023 via earMUSIC. The LP was recorded when the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES played their biggest and most legendary gig in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Rock In Rio festival in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in September 2015

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

Legendary former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin banded together with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and explosive Tool drummer Danny Carey to create BEAT, a creative reinterpretation of the three iconic 80s King Crimson albums – Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair.

In 2024, the ensemble staged 65 standing room only shows in North America. They followed this touring with an expansive run of Mexico and South America in 2025.

Today, they announce the release of BEAT Live on September 26 in partnership with InsideOutMusic/Sony. A first reveal has been presented of the performance of “Neal And Jack And Me.” Watch below. On September 1, BEAT will perform a record release show at the legendary Budokan in Tokyo. Pre-order the new release here.

Adrian Belew reflects, “You’re walking on stage with three virtuoso musicians, world class professionals who have seen it all but are still having fun playing this music which is timeless and unlike anything done before or since and the audience knows every word and are so thrilled with the performance the energy and love beaming back at you is overwhelming. What could be better?”

Steve Vai shares, “Touring with BEAT has proved to be so much more than I could have expected. Performing this music with Adrian, Tony and Danny has been one of my favorite touring experiences and we are now at the top of our game and captured the magic on BEAT Live.”

Tony Levin offers, “The band rocks. So glad we got high quality recordings of what it is we do live – innovation meets classic material.”

Danny Carey states, “I look forward to every show I get to perform with Tony, Adrian and Steve with excitement and awe. Playing gigs with musicians of this caliber is a dream come true. These songs are fun and challenging and the promise of inspiration, execution, and surprise has never let me down. I can’t wait to do more!”



BEAT Live will be released in three configurations. A 3-LP set, a Blu-ray release accompanied by 2-CDs and a 12-page photo booklet, and lastly a limited collector’s edition that will contain the Blu-ray, 2-CDs, a bonus CD, and a 36-page artbook.

The Blu-ray tracklisting features “Neurotica,” “Neal and Jack and Me,” “Heartbeat,” “Sartori In Tangier,” “Model Man,” “Dig Me,” “Man With An Open Heart,” “Industry,” “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part lll,” “Waiting Man,” “The Sheltering Sky,” “Sleepless,” “Frame By Frame,” “Matte Kudasai,” “Elephant Talk,” “Three Of A Perfect Pair,” “Indiscipline,” “Red,” and “Thela Hun Ginjeet.”

The concert film was directed by Scrote, with a collective delivering the editing amongst whom include Scrote, Steve Vai (Harmony Hut, Encino), Alan Berry and Don Adams. The bonus material video was directed and edited by Alan Berry. Additionally, a mid-tour interview captured by Sweetwater is included in the program. Videography was captured by Alan Berry, Mike Skillsky, Jon Luini and Dan Ermey. Art Direction by Scrote and designer Dan Ermey. Photography compliments of Alison Dyer, Tony Levin, Peter Dervin, Jerry LoFaro, Mike Skillsky, Dan Ermey and Jim Snyder.

On the audio side, BEAT Live was Produced by Scrote and Mixed by Bob Clearmountain, assisted by Ira Becker. Mastering by Emily Lazar at The Lodge, assisted by Bob DeMaa. Audio editing by Scrote, Steve Vai (Harmony Hut, Encino), and additional audio production assistance by Bill Mims

The bonus CD contained in the deluxe set features the track listing “Neurotica,” “Neal and Jack and Me,” “Heartbeat,” “Sartori in Tangier,” “Frame by Frame,” “Industry,” “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part III,” “Elephant Talk,” “Matte Kudasai,” “Three of a Perfect Pair,” “Indiscipline” and “Thela Hun Ginjeet.”

The vision for this undertaking emanated from initial dialogue between Angelo Bundini aka Scrote and Adrian Belew. Tour Producer Bundini recalls, “When Adrian called me to help bring his idea to fruition, I immediately thought it best to focus on the 80s albums: Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair. These three records famously mark Adrian and Tony’s entry into King Crimson. Their fluid, melodic virtuosity, and Fripp’s and Bruford’s dramatic precision created a totally unique, dynamic push and pull that would influence nearly every rock musician and/or band going forward for years, if not decades, to come.”

Hot on the heels of their show-stopping performance of Ozzy Osbourne's "Perry Mason" at BLACK SABBATH's final show over the weekend, HALESTORM today dropped new song "Rain Your Blood On Me", debuted live in that short set.

The track is a heavy siren call starting with a thumping dirge beat and before erupting with Arejay Hale's explosive drum fills, guitarist Joe Hottinger's lightning fast guitar riffs, and Lzzy Hale's astronomical vocal harmonies, all tethered to earth by Josh Smith's dark bass grooves.

"Rain Your Blood On Me" follows "Darkness Always Wins" and title track "Everest" as the third song revealed from the Grammy Award-winning band's album, out August 8 via Atlantic Records. "Darkness Always Wins" is steadily climbing the U.S. radio Active Rock chart, now entering the top 15, and already on the B-list at Planet Rock and Kerrang! Radio.

"'Rain Your Blood On Me' is our ode to women," said Lzzy. "The crawl, the climb, the clenching of fists, the screaming of sirens, the breaking of glass — this is our war cry. As a woman, surrounded by my allies Arejay, Joe and Josh, we put everything we've fought for up until this moment into this opus. The music started with the stomping of feet at 3 in the morning, with a chant of 'Rain Your Blood On Me'. We weren't even sure what that title meant in the moment as we watched the sky crack through the eerie Spanish moss in Savannah, Georgia. But we knew it was right. By 11:30 a.m. the poem I had written had seemed to form itself like a story waiting to be told.

"We may not win the war in our lifetime, but we can pass the torch to our daughters so that they may light the way."

In late May, HALESTORM released the official music video for the "Everest" title track, consisting of a variety of clips of humans on the brink and imminent explosions, both literal and metaphorical. Interspersed with the vignettes is a rage-fueled, passionate performance by the band.

"Our song 'Everest' is the summit of everything we've fought for — every scream, every scar, every triumph," Lzzy stated at the time. "This album is us, louder and bolder, and more brutally honest than ever, standing tall in the face of the storm."

In May, HALESTORM kicked off a tour in Europe supporting the legendary IRON MAIDEN. HALESTORM will next travel back to the U.S. to tour with VOLBEAT. In September, they'll kick off the "nEVEREST" North American tour with Lindsey Stirling and APOCALYPTICA.

Produced by Grammy winner Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell),"Everest" dives deeply, both lyrically and sonically, into the band's mountainous climb over the last couple decades.

"Our album 'Everest' is a story of our journey as a band, full of beautiful endings and new beginnings," Lzzy previously said. "We weave a tangled web of melancholy, frustration, anger and the vast purgatory of love and love lost. It is a rollercoaster of epic musical detours, great songwriting and completely unhinged twists and turns. 'Everest' is an auditory representation of the four pillars of HALESTORM. Let us reintroduce ourselves and invite you into our world…if you dare."

Rolling Stone said of "Darkness Always Wins", "What the song has going for is its catchy, brooding, and dramatic in all the ways we love HALESTORM songs to be," and Revolver noted "The arrangement remains lean even as the amps begin to crank into the red, though 'Darkness Always Wins' still sports some exquisite minor-key melodicism, a metal-chunked bridge, loud-as-hell requiem bells and a classically rippin' rock guitar solo."

"Everest" track listing:

01. Fallen Star
02. Everest
03. Shiver
04. Like A Woman Can
05. Rain Your Blood On Me
06. Darkness Always Wins
07. Gather The Lambs
08. WATCH OUT!
09. Broken Doll
10. K-I-L-L-I-N-G
11. I Gave You Everything
12. How Will You Remember Me?

In a recent interview with Cutter's Rockcast, Lzzy spoke about HALESTORM's songwriting and recording sessions with Cobb, known for his previous collaborations with the likes of Sammy Hagar, Slash, GRETA VAN FLEET and RIVAL SONS. Regarding the musical direction of the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead", Lzzy said: "It's really hard to describe this one. We did the record with Dave Cobb, which is a new producer for us. His ADHD mixed very well with our ADHD. But we didn't do it traditionally the way we always do these albums. First day, we walked in and I always have, like, whatever, a ton of half-written songs or full-written songs, or, 'Here's a riff or whatever' — you come in with your bag of tricks. And Dave Cobb says, 'Oh, we're not gonna do any of that.' And I'm, like, 'What do you mean?' He's, like, 'We're not doing demos. I hate demos. What we're gonna do is we're gonna start and we're gonna write, and as we're writing, we're recording at the same time.' So that's what we did. The first day we actually ended up writing our first single that'll be coming out soon. But, yeah, we started, like, 'Okay, who's got a line?' 'Oh, I have this that I thought of yesterday.' 'Cool. That'll work. Let's go.' Set up the drums, set up the guitar, here's the vocals. And so we would be recording while we were writing it, and then we would get done and we would move on to the next day. And so there are songs that don't even have a click track to them or a guide because we forgot."

Lzzy continued: "There's so many different elements of songs that we used to write when we were kids, but, obviously, as adults — a lot of that feeling. It was kind of an emotional rollercoaster. There's also, I think, some of the heaviest songs we've ever written on there, some really beautiful mid-tempos. A lot of personalities that I've always wanted to kind of put on a record, but I never really had the freedom or time to, because usually when we do a HALESTORM record, it's, like, 'Okay, we have to have all the songs picked. We have to have them rehearsed.' We go in and kind of do it like an assembly line. Like, 'Okay, you do the bass, do the drums, do the guitar, do the vocals, and we're good.' So there's no time to really like sit with things before they're, like, 'Okay, we've already decided we're gonna do that.' And so the freedom and kind of the nerve-racking kind of element of the fact that there wasn't really a plan ended up being the special sauce on this album, because we were just chasing everything that got us excited. And if it wasn't a 'hell yeah', it was a 'hell no'. So there's nothing on there on this album that we don't feel complete ownership over. There's nothing on this album that anybody forced us to do. There's nothing on this album that isn't part of our personalities."

Elaborating on why the new HALESTORM album feels like it is a return to the band's roots in a way, Lzzy said: "My bass player said it yesterday. He's, like, 'It's kind of like this long road to the beginning,' 'cause all of the guys at one point in time said this really feels like we're back in our parents' basement again and we're hustling and we're trying to figure out how to write songs on the radio. But we have all this knowledge now. So everything ended up coming together so incredibly well. But it was almost like the reverse, that the music was telling us what to do and not us trying to like shoehorn anything in.

"I'm telling you, man, — it is the most HALESTORM record we've ever done," Lzzy added. "It is the first time in the 20 years we've been on Atlantic Records that we have not felt lorded over in regarding to making records, because usually it's time crunch. Somebody's always there being, like, 'Oh, we can't do that.' 'Oh, you probably shouldn't say that.' 'What about this thing?' And that kind of thing. So it usually becomes like a project, like a group project.

"We didn't do it in Nashville — we did it in Savannah, Georgia, locked in a house in the middle of nowhere, next to a river," Hale revealed. "The guys and I would wake up like around 11:30 a.m., we would start recording and we wouldn't stop until 4:00 a.m. And then we would annoy the hell out of the engineer who was trying to sleep with playing on the proper keyboard and coming up with weird stuff. But we were unsupervised in the best way, and it was all about, who are we now? Who were we then? This is our story. For me, when I listen to this album, it's my personal opus — all the things that I've gone through in my life, both dark and not. There's more questions than answers. It's not just me giving myself a pep talk, like 'I'm the fire', 'I'm back from the dead.' It's like I'm dealing with a lot of my reality and a lot of the reality of the world in my own way. And then it's also our story as a band, and you can really hear it in the music and in the lyrics. So I'm so excited for people to hear it. And it's to the point where it's, like, I don't even really care if anybody likes it because all four of us are, like, 'This is our favorite album we've ever done.'"

Fronted by Lzzy with drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

Photo: Jimmy Fontaine

Belfast metal pioneers SWEET SAVAGE will release a new album, "Bang", on September 12 through earMUSIC.

To mark the occasion, they have unleashed the sharp title track today, accompanied by a gritty music video that captures the band's intense live energy.

Formed in Belfast in 1979 by bassist and vocalist Ray Haller and future DIO/DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell, SWEET SAVAGE was part of the first wave of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. But unlike their peers, SWEET SAVAGE never released a full album during their first run. Instead, they became underground legends, gaining wide recognition after METALLICA covered their track "Killing Time" — co-written by Campbell — and released it as the B-side of their multi-platinum single "The Unforgiven". The friendship between the two legendary bands continues to this day.

Now, with "Bang", the band returns in fighting form. SWEET SAVAGE are not here to revive nostalgia, but still, on the new album, their roots are unmistakable — aggressive, fast-paced metal infused with industrial textures and punk rock's DIY ethos.

From the explosive title track to the slower, hard-hitting "Live And Die" and the anthemic "The Chosen One", the album keeps shifting gears without losing punch. Every track feels urgent and direct — this is the sound of a band with nothing to prove and everything to say.

Frontman Ray Haller is backed by longtime drummer Marty McCloskey and guitar force Phil Edgar. The album features guitar work by former band member Simon McBride, who toured and recorded with the band before launching his solo career and joining DEEP PURPLE.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield joined SWEET SAVAGE on stage at an August 20, 2008 concert at Marlay Park in Dublin, Ireland (where SWEET SAVAGE supported METALLICA) to perform "Killing Time".

Campbell was a member of SWEET SAVAGE from 1979 until 1982, when he joined DIO.

Vivian joined SWEET SAVAGE on stage for the first time in 30 years when the band supported THIN LIZZY in February 2011 in Belfast and Dublin to perform the classic track "Killing Time".

In a 2018 interview with Riccardo Ball of "The Metal Bar", Campbell stated about METALLICA covering "Killing Time" as the B-side to "The Unforgiven" single (the song was also included on METALLICA's "Garage Inc." covers album): "Yeah, that was incredibly flattering when that happened. I do think that there were very, very strong similarities between SWEET SAVAGE and METALLICA. I formed SWEET SAVAGE with a friend of mine who's, unfortunately, long since passed away — Trevor Fleming — back when I was 15. And we were in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the '70s, and it was a very tough environment, but we kind of put our heads down and got into music. And we sound a lot like METALLICA, so in a lot of ways, I'm really not that surprised. But it was tremendous for them to do that. It's funny when you're 15 or 16 years of age and you write a riff and you get together with your mates and it becomes a song, and then, 25 years later, you get a royalty check for it. It's funny how life works sometimes."

Photo: Mark Hylands