Provogue is proud to spotlight a blistering new cut from the upcoming Gary More Live From Baloise Session, due out May 23. Taken from his unforgettable 2008 performance in Basel, Switzerland, Moore’s explosive take on the Jimmy Rogers classic, “Walkin’ By Myself”, is now available on all platforms. Listen to the blistering performance below.

More than a cover, “Walkin’ By Myself” becomes a full-throttle showcase of Moore’s unmatched energy and feel for the blues. As he tears into the track, you can hear echoes of his deep respect for the genre’s pioneers — yet the delivery is all Moore: gritty, impassioned, and unmistakably powerful.

Captured in stunning fidelity during the Baloise Session, this rendition brims with urgency. It’s a reminder that even late in his career, Moore was still pushing boundaries and channelling the same raw emotion that made him a legend.

Backed by longtime collaborators Pete Rees (bass), Vic Martin (keys), and Thin Lizzy icon Brian Downey (drums), Moore breathes new life into Rogers’ anthem of self-reliance. Each note he pulls from his Les Paul speaks volumes, and the crowd’s reaction says it all — this was a moment.

This latest release is a perfect teaser for Live From Baloise Session, a distillation of Moore’s late-career brilliance. While we lost him far too soon, recordings like this prove his fire never faded. The blues may be timeless, but few have walked its path with the same ferocity and soul as Gary Moore.



Gary More Live From Baloise Session will be released on CD/Blu-Ray, 2LP blue and also marble yellow flame (web exclusive) as well as being available digitally. Pre-order the upcoming release here.

We didn’t know it then, but when Moore took the stage for the Baloise Session on November 13, 2008, he was less than three years away from his untimely passing at the age of 58. Yet this very special performance – captured for the Live From Baloise Session reminds us that the guitarist played with untouchable skill and molten soul, right to the end.

It’s hard to imagine a finer showcase for Moore’s cask-seasoned talent than Baloise Session. Far from the mud and melee of a traditional festival, the event held in Basel, Switzerland – formerly known as AVO Session – is an intimate encounter with A-list artists, where discerning music-lovers sit at lamp-lit tables modelled on the vintage after-hours clubs of New York, soaking up the set with no distractions.

From Ray Charles and James Brown to Elton John and Eric Clapton, an invitation to the Baloise Session is the stamp of an all-time musical great – and there’s no doubt that Moore belongs in that number.

Gary Moore at full throttle was simply the greatest spectacle in rock ‘n’ roll. From his formative years out on the boards of late-’60s Dublin with Skid Row, through his ’70s gunslinger shifts for Thin Lizzy – onto an ever-evolving solo career that rewrote the book for blues, rock, metal and more – the Irishman attacked every show like it was both his first and last, shrugging off his hallowed reputation and earning his place amongst the greats all over again.

One setlist could never contain it all. Live From Baloise Session, however, is a fist-tight, fat-trimmed distillation of everything that made Moore the blues master, hitting all the marks you’d hope to see from a late-period live set by this deathless artist.

With no fuss or fanfare, the bandleader – flanked by Pete Rees on bass, Vic Martin on keys and fabled Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey – walks from the wings, plugs his Les Paul into twin Marshall stacks and fires up “Oh, Pretty Woman” (the fiery Albert King cover that was a highlight of Still Got The Blues). As a statement of intent, it’s stinging, and as Moore soothes and strangles his first solo of the night, you’re reminded of Joe Bonamassa’s sage observation: “Gary’s approach to soloing was like placing a brick on a car’s gas pedal — the brick would go down, and he would never stop!”

Strapping on a Gibson ES335, Moore then tears into his own “Since I Met You Baby” (a spring-heeled groove from 1992’s After Hours, whose studio version featured a guesting B.B. King).

This vintage Baloise Session performance serves as a reminder of all the Irishman did in his lifetime to leave his beloved genre in the best health. The likes of Gary Moore will not come again, but while this deathless music plays, he still walks amongst us, his power undimmed.



Tracklisting:

“Oh, Pretty Woman”
“Since I Met You Baby”
“Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)”
“I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”
“Don’t Believe a Word”
“Still Got the Blues”
“Walking by Myself”
“The Blues Is Alright”

LINKIN PARK has shared an official visualizer for the band's new single "Unshatter". The track, along with the previously released new song "Up From The Bottom", is taken from the deluxe edition of LINKIN PARK's comeback album, "From Zero", due out May 16 via Warner.

"Unshatter" and "Up From The Bottom" mark the band's first new music since the release of the "From Zero" last November.

"From Zero (Deluxe Edition)" 2CD is a limited pressing. It features a four-panel softpak packaging with 16-page booklet and showcases three new songs, five live tracks recorded around the world and all new, expanded packaging.

The band comments: "'Up From The Bottom' was created in between tours this year, infused with the electricity of those first shows back after a long hiatus. 'Let You Fade' was a song that began during the 'From Zero' sessions but found its final shape in sessions after the album's release. 'Unshatter' was an early track we made while recording 'From Zero'; Emily's huge vocal in the bridge was one of the moments that gave us an indication of what was possible together.

"We are so grateful for the incredible reception to 'From Zero'. This new chapter, our continuing journey, and the connection between the band and fans has been more than we could've hoped for. Thank you for listening."

"From Zero (Deluxe Edition)" track listing:

CD1

01. From Zero
02. The Emptiness Machine
03. Cut The Bridge
04. Heavy Is The Crown
05. Over Each Other
06. Casualty
07. Overflow
08. Two Faced
09. Stained
10. IGYEIH
11. Good Things Go

CD 2

01. Up From The Bottom
02. Unshatter
03. Let You Fade
04. The Emptiness Machine (Live)
05. Heavy Is The Crown (Live)
06. Over Each Other (Live)
07. Casualty (Live)
08. Two Faced (Live)

LINKIN PARK kicked off the 2025 leg of its "From Zero" world tour on January 31 at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City, Mexico. The trek will resume on April 26 at Austin, Texas's Moody Center.

In late January, LINKIN PARK released an a cappella/vocals-only version of "From Zero", dubbed "From Zero - A Cappellas".

The original version of "From Zero", issued last November, marked LINKIN PARK's first full-length effort since 2017's "One More Light", which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington. "From Zero" features LINKIN PARK's new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who have joined returning members co-vocalist and main producer Shinoda, guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and DJ/visual director Joe Hahnin the band's new lineup. Guitarist Alex Feder is filling in for Delson at all LINKIN PARK concerts for the foreseeable future.

Last fall, Shinoda told KROQ's Kevan Kenney about the emotions surrounding LINKIN PARK's return: "It's really complicated. For me, two years ago it was very overwhelming, and I think the best thing that we did was to just basically let things happen in the order and at the timeline that they were gonna happen, let things happen organically and not push too hard. And I feel like what ended up evolving was we just naturally kind of found each other, we found this new lineup, we found Emily and Colin in particular, and the music just kind of came into focus based on what we were having the most fun doing."

When Kenney suggested that "From Zero" "sounds almost like a return to [LINKIN PARK's] roots", Shinoda said: "I love that there's such a strong LINKIN PARK DNA in the record. It does really feel like LINKIN PARK, but I think there's a part of it that's the old sound and part of that's every era of the band, to me, on the record."

Farrell chimed in: "I don't know if I know well what the LINKIN PARK DNA is. It's kind of like when you're too close to something, you just do it and then other people tell you. They almost interpret it and then you kind of say, 'Okay, cool. I'm glad that came across.' But I think in any and all of that creation of an album or working on new music or new stuff or when there's — I don't know — interstitials or whatever you might wanna call it, for me those things are just like us doing us and figuring that out and moving forward. And in this process, one of the things that was so fun and rewarding and cool and energizing was just how when we started gradually integrating Emily and Colin, it felt like LINKIN PARK. It just felt like it fit for me and for us. And those were the coolest moments in the entire process, was just feeling like things were kind of jelling and coming together and we were having a blast doing it the whole time. So at this stage being ready to finally have the album out, having people be excited about it, that feels great."

LINKIN PARK announced its new lineup during a September 2024 one-hour global livestream of a concert in Los Angeles showcasing Armstrong and Brittain.

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

In a career defined by evolution, Joe Bonamassa is ready to turn the page once again. The blues-rock virtuoso has just announced "Breakthrough", his most adventurous and genre-blending studio album to date, out July 18 via his own J&R Adventures. At the heart of the announcement is the release of the album's powerful title track — "Breakthrough" — a soulful, hard-hitting anthem about letting go, moving forward, and finding your fire again, available today on all streaming platforms.

Crafted across multiple continents and infused with a world's worth of inspiration, "Breakthrough" marks a bold new chapter for Bonamassa — one that leans on fiery solos, emotionally rich storytelling, groove-driven arrangements, and stylistic exploration. Produced by longtime creative partner Kevin Shirley (IRON MAIDEN, THE BLACK CROWES, JOURNEY),the album was shaped by sessions in Greece, Egypt, Nashville, and Los Angeles, resulting in a vibrant sonic tapestry that shifts effortlessly from funky blues and Texas swing to acoustic ballads and swaggering hard rock.

"I think this album, 'Breakthrough', marks a shift in the styling of Joe Bonamassa's recording output," says Shirley. "While there are plenty of guitar solos on this record, his emphasis has been on songs primarily. Each time Joe undertakes a new recording project, he seems to access a different part of his vast library of music genre from the jukebox in his head! This album is a round-the-world musical trip — from LITTLE FEAT funkiness to Texas swing, from hard rock power to acoustic singer/songwriter-style songs."

The newly released single "Breakthrough", co-written with long-time collaborator Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, ZZ TOP, LYNYRD SKYNYRD),captures the emotional core of the record — an uplifting anthem about transformation, persistence, and letting go of the weight that holds us back. With gritty vocals, melodic guitar lines, and lush instrumentation, the track embodies Bonamassa's signature blend of power and finesse while ushering in a bold new direction.

"Breakthrough" follows the success of Bonamassa's recent singles "Still Walking With Me" and "Shake This Ground", both of which hinted at the adventurous spirit behind the full album. "Shake This Ground" delivered a moody, introspective edge, while "Still Walking With Me" leaned into warmth, gratitude, and classic soul. Each track reflects a different facet of Bonamassa's evolving songwriting approach, rooted in emotional honesty and anchored by his unmistakable guitar work.

The album announcement caps a stretch of extraordinary momentum for Bonamassa. Next up, Bonamassa recently began his extensive European spring tour, followed by a June run with his powerhouse supergroup BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION (featuring Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian). After another round of summer dates across Europe — including sold-out shows in Ireland — he'll return stateside for his just-announced 2025 U.S. summer tour, a limited amphitheater run featuring stops at the Greek Theatre, Red Rocks and more iconic venues.

With over 50 albums, 28 No. 1 Billboard Blues albums, and a lifelong commitment to evolving the genre, Bonamassa shows no signs of slowing down. Whether headlining iconic venues, mentoring rising artists through Journeyman Records or supporting music education via his Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa continues to shape the future of blues-rock with every note.

"Breakthrough" track listing:

01. Breakthrough
02. Trigger Finger
03. I'll Take The Blame
04. Drive By The Exit Sign
05. Broken Record
06. Shake This Ground
07. Still Walking With Me
08. Life After Dark
09. You Don't Own Me
10. Pain's On Me

Bonamassa is one of the most celebrated performing musicians of today. As a four-time Grammy-nominated artist and 15-time Blues Music Award nominee (four-time winner),he achieved his 28th No. 1 album on the Billboard Blues chart with his most recent live album and concert film, "Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestra". Only in his mid-40s, Bonamassa has become a living legend with an astounding multi-genre catalog. He has released more than 50 albums, including studio and live recordings, as well as collaborative albums with his adventurous side projects: BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and ROCK CANDY FUNK PARTY.

A prolific writer who is always on the hunt to expand his eclectic musical horizons, Bonamassa has a limitless work ethic whether it's in the studio, on the road, or working with other artists to spur new music. In recent years, he has produced an immense number of albums, including Joanne Shaw Taylor, Marc Broussard, Larry McCray, Jimmy Hall and others for his independent labels Journeyman Records and KTBA Records, and has also launched Journeyman LLC, a full-service artist management, record label, concert promotion, and marketing company that builds awareness for independent artists worldwide.

Photo by Ian Potter (courtesy of Noble PR)

British heavy metal veterans DIAMOND HEAD will release "Live And Electric", a live album that delivers every nuance of that four-letter word thanks to a song selection that covers the band's seminal career, on July 11 via Silver Lining Music.

The official music video for the LP's first single, "Helpless", created by Jay Shredder, can be seen below.

DIAMOND HEAD founding member and lead guitarist Brian Tatler recalls of the song: "In September 1979 the song 'Helpless' began life as a riff I was playing by an obscure punk band. I was playing it at the 5th fret and singer Sean Harris said, 'Play it at the 2nd fret but play it faster,' and the song took shape. It has always been a powerhouse live and one of the songs that has never left the set list. METALLICA covered 'Helpless' on their '$5.98 E.P. – Garage Days Re-Revisited' in 1987 which introduced it to a whole new set of metal fans."

Recorded in 2022 on DIAMOND HEAD's tour with SAXON, "Live And Electric" takes in performances from Aberdeen, Blackburn, York, Cambridge, Cardiff and Bexhill, creating in the process an unmistakably British energy which is superbly recorded and mixed by Jay Shredder, with singer/frontman Rasmus Bom Andersen mastering. By now, the rock and metal scene knows all about Tatler, whose riffs have genuinely defined a genre as well as influencing one of the world's biggest-ever rock bands, METALLICA, but the contribution of Andersen to these DIAMOND HEAD performances is explosive as he bursts with power, presence and personality.

"It's the first DIAMOND HEAD live album for twenty years and the first time in DIAMOND HEAD's career that we were able to record all fourteen shows and then go through them to find the best performances," Brian says. "In the past we would only record one specific show and so all the pressure to get it right on the night would build up and make everyone very nervous. Somewhere in the middle of this tour things began to gel and fortunately these shows were captured for posterity."

The seamless way in which old classics such as "The Prince" and newer stormers like "Belly Of The Beast" thunder down the tracks is a testimony to the lock-tight no-nonsense foundation that Paul Gaskin (bass),Andrew "Abbz" Abberley (rhythm and lead guitar) and Karl Wilcox on drums add to the alchemy and the balance of respect plus reinvigoration for treasures "It's Electric", "Helpless" and "Am I Evil?" is electrifying. "Live And Electric" is a true roots representation of Britain's metal communities, and a wonderful live celebration of DIAMOND HEAD's distinctly British heavy metal music which feels as fresh, vital, and important now as it ever has before.

"Live And Electric" track listing:

01. The Prince (Live At The Bexhill De La War Pavilion)
02. Bones (Live At St David's Hall, Cardiff)
03. The Messenger (Live At The Cambridge Corn Exchange)
04. In The Heat Of The Night (Live At The York Barbican)
05. Set My Soul On Fire (Live At The Bexhill De La War Pavilion)
06. It's Electric (Live At The Bexhill De La War Pavilion)
07. Dead Reckoning (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
08. Death By Design (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
09. Sweet And Innocent (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
10. Helpless (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
11. Belly Of The Beast (Live At The Aberdeen Music Hall)
12. Am I Evil? (Live At King George's Hall, Blackburn)

DIAMOND HEAD is:

Brian Tatler: Lead, Rhythm Guitars
Rasmus Bom Andersen: Vocals
Karl Wilcox: Drums
Andrew "Abbz" Abberley: Rhythm, Lead Guitars
Paul Gaskin: Bass

Photo by Jay Shredder

Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Sammy Hagar has released a personal new single, "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight.", via Big Machine Rock. The track, a melodic rock anthem written by Hagar and guitar legend Joe Satriani, was inspired by a dream and brought to reality by introspective lyrics, powerful chords and rhythmic guitar and drums. The single is now available globally across all platforms, accompanied by an official lyric video on YouTube.

Inspired by a vivid dream Hagar had about the late Eddie Van Halen, the song marks a full-circle moment in his storied career. "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight." features Hagar on vocals, Michael Anthony on bass, Joe Satriani on guitar and Kenny Aronoff on drums. The production — handled by Hagar, Satriani and Eric Caudieux — delivers a sound that is at once nostalgic and forward-looking. According to Hagar, the dream that sparked the song came about a year after Eddie's passing and left a lasting impact. Rather than being a somber farewell, the song is a celebration and expression of appreciation — for the fans, and for the unforgettable chapter they shared in VAN HALEN.

"This song is my final bow to that part of my life," says Hagar. "It's not meant to be anything more than a 'thank you' — with love, with respect, and with one hell of a guitar solo." Hagar also shared that Satriani's contribution to the track brought a unique emotional energy. "Joe was the perfect partner to help me shape the sound — he brought in that big, emotional, guitar-driven energy that feels like Eddie's spirit but is entirely of Joe's creation. With Michael Anthony's thundering bass and stellar VAN HALEN-esque background vocals and Kenny Aronoff's relentlessly powerful driving rhythms, the song really came together on all levels."

The release week will be a monumental one for Hagar and the band, with:

On April 27, the official "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight." music video, directed and edited by ZZ Satriani, will premiere live during Hagar's headline set at the Stagecoach festival's Palomino Stage and globally during a YouTube video premiere.

On April 30, fans at the launch of Hagar and the band's Las Vegas residency will experience the song's first live performance at the kick-off show at Dolby Live at Park MGM.

"Encore, Thank You, Goodnight." will be serviced to classic, active and mainstream rock radio on April 25. A full digital campaign will launch across social platforms, showcasing behind-the-scenes footage, TikTok and Instagram reels, fan-generated content and more. A seven-inch collector's edition vinyl will be available for pre-order, along with bundles and exclusive merchandise drops.

For more than four decades, Hagar has been recognized as one of the best and most accomplished lead singers and songwriters in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the seminal hard rock band MONTROSE to his multi-platinum solo career to his ride as the frontman of VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT and his latest supergroup THE CIRCLE, Hagar has amassed 25 platinum albums on sales surpassing 50 million worldwide. Along his journey, he has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written, with songs like "I Can't Drive 55", "Right Now" and "Why Can't This Be Love", and earned the highest respect of the music industry with a Grammy Award and induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Since opening his flagship Cabo Wabo Cantina in 1990, he's turned a lifelong passion for great food, music and spirits into a thriving and iconic lifestyle brand encompassing restaurants and spirits. A pioneer in the spirits industry, he launched Cabo Wabo Tequila in 1996 and catapulted it into the No. 2-selling premium tequila brand in the United States. In 2010, Hagar sold his interests in Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari in a nine-figure deal that's widely credited as the start of the celebrity-owned spirits trend. He now owns an award-winning portfolio of top-shelf spirits and beer which includes Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, a partnership with Rick Springfield, Santo Spirits, a partnership with Guy Fieri, and Red Rocker Brewing Co. Never one to hit the brakes, Sammy's also expanded his successes into publishing, TV, radio and beyond, including five seasons of his hit TV show "Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar" and as host of "Sammy Hagar's Top Rock Countdown", a weekly syndicated radio show on more than 90 U.S. stations. He's a No. 1 The New York Times bestselling author, a dedicated philanthropist, donating millions back to local communities through The Hagar Family Foundation, and as the first Honorary Ambassador to Los Cabos, an honor he was bestowed in 2022 in recognition of his longtime investment in the people and economy of Mexico.

Photo credit: Rob Shanahan

In a new interview with Femmetal - Goddesses Of Metal, Anneke Van Giersbergen spoke about the upcoming reunion shows from her former band THE GATHERING to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Dutch rockers' "Mandylion" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, actually, I'm quite excited… This idea came kind of spontaneous. We were having conversations, we had just coffee and talking about life, other things, and then we talked about 'Mandylion' turning 30 and because time flies, we didn't really think about it. And then we said, 'Maybe we can do something nice with it,' because it's such an important album for us personally because we had a great time at the beginning of THE GATHERING career with me, of course. And we said, 'Well, if we do something, we have to do it now, because next year it's not such a good reason because now 'Mandylion' is 30 years old, and let's do something nice.' And so we made this plan, and we made these ideas for these shows. And then a lot of people wanted to come to the shows. I mean, I know THE GATHERING is still a popular band and I know it's alive — people really like THE GATHERING's music now and back then. But we didn't expect this many people to react on it and want [to buy] a ticket [to see us perform live again]. And so we are so happy. And we're gonna make a few beautiful shows and gonna have lots of fun playing together again, 'cause it's been a long time. It's been 10 years, I think."

When the interviewer inquired about the possibility of a show from THE GATHERING in Spain, Anneke said: "Everybody's asking. I mean, it's fantastic. It's a great problem to have, that a lot of people want us to come to their country. But we focus on these shows here, and a lot of people are traveling for it, so that's really, really wonderful. And then we'll see. But we just focus on these shows and take it from there."

Asked which THE GATHERING song she is most excited to play again, Anneke said: "It's kind of a wide variety of atmospheres on this album ['Mandylion'], but I like songs like 'On Most Surfaces' [from 1997's 'Nighttime Birds'], because they're heavy and we can let all the energy flow on this one. I like the more heavy songs as well, but 'In Motion #1' and '[In Motion] #2' are, for instance, very, very melodic — they're carrying you through a story — and I also like that so much. So, different vibes on the album, and I like all of it. But I like also the heavy songs, especially for playing live, 'cause I can sing really loud and headbang and have fun."

The "Mandylion" lineup of THE GATHERING will reunite for five exclusive sold-out shows in August at Doornroosje in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Prior to those gigs, THE GATHERING will play "one try-out show" at club Dynamo in Eindhoven, the Netherlands on June 29.

Upcoming shows:

June 29 - Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Dynamo
August 27 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 28 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 29 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 30 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
August 31 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje

Fans can expect to hear all "Mandylion" tracks as well as more songs from the band's Anneke era.

THE GATHERING previously said in a statement: "After so many years, we are very excited to celebrate this anniversary together, an album that still means so much to us."

The lineup for the Nijmegen concerts will consist of the following musicians:

* Anneke Van Giersbergen - vocals
* Hugo Prinsen Geerligs - bass
* Frank Boeijen - keyboards, backing vocals
* Hans Rutten - drums
* René Rutten - guitar
* Jelmer Wiersma - guitar

In November 2014, THE GATHERING celebrated its 25th anniversary with a one-time special show at Doornroosje in Nijmegen. All past and present members of THE GATHERING — from 1989 until 2014 — appeared on stage and performed in this unique show together.

Van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released several albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project.

In 2005, Century Media celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Mandylion" by releasing a special deluxe edition of the album. The double-CD set featured new artwork, a 16-page booklet with song-by-song liner notes from the band and never-before-seen photos from the album's recording sessions. CD2 contained the first demo recordings THE GATHERING did with Van Giersbergen in June 1994 and early 1995. "Solar Glider" was a previously unreleased instrumental while "Third Chance" appeared two years later in a different version on the "Nighttime Birds" album.

In a 2007 interview with PopMatters, Van Giersbergen stated about her decision to leave THE GATHERING and launch AGUA DE ANNIQUE: "I had been in THE GATHERING for 13 years, and I had never done anything for 13 years in my life. It's been my whole adult life, so to leave that, on one hand, was a very clear decision and a very strong feeling, and I was ready. In 13 years, things had changed in my personal and musical life. It was difficult as well, because the guys, they were like brothers, so to leave that and to change that relationship has been a long process and was probably one of the hardest things I did.

"I told them at the beginning of March, and so we really took some time to assess the situation," she continued. "Also, the guys, they wanted to see what their plans would be next. Of course they were not happy with my decision, but they are respectful and they have good spirits to continue. Of course, I put a big stamp on the sound and the look of THE GATHERING, but on the other hand I'm not the only singer in the world, so it's going to change, but it's not going to stop."

Regarding her reasons for leaving, Anneke said, "There were a lot of physical reasons, but they all came out of one big feeling in my heart that it was time to change. I was supposed to do this record besides THE GATHERING, and I was given time and it was all okay, but I like to do other small projects and work with other people a lot. I had some plans, and the feeling became stronger to develop that more seriously and also especially to be with my family a little bit more. Now, I can direct everything I do from this one agenda, and it feels very good to be the director of your own life. In a way THE GATHERING was officially a bigger band, and we were day and night constantly working with it, and it was quite intense, all the processes. So a lot of small things became one big feeling, like, 'Okay, I'm ready.'"

MEGADETH has shared a one-and-a-half-minute "Studio Timelapse 2025" video featuring footage of the making of the band's upcoming seventeenth studio album. Check out the clip below.

MEGADETH wrote in an accompanying message: "Can't wait to drop this one".

MEGADETH's next album will be released via frontman Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint with the Frontiers Label Group's new imprint BLKIIBLK.

MEGADETH is once again working with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on MEGADETH's last two albums, 2022's "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

Last September, MEGADETH guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, who joined the band a year and a half ago as the replacement for Kiko Loureiro, was asked by Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the progress of the songwriting sessions for MEGADETH's next LP. He said: "Yeah, actually, already a while back Dave started talking about making the next album and kind of starting to do pre-production. And as soon as he mentioned that, and kind of before that already, once it was clear that I'm gonna be staying with the band, then I kind of started putting my ideas down and just recording any riff ideas that I feel like could be something that could be used in MEGADETH. And by now I have a bunch of riffs and ideas that I've gathered. And then Dave told me that he likes to work the way that everybody does their riffs and then at some point we're gonna get together and then review things and see which riffs are gonna work together and then work out the parts between the riffs to kind of connect things and then that way come up with the skeletons for the songs. And I'm really looking forward to doing that and hearing how he feels about my ideas as well. But what I've done so far is whenever I have a moment to sit down, I usually just record a little video of myself playing a riff idea and then when we have a day off at the hotel, then I would record that properly and then just like have this folder of riffs that we can look into at some point. So, [I'm] really looking forward to that. And Dave has been really supportive and sounds like he wants to have all the guys' input on the next album, which is really exciting."

In August 2024, Mustaine was asked by Chuck Armstrong of "Loudwire Nights" how the dynamic within MEGADETH has changed since Mäntysaari's addition to the band. Mustaine responded: "Well, we are a band again. It doesn't feel like me and some side players or some session guys. Not that it felt like that with any of the previous lineups, but that was one of the fears that I had. I feel like Kiko did us a really huge courtesy by helping us find Teemu because with Kiko needing to step down… I thought I was gonna finish my career out with Kiko, and when things came up with him, he couldn't tour anymore because he needed to be home for his kids. So I see he's touring again, which I'm happy that he's still playing. But he had to go home. And when he did, he introduced us to Teemu. And it was an even closer connection between me and Teemu than Kiko and I had. We'll [Kiko and I] always be friends, but this new relationship I have is — it harkens me back to the days when we had Marty Friedman in the band and the four of us actually felt like a band."

Mäntysaari stepped in September 2023 for Loureiro, who announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that the now-38-year-old Finnish musician would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Earlier in August, Mustaine was asked by Kyle Meredith what Mäntysaari has brought to MEGADETH that wasn't there before. Mustaine responded: "God, he's such an amazing talent. And as far as being a human is concerned, he's a really humble guy. He's fun to be around because he's kind of — there's this 'greenness' to him, if that's a word, greenness. He makes it really fun because he's gone from being in a band that was pretty well known to being in MEGADETH. And so everything's very new for him at this level. And for us, we get to kind of enjoy ourselves, because we sometimes forget where we're at and then you see other people that, 'Wow, the bread is round and so is the meat,' that kind of shit. And it just makes him really happy, and it just reminds you of how good you have it."

Regarding how much a lineup change like that actually alters the musical DNA of the band, Dave said: "Well, it depends on who the new player is. If they're willing to learn the parts, then the songs either, they stay where they are or they get better. And a lot of times when you have a new player, like when Teemu came in, he played everything identical to the original players. So, he's been one of the best guitar players to step in and play somebody else's stuff. I don't know what his stuff's going to sound like yet, which I'm looking forward to finding out."

Last June, Mustaine told Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece that he thought Teemu would contribute to the songwriting process on MEGADETH's next studio album. "I think he's gonna be a great addition to MEGADETH," Dave said. "He already has. We're playing more songs now than we were playing before. And that has nothing negative to say about any of the previous lineups. It just says that he knew more about the band and understands the metal backbone of so many of these songs more than some of the other people would understand it."

He continued: "When you're a metal guy, I think you understand metal compositions more than somebody who, say for example, knows progressive rock like [former MEGADETH guitarist] Chris Broderick does, or somebody who knows bossa nova, which Kiko does, or somebody that plays jazzy, like [former MEGADETH guitarist] Glen Drover would play, maybe Al Pitrelli. These guys all have their strengths."

Mustaine added: "I've often thought, although I've never said it, I do believe that when somebody gets singled out by me, that's pretty much it for them. They've been indoctrinated into the world of great guitar players, and from that moment on, their life will change."

In early October 2023, Mustaine told Shaggy of the 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick radio station in Idaho Falls, Idaho about Teemu's addition to MEGADETH: "People are losing their minds over how things are going right now 'cause we have a really good chemistry together."

In September 2023, Mustaine was equally full of praise for Mäntysaari, telling Wes Styles in a separate interview: "He's really great. And I'm super excited with what Teemu has brought. And it's uncanny because he plays a lot like Marty. And it's really exciting. At certain times I just close my eyes during the set and I just hear these songs played, whether like Kiko in the past or Teemu now, it just sounds really magic because these guys have learned these songs and they're not just going out there and just banging their guitar around; they actually learned the solos from some of the virtuosos that I've played with over my career."

Photo credit: Ryan Chang

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked if he and his bandmates would entertain the possibility of performing at the Las Vegas Sphere, the 17,600-capacity venue which has transformed live entertainment since opening in September 2023. He responded: "Oh, heck, yeah! That's a great example of how venues are changing. That's using modern technology to the fullest, to really up the levels of production and entertainment, connected to A.I. and making it a crazy experience."

A massive, spherical venue known for its immersive entertainment experiences, including concerts and films, featuring a state-of-the-art 16K resolution wraparound screen and a powerful sound system, the Las Vegas Sphere is nestled near the Venetian Resort and Wynn Las Vegas just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The Sphere has already hosted residencies from a number of legendary rockers, including U2, PHISH, DEAD & COMPANY and THE EAGLES.

U2 opened the building with 160,000-square-foot LED screens and 4D features, playing to more 700,000 fans across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024. The shows commemorated one of U2's most successful albums, the chart-topping 1991 release "Achtung Baby", played in its entirety, along with select tracks from other U2 LPs.

A global news event which saw the world's biggest rock band open the world's most state-of-the-art venue, "U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere" quickly became a pop culture moment and a must-see for music lovers everywhere. The show's stunning visuals and live music performance, combined with the venue's immersive technology elements, including the world's most advanced audio system, became an instant social media sensation as hundreds of thousands of fans shared their "U2:UV" experience across multiple platforms generating billions of impressions, making "U2:UV" a truly global phenomenon. One of the band's most ambitious creative projects to date, it saw them work once again with longtime creative collaborator and show director Willie Williams, artists including Es Devlin, John Gerrard and Marco Brambilla, and longtime partner and producer Brian Eno.

The first sports event to take place was the NHL Draft with the UFC following in September 2024.

Last October, Sphere Entertainment, the company behind Sphere Las Vegas, announced plans for a new venue in Abu Dhabi.

In a new interview with The Prog Report, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson was asked how close he and his longtime RUSH bandmate Geddy Lee have come to accepting a concert promoter's offer to play a show together. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, that [being approached by concert promoters] happens all the time, and it has been consistent for 10 years. And I would say that it's happening even more lately, and I think it's because after COVID, everybody's on the road and there's excitement for live shows, people getting out. So all those old promoters are quite excited to get something from us."

He continued: "But Geddy's been writing quite a bit lately. He's written four books. He's been super busy with all of that stuff. I'm working on ENVY OF NONE, two albums, some soundtrack work, a couple of other, smaller artists that I'm producing. So I've been super, super, super busy.

"Ged and I get together," Alex explained. "We're best friends, so we get together all the time. We talk to each other almost every day. We live 10 minutes from each other, like we have for the last 35 years, so we're connected. I go over there. Sometimes we just sit around drinking coffee and laughing and talking. Sometimes we go down to his little room and play whatever — maybe some bluesy stuff or, like I said, we've been playing some RUSH songs for the fun of it… But that's fun, 'cause we haven't really played that stuff in a long time. And that's our history."

Circling back to the possibility of performing with Geddy again, Alex said: "I don't know. Anything could happen in the world. I mean, so many things are changing, so many things are happening that we never would've expected. We see that every day, particularly politically. So, who knows? Right now we're still busy living life and doing so much, but — well, we'll see what happens."

ENVY OF NONE, the band featuring Lifeson, Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH),Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, released its second album, "Stygian Wavz", on March 14 via Kscope.

RUSH's final tour concluded in August 2015 in Los Angeles.

As one of the most successful Canadian music group in history, RUSH has performed before millions of fans around the world.

RUSH drummer Neil Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Since Peart's death, Lifeson and Lee have not recorded any new music or performed live under the RUSH name, although both of them confirmed that several drummers reached out to them in the days after the legendary drummer's passing about the possibility of stepping in for Neil.

Lifeson made his mark on the music industry over 50 years ago, redefining the boundaries of progressive rock guitar. His signature riffing, copious use of effects processing and unorthodox chord structures befitted him the title by his RUSH bandmates as "The Musical Scientist." While the bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with RUSH, he has contributed to a body of work outside of the band as a guitarist, producer and with the release of his 1996 solo album "Victor". Lifeson ranks third overall in the Guitar World readers' poll of "100 Greatest Guitarists" and is also included in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time."

Founding vocalist for the metal band BUTCHER BABIES, comic book author, artist, novelist, and the holder of multiple degrees in mortuary science and thanatology, singer/musician Carla Harvey has released the official music video for "Sick Ones", the first single from her new project THE VIOLENT HOUR, via Megaforce Records. The new track was co-written by Harvey and her fiancé, ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante, and features MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5.

"'Sick Ones' is a rock 'n' roll anthem about cutting the toxic people out of your life," said Harvey. "It's a call of freedom, a fist-to-the-face to anyone who has tried to hold you down, hold you back or dim your light. It was written at a vulnerable time in my life when I was forced to end relationships I thought would last forever.

"When choosing a theme for this song," Harvey added, "I thought about a phrase I had scrawled across a journal from 1999: 'Cut The Sick Ones Loose.' Those words became my mantra over the last couple years and felt perfect to chant over Charlie's guitar riffs. 'Sick Ones' also features an absolutely shredding guitar solo by John 5 that brings this thrasher to a whole different level."

"'Sick Ones' has a modernized NWOBHM (New wave of British heavy metal) vibe to it," said Benante. "The riff is very catchy and stays with you like a good riff should. 'Sick Ones' is just the tip of the iceberg for this project. Many of the songs we crafted for THE VIOLENT HOUR are unlike anything Carla has ever done as a vocalist, reflecting different moods and a new beginning. The music flowed out of me because I had this motivation, this drive...it was unstoppable."

The "Sick Ones" video script, written by Harvey and directed by Industrialism Films' Vicente Cordero (BLACK VEIL BRIDES, Kat Von D),sees Harvey portraying each of the video's five personalities.

"While 'Sick Ones' is about cutting toxic people out of your life — those who constantly devalue you — I wanted to flip that narrative for the video," Harvey said. "I've always been interested in the idea that sometimes the most dangerous person to confront is yourself. The video explores what it means to face those darker versions of who we've been and whether we can truly leave them behind… or, as the ending suggests, learn to coexist peacefully. Vicente took my vision and brought it to life. I came to him with a wild idea and no clue how to execute it — and we made it work! I loved getting a chance to play multiple larger-than-life characters."

Not many people have comic book author, embalmer and musician on their resumes. Carla boasts all three and so much more.

Carla was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan — a city known for its grit, resilience, and often deep divides. Navigating life as a bi-racial kid in a fractured environment wasn't easy, but Carla found her escape in art, music, and self-expression. By day, she hustled, attending the prestigious College For Creative Studies alongside working odd jobs like perfume counter girl and gas station attendant, and by night, she was on stage with local bands, saving every dollar she could for a one-way trip to Los Angeles.

At twenty, she put all her belongings in her car and navigated from Detroit to Hollywood with a paper map. In L.A., she landed acting roles on shows like "Rules Of Engagement", played in bands searching for her sound, and never stopped creating. But beyond the music was a driven academic. Carla had a deep love for science and eventually pursued a Bachelor Of Mortuary Science (graduating as valedictorian) and a Master Of Science in thanatology. Carla became a licensed funeral director and embalmer and founded her own grief counseling service — all while touring the world extensively as a founding member of the BUTCHER BABIES.

Today, In addition to her music career, Carla is a grief specialist for the innovative death care company Parting Stone that transforms cremated remains into environmentally friendly stones that the departed's family can hold, treasure and honor.

Beyond her professional life, Carla is a devoted collector of pop culture oddities: comics, wrestling figures, vintage Barbies, Elvira, the Incredible Hulk, and rock relics from her wildest nights in Hollywood. She still holds on to her Rainbow Bar & Grill drink tickets from the '90s and a poker chip from Lemmy's last birthday party. Her creative heroes — Russ Meyers, Robert Williams, Robert Crumb and Charles Bukowski — mirror her love of the bold and the raw.

To date, Carla has released six albums, multiple comic books and a 2014 novel, "Death And Other Dances". But if you ask her…she's still just a blue-collar kid from the Midwest with big dreams.

BUTCHER BABIES announced their split with Harvey in July 2024, saying in a statement that "Carla has been an integral part of our journey, bringing her unique talent, passion, and energy to the band," and wishing "her all the best in her future endeavors."

Carla, who co-founded BUTCHER BABIES in 2010 with fellow vocalist Heidi Shepherd, confirmed her exit from the band in a separate post, saying that she was "super proud" of her work with BUTCHER BABIES and adding that she was "not done making music and performing."

In the fall of 2023, BUTCHER BABIES completed a European tour without Carla, who sat out the trek in order to undergo emergency surgery on her left eye.

In January 2024, Harvey and Benante announced that they were officially engaged.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

SLEEP TOKEN has released "Damocles", the final single from the band's upcoming album, "Even In Arcadia", due on May 9 via RCA Records. The track delves into the quiet unraveling beneath the surface — where grandeur fades and unspoken battles take center stage. With their signature blend of mystique and vulnerability, "Damocles" captures the weight of unseen struggle and the haunting echo of former glory, inviting listeners to confront what lies beneath the mask.

As the last preview before the album's release, "Damocles" sets the emotional tone for "Even In Arcadia" — a record that navigates identity, inner eclipse, and transcendence with cinematic intensity. The album is expected to push the boundaries of sound and emotion even further, dissolving into something otherworldly. With momentum driven by previous singles "Emergence" and "Caramel" — both of which cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 1 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart — the band has made history as one of only three artists to replace themselves at the top of the chart since its inception in June 2020. SLEEP TOKEN continues to deliver a refined, expansive sonic journey that deepens their exploration of emotional depth and enigmatic storytelling.

In a unique collaboration with Spotify, the official track listing for "Even In Arcadia" was recently revealed through a series of intriguing puzzles across various social media platforms. This creative, interactive rollout offered fans an immersive experience as they pieced together the album's final track listing, adding to the anticipation surrounding the record's release.

As this next chapter unfolds, the band will embark on its first sold-out arena tour in the U.S. — the "Even In Arcadia" tour — with stops in 17 cities this fall. Promoted by AEG Presents, the "Even In Arcadia" tour will be SLEEP TOKEN's only headline tour in 2025. The band will also make an appearance at the Louder Than Life festival on Friday, September 19.

"Even In Arcadia" track listing:

01. Look To Windward
02. Emergence
03. Past Self
04. Dangerous
05. Caramel
06. Even In Arcadia
07. Provider
08. Damocles
09. Gethsemane
10. Infinite Baths

Formed in London, United Kingdom in 2016, the SLEEP TOKEN members perform under cover of anonymity in cloaks and masks. Only two of the group's pseudonymous members — singer and multi-instrumentalist Vessel and drummer II — are credited as having played or written a note on any of SLEEP TOKEN's three albums so far.

Widely considered one of the biggest rock bands in Britain, SLEEP TOKEN wrapped up a massive U.K. arena tour last December that included two stops at London's O2 Arena.

The members of SLEEP TOKEN have never revealed their true identities and have only done a handful of interviews since forming in 2016.

SLEEP TOKEN masterfully blends epic, emotionally charged anthems with bold, boundary-pushing experimentation that transcends traditional genre limits. With rich layers of atmospheric soundscapes and hauntingly beautiful lyrics, they build an immersive, mystical world where music, emotion, and mythology converge under the being known as Vessel. This world becomes a sacred space for fans to escape, connect, and experience catharsis, fostering deep bonds among those who share in the band's ethos. Their innovative approach has established them as one of the most exciting forces in modern music.

Emerging in 2019 with their debut album "Sundowning", SLEEP TOKEN quickly garnered attention for their unique sound and mysterious persona. Two years later, they achieved mainstream success with their sophomore album, "This Place Will Become Your Tomb", which charted in the U.K. and attracted a growing global following. Their trajectory reached new heights in 2023 with the release of "Take Me Back To Eden", an album that became an international success, topping charts in multiple countries. Notably, standout tracks from "Take Me Back To Eden" have dominated streaming platforms, with "The Summoning" leading the charge. The track became a viral sensation, amassing millions of streams, taking the No. 1 spot on international Spotify viral charts, and earning a feature as a "YouTube Trending Artist On The Rise", appearing on YouTube's homepage and being viewed by millions every day.

With their meteoric rise, SLEEP TOKEN has never played a headline show that didn't sell out. In 2023, Revolver awarded the band both "Artist Of The Year" and "Album Of The Year" for "Take Me Back To Eden", while at the Heavy Music Awards, they took home "Best UK Breakthrough Band" and "Best Album" for the same record. Though notoriously elusive, SLEEP TOKEN's presence in the music world continues to strengthen, with their creativity and mystique drawing increasing attention from both fans and the media, earning praise from outlets like Billboard, Forbes, NME, Revolver and more for their innovative sound and creative vision.

Photo credit: Andy Ford

San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD have released the official music video for their song "Outsider". The clip was filmed during the band's April 17 concert at The Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas. The track is taken from the band's eleventh studio album, "Unatoned", which came out today (Friday, April 25) via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings.

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn comments: "'Outsider' is an anthem that has kinship with anyone who's had to cut toxic people loose. These last few years, I've had to let go of a lot of relationships, and I know I'm not alone in that. This track is for anyone who's been there."

According to a press release, "Unatoned" is "a testament to momentum, an album honed to its sharpest edge, forged on creative discipline and the hunger to push forward. It drips with melancholy melodies, and yet hammers with bludgeoning riffs, soars with anthemic sing-alongs of love lost and sadness, to bellowing power and undeniable confidence. Eleven albums deep, MACHINE HEAD remain as fierce, relevant, and unstoppable as ever."

Written in motion — on the road, in hotel rooms, and across continents — "Unatoned" reflects the raw energy of their return to the global festival circuit after an 11-year hiatus. The LP was recorded at Robb's Jam Room, Sharkbite Studios and Drop Of Sun Recording between July 2023 and December 2024. The album was produced by Flynn, as well as Zack Ohren, who was also responsible for the engineering. The mixing and mastering was handled by Colin Richardson and Chris Clancy at Audioworks UK, and the mastering of the record was handled by Ted Jensen and his assistant Justin Shturtz. The only exception was the track "Landscape Of Thorns" which was produced by Flynn and Joel Wanasek who was also in charge of mixing the single alongside Zack Ohren. MACHINE HEAD once again tapped Seth Siro Anton to create the album artwork.

"Unatoned" track listing:

01. Landscape Of Thorns
02. Atomic Revelations
03. Unbound
04. Outsider
05. Not Long For This World
06. These Scars Won't Define Us
07. Dustmaker
08. Bonescraper
09. Addicted To Pain
10. Bleeding Me Dry
11. Shards Of Shattered Dreams
12. Scorn

MACHINE HEAD performed "These Scars Won't Define Us" and "Unbound" live for the first time during the kick-off concert of the band's North American tour on April 1 at Revolution Concert House And Event Center in Garden City, Idaho. MACHINE HEAD also played in Spokane, Washington on April 3 before teaming up with IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL and UNEARTH for another 25 dates across the U.S. and Canada.

Flynn told "The Garza Podcast" about "Unatoned": "My last album was like a huge renaissance for the band. It just was fucking crazy. We headlined Hellfest [in France]. It was our tenth record. It was a concept record. It was the first time we ever did a concept record. Opening track was a 10-minute-long song. It's nuts.

"I'm fortunate enough to have been in this position a handful of times where I now have to follow up this record that is so beloved by fans, by people," he continued. "It's incredibly successful — elevates the band to another level. And everybody wants us to write another concept record. Everybody is just, like, 'You should just make another record like that one.' And I'm, like, 'You can't, because it's never gonna live up.' Nothing's ever gonna live up, because that moment for so many people... Lars [Ulrich of METALLICA] always talked about this — the reason so many people love [METALLICA's] Black Album, it's, like, they lost the virginity to the Black Album. Nothing is ever gonna top that. People lost their virginity to [MACHINE HEAD's] '[Unto] The Locust' or 'The Blackening' or whatever. Nothing's ever gonna top that. That's just life and stuff.

"So with this record, I set some pretty strict parameters around what I could do," Flynn explained. "And I'm not a big believer in talking about the direction of a record. I always feel like even if we have done it in the past, it never panned out. 'Oh, it's gonna be the heaviest or the thrashing' or the whatever, and you've just gotta follow it to wherever it goes… But I did want to put some structure around it. The last record had a bunch of long songs, so I was, like, 'I don't want any song longer than four minutes on this record.' So that was one structure. The other structure is — [I'm a] huge SLAYER fan to the death; [they're] one of my favorite bands, life-changing bands of all times. And one of the most underrated things about SLAYER is their genius use of chord changes — chord changes fucking galore all over every song. [They'd] have, like, three different chord changes in the lead section, and it the way it sets up the chorus or whatever. So I was, like, 'Every song has to have a chord change outside of the typical structure that you would expect.' … At some point it's gotta go to a key change that totally doesn't go with where the rest of the song went. Last thing is that the music in the last chorus had to be different from the music in the first chorus — maybe the drums drop out, maybe the guitars drop out, maybe that's where the key change happens, but something had to be [different]. The lyrics would always be the same. And at first it kind of took me a minute to kind of get into that mindset, like, 'Wow, this is a really challenging way to write,' but it always just became about trimming the fat, trimming the fat, trimming the fat. And in the end what we came up with was 10 songs plus two instrumentals. It's 41 minutes — the shortest album in MACHINE HEAD history. And I'm really proud of this thing. I really feel like we've got a fucking monster on our hands. It's just really unique."

Elaborating on the musical direction of "Unatoned", Robb said: "It's not our heaviest record; I would never say that it's our heaviest record. It's got a lot of melody. The last song on the record is a… I'm a total sucker for the Elton John piano ballad. I love Chris Stapleton… And that last song 'Scorn' is… It's, like, I've been trying to write a piano ballad for four albums in a row now, and I failed four albums in a row. And I finally nailed it with this album. I collaborated with this guy Joel Wanasek. I collaborated with Jordan [Fish], ex-BRING ME THE HORIZON, on the whole album. He actually got a piece on the record, which was really cool — added a really amazing element. I've got a few collaborators, like four guys that I work with, but me and this guy, Joel Wanasek, finally nailed down this piano thing… It was the last song I wrote on the record. And I know a lot of people think I'm super Mr. Libtard, social justice warrior guy and that's just not me, but that's kind of just what people think and the haters think. And I just started writing about — not that — but I just started writing about, I don't believe in Trump, but I think the fucking Democrats are a bunch of spineless fucking pussies. And I don't believe in anything anymore. I believe in myself. And I just wrote all of these lyrics kind of in that mindset. And the last line is, 'The wings of an angel, the heart of a king, the strength of a lion, the power I bring. I've lost faith in everyone, follow no more, my heroes have failed me, they look down on me with their scorn.' And so I took all of that. I was, like, 'I don't have any music, but I really like these lyrics.' So I came in with Zack [Ohren] — Zack's my engineer; he's my producer. He is fucking awesome; he's amazing… And I just picked up a guitar and I just said, 'I'm gonna play four chords here and I'm just gonna make this up as I go. I don't even know what I'm doing. I just wanna sing over this to something.' And I did, and I sang it, and I sang it in two takes. I laid out all the lyrics that I had written that morning. I pulled up some shit on my computer. I got two binders of lyrics. I wrote three and a half binders of lyrics from this record alone — just three and a half binders… And I literally sang the song in two takes, and when I was done, I was, like, 'That song's fucking done.' And it's the last song on the record. And I sent the chords to Joel and I was, like, 'Hey, like, can you make this into sad piano chords and put it together and kind of reverse engineer the rest of the song?' And I've gotta say, I'm so proud of this song. It's definitely kind of the outlier of the record, but I really just feel like it's a special song. And it's kind of something we've never done. And when you've been trying to do something for a long time — 15 years, I've been trying to write a fucking piano song — and it always just sounded too dorky… And it [finally] happened [on this album]."

Flynn also talked about his general approach to creating art with MACHINE HEAD, saying: "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just trying to write music. Alls I ever wanted to do was just play guitar and write songs and sing and make motherfuckers circle pit and make motherfuckers jump and sing and fucking headbang and go crazy. That's all I've ever wanted to do.

"I'm not a businessman. I don't know what the fucking right decision is," he continued. "I just know the music that I do and where it comes from, and I do know that I'm really, really, really good at that. I know that. I'm not one of these guys who's good at a million fucking things — I'm not — but I do know that I'm really, really good at that. And I just try and focus on that. And I've got a good team of people that help me make decisions now and I feel like we've all got a good head on our shoulders and what MACHINE HEAD needs to be.

"We're not the heaviest band in the world," he added. "We're heavy, but we've been around for 32 years, and motherfuckers like [SUICIDE SILENCE] came along and LORNA SHORE and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL, and [those bands are] fucking 10 times heavier than we will ever, ever, ever be. I can't sing like that. I don't even wanna try to; it'd be fucking ridiculous to. It would sound stupid for my fucking heavy metal Gandalf ass to be fucking trying to sing like that. We found our lane and we're super lucky that we found our lane and we fucking made that lane a little bit wider and a little bit wider so we can kind of go over here and do this and go over here and do this. But at the end of the day, it's just MACHINE HEAD music. That's what it is to me. It's metal, for sure — a hundred percent."

Last November, MACHINE HEAD released "These Scars Won't Define Us" as the first single from "Unatoned".

MACHINE HEAD's current lineup includes former HAVOK guitarist Reece Alan Scruggs. Scruggs stepped in for MACHINE HEAD's previous guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, who had been unable to make some of the group's dates due to his touring commitments with his longtime band DECAPITATED.

Reece made his live debut with MACHINE HEAD in November 2022 at Strummer's in Fresno, California at the opening show of the "Electric Happy Hour (Live)" tour.

Vogg joined MACHINE HEAD's touring lineup prior to the launch of the band's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour in late 2019.

The rest of MACHINE HEAD's lineup consists of guitarist/vocalist Flynn, bassist Jared MacEachern and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT).

Earlier last year, MACHINE HEAD completed the "Slaughter The Martour" North American tour with support from L.A.'s FEAR FACTORY, Sweden's ORBIT CULTURE and Louisville, Kentucky's GATES TO HELL.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Swedish metallers SABATON have unveiled their new single and video, "Templars". The track will appear on the band's soon-to-be-announced eleventh studio album, to be released later in the year via SABATON's new label home, Better Noise Music.

Along with the digital release of "Templars", SABATON is offering its fans a special one-sided 12-inch vinyl single which is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide and set to be released on June 27.

The strikingly cinematic "Templars" video was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia and can be seen below.

"'Templars' is the first song we wrote for our forthcoming album and it truly brings out the theatrical side of SABATON," says SABATON bassist and manager Pär Sundström. "From the moment we started working on it, we were overflowing with ideas on how to bring it to life on stage. We didn't just want to play it — we wanted to show it!"

SABATON — Joakim Brodén (vocals),Pär Sundström (bass),Chris Rörland (guitar),Thobbe Englund (guitar),Hannes Van Dahl (drums) — has always had a signature focus on writing songs about historical battles, wars, and acts of heroism that have solidified their impact with their loyal and longtime fans. SABATON has accumulated more than three billion streams across all streaming platforms and almost two billion views on YouTube.

The video for "Templars" presents a fictionalized depiction of a possible last stand for the Knights Templar. The band members take on the roles of the last remaining Templars, sworn to protect the secrets of their order. The story unfolds as the Templars intercept a letter warning them of their impending arrest for heresy. Soon after, an enemy army arrives on their doorstep demanding their surrender on behalf of King Philip IV of France. Refusing to yield, the Templars choose to fight to the bitter end. One by one, they fall in battle until only a single warrior remains. In a final, desperate clash, he defeats the enemy commander before retreating to the keep. There, he makes the ultimate sacrifice, setting fire to the stronghold to ensure the secrets of the order are lost to history.

The video was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia (Belgrade Fortress within Kalemegdan Park and Smederevo Fortress),both of which provided a striking and authentic backdrop for the epic battle scenes. To ensure both realism and safety, the band enlisted a large group of experienced reenactors, many of whom had worked in film production before. Their expertise helped bring the fight sequences to life with remarkable accuracy. Shot over the course of two long, hot days, the production faced intense summer heat, adding to the challenges of filming, but also enhancing the raw energy of the battle scenes.

As Thobbe Englund had only just rejoined the band after his almost eight-year hiatus, his bandmates wanted to mark his return in a memorable way by making him the last Templar standing, tasked with one final, epic battle. Initially, the plan was for him to wear a helmet so that a stuntman could step in for the demanding fight scene. However, the stunt coordinator had a different idea. He decided to take on the fight alongside Thobbe himself. While the battle was carefully choreographed, moments of improvisation added to its intensity. Clad in 40 kilos of armor, the two clashed with such force that the impact rumbled like an earthquake. To make things even more challenging, the scene was filmed in the scorching summer heat, and Thobbe was battling a fever at the time. Yet, he powered through, delivering a performance that was nothing short of legendary — a fitting way to mark his triumphant return to SABATON.

Better Noise Music is known for its creative artist development, innovative cross-media strategies, and ability to build international success stories. It was named Billboard's No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Label and No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Imprint of 2024, after its history-making run of five consecutive years as the No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Imprint (2018-2022). In 2023 Allen Kovac moved up to chairman role and over the last two and a half years the company has been run by Dan Waite CEO, Steve Kline COO and president, Harris Masood CFO and Paul Cormack GM.

Since SABATON's 2005 debut LP, the band has released 10 studio albums (some of which have been certified as gold, platinum, and even quadruple platinum),seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.

"We're truly excited to begin this new chapter with Better Noise Music," SABATON bassist and manager Pär Sundström comments. "After exploring various record labels worldwide, we found Better Noise to be the perfect fit. As an independent label, they haven't traditionally focused on our style of heavy metal, making this collaboration particularly exciting. We're excited to see how this partnership develops, confident that they're ready to embrace the challenge of working with a band that brings a unique sound to their roster."

"We're thrilled to welcome SABATON to our roster," says Lexie Viklund, the label's director of A&R. "Their powerful music and storytelling have resonated with fans worldwide, and we're eager to amplify their presence in the U.S. while continuing to grow their global impact."

Last October, Brodén told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about the progress of the songwriting sessions for SABATON's follow-up to 2022's "The War To End All Wars" album: "Yeah, we're working on new material always, it feels like. I mean, if we're done [with] an album, I feel like, 'Screw that. I don't wanna write music for a while now.' But there I am three months later writing new music. Maybe I'll sit with one of the guitarists on tour one day, and we'll be bored on a day off because there wasn't that much to do that day. It was Sunday. Everything's closed. So let's grab our gear and crank out a song because it's better than doing nothing."

He continued: "We already have some material. So it's not like we are, after this, gonna take a break and then start writing. We're in the works already."

Elaborating on how he feels after an album is completed, Joakim said: "For me, when an album is ready, I — sorry to say — fucking hate it, because first process… And I'm not the only songwriter in the band, but I'm the one who writes most of the music. And I'm involved with lyrics or in most of the songs and almost all of the songs in a musical way. So I spend months in the studio writing, alone or with somebody, then getting all the pre-productions ready, which is me again cleaning up takes and what are we gonna do putting it all together, delivering it to everybody in the band so they can practice. Then we go into the studio. And then I'm the constant in the studio, keeping track of everything, making sure everything is [as it should be], with the producer. So I'm there for the whole recording. Then I take a little break, and then the audio engineer starts mixing. And then I come in again for the mixing. And then, at that point, I'm already tired of the songs. And then all you do from that point on is try to find problems and errors. What went wrong? What's wrong here? Do we need to do a retake on something? Should we fix something? Oh, is that too loud? Do we need to EQ? So at that point I've programmed myself to only hear the problems with the album. So by the time like the master is done, I fucking hate it. I'm so tired of that music. So it'll take me a year or two before I can even, in some objective way, listen to it again."

"The War to End All Wars" was the last SABATON album to feature guitarist Tommy Johansson. He has since been replaced by a returning Englund.

Thobbe originally joined SABATON in April 2012 and amicably parted ways with the band in July 2016 to focus on his personal life and expand his creativity. He rejoined SABATON in February 2024.

Englund recorded two studio albums with SABATON, namely "Heroes" (2014) and "The Last Stand" (2016),and assisted with the songwriting of some very popular songs including "Shiroyama" and "Fields Of Verdun", among others.

In November 2025, SABATON will embark on a 20-city European run dubbed "The Legendary Tour". The band teased the trek as "a huge celebration of SABATON's music, storytelling and the incredible bond they share with their fans", featuring "The Legendary Orchestra and other surprises," resulting in "something unprecedented."

Last fall, SABATON served as main support to JUDAS PRIEST on the legendary heavy metal band's North American tour.

In the more than two decades since their launch, SABATON has achieved quadruple-platinum sales, headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts across the globe, and earned a legion of loyal fans by being self-managed and carving out a reputation as one of the most innovative bands in rock. SABATON combines standout stage design and production with epic concept albums, linking real-life historical war events with classic kick-ass metal. To date, the band has released ten studio albums, amassed six gold, two platinum, and one four-times-platinum awards, seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.

When SABATON hit the 20-year mark, they headlined both stages at Wacken 2019 — the biggest metal festival in the world — simultaneously. Meanwhile, in 2023 as part of a charity initiative, SABATON donated their full-length animated movie to museums around the world in order to increase awareness and visitor numbers, and successfully encouraged people to support the preservation of history in these establishments. During SABATON's 25th-anniversary year, the band released the "Tour To End All Tours" concert film, and through independent distribution, it was screened in more than 1,200 cinemas spanning 28 territories.

Photo credit: Ben Alexis

Canadian hard rock heavyweights, Sven Gali, have announced the release of a ferocious new live album, captured during their sold-out performance on Friday the 13th, September 2024, at the world-famous El Mocambo in Toronto. The record captures the band at full throttle in one of the most iconic rock venues on the planet — and it’s set to drop on another Friday the 13th: June 13, 2025.

With a history as loud as the amps that have powered it, The El Mocambo has hosted some of the most legendary names in rock: The Rolling Stones (who recorded their now-famous 1977 live set there), Stevie Ray Vaughan, U2, The Ramones, Blondie, Elvis Costello, and more. Sven Gali now joins that elite club with a performance that’s raw, unfiltered, and undeniably heavy.

“Recording at the El Mocambo was a full-circle moment for us,” says frontman Dave Wanless. “The energy of the crowd, the history of the venue, and the rawness of the night are all captured in this album. It’s a testament to our roots and our evolution.”

The live album features a thunderous setlist focused on the band’s gold-certified 1992 self-titled debut, delivering full-throttle versions of the songs that made Sven Gali a household name on MuchMusic and beyond:

– “Under The Influence” – 1993 MuchMusic Heavy Metal Video of the Year
– “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” – Top 10 Canadian single and #6 CanCon song of 1993
– “Tie Dyed Skies” and “In My Garden” – fan favorites with iconic video rotation

Plus a searing live cover of Motörhead’s “Ace Of Spades”. The video for this can be found below.

Recorded live with Dave Wanless (vocals), Andy Frank (guitar), Shawn Minden (bass), Sean Williamson (guitar), and Dan Fila (drums), the album captures Sven Gali doing what they do best: delivering heavy music with zero compromise and total conviction.



As a special thank you to fans, every purchase or pre-sale of the new live album before June 30, 2025, will be automatically entered into a one-of-a-kind contest to win an official Sven Gali Gold Album Award — the real deal, issued by Music Canada, celebrating their 1992 self-titled record going gold. This isn’t a replica — it’s the same style of award that hangs in industry offices and band studios. One lucky fan is going to own a true piece of Canadian rock history.

Sven Gali Live At The El Mocambo will be released on Friday the 13th, June 2025. Pre-orders, exclusive bundles, and additional details are available. For Canadian orders, head here. Fans in the US, Europe, and Asia can pre-order here.



Tracklisting:

“Freakz”
“Here Today Gone Tomorrow”
“Sweet Little Gypsy”
“Tie Dyed Skies”
“Under The Influence”
“Disgusteen”
“Ace Of Spades”
“Stiff Competition”
“In My Garden”
“Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”
“Hurt” (CD Bonus Track)

Annihilator is the most successful Canadian speed/thrash metal band of all times and one of the most influential pioneers of thrash metal worldwide. The band’s success speaks for itself, distinguished by superior live shows and especially Jeff Waters, who takes on the role of guitarist, vocalist, studio bassist, songwriter, producer, as well as mixing and mastering engineer – quite an all-rounder.

Over the next few years, earMUSIC is paying tribute to Annihilator with the re-release of their highly sought-after back catalogue in a series of CD and Vinyl releases. Each studio album will be reissued with fully remastered sound on high-quality 180g black Vinyl and as a CD Digipak Edition. Both formats feature refreshed artwork with brand-new sleeve notes by Alex Milas (a. o. Metal Hammer UK), who interviewed Jeff Waters for this reissue series.

Additionally – and for the first time – the numerous demo recordings and bonus tracks from each album era will be compiled as part of the reissue series on CD and as a digital album.

The catalogue revival begins on June 6th, 2025, by revisiting a pivotal era in Annihilator’s history, breathing new life into King Of The Kill (1994), Refresh The Demon (1996), and Remains (1997). Spanning the mid-to-late ’90s, these albums showcase Jeff Waters’ evolution as a songwriter, guitarist, and producer, blending thrash intensity with melody, experimentation, and groove. This reissue series highlights a band that constantly pushed boundaries.

King Of The Kill was the full expression of Annihilator’s potential to enchant and to entertain. It was a comeback and rebirth of a leaner Annihilator impervious to the shifting sands of the industry, and it established Jeff Waters as a guitar-slinging/songwriting titan in a time of great uncertainty. Annihilator, finally, had arrived.

For anyone just picking themselves up off the floor following the double-barreled wallop of King Of The Kill,Refresh The Demon was just what the doctor ordered. According to Waters, it was a continuation of the same creative role that had inspired King Of The Kill and felt like a second creative lease on life.

Remains was Annihilator’s boldest experiment, a daring venture into industrial-laced heaviness that defied expectations. With Jeff Waters handling nearly all aspects of the recording, the album took a more mechanical and groove-driven approach. Despite its departure from the band’s earlier thrash roots, the album still retained Jeff’s signature guitar work. Remains will be released for the very first time on vinyl.

More Noise offers a glimpse into Annihilator’s creative process during the King Of The Kill, Refresh The Demon, and Remains era. This collection of demo recordings and bonus tracks captures the raw energy, experimentation, and unmistakable guitar work of Jeff Waters, highlighting the evolution of the band’s sound. For the very first time, More Noise compiles all bonus tracks from these albums on one CD.

The re-release of the Annihilator years 1994–1997 is just the beginning. Fans and collectors can look forward to more albums coming soon.

For further details, and to pre-order, head here.



King Of The Kill (CD Digipak, Black 180g LP Gatefold):

“King Of The Kill” (Vinyl Side A)
“21”
“Bliss”
“Second To None”
“Hell Is A War”
“Annihilator”
“Fiasco” (Vinyl Side B)
“The Box”
“Bad Child”
“In The Blood”
“Speed”
“Catch The Wind”

CD Bonus Tracks:

“21” (Jeff Demo)
“Annihilator” (Jeff Demo)
“Bad Child” (Jeff Demo)
“In The Blood” (Jeff Demo)
“King Of The Kill” (Jeff Demo)
“Second To None” (Jeff Demo)



Refresh The Demons (CD Digipak, Black 180g 2LP Gatefold):

“Refresh The Demon” (Vinyl Side A)
“Ultraparanoia”
“Syn. Kill 1”
“Awaken” (Vinyl Side B)
“The Pastor Of Disaster”
“City Of Ice”
“A Man Called Nothing”
“Innocent Eyes” (Vinyl Side C)
“Voices And Victims”
“Anything For Money” (Vinyl Side D)
“Hunger”



Remains (CD Digipak, Black 180g LP Gatefold):

“Tricks And Traps” (Vinyl Side A)
“Murder”
“Never Forget”
“Reaction”
“Human Remains”
“I Want”
“Dead Wrong” (Vinyl Side B)
“No Love”
“Sexecution”
“Wind”
“Bastiage”



More Noise Vol. 1 (CD Digipak)

“Only Be Lonely” (King Of The Kill Bonus Track)
“Slates” (King Of The Kill Interlude)
“Annihilator” (1985 Radio Ottawa Demo)
“Fiasco (“The Slate”)” (King Of The Kill Interlude)
“21” (1994 Demo)
“Weapon X” (2004 Demo / No Guitars / Playthrough)
“Bloodbath” (1999 Criteria Demo)
“Nothing To Me” (Single Version)
“Back To The Palace” (1999 Demo)
“It’s You” (Remains Bonus Track)
“The Box” (Live 1995)
“Riff Raff” (Refresh The Demon Bonus Track)

Prior to the MISFITS' April 12 performance at this year's Coachella festival in Indio, California, Nicole Alvarez of the KROQ radio station asked MISFITS bassist Jerry Only if the band's legacy surprises him. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Can I be honest with you? It does surprise me. Well, because we didn't plan on it. When we got together, we were doing it because we loved it, and I still love it.

"I think our legacy is something that's gonna stand the test of time," he continued. "I mean, if you look at things that are iconic today, like, for example, if you looked at THE ROLLING STONES logo. And they had said they were playing 50-something years and they said, 'Well, we've been playing 50-something years, but we've only actually played two years. The rest is standing around waiting.'"

Reflecting on MISFITS' earliest days, Jerry said:  "Well, we used to practice in our garage. And a lot of the bands from the West Coast, like SOCIAL DISTORTION, who was, like, 14 years old, would come and stay at our place. And we pretty much got together through a mutual friend, who was a drummer, and he came up to me and he said, 'Hey, we're starting a band.' It [was] brand new. I was playing bass for about a month. And what happened was that I met Glenn [Danzig, MISFITS singer], and we started rehearsing, and the next thing you know, we put out a record and bingo — next thing we were on the road."

The initial comeback performance by MISFITS members Danzig, Only and longtime guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein took place at the 2016 Riot Fest. The estranged bandmates played together for the first time since 1983 and were backed by former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo and guitarist Acey Slade.

Since then, the original lineup of the MISFITS has reunited for scattered dates.

Prior to the 2016 Riot Fest concert, Glenn, Jerry and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein last performed together on October 29, 1983.

Five years ago, Danzig told Rolling Stone magazine that he was happy with the way the MISFITS shows have been going. "Shit, we sold out Madison Square Garden," he said. "As a matter of fact, we oversold it. Back in the day, all the bigwig promoters and record label people were, like, 'A punk band will never headline Madison Square Garden.' And, of course, we're the first punk band to headline there. And not only did we sell it out, we oversold it. So a big fuck you to all those assholes, who are probably selling hotdogs on Sixth Avenue."

The original MISFITS band broke up in 1983, and Only brought forth a new version of the MISFITS in 1995. Various members have come and gone, but Only, along with BLACK FLAG's Dez Cadena, has kept some form of the MISFITS in the recording studio and on the road for most of the last three decades.

In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Only said about working with Danzig again: "Glenn is Glenn. We dealt with Glenn in the beginning and it's the same dealing with Glenn now. It doesn't change. It's just a different perspective. If we let Glenn be Glenn and do what we're supposed to do, it's gonna work. You don't argue with each other. I think we're over that. I think we're old enough now."

Asked what it was like keeping the MISFITS going for 20 years without Glenn, Only said: "There was always that hole. When Glenn split, there was always that feeling we were missing a component of what makes us what we are. And I'm sure the same goes on for him. In the other bands he was in, he's changed people left and right. When we play together, it's just us."