AC/DC have released an alternate HD video for "Nervous Shakedown", the third single released from the band's 1983 album, Flick Of The Switch. Watch below:





AC/DC return to the road in North America for the first time in nine years on the 2025 Power Up North American Tour.




Much to the delight of millions of fans across North America, the legendary Grammy Award-winning Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame-inducted band will perform in 13 stadiums coast-to-coast next spring. This run kicks off on April 10 in Minneapolis, MN at US Bank Stadium, canvases the continent, and concludes on May 28 in Cleveland, OH at Huntington Bank Field. Along the way, they will play some of the most iconic and historic stadiums in the world, including the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on April 18 and Soldier Field in Chicago, IL on May 24.


Tickets for all shows, featuring support from The Pretty Reckless, are on sale now, here.


The tour shares its name with their 2020 album, Power Up, which bowed at #1 in 21 countries. In 2024, AC/DC completed a European leg of the Power Up Tour, packing the biggest stadiums on the continent in the process. Power Up notably notched their third #1 debut on the Billboard 200 and exploded as one of the best-selling albums of 2020 worldwide. Plus, it garnered Grammy Award nominations in the categories of “Best Rock Album” and “Best Rock Performance” and “Best Music Video” for “Shot In The Dark.” Power Up is available here.


AC/DC played their very first show on the 31st December 1973 at Chequers Nightclub in Sydney, Australia. They are one of the most influential rock bands in history, with over 200 million albums sold worldwide. The band’s Back In Black LP is the “bestselling album by any band ever” and the “third bestselling album by any artist” with global sales of 50 million and counting. AC/DC was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003. The band continue selling out stadiums on multiple continents, sell millions of albums annually and generate streams in the billions.


To continue their reign as the world’s greatest rock and roll band, AC/DC - Angus Young on lead guitar, vo

Bassist Jørn "Necrobutcher" Stubberud of Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM spoke to Dave Rumbler of Metal-Roos about the band's upcoming 40th-anniversary tour of Australia, which is scheduled to kick off on January 9 in Brisbane. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Actually, the anniversary year wasn't long enough. So, we are actually on our 41 year when we come Down Under in January. But there was no time to squeeze [the Australian leg of the tour] in [during 2024], unfortunately."

He continued: "We didn't celebrate our 10th-year anniversary because we had some problems in '94, or [were] still recovering. But we had the 20-year anniversary, and then I think we even had 25-year anniversary, 'cause we thought it was a hilariously huge achievement in the sense [of] keeping a band like this together. And then suddenly we were 30 year, and then suddenly now we are 40."

Asked if he thought, when MAYHEM was first formed in 1984, that the band would still be around 40 years later, Stubberud replied: "Well, actually, the [answer] to that is probably yes, because… I get [that] question a lot. For example, in different circumstances, the question is, 'You didn't think this would happen when you were 16 years old and started this band?' But that's exactly what was going on. I had such faith in the project, and I thought that, 'This is it. We're gonna make it.' And we did. We had to believe. We thought it was possible, and we always thought so. And that's why we survived, too, because the first thing you have to do is to have faith in yourself. That's rule number one. So, no, I'm not that surprised, but I'm surprised how fast life went by. And now I'm 56 years old, and I started when I was 16, so that's a whole lifetime, basically. I would have gotten a gold watch fucking 15 years ago if I was working for the community, or the 25-year-old gold watch, or something like that. I actually thought to myself that actually I was gonna buy myself a watch. But, as you can see, I don't wear any watches."

Elaborating on the reasons MAYHEM is still around four decades after the band's formation, Stubberud said: "We are always putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to do better. We're perfectionists, and we're never happy because we're struggling to achieve the best we can do. So let's say we have a concert and somebody makes a little mistake. Nobody in the audience or anybody notices it even, but we are pissed off like a half a year afterwards, like, 'Everything was perfect and then that happened. Fuck!' So, we're still there, and I think that's also one of the reasons why… some of the things you have to have in the mix to make it through all these years."

Addressing MAYHEM's stage show for the 40th-anniversary tour, Stubberud said: "This time around, the 40-year anniversary, what are we gonna do now that we haven't done before? We have to do more. And the only thing, the idea that that stood out was that we had kind of present our whole career into one concert. We did all the concepts in the past. We did 'De Mysteriis [Dom Sathanas]', we played that in full, we had the 'Daemon' tour, we had tours that linked up to albums, with the different designs and stage props and shit. And then, to present the whole thing, we hired some people to help us make a video behind the whole thing. And it turned out to be around a two-, two-and-a-half-hour thing. So we have a video that's linked up to this. It's kind of telling the story in pictures as we're playing, to [give] it a little bit more [of], let's say, an atmosphere, to try to bring people back to when it happened."

In a separate interview with the "Everblack" podcast, Stubberud was asked if fans can expect new music from MAYHEM in 2025. He responded: "Yes, you can. Teloch [MAYHEM guitarist Morten Bergeton Iversen] and Charles [Edward Alexander Hedger, MAYHEM guitarist] have presented some demos — both of them presented over 10 songs or 10 skeletons — so [they have] presented almost 20 songs. And I listened to everything, and some of it is really fucking good. So, after the Australian tour, I guess — no, some of us [are] gonna go on some tours with some other bands. But in March [2025], I think, we're gonna get together and start to hammer out this thing. By 2025 we should have been able to enter the studio. And then, hopefully, it would be cool to have it out in 2025. That would be a goal, but we'll see. But definitely 2026. And then, of course, we'll be heading out [on] a new world tour to promote it, I guess."

MAYHEM's sixth studio album, "Daemon", came out in October 2019 via Century Media. A live album, "Daemonic Rites", arrived in September 2023.

In early November, MAYHEM canceled its previously announced North American 40th-anniversary tour "due to a member of the band having a medical emergency that requires immediate surgery." According to the group, the procedure "will result in a prolonged recovery period."

The North American dates were scheduled to kick off on November 12 in Montreal, with stops in Toronto; Queens, New York; Chicago; and Los Angeles before and wrapping up November 23 in Denver.

MAYHEM launched a short European tour on December 4 in Paris, France.

When MAYHEM's North American tour was first announced in August, the band said that its 40th-anniversary show would be "a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans, featuring a setlist that spans their illustrious career, from their groundbreaking debut album, 'Deathcrush', to present day."

Formed in 1984 in Norway, MAYHEM has been at the forefront of the black metal scene, known for their controversial history, groundbreaking music, and unparalleled live performances. Over the years, they have cemented their status as one of the most influential bands in extreme metal, continually pushing the boundaries of the genre.

MAYHEM has nearly 1,000 shows to its name. Since their formation in Langhus, Norway in 1984, the band — now comprised of Necrobutcher (bass),Hellhammer (drums),Attila Csihar (vocals),Teloch (guitars) and Ghul (guitars) — has brought its brand of bellicose, preternatural black metal to over 60 countries. From the United States and Germany to Australia and Brazil, MAYHEM has stunned, bewildered, and turned rabid a global legion. Much of that respect and devotion started in the early 1990s but persisted to the present day on the strength of official live albums "Live In Leipzig" (1993),"Mediolanum Capta Est" (1999),"Live In Marseille 2000" (2001) and "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive" (2016).

Chris Harms not only stands out as a musical chameleon with his band Lord Of The Lost, but also with his very first solo album, 1980. The album, which is strongly reminiscent of synth-pop, will be released on January 31 via Napalm Records and is the realization of a long-cherished dream that is finally coming to life.


1980 delivers a very unique sound yet-untapped in Harms' main band. Instead, it dives into the uniquely atmospheric synthesizer sounds of the 80s, interweaving them with electronic, wave and goth elements and completely diverting from guitar-driven rock style.


Harms’ distinctive voice and 1980s synth-pop-inspired sound craft an atmospheric journey through time, starting with the wave-infused, dancefloor-ready album opener and first single, “I Love You.” The official music video, released today, perfectly complements the track, delivering captivating visuals that radiate the retro charm of the 80s.




Chris Harms adds: “‘I Love You’ – that immediately sounds like a cheerful summer hit to me. However, this first impression couldn’t be more wrong. While the 80s synth sound effortlessly creates a sense of lightness, ‘I Love You’ is, at its core, one of the saddest songs I have ever written. Melancholy in neon colors.”


Watch the official music video for “I Love You“ below.


With Lord Of The Lost, Chris Harms just experienced the most successful four years in the band's history, including participation in the Eurovision Song Contest and tours with Iron Maiden, as well as one #1 and two #2 albums on the Official German Album Charts. But a break is out of the question. The idea of a solo album has been maturing in his mind for a long time and has now taken its final form.


Chris Harms describes 1980: “If I were forced to categorize this album and label it, it would probably say ‘a strange but successful mix of Depeche Mode, Modern Talking and Sandra with Chris Harms' voice, but with less perm and mullet’.”


Songs such as the hit “She Called Me Diaval” and “Lunamor” exude a pleasant lightness, while “Past Pain” and “May This Be Your Last Battlefield” strike a reflective note. Two selected duets round off the album: Harms welcomes guest singer Sven Friedrich (Solar Fake) on “Madonna Of The Night”, while Ronan Harris (VNV Nation) can be heard on "The Grey Machines”.


1980 deliberately avoids attempting to reinvent the wheel, but is to be understood as a musical journey through time. It is proof of Harms' artistic versatility, for which he is admired and appreciated far beyond genre boundaries. There is no deliberate calculation or riding the wave of any trends on the album, but simply a passion, desire and love for music, with which Chris Harms has marked a remarkable new pinnacle in his discography as a musician.





1980 will be available in the following formats:


- Deluxe Box incl. 2-CD 6 page Digisleeve (1980 & Instrumental Version) with 16 pag

estial Death present an explosive heavy and authentic debut in their first offering, "Anti-Preacher". Accompanying a poignant commentary on pervasive corruption, is an onslaught of high intensity riffs, thrashing percussion and obliterating growls. "Anti-Preacher" is out now via Terminus Hate City Records. 


Celestial Death frontman Jay Crash comments on "Anti-Preacher": "Our debut single, 'Anti-Preacher', is a statement of who we are as a band: we are in open rebellion against the corrupt individuals who sit at a pulpit preaching peace but actively supporting wars and genocides in the name of religion. We are a band that states exactly what we are about, and who we are against. These cowards hide behind religious manipulation, brainwashing their followers to commit violence against non-believers; to conq

guitar playthrough video for "My Inferno", a track from their second full-length, Karma Collision, an album forged in the crucible of modern turmoil and bound by the chains of classic metal fury. Watch below:





Karma Collision - the band's sophomore offering - stands as a towering monument amidst the ruins of lesser gods, a beacon of defiance shining in the shadow of a society on the brink. The album is out now via Listenable Records on digipack, double gatefold vinyl, and digital.

‘Good friends are made and sometimes lost
A fellowship can fall to dust
But brothers, sisters found at last
Guide me from a wilderness’


To celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the original release of their sixth album, The Underfall Yard, Big Big Train have today released a new Winter Version of the song "Brew & Burgh". "Brew & Burgh" was first released as part of the remixed and expanded reissue of The Underfall Yard in spring 2021 and is regarded by the band as forming an important part of the definitive version of the album.


Stream/download the song here, and watch a visualizer below:







“The Underfall Yard was a pivotal album for Big Big Train,” drummer Nick D’Virgilio comments. “It was our late, great friend David Longdon’s debut for the band and represented the start of an upwards curve, which apart from leading us to record a series of great albums, eventually resulted in us playing live from 2015 onwards.”


“'Brew & Burgh' has a universal message, but it’s also a very personal song and has become even more poignant following the loss of David in late 2021,” adds bassist Gregory Spawton. “As a band we’ve been through a lot over the last few years and we are very grateful that our audience has been there for us. In this season of goodwill we thought that releasing what we’ve called a ‘Winter Version’ of the song with a new arrangement would be a nice way to thank our fans for their steadfast support.”


“I love the original version of 'Brew & Burgh',” says lead vocalist Alberto Bravin. “We didn’t want to simply re-record the song but instead decided to re-arrange it to suit the winter season. Oskar Holldorff played a lovely piano part, Clare Lindley supplied some beautiful violin and Paul Mitchell, who toured with us in the autumn, makes his recording debut with us playing trumpet on this song.”


The original recording 'Brew & Burgh', featuring David Longdon, Gregory Spawton, Nick D’Virgilio, Rikard Sjöblom and former BBT band members Rachel Hall and Danny Manners, can be heard below:





Big Big Train recently announced seven shows to take place in April 2025 in North America. In addition to returning to the United States (following a successful s

rFall, have released a new video for their third single, "Freedom", from the latest album, Avenge The Fallen. The video is a heartfelt tribute to their global fanbase, who played an integral role in its creation.


When the single "Freedom" was unleashed in early July, HammerFall launched a unique competition via their social media platforms, inviting fans to submit videos to become a part of "HammerFall’s History."


Fans from all corners of the globe participated, showcasing their passion by rocking HammerFall merch, singing or playing their favorite instruments to the

Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai returned to the G3 touring concept in 2024 for a sold-out US tour. This was the original G3 lineup that saw the three virtuosos first share a stage back in 1996. Each guitarist plays a full set with their own band and then the three join together for an encore jam.


For those lucky enough to have been at any one of those 2024 shows, "Big Bad Moon" (from Joe Satriani’s Grammy-nominated, certified Gold Flying In A Blue Dream album) is a standout moment to relive and cherish again. For those who weren’t, G3 Reunion Live is the full G3 live experience waiting to be discovered.


"Reuniting with Eric and Steve, commemorating the very first G3 tour of ’96, was nothing short of genius. They were the first two guitarists I called when planning G3’s maiden voyage, so this reunion was a confirmation of our special connection." – Joe Satriani




Stream the "Big Bad Moon" single here, and watch the visualizer video below:





G3 Reunion Live captures the experience of that tour in full for all fans and marks the first G3 album release in over 20 years.





G3 Reunion Live is much more than “just” a live album. It’s a full album-length set from each artist plus a collaborative supergroup LP. The deluxe edition features a different coloured vinyl for each artist, a special splatter LP for the encore jam, and a 64-page photo book, divided into artist and jam chapters, with the full program also on 2 CDs. It is also available in a 2CD digipak with a 16-page photo booklet, 4 LP gatefold and digital download.


Pre-order / pre-save the album here.





Tracklisting (all formats):


"Gravitas" (Vai)
"Avalancha" (Vai)
"Little Pretty Intro" (Vai)
"Little Pretty" (Vai)
"Tender Surrender" (Vai)
"Zeus In Chains" (Vai)
"Teeth of the Hydra" (Vai)
"For The Love Of God" (Vai)
"Land Of 1000 Dances" (Johnson)
"Righteous" (Johnson)
"Trail Of Tears" (Johnson)
"On-Ramp Improv" (Johnson)
"Freeway Jam" (Johnson)
"Desert Rose" (Johnson)
"Venus Reprise" (Johnson)
"Raspberry Jam Delta-V" (Satriani)
"Surfing With The Alien" (Satriani)
"Satch Boogie" (Satriani)
"Sahara" (Satriani)
"Nineteen Eighty" (Satriani)
"Big Bad Moon" (Satriani)
"Always With Me, Always With You" (Satriani)
"Sumer Song" (Satriani)
Introductions
"Crossroads" (Encore Jam)
"Spanish Castle Magic" (Encore Jam)
"Born To Be Wild" (Encore Jam)


"Crossroads" video:





About Joe Satriani:


For over three decades, the guitar virtuoso has travelled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star “G3” guitar extravaganza. Satriani’s studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. He launched his annual “G4 Experience” in 2014 bringing aspiring guitarists together for four days of workshops, mentor sessions and live performances, providing an exclusive learning platform led by him and his accomplished peers. In 2021, he introduced the "Crystal Planet" comic series, a five-part opus interweaving the realms of music and art. The tour documentary "Beyond the Supernova," directed by ZZ Satriani and currently available for streaming, offers an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse that intricately chronicles his life, illuminating the profound dedication that fuels his guitar mastery. His side project, Chickenfoot, featuring former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9. Satriani released his 19th studio album, The Elephants of Mars, in April 2022. In 2024 Satriani embarked on Sammy Hagar’s Best of All Worlds tour.


About Eric Johnson:


Among Johnson's many accolades are a Grammy award for "Cliffs of Dover " (from his Platinum certified album, Ah Via Musicom), ten more Grammy nominations, lifetime induction into

In a new interview with Guitar By Emily, Michael Sweet confirmed that C.C. DeVille auditioned for STRYPER before joining POISON and achieving multi-platinum success as the latter band's guitarist. Regarding how he met DeVille in the first place, Sweet said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was standing on Sunset Boulevard in front of Gazzarri's [famed nightclub in West Hollywood], and this guy comes up, and we ran into each other. And I'm, like, 'Oh, this guy's cool. He's got a cool look and he's fun.' And I consider myself to maybe be fun as well; I don't know. But we hit it off, and we started talking, started laughing. And he was out from New York, looking for a better way, trying to break, like every other musician at that time. A lot of people were moving to L.A. L.A. was the hot spot — not Nashville, Austin. It was L.A. That's where you wanted to be if you wanted to make it. And C.C. came out, and we became friends."

The STRYPER frontman continued: "We eventually invited him down to the garage in La Mirada, about 45 minutes from Hollywood, and we jammed. And we were actually considering, from both sides, [about him joining STRYPER] and the thing that made him make the decision to say no was the whole yellow-and-black [image of STRYPER]. That's what I recall. Yeah, that's what I recall. And you might get a different version from him if you interview him, but I remember him specifically saying, 'Yeah, I'm not into the yellow and black. I'm more into pink and purple.' He actually said that. That's what kept us from moving forward. And we also jammed and auditioned and talked to Doug Aldrich [DIO, WHITESNAKE, THE DEAD DAISIES] about joining the band as well."

Sweet previously discussed the possibility of DeVille joining STRYPER in a 2014 interview with The Weeklings. Asked how STRYPER would have worked "theologically" with C.C. in the band, Michael replied: "I don't know. C.C. believes in God. Spiritually and philosophically, I think it could've worked. But musically? I'm just not sure. What would POISON have sounded like with Oz [Fox, STRYPER guitarist] on lead guitar? There was a real tight network of musicians around the Strip in that day, so there are all sorts of mutations that could have taken place. But C.C. wasn't really into the yellow and black."

Sweet also reflected on DeVille's STRYPER audition in his 2014 book "Honestly - My Life & Stryper Revealed". He wrote: "During the audition process to find an additional guitar player, we auditioned a new guy in town from New York by the name of Bruce Johannesson, otherwise known as C.C. DeVille. I had met C.C. previously and we hit it off. He seemed like a great guy and we got along well. Our band had been playing out as a trio for a quite a while, with me handling all the guitars, but we were actively seeking a fourth member. C.C. came in to our rehearsal studio and we went through a typical audition process playing some covers and some of our tunes, just to get a feel on how we'd gel together. Musically, it felt great, but at the end of the night, he inquired about the yellow and black. Rob [STRYPER drummer and Michael's brother Robert Sweet] was adamant about keeping the yellow and black, so when C.C. suggested he wasn't really into the color scheme, I could sense Rob's defense mechanism kick in. The yellow and black was Rob's baby and he was convinced we should stick with it. So no matter how good C.C. was, if he couldn't wear the colors, he wasn't going to be in the band. C.C. politely declined the opportunity, stating he really wasn't digging the yello-and-black thing and that he was more of a pink-and-purple kind of guy. And our auditions with others continued. But to think, had our color scheme been pink and purple, C.C. DeVille just might have become a member of our band."

He added: "Just another one of God's miracles, both for him and for us, I'm sure. I can't imagine POISON without C.C., and I'm certain he is thankful as well for the path he took."

Several years ago, Robert Sweet explained the inspiration for STRYPER's yellow-and-black look, saying: "I wanted STRYPER to stand for something and be remembered. You may either love or hate the yellow and black, but that was my thing. Music is about music and should always be first, but I was also a very visual guy. Sometimes people would say they didn't know our names, but they knew we were the guys with the yellow-and-black stripes. I never took it as an insult and always smiled because it worked."

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST played the final concert of their 2024 tour on Friday, December 13 at Ex Theater in Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be seen below.

The setlist for the performance was as follows:

01. Panic Attack
02. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
03. Rapid Fire
04. Breaking The Law
05. Riding On The Wind
06. Love Bites
07. Devil's Child
08. Saints In Hell
09. Crown Of Horns
10. Sinner
11. Turbo Lover
12. Invincible Shield
13. Victim Of Changes
14. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
15. Painkiller

Encore:

16. The Hellion / Electric Eye
17. Hell Bent For Leather
18. Living After Midnight

In a recent interview with Heavy Consequence, Rob Halford spoke about JUDAS PRIEST's plans celebrate the 35th anniversary of its classic album "Painkiller" extensively live with the "Shield Of Pain" tour in 2025. This "rare" and "unique set" will include "beloved classics" and "will be defending the metal faith in a truly memorable experience throughout Europe" next summer, according to a social media post from PRIEST.

Halford said: "It's still in the works, but we're gonna go and show ['Painkiller'] off. Not in its entirety. I haven't figured out yet whether we're just gonna do a clump of 'Painkiller' songs — this is the 'Painkiller' section — or we're gonna go, a 'Painkiller' song, a couple of others, a 'Painkiller' song, a couple of others. It's all in theory in my mind at the moment, but, however, I think it's gonna be a real thrill and a treat. And, again, a once-in-a-lifetime thing for the band. You'll only see the show once. You'll only see the 'Shield Of Pain' show once. So, we hope our fans will be on the rail and banging their heads to it."

The singer also reflected on PRIEST's mindset while going into the recording process for "Painkiller". He said: "The importance was we had to really go into a huddle and say, 'We really need to show off what this band's true heart and soul and spirit is about.' And I'm using that in reference to some of the previous albums and some of the previous songs. Our attitude was, 'We're gonna make the hardest, heaviest, strongest, most energized metal album we've ever done,' and we did that — we achieved it. It's full-on. It only pulls back a little bit for 'A Touch Of Evil'. The rest of it is just non-stop, non-stop, non-stop. We did it in Miraval Studios in the south of France. It was very isolated, so, unlike Ibiza [where 'Screaming For Vengeance' and 'Defenders Of The Faith', among others, were recorded], where we were going into the clubs every night, it was very, very isolated, so we really got into the work in a very, very strong way with no interference. And so the exercise of achieving all of the components to make that album as strong as we wanted it to be was a success. And, again, a band will tell you we've done everything we can. Let's see what happens. The world embraced that album."

He continued: "It's a beloved, revered metal album. A lot of our friends in different bands will say, 'If you wanna hear what a metal album is all about, put on 'Painkiller'.' And that's pretty cool. But our fans, as well, recognize that of all of the 19 albums that this band has ever made, 'Painkiller''s still very heavily under the spotlight. And here we are, 35 years next year."

PRIEST's 12th album, "Painkiller" was recorded at Miraval Studios in Brignoles, France, and was mixed at Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, the Netherlands. It was the first LP to feature drummer Scott Travis following the departure of Dave Holland.

In a 2023 interview with "The Jeremy White Show", founding JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing spoke about how the addition of then-new drummer Travis affected PRIEST's sound and songwriting on "Painkiller". He said: "I think with the addition of Scott, because we knew his capabilities from his former band, RACER X, which were a great band… After so many years, having Scott in the band with those double kicks again, it just opened doors for myself and Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] to write rhythmically and musically. And we knew that Scott could play anything that we could — as fast as we could play on guitar, we knew he could match us on the kit, which helped a lot, really, because it meant we could expand writing after so many years, really, in respect of the faster side of metal, if you like."

One of the most iconic voices in rock and roll history, Steve Perry has released the official yule log video for "The Season 3", which came out on November 8 via Dark Horse Records. The album expands on the former JOURNEY singer's exquisitely curated 2021 holiday album "The Season", which revealed him as a flawless interpreter of the classic Christmas songbook. "The Season 3" includes six newly recorded songs, including "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Let It Snow", as well as a moving duet with his late father, Ray Perry.

Featured songs in the "The Season 3" official yule log video:

00:00 What A Wonderful World
04:04 The Christmas Song
07:33 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
10:37 This Christmas
14:01 Jingle Bell Rock
17:19 Call Me Irresponsible (feat. Ray Perry)
20:24 What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
24:21 Auld Lang Syne
26:26 Silver Bells
31:29 I'll Be Home For Christmas
34:14 Let It Snow
36:47 Maybe This Year
40:23 Winter Wonderland
43:44 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
46:50 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
48:44 'Twas The Night Before Christmas

The official video for "Call Me Irresponsible", featuring Ray Perry, can be seen below. The video was designed and animated by Tolga Tarhan.

Built around a tape left to him after his estranged father's passing, the song, originally recorded by Ray as a reflection on his shortcomings, offers poignant closure as Perry confronts generational trauma and embraces forgiveness.

Talking about singing with his father on the duet of "Call Me Irresponsible", Steve Perry says: "My father, Ray Perry, was a singer and when I was a child he would sing to me at bedtime. I recently found a karaoke cassette of my dad singing that he sent me back in 1993 for Christmas. The one song that touched me the most was 'Call Me Irresponsible'. His voice was lovely, but the karaoke track was not.

"Using technology, we pulled his voice off the cassette and recorded beautiful music around him. Once that was done, an unfulfilled dream of singing with my father was now possible. You see, mom and dad divorced when I was 7, and dad and I never saw much of each other after that. Singing with my father after all these years was a very emotional experience for me. His voice was just as I remembered it as a child.

"At the end of his cassette, dad says, 'Merry Christmas, God Love Ya.' To hear him speak again brought tears to my eyes."

"The Season 3" marks Perry's first release on Dark Horse Records. He joins the highly curated home of legends on the label founded by George Harrison in 1974, alongside labelmates Joe Strummer, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Billy Idol, Nina Simone, and more.

On signing to Dark Horse Records, Perry says: "I am so pleased to announce that I have just signed with George Harrison's label, Dark Horse Records. I've so much music in me that has yet to be heard. To be able to work with a team of people who support and respect my creative expressions, is a dream come true."

On "The Season 3", Perry says, "I've always loved the magic in holiday songs. When I was a child, I would hear them on the radio in my grandmother's kitchen while she was cooking. Today when I hear those songs, they take me back to so many wonderful memories."

He continues: "The magic of music is a very emotional gift. The idea of me recording a holiday record started many years ago and now has grown into my latest collection, 'The Season 3'. I have added six new tracks to this latest compilation, which now totals 16. I hope this record brings you precious memories too.

"All the best to you and yours this holiday season."

"The Season 3" is co-produced by Perry and engineer Thom Flowers with an immaculately arranged and richly nuanced sound. Mainly recorded at Perry's home studio, "The Season" series came to life in collaboration with drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa) and Dallas Kruse (a multi-instrumentalist who also worked with Perry on his acclaimed 2018 album "Traces"). While most of "The Season 3" encompasses an understated sonic palette — piano, strings, upright bass — each track leaves an indelible impact thanks to the soulful sincerity of Perry's vocal work. For both artist and audience alike, "The Season 3" ultimately serves as a form of emotional time travel, a direct conduit for the kind of memories that sustain the spirit and restore a sense of joyous serenity.

One of the most iconic voices in rock and roll history, Perry has captivated generations with the sheer power of his range and extraordinary warmth of his tone. One of Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers Of All Time," he fronted JOURNEY during the band's massively successful era and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Perry returned to music in 2018 with the release of his Fantasy album "Traces" which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard album charts and No. 6 overall — a personal best for his solo work.

KING DIAMOND has just released a new single, "Spider Lilly". The official music video for the track, which was directed by My Good Eye Visuals, can be seen below.

"Spider Lilly" is the first single and video taken from KING DIAMOND's forthcoming horror trilogy, part one of which is titled "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920". A first-time mixing collaboration with Arthur Rizk, who also mastered "Spider Lilly", has produced an incredibly powerful sound picture, as clear and dynamic as a full moon on a star-filled black night. The music and lyrics are written by King Diamond.

The recording lineup for "Spider Lilly" is still the same, with King Diamond handling lead and backing vocals plus playing the Hammond Organ, Andy La Rocque and Mike Wead on guitars, Pontus Egberg on the bass, and Matt Thompson on drums. There is also a special guest appearance by Danish female vocalist Myrkur with some amazing additional backing vocals.

Part of the new "Spider Lilly" video was filmed at the very haunted Pennhurst Asylum outside of Philadelphia on a travel day during the band's recent North American tour, two days before Halloween. It was only King himself and actress Jodi Cachia who could participate on that specific day, together with producer David Brodsky, Allie Woest and their killer crew.

"What a dark but great experience," King says, "Hopefully that was not the last video we will be able to film there."

There are already several tales waiting to be told about all that has happened before, during, and after the birth of the song "Spider Lilly"…

KING DIAMOND performed "Spider Lilly" live for the first time at the kick-off concert of the band's long-awaited North American headlining tour, which launched on October 15 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. The "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920" trek ran through December 6 in Dallas, Texas. Support came from OVERKILL and NIGHT DEMON. Additional backing vocals for the KING DIAMOND set were provided by the special guest Myrkur.

Last month, the KING DIAMOND shows in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (November 20 at Edmonton Convention Center),Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (November 21 at TCU Place),Calgary, Alberta Canada (November 22 at Grey Eagle Event Centre),Portland, Oregon (November 24 at Keller Auditorium) and Seattle, Washington (November 25 at The Moore Theatre) were canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances".

KING DIAMOND's setlist for the fall 2024 tour included two new songs, "Electro Therapy" and the aforementioned "Spider Lilly".

KING DIAMOND 2024 touring lineup:

Andy La Rocque - guitar
Mike Wead - guitar
Pontus Egberg - bass
Matt Thompson - drums
Myrkur - additional backing vocals, keyboards

KING DIAMOND's first studio LP in 18 years is tentatively due in 2025 via Metal Blade. It will be made available as a horror concept story, with the second and third parts arriving at later dates.

In October 2023, KING DIAMOND released a music video for the 2019 single "Masquerade Of Madness". The clip was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest of My Good Eye Visuals.

At the time of the video's release, King commented: "'Masquerade Of Madness' was released digitally in 2019 before our North American tour. During rehearsals, we took one full day to film 'Masquerade Of Madness' with David Brodsky and Allison Woest. We spent all day and all night recording while performing the song with our full tour stage show choreography. After the tour, Covid happened.

"The video was all but forgotten as the world came to a standstill — we never saw a single frame from all the footage. Years later, as things began to pick up and writing began for both new MERCYFUL FATE and KING DIAMOND records, we wondered, what happened to that video from four years ago? So we decided to check in with David Brodsky and a couple of weeks later, we had the first cut of the video.

"I was speechless! I had nothing to criticize and after just a few notes from Andy La Rocque, the video for 'Masquerade Of Madness' was finished! There's so much mood and black and white is used in a perfect way with Jodi's performances. The visuals fit the music flawlessly and this is now among my favorite KING DIAMOND videos along with 'Sleepless Nights' and 'Welcome Home' — and not to forget of course, our double live DVD."

A month after KING DIAMOND released "Masquerade Of Madness" in November 2019, KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque told The Metal Voice that he came up with the music for the track first before passing it off to King, who "needed to arrange a few things and change just a small few things for making it work with his vocals. And then, of course, he wrote the lyrics for it," the guitarist revealed. "So we [went] a little back and forth until he felt like, 'Okay, this is cool, man. This is the right key to sing in,' and all that."

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the band's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

KING DIAMOND released a DVD/Blu-ray, "Songs For The Dead Live", in January 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The set captures 1987's seminal "Abigail" album in its entirety, twice, and in very different locales: Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015. The performances feature KING DIAMOND's current band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and Matt Thompson.

Photo by Jeremy Saffer

In a new interview with Australia's Silver Tiger Media, KK'S PRIEST vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens once again spoke about the band's decision to not do meet-and-greets on its recent tours. Addressing the fact that KK'S PRIEST has yet to make it to Australia, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We probably could have got more run on touring. I mean, the touring was so successful and the shows were so good. It's just very costly to tour nowadays.

"I think the problem with, what's gonna be hard with getting KK'S PRIEST to tour is we don't do VIP meet-and-greets, and to be honest, it's probably about impossible to do any touring nowadays without doing 'em," he continued. "And if you don't do 'em, you can't expect to tour. I know bands that have made hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars on just a meet-and-greet, which actually goes to expenses of the tour. Yngwie [Malmsteen] was just in Sydney. I heard he had about a hundred meet-and-greets, and over 200 was the cheapest meet-and-greet.

"I said to Ken [KK'S PRIEST guitarist and leader Kenneth 'K.K.' Downing], I said, 'Let's do a meet-and-greet with 10 people — that's it — after the show.' [We would charge] 200, which would be — you know, they get stuff, but they come back, 10 people. We have pizza and beer and soda and water and coffee, whatever, we have that sitting there. We all just sit around. We're right off the stage and we talk, 30 minutes or whatever, take the photo, sign stuff, eat pizza. But he's not game on it. And you just can't do it [without meet-and-greets]."

Owens added: "Bands can't afford to come to Australia unless you're doing meet-and-greets. I mean, IRON MAIDEN can. JUDAS PRIEST can. But JUDAS PRIEST does meet-and-greets and they charge four or five hundred dollars a person and they don't even meet the band half the time.

"What people realize is doing these [meet-and-greets] is how you tour. If you don't do 'em, you probably won't be able to tour. And I think that's our dilemma right now. I think that's why it might be hard to come to Australia or a lot of these places, because we don't do meet-and-greets. Which is fine — I can go tour solo — but that's how people do it nowadays."

Elaborating why Downing isn't interested in doing meet-and-greets at any of the KK'S PRIEST shows, Tim said: "Ken doesn't like 'em, and I understand that — he's old school — but I think what people have to realize is you're not going to meet Ken anyways [without meet-and-greets], so you're not going to meet him anywhere else. And you're putting it out there. People don't have to buy it. And that's why I had that idea of 10 people —that is it. And they just come right backstage and we have pizza and beer and you get a poster and laminate and I'll bring some eight-by-tens [photos] of me and whatever and a t-shirt or whatever. But I think that's the way to do it. Because, man, touring is expensive. Gosh."

Owens added: "It's funny. There's a couple things. And this is what's so great about [K.K.] and so great about this. He doesn't want to not bring the screens and not have the crew and the production we have on these small budgets that we're getting paid. He still wants to look good. 'Cause I said, 'Ken, you could just have backdrops back there.' I see bands — SAXON, all these bands, ACCEPT — with just backdrops, and they look great. It's fine. It's perfect He's, like, 'No. Nope. I gotta do the right show. It's gotta be the right show.' And I love it. I love everything he does and talks about. I love his passion. He has such passion. KK'S PRIEST is such a success and it sounds so good that he wants it all to be right. And maybe someday we will do the little meet-and-greet package so we can tour more. But with the cost of touring, I think it's gonna be pretty hard to do it without it."

Owens previously talked about KK'S PRIEST's decision to not do meet-and-greets in October in an interview with Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco Bay Area radio station 107.7 The Bone. He said at the time: "[Some] people are against paid meet-and-greets. [They believe] fans shouldn't have to pay for it. But I have a different look at it. I mean, I don't wanna do them either, cause I wanna chill. But it's their opportunity. You're offering it to them. They don't have to [buy it]. And the one I wanna do is totally different than everybody else's. Now someone's going to steal this idea; I'm going to put it out there. But I said to Ken, we do 10 people — that's it — a night. Backstage, right after we're done on stage, we have pizza, beer, sodas in the room. They walk in with us. They have some pizza. They get a poster, an eight-by-ten [photo], a signed setlist and a laminate. But sitting and having pizza and beer and taking photos, I mean, how cool is that? It's great. And it would be pretty fast."

Owens continued: "The other problem nowadays [why] people have to do [paid meet-and-greets] is to fund the tour. I mean, it's so expensive to tour nowadays. We're out here with a semi and a bus and a full crew and screens and this and a stage setup. And it's really expensive. But [K.K.'s] got that and he doesn't wanna do it, and I think it's cool, because he has that right. It's, like, 'This is it. I don't want to make the fans have to pay for it.' That's his thinking… [But the fans] wanna pay for it. They wanna do it. I mean, that's all we get — people are so pissed off that we don't do it. Oh my God. We get [that question] just nonstop: 'Are you doing meet-and-greets?'"

In December 2023, Owens told Kevin McKay of Florida's 99Rock WKSM radio station that KK'S PRIEST "usually [doesn't] do meet-and-greets. I know it's the big thing to do nowadays. And I would be all right doing meet-and-greets, but I know K.K.'s not a big fan of 'em," he said. "He likes to get in, do the show and get out."

When McKay noted that a lot of artists nowadays offer meet-and-greets as a way of making extra money on the road, Owens said: "Well, absolutely. And I'm all for that. [Laughs] Listen, I tried to talk [K.K.] into it. I said, 'Listen, we should do 'em. And we get some good money out of this and we can see the fans.' Listen, that's all I've been getting on social media is people asking, 'Is there gonna be meet-and-greets?' And I think everybody does it. I mean, it's a different era. You don't sell records like you used to and everything's so expensive and everybody takes a giant merch cut out of your merch. So it's ways to make extra money."

After McKay pointed out that a KK'S PRIEST meet-and-greet without K.K. "would kind of defeat the purpose," Owens concurred. "Yeah, we're not gonna do it like that," he said. "I think most of the people seem to want K.K. and myself to be doing them. And if I would just show up, some people would be all right, but K.K. is the [person everyone wants to meet]."

McKay then joked that "it doesn't even sound like" he can sneak backstage and eat KK'S PRIEST's food, to which Owens replied: "I imagine you can get back. I mean, we'll meet people and stuff like that. Ken and myself usually, [when] the show ends, we usually walk right out the door with our bag and go to the hotel. I do it because it's singing; I do anything I can to sing good. But yeah, we still get the people, especially people like the radio hosts and the people who [have] put time in the helping us out, we always love to say hello to all you guys."

KK'S PRIEST, which also includes guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),and German/American metal legends ACCEPT recently completed a North American tour. The massive run began on August 31 in Los Angeles, California, visiting a slew of major cities in the USA and Canada — such as Toronto, Montreal, New York and Nashville — before coming to an end in San Francisco, California on October 7.

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which featured support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and concluded on March 24, 2024 at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

KK'S PRIEST released its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon was asked about the band's decision to focus on releasing standalone singes in recent years — "All About Love" in November 2024, "Time To Rock!" in August 2022 and "Cold Blue Steel" in August 2021 — as opposed to putting out full-length albums, as he and his bandmates have done in the past. Frank said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the world has changed. I mean, it's actually gone full circle. Back in the '50s, when rock and roll was first born, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry and all of them, they would always just put out singles that they recorded live at a radio station, and it wasn't until the '70s or the late '60 that full-length, long LPs came into existence. But besides the world changing, we have changed too. We're a lot older now and we have to tour a lot to make a living. I mean, we're not rich. We never became millionaires. We still have to pay our bills, and so it makes more sense, the philosophy of going out on tour and writing a song and while that song is fresh, putting it out and enjoying it at the time, like we've been doing with 'All About Love' or those other ones."

Hannon continued: "The days of taking a year off and arguing in a studio over 10 songs that aren't gonna really get their full due… Because, really, the best way to create songs is to let them live for a while and to try 'em out at the shows and stuff, and it takes a lot of time. So, if you notice, a lot of bands, including ourselves, the albums, all 10 songs aren't as good anymore because the process of spending all that time trying to make every song great, it's just not realistic anymore. So, it works much better for us just to put all of our eggs into one song or maybe two and really make them as best as we can be and go out on the road and play 'em while they're fresh."

Circling back to TESLA's need to stay on the road to make ends meet, Frank added: "We took such a huge loss being grounded for two years [during the pandemic] that we're still barely pulling ourselves out of that hole financially. But that being said, the blessing to it is that when we focus on a song like 'All About Love' or 'Time To Rock!' and just focus on that and then go out and play it live while it's hot, it just tastes better. It's like eating a meal as soon as you get it off the stove and you put it on your plate, man — that's when it tastes good. So, for us, we can write a song and make it happen and then hit the road and play it. And I like it better, honestly."

TESLA released a new six-song EP, "All About Love", last month. The effort includes four versions of the "All About Love" title track (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of "Walk Away", a concert favorite from "Reel To Real, Vol. 1"; and another new song, "From The Heart", an instrumental track by Hannon.

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

; At Bloodstock Open Air 2024; Pro-Shot Video Streaming">
Venezuelan sludge-thrash icons, Cultura Tres, delivered a career-defining performance at the Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2024 on August 11, commanding the main stage with unmatched ferocity. Known for their raw, genre-defying sound that fuses sludge, thrash, and South American influences, the band enthralled the crowd with a crushing rendition of "Time Is Up". Towering riffs, relentless basslines, and guttural vocals filled the summer air, igniting waves of headbanging across Catton Park.


Adding to the electrifying energy was a special guest appearance by the legendary David Ellefson (former Megadeth bassist). His iconic bass grooves infused the performance with technical precision and depth, creating a seamless synergy w

In a new interview with The Underground Australia, ATREYU vocalist Brandon Saller was asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2023's "The Beautiful Dark Of Life" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've already started. We've done a handful of writing trips kind of around the world. Next year, we're doing, obviously, ShipRocked [cruise] in January. We're going to South America for the first time. We're doing 'The Curse' tour [celebrating the 21st anniversary of the band's 2004 sophomore album] in Australia. We're doing 'The Curse' tour in U.K. and Europe. So it's planning to be really busy. But a lot of 'Curse' stuff, and then I would say new music realistically maybe by the end of the year next year, but probably more so '26."

On October 18, ATREYU celebrated the 20th anniversary of "The Curse" by performing the gold-certified LP in its entirety at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California.

2002's "Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses" established ATREYU as an influential force, while "The Curse" sold more than half a million copies as the group rose to global renown. 2006's "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" and 2007's "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" both bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200, with the latter garnering a gold certification from the RIAA — a highly rare accomplishment for a 21st century rock band.

Following a hiatus post-"Congregation Of The Damned" in 2009, the musicians returned, firing on all cylinders with "Long Live" in 2015. It crashed the Top 30 of the Billboard Top 200 and earned widespread acclaim from Revolver, Loudwire, AXS and Kerrang!, who dubbed it "a hell of a return." Along the way, the boys sold out countless headline shows in addition to sharing the stage with everyone from SLIPKNOT and LINKIN PARK to Chris Cornell and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

Back in December 2014, ATREYU celebrated "The Curse"'s tenth anniversary by performing the album in its entirety at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California.

ATREYU recently released "The Pronoia Sessions", a collection of eight reimagined greatest hits and two nostalgic tribute covers. The digital release was made available on October 25 while vinyl and CDs hit streets on November 8.

'The Pronoia Sessions' deconstructs, recreates, and reshapes the Orange County, California, band's beloved anthems (and cover songs) as a haunting and hypnotic new collection. What began as an acoustic album evolved into a grand re-imagining of ATREYU classics.

ATREYU's riffs, hooks, melodies, lyrics, and passion are essential parts of a vibrant subculture's emergence across theaters, clubs, festivals, radio, and playlists. The artistic fearlessness powering landmark albums like "The Curse" and "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" is even stronger in 2024. "Becoming The Bull", one of the two gold singles released in 2007, takes on new life on "The Pronoia Sessions".

The songs reimagined on "The Pronoia Sessions" stretch back to 2004's "The Curse" ("Right Side Of The Bed") and 2006's "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" ("Ex's & Ohs", "The Theft"). Two of their biggest hits, "Warrior" and "Save Us", are reworked from 2021's "Baptize". And there are new versions of "Gone" and "Drowning" from their most recent release, 2023's "The Beautiful Dark Of Life".

In addition to their own songs, ATREYU offers dark takes on TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS' classic "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and the enduring, Chris Cornell-led AUDIOSLAVE ballad "Like A Stone".

ATREYU's unquenchable appetite for creative achievement and pursuit of a shared catharsis on stage drove them to form the band as teenagers around the turn of the millennium. It pushed them beyond their do-it-yourself beginnings to massive festival stages (including two runs on Ozzfest),sold-out headlining tours, movie and game soundtracks, and appearances alongside fellow genre standard-bearers, including LINKIN PARK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, DEFTONES, SLIPKNOT and BRING ME THE HORIZON.

A bold chapter in the band's never-ending story of determination, "Baptize" was a definitive work for a new era. Like 2018's "In Our Wake" (which produced the band's biggest song of the streaming era, "The Time Is Now"),ATREYU recorded "Baptize" with producer John Feldmann. Guests included Jacoby Shaddix (PAPA ROACH),Travis Barker (BLINK-182) and Matt Heafy (TRIVIUM). Songs like "Warrior", "Catastrophe", "Save Us" and "Underrated" are massive, standing confidently in the band's catalog.

Breaking with music industry convention, the band's ninth studio album, "The Beautiful Dark Of Life", arrived first as a series of three four-song EPs, eventually collected all together with three more tracks. The band co-headlined with MEMPHIS MAY FIRE and toured with GODSMACK around the EPs.

Saxon have released an official lyric video for "Pirates Of The Airways", featured on their latest album, Hell, Fire And Damnation. Watch the clip below


Saxon's Hell, Fire And Damnation lands at #22 on our BravePicks 2024 list. Follow the countdown here.







Saxon are also pleased to announce that Grand Slam will be joining them alongside the already announced Girlschool on the band’s upcoming Hell, Fire And Steel European tour.


Saxon’s Biff Byford says: “Great to be having Grand Slam on tour with us great band gonna be EPIC!”


The Hell, Fire and Steel European tour will not only see the band performing songs from their well received, recently released, top 20 album, Hell, Fire And Damnation, but also play the whole of their classic sophomore album Wheels of Steel (released 45 years ago next year) as well as playing other fan favourites and hits from across the band’s career.


Tickets, as well as the band's full tour itinerary, are available here.


Saxon's Hell, Fire And Damnation is a superlative British heavy metal classic. Biff Byford delivers his richest vocals in years, Nigel Glockler and Nibbs Carter on drums and bass respectively lay down the rhythmic law with bombastic power, and the guitars of Doug Scarratt and Brian Tatler are fresh and fiery, a perfect complement to each other, carrying an overall energy and fury which will have fans salivating. Musically, Saxon bring it all to the table. There's a furious tribute to actual heavy metal in the denim & leather coated super-sprint “Fire And Steel”, a wonderful nod to the NWOBHM's birth in the electric mid-pace “Pirates Of The Airwaves” and the glorious frenetic assault of the title track “Hell, Fire And Damnation”.


Produced by Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Exodus, Accept and Priest guitarist) and Biff Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering, Hell, Fire And Damnation strides the perfect line between confident, current power, and gloriously irreverent flexing of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal muscle which Saxon co-created.


Hell, Fire And Damnation is available in a variety of formats and orders can be placed here.





Hell, Fire And Damnation tracklisting:


"The Prophecy"
"Hell, Fire And Damnation"
"Madame Guillotine"
"Fire And Steel"
"There’s Something In Roswell"
"Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice"
"Pirates Of The Airwaves"
"1066"
"Witches Of Salem"
"Super Charger"


"Fire And Steel" video:





"Witches Of Salem" lyric video: