Slayer have joined forces with Coney Island Saucery for the new "Raining Blood" hot sauce.


A message states: "We’ve created the ultimate hot sauce: “Raining Blood” - a tribute to Slayer’s iconic anthem. With a heat level of “Complete Brutality,” this sauce is only for the BRAVE. Perfect for spicing up pizza, wings, tacos and more. Get your First Batch Limited Release before it’s gone!"


Order here.







Slayer are set to reunite for for three US dates - Chicago's Riot Fest (September 22), Louisville's Louder Than Life (September 27), and Sacramento's Aftershock (October 10).


Guitarist Kerry King spoke with Nikki Blakk about the upcoming shows.


Asked if there will be rehearsals prior to the Slayer dates, King reveals, "Oh yeah. I saw the e-mail today. I think it's six, seven days, but full stage rehearsal, everything. 'Cause we haven't played in five years."


Where will the rehearsals take place? "It's a private facility," says Kerry. "I don't know much about it. It's in Nowheresville, Pennsylvania, and I'm gonna be fucking stranded for a week. But we'll be burning shit every day, so I'll be excited for a little bit."


Nikki then suggests to Kerry that he doesn't want to miss the pyro cues after all these years. "Yeah. And there'll be different ones," he reveals. "There's some things you've seen before, things you haven't seen before. It's definitely the biggest Slayer show that I've ever seen on paper."


When Nikki says the Slayer retirement tour "was pretty big,", King adds, "Yeah, I liked it. This is still bigger, but we're headlining big-ass festivals, so we've really gotta show up."

Athena XIX present the third single from their new album, Everflow Part 1: Frames Of Humanity, which will be released on October 25 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).


"I Wish" is a magnificent new hymn by the Italian cult progressive quintet, and features none other than vocalist Roy Khan (Conception, ex-Kamelot) as counterpart to frontman Fabio Lione (Angra, ex-Rhapsody Of Fire), creating a brilliant duet that many melodic/power/symphonic metal maniacs thought they would never hear.


Check out the lyric video below, and stream/purchase the single here.




"Finally me and Roy together on one song! I was really happy to know that he liked the song and wanted to be part of this new Athena XIX record, he was free to improvise and to record his parts the way he wanted to. I just sent him the song with my vocals and let him freely add and sing in the moments he preferred to and I have to say that the combination is amazing! Our two voices combine very well! I'm sure that fans will love it! It's a really nice and cool song, with a great chorus in my opinion, one of the best tracks on this record and a perfect choice thinking about Roy's voice and style," jubilates singer Fabio Lione.





Pre-order/pre-save the Everflow Part 1: Frames Of Humanity album here





Everflow Part 1: Frames Of Humanity tracklisting:


"Frames Of Humanity"
"Legacy Of The World"
"The Day We Obscured The Sun"
"The Seed"
"I Wish" feat. Roy Khan
"The Calm Before The Storm"
"What You Most Desire"
"The Conscience Of Everything"
"Where Innocence Disappears"
"Idle Mind"
"Synchrolife"
"Inception"
"The Departure"


"Frames Of Humanity" video:





"The Conscience Of Everything" lyric video:





Originating in 1991, Athena released their most successful album to date, A New Religion?, in 1998

With tireless perseverance and distinct musical and production talent, the unrelenting ascent of top-charting modern nu metal stars Tetrarch has been palpable in the scene since the release of their first album, 2017's Freak, followed by their Napalm Records label debut, the highly-acclaimed Unstable, in 2021. Now, after three years of intensely focused growth, the band is thrilled to release their first taste of brand new music - launching their next unmissable era.





Today, Tetrarch's gripping new 90s industrial-injected anthem, "Live Not Fantasize", has fully impacted earth. Pummelling guitars and drums blend with intense electronic flourishes, as guitar icon for the new era Diamond Rowe deftly accents the eerie vocals of Josh Fore with quick riffage and a dynamic, spine-tingling guitar solo.




Partnered with a high-quality, energetic, story-driven music video, the track - co-produced by renowned producer Dave Otero, Diamond Rowe and Josh Fore - provides an intense preview for what's to come for Tetrarch in the new year.


Guitarist Diamond Rowe offers about the track and video: "We are extremely excited to release 'Live Not Fantasize' to the world. We had a lot of fun writing this song because of how heavy and aggressive it is, while still having a big catchy chorus that gets stuck in your head. This song is about never letting the negative feelings and thoughts in your mind define who you are and doing everything you can to get through tough times to find peace within yourself - so that you can live instead of dreaming of something better."


Watch the "Live Not Fantasize" video below. Stream/download the track here.





Fierce individuality and a fearless embrace of the outsider are at the heart of Tetrarch. Combining energetic modern musical aggression and lyrical honesty while organically and proudly honoring nu metal's foundations, the band leads the charge of the genre's new wave - appealing to fans both in and outside of the metal scene, and enthusiastically providing newcomers a gateway into heavy music.


The band’s tireless hard work and relentless determination has established them as one of the top newer bands in heavy music, catching the attention of major media, many in which lead guitarist Diamond Rowe was the first African American female lead guitarist from the heavy metal genre to be featured. Featured on Spotify playlists such as Kickass Metal, Rock Hard, New Blood and Metal Tracks, the band has also seen stellar support from Apple Music and their users, appearing on several additional playlists.


Tetrarch’s most recent album, Unstable, received massive critical acclaim. Upon release, Unstable's debut single, “I’m Not Right”, cracked the Mediabase Active Rock Top 30 and has garnered ove

Greek melodic metal outfit, InnerWish, have released the new single and video, "Sea Of Lies", featuring Blind Guardian's Hansi Kürsch. The track will be featured on the band's new album, Ash Of Eternal Flame, out on November 8 via RPM (Reigning Phoenix Music).


"It wasn't the 'Hansi song' in the beginning but there actually was no way around! And how couldn't it become that since Hansi Kürsch blessed it with his voice! We love 6/8-time songs, they come totally naturally out of us and this one might be our best one to date! Lyric-wise, it's about one of our times' biggest problems: immigration. The story's told from the perspective of a child, leaving home and warmth for an unknown destination and a probably dark future. The obstacles, the images, the thoughts - they're all shown through the child's eyes and mind. Sometimes people overlook this situation perhaps believing that it doesn't affect them or it's far from their future. But is it after all? Who's next in line? Children are the future. They all deserve the world. Nothing less!," state the group.


Drummer Franki Samoilis adds, "I've been a HUGE Blind Guardian fan since my teenage years, and so is our singer George. Having Hansi Kürsch lend his voice to one of our songs was a childhood dream come true. Thanks to my best friend, Sakis Fragos from Rock Hard Greece, we were able to make it happen. When Hansi sent us his recordings, it was a surreal moment - I was moved to tears. That voice, that presence...we are beyond honoured to have him on our album."




Stream the song here. The video, created by John Nikolopoulos, can be viewed below.


Ash Of Eternal Flame can be pre-ordered physically [ltd. CD-digipak or ltd. coloured vinyl], pre-saved on your favourite digital service provider (DSP), or pre-orderd digitally to receive "Sea Of Lies" feat. Hansi Kürsch instantly, here.


Ash Of Eternal Flame features two distinct cover designs by Giannis Nakos of Remedy Art Design (known for his work with Amaranthe, Kamelot, Arion, and more). The blue version is used for both the CD and digital formats, while the red version is reserved for the vinyl edition. The album includes twelve tracks (including a bonus cover version for physical formats), recorded at LoNe and Devasoundz Studios in Athens, Greece under the guidance of producer Fotis Benardo. Mixing and mastering were handled by award-winning engineer Henrik Udd, who has worked with acts like Hammerfall, Powerwolf, and Septicflesh.


With a diverse range of lyrical themes -- spanning social and global issues, personal struggles, mythology, and even fantasy -- InnerWish are poised to shine brighter than ever with Ash Of Eternal Flame. Musically, the album cements their legacy as a formidable force in the melodic metal scene.





Ash Of Eternal Flame tracklisting:


"Forevermore"
"Sea Of Lies"
"Higher"
"Soul Asunder"
"Primal Scream"
"Ash O

Michael Schenker's new version of the UFO classic "Love To Love" featuring a guest appearance by GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose can be streamed below. The track is taken from the legendary guitarist's just-released album "My Years With UFO", which celebrates the 50th anniversary of his years with UFO, spanning from 1972 to 1978. The "German Wunderkind" was asked to join UFO at just 17 years old. Touring the globe as a teenager, Schenker became a driving force behind some of UFO's most loved tracks, such as "Doctor Doctor", "Rock Bottom" and "Only You Can Rock Me".

Although Michael Schenker's era with UFO spanned only six years, his influence as a young songwriter and exceptional guitarist had already left a lasting mark on rock. During these meteoric years, the UFO albums "Phenomenon", "Force It", "No Heavy Petting", "Lights Out", "Obsession" and the seminal live album "Strangers In The Night" were recorded, each contributing significantly to the genre. "Strangers In The Night" particularly stands out as one of the most influential live rock albums of all time and is still regarded as a cornerstone in any rock enthusiast's collection.

In this celebratory album, Michael Schenker presents 11 of UFO's greatest hits from this magical era with an impressive lineup of guest stars. Joining Schenker on this journey are Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Brian Tichy on drums, and Barry Sparks on bass.

The stellar roster of guest artists includes Rose, Slash (GUNS N' ROSES),Kai Hansen (HELLOWEEN),Roger Glover (DEEP PURPLE),Joey Tempest (EUROPE),Biff Byford (SAXON),Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY),John Norum (EUROPE),Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER),Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE),Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW),Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS),Adrian Vandenberg (WHITESNAKE),Michael Voss, Stephen Pearcy (RATT) and Erik Grönwall (SKID ROW).

In a recent interview with the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, Schenker was asked why he decided to make the LP now. Schenker replied: "In '72 I joined UFO. I was 17 years old. In '73 we recorded 'Phenomenon'. In '74, it was released. So it's 50 years, a long time. And that's when it started with UFO. And, of course, that gave me the idea to celebrate, 50th anniversary. And I have also noticed in the past few years that re-releases, they had no information — they just had the name UFO and the songtitles, but there's no info, no details. And so I thought I'd take this opportunity to inform people, to re-educate or educate newcomers that have — maybe they sing the songs, but have no clue what it is. And also, [UFO's 1978 live album] 'Strangers In The Night' is basically the best of UFO. When we used to tour after 'Phenomenon', we would pick a couple of songs to play on tour, and then 'Force It' — every album we made, we would decide collectively which songs we are going to present live. And then by the time we did 'Strangers In The Night', we had that all together and basically it became best of UFO. And also, it just happened to be that most of the songs, the music, were written by myself. And so I wanted to also add that to the info and all together. And then, of course, invite famous musicians, singers and players that have been influenced and inspired by UFO and myself and celebrate with them. They were teenagers themselves or even younger than that, and they got inspired by that. And now II can have them. And it's a great pleasure to have those guys joining me on this album."

Regarding how he got GUNS N' ROSES members Slash and Axl involved in the album, Schenker said: "Yeah, when Michael Voss, my co-producer, and I, we started putting down my guitars, and as we did that, we had no idea what we were gonna do… nothing had been discussed. And so as we were putting down the music, we thought, 'Oh, what about this?' 'What about that?' What about who?' Everybody had some ideas. And so, actually, everybody who participated on this album was added to the whole idea from different sources and different times. So, basically, with Axl and Slash — Slash, I was always interested in doing something with him, but I guess when Michael [Voss] first approached him that we're doing the best of UFO and read him the songtitles, he was for it. And when we met in the Frankfurt recording studio, we were both going jam there to 'Mother Mary'. And I had my technician there and my amplifier, and Slash brought his guys and his amplifier, and actually Slash ended up playing with my amplifier. And we were supposed to do a jam, but then I realized, 'Hey, Michael [Voss], I already put all my guitars down. Why we are wasting time doing additional stuff. I already like what I did.' So I was more into focusing on Slash and getting great takes and add them to what I already had done. And Slash liked that idea. And then also, when he came in, he said, 'Michael, I just told Axl that I was going to do this, and that I'm on my way to do this. And he said, 'I wanna sing a song too.' And I said to Slash, 'That would be fantastic. Ask Axl which song he would like to do.' And so actually Axl ended up singing 'Too Hot To Handle', 'Only You Can Rock Me' and 'Love To Love'. But I think they also were on tour at the time, and so Axl was not actually happy with his performance on 'Only You Can Rock Me' and 'Too Hot To Handle'. And I guess it was too many songs, because they were in the middle of a tour, and he preferred to just focus on 'Love To Love'. And he is a perfectionist, I have noticed, and so we waited until he was ready, and then finally he went, 'Okay, 'love to love'. I approve. You can release it. And that was it."

This album is the introduction to an upcoming trilogy, as Michael Schenker has signed an exclusive three-album deal with earMUSIC, with additional albums to follow in 2025 and 2026.

"My Years With UFO" track listing:

01. Natural Thing (feat. Dee Snider, Joel Hoekstra)
02. Only You Can Rock Me (feat. Joey Tempest, Roger Glover)
03. Doctor, Doctor (feat. Joe Lynn Turner, Carmine Appice)
04. Mother Mary (feat. Slash, Erik Grönwall)
05. This Kids (feat. Biff Byford)
06. Love To Love (feat. Axl Rose)
07. Lights Out (feat. Jeff Scott Soto, John Norum)
08. Rock Bottom (feat. Kai Hansen)
09. Too Hot To Handle (feat. Joe Lynn Turner, Adrian Vandenberg, Carmine Appice)
10. Let It Roll (feat. Michael Voss)
11. Shoot, Shoot (feat. Stephen Pearcy)

A little over three years ago, Michael detailed events which led to his final exit from UFO in 2002, saying that "the natural flow of the chemistry was destroyed" by the time he left the band.

Schenker, whose original tenure with the British rock institution lasted from 1973 to 1978, rejoined UFO in 1993, recording the "Walk On Water" (1995) album with the classic lineup of the band that also included lead singer Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, drummer Andy Parker, and guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond.

Explaining how the reunion came about, Michael told Eonmusic: "Phil Mogg came to Los Angeles in '93, begging me to refuel UFO because he completely had destroyed it. I said, 'I have a few conditions. One is, you have to give me 50 percent of the UFO name so you don't destroy it again, especially if I put my energy into it."

The onetime SCORPIONS man went on to say that initially, things were great within the camp, and that he noticed a change in the formerly dejected Mogg almost immediately. "I tell you, when I saw Phil the next time when we started recording, he looked like an one hundred and eighty degree different person," Schenker said. "He was happy, healthy. He was unbelievably fit."

But it was a harmony that wasn't to last. "'Walk On Water' was a blessing after 17 years," Michael said. "It was such a beautiful record that famously carried on from 'Strangers In The Night' [1979]. And then, of course, we went on the road, and then Phil lost it, and wanted control again and destroyed everything."

Despite going on to record two further albums with the band — 2000's "Covenant" and 2002's "Sharks", Michael said that it was further lineup changes (the ousting of both Parker and Raymond) which ultimately destroyed the band.

"I always said to him, 'Never do a reunion with UFO unless it's the original setup, including the producer,'" Michael said. "Because if you take one piece out, the chemistry is finished."

Bringing in producer Mike Varney for "Sharks" in place of Ron Nevinson, the man behind their greatest '70s triumphs, for Michael, the end was nigh. "I said to Phil, 'Don't do this. It will backfire. It will not succeed.' And it did not. The natural flow of the chemistry was destroyed, and basically, we were just limping towards the end."

Despite this, Michael made one final gesture of good will toward Mogg. "I'd had enough of UFO at that point, and in 2002, Phil Mogg asked me, 'Michael, I need the name UFO back.' I said to Phil, 'You know what? God bless you. I'll give you the name back for free. Enjoy your life.' And then that was it. That was the end of it."

Michael Schenker photo credit: Tallee Savage

BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, has released a powerful rendition of "Comfortably Numb" featuring David Gilmour — a fresh take on the classic PINK FLOYD track that explores themes of detachment and introspection. Gilmour's seminal guitar work adds a haunting, authentic touch, seamlessly blending with BODY COUNT's signature intensity and Ice's profound new lyrics, making the track a fusion of rock history and raw, modern energy. BODY COUNT has also revealed the release date for its new album, "Merciless", set to drop on November 22 via Century Media.

Ice-T comments: "For me, 'Comfortably Numb' is an introspective song — it's me acknowledging that I'm older now. I'm telling the younger generation, you've got two choices: you can keep the fire burning or you can give up. It's me trying to make sense of what's happening, but also pointing out that we're all in a place where we don't have to face reality. We've got flat-screen TVs and popcorn, and we can just sit back and watch the chaos of the world like it's a TV show. It doesn't feel real until it shows up at your door. I'm a little numb, too — we all are."

Gilmour states: "BODY COUNT's version of 'Comfortably Numb' is quite radical, but the words really struck me. It astonishes me that a tune I wrote almost 50 years ago is back with this great new approach. They've made it relevant again.

"The initial contact from Ice-T was for permission to use the song, but I thought I might offer to play on it as well. I like the new lyrics. They're talking about the world we're living in now, which is quite scary.

"Ice-T and BODY COUNT played in London recently. Sadly, I couldn't make it, but if another opportunity came up to play with them, I'd jump at it."

BODY COUNT recently released the official music video for "Psychopath", its first new single since 2020's "Bum-Rush", which won a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance". The new track, which features FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY vocalist Joe Badolato, shows Ice-T and crew on maximum killing overdrive and primed for the next chapter of the legendary Los Angeles-based band's 35-plus-year career. Longtime collaborator Will Putney (KNOCKED LOOSE, THE GHOST INSIDE) produced the song, which was released via Century Media Records.

Directed by Jay Scorsese, the "Psychopath" video pulls inspiration from fictional and real-life horrors, with references spanning from Jason Voorhees to Ted Bundy.

"Merciless" is the follow-up to "Carnivore", which was released to critical acclaim in March 2020, just a week before COVID shut the entire world down.

BODY COUNT's European "Merciless" tour kicked off on June 5 at Mystic festival in Poland and brought the band to some of the world's biggest festivals and venues, across more than a dozen countries. After returning to the States, they will perform at Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky and Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

For BODY COUNT, it's been a history of being both respected and feared — a barbed-wire thread that stretches back to the band's origins as a project between Ice-T and Crenshaw High friend Ernie C. Their first shot fired, the song "Body Count", was a mission statement on Ice-T's 1991 "O.G. - Original Gangster". That's the blueprint they've been running on for more than 35 years.

They touched a nerve with their first, self-titled 1991 album and its divisive track "Cop Killer", which inspired hatred, fear, and paranoia, but also inspired generations of bands to follow. What they took from growing up with BLACK SABBATH and being inspired by fellow L.A. legends like SLAYER and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES has only upped the ante for generations of homies and hardcore fans.

BODY COUNT's current line-up includes surviving O.G.s Ice-T, Ernie C. and Sean E. Sean joined by bassist Vincent Price, drummer Will "Ill Will" Dorsey, Juan "Juan Of The Dead" Garcia and backing vocalist Little Ice.

"Carnivore" continued the path of its uncompromising and critically acclaimed predecessors, "Bloodlust" and "Manslaugther", in pairing Ice-T's impassioned and socio-critical lyrics with thick guitar riffs and nods to metal and hardcore greats like SLAYER, METALLICA, PANTERA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Guest musicians on the LP included Amy Lee (EVANESCENCE),Dave Lombardo (ex-SLAYER),Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Riley Gale (POWER TRIP).

BODY COUNT was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, which was held in March 2021 in Los Angeles. BODY COUNT was nominated for "Bum-Rush", a track from "Carnivore".

Ice-T photo credit: Alessandro Solca

In a new interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, SLIPKNOT co-founder and percussionist M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) confirmed that there are plans to re-release the band's self-titled debut album to coincide with the LP's 25th anniversary.

"I'm fully involved with putting together a reissue package, because I'm the band caretaker," Clown said. "I'm the one that held everything over the years: all the DAT tapes from the [sound]board from all our first shows, all the videotapes from studio sessions at SR Audio and Indigo Ranch, different test mixes that we gave to other people that we said 'No' to at that time and that were never released, but are amazing. They would never have been listened to 25 years ago, but now that the golden egg has been laid, and everyone knows it, you're not going to listen to another mix and go, 'This is better', you're just gonna go, 'Wow, this is SLIPKNOT like this, 25 years ago.'"

Elaborating on what will be included in the expanded reissue of "Slipknot", Crahan said: "There's new artwork, new photos from the time, there's so much music that's so punk rock from board tapes, there's video documents, there's a lot — audio, visuals, everything. It's the best of all things SLIPKNOT."

"Slipknot" arrived in 1999 via Roadrunner Records and was eventually certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA). Although it is considered by many to be SLIPKNOT's official debut, it was preceded by the independently released "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." in 1996, an effort which was recorded prior to singer Corey Taylor's addition to the band.

Back in 2011, readers of the British metal magazine Metal Hammer voted "Slipknot" the best debut of the past 25 years. Over 16,000 fans voted in Metal Hammer's special 25th-anniversary poll, with "Slipknot" managing to grab almost a third of all votes cast, beating off competition from the likes of GUNS N' ROSES, KORN, MACHINE HEAD and PANTERA.

The special-edition CD/DVD reissue of SLIPKNOT's self-titled debut album came out in September 2009. The set commemorated the tenth anniversary of the LP and featured 25 tracks, including the original album as well as rare demos, remixes, rare B-sides and more.

In a 2019 interview with Vulture, when "Slipknot" was celebrating its 20th anniversary, Taylor was asked if he envisioned SLIPKNOT lasting more than two decades when he and his bandmates released their first album. He laughed and said: "You gotta remember, dude, we talked about breaking the band up before the first album even came out. We were, like, 'We're gonna do one and done. We're gonna SEX PISTOLS it and say fuck it.' Ruin the world. And then we gave in to selfishness and decided to keep going. The crazy thing is that years ago I didn't think this band could sustain itself because of how fucking gnarly it is, how dark it is, how much physicality goes into this music and this band and this live shit and the creativity, just how exhausting it is to max yourself out every time by trying to attain perfection. I wasn't sure that this could be sustained for that long. I'm pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. Like I've said in the past, nobody's more surprised by our success than we are. On June 29, 1999, if you'd have told me that we'd be 20 years in, dropping a new album and bigger than we've ever been, I'd have fucking laughed at you."

Asked if there is anything he would do differently, in retrospect, over the past two decades, Taylor said: "Oh, man. There's so many fucking things, but it's all from my standpoint. As far as the band goes, though, I think it had to be this way. Obviously, I would want Paul [Gray, late SLIPKNOT bassist] back. But … now you're talking about people’s personal lives, and as much as I miss him, his health was always an issue. So it's almost bittersweet. But from a professional point of view, musically, no. I think we had to take those steps to get here. We had to go through that roller coaster and that kind of self-discovery to realize there was so much more that we had to give, and so much more that we could give, and so many different band dynamics that it was inevitable to get here."

Symphonic metal veterans NIGHTWISH have released the official music video for "An Ocean Of Strange Islands", the third single from their upcoming album, "Yesterwynde", due on September 20, 2024 via Nuclear Blast. It marks the band's tenth studio LP, following on from the release of "Human. :II: Nature." in 2020.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, who once again composed most of the material, states: "The song 'An Ocean Of Strange Islands' gives you sheer heaviness with its massive guitars, epic orchestrations and phenomenal vocals by Floor Jansen. Classic NIGHTWISH at its best! 'An Ocean Of Strange Islands' takes us on the ultimate musical island-hopping adventure, reminding the adventurer that happiness is most joyous when shared."

Holopainen previously said about the new NIGHTWISH LP: "'Yesterwynde' took more time to make than any previous NIGHTWISH album. The new album was intensively worked on for three and a half years. My ambition and piety really skyrocketed, and I just couldn't let go of the creative process — and didn't want to. Along the way, 'Yesterwynde' became both an exhilarating obsession and a comforting haven for me. All aspects of the making — compositions, lyrics, arrangements, cover art, videos, mixing and so on — were given more attention than ever before."

The result? There's a fascinating, but inexplicable feeling that NIGHTWISH has once again been able to find unprecedented nuances, spices and perspectives in their new works after a career of nine classic albums.

"'Yesterwynde' is an experience that takes time to digest," Holopainen explains. "The gravid ingredients of the songs are easily recognizable, but beneath the surface lies a large number of intriguing details and features."

He continues: "It's interesting – but not surprising – that 'Yesterwynde' has attracted quite a variety of opinions. Some have stated that it is the most 'band' record to date. For some it appears to be the heaviest and most ominous NIGHTWISH release. It has also been called our most progressive album. And the list goes on."

And what does Tuomas think of it himself?

"To me, 'Yesterwynde' sounds, tastes and feels strongly like the true essence of NIGHTWISH — enriched with new moods and flavors."

The lyrics of "Yesterwynde" deal with large-sized universal themes: memories, mortality, humanism, time and much more. "The new album is the conclusion of the trilogy — textually, it follows in the footsteps of its predecessors 'Endless Forms Most Beautiful' and 'Human. :II: Nature.'," Holopainen says. "At the same time, 'Yesterwynde' is the band's most lyrically driven album: our music has never been so 'married' to the lyrics. So here's a tip: if something in the composition puzzles you, the words might clear it up."

"For me, one of the key lines is 'we are because of a million loves' — taken from the song 'Perfume Of The Timeless'," he continues, "Each of us is part of an unbroken chain that stretches back billions of years. If even one of your ancestors had died too young — mauled by a cave bear, for example — during this incredibly long period of time, you would never have been born. In other words: our existence is such an unfathomable privilege."

What does the term "yesterwynde" mean? Tuomas says: "It describes a feeling that cannot be found in any human language. That's why we had to invent a whole new word. The album is supposed to open that feeling to the listener."

Without taking anything away from the solid delivery of guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, drummer Kai Hahto, bassist Jukka Koskinen and multi-instrumentalist/singer Troy Donockley, it might be worth highlighting one fact: the performance of the eloquent storyteller Floor Jansen is once again unparalleled. It is simply breathtaking how the singer is able to make songs fly with her performance.

"Floor's second child was born just over a month ago, and we hadn't rehearsed together at all... So it was a little nerve-wracking to go to Floor's home studio for vocal recordings," Tuomas says. "Well, what happened? We had booked twelve working days and after six days everything was completed in style. Floor's preparedness for the sessions was something extreme."

After the recordings and mixing process, there was one more working phase. Mastering. Could you possibly guess that no shortcuts were taken at this point either?

"The album was mastered seven times until we reached the finish line — one hundred percent satisfied,", states Tuomas. "When the record was eventually finished, a three-year, extremely inspiring adventure had come to an end. I felt very, very happy."

NIGHTWISH's next steps are clear. And they are not the most common ones.

"NIGHTWISH will not go on a world tour this time," Tuomas says. "This was a decision made for personal reasons. But don't worry... Our contract with Nuclear Blast Records includes several albums, and there's plenty of motivation to create new music!"

"Yesterwynde" track listing:

01. Yesterwynde
02. An Ocean Of Strange Islands
03. The Antikythera Mechanism
04. The Day Of...
05. Perfume Of The Timeless
06. Sway
07. The Children Of 'Ata
08. Something Whispered Follow Me
09. Spider Silk
10. Hiraeth
11. The Weave
12. Lanternlight

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.

In August 2022, NIGHTWISH announced the addition of Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN) as an official member of the band. Koskinen, who made his live debut with NIGHTWISH in May 2021 at the band's two interactive experiences, had spent the previous year touring with NIGHTWISH as a session musician.

In November 2022, Jansen revealed that she was "cancer free" after undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed following a breast cancer diagnosis.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

This October, Selfmadegod Records will release Apophenia, the devastating seventh studio full-length from long-running Polish death metal technicians, Deivos, today unveiling the record’s cover art, tracklisting, and lead single, “Sermon Of Hypocrisy”.


Deivos formed in 1997, and in 1999 released their first demo, Praised By Generations. After a few years of silence, in 2003 they released the Hostile Blood EP via Butchery Music, which was enthusiastically received by the underground death metal community. In 2004 the band started writing new songs for their first album, which was eventually recorded in early 2006 at the famous Hertz Studio (Decapitated, Vader); Emanation From Below was released in Poland in November 2006 by Empire Records. Thanks to Metal Mind Productions, the album was released in Europe in January 2008, and then in the USA.


In late 2008, Deivos entered the Hertz studio again to record their second album, Gospel Of Maggots. This record gained the attention of the American label Unique Leader Records, who released it in February 2010. Following some lineup changes, the band returned to Hertz Studio in February 2011 to record their third album, Demiurge Of The Void, which was also released by Unique Leader in September 2011.




After a four-year hiatus, Deivos signed with Selfmadegod Records to release their devastating album, Theodicy, in February 2015. The band’s next album, Endemic Divine, came two years later, and their sixth album, Casus Belli, was released in November 2019, both also through Selfmadegod Records.


In 2021, Deivos and Selfmadegod reissued the band’s oldest releases, and so the Emanation From Below, Hostile Blood, and Praised By Generations were reissued together as a double-disc set.


The past few years have been devoted to creating the seventh Deivos album, now revealed as Apophenia, a mesmerizingly demolishing listening experience. The album ruptures forth nine new tracks, void of filler, stacked end-to-end with breakneck transitions and bulldozing passages of technical but not overthought death metal that dismantles everything in its path.


Apophenia was captured across Poland throughout 2023, the drums engineered/recorded by Krzysztof Godycki at Roslyn Studio, the bass recorded at Kamil Home Studio, and the guitars and vocals recorded at Zed Studio where the album was mixed and mastered by Tomek Zalewski at Zed Studio in early 2024. The album’s intros and outros were created by Mścisław except the "Feretory" outro by Head.One.Beatz. Apophenia is completed with cover art by the late Mariusz Lewandowski (Mizmor, Bell Witch, Fuming Mouth), design and layout by Michał Kaczkowski, and photography by Marcin Studziński.


With the album’s lead single, “Sermon Of Hypocrisy”, vocalist Hubert Banach succinctly states, “The song is pretty straightforward about religious hypocrisy and bigotry of the clergy.” Stream the track below.


Apophenia will be released on CD and digital platforms October 18. Watch for pre-orders and additional previews of the album to be dispatched over the weeks ahead.





Apophenia tracklisting:


"Feretory"
"My Sacrifice"
"Sermon Of Hypocrisy"
"De Materia Turpi"
"Revelations"
"The Great Day Of His Wrath"
"Apophenia"
"Maelstrom Of Decay"
"Persecutor"


"Sermon Of Hypocrisy":

British progressive rock legends URIAH HEEP will embark on a lengthy farewell tour in 2025. The trek, which is expected to kick off next February, will run for approximately two or three years and will include performances in all parts of the globe.

Earlier today (Thursday, September 19),URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box released a video message in which he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hello there. It's Mick from the mighty HEEP. And who can believe next year is 55 years since the band started, and that's just so amazing. I know many of you have been with us since the beginning, and we do thank you for that. It means the world to us.

"Unfortunately, we have made the decision to wind down touring the whole world next year under the title of 'Magician's Farewell'. In fact, 'The Magician's Farewell'," he continued. "Over the next two to three years, we intend to play as many places as possible and see you all for the one last time. We will continue to play shows, but these will be limited to festivals and weekends and things like that. But the tour dates will be announced starting February 2025. So we hope to see you all out there.

"On behalf of the band and myself, I wanna thank you all for the continued support you have always given us. It means the world to us, and it means so much to us, and I just wanna thank you for that.

"Happy days."

Last November, Box was asked by Metallerium how he and his URIAH HEEP bandmates have managed to retain their trademark sound despite having gone through so many lineup changes over the years. He responded: "Well, I think, I think, basically, as long as I'm there, the band's gonna sound like URIAH HEEP. Because we created a template on how we sounded back in 1970 with our first album, '...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble'. So, we've continued with that all the way along the line. And I think a lot of the credit must go to Jay Ruston, our producer, because he understood where we come from, what we're all about, but he managed to make the album sound really fresh and today, and I think that's a marvelous achievement. So really, as long as we keep playing and writing good songs and doing good performances, and we get someone like Jay Ruston recording it, I think it will always sound fresh and exciting."

Regarding what has kept URIAH HEEP going for so long, Mick said: "I think the only thing that drives us on, it's only one word — it's called passion. And if you've got passion for what you do, then eventually you'll achieve it."

URIAH HEEP's 25th studio album, "Chaos & Colour", was released in January 2023 via Silver Lining Music. The LP was recorded during the summer of 2021 at Chapel Studios in London with the aforementioned Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, COREY TAYLOR, BLACK STAR RIDERS) at the helm.

"Jay was completely on board with what we are trying to achieve in the studio," Box previously said. "We're a band that has a fantastic heritage and to carry on that tradition it was vitally important that the band recorded in the studio all playing at the same time. Jay understood that and he pulled out the best of us as a band, as well as individual players, while getting us some amazing sounds."

URIAH HEEP's current lineup includes Box, frontman Bernie Shaw, bassist Dave Rimmer, drummer Russell Gilbrook and keyboardist Phil Lanzon.

URIAH HEEP debuted in 1970 with the release of one of hard rock's milestones, "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble", and has since sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide. They have constantly toured the world, playing up to 125 shows a year to more than 500,000 fans. The band's live set features the classic tracks from the '70s and is a musical journey from the band's beginnings to the present day.

Danish rock and rollers VOLBEAT will enter Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark next week with longtime producer Jacob Hansen to begin recording their ninth studio album. The follow-up to 2021's "Servant Of The Mind" is tentatively due in 2025.

Earlier today, VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen, who recently completed a European tour with his death metal project ASINHELL, released a new video message in which he addressed the progress of the songwriting sessions for VOLBEAT's next LP. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hello, VOLBEAT listeners and fans out there. Today is the last rehearsal day for VOLBEAT before we enter the Jacob Hansen studio next week. We have all the songs we need for the next album. It's gonna be out next year. Can't wait. The next update that's gonna be from VOLBEAT is gonna be from the Jacob Hansen studio. See you soon."

Last October, Poulsen underwent a throat surgery. A month earlier, he told "Paltrocast" host Darren Paltrowitz about the procedure: "It's an operation I've been through before. This one is just a little bit bigger and it's gonna take some time to get back in vocal shape. So, VOLBEAT is not playing [in 2024]. I'll use a lot of time to get my voice back after the operation. But at the same time, I will actually be writing a new VOLBEAT album. So hopefully later [in 2024], I can put down the vocals for the next VOLBEAT album. But in the meantime, I will go out and play shows with ASINHELL."

Asked if this means that he might have to change his singing approach to where he will start doing the vocal warmdowns after each show, Michael said: "I do warm up before a show, but there's no way I'm gonna use my voice after a show. I'm very optimistic about the whole thing. As I said, I tried before and I got good people around me. I've got a great coach in Melissa Cross who has been helping out a lot of singers. She will help me out again to get my voice back in shape after the operation. So I like to stay positive, and I'm pretty sure everything's going to be all right."

Back in January 2021, Poulsen told Denmark's BT.dk that he underwent an operation during the coronavirus pandemic to remove a large polyp. He added: "I have managed to retrain my voice so much that there has been time to record a new album," referencing "Servant Of The Mind", which came out in December 2021.

VOLBEAT parted ways with longtime guitarist Rob Caggiano in June 2023 and replaced him for the band's latest tour with Flemming C. Lund of the Danish extreme metal outfit THE ARCANE ORDER.

VOLBEAT played its first concert with Lund on June 10, 2023 at the Rockfest festival in Hyvinkää, Finland.

Just five days earlier, VOLBEAT announced that it had officially parted ways with Caggiano. No reason was given for the split, but the remaining bandmembers said that they wished their "brother Rob all the best with everything he does in the future." They went on to thank Rob "for ten amazing years."

Caggiano played on VOLBEAT's last four studio albums: 2013's "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", 2016's "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie", 2019's "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" and "Servant Of The Mind".

ASINHELL's debut album, "Impii Hora" (Latin for "Ungodly Hour"),arrived in September 2023 via Metal Blade. Poulsen is joined in the project by ex-MORGOTH singer Marc Grewe (also of INSIDIOUS DISEASE) and RAUNCHY drummer Morten Toft Hansen.
Last Volbeat jam before hitting the studio 😈 #VOLBEAT2025pic.twitter.com/C50CVJ9TtJ

— Volbeat (@VOLBEAT) September 19, 2024

During an appearance on the latest episode of "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell spoke about his upcoming album, "I Want Blood", which is due on October 18 via Double J Music. Addressing the fact that the LP's first single, "Vilified", mentions artificial intelligence (A.I.),Jerry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I'm fully aware of why people are drawn to that theme of the song. And I put it there on purpose, 'cause it's an interesting concept and one I've grown up with since the… I'm a child of the '60s — I was born in the '60s — so I've been fascinated by stories and movies about the subject from [director] Stanley Kubrick's '2001[: A Space Odyssey]' [film] on. So it's in there. But the actual theme of the song, the steak, if you will, is not really A.I. The A.I. is more of a seasoning to the real kind of theme, I guess, of the song."

Regarding how concerned he is as an artist about how rapidly things are changing with artificial intelligence, Jerry said: "We're living in a time right now where it's proliferating and actually becoming integrated into society and used to manage algorithms and set it out and create content and stuff like that. So it's an interesting time because it's happening now.

"I don't know. It's a good tool," he continued. "It's like any tool. You can use a hammer to smash somebody in the face or you can use it to build a house for somebody. It's up to the user how you intend to use it. So it's just another tool. As far as replacing the human aspect of creation and capturing the human experience and putting it into a piece of art, I don't think that that's really possible. I mean, at best you can get a really good facsimile, I think, out of it, but you still need the human touch to create something human and something that's gonna relate to another human being."

Cantrell previously discussed A.I. in a recent interview with Kerrang! He said at the time: "Sci-fi and the fear of technology has been around a long time, from 'The Terminator' to 'Ex Machina'. A.I. is a boogeyman we've grown up with, but now we're living in a time that it's becoming a reality to more of an extent. It's weird to me. I get it, as it's a progression of technology and our use of it, but it's part of the conversation of our lives and the world, so I can't really do anything about it. It's like any tool — you can take a hammer and bash somebody's head in, or you can build a house — it's up to the user. There's still a human element there, of intention and responsibility."

"I Want Blood", co-produced by Cantrell and Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MELVINS),was recorded at Barresi's JHOC Studio in Pasadena, California. The album features contributions from bass heavyweights Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) and Robert Trujillo (METALLICA),drummers Gil Sharone (TEAM SLEEP, STOLEN BABIES) and Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE),and backing vocals from Lola Colette and Greg Puciato (BETTER LOVERS, ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN).

On the topic of the "I Want Blood" album title, Cantrell told Sylvia of the Las Vegas radio station KOMP 92.3: "[Previous LP, 2021's] 'Brighten', that was a great record. And I think that was a pretty apt title and a great song to kind of represent that work. And when I was kind of coming up with this group of material that would turn into this record, it had a feel to it that was a bit more on the kind of heavier, aggressive side. And I had a song called 'I Want Blood'. And I thought that was an outstanding title. It had punch, it grabs your attention and it kind of feels right as a representation of the album as a whole."

He added: "One of my favorite records is 'If You Want Blood You've Got It' by AC/DC. So if you want some blood, I got it. [Laughs]"

Regarding how "I Want Blood" compares to some of his previous efforts, Cantrell said: "Yeah, it's a good piece of work. Any artist is gonna be excited about their new record because it's a new record and it takes a lot of effort and it takes a lot of time to put that together. And if you're gonna release it, it obviously meets the level that you wanted it to hit and hopefully maybe it even goes a little bit further than that. And so I've been able to, luckily, not really be disappointed but pleasantly surprised of pretty much every record I've done in my career, and that's a good feeling. So when you bring home a record and then you can kind of take a step back and take a look at it, it's, like, 'Oh, man. That is a serious piece of work there.' And I don't think I could have done any better. It's the absolute best work I could have done in that period of time. So that's always a good feeling."

Elaborating on the songwriting process for "I Want Blood", Cantrell said: "Well, I think you have to start each record the same way. There are habits that I instilled in myself and also by being a member of ALICE. We never pulled any punches. We didn't varnish anything. We didn't sand any rough edges off — 'warts and all' was our approach. And so I kind of carry that wherever I go. But the main ethos, if you will, I guess, that I carry within and outside the band, is you have to start from an absolute zero. It doesn't matter what you did before. You did that record, you wrote those songs, so it's gotta be something completely new. And so that's kind of a daunting task, but it's necessary. 'Okay. It's a blank chalkboard, blank piece of paper, absolute zero. What am I gonna do now?' If you're starting from that and not really relying or trying to compete with your past work, it's kind of a freeing thing. You also have the experience of having made some great records and wrote some great songs and been part of some really amazing collectives of people, musicians to make those records. So, I had a pretty good group of folks together to make this one, too — Gil Sharone, Mike Bordin, Robert Trujillo, Duff McKagan, Vincent Jones, Lola Colette and Greg Puciato and Tyler Bates and Joe Barresi. And that's a pretty good group of folks right there. So, you start from a zero and you just go and see where you end up."

A tour with BUSH concluded at the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on September 15.

"Brighten" came out in October 2021. The LP was Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years.

Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two other solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

Photo credit: Darren Craig

Yle's (Yleisradio Oy) six-part podcast series "The World's Best Alexi Laiho" tells the story of the most revered Finnish metal guitarist of all time. The series explores the factors which influenced Laiho's virtuosic guitar playing in the band CHILDREN OF BODOM, but it also delves into the many facets of his personality, relationships, and the challenges he faced in the final years of his life.

More than 30 people were interviewed for "The World's Best Alexi Laiho" podcast: Alexi's bandmates, friends, spouses, colleagues and fans. The series also features Alexi's own idols, top guitarists like Kerry King, Steve Vai and Zakk Wylde. Vai mentions in the podcast that Alexi was "one of those guitarists who raised the bar for all other guitarists." King, known for his guitar work in SLAYER, believes that Alexi was a natural talent who "could probably shred like a god from the moment he picked up a guitar". One of Laiho's greatest achievements, aside from his guitar playing, according to King, was that he made guitar playing interesting again in the U.S., where it was considered unsexy.

The podcast series "The World’s Best Alexi Laiho" was originally released in Finland in June 2024 and has been one of the most popular music-related podcasts of the summer. An international version with English subtitles has been frequently requested by the fans of CHILDREN OF BODOM and Alexi Laiho outside of Finland. This version is now finally available.

You can listen to the podcast (with subtitles) at Yle.fi.

Last December, CHILDREN OF BODOM members Henkka Seppälä (bass) and Janne Wirman (keyboards) hosted a listening party for the band's latest live album, "A Chapter Called... Children Of Bodom (Final Show In Helsinki Ice Hall 2019)", at the Bodom Bar & Sauna in Espoo, Finland. The LP, which was recorded at CHILDREN OF BODOM's final concert on December 15, 2019 at the Black Box in Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki, Finland, was made available via Spinefarm.

During the question-and-answer portion of the event, Wirman and Seppälä discussed their mindset going into CHILDREN OF BODOM's final concert, which took place a year before the band's frontman Alexi Laiho passed away due to alcohol-induced degeneration of the liver and pancreas connective tissue. Furthermore, Laiho had a cocktail of painkillers, opioids and insomnia medication in his system. He had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

Janne said: "I felt a sense of relief onstage [at the final concert] 'cause I was very tired of Alexi's problems and constant problems with one guy. And then this guy who was our best friend and who wrote all the music, all of a sudden from 2016 on, just became someone I didn't recognize anymore. He was a different person, and he was so overcome with his disease and problems and it got to the point in 2019 we decided that this can't go on anymore. And then this was the last show. It was short notice, and we [originally] had so much better plans for how to say goodbye to all the international fans, how to do a proper farewell around-the-world tour [during 2020-2022] and whatever. But now, something we did not know, was [that] the pandemic [would happen], obviously, and that would have canceled all of those plans anyway."

Added Henkka: "So it was kind of, like, in a way we are lucky that we had this confrontation within the band that made us decide to drop [the group] earlier than we were supposed to and have this final show that was recorded. Because if you would have kept on the original plan with Alexi that let's do a farewell tour until 2022, I think it was, so then the pandemic would have ruined everything. And we probably would have never had this kind of last proper souvenir."

Asked if it ever entered their minds that they could take a long break away from each other and then maybe regroup at a later date, Henkka quipped: "That would have been like a mature way of dealing with it." Janne said: "Our manager at the time, Steve, did ask me that, at the eve of the last show, Steve asked me that, 'Are you ever gonna play with Alexi again?' And I said, 'I would only [play with him] if he would seek help and become fully sober.' And I knew that wasn't an option, that he had decided at that point, unfortunately, that he's just gonna die by his addictions, which is horrible. And it's very sad, but I knew him well enough that there was no way that he's gonna get better. And then that's why somehow it was also a relief for me at the last show. I realized that I need to let go."

Added Henkka: "The problems were pretty bad — I mean, within the band, all the relations. And I don't think anybody could see a future anymore. So [putting the band to rest] was the only option at the time. I'm sure that Steve, our manager, had some hopes of a reunion show within some years, of course, because he's a businessman [laughs], but it didn't even cross my mind at that time."

Continued Janne: "That's why I said that at the time I said that I will never play again with Alexi, 'cause I knew that he will not get sober, he will not get help for his problems. And then it would've been a totally different opinion. If somehow any of us would've felt that, 'Okay, Alexi is gonna get help. He's gonna get better,' all of us would've been, like, 'Okay, fine. Let's give him a couple of years and then let's get back together.' But that was not foreseeable at the time."

Added Henkka: "At the time it was, it was an impossible point."

Released with the blessing of Laiho's estate, the concert album completes the legendary band's career which began in Espoo, Finland in 1993 as INEARTHED. Over their career, CHILDREN OF BODOM released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD. The final lineup of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals),Jaska Raatikainen (drums),Seppälä (bass),Wirman (keyboards) and Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar).

In a July 2023 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Wirman opened up about the string of events that led to the band's 2019 demise and the deterioration of Laiho's health.

"Alexi's downfall started in 2016," Janne said. "I don't know what caused him to do that. He told me but didn't tell anyone else in the band — he made sure no one else was in the room — and told me, 'Dude, from now on, I'm going to drink until I die.' I said, 'Fuck, man. You can't say that to me.' He said it another time in 2018. I knew that was what he was doing — he said he wouldn't take any help for his medical issues. He was going to keep drinking. That's what he did, which is fucking crazy."

Janne continued: "A lot of people who haven't had a family friend or work buddy or someone who is sick with alcoholism, a lot of people don't understand you cannot help the person who doesn't want help. He had decided he didn't want help and would keep drinking until he died. That's what he did."

Wirmen then detailed BODOM's final years, beset by infighting largely stemming from Laiho's substance abuse issues. "The last years were pretty bad," he said. "There was a lot of bullshit. It's so crazy because he was in such a good place a couple of years before. He was happy about being sober and on tour, and the shows were good. I don't know what happened to him. Something pushed him over the edge where he decided, 'Fuck it. I'm going to keep drinking.'"

Alexi's ashes were buried in December 2021 — nearly a year after his tragic passing. He was laid to rest at the Malmi Cemetery, a large cemetery located in the Malmi district in Helsinki, Finland.

Alexi and Jaska founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert. In 2020, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, all of which were released posthumously.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

In 2022, Wirman, Raatikainen and Seppälä discussed publicly for the first time the circumstances that led to the band's split and ultimately Laiho's death. In an interview with Finland's Helsingin Sanomat, the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM said the real reason for the band's breakup was not that they wanted to stop touring in order to spend more time with their families, which is how Laiho explained it to Helsingin Sanomat in November 2019. Instead, what caused the group to split was Laiho's substance abuse, and that is also what eventually killed him a year after they went their separate ways.

Laiho's addiction began to take a serious toll on CHILDREN OF BODOM in 2008, when the band was the support act on a SLIPKNOT tour. In the ensuing years, Laiho promised his bandmates that he would not drink on the road anymore. Although he kept his word for a few years, Alexi "went into a tailspin again in 2016," according to Wirman. Laiho, who had a substantial income as COB's main songwriter (all other income, from gigs to merchandise, was split equally),repeatedly complained that his income was declining and threatened to pull himself out of the limited liability company, AA & Sewira Consulting Oy, he and the other members formed in 2003.

After CHILDREN OF BODOM's manager brought up Laiho's substance abuse at a business meeting in New York in early 2019, Alexi refused to go into rehabilitation but did agree to see a doctor. He was diagnosed with diabetes, and he began taking medication to treat the condition.

In the summer of 2019, Laiho filed an application with the Finnish Patent And Registration Office to register the CHILDREN OF BODOM name to Laiho. This infuriated his bandmates who saw this as an attempt to hijack the name and brand that was controlled by the group's LLC.

During CHILDREN OF BODOM's tour of Russia in October 2019, Laiho "was hitting the bottle like back in 2008," his bandmates told Helsingin Sanomat.

"I told Alexi that you don't usually drink starting at breakfast before a gig, and now you don't even warm up with the guitar before going on stage like you always do," Raatikainen recalled.

Laiho later apologized and stopped drinking for the last concerts of the tour.

"His hands were shaking for two days, but the gigs in Moscow and St Petersburg went pretty well," Raatikainen said.

Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman decided to go with Alexi's wish from a few years back and buy him out of the LLC. Laiho retained the rights to his music and was paid royalties on performances and record sales as before, but sold his part of the LLC that owns the name of the band and the merchandising rights.

According to the trio, Alexi was sober for CHILDREN OF BODOM's entire final tour of Finland in December 2019 and he "exchanged cordial messages" with them even after the start of the pandemic.

Alexi's sister Anna Laiho told Helsingin Sanomat that the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM "have the full support of our family."

Anna, Alexi's Australian wife Kelli Wright-Laiho and a few close friends attempted to get him professional help in the fall of 2020, but he refused.

"At heart, he was a warm and caring person, always ready to help others. But he had his demons, and he wanted to fight those alone", Alexi's sister said. "He wanted to make his own choices. For better or worse."

Platinum-certified rock band 311 is back with the announcement of its highly anticipated 14th studio album, "Full Bloom", out October 25.

In celebration, the band has released a new song and visualizer for "Need Somebody". The track speaks to avoiding isolation and staying connected with the people that love you.

With more than 10 million records sold in just the United States alone, the group has never been hotter. Having just wrapped a successful headlining U.S. run of their "Unity Tour", one of the most successful tours of the band's 34-year history, the group is known to emphasize the importance of community through the lens of communication and connection.

"Full Bloom" is 311's first full-length project in five years, following their album "Voyager" in 2019. Their first single off the album, "You're Gonna Get It", is the band's highest-charting song in 13 years, breaking into the top 15 at Alternative Radio. The introspective track reflecting upon the realization that all actions have consequences, even if they aren't immediate, has over one million streams since its release this summer.

311 states: "We hope fans can take from this album 311's message of positivity and unity. In today's world, it's so easy to become alienated by the pressures of everyday life. Whether it's social media, stress at work, an illness, the list goes on. It's so important to stay open with your loved ones and community so we can all thrive in full bloom" shares the band.

"Full Bloom" track listing:

01. You're Gonna Get It
02. Need Somebody
03. Full Bloom
04. Friend
05. Mountain Top
06. New Heights
07. Days Go By
08. Persimmon
09. All You've Seen
10. Braver

The band has entered a renaissance and continues to bloom fully. This year alone, the band sold out the biannual 311 cruise in under 24 hours that will set sail in March 2025. The 30th-anniversary reissue of their 1994 album "Grassroots" saw a 40,000% surge in sales, reentering Billboard's list of best-selling albums at No. 34 with the vinyl charting at No. 11. The group also toured Japan for the first time in 10 years, along with a massive tour of Europe that included top-selling festivals and headline shows in Europe. This was their first time back in the region in 20 years, and will be returning to Australia for the Good Things festival and Jakarta for Everblast festival.

311 was formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska, featuring Nick Hexum (vocals/guitar),Chad Sexton (drums),Tim Mahoney (guitar),SA Martinez (vocals/DJ) and P-Nut (bass).

311 mixes rock, rap, reggae and funk into their own unique, hybrid sound — and 33 years later, the band is still regarded as one of the most entertaining and dynamic live bands in the U.S.

As veterans of over 2,000 shows across 27 countries, 311 is one of the longest-running original lineups in rock, alongside iconic acts like U2 and RADIOHEAD.

311's celebrated live shows and touring schedule have earned them a vast and dedicated following nationwide. Their annual, headlining, amphitheater show is a staple of the U.S. summer touring season. Past support acts include THE OFFSPRING, SNOOP DOGG, SUBLIME WITH ROME, CYPRESS HILL, SLIGHTLY STOOPID, DIRTY HEADS, THE ROOTS, MATISYAHU and Ziggy Marley.

311 have released thirteen studio albums, two greatest-hits albums, two live albums, three DVDs and a box set, and have sold over nine million records in the U.S.

Ten albums have reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 sales chart — and nine of their singles have reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Alternative Radio chart — including three No. 1 singles: "Down", "Love Song" and "Don't Tread On Me" — along with "Amber", "All Mixed Up", "Come Original", "Creatures For Awhile", "Hey You" and "Sunset In July".

Claustrofobia’s latest album, Unleeched, hit physical and digital store racks on September 13, 2024. Get your copy now at this location.


“We have a new video clip for the track ‘The Encrypted’, which is the second song off Unleeched,’ and it's the heaviest, grooving track on the album. There is a curious story about the shooting day of this video,” elaborates singer / guitarist Marcus D’Angelo. “We recorded it on the same day as the video for ‘Stronger Than Faith’ in Nelson Ghost Town, an abandoned gold mine located just 45 minutes from Las Vegas, and then we decided to do an extra take in a different spot, but the photography and background was too different from what we had been doing. Someone mentioned, you could shoot another song in this spot. We looked at each other and said, why not? We switched t-shirts, chose the ‘The Encrypted’ song and improvised everything on the spot without any pre-production or ideas. It was all very spontaneous and we were extremely pleased with the results. Caio D'Angelo, our drummer, edited it and this pure art happened.”







Unleeched was produced, mixed and mastered by Adair Daufembach (Angra, Cadaver, Tony MacAlpine) with cover artwork by Alcides Burn. 


“The first step in our partnership with M-Theory Audio will be the reissue of the album Unleeched, including two bonus tracks – ‘Riff Cult’ and ‘Força além da Força’ which is a Portuguese version of Pantera's ‘Strength Beyond Strength’,” explains Marcus. “We composed and recorded this album during the pandemic, and all that atmosphere of uncertainty, fear and faith were crucial to finishing the work. For the first time we used clean vocals on a song, we brought Marc Rizzo [Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy, Ill Nino guitarist] as a guest player. This album is very brutal but there are lots of emotions on it. I consider it our most inspired album ever because the band was united and solid.”





Tracklisting:


"Stronger Than Faith"
"The Encrypted"
"Neuro Massacre"
"Psychosapiens"
"Corrupted Self"
"Unleeched"
"Snake Head"
"Crawling Back To Yourself"
"2020 (March To Glory)"
"Riff Cult" *Bonus Track
"Forca Alem da Forca" ("Strength Beyond Strength" - Pantera Cover) *Bonus Track








“We are about to hit the road with Sepultura, Obituary and Agnostic Front and 80% of our set will be focused on the new album, Unleeched, which is gonna be at the merch booth, available on CD and Cassette. We count on your support. Don't expect anything but our best. See you on the road," says Claustrofobia.





Dates:


September
17 - Chicago, IL - ConcordMusic Hall
18 - Minneapolis, MN - UptownTheater
20 - Denver, CO - The Ogden Theater
21 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
22 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
23 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox SODO
25 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Novo
27 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
28 - Tucson, AZ - RialtoTheatre
30 - Dallas, TX - The Factory


October
2 - Tampa, FL - JannusLive
3 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theater
4 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz
5 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
6 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall
8 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Ballroom
9 - Toronto, ON - Rebel*
10 - Montreal, QC - L’Olympia*
11 - Worcester, MA @The Palladium
12 - New York, NY - The PalladiumTimes Square


* - Harves

POISON drummer Rikki Rockett has launched a new band called THE ROCKETT MAFIA. Joining him in the group are Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar, Mick Sweda (BULLETBOYS) on guitar and backing vocals, and Bryan Kimes on bass and backing vocals.

Rockett and Gibbs played their first show as THE ROCKETT MAFIA in May at the end of The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride motorcycle charity event in Santa Monica, California. They were joined at the gig by guitarist Brent Woods (SEBASTIAN BACH, CHEVY METAL) and bassist Wiley Hodgden.

Rockett and Gibbs previously played together in a band called DEVIL CITY ANGELS, also featuring guitarist Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Eric Brittingham (CINDERELLA). The band released its self-titled debut album in September 2015. Following the recording of "Devil City Angels", Brittingham decided not to continue with the project and his spot was taken by Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE). Around a year later, Rockett, Gibbs and Brittingham joined forces with guitarist Joel Kosche (ex-COLLECTIVE SOUL) to form the LORDS OF DEVIL CITY. Within a few months, Rockett, Gibbs and Brittingham relaunched DEVIL CITY ANGELS, only for Eric to exit the project in the summer of 2017 and be replaced by Topher Nelson. In July 2020, DEVIL CITY ANGELS released a new single, "Testify".

When Rockett and Gibbs first jammed together four months ago in preparation for their appearance at the The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, Rikki wrote on social media: "Last night Brandon and I jammed for the first time in very long time in order to grease the wheels for the show. We rolled through some cover tunes, but when we chomped on a some DEVIL CITY ANGELS tunes we both felt some serious passion come back.

"If you don't know, we put the DEVIL CITY ANGELS together several years back and made what I think is a very good record. Tracii Guns along with Eric Brittingham, Brandon and I, as DEVIL CITY ANGELS, made our way across the country playing shows in a single tour bus and trailer, old school. The steamroller was going well until I got cancer. Then Tracii got asked back into L.A. GUNS, etc, etc. Bottom line, the band sidelined and only ever did a couple more corporate gigs. With the exception of 'The Stadium Tour' and a few sit-ins with CHEVY METAL, I have pretty much stayed away from live performances with other artists. I pretty much have always put my heart and soul into everything I do and I had a passion for the DEVIL CITY ANGELS project.

"This is] not the DEVIL CITY ANGELS and it's not CHEVY METAL, this is THE ROCKETT MAFIA, a jam combo that I may put together from time to time to enjoy my love of Rock 'N' Roll with some of my besties in the rock world."

In early 2019, Gibbs and Rockett were embroiled in a public war of words after Gibbs indicated he was no longer involved with DEVIL CITY ANGELS due to the fact that the band was "inactive." Rikki responded that DEVIL CITY ANGELS "went inactive" because he was diagnosed with cancer and suggested possibly moving on without Brandon. This prompted Gibbs to fire back that he had "never seen someone complain about money, perception and 1st class tickets" as much as Rockett allegedly did, "to the point where it gets in the way of doing anything." The two have since resolved their differences.

Back in 2015, Rockett told Sleaze Roxx about Gibbs: "The thing about Brandon is that he's a young guy but he sounds like he's from the '70s. That's what is so appealing for guys like us. That's the reason that I really wanted Brandon involved with us. Brandon doesn't have any baggage, which is good and he has a lot of experience. He's got a great pedigree."

In 2015, Rockett and Gibbs joined forces with Rikki's POISON bandmates Bobby Dall (bass) and C.C. DeVille (guitar) to play several shows as THE SPECIAL GUESTS in what was widely perceived as a not-so-subtle message to POISON singer Bret Michaels that they weren't willing to remain completely inactive while he pursued a solo career.



Posted by Rockett Mafia on Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Posted by Rockett Mafia on Tuesday, September 17, 2024

In a new Facebook Live video, Bret Michaels once again spoke about his recent comment that POISON will likely embark on a tour in 2026 celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band's debut album, 1986's "Look What The Cat Dragged In". Bret said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[I'm] forever grateful for [my POISON bandmates] C.C. [DeVille, POISON guitarist] and Rikki [Rockett, POISON drummer] and Bobby [Dall, POISON bassist].

"I know a lot of people are wondering, and I try to clear any confusion.

"'25 is going to be an awesome year," he continued. "We're gonna pick out some special dates [to play with my solo band], and I'm just going to do my best to a little R&R, take care of my diabetes, which could just use a tune-up — that's it — and some other things that we're going through right now. All gonna be great. I'm keeping positive. And some great family time to have some fun, but still do some great select shows. And then '26, if all goes great, with a lot of moving parts with C.C. and Bobby, Rikki, myself, I am positive we're gonna work everything out and go out in '26."

Regarding what POISON's tour in 2026 might look like, Bret said: "My feeling is 40 great, limited dates — 40 great, limited dates. Make them incredible. It'll be four years since the last time we toured on 'The Stadium Tour' in '22. If we go out in '26, it'll be our 40th-anniversary Parti-Gras 4.0. And there's four bandmembers — all original. Good, bad or indifferent, we are like a band of brothers. We also love each other."

Earlier this month, Bret was asked by Arizona Republic if things were "good" between him and his POISON bandmates during the 2022 "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and Joan Jett, Bret said: "Absolutely. I want to be very clear. Other than an occasional throw down fistfight — I'm not making this up — we're like best friends. But there's no gray area. All of a sudden, we'll get in a fistfight. But the next day, we'll go out and play. We'll work it out like a band of brothers. 'The Stadium Tour' was amazing. We were having fun. We didn't get too many soundchecks. We just dealt with what we were given and were grateful to be there. DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY, they were amazing. They played great. But we just came out, and we knew we had one hour at 6 o'clock to go out there and give it everything we had. And it was one of the only stadium tours that from Live Nation's lips to everyone's ears, it was 98 to 100% filled when POISON went on."

Last week, Michaels released a statement via social media in which he said that he was planning to "perform limited shows" in 2025 to focus primarily on his health, "starting with my diabetes which needs a tune-up, not to mention a little R&R." He added that 2026 "would be the perfect" time for a POISON 40th-anniversary tour, "with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs, and rock the world."

Bret's explanation came two days after Rockett revealed on social media that Michaels was no longer interested in touring with POISON next year.

On September 10, the POISON drummer took to his official Facebook page to write: "I keep getting asked multiple times a day, 'Why isn't POISON touring in 2025 now?' Super simple answer, Bret doesn't want to." The following day, Rikki clarified: "People, I never said that Bret is cancelling the 2025 tour. It didn't get booked. I said the reason POISON isn't touring in 2025 is because Bret doesn't want to. Doesn't matter what the reason for him is as far as what I said. I'm simply telling you why so that CC [DeVille, POISON guitarist], Bobby [Dall, POISON bassist] or myself doesn't get blamed. It isn't dirt. It isn't a fight. Just the facts, ma'am. Surmise what you want from it. You will anyway!"

Just three months ago, Rikki, whose real name is Richard Allan Ream, wrote on social media that POISON would be touring in 2025." He added at the time: "As usual, there will be no backing tracks. Live, raw and uncut. Warts and all."

Seven months ago, Bret spoke about POISON's plans to regroup for more shows following the band's 2022 participation in "The Stadium Tour" alongside MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and Joan Jett. During a February 25, 2024 question-and-answer session aboard the Rock Legends Cruise XI, he said: "When we go back, I think in 2025, it's always been, to me, all-original POISON. We'll have C.C and Bobby and Rikki and myself and go do another big stadium tour and arena tour in 2025."

Regarding his motivation for going back out on the road with POISON after spending most of his time touring with his solo band, Bret said: "We've known each other since we've been in junior high school… I wouldn't be here without Bobby or Rikki or C.C. And then, as you go along, we've been together a long time — still great friends. If anyone saw 'The Stadium Tour', that was a party. And when you're out there with that DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY and Joan, you're talking A-plus awesomeness. And we just came out and brought it.

"For me, what it is, we do about a couple of years solo, and then we'll go out and do 35 or 40 dates with POISON," he explained. "And we set it up, we schedule it."

POISON's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

In 2018, POISON completed the "Nothin' But A Good Time" tour with CHEAP TRICK and POP EVIL.

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". An album of covers, "Poison'd", followed in 2007.



Posted by Bret Michaels on Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend has released the official music video for his new single, "Jainism". The track is taken from his upcoming studio album, "PowerNerd", which is due on October 25.

Devin comments: "This next song was based on my connection to music in the mid-'90s. Also the idea of what it means to rend yourself artistically to an unresponsive world in 2024. I referenced THE WILDHEARTS in the chorus, as Ginger is one of our generation's greatest songwriters.

"In preparation for 'The Moth', 'PowerNerd' is meant to look back and celebrate the past before moving forward. Thank you for the support…back to work here :)".

Earlier this month, Devin released a new video in which he explained the inspiration for the "PowerNerd" title. He said: "'PowerNerd' is essentially a manifesto of working through the problems that you face in life. And the definition of it had originally been — there are certain personality traits or proclivities that one may have that perhaps society deems as being a weakness, whether or not that's empathy or hypersensitivity or something. And to people who don't have those sorts of aspects of their personality, certain things can be taken for granted, as it's, like, 'Oh, it's easy to do that,' 'It's easy to go out in public,' 'It's easy to socialize,' whatever. But if these aren't things that are part of your psychological makeup, it's sometimes effort just leaving the house. So a powernerd, in a sense is — the definition that I at least adhere to — you turn those tendencies into a superpower. So if you're hypersensitive, your hypersensitivity becomes your superpower. It's about harnessing it, so it doesn't get imposed on others, of course, but at the same time, to be able to recognize the ways in which you're different and not view that as being a liability, but rather view it as being a strength. That's the definition of 'powernerd'."

Townsend's career is one of many distinct eras. He's been the leader of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, the lynchpin of the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and the co-architect of country duo CASUALTIES OF COOL, all while maintaining his prolific and lauded solo project. Now, the polymath's newest era starts with "PowerNerd".

"It was a conscious thing," Devin said of his brand-new album, the music on which he wrote in just 11 days. "I thought, 'I've spent so much time overthinking every aspect of my work — what would happen if I didn't?' Maybe I would have the opportunity to be a bit more direct with what it is that I'm trying to do. I really wanted to see if I could cut through some of the meandering."

A song that embodies that is the album's title track, which features a guest spot from HATEBREED's Jamey Jasta. You can watch the video for that high-speed rampage of a song below.

However, that aggression is far from the only thing to come from "PowerNerd"'s 11 episodic tracks. "Dreams Of Light", by comparison, is an evocative and dynamic four-minute ballad. "Younger Lover" calms down from an explosive opening to lush verses of synths and singing, whereas "Falling Apart" and "Jainism" add texture after texture on top of dulcet, acoustic introductions.

Where "PowerNerd"'s music was written in less than a fortnight, its lyrics were refined over a far longer period of time into a narrative about strength and healing. On "Falling Apart", Devin commands himself to "keep the tension under control." "You've got to believe that things will only get better," subsequent song "Gratitude" powerfully declares. These uplifting messages even play into the record's title.

Devin previously offered as a definition: "I would say that a powernerd would be somebody that has a tendency that society has deemed weak or not valuable, whether that's empathy or being an insular person or an introvert, and turns that into a type of personal power. It's like, 'Okay, yeah, I'm sensitive to this, that and the other thing, but man, I am going to pull through! I am going to do things with that sensitivity that are rooted in strength.'"

"PowerNerd" will be available on several different formats, including a limited 2CD+Blu-ray artbook (featuring the album, bonus tracks and Devin's first-ever Dolby Atmos mix),limited 2CD digipak in O-card, standard CD, gatefold 2LP and digital album.

The full track listing for "PowerNerd" is as follows:

01. PowerNerd
02. Falling Apart
03. Knuckledragger
04. Gratitude
05. Dreams Of Light
06. Ubelia
07. Jainism
08. Younger Lover
09. Glacier
10. Goodbye
11. Ruby Quaker

The album's artwork was created by longtime collaborator Travis Smith.

As well as express strength through adversity, "PowerNerd" will open the door to Devin's immediate future. Its positivity and succinctness will soon be contrasted by follow-up "The Moth" — described by Devin as "orchestral, over-the-top, dark and uncomfortable" — and the "alien weirdness" of finale "Axolotl". Both efforts have already been written, and together the trilogy will express the mind-boggling range of this man's musical talent.

"PowerNerd" recording lineup:

Devin Townsend - Vocals, Guitars, Synths, Bass and Computer
Darby Todd - Drums
Diego Tejeida - Keyboards, Synths
Mike Keneally - Additional Keyboards
Jean Savoie - Additional Bass
Aman Khosla - Additional Vocals
Tanya Ghosh - Additional Vocals
Jamey Jasta - Additional Vocals

JANE'S ADDICTION has released a new single, "True Love". The track, which was performed live for the first time last year and has been played at a few other shows since, is the second new single from the band's classic lineup of singer Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery, following "Imminent Redemption", which arrived in July.

"True Love" was written by Farrell, Navarro, Avery and Perkins, with assistance from touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Navarro was asked about the possibility of a new full-length album from the reunited classic lineup of the band. He responded: "That's more than likely going to happen. I mean, we have recorded material. I don't know specifically the model, if it's going to be a song at a time, or if we're going to drop a song, and then a record, or I don't really know. I kind of stay out of that stuff. What matters to me most is that this stuff is on vinyl. I don't know anything about streaming or anything like that."

He continued: "I'm 57 years old. I've been in this band since I was 17 or 18, and it's the same band, and we have some of the same hurdles, and we have other obstacles that are no longer there. There's always hurdles in collaborative creative efforts, but overcoming those hurdles is where the solution happens, and the solution, should it reveal itself, can be pretty exciting.

"The songwriting process has really changed thanks to technology," Dave explained. "Everything was on reel-to-reel before, and so all four of us would have to be in the recording studio to get something down. There's something really magical and special about that, because all the tapes are live, and everybody's playing together, and tempos fluctuate, but it's human, and it feels good. But the state of technology now allows us to individually, to work on ideas, away from the room, and then when we come into the room, have a way more concrete concept of where we want to go rather than fishing."

"Imminent Redemption" was tracked at Sweetzwerland Studios in Hollywood, California.

Prior to "Imminent Redemption"'s arrival, Avery's last time in the studio with JANE'S ADDICTION was for the classic 1990 album "Ritual De Lo Habitual".

"Imminent Redemption" was first performed live when JANE'S ADDICTION's classic lineup played its first show in 14 years on May 23 at London, United Kingdom's Bush Hall.

Navarro sat out JANE'S ADDICTION's 2022 and 2023 shows due to his battle with long COVID. He was replaced at last year's gigs by Klinghoffer, a former member of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS who also records with Eddie Vedder and performs with PEARL JAM. 2022 saw QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Troy Van Leeuwen step in for Navarro.

The fall 2022 "Spirit On Fire" tour marked the first JANE'S ADDICTION run of shows in more than a decade to feature returning Avery. Prior to that, Avery last played with the band for a short stint in the 2000s before departing again in 2010.

This past Monday (September 16),JANE'S ADDICTION announced the cancellation of its remaining tour dates following a recent onstage altercation between Farrell and Navarro. The band said it "made the difficult decision to take some time away as a group," therefore scrapping the rest of the dates of their tour. A short time later, Navarro, along with Perkins and Avery, posted a joint statement to their respective Instagram accounts in which they said the cancelation of the tour is a result of a "continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell."

"Our concern for his personal health and safety as well as our own has left us no alternative. We hope that he will find the help he needs," the statement read.

Navarro, Perkins and Avery expressed "regret" for the cancelation but added that they "can see no solution that would either ensure a safe environment on stage or reliably allow us to deliver a great performance on a nightly basis."

"Our hearts are broken," the statement concluded.

Later that same day, Farrell wrote in a statement posted to his Instagram story that "this weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday's show."

His statement added: "Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation."

CREED and ALTER BRIDGE guitarist/songwriter Mark Tremonti will release the sixth album from his solo band TREMONTI, "The End Will Show Us How", on January 10, 2025 via longtime partner Napalm Records. The official music video for the LP's second single, "The Mother, The Earth And I", can be seen below.

"The Mother, The Earth And I" is a personal favorite of Mark's and sets the tone for what fans can expect from the rest of the album. The song talks about the connection that all people have to the planet Earth regardless of personal differences. The song is now available via all digital service providers. The visually captivating music video depicts the message of the song with cinematic visuals created by director J.T. Ibanez (SEVENDUST, HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, LOVELESS).

Tremonti explains about the message of the song: "Throughout mankind, everyone has fought over things like power, religion, and their beliefs. One side believes it's right and everyone else is wrong. No matter what you believe in though, we all belong to the earth. You can always fall back on its beauty."

With a musical catalog that includes 18 previously released full-length albums from his work with CREED, ALTER BRIDGE and various solo endeavors, Tremonti is back with a collection of 12 original compositions that continues his musical evolution while showcasing his ability to write memorable songs — something he has done for nearly three decades. Mark is backed in TREMONTI by Eric Friedman (guitars),Tanner Keegan (bass) and Ryan Bennett (drums). Each song on "The End Will Show Us How" will take the listener on a journey as Mark set out to create an album of a dozen individual compositions each unique from the other. The debut single "Just Too Much" is a perfect example of this. The song opens with a driving guitar riff — the basis for the entire song — as Mark delivers the message to keep pushing forward no matter what adversity is in front of you. An official music video for the single directed by J.T. Ibanez can be seen below.

TREMONTI's musicianship and songwriting is on full display on each song on "The End Will Show Us How". Tracks like the opener "The Mother, The Earth And I" the thought-provoking "It's Not Over" and the epic closer "All The Wicked Things" show that Mark continues to create compositions that continue to engage audiences — both old and new fans alike. "Nails" is a musical idea that Mark has had for years and finally found the inspiration to complete. "Tomorrow We Will Fail" is an inspirational piece that talks about not putting off until tomorrow something you can conquer today. "Now That I've Made It" is a message for anyone who has ever had anyone doubt them and try to hold them back from following their dreams. "The End Will Show Us How" was produced by longtime friend and collaborator Michael "Elvis" Baskette — the producer Mark has worked with exclusively since 2007.

The track listing for "The End Will Show Us How" is:

01. The Mother, The Earth And I
02. One More Time
03. Just Too Much
04. Nails
05. It's Not Over
06. The End Will Show Us How
07. Tomorrow We Will Fail
08. I'll Take My Chances
09. The Bottom
10. Live In Fear
11. Now That I've Made It
12. All The Wicked Things

Mark Tremonti is currently on tour across the United States with the recently reunited CREED. TREMONTI will tour around the globe in support of "The End Will Show Us How" in 2025.

After three decades, 18 full-length albums, and thousands of shows, Tremonti continues to relentlessly push himself as a guitarist, a vocalist, and a songwriter, above all. This unstoppable drive has underscored his catalog earmarked by a Grammy Award, cumulative streams in the billions, and total sales of 60 million units worldwide across his inexhaustible output with CREED, ALTER BRIDGE and solo band TREMONTI. Distinguished as Guitar World's "Guitarist Of The Decade," selected as a flagship PRS endorsee, and celebrated on the covers of numerous publications worldwide, he approaches the guitar with an insatiable curiosity and innate need to create. At the same time, he constantly stretches his voice, reaching new heights with each subsequent project. His voice, writing, and playing have supercharged TREMONTI as a force in its own right. The band has delivered a string of celebrated releases, including "All I Was" (2012),"Cauterize" (2015),"Dust" (2016),"A Dying Machine" (2019) accompanied by an acclaimed novel of the same name co-written by Mark with John Shirley, and "Marching In Time" (2021). Earning acclaim, Kerrang! hailed the latter as "another worthy chapter in its creator's well-populated book," and American Songwriter praised how "'Marching In Time' is structured around denser melodies and reflective epistles prodding around chunkier riffs." Loudwire applauded the title track as "hypnotically epic," and Guitar World readers voted "Now And Forever" as "The Best Riff of 2021."

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

British rock veterans THE DARKNESS have returned to bedazzle and amaze once more as they serve up their eighth studio album, "Dreams On Toast", in March 2025 via Cooking Vinyl.

"You know that thing when God's breath tickles your soul and tells you to create? Yeah, makes me giggle too. But you can't resist," comments THE DARKNESS frontman Justin Hawkins. "God might not be the power she once was, but say what you like about her, she knows damn well that what the world needs now, is rock sweet rock. And who are we, mere mortals of extraordinary ability, to argue with the divine?

"So we knuckled down and thought really hard about the best of the best, the elite songs, the life-changing music of the ages. Then we popped out a dozen bangers before lunch. And these bangers we present to you here, wallowing in an aromatic aural ragu, served atop the charred remains of our envious contemporaries… ladies and gentlemen, I give you 'Dreams On Toast'!"

A lavish display of sonic delicacies, "Dreams On Toast" is a dynamic dish packed full of sure-to-be hits. This is no better demonstrated than with lead single "The Longest Kiss", out today (September 18). An upbeat pop classic which tips its hat to the '70s pop genius of both QUEEN and Paul McCartney, it finds THE DARKNESS dance across jaunty piano keys and frolicking guitar licks in irresistible top form.

Justin explains: "Misty Orchards! That's not my porn name, that's the kind of scenery that I love. I awakened to such a vista in the delightful Scottish highland town of Nairn on the morning that inspiration for 'The Longest Kiss' lyric struck. I was bleary eyed and locked in an unending embrace with my (mid)life partner. Weird that I can still sing, but that's a testament to the resilience of humans, especially lead singers. The music itself is a piano-led composition, the chorus of which my brother and I came up with after he'd taken a long time to empty his bladder during some impressive pub endurance. The verses were transposed from a song I've been working on for decades as part of a musical about the collapse of the Lowestoft fishing industry, called 'The Collapse Of The Lowestoft Fishing Industry'. The musical isn't finished yet. But 'The Longest Kiss' is. The results are astounding. We're all very proud of this. Please, to enjoy!"

The "Dreams On Toast" album artwork was designed by Grammy-nominated artist Perry Shall.

Not only will "Dreams On Toast" feature arguably THE DARKNESS's best collection of songs yet, but the band will also be hitting the road next March for its largest headline tour of the U.K. in years, solidifying their status as one of Britain, and indeed the world's, most important rock bands.

The "Dreams On Toast" U.K. headline tour will see THE DARKNESS play 17 shows across the country, finishing at London's OVO Wembley Arena on March 29. Support comes from Northern Irish indie-rock heroes ASH, who first supported THE DARKNESS on their legendary "Permission To Land" tour over 20 years ago.

Lead singer of ASH, Tim Wheeler, comments: "In 2004 we toured the U.K.'s arenas with THE DARKNESS as 'Permission To Land' catapulted them into the big league. Next March, 21 years later, we will reunite to tear across Britain before an epic crescendo at Wembley Arena. We believe in a thing called rock!"

Fans who pre-order "Dreams On Toast" from THE DARKNESS's official store will receive access to a pre-sale for the March UK tour. The pre-sale, including VIP upgrades, will open at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 25 and will remain live until any remaining tickets go on general sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 27.

March 2025 U.K. headline tour dates:

March 07 - Ipswich, Regent's Theatre
March 08 - Oxford, New Theatre
March 09 - Swansea, Arena
March 11 - Guildford, G Live
March 12 - Hull, Connexin Arena
March 14 - Liverpool, Guild Of Students
March 15 - Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
March 17 - York, Barbican
March 18 - Edinburgh, Usher Hall
March 20 - Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
March 21 - Newcastle, O2 City Hall
March 22 - Manchester, O2 Apollo
March 24 - Bristol, Beacon Theatre
March 25 - Portsmouth, Guildhall
March 27 - Leicester, De Montford Hall
March 28 - Cambridge, Corn Exchange
March 29 - London, OVO Arena Wembley

More than 20 years after THE DARKNESS exploded with the big bang that changed the face of British rock music, their cheeky, spandex-clad anthems continue to capture hearts, and a new generation of fans, around the world. None more so than Taylor Swift who sparked yet another internet meltdown last week by singing along with the band's eternal mega-hit "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" at the U.S. Open. As a result, her legions of fans sent the track hurtling up charts across the world, including reaching No. 1 in the U.S. iTunes Rock Chart, 21 years after its release.

Photo credit: Simon Emmett

IRON MAIDEN will start their "Run For Your Lives" world tour on May 27 next year in Budapest, Hungary, followed by 27 stadium, festival and arena shows around Europe. The tour marks 50 years since Steve Harris formed the band in late 1975 and, to celebrate this, MAIDEN fans are promised a very special setlist, spanning the nine studio albums from "Iron Maiden" to "Fear Of The Dark", with their most spectacular and elaborate show ever.

Dates are as below. Tickets go on sale next week. As always, there will be an exclusive pre-sale for IRON MAIDEN fan club members and Trooper VIP packages will be available at all U.K. and Ireland shows.

IRON MAIDEN lead singer Bruce Dickinson says: "Next year is a very special one for IRON MAIDEN and we're going to be giving our fans a once-in-a-lifetime live experience. This is a tour that's gonna put a smile on your face and a cheer in your throat. If you've seen us before, then get ready to take that experience to a whole new level. If you've never seen us before, then what the hell have you been waiting for? Now's your chance to find out what you've been missing! IRON MAIDEN's definitely gonna get ya!"

The tour includes five shows in the U.K. and Ireland, with arenas in Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, and outdoor shows in Dublin and London. So it is with immense pride that IRON MAIDEN will celebrate their 50th anniversary with one of the most notable concerts in their history.

On Saturday, June 28, MAIDEN will perform at the London Stadium, home of West Ham Football Club — the team that band founder Steve Harris has supported throughout his life, and with whom IRON MAIDEN have a long and storied history.

This concert in front of over 60,000 fans at the London Stadium, which was constructed in Stratford for the 2012 Olympics and four years later became the new home of West Ham, will be the first time that IRON MAIDEN have performed on the club's hallowed turf. A true homecoming show — with Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Nicko McBrain all born in the surrounding area — it will also be the biggest U.K. venue the band have ever headlined outside of their festival appearances.

Steve Harris says: "My love of football and my support of West Ham is no secret, and I know many of our fans around the world have shared that with me too. So we're all very excited to be playing at the London Stadium as part of the 'Run For Your Lives' tour. And of course, it's not just London — the whole U.K. tour is going to be a real celebration for all of us. To be able to bring this very special show to all our fans across the U.K. and Ireland next year is going to be a great way to mark 50 years of IRON MAIDEN. We can't wait to see you all there!"

Special guests for the London and Dublin outdoor shows will be American rockers HALESTORM. British metal band THE RAVEN AGE will open all five U.K. and Ireland shows.

MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood states: "50 years of MAIDEN and I have seen 46 of them! With well over 100 million albums sold and almost 2500 shows in 64 countries and counting, to countless millions of fans, we are all still loving every second and consider every tour a new challenge to bring something different and exciting to our fans. And for this very special one we' re pulling out all the stops!

"We will cover classics and fan favorites from the first nine albums, from 'Iron Maiden' to 'Fear Of The Dark', many of which we haven't played in years and many we will likely never play again in the future. We have already been hard at work for months putting together an even more spectacular and elaborate new show which will bring the songs to life more than we have ever been able to do before. This is going to be a huge couple of years for IRON MAIDEN, and Eddie, of course, and we are very excited about what we have up our sleeves for you fans throughout the whole of our 50th year. I promise you are all going to be very happy indeed!"

"Run For Your Lives" 2025 tour dates:

May 27 - Budapest Aréna, Budapest, Hungary *
May 31 - Letnany Airport, Prague, Czech Republic *
Jun. 01 - TIPOS Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia *
Jun. 05 - Trondheim Rocks, Trondheim, Norway (Festival)
Jun. 07 - SR-Bank Arena, Stavanger, Norway *
Jun. 09 - Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark *
Jun. 12 - 3Arena, Stockholm, Sweden *
Jun. 13 - 3Arena, Stockholm, Sweden *
Jun. 16 - Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland *
Jun. 21 - Utilita Arena, Birmingham, England ^
Jun. 22 - Co-op Live, Manchester, England ^
Jun. 25 - Malahide Castle, Dublin, Ireland *^
Jun. 28 - London Stadium, London, England *^
Jun. 30 - OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland ^
Jul. 03 - Eurockéennes Festival, Belfort, France (Festival)
Jul. 05 - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain **
Jul. 06 - MEO Arena, Lisbon, Portugal **
Jul. 09 - Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland **
Jul. 11 - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany **
Jul. 13 - Stadio Euganeo, Padova, Italy **
Jul. 15 - Bürgerweide, Bremen, Germany **
Jul. 17 - Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria **
Jul. 19 - Paris La Défense Arena, Paris, France **
Jul. 23 - GelreDome, Arnhem, Netherlands **
Jul. 25 - Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany **
Jul. 26 - Cannstatter Wasen, Stuttgart, Germany **
Jul. 29 - Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany **
Aug. 02 - PGE Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland **

Support acts:

* HALESTORM
^ THE RAVEN AGE
** AVATAR

Having been established in 1975 in the East End of London, IRON MAIDEN have, over the course of 17 studio albums, more than 110 million records sold and some of the greatest world tours that music has ever witnessed, become one of the greatest and most influential British rock bands of all time. Yet despite their enormous success, they have remained down to earth and true to their roots throughout their career.

IRON MAIDEN are currently on the road completing their acclaimed "The Future Past Tour" dates, which started earlier this month in Australia and New Zealand and continue through Japan, Canada, United States, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Argentina before concluding in Sao Paulo, Brazil with two concerts at the huge Allianz Parque Stadium in December.

Photo credit: John McMurtrie