Michael Sweet of Christian rockers STRYPER has offered an update on his battle with papillary thyroid cancer, the most common type of thyroid cancer. Michael's diagnosis came last fall, less than a month after he underwent a biopsy of a nodule in the right lobe of his thyroid.

On Friday, June 26, Sweet went live on his Facebook page to share the latest on his cancer battle, telling his followers in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I went to have my six-month checkup yesterday, and they call it active surveillance. So that's what they're doing right now with me regarding my thyroid cancer. People say, 'Don't say 'my thyroid cancer'. Don't claim it.' So I'll just say the cancer that's right there [on my left side]. And they did an ultrasound. It was quite extensive and quite lengthy, and they were obviously checking out not just that, but this side [the right side] as well, and all my lymph nodes, and just checking my whole area out. All this stuff. And it was making me a little nervous because it went on and on — much longer than usual. It's usually typically half the time. And it just kept going. She kept beeping and typing, and beeping and typing, and beeping and typing. And after a while, my mind started racing. I started thinking, 'Okay, is she seeing more? What's going on?' So after that appointment, I went up to my doctor's office and met with my doctor. I went in the room and I waited quite a while, and went in another room and waited quite a while. And once the door opened, three doctors walked in. And I gotta tell you, [my wife] Lisa and I looked at each other, and my heart started racing because that's never happened either. And thank God, the first of the three doctors, a young gentleman who was amazing, he said to me, 'First of all, everything's good.' And then, phew, I breathed a sigh of relief. But the initial walk-in of the three doctors was kind of scary, to be honest, because between that and the ultrasound, I felt, like, 'Okay, something's going on.'"

He continued: "This is what happens with all of us. This is human nature. We sometimes think the worst, when we really should be thinking the best, and it's easy to go there. No matter how prayed up you are, how positive you are, it's easy to go there. So that's where my mind was going, and thank God he said everything looks great. Nothing has spread to my lymph nodes. The cancer is surrounded by healthy tissue. It's a papillary cancer, so it's very slow-growing. It's not aggressive. It hasn't changed at all since the last time I had it checked in six months. So now they wanna check me in eight months, which, it wound up being nine months because I couldn't get in in eight months 'cause I have things going on. But so nine months they're gonna check me again and see where I'm at. And I guess, with my age and the type of cancer that it is, it's very possible, actually probable, that it's not going to grow, or at least aggressively. So I asked the doctors point-blank, 'What are the odds of me being late 70s, early 80s, and this hasn't changed?' And they said, 'Actually, very good.' So there's that possibility, a very strong possibility, and that's where I'm at. They're hesitant on surgery right now because of where it is. It's much closer to my vocal nerve. And obviously, there's that risk of vocal nerve damage. But if it came down to it, push comes to shove, if it meant me having damage in my vocal nerve and not being able to sing, I would take that any day of the week over an aggressive form of cancer spreading or anything like that. So I wanna be smart, I wanna be wise. I'm following my doctors' leads. They're the best team I think I could have. I'm in the best place possible for this, which is Boston Mass Eye And Ear, which is part of Mass General Brigham, and all that good stuff. And I'm in the best hands and best care possible."

Sweet added: "So there you go, guys. I'm just gonna follow their lead. But you know what? I appreciate the prayers, continued prayers, 'cause I'm believing in a miracle that I'm gonna go there, and they're gonna check me out, and it's gonna be gone. And I know God can do that. I've had friends that have experienced that. They've had tumors, and they've been gone, and they've disappeared, just through the power of prayer or through alternative medicine or something else that they're doing or what have you. But regardless, I'm praying for that. So if you guys could keep me in your prayers regarding that… My voice is fine. It's just gotten older. I had that checked as well recently. No surgery required for that. I have some stiffening of the vocal folds and rigidness, and I have tremors in my vocal cords, which means that I have an uncontrollable shakiness in my voice. So if you hear that lately, that explains that. And they gave me some medication to try for that a lot of entertainers actually take, and it didn't help me. And it actually made the bathroom runs worse. So without getting graphic or into details, I'll leave it at that. But you guys, I'm okay. I'm okay. As the song says, I'm all right. I'm okay. That's why I wrote that song. And I can't thank you enough. It means the world to me to be able to call on you to pray for me and to keep me in your thoughts and your prayers. It really does.

"I wanna start, actually, at least a monthly, maybe a weekly — I don't know if time will permit — but at least a monthly a prayer Facebook group live where we can come in here and we can pray for each other. I think that would be amazing. It would be phenomenal and kind of something different instead of just the same old typical Facebook stuff, which tends to be a little dramatic sometimes and a little TMZ-ish, as we all see. But I would love to have a time of prayer where we can pray for one another, 'cause we all need prayer. We all have things going on. We all have things that we want lifted up, and we're asking God to take care of. And if we pray for one another, God's gonna hear our prayers. There's gonna be more power in those prayers. And I don't know if you guys believe that. I do. And I know some of you do, maybe most of you, but I know some of you don't, and that's okay, too. But maybe you'll get to a point where you will. And I'm telling you right now, there's power in prayer. It changes lives. It can change everything, and that's why we need to pray for not only ourselves and our physical ailments, but also for our country, for our leaders, for our neighbors, for our loved ones, our family, for our friends, for all the people around us who are going through trials and tribulations and suffering because of them. It's important for us to take a moment to pray. It doesn't take a lot of time. It's very simple."

This past April, Michael told Christian Music Guys about his cancer battle: "Until I was diagnosed, I didn't really think much about my mortality or the ever after, just being honest. But then the minute you're faced with something like that, you do think about that. And it's something we all better think about, because we're all gonna face it. And what it did, in my mind, in my heart, is made me want to change my perspective and my priorities on life and try to put what's important at the top of the list and what's not important at the bottom of the list. That's easier said than done, but if you can do that, you're gonna be a lot better off by doing so. And I think that's something that — my diagnosis has helped me somewhat to do that, and I'm very happy about that. And then just losing so many people, man."

He continued: "I don't know about you guys, but it's something I've really noticed the past year is how many people have gone. Just recently, Tommy DeCarlo. I was singing with Tommy in BOSTON. He's gone. And if you had asked me a year ago if I would see that happening, I would say 'no way'. But it's reality. And not to sound morbid, but it's coming for us all. And that's why it's important to stay humble and put God first. And let God lead your path and lead your way. And wake up every morning and say a simple prayer. Go to bed every night and say a simple prayer. Start and end your days with prayer. It doesn't have to be anything long. Bring God into your day. Let him be a part of it. And if you do, you are gonna be a lot better off."

Last December, Sweet told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his papillary thyroid cancer diagnosis: "Well, I've noticed over the past 10 years some issues with my neck and my voice, a little more difficulty singing like I wanna sing. And I just wrote it off to getting older and age and whatnot. I went in and got checked and they scoped me and did an ultrasound and they discovered that I had some nodules on my thyroid on each side. And they just kept an eye on those for a number of years. And they got bigger, they got larger, and then one in particular, the one on my left side, got large enough where they wanted to biopsy it, and it came back malignant. I had surgery two years ago to have that removed. My right side, I have Hashimoto's [chronic autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland] and I had a nodule on that side, but it wasn't suspicious. They didn't think I'd have any issues with that. Having the other side removed and going on medication, well, obviously things took a different direction. There was some new calcification in that nodule and they did a biopsy and it came back malignant."

Sweet also talked about the importance of early cancer detection, because it drastically improves treatment effectiveness, increases survival rates, and often allows for less invasive treatment, making it easier and cheaper to cure, catching cancers before they spread. Asked if there were any symptoms that he noticed before getting diagnosed, Michael said: "There are symptoms, and I had those symptoms. I mean, probably the biggest symptom that you will notice is a hoarseness. You can probably hear it in my throat right now. I never had a hoarseness in my throat. So I went to go get checked to see if I had any polyps on my vocal folds, and I didn't. And when you have any type of prolonged hoarseness or sore throat, and then the obvious, if you have any protrusions in your neck, when you tilt your head back, any lumps, anything you see it, don't mess with it. Go. And chances are it's not gonna be anything. I'm in the very rare minimum and few that it develops into cancer. I wanna say, I believe it's four or five percent. Well, I'm that guy. And it's happened twice. So, it's one of those things. And I'm not gonna sit here and whine about it or anything. I mean, everybody has their issues — we all do — but I think the key is being proactive. Don't put off for tomorrow what you should deal with today regarding your health. Don't do it. Colonoscopy — I was scared to death to get a colonoscopy. I don't know why. I just was. I finally got one. I waited till I was 53. Thank God there were no issues at all. I'm good, but don't wait. Go deal with it."

According to the Columbia University Department Of Surgery, papillary thyroid cancer makes up about 80% of all cases of thyroid cancer. It is also the thyroid cancer with the best prognosis and most patients can be cured if treated appropriately and early enough.

In December 2023, Sweet underwent partial thyroidectomy, the surgery to remove part of his thyroid gland. Five months later, he told Steve Mascord of White Line Fever TV about the procedure: "I had nodules a nodule in each side of my thyroid, so thyroid nodules. And one of those got larger and larger. It was biopsied and it was cancer. So they removed half of my thyroid, [the left] half. [The right] half I still have. I have a nodule there still that's cystic they're gonna keep an eye on. I had to start thyroid medication. But I had the surgery back in December — December 15th [of 2023]."

Regarding how the operation affected his singing voice, Sweet said at the time: "I could feel the pressure of the room and the space in that area with those nodules getting larger. I could feel it. And it's been like that for a few years. I've had 'em for a while, but I had to have it removed because of the cancer, and I dealt with it right away. But having the side of that thyroid removed, they had to cut through some muscles. So I can really feel it — it just feels different, it's the only way I can describe it. My vocal nerve was not damaged. I went to the best doctor in Boston who specializes in that, specifically not damaging the vocal nerve. He uses a very particular monitoring system, and he kind of wrote the book on that. And no damage to my vocal nerve — thank God. But still, it feels weird when I sing. It feels like someone kind of has their hand on my throat. It's the only way I can describe it."

STRYPER released its long-awaited Christmas album, "The Greatest Gift Of All", in November 2025 via Frontiers Music Srl.

STRYPER's latest all-original studio album, "When We Were Kings", came out in September 2024.

Sweet's new album, "The Master Plan", his most personal and spiritually resonant solo LP yet, was made available on April 3, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In a new interview with Anita Stelmasiuk of 90 The Original, SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil was asked whom he would pick to be the new PEARL JAM drummer following the recent departure of Matt Cameron. Kim responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If I had to pick… Well, I guess Josh Freese is free now that he's no longer with FOO FIGHTERS. Well, he's damn good. Barrett Martin [SCREAMING TREES, MAD SEASON] would be damn good too. I don't know. Apparently they have picked somebody, so…

"Matt Cameron was the perfect pick for PEARL JAM because he had played on [PEARL JAM's] Stone [Gossard] and Jeff's [Ament] demo prior," Kim continued. "He played with TEMPLE OF THE DOG. They knew exactly his skill. And he is so talented, he can flesh out the best of other musicians, And I believe that's what he did with PEARL JAM. I never heard PEARL JAM as good musically and as free as they were when Matt was drumming for them."

Last July, it was announced Cameron had exited PEARL JAM after a nearly three-decade run with the band.

Cameron first joined PEARL JAM as the replacement for Jack Irons.

Dave Krusen was the original drummer for PEARL JAM, followed by Matt Chamberlain and Dave Abbruzzese.

Cameron started playing drums professionally at age 14 in various cover bands in San Diego. He took private lessons from ages 17-19 with Jon Szanto from the San Diego Symphony. Matt moved to Seattle at age 20 (1983). He played in a variety of bands, and instantly found the creative local music scene very inspiring. While in Seattle, Matt met lots of creative people, including neighbor Kim Thayil. Kim's new band, SOUNDGARDEN, needed a new drummer, so Matt joined the pioneering Seattle grunge act and played with them from 1986 until 1997. They toured the world many times over, met lots of great people and won two Grammy Awards. Soon after the band broke up, Matt was asked to join PEARL JAM in 1998. Matt also took pride in his various side project bands (HATER, WELLWATER CONSPIRACY) and studio work (Tony Iommi, ELEVEN, Geddy Lee).

In 2010, SOUNDGARDEN reunited for new tour and released a new album, "King Animal", on November 13, 2012. The band effectively split up again following singer Chris Cornell's death in May 2017.

PEARL JAM hasn't performed since May 18, 2025, when the band wrapped up its "Dark Matter" world tour in Pittsburgh. Cameron announced he was leaving about two months later.

PEARL JAM released its latest studio album, "Dark Matter", in 2024.

NONPOINT will release its eleventh studio album, "The Last Word", on September 18, 2026, through 361 Degrees Records.

The official music video for the LP's latest single, "Is It", can now be seen below.

Fans will be able to secure the album beginning July 2, 2026, when the official pre-save and pre-order campaign launches across all major digital platforms and participating retailers.

Already making an impact at Active Rock radio, "Is It" was the No. 1 Most Added track when it came out and has quickly climbed into the Top 50 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart.

NONPOINT vocalist Elias Soriano explains the concept behind the song "Is It": "'Is It' is that internal conflict where you question getting too involved? Did I push too hard? Did I ask too much? It's that feeling of wondering if doing what you thought was right actually meant hurting the people around you."

The album itself represents far more than another release in the band's celebrated catalog.

"In a world that sometimes wants to put a timestamp on creativity, 'The Last Word' is our way of saying we're just getting started," Elias says. "We're pushing back against expectation and pushing forward into our own next chapter."

The album artwork carries an equally powerful message. Soriano describes the symbolic pencil featured on the cover as a reflection of both longevity and perseverance.

"This album cover tells a piece of our story," he says. "After years of making music, we feel more aligned than ever — musically, visually, and creatively. We're writing some of the strongest material of our career, our live shows are as powerful as they've ever been, and the band feels focused and energized. The pencil on the cover represents what it's like to be handed one last tool and expected to fit everything you have left to say into it. Not because the ideas are gone, but because longevity often comes with assumptions and limits. 'The Last Word' isn't about accepting an ending. It's about challenging that narrative. If this is the pencil we're being handed, we're going to use it — and make sure the words written with it still matter."

Coinciding with the album announcement, NONPOINT has also revealed "The Even More Outta Control Tour", kicking off July 25, 2026. Renowned for their explosive live performances, the band will perform brand-new material from "The Last Word" alongside the fan favorites that have become staples of their live set. The tour offers audiences an early look at what promises to be one of the band's most dynamic records to date.

For more than two decades, NONPOINT has remained one of hard rock's most resilient and respected acts, earning millions of streams, multiple charting singles, and a fiercely loyal global fanbase through relentless touring and uncompromising musicianship. "The Last Word" finds the band firing on all cylinders, proving they have no intention of slowing down.

Further underscoring the band's momentum, NONPOINT has also joined the roster of artists endorsed by Heavys, the world's first audio company engineered specifically for rock and heavy music fans. Designed for listeners who treat music as identity — not background noise — Heavys produces premium headphones, earbuds, and audio gear.

NONPOINT is a veteran South Florida nu‑metal/alternative metal band formed in 1997 by vocalist Elias Soriano and drummer Robb Rivera, known for high‑energy live shows, groove‑driven riffs, and raw, socially charged lyrics. Drawing from alternative metal, hardcore, hip‑hop and Latin‑inflected rhythm, they broke out with early releases like "What A Day" from the album "Statement" (2000) and quickly became road warriors — appearing on cornerstone festivals such as Ozzfest and Rock On The Range and sharing stages with acts including SEVENDUST, DISTURBED and STONE SOUR. Their muscular cover of Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight", later featured in the film "Miami Vice", helped introduce the band to a wider audience and remains one of their most recognizable recordings.

Throughout the 2000s NONPOINT sharpened their sound on albums including "Recoil" (2004) and "To The Pain" (2005),the latter featuring the fan‑favorite anthem "Bullet With A Name", a live and streaming staple that helped define the band's place in the modern heavy landscape. That momentum carried into the 2010s with hard‑hitting singles like "Breaking Skin" and "Generation Idiot", setting the stage for a prolific modern era highlighted by the launch of their own independent label 361 Degrees Records, followed by the "Ruthless" EP in 2021 and the "Heartless" EP released in 2023, through which they've continued to roll out standout tracks like "Ruthless", "Paper Tigers" and later the single "A Million Watts".

With hundreds of thousands of albums sold and a catalog packed with setlist anchors like "Bullet With A Name", "Ruthless", "What A Day" and "In The Air Tonight", NONPOINT remains a cornerstone name in heavy music, equally at home in packed clubs and on the biggest festival stages. In recent interviews they've spoken openly about this new album pushing toward what they describe as the "most NONPOINT record yet," featuring the first single "Is It" doubling down on groove, aggression and big‑chorus songwriting that keeps their long‑running fanbase engaged while inviting new listeners into the fold.

NONPOINT is:

Elias Soriano (Lead Vocals)
Robb Rivera (Drums)
Rasheed Thomas (Guitar /Backing Vocals)
Adam Woloszyn (Bass)
Jason Zeilstra (Lead Guitar)

Photo credit: Drew Johnston

Norwegian progressive trailblazers ENSLAVED have revealed "Spirit Helper", a unique and deeply powerful collaboration with Kevin Kicking Woman, a tribal member of the Blackfeet/Cree Nation in Montana.

"Spirit Helper" has arisen partly from a relationship with Fire In The Mountains, which takes place each year within the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. ENSLAVED will be returning to the festival later this month to perform.

Kevin Kicking Woman (vocals) comments: "Songs are the Blackfoot way of knowing. Expressing relationship and responsibility, belonging and accountability. The purpose of this song is having the performative expression giving meaning to life. Connecting to the universes through the cosmos, earth beings, water beings and spirit beings. Spirit helper is the physical documentation in this process."

Ivar Bjørnson (ENSLAVED) explains the full back story of "Spirit Helper": "'Spirit Helper' began taking shape long before the song itself existed. Its origins lie in years of conversations, festivals, travel, and shared experiences that gradually connected people, traditions, landscapes, and communities.

"For ENSLAVED, the path toward this collaboration began in Colorado in 2019. Through our extended musical family — including shared connections with WARDRUNA, our longtime management, and the wider community surrounding Fire In The Mountains — we were introduced to one of the festival organizers, Shane McCarthy, and the vision behind the gathering that would eventually lead us toward the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. What initially began as conversations around performances and artistic collaboration slowly evolved into something much deeper: an exchange of perspectives, histories, and spiritual traditions shaped by many people along the way. Those connections continued to grow over the following years through both Fire In The Mountains and the wider community surrounding By Norse Music — the label and artistic platform founded by members of ENSLAVED and WARDRUNA together with our manager Simon Füllemann. Through By Norse, new conversations, meetings, and cultural exchanges emerged, eventually helping create the conditions that made 'Spirit Helper' possible.

"When Fire In The Mountains were to return in 2025 on Blackfeet land in East Glacier, Montana, those relationships deepened further. The festival brought together artists, organizers, elders, and community members in an environment centered around dialogue, music, and cultural exchange. We were welcomed into conversations and ceremonies that left a profound impact on us.

"Throughout ENSLAVED's history, mythology and spiritual traditions have functioned as a language within our music — a way of connecting personal experience with deeper human memory and history. Meeting members of the Blackfeet community felt like encountering another expression of that same search for meaning, continuity, and connection.

"During the festival, I got to know Nick Rink of the Blackfeet Nation, and through Nick I was later introduced to Kevin Kicking Woman, elder of the Blackfeet Nation, whose presence became central to the development of the song. Through these friendships — together with the openness and encouragement shown by the wider Blackfeet community and the people behind Fire In The Mountains — conversations gradually developed into mutual trust and eventually the idea of creating music together. Throughout the process, there was a shared understanding that this collaboration needed to be approached with honesty, transparency, and respect.

"During a later gathering in New York, attended by representatives from the Blackfeet community, Fire In The Mountains, the Firekeeper Alliance and ENSLAVED, Kevin shared a traditional morning prayer song with us — a deeply personal and spiritual piece that he generously entrusted to me and ENSLAVED as the foundation for a new composition. I immediately recognized the responsibility carried within that gesture. Rather than simply building around Kevin's contribution, it became important for me to allow the music itself to adapt to the pulse, rhythm, and spirit already present within his song.

"Over the following months, we worked to find a musical language where these worlds could coexist naturally — allowing ENSLAVED to remain fully itself while honoring the cadence, emotional core, and spiritual energy of Kevin's prayer. The process was guided not only by the collaboration itself, but also by the encouragement, dialogue, and openness shown by the wider community surrounding the project. Gradually, the song revealed its own identity. That process ultimately became 'Spirit Helper'.

"For us, the song represents far more than a collaboration between artists from different backgrounds. It reflects what can happen when people meet openly, listen carefully, and allow themselves to be changed by the encounter. The generosity, trust, and wisdom shared with us by Kevin Kicking Woman, Nick Rink, the Blackfeet community, Fire In The Mountains, the Firekeeper Alliance, our partners through By Norse, and everyone who helped shape this journey are things we carry with deep gratitude.

"Ultimately, 'Spirit Helper' is a song about connection — between past and present, traditions and people, and the spiritual and human worlds. For ENSLAVED, it stands as one of the most meaningful musical journeys we have undertaken."

The "Spirit Helper" artwork was created by Nicholas Rink, who explains the meaning and symbolism behind it: "I see the light blue wave at the bottom as a representation of the ocean between us, but also the background vibration of existence connecting us all and giving birth to existence, life, and of course the song itself. The red line I imagine connecting us across the globe, representing our shared humanity and brother/sisterhood - the living breathing life in us all. The yellow spiral represents the song moving amongst all of these things. The 'Stars' were part of Ivar's original conception and I see them come to represent the power and source of the song. The black circle with the lightning bolt represents Kevin's singing and the spiritual power it carries, and the rainbow of triangles is representative of the musicians. I wanted to include them symbolically and thought the traditional 'triangle man' was a cool way. It took me a bit to decide how I wanted to use it but eventually it came to me to pay homage to 'Dark Side Of The Moon' by PINK FLOYD and included the rainbow colors in a unique way.

"All of this is on an old map of Norway that my grandma had saved out of an old National Geographic magazine. I like using maps because LAND is so important in shaping us, our humanity, and how we express ourselves."

Never faltering, Norway's iconic ENSLAVED continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest caliber, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. ENSLAVED was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo "Yggdrasill" in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album "Hordanes Land" coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length "Vikingligr Veldi" arriving in the spring of 1994.

ENSLAVED are a band in stellar form — a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown's extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows ENSLAVED at their most unleashed and thought-through — a lethal combination unfurling a potential that's easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

ENSLAVED is:

Ivar Bjørnson - guitar
Grutle Kjellson - vocals
Arve "Ice Dale" Isdal - guitar
Håkon Vinje - keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy - drums

ENSLAVED photo credit: Chantik Photography / Kevin Kicking Woman and Ivar Bjørnson photo credit: Tomoko Inoue

Chicago metal legend Shaun Glass has died at the age of 57.

Glass, who has played with a number of acclaimed metal bands over the past four decades, including SOIL, BROKEN HOPE, SINDROME, TERMINAL DEATH, DIRGE WITHIN, THE BLOODLINE and, more recently, REPENTANCE, passed away on July 1, a month after suffering a stroke at his Illinois home that he shared with his wife Michelle and their 13-year-old son Maddux.

Michelle shared the news of Shaun's death in a social media post on Wednesday (July 1). She wrote: "It is with an extremely heavy heart that I share that Shaun passed away this morning after suffering a medical emergency on May 31.

"Shaun and I met in 2003 and married in 2010. In 2012, we welcomed our son — Shaun's pride and joy, as anyone who knew him well already knows.

"Our lives will never be the same. We are devastated, and we ask for privacy and respect as our family begins to navigate this unimaginable loss.

"Shaun was many things to many people, but to us he was always a husband and a Dad first.

"Please keep our family in your prayers, thoughts, or however you send positive energy."

Countless fellow metal musicians have since taken to social media to pay tribute to Shaun, including MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn, who described Glass as "one of the biggest ball-busters I've ever known" as well as "one of the sweetest human beings I've ever had the privilege of calling my friend."

NONPOINT drummer Robb Rivera said that Shaun was his "newswire for everything heavy. He was always the first to send me a new band I needed to hear, a record I had to check out, or some breaking news from the metal world. He lived this music every single day."

Shaun's former bandmates in SOIL also acknowledged his passing, writing on social media: "Although we have been estranged and not on good terms since his departure in 2007, he was still an integral part of SOIL in the early years. And for a long time he was a good friend and comrade. We had many laughs and many good times back in the day. We will look back at those times with fond memories and smiles."

KREATOR's Miland "Mille" Petrozza described Shaun "one of the coolest people" as well as "a friend, a fan and an overall music enthusiast" whom he had known since KREATOR's very first tour of the USA four decades ago.

Glass was a heavy metal lifer who started out in the 1980s as a member of the Chicago death metal band TERMINAL DEATH, with whom he recorded two demos, before joining SINDROME — a thrash favorite within tape-trading circles with the band's "Into The Halls Of Extermination" demo — in 1986. Glass later replaced Ed Hughes as the bass player of BROKEN HOPE and recorded the albums "Repulsive Conception" and "Loathing" with the gore-hungry death metallers before leaving in 1998 to focus on his heavy rock band SOIL. It was with SOIL that he gained the most commercial success, thanks largely to the band's second album, "Scars" and its lead single, "Halo". He would go on to release two more albums with the band, "Redefine" (2004) and "True Self" (2007) before exiting the group and forming DIRGE WITHIN, with whom he recorded two albums, "Force Fed Lies" and "There Will Be Blood". He then rejoined BROKEN HOPE in time to appear on the 2013 album "Omen Of Disease" before eventually forming REPENTANCE.

Prior to Shaun's passing, REPENTANCE had completed work on its third full-length album, "Retaliate", which was originally scheduled for release on July 17, 2026 via Noble Demon but has since been delayed in the wake of Glass's initial medical emergency.

Glass formed REPENTANCE in 2018 and released the band's debut album, "God For A Day", in 2020, leading to a worldwide signing with German label Noble Demon in 2021. This partnership marked a new chapter for the band, beginning with the EP "Volume I – Reborn" (2021),which introduced vocalist Adam Gilley and featured a guest appearance from TRIVIUM guitarist Corey Beaulieu. In 2023, REPENTANCE followed up with its sophomore album, "The Process Of Human Demise", a record that featured guest contributions from Beaulieu and Milo Silvestro (FEAR FACTORY).

Photo credit: Dan Haggerty

In a new interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee spoke about the bond between women in heavy music, saying it's "really cool" to see "the rock and metal sisterhood" constantly growing. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We [EVANESCENCE] had... I forget which chart — I guess it was the Active Rock or whatever, we had the Number One slot. And THE PRETTY RECKLESS had Number Two. And, I was like, 'How badass is that?' Like, absolutely ruling it. Women on top. It's really cool.

"I need the women in my life," Amy explained. "I love the sisterhood, and the rock and metal sisterhood is amazing because it's an ever-growing group. It really is. But we all support and push each other, because we want there to be more open-mindedness and inclusivity in general and all of those things. We all also have a really high standard. If you're gonna make it that far, it can't be about being a woman. That's not gonna get you there. It's gotta be you're really hardworking and talented. Like they say in New York, the proof is in the puddin', right? So you just gotta bring it. That's the way to make it work."

Lee also discussed EVANESCENCE's recently launched tour in support of the "Sanctuary" album, which came out on June 5. Amy said: "This tour has been such a cool moment and statement for that exact thing, women supporting women, women in heavy music. We've got the NOVA TWINS and SPIRITBOX on this tour with us. We'll have Poppy and the NOVA TWINS, and then also K.Flay [who features on EVANESCENCE's 'Fight Like A Girl' single] on the next couple [of runs]. So we're doing 'Fight Like A Girl' every night and having all the girls get up on one song, and it is just the most... It's just the sweetest moment. It really is.

"How cool is it, too, to show the support?" Lee added. "Because I really feel like one of the tools that used to be used in not-so-distant history to keep us down was always sort of show and joke about this idea that we're all fighting each other behind the scenes, that there can only be one and catfights and that whole ridiculous 'we're just gonna try to tear each other down' thing, which is just not how it is. And the more, I think, women see that that's not how it is, the more accepted they can imagine that they will be when they get here."

EVANESCENCE kicked off its 2026 North American tour on June 11 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The North American trek will run through an August 2 show in Clarkson, Michigan. A European tour will follow from early September through early October, after which EVANESCENCE will return to the U.S. for a special one-off gig at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on October 26. Special guests SPIRITBOX and NOVA TWINS are opening on the North American portion of the tour, and special guest Poppy will support on the Europe shows, with NOVA TWINS opening outside the U.K. K.Flay will open the U.K. shows. K.Flay will also support EVANESCENCE for their Red Rocks Amphitheatre concert.

EVANESCENCE has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1/£1/€1 from every ticket sold will support organizations providing humanitarian aid and medical relief to those in need around the world.

"Sanctuary" is available as a digital album, standard CD, deluxe CD and limited-edition box set. A double vinyl of the album will be released on September 4. The deluxe CD is exclusive to the EVANESCENCE store and includes a Blu-ray that contains a "Live In São Paulo" concert, documentary from EVANESCENCE's 2023 South America tour and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the "Who Will You Follow" video. The deluxe vinyl is also a webstore exclusive.

Photo credit: Chapman Baehler (courtesy of Mercenary Publicity)

Late last month, IRON MAIDEN singer and honorary RAF Group Captain Bruce Dickinson took a break from the band's world tour to meet with members of the military community at the RAF Odiham base in Hampshire, United Kingdom. The visit came ahead of the annual national event on Saturday, June 27 which aims to celebrate the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving personnel to Service families, veterans and cadets.

Asked in an interview with Pad Wives Unfiltered to name something about the touring lifestyle that people romanticize that is actually really hard, Bruce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I have three grown-up kids now who mercifully have all ended up as fantastic individuals. And I would love to say it was all down to me, but for half of their life I was not there because I was on tour. And part of me will always regret that, but it's a price you pay for doing... And my kids, we're closer now than we ever were. And so that would be my — I think my biggest regret is the dislocation that you get from what most people perceive to be a normal life. Although having a normal life, I'm not sure what that involves anymore. I'm not sure that you're any better off having a normal life because that's full of so many uncertainties. At least in the military, if you have a problem, generally somebody's always got your back."

Dickinson married his third wife, French fitness instructor Leana Dolci, in the fall of 2023.

The 67-year-old singer and Leana split their time between Paris and his home in London.

Bruce's second wife, Patrice "Paddy" Bowden was found dead in May 2020 at the home they once shared in Chiswick, West London, following a "tragic accident." London Ambulance Service confirmed that the patient was pronounced dead on arrival.

Bruce and Paddy had married in 1990 after two years of dating and shared three children: Austin, Griffin, and Kia. They tied the knot following Bruce's split from first wife Erica "Jane" Barnett.

At the time of Paddy's death, Bruce said in a statement: "This is a terrible tragedy which appears to be a tragic accident.

"Our children Austin, Griffin and Kia and I are devastated. Out of respect for Paddy we won't be making any further comment at this hugely difficult and painful time for our family."

Dickinson is believed to have split from Bowden privately in 2018, although their breakup wasn't made public until November 2019.

Twelve years ago, Dickinson was diagnosed with stage 3 throat cancer after doctors discovered a golf ball-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck.

The singer got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy and later covered his cancer battle in his 2017 autobiography, "What Does This Button Do?"

Photo credit: John McMurtrie

In a new two-hour interview with John DeChristopher, drummer, music industry veteran and host of the Live From My Drum Room! podcast, AEROSMITH drummer Joey Kramer opened up about his health, more than a decade after he underwent a "minor medical procedure" to remove blockage from inside a coronary artery. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm feeling really good. I'm feeling better now than I've felt in, like, five or eight or 10 years.

"The last four years for me were a challenge, to say the least," Joey continued. "But I'm happy to say I've come through 'em with flying colors. I discovered the bull that really lives inside. That's what powered me through. And I'm good, man. This is probably the best Joey of my life.

"I appreciate people asking and being concerned," Kramer added. "That means a lot to me, because — well, our fans mean a lot to me, because without them, we would not be."

Kramer, whose wife, Linda Gail Kramer, died in June 2022 at the age of 55, elaborated on his recovery, saying: "I've done pretty much a major change on how I lived, what kind of person I was, 'cause I went through some dark times, like we all do. And I got through them. I got through them because I had people around me that I came to realize really loved me and looked after me.

"My mentor and really, really close friend is Keith Garde and Frank Cimler. And my son Jesse. Those three guys really were a large help in pulling me through. And I even have a new lady in my life, and I'm as happy as can be. And thanks for asking. I appreciate it… I'm just kind of moving along, moving forward. Gotta keep moving."

Kramer went on to confirm that he has had some problems with his back for a while. "Well, playing the drums for 50-some years, man, and being on the road kind of really trashed my upper body, playing with that kind of intensity," he explained. "And, yeah, I've had some pretty consistent back problems for the last three or four years. I had some surgery done about four months ago. It's just starting to really begin to heal up now, 'cause it takes that long. And, of course, I lost my wife and I had my heart surgery and a bunch of other stuff, too. I don't wanna get into it. But I've taken it out the other side, and it's all made me stronger, along with the fans, because I feel the support and I feel how they are when they listen to something like this. And it means the world to me. I'm proud of what we've done, and I wouldn't trade it or regret it for a minute. And we just go on from here."

The entire two-hour chat can be viewed at this location.

Joey and Linda were married in October 2009, with the musician calling her "the love of his life." "He once described meeting Linda as "the biggest rush you ever had in your life." Friends and family have always noted that Joey and Linda were simply "inseparable."

In March 2022, Joey announced that he would sit out AEROSMITH's concerts that year so he can "focus his full attention on his family during these uncertain times," according to a statement from the legendary rockers. While Kramer took "a temporary leave of absence" from AEROSMITH, he was once again replaced by his drum tech, John Douglas.

Six years ago, Kramer rejoined his AEROSMITH bandmates on stage during the group's residency in Las Vegas. A month earlier, he sued the rest of AEROSMITH in a bid to perform with them at two Grammy-related events. But a Massachusetts judge eventually ruled against him and the group played without Kramer.

After Kramer injured his shoulder in 2019, Douglas filled in for a few gigs during AEROSMITH's residency. Kramer did, however, perform with the rest of AEROSMITH in July of that year at the Twin Cities Summer Jam in Shakopee.

In his January 2020 16-page complaint filed in Massachusetts state court, Kramer said the disability he suffered seven years ago was minor, and insisted he was ready to return to the group's "lucrative" Las Vegas residency at the MGM Resorts a few months later, as well as its slate of "50th anniversary activities."

Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford later responded to Kramer's suit in a statement to People, saying Joey "has not been emotionally and physically able to perform with the band, by his own admission, for the last 6 months. We have missed him and have encouraged him to rejoin us to play many times but apparently he has not felt ready to do so. Joey has now waited until the last moment to accept our invitation, when we unfortunately have no time for necessary rehearsals during Grammys week. We would be doing a disservice to him, to ourselves and to our fans to have him play without adequate time to prepare and rehearse."

In a statement at the time, Kramer said he was "extremely disappointed" with the judge's ruling.

"I knew filing a lawsuit was a bit of an uphill battle," the drummer said. "I can hold my head high knowing that I did the right thing — to fight for my right to celebrate the band's success that I have dedicated the better part of my life to helping build."

Japanese metal pioneers SIGH are back today with news of their new album "Goh-ka", a new highlight of atmosphere, technical mastery, and meticulously arranged epics of metallic grandeur. SIGH mainman Mirai Kawashima notes this as being as equally personal an album as "Shiki", both musically and lyrically. From a musical perspective, if you were to place the main ingredients of CELTIC FROST, VOIVOD, BLACK SABBATH, horror movies and Japan into a cauldron and stir it, you will get "Goh-ka". Numerous additional spices such as psychedelic rock, prog rock and classical music are also evident over the album's close to one-hour duration.

The album title "Goh-ka" has a triple meaning, being: infernal fire scorching sinners, a huge fire that burns down the world at the end of time, and karma. The primary theme permeating the album is "Kuso-zu", a series of Buddhist paintings or illustrations depicting the nine stages of a human body's decomposition after death, created to encourage meditation on the impermanence of life, the inevitability of death, and the detachment from physical beauty and worldly attachment. It openly shows the harsh reality that no matter how beautiful you are, you'll be dead and rot sooner or later. And "Kuso-shi" is a poem based on these paintings. The artworks on the cover and in the booklet of "Goh-ka" are therefore "Kuso-zu" themselves.

Joining Mirai Kawashima and Dr Mikannibal, along with guitarist Nozomu Wakai, are Frédéric Leclercq (KREATOR, DRAGONFORCE) on bass, plus renowned U.S. drummer Mike Heller (RAVEN, FEAR FACTORY).

Among the additional contributors to the album, Mikael Åkerfeldt of OPETH notably delivers a special guest guitar solo on the track, "Unputenpu".

"Goh-ka" was recorded across multiple studios, and once again mixed and mastered by Lasse Lammert at LSD studios in Germany.

"Goh-ka" track listing:

01. Kuso-shi 1, 2, and 3 (09:11)
02. Jigoku-Zoshi 1: Unkamusho (03:55)
03. Anzenshokon (06:24)
04. Kuso-shi 4, 5, and 6 (07:21)
05. Shoso (00:56)
06. Unputenpu (05:41)
07. Jinmenjushin (06:14)
08. Jigoku-Zoshi 2: Tokatsujigoku (03:06)
09. Kushukankyo (01:47)
10. Kuso-shi 7 (01:56)
11. Kuso-shi 8 and 9 / Mettaijakujo (11:23)

SIGH formed in 1989/1990. Their genre-classic black metal debut "Scorn Defeat" arrived in 1993, and with a subsequent journey through the strange and the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles and ideas throughout their career, SIGH has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field while maintaining their old-school roots, as witnessed on the 2022 album (and first for Peaceville Records) "Shiki". This was followed by the remaking of their "Hangman's Hymn" album as part of the band's 35th-anniversary celebrations, in the shape of "I Saw The World's End: Hangman's Hymn MMXXV" (2025).

Photo by Poka

Billy Morrison has teamed with Dexter Holland for "Never Gonna Change", a fiery pop punk anthem that merges raging guitars and a prison-break pace with the unmistakable vocals of THE OFFSPRING lead singer. This unstoppably catchy anthem of alienation and rebellion is the latest single from the British guitarist, singer, and songwriter's album "Hollow", due out August 7 via TLG | ZOID, distributed by Virgin Music Group. Watch the Mike Savage-directed lyric video below.

"Never Gonna Change" paints a picture of a dysfunctional home life and the feeling of eternal youth — live for the moment, party hard, regret nothing…the battle cry of every generation.

"'Never Gonna Change' is one of those perfect pop punk slices of rebellion that hopefully spans a couple of generational gaps," says Morrison. "Teenagers will always feel the same — misunderstood — and Dexter has been one of the most vital voices of teenage angst and rebellion since THE OFFSPRING hit the world running in 1984. So when I finished writing this track with Los Angeles-based songwriter Jacob Bunton, it was clear we wanted Dexter to be the voice of the track. Dexter and I recently performed together in ROYAL MACHINES [Morrison's side project], so I dropped him a text and he loved the idea. Thanks to the miracle of modern technology, he was able to record his tracks in the middle of an OFFSPRING tour, and Barry Pointer mixed it all into the killer track we have here."

Says Dexter Holland: "Billy Morrison has a great track record and is a good guy so when he sent me 'Never Gonna Change' for a collab, it was an immediate 'I'm in.' The song is just the right amount of angst, rebellion and fun. A summer banger if you ask me."

The video for "Never Gonna Change" is an eye-catching visual treat.

"The days of a black screen with white text for a lyric video are way behind us, and Mike Savage is creating killer, story-driven lyric videos which fit this track perfectly," says Morrison. "It's an easy, fun way to put some appropriate visuals to the song and get the lyrics out there. Mike did a great job on this one."

"Never Gonna Change" is the third single from "Hollow", following the album's first release, "Becoming" (featuring Sully Erna of GODSMACK and Grammy Award winner Nuno Bettencourt of EXTREME). The track peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and marked Morrison's third Top 20 rock track overall. Erna delivers an impassioned and raspy vocal performance on this song about transforming one's life from darkness to light and Bettencourt rises to the occasion, ripping pure hellfire on his guest solo.

Morrison then hit hard with the sonically explosive and lyrically gripping single "Hollow", along with an artful and eye-popping lyric video that traces Morrison's previously unhinged life.

Throughout an illustrious career, Morrison has played live in front of millions of fans, collaborated with every A-list rockstar under the sun (even notching a No. 1 single with the late Ozzy Osbourne),sold his paintings in galleries on multiple continents, and logged hundreds of hours on-air as a radio host for SiriusXM. And yet — some folks wonder, "Who the F%@K is Billy Morrison?" Which is the title of a new short film that answers the question. Directed and edited by Mike Savage, it tells his story through punchy editing, candid footage, and new interviews with Duff McKagan of GUNS N' ROSES, Al Jourgensen of MINISTRY, B-Real of CYPRESS HILL, Nuno Bettencourt of EXTREME, mixer/engineer/producer Barry Pointer, and Morrison himself. Watch the six-minute documentary below.

Two years ago, Morrison released "The Morrison Project" via TLG | ZOID distributed by Virgin Music Group. It marked his third solo album (and first since 2015) and produced the No. 1 Active Rock Song (Mediabase) in America: "Crack Cocaine" featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Stevens and co-written by all three artists. A deluxe edition of the album followed in 2025 and bonus track "Gods Of Rock And Roll (Orchestral)" — another seismic collaboration with Osbourne and Stevens — landed in the Active Rock Top Ten (Mediabase).

"Hollow" will follow the success of "The Morrison Project" format with 12 songs, half sung by Morrison and half sung by a handful of Morrison's friends. Guests include Dexter Holland, Marilyn Manson, Chuck D, B Real, Duff McKagan, Steve Stevens, DMC, and the above-mentioned Sully Erna and Nuno Bettencourt, among others. "Forgive Me", "The Tailor", "No Suspects", "Another Day", "Leave No Trace" and "Becoming" are among the song titles.

Photos by Jane Stuart (Billy Morrison) and Federica Burrelli (Dexter Holland) (courtesy of SRO PR)

Nikki Sixx is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his getting sober.

The 67-year-old MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist credited his sobriety with giving him a life he "never imagined was possible."

Earlier today (Thursday, July 2),he Instagrammed an image revealing he had been sober for 25 years and shared a message in which he wrote: "Today marks 25 years of sobriety.

"It's hard to wrap a lifetime of lessons into a few paragraphs, but one thing has never changed: sobriety gave me a life I never imagined was possible," he continued. "It gave me my family. It taught me how to be present instead of just existing. It showed me what it means to be a husband, a father, a friend, and a bandmate — not perfectly, but honestly.

"Somewhere along the way, I realized recovery wasn't just about what I had to leave behind. It was about discovering everything that had been waiting for me on the other side. It gave me a kick in the ass as a writer, a photographer, a songwriter, and a dreamer. Every book, every lyric, every photograph, every new creative idea has grown from a mind no longer clouded by chaos. When the noise finally quieted, creativity found a way to speak louder…

"Life is still life," Sixx added. "We are spiritual beings having a human experience. There is joy and heartbreak, loss and gratitude, victories and setbacks. I've learned that asking for help is an act of courage, that taking care of our mental health is as important as taking care of our bodies, and that healing isn't a destination — it's a daily practice.

"If my story helps even one person believe there's another way, then every scar has found a purpose.

"Twenty-five years later, I don't celebrate perfection. I celebrate progress. I celebrate love. I celebrate the people who walked beside me when I couldn't walk alone. And today, as always, I'm grateful for the greatest gift recovery has ever given me: Another 24 hours."

When Nikki celebrated the 22nd anniversary of his getting sober three years ago, he wrote: "It has been one hell of beautiful and sometimes difficult journey. People always say 'GOOD FOR YOU' like some kinda pat on my head. I do understand what they are trying to say. Truth is-Nobody held my hand while I was kicking heroin, in fact nobody even called to even check on me. Nor did anybody hold by hair while I was vomiting blood. I had to make the decision alone to change my life but it wasn't until I finally found the program that my life truly changed and I learned the tools for a beautiful life even in the face of adversity. That's where I found people who understood my addiction. Obviously you have to want to do it for YOU but untangling the messy past takes more than willpower.

"People don't always understand addiction, they think we have some kinda moral affliction when the truth is we are simply allergic to drink and drugs. You are not alone. Seek others out with some sober time under their belt who will understand where you're at. Isn't that what we need, to be understood? Sure we can blame it in our family ( etc ).

"My mom and dad failed me and I carried that pain til I almost killed myself but I also couldn't see all the beauty around that I had growing up. My grandparents raised me and took care of me. I got to spend a lot of time in country. I'll forever be in debt to their unconditional love.

"When you are ready there will be a spiritual awakening waiting for you. Simply admit you are powerless over drugs and alcohol ( etc ). Otherwise your ego will kill YÖÜ. The beneficiaries are the people you love plus the never ending joy of feeling alive in this short life. Do it for you and pass it on to the people you love and those in need.

"Since I got sober I've had people try to stab me in the back, lie about me, steal from me and kick me in the nuts. Do you know how Ive been able to handle it? By STAYING sober. Sobriety gives you a chance to be strong yet also to do the next right thing.

"I don't want a pat on the head or a good job Nikki. I would love to just pass this BEAUTIFUL message on to those in NEED of a positive program ( AA) and the message of LOVE.

"For those still suffering there is hope. I am a work in progress. I still have work to do but I try to mitigate my life one day at a time.

"I love you. Love yourself back too. God bless."

Sixx struggled with substance abuse for years and was even supposedly declared clinically dead after a heroin overdose in 1987 made his heart stop for two minutes. He has since become actively involved in a recovery "program," which he credits for helping him transform his life and relationships.

"By letting go of self and ego, working a program that connects you to a higher power and giving back to those still struggling are just some of the important things you learn through sobriety," Sixx wrote when he celebrated nine years of sobriety in July 2013. "You get to repair the damage done from drink, drugs and horrific behaviors (that broke people's hearts who loved you."

The rocker, who detailed his near-fatal drug addiction in the best-selling book "The Heroin Diaries", added: "For me, taking away the substance just gave [me] an honest view of who I had become and then the healing started. I do believe without any program to help, many are just dry drunks and there is always a danger of them going out again. I've been there. It's not pretty. This is no joking matter to me, so I take it seriously."

Asked by The Guardian about a diary entry in "The Heroin Diaries" where he described himself as an "alcoholic heroin and coke addict getting into pills" and how he spent Christmas Day 1986 naked under the Christmas tree, clutching a shotgun, Nikki said: "Well, if you shoot enough cocaine, you go into a kind of psychosis, and I believed people were coming to get me. Scary place, let me tell you. It reads like some kind of a dark horror story or bedtime thriller. But in real life, the trauma that psychosis puts your body through is on a cellular level. You believe that you’re going to have an experience even though it's not really happening. I can remember those, because you come out of them, and it's scary. But you can only imagine what it would be like to be insane and not come out of it, or a version of that, like dementia."

Sixx is not the only member of MÖTLEY CRÜE who has battled alcohol addiction. Singer Vince Neil's 1984 drunk-driving accident killed HANOI ROCKS drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley and seriously injured two others. He spent 15 days in jail and received five years probation.

"It was rough for everybody after that accident," Neil told USA Today in 2020. "I tried to stay sober for a few years, but it's tough when there's no support system around you. They were still doing coke and drinking and carrying on, and I just couldn't be a part of it."

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Ozzy Osbourne's iconic throne, last seen at the "Back To The Beginning" concert, is now on display at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in his home city to coincide with the anniversary of his final gig and his death in July last year.

The black gothic-style throne is a special addition to the free exhibition "Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero" from Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Check out video from Ozzy's social media and Birmingham Live below.

Originally built for Ozzy's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2024, the throne was last seen during his solo performance and BLACK SABBATH's final concert on July 5, 2025 at Villa Park.

With nods to the heavy metal singer's life and work, including bat wing motifs, it is a poignant reminder of Ozzy as fans prepare to mark the first year since he died on July 22, 2025.

The throne joins a wide range of personal memorabilia, photographs and lifetime of awards in the exhibition which celebrates the life, music and cultural impact of the Birmingham-born global rock icon.

Visitors can see Ozzy's remarkable journey from his upbringing in Aston to becoming one of the most influential and recognizable figures in rock music.

Curated by Central BID Birmingham and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in collaboration with the Osbourne family, the exhibition has been extended twice and welcomed over 640,000 visitors since it opened in June 2025. Due to popular demand, it now runs until Sunday, September 27, 2026.

Sharon Osbourne said: "As we approach the one-year anniversary of 'Back To The Beginning', it feels fitting that Ozzy's throne, which has now become synonymous with his final performance, would be placed in the museum, where it can be seen by the fans who loved him."

Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives at Birmingham Museums Trust, said: "We are delighted to be able to display Ozzy's throne at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. This extraordinary object is instantly recognizable to fans around the world and represents a powerful final chapter in Ozzy's remarkable career.

"As we mark the first anniversary of his passing, it offers visitors a special opportunity to come together, remember Ozzy and celebrate the legacy of a true Birmingham legend."

Sam Watson, chair of Central BID Birmingham, said: "Since the momentous 'Back To The Beginning' gig last year, Central BID has been working closely with the Osbourne family to bring Ozzy's throne back to Birmingham, so fans can see it up close and feel the spirit of Ozzy is still with everyone.

"We were determined to bring this iconic throne back to Ozzy's home city first, a place he loved so much and for his fans to be able to visit, and we are grateful to Sharon and her family for allowing us to make this happen."

Councillor Deborah Harries, Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Culture, said: "Ozzy Osbourne is one of Birmingham's most foremost cultural figures, and it is only right that we continue to honor his extraordinary legacy here in the city where his journey began.

"The return of his iconic throne to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery gives fans and visitors a powerful new way to connect with his story at what is an emotional moment, marking a year since his passing.

"This exhibition has already welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors and demonstrates the global pull of Birmingham's musical heritage. We're proud to support this collaboration with Birmingham Museums Trust and partners, which not only celebrates Ozzy's life but also brings people into the heart of our city.

"Working closely with partners we will be promoting other SABBATH-related activity to experience in the city over the summer."

"Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero" is an exhibition by Central BID Birmingham, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Sharon Osbourne Management, sponsored by Ocean Outdoor and supported by Birmingham City Council and Aston Villa FC.

Ozzy's death certificate revealed that he died of a heart attack. The certificate filed in London also said Osbourne suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

A private funeral service for Ozzy was held on July 31, 2025 on the 250-acre grounds of the house the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife bought in 1993 in Buckinghamshire, England. Only 110 of the singer's friends and family members attended the service, including his SABBATH bandmates, Robert Trujillo (METALLICA),Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, Marilyn Manson and Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT).

The day before the private funeral, thousands of fans gathered in the streets of Birmingham to pay tribute to Ozzy. Sharon, along with their children Aimée, Kelly and Jack, joined mourners for the emotional tribute.

A year ago, Ozzy reunited with the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — for what was his final performance at the "Back To The Beginning" charity concert in their original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

At "Back To The Beginning", Ozzy played a five-song set with his solo band — consisting of guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Mike Inez, keyboardist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos — before being joined by Iommi, Butler and Ward for four classic SABBATH songs: "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "N.I.B." and "Paranoid".

Ozzy's solo set consisted of four songs from Osbourne's 1980 solo debut album "Blizzard Of Ozz" — "I Don't Know", "Mr. Crowley", "Suicide Solution" and "Crazy Train" — along with his 1991 "No More Tears" ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home".

The 76-year-old heavy metal singer sang while seated on a black throne and appeared overcome with emotion at times. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd.

SHINEDOWN has earned its first-ever Billboard Country Airplay chart entry with the hit single "Searchlight" at No. 54 on this week's chart. The track is taken from SHINEDOWN's latest album, "Ei8ht", which arrived on May 29 via Atlantic Records. The LP was produced by SHINEDOWN bassist and songwriter Eric Bass at his Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina.

Billboard reports: "After nearly a quarter century of ruling Billboard's rock charts, SHINEDOWN crosses over to its first entry on a country ranking, as 'Searchlight' debuts at No. 54 on Country Airplay (dated June 27). The song drew 980,000 audience impressions in the June 12-18 tracking week, according to Luminate."

"It means a lot to us," SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers states of charting on Country Airplay. "The fact that we can even be accepted by another format is really cool to us. So, thank you to country radio for playing the song. We know they're a group of people who are very proud of what they do, so thank you very much for letting us in."

Earlier this year, the song went No. 1 on two rock radio charts: No. 1 on Mediabase's Active Rock chart and No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The band currently holds the all-time records for the most No. 1 songs in the history of both Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and the Mediabase Active Rock chart. Most recently, "Safe And Sound" extended both records, becoming SHINEDOWN's 23rd No. 1 on Billboard and record-extending 25th No. 1 on Mediabase. With this achievement, SHINEDOWN further extended its all-time records for the most No. 1 songs on both charts — two incredible milestones that continue to solidify their unmatched dominance at radio.

Beyond radio, SHINEDOWN has continued to expand its reach with a performance on the grand finale of "American Idol", a headlining set at Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival, the launch of their "Dance, Kid, Dance Act II" world tour spanning 11 countries, and consecutive wins as "Rock Artist Of The Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards two years in a row. Recent coverage from Rolling Stone, Parade, Billboard, USA Today, American Songwriter and more has further spotlighted SHINEDOWN's continued evolution and growing cultural footprint.

"From the very beginning, this band has always been about people," says SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith. "This album was built for everyone. No matter where you come from, what you believe, what you're carrying, or what you're trying to overcome, there's something in this record for you. We've never wanted to make music that excludes people. We want people to feel seen in it."

For over 20 years, SHINEDOWN has built a career on creating music that meets people where they are. Whether it's an arena anthem, a deeply personal confession, a song about survival, mental health, loss, resilience, hope, or finding your place in the world, the band's music has resonated across generations and genres in a way few modern bands ever achieve. With "Ei8ht", SHINEDOWN continues that tradition with their most expansive, fearless, and emotionally accessible body of work to date.

The album arrived after an unprecedented run for the band, with its pre-release singles already amassing more than 91 million streams across streaming platforms. That momentum has been fueled by "Dance, Kid, Dance", "Killing Fields", "Searchlight", "Safe And Sound", "Outlaw" and crossover smash "Three Six Five", which reached #1 at Alternative radio while climbing the Hot AC and Top 40 charts.

And while many bands two decades into their career settle into legacy status, SHINEDOWN continues to expand their audience and redefine what success for a modern band can look like. With over 8.3 billion global streams, 10 million albums sold worldwide, 15 platinum and gold singles, platinum or gold certification across their catalog, and more No. 1 songs on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and the Mediabase Active Rock chart than any artist in history, the band continues to evolve.

That reach comes from the fact that SHINEDOWN have never been defined by one scene, one audience, or one kind of listener. Their music speaks to rock fans, parents, kids, outsiders, veterans, festival crowds, people struggling silently, and anyone looking for songs that feel honest and human. In a divided cultural landscape, SHINEDOWN have quietly become something few artists achieve: everyone's band.

This summer, the band will carry their massive global momentum into the "Dance, Kid, Dance Act II" world tour spanning 11 countries and more than 50 dates across North America and Europe. Building on the band's longstanding philanthropic efforts, SHINEDOWN will donate $1 from every ticket sold to City Of Hope, a leading cancer research and treatment organization, continuing their commitment to creating meaningful impact beyond the stage. Not to mention this October the band will be hosting their first-ever curated festival event — Shinedown's Lunatic Ball Beach Weekend, taking place October 23-25, 2026 in Miramar Beach, Florida. The three-day destination experience will feature performances from SHINEDOWN (two headlining sets),BUSH, HANSON, FLYLEAF (with Lacey Sturm),LIVING COLOUR, FROM ASHES TO NEW, GUARDIANS OF THE JUKEBOX, NEON MOONERS and more to be announced.

Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz

METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation is granting $100,000 to earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela through longtime partner Direct Relief.

On June 24, Venezuela was hit by back-to-back, devastating earthquakes, registering at magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, less than a minute apart. More than 600 aftershocks have continued to strike, hindering already dire rescue operations and increasing fear within the displaced community.

The full scale of the damage is yet to be determined. More than 68,000 people were reported missing within three days of the disaster, and the official death toll is now over 2,000. Reports from the United Nations indicate that up to 6.8 million Venezuelans may be affected, which includes being displaced or losing access to electricity and water. Early satellite analysis by NASA suggests nearly 60,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed. The Venezuelan Red Cross said it expected to address the needs of at least 300,000 people for the next two years.

Coordinating with agencies at the regional and local levels, Direct Relief is mobilizing emergency medical aid and supporting search-and-rescue operations. The organization is providing emergency funding to support the deployment of Bomberos Unidos Sin Fronteras (BUSF),a Spain-based search-and-rescue organization, to assist with on-the-ground operations. At the same time, Direct Relief is preparing medical aid commonly needed after earthquakes, including first-aid supplies, hygiene items for displaced families, medicines used to treat acute injuries, and chronic disease medications for people whose access to routine care may be interrupted.

All Within My Hands' $100,000 grant will support Direct Relief as the organization continues to respond to requests in the region as they become known.

Established in 2017, All Within My Hands (AWMH) is a non-profit, philanthropic organization conceived by the members and management of METALLICA and dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services. METALLICA covers all administrative costs, so 100% of donations go directly to the organizations supported by the Foundation. To date, All Within My Hands has provided grants of $19 million to career and technical education programs through its Metallica Scholars Initiative, $8.8 million to combat food insecurity, and $6.2 million to disaster relief and other critical local services worldwide.

In a new interview with Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon, L.A. GUNS frontman Phil Lewis was asked about the new look he recently debuted, having cut off all of his long, luscious locks in favor of a super-short, cropped hairdo. Phil said: "It's funny because I look back at us in the late '80s, and all the bands that were around at the time in the Hollywood scene, they all looked the fucking same. They all had the same hair. They all wore the same kind of threads, and they all claimed to be individuals. It was, like, 'No, we are individuals.' And they weren't. It was a uniform. Everyone dressed the same, everyone spoke the same, everyone behaved the same. Looking back on it now, I see old flyers for bands that didn't break through, and it's absolutely terribly boring. Cut to now. We played the Whisky this year on New Year's Eve, and then we didn't have anything for a couple of months. I went home, looked at myself in the mirror, and thought, 'Oh, this hair. I'm going to get it cut. Or I've got to dye it because it's getting a bit gray. Should I part it on the left? Part it on the right? Down the middle? Push it back? Push it forward?' And I just said, 'Fuck it.' I shaved it all off. The whole fucking thing!"

Phil continued: "Honestly, I'd been meaning to do it for a long time, and it was just where the dice landed. I thought, 'Whatever. I'm going to start again from scratch.' Fortunately, it's grown since February, and it's doing its own thing. I'm not doing anything to it.

"I didn't plan on stopping dyeing my hair or stopping trying to tease it up," Lewis explained. "I didn't plan on any of that. It was just liberating. It felt so liberating not to have to fucking worry about it. And it's grown in beautifully. Tracii [Guns, L.A. GUNS guitarist] loves it, and 99% of the fans love it. Some of the South American diehards think, 'He's sold out. He's just getting old now.' And they can fuck off. I tell them that, and our fans tell them that as well! So be it.

"This is it," Phil added. "I'm never going to dye my hair again. I'm never going to try and look like I'm 30 anymore. I'm over that. And consequently, dress sense as well. I've got all the gear. I've got all the leathers and all the studs and all of that. But I'm a bit bored with that, to be honest with you. I'll leave that to Alice Cooper! I'm just being myself."

L.A. GUNS will release a new live CD and DVD, "Live From The Guild Theatre", on July 3 via Cleopatra Records. Recorded on July 10, 2025 at The Guild Theatre in Menlo Park, California and celebrating the release of the band's then-new album "Leopard Skin", L.A. GUNS fire off killer versions of fan favorites, including "Electric Gypsy", "One More Reason", "The Ballad Of Jayne" and more.

The L.A. GUNS lineup for "Live From The Guild Theatre" consists of singer Phil Lewis, guitarist and band founder Tracii Guns, bassist Johnny Martin, guitarist Ace Von Johnson and touring drummer Shawn Duncan.

"Leopard Skin" was released in April 2025. It marked the first fruit of L.A. GUNS' reunion with Cleopatra Records, a label known for its diverse roster and innovative approach to music production.

Hot on the heels of 2023's "Black Diamonds" album, "Leopard Skin" was L.A. GUNS' fifth studio effort in seven years, since the core team of Lewis and Guns reunited in 2017. "Leopard Skin", like the last few L.A. GUNS records, reconvened the tight-knit lineup of Guns, Lewis, Martin, Von Johnson and studio drummer Adam Hamilton.

STICK MEN, the progressive powerhouse featuring KING CRIMSON's Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto with multi-instrumentalist and composer Markus Reuter, returns with its first new album in over a decade, "Let's Thrak Again", a Robert Fripp-sanctioned homage to KING CRIMSON's eleventh studio album, "Thrak", which was originally released on April 3, 1995 through Virgin Records.

STICK MEN has released an early preview of the collection with today's arrival of "Swimming In Tea", the only vocal performance on the record with Reuter stepping up to the microphone before the song erupts into one of Levin's signature Chapman Stick solos.

"Let's Thrak Again" is presented as two entirely distinct versions. Reel One, mixed by Stefano Castagna (producer/engineer for "Super Eurobeat" and founder of Ritmo & Blu Studio) and Reel Two, mixed by Fabio Trentini (producer/engineer and bassist for H-BLOCKX and GUANO APES). The two versions feature different mixes, alternate track sequences, and contrasting sonic perspectives that transform the material into two distinct listening experiences.

"'Let's Thrak Again' is 60 minutes of pure, kinetic energy," notes the band. "We didn't just write 12 new compositions; we designed an entirely new sonic vocabulary for them."

Reflecting on the two reels concept, the trio adds: "Our audience listens deeply. They don't just want to hear the notes; they want to understand the architecture of the sound. By having Stefano and Fabio approach the exact same music with completely different visions, we are handing the listener the ultimate audiophile puzzle. It's a roll of the dice, a sonic triptych, and a tribute to the heavy, mechanical impact of the original 'Thrak' era."

Pre-orders for the September 4 release are available now via Bandcamp, with the 26-song collection available on vinyl, CD, and digitally.

"Let's Thrak Again" (Reel One) track listing:

01. Let's Thrak Again
02. Like We Did Last Summer
03. Haggin Triptych
04. Komodo
05. Swimming In Tea
06. Bash Machine
07. Reading The Future
08. Thief Of The Dice
09. Brutal
10. Dark Birthday
11. Fandango
12. The Well

"Let's Thrak Again" (Reel Two) track listing:

01. Dark Birthday
02. Komodo
03. Let's Thrak Again
04. Like We Did Last Summer
05. Renoir
06. Swimming In Tea
07. Bash Machine
08. Brutal (Pat)
09. Carriage Parade
10. Fandango
11. Reading The Future
12. The Well
13. Thief Of The Dice
14. Yosemite Sunset

The "Let's Thrak Again" album cover features artwork by Ritxi Ostariz and can be seen below.

The foundation of STICK MEN rests on a musical partnership spanning decades, anchored by musicians who have helped shape modern rock.

Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, PINK FLOYD) is one of the most recorded and revered bass players in history. In STICK MEN, he wields his signature Chapman Stick — a striking 12-string instrument played by tapping the fretboard with both hands like a piano. This technique allows him to execute heavy, driving bass lines and complex melodies simultaneously.

He is joined by his longtime KING CRIMSON rhythm section partner, Pat Mastelotto (MR. MISTER, XTC),who commands a sprawling hybrid drum kit. By seamlessly blending raw acoustic drums with electronic pads, loops, and industrial samples, Mastelotto creates the band's massive, kinetic heartbeat.

To complete the triad, they are joined by Markus Reuter, a brilliant composer who plays his self-designed eight-string Touch Guitar. Utilizing a similar two-handed tapping technique, Reuter acts as the band's sonic architect, weaving everything from lush, cinematic chords to blistering, soaring leads. Together, this unique combination of instruments creates a sprawling, orchestral wall of sound that completely defies the traditional boundaries of a three-piece band.

Photo credit: Jeff Myers