In a new interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the Rock Interview Series, legendary rock bassist Rudy Sarzo discussed his recent admission that he utilized artificial intelligence (A.I.) during the production process of his two new solo singles, "Your Heart Is The Road" and "For The Love Of Love". He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "By next year, there's not gonna be any need [for anybody] to confess [to using A.I. in the music production process]. It's gonna be taken as a given that some sort of a assisted A.I. has been involved with everything. Because I gotta tell you, even if you record analog and you're doing everything with humans in the room, by the time it gets mixed, it's gonna be A.I. assisted. All the new plugins contain that. So unless you're using a really old-school engineer that just sticks with analog and is not gonna use any plugins, which are getting harder to find, it's gonna be A.I. assisted. And so will be the mastering. So by a year from now, it's not even gonna be a topic of conversation anymore. It's like talking about MIDI. Does anybody talk about MIDI anymore? No. But back in the day, it was, like, 'Whoa.' Does anybody talk about loops?"

Rudy continued: "My background, as far as technology goes, if I see it coming, I do something about it. I embrace it, because you can't stop progress or technology in general. When loops started happening around 1995, I immediately embraced the idea. As a matter of fact, I shifted from using Logic Pro, which I had the first version of it, and I already had [Digidesign] Session 8, which was the Pro Tools interface… Just going through conventions, the NAMM Show, I came across the people who were involved with Acid, which was the first loop-based software, and it was just Windows-centric, so I cannot use my Mac. So I switched over from my Quadra 650 to an HP PC. And so I was asked by them to create the first bass loop collection... They did not ask me to include samples, but I said, 'You know what? Let me take it a step further. Let me do some sampling here.' So I sampled every note of four-, five-, and six-string basses that I have, and they're included. It's called 'Workingman's Bass', and that's — what? — 31 years ago. So at the same time, there were some musicians that were going, 'No, I cannot...' Because I was asked to by the company Sonic Foundry, that later on became Sony, Sony Music Media Software, Sony Software, releasing Vegas and Acid, Sonic Foundry programs that they had, applications. And so I was asked by them, 'Listen, if you have any of your buddies who are name and that would like to be part of this library that we're building of loops.' I approached a few, and some of them declined because they felt that their sound was gonna be stolen. So 35 years later, I have that out, and I'm still working. Nobody has stolen my sound because I'm always changing. I'm always progressing. It's not like I have one sound. I have many sounds because, to me, it's all about music. It's all about what fits."

Sarzo added: "I think of my bass, the tone of my bass, as a character in a play or a movie. It's a character. And it has a profile. It has a history to it. That's how I approach it. So it has to fit in within the storyline of the music. That's how I approach music. You have the lyrics, which is the script, and then you have the soundtrack, which is the music to it. So I just wanted to say that because I wanna give background that I'm not just jumping on new technology. I've been jumping on new technology since the electric guitar or the electric bass existed. I'm actually older than the first Fender ever built for consumers. I'm 75. The Fender, I think it came out in '51 — '50, '51."

Asked what part of his new solo singles were created using A.I., Rudy said: "Yeah, the vocalist is A.I., the instrumentation is A.I., but I have a demo. See, it's not just about doing that. First you have to have a demo, is what I do. I mean, some people just use A.I. — let's say Suno, which is what I use — some people use Suno, like, 'Yeah, my girlfriend is having a birthday, so I wanna write her a song.' So on the prompt, which is basically you're given the opportunity to be a producer, which you get in a room with a musician that you call up because you say, Okay, this is the song.' First the producer gets the song. 'I'm gonna produce this.' Or maybe the producer has written the song already, or is producing for an artist, so he's producing an artist, or the artist brings the songs. And the producer starts thinking… This is traditional, what I'm talking about. This is how it's been done from the beginning. So thinking about who would be good on the drums for this song, and who would be the bass player and the keyboard player. Sometimes for the whole record you have a whole session band. Sometimes you don't. Sometimes you have different people. STEELY DAN was notorious for having multiple musicians record the same song, and they would just pick… I mean, if you wanna know about that, there's plenty of YouTube videos about that. Also, STEELY DAN, with 'Gaucho', the record 'Gaucho', they actually used the first actual drum machine, and I believe this was in the '70s, pre-LinnDrum. Their engineer offered to build it because they thought about it. They thought about, 'Well, how about instead of bringing all these drummers in, we just create drums ourselves in the studio?' And I believe it cost about $100,000 to build, but that's how they did it."

"Your Heart Is The Road" was made available on June 24, 2026 in celebration of Rudy and his wife Rebecca's 42nd wedding anniversary.

As a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band, from March 1981 to September 1982, Rudy toured the world in support of the "Blizzard Of Ozz" and "Diary Of A Madman" records. His bass playing can be heard on Ozzy's multimillion-selling CD "Tribute" and "Speak Of The Devil" CD and DVD.

As a member of QUIET RIOT, from September 1982 to January 1985, Rudy recorded the multi-platinum albums "Metal Health", the first heavy metal debut to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart and "Condition Critical". During this period, he headlined worldwide tours, appeared on numerous MTV videos and was voted No. 1 bassist in Circus magazine for 1983.

As a member of WHITESNAKE, from April 1987 to September 1994, Rudy recorded the multi-platinum album "Slip Of The Tongue". During this period he also performed worldwide on headline tours in support of the multiplatinum "1987" and "Slip Of The Tongue" albums and appeared in six MTV videos.

In April 2004, Rudy became member of DIO and remained the band's bassist until Ronnie James Dio's passing in 2010. During that time Rudy toured the world with DIO and recorded the "Holy Diver 25th Anniversary Live" DVD and CD and DIO's last studio track "Elektra". In addition, when Rudy was not busy with DIO, he toured the world with BLUE ÖYSTER CULT until 2012. From 2013 through 2014 Rudy was a recording and touring member of Geoff Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE. In 2021, Rudy rejoined QUIET RIOT after an 18-year absence.

Image credit: Melvin Zoopers

American black metal band ABIGAIL WILLIAMS has begun recording its seventh studio album & successor to “A Void Within Existence” from 2025.

The band comments: “Recording has begun on our 7th full-length album. Drums are done, once again handled by Mike Heller, and the rest of the work is now underway at Ken’s home studio. We began before our European tour, which was a great success, and after a couple of weeks to recover, the work has resumed in earnest. Thanks to Fortress Fest UK and Zappenduster for having us, and to our support bands in Ireland and Shagor across mainland Europe. No shortcuts are being taken; the goal is to match the intensity of our last two albums, and push it further. Another update will follow once recording is complete and we move into mixing. Release is set for early next year.”



ABIGAIL WILLIAMS is Ken Sorceron (ex-Aborted, ex-The Faceless, Vale Of Pnath, Nachtmystium) on vocals and guitars, Vance Valenzuela (Vale Of Pnath) on guitars, John Porada (ex-Nachtmystium, ex-Wolvhammer) on bass and Mike Heller (Fear Factory, Malignancy) on drums. With Sorceron retaining his leading role, the band expands on its unique and intensive sound, forged throughout six studio albums, and anchored in black metal with shades of death metal & symphonic metal.

Their last album, “A Void Within Existence” was released to critical acclaim in 2025. Produced by frontman Ken Sorceron and mixed by renowned engineer Dave Otero (Aborted, Akhlys), the album is a scorched offering of black metal transcendence: harrowing, cinematic, and utterly uncompromising. Lyrically, it dives deep into existential themes of loss, disintegration, and unreality. Tracks like “Still Nights” and “No Less Than Death” reflect on identity through surreal and fragmented images – distant lights, poisoned memories, dreams where “there is no pain”. Elsewhere, songs like “Embrace The Chasm” and “Life, Disconnected” summon visions of cosmic dread and personal oblivion, confronting the listener with raw emotion and esoteric vision.

Finnish black metallers BLOODMOTHER will release their debut album “Militant Black Magic” on September 25th, 2026, via Time To Kill Records.

A sharp and uncompromising record, it refuses shortcuts and avoids hiding behind pretentious structures or overly foggy atmospheric detours. Instead, it focuses on pure impact and precision, built entirely on riffs that cut deep and leave no room for distraction. The album stands as a severe statement of intent, stripping everything back to its essential violence and clarity, delivering a sound that is direct, punishing and relentlessly focused on damage rather than ornament.

The first single “Liturgical Decay” is available now: https://ffm.to/bloodmother-liturgical-decay


The band commented:

“Liturgical decay, the meaningless ritualization of dead flesh. When Death calls and the pious decompose, the futility of their faith becomes evident. This is what Bloodmother is all about, a sonic war machine rolling over your graves in celebration of the end of life”.

Tracklist:

1. Bloodmother
2. Liturgical Decay
3. Stella Invictus
4. Traitor’s Tongue
5. Inhumanitarian
6. Iron Hound
7. You Are Nothing
8. Lusting For Demonic Filth
9. Angelic Scourge

During a June 24 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", renowned guitarist Joel Hoekstra, who has worked with WHITESNAKE, NIGHT RANGER, Cher and the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, spoke about what it has been like performing with RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy as part of the singer's "Undercover" 2026 tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been great fun getting started with that. Obviously, [there's some] great guitar stuff [in those classic RATT songs], man. And great guys. Stephen's always been great to me over the years, and [he] reached out about, I guess, at least for starters this year. [And the schedule is] fairly light — I think something like eight shows or something that we're doing together this year — but it's going great. He's a great guy, man. I really, really enjoy him."

Regarding how he has approached performing material originally recorded by RATT guitarist Warren DeMartini, Joel said: "I guess, quite frankly, a lot of my year was kind of laid out by the time the gigs came along, so I was just doing... As far as going into it, I was kind of looking at, 'Okay, how am I gonna get this all learned when I'm playing?' I think leading in the three weeks prior to the first gig, I had 75 other songs that I was playing or something insane. So I just kind of went about initially coming in knowing the main solos and, of course, the songs and then some improv and kind of doing my own thing with some of the other solos. And now as it's going, just trying to really dial in and do all the DeMartini stuff justice. Warren's obviously one of the great guitar players of that era, so if I'm a fan, I wanna hear the solos too. So as I go, I'm just more and more getting that dialed in, is the way I look at it."

After "Trunk Nation" host Eddie Trunk noted that Hoekstra is likely "nailing" the RATT classics, as he did when he played with NIGHT RANGER and WHITESNAKE, Joel said:  "Yeah, I think that that realistically is the gig, so to speak, in my view. If I'm a fan, I like hearing the stuff faithfully duplicated. And then it's fun to see somebody step in there and see how they do with that. And, yeah, there's definitely a side of me, especially at this phase in my career, that really enjoys playing like myself more and more. So obviously things like having this [JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13] album out, and over the years I've done four of those, and also three instrumental albums before any of that stuff, so seven records of my own, I feel like I definitely have my own approach to guitar. And I would like to think that that's been an important part of my, I guess, body of work you'd call it, over the course of my career, not just being like a side man. But I do enjoy getting out and, I guess, being that side man or playing in that role with others. I enjoy being part of a band. And whether that's a short-lived thing, like obviously, I did this with ACCEPT as well, hopping in with them for a bit, and that was a lot of material. And there's been a lot of playing situations like that, and it's fun to wear those different hats. I think it helps make you a better player. I saw Tracii Guns made a post recently about 'don't sleep on shedding other people's styles as part of upping your game,' and he's right. I think that, look, you can do your own thing, but you can also get a little too comfortable in your own thing. So sometimes things like this, I think, are good for you as a player, to get out and try to have to get after somebody else's playing style a bit. And certainly, I love Warren DeMartini's playing style. He's a great guitar player, man."

Pearcy is currently commemorating the 40th anniversary of RATT's third album, "Dancing Undercover", released in 1986, by hitting stages across America with a blistering set of 1980s knockout hits.

Joining Stephen and Joel in Pearcy's current touring lineup are Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) on drums, Matt Thorne (ROUGH CUTT, RATT) on bass, and Erik Ferentinos on guitar.

New York-based Hoekstra currently plays for TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Joel is also well known for his work with WHITESNAKE, Cher, NIGHT RANGER, the Broadway show "Rock Of Ages", his fill-in work with FOREIGNER, ACCEPT, his annual sets on the Monsters Of Rock cruise, recording projects like REVOLUTION SAINTS, ICONIC, viral collaboration videos with the likes of Dino Jelusick, Arnel Pineda, Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and his acoustic shows with Brandon Gibbs.

Exhibiting a knack for music education, he has also been a frequent columnist for Guitar World magazine, taught at Musician's Institute, Rockstars Of Tomorrow, Guitar Workshop Plus, and has often been a counselor at Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp.

Over the years, Joel has released three instrumental solo albums and four critically acclaimed albums with JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13. Most recently, he was the guest guitarist on "Dancing With The Stars" ("hair metal" episode) and played with Cher at her Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction and the "SNL 50" homecoming concert.

Video courtesy of Erik Ferentinos Unleashed

In a new interview with Rock Radio UK TV, former SKID ROW singer Erik Grönwall spoke about the sole album he recorded with the band, "The Gang's All Here", which arrived in October 2022 via earMUSIC. After the interviewer noted that he felt it was SKID ROW's best LP to date, Erik concurred. "I didn't have anything to do with the writing on that album, but when they sent me the songs, I felt the same way," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "[It sounded] like the SKID ROW that I grew up listening to. And, yeah, I love that album."

Reflecting on his time with SKID ROW, Erik said: "I was lucky to get the opportunity to be part of SKID ROW. And [former SKID ROW singer] Sebastian Bach has always been ... When I started singing, I listened to [SKID ROW's classic second album] 'Slave To The Grind' so many times, because I wanted to sing like him. I come from trying to sound like… When I started singing, I wanted to sound like Bon Scott [AC/DC], Sebastian Bach, Robert Plant [LED ZEPPELIN], all these great singers. And so I feel like I've had a lot of time to prepare for an album like that. So when I got the opportunity I was, like, 'Okay, I think I know what to do with this.' But then you always have fans that will prefer the original lineup. I'm the same as a fan. I have certain bands that I want the original lineup. So I totally get that perspective. But I think we had a really good thing together."

Grönwall, whose latest solo album, "Bad Bones", came out on May 22, was asked if he is focusing on his solo career moving forward instead of being "a gun for hire", as he was with SKID ROW and legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker. Erik said: "The door is always open for Michael. I love working with Michael. So I told them, because I had to say no to a couple of tours when I started working on this album, because I had to prioritize my time, and I wanted to get this album out there. And I e-mailed him, and I was, like, 'Michael, just so you know, I love touring with you. The reason I'm saying no now is because I have to focus on my own thing And I think you, of all people, know what that's like.' And he was, like, 'You rock.' So he knows that he can reach out to me anytime. But that being said, I am mainly focused on my own thing. And I already started working on writing songs for a new album. I feel like I just wanna keep writing. I wanna tour as much as possible, but it also has to make sense, obviously. I mean, I'm not gonna be everywhere. So, I just wanna do my thing, I guess."

Erik auditioned for "Swedish Idol" back in 2009 by singing a cover of SKID ROW's "18 And Life".

The 38-year-old Swedish-born musician, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, announced his departure from SKID ROW in March 2024, saying that it had become increasingly "difficult to prioritize" his health and full recovery as the lead singer of the group.

SKID ROW's longtime friend Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) handled lead vocals for the band's four concerts in late May 2024 and early June 2024, two months after Erik's exit from the group.

At the time of Grönwall's departure, SKID ROW members said in a statement that they were "proud" of what they had "created and accomplished with Erik" over the previous two years" and wished "nothing but the best to him and his health."

Grönwall sang on four H.E.A.T studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020).

More recently, Erik sang on two of Michael Schenker's albums, 2024's "My Years With UFO" and 2025's "Don't Sell Your Soul". He also toured Europe and Japan with the legendary German guitarist.

BLOODSTAIN unleash their new single “Annihilation Line,” taken from their upcoming self-titled album set for release on September 25th via Threeman Recordings / Sound Pollution. The track marks the band’s third release of the year and plays a key role in building momentum toward their debut album.

“Annihilation Line” is another uncompromising, forward driving single with a powerful intro and outro that set the tone and capture the energy of a full blown live show. During last year’s acclaimed performance at Sweden Rock Festival, BLOODSTAIN tested the intro on the crowd — who immediately responded and kept singing even after the band stopped playing, despite never having heard the song before. A clear sign of a hit ready anthem built for the big arenas. Young Swedish hard rock at its finest.

Stream the single here: https://orcd.co/tre058s5


BLOODSTAIN truly shows what hard rock should sound like in 2026: rooted in the classics, but delivered with maximum energy and presence.

With their signature riff discipline and modern live intensity, BLOODSTAIN have quickly established themselves as Sweden’s most explosive new hard rock act. After an impressive year of shows, the band has built a strong reputation that’s now starting to spread beyond Sweden’s borders.

Alx Hell comments:

“This is hard rock in 2026: classically grounded, but delivered with modern precision and total presence. ‘Annihilation Line’ is built to feel just as natural in headphones as it does from the front row.”

“Annihilation Line” is produced by Per Aldeheim, Alex Hellid and BLOODSTAIN.

BLOODSTAIN are:
Oskar Lindroos – Guitar/Vocals
Tobias Lindström – Guitar/Backing Vocals
Jonathan Thyberg – Bass/Backing Vocals
Benjam Norgren – Drums/Backing Vocals

ODSLAVE present the single “Part Of The Pack” – the new studio album will be released on September 11 at Metalville.

Some songs take a few listens to get into. Not “Part of the Pack”!

The new GODSLAVE single had the crowd fired up from the very first bars on the “…and practice for all” mini-tour and, within just a few gigs, became the sing-along highlight of the evening. Now, everyone outside the clubs can finally get their ears on this anthem.

“Part of the Pack” is dedicated to all those who’ve felt a bit different their whole lives. To those who never quite fitted in and wondered whether they belonged anywhere at all. The answer from the five lads from the Saarland is as simple as it is powerful: We know how it feels. You’re not alone.

The hook sticks in your head, the message in your heart. Live, “Part of the Pack” is already showing just how quickly strangers can become a community.

Because, at the end of the day, we’re all looking for the same thing: a place where we belong. A place where we’re part of the pack.


LINE UP
Thommy (Vocals)
Bernie (Guitar)
Manni (Guitar)
Mika (Bass)
Tobi (Drums)

Finnish melodic death metal band WHISPERED, renowned for blending Japanese musical influences and traditional themes with modern metal, will release their long-awaited fourth studio album, Honorbound, on September 11. Nearly a decade has passed since the band’s previous full-length, Metsutan (2016), making Honorbound a highly anticipated return.

The album campaign began in April with the release of the first single, “Ikikaere”, which climbed into YouTube’s Top 20 Trending Music Videos shortly after its release. The enthusiastic response confirmed that Whispered’s return had been eagerly awaited by fans both in Finland and abroad.

Honorbound is the result of years of dedicated work. During the lengthy writing and recording process, the band also became increasingly self-sufficient, taking full control of the album’s production.

“After the previous album, we had a strong feeling that we wanted to take everything into our own hands and learn how to do this entirely on our own terms. That was the beginning of a journey that definitely wasn’t supposed to last ten years, but sometimes things simply take as long as they need to.

Along the way, we also realized that chasing perfection is an excellent way to stretch deadlines into eternity and lose touch with reality one new mix at a time.

Still, we never gave up. Even when the process felt endless at times, we kept pushing the album forward with determination until it was finally finished. This record was created largely by two people, but its completion also strongly belongs to the new lineup. The energy that came from them reminded us why we do this in the first place: to get this album out into the world, return to the stage, and above all finally move on to making the next record.”

Released today, the album’s final single, “Battlecry”, captures everything that defines the Whispered sound: crushing riffs, epic melodies, and storytelling inspired by Japanese tradition.


“‘Battlecry’ was born in the midst of the album process from dire need to create something that drives forward with steady and heavy pulse while capturing many aspects what Whispered is all about. As the name might give away, the song is about going to battle with everything you got, even when the odds aren’t at all in your favour. Steel, honour and no prisoners. The battle hymn of the Shogunate!”

Whispered will perform a selection of festival shows throughout the summer before embarking on a UK mini-tour in September. Additional live dates will be announced later this autumn.

Upcoming Live Dates are:

July 10, 2026 – Dark River Festival, Kotka, Finland
August 15, 2026 – SaariHelvetti, Tampere, Finland
September 9, 2026 – 229 Club, London, UK
September 10, 2026 – Bannerman’s, Edinburgh, UK
September 11, 2026 – Nightrain, Bradford, UK
September 12, 2026 – Gryphon, Bristol, UK
September 18, 2026 – Kuudes Linja, Helsinki, Finland

“Orders to all warriors: stream the new track relentlessly and march to the shows in full force to witness the return of the shogunate. Ikikaere! – Whispered

Whispered’s music represents True Finnish Samurai Metal – melodic death metal that blends influences from Japanese traditions with epic orchestration. The band was founded by Jouni Valjakka in 2004 out of a love for metal music and Japan, giving birth to Whispered.
Their debut album Thousand Swords (2010) introduced this distinctive fusion to the metal scene. A darker and more mature continuation followed with their second album Shogunate Macabre (2014), and their third full-length Metsutan – Songs of the Void (2016) elevated the band’s multi-layered vision to a new level.
Whispered’s music and visual identity have earned the band widespread international recognition for its cross-cultural approach to heavy music. The band has toured in Finland, across Europe, and in Japan, building a strong live reputation and a loyal fanbase. After several years on hiatus, their long-awaited next album will be released this year.

Lineup:

During a July 8 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", ex-MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was once again asked if he would be open to taking part — along with other former members of the band, such as guitarist Marty Friedman — in taking part in MEGADETH's farewell tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I never closed that door to that thing… When Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] put the group back together, when he said he wanted to work again in 2004, I said the same thing. 'Cause there was this talk of, 'Should we do the 'Rust In Peace' reunion?', and that didn't happen, of course. And then that was even revisited again in 2015 right before — 2014, I guess — which, when that didn't happen, then we basically rebuilt the group and put out the 'Dystopia' album.

But I said to Dave in 2004, which was the first time trying to put it back together as a band, which really kind of turned out to be more of a solo [project]… When I'm not in MEGADETH, I always look at it like it's Dave's solo band. That's just how I look at it. And not that it's good, bad or otherwise; it's just different. To me, it just is a different feel than the MEGADETH of Ellefson and Mustaine together. So, for me, I said even then, I said, 'Why don't we bring Jeff Young, Chris Poland, other surviving members, Nick Menza, even Marty? Why don't we make it be something bigger?' And what hit me on it is at that time ASIA and YES were doing that — to huge success. They were kind of bringing both bands together touring, because it was a very different world. Young bands like LAMB OF GOD and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, these guys were kind of owning the landscape. And thrash metal was, I guess you could say, was making a comeback, so to speak, in the 2000s. But I think now for sure, before you put something down of that size, especially with that legacy that had all these different members who were so key, and every lineup and every album of that lineup had its own fans. And we know this as KISS fans. So there's '70s KISS, there's '80s KISS, there's different versions. And they each get different fanbases that come into that. And so for me, yeah, if I were calling the shots, absolutely. But then again that's me and I get along with everybody. So who knows how that'll play out?"

Asked by "Trunk Nation" host Eddie Trunk if he is friends with current MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo, Ellefson said: "I am, yeah. Look, I have no ill will toward anybody who's performing with Dave right now. Look, they're certainly capable musicians. They seem like they're a decent guy. Look, me and Kiko [Louriero, then-MEGADETH guitarist] brought Dirk [Verbeuren, current MEGADETH drummer] in in 2016. As Chris Adler was going back to LAMB OF GOD, we needed a full-time drummer because Chris Adler was not able to do both gigs. So, Chris gave us Dirk's number. We reached out to Dirk, did the audition, he got in the band, and so, me and Kiko made that happen. And Dirk's worthy of the gig, of course. I've always sung LoMenzo's praises. I was surprised he can play that kind of music 'cause that's not a background that he comes from that I was familiar with, but he's certainly done a very good job. And we can be friendly and friends with each other about that kind of stuff. So I don't have any ill will. But like I said, to me, it just sounds different. When it's me and Dave, that is a version of MEGADETH — it's the O.G. version from the '80s through the '90s, and then revisited again in — what? — 2010 through 2021. There's just a different sound to it. So it is what it is. It carries on. And it's fine with me. I mean, I still get paid and I get royalties, so keep working. [Laughs] It's good by me."

Ellefson previously discussed the prospect of playing with MEGADETH again during a February 2026 interview with Argentina's UnDinamo - La Última Radio De Rock. Asked if he would be open to taking part in MEGADETH's farewell tour, he responded at the time: "I have always said that I am available for that. And I would do it because I think any reason that I'm not there now is unfounded. It's untruthful and it's unfair because clearly there's nothing wrong. So, I would hope and even pray to [God] that any misunderstanding, any bitterness would be removed, that that would somehow be dissipated.

"It's funny — you make your first record, you have no fans," he continued. "You just make your first album. Then you start to get fans who [say], 'Hey, give us more.' So you make album two, like we do. And then at that point, you — I feel — have an obligation to listen to your fans. You don't have to do everything they say, like, 'Make 'Rust In Peace Part II',' 'cause creatively the spirit leads you where it's supposed to go. But I think, especially when you're playing concerts — making albums is music business; playing concerts is show business. They're two separate things that kind of come together. When the fans, who have made all of this possible, really, 'cause Capitol Records wouldn't have signed us if we didn't have fans. Live Nation doesn't book the concert if there's no fans. So, the fans are the entire reason that you live to have album two and beyond. Album two and beyond is because of fans. So, to me, you give them what they want. Even my little tour here [of South America], 'Basstory'. It's me telling a story of my life, but if there's nobody to come and hear the story, I'm just sitting on a stool by myself. [Laughs]"

Ellefson added: "So for me, yes. Marty — I can't speak for anyone else, but Marty coming back to play a couple of shows [with MEGADETH in 2023] showed his willingness, which I think was great. I would wish that Dave… Look, if it were just me and Dave sitting here, I'm sure everything would be fine, but there's a lot of people with influences, and that can be sticky. So my hope is that the voice of the fans gets louder than any other voice that would tear it apart."

Mustaine was recently asked by Guitar World magazine whether there are any plans to invite some of MEGADETH's former members to take part in any of the performances on the band's upcoming farewell tour. "We've already done that with Marty," Dave responded. "And I mean, let's look at the other people we've played with… there's a lot of people. [Laughs] That would be a huge undertaking. I don't think I want to do that. I'd rather keep doing what we're doing and let the fans [experience] MEGADETH music and be happy about it. It's not 'puppet show MEGADETH.'"

Mustaine was previously asked about the possibility of MEGADETH playing the final show of its upcoming farewell tour with a lineup that could include all surviving former members of the group during an appearance on the December 5, 2025 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Mustaine responded at the time: "Well, I can't really do that, because of the behavior of one of the bandmembers in the past. I just can't — I can't. Because, first off, it would be unfair to the other bandmembers if I didn't play with them as well. But the thing about what we did with Marty in Japan [in early 2023], that was a no-brainer. That was brilliant. And I love Marty. We had our separation, and he went his way and we went our way. But it was a very, very intense relationship I had with Marty, because that was the first relationship I had with a guitar player. My relationship with [former MEGADETH guitarist] Chris [Poland] was really great, but it wasn't as good as it was with Marty. My relationship with [former MEGADETH guitarist] Jeff [Young] was good, but it wasn't as good as it was with Marty. And I probably wouldn't have a problem playing with any of the members of those two lineups, except the fact that [former MEGADETH drummer] Gar's [Samuelson] deceased, and [I'm] just not gonna do anything that is gonna, in any way, seem unfair to the other bandmembers."

Asked if he thinks the final MEGADETH show would be announced as the band's last-ever gig or if MEGADETH will "quietly end" its touring career without an official announcement of one final performance, Mustaine said: "I don't know. I was joking around with our management and said, 'You guys should probably book some fake dates at the end of the tour that I don't know about so I won't go out there on the last date and just blubber like a fucking 175-pound wuss."

Last October, Ellefson was asked by AlternativeNation.net for his reaction to the band's announcement that its new LP and tour would be the band's last. He said at the time: "Honestly, I don't think about it that much. I think probably everybody else thinks about it more for me than I do for me.

"It's been a rocky road, for sure, obviously, and there have been moments sublime and there have been moments that I just scratch my head over, but at the end of the day… Look, Dave said four and a half years ago he doesn't wanna play music with me anymore, so I just left it there and just moved on. I'm not sitting around waiting for a call. I've already offered, if it should come my way, I'd be happy to participate on some level.

"What we saw in Birmingham [at BLACK SABBATH's 'Back To The Beginning' event], in my opinion, was 100% on point the right way to say goodbye," Ellefson continued. "You bring back the O.G.s — Geezer [Butler], Tony [Iommi], Bill [Ward] and Ozzy [Osbourne]; the four O.G.s — 'cause, obviously, they went through their… Look, they fired Bill [at some point earlier in their career], they fired Ozzy, and at some point they're back together. The four guys that started it all get to say goodbye together, to each other, to the fans, the fans say goodbye to them. So, to me, that is the model of how it's done. I mean, that is a hundred percent the right way to do it."

Circling back to MEGADETH, Ellefson said: "If it really is a farewell, if it really is, and it's not just an attempt to boost ticket sales, 'cause we've seen this movie before — boost ticket sales, go away, then the bigger offers come after everybody's gone away for a couple years; I mean, we've seen how this works — but, look, if Dave needs to shut it down and call it quits because he is just had enough and he's been through it all, then hey, you know what? As a still friend to him, even we haven't spoken almost five years — you know what? God bless you, brother. Put it away with grace and go enjoy the rest of your life. So if he really is shutting it down and he's really gonna put it away, then please do so with dignity and grace and do what you say and mean what you say. 'Cause I think that farewell thing has been thrown around so much by so many people that it doesn't have much weight to it. We've just seen it over and over again. So, if you've really gotta shut it down, shut it down and put it away and go enjoy the rest of your life."

Ellefson previously discussed his reaction to MEGADETH's farewell tour in September 2025 during an appearance on the Rock 'N' Blues Experience podcast with host Tim Caple. Asked if it was a shock to him to hear that MEGADETH was ending, Ellefson said: "I knew about it. Obviously, I'm in the business, so I knew about it, which — it was a little shocking. I've known Dave as a workhorse. All things good, bad or indifferent about Dave, he's a pretty fucking tough mule, man. I mean, he's gotten out there and sang and played despite all the odds. And I will give him that. He definitely never backed down to a challenge."

Ellefson continued: "I remember there was a comment some years ago — we were playing a festival in Mexico, and his wife, Pam, had looked over at me, and with him sitting right next to me, [she] goes, 'The old horse is slowing down.' [Laughs] And that was a big gig. It was [with] JUDAS PRIEST and SCORPIONS… And I remember when she said it, it was kind of, like, we are getting up there a little bit, but then I look at the SCORPIONS, and fucking Rudolf Schenker, that guy comes up and hugs you like a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot. You're, like, 'What the fuck did they put in the water in his house?' This guy's well into his 70s, and it's, like, 'Aargh.' Like, Jesus, man. The SCORPIONS are impenetrable; they're strong, like Iron Man."

David added: "I haven't talked to Dave now in four years, so I have no idea the reason or anything about it other than they made their announcement."

Asked what he thinks would happen if he just picked up the phone and called Mustaine, Ellefson said: "Well, even if I had his number — I don't know; he might have changed his number since I [last] talked [to him]. No, but I know what you mean.

"Look, he removed me from the group, so it's not my place to call him to go back," David continued. "I put it out there — I did something on my podcast, I floated it out there and said, hey, look, if it were to be, I'd be up for it. I think it'd be cool. Having just watched what happened in Birmingham [at the 'Back To The Beginning' event] where everybody got together —not only did we get to say goodbye to [BLACK SABBATH], they got to say goodbye to us. And I think that's just as important.

"Dave's closing up shop on MEGADETH, and he's doing it for him, obviously, for his reasons. I think in a perfect world there would be at least a moment where maybe some of, if not all of, the rest of us got a chance to say goodbye as well," Ellefson added. "I think that's a takeaway from Birmingham, is that there's a moment for everybody to just put everything aside and go, 'You know what? That was a fucking good run, man.' And take the final bow together on some level."

Ellefson also discussed his reaction to MEGADETH's farewell tour in August 2025 in a special episode of his video podcast "The David Ellefson Show". Asked for his "thoughts" on MEGADETH "calling it quits", Ellefson said: "There's a lot, 'cause, of course, it brings up years and years of thoughts, feelings, emotions, some great, some not so great. I always say these gold records on the wall — which, the only reason I have 'em up is 'cause we have a podcast [laughs]; it just makes for a good backdrop — but I look at 'em, 'Countdown [To Extinction]', 'Peace Sells', 'Beavis And Butt-Head', 'Rust In Peace', they all have a story in 'em. And some of the stuff in the '90s were better stories — the band was cohesive, the management was consistent, the music, I think, was collaborative. We went to new heights, we explored new territory that you could only dream of doing, Grammy nominations, festivals, the world for touring was really opening up everywhere. So, really great stuff. In the middle of it, of course, and around it was addictions, rehabs, canceled tours, lost finances in the millions. And so for things to sort of flush out the way that they did with now me not being part of the final farewell of something I started, as one can imagine, [it's] probably not something I'm super happy about. And saying that while still being grateful for all that it was, because I think at some point you have to find a path through it because this is reality."

Referencing Mustaine's debilitating injury in 2002 that caused severe nerve damage to his left arm and hand, and rendered him unable to play the guitar for a while, Ellefson continued: "Look, I feel like Dave Mustaine ended our friendship in 2001, and that was it. And he ended it very loudly, very publicly. He personally signed his name to it. He said we would never play music together again. And that's it. That is it. So from there on, I, I moved on. And I learned from 2002, with the career-ending nerve damage to his arm, and then two years later there's a new album with a new band and new financial terms and I'm not part of it and lawsuits to settle business matters, and just all the things go, there's a whole story there of a lot of this stuff. I was out, then suddenly I was back, and it was great. And he and I tried to mend fences, as I think we did. He was generous to me. Things were good.

"Clearly MEGADETH is a Mustaine family-run business," Ellefson added. "And it started that way, I think, probably a little while after I came back to the band [in 2010]. 'Cause when I came back to the band, it was not — it was Dave. And I kind of became the good friend to Dave. I knew him and he knew me in a way that no one else could. Dave had his friends before me growing up in California, but I've certainly known him one of the longest of most anybody on the planet, at least from inner workings of a band kind of thing. So, as bands go though, there can be tensions, there are all those things. Certainly what was made clear to me in 2004 is, 'Hey, it's a new day. It's a new way. Dave's in charge. It's not gonna be what it was. It's not gonna be collaborative.' [Former MEGADETH drummer] Shawn Drover always used to remind me of that. He goes, 'Dude, those days when of us all getting in a room and writing a record, dude, those days are long gone.' In fact, I remember when I came back and we were doing the 'Th1rt3en' album after about a year on the road, Dave asked me, he said, 'Oh, I'd like to have you write.' I said, 'You know what? No. Why don't you write the songs? I'll play bass for you. Let's just keep it clean. Keep it simple. Let's not even blur the lines.' And that's why I did other musical things. I did the ELLEFSON solo records and various other things to just have a little… I [thought], 'Let me take my creative stuff over there.' I knew in no way was that ever gonna sort of trump the brand, if you will, be bigger than the MEGADETH brand, yet it was a way to have a little creative outlet on the side, kind of get my yayas without interfering with MEGADETH. 'Cause I knew — look, we got it back together. Let's keep it clean, let's keep it simple. Let's just do that. And I think every time we tried to write, it was always a sore spot. It was problematic. And I was, like, 'Oh, I wish we weren't even going down this road.' Now, of course, everybody wants their name on the record, everybody wants to feel some of the financial windfall. And how things are split financially doesn't always have to how they're split with the credits and stuff like that.

"There's a weird thing in bands that how things are financially split… If you're a founding member of a band, to some degree you should be entitled to a piece of every everything and all of it, basically, 'cause it wouldn't exist if you weren't there," David noted. "And that deal got changed in 2004. That immediately changed the landscape. It changed my feelings about it. It drew us into a legal dispute — rightfully so. And no one wins in lawsuits, to some degree, yet sometimes they have to happen because things need to be done the way they need to be done. And I guess the good news for me is financially it landed certainly much better for me, and getting paid directly for my sources rather than… 'Cause sometimes that's what happens, is money goes through the channels of the organization and sometimes people don't get paid. So that needed to happen, and I'm glad I went through the process. It's not a fun process — I didn't sleep for nine months because of it — but that's when I had my little band F5 and I was trying to at least kind of keep my nose creatively involved in some stuff.

"So, there's a lot of history here with this band. This band started with a resentment. It started with a 'fuck you', Dave's sort of revenge against [his former band] METALLICA. And it wasn't entirely that. I mean, that gets a little blown out of proportion. To some degree, Dave was his own artist away from METALLICA. He had 'Mechanix' and some songs before METALLICA, and he certainly wrote songs after. So I think that that's a little unfair to paint that entirely on Dave that MEGADETH was just this revenge toward METALLICA. It may have been often fueled by it, but how could it not be? He was not a founding member of METALLICA. He was there for, as I always call it, a year and a half in the life of METALLICA. And [he] certainly changed the course of what they did. But they went on and had their own successes.

"But, look, for Dave to call it quits or to retire, I should say… Farewell… I don't even know if he's retiring. He's just basically saying MEGADETH's over… Would I like to be a part of it? Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't?" he admitted. "I'm a founding member of it. I'm a 30-plus-year member of it. Is that gonna happen? Who knows? It's too early to tell. I don't know what they have planned. I have no idea what it is. They just made an announcement about it. Do I think there should be some sort of farewell that everybody gets to participate in? I mean, look, [the] 'Back To The Beginning' [concert in Birmingham] with BLACK SABBATH. Look, they made nice. They brought all four of BLACK SABBATH['s original members]. They brought everybody back. You had [former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Jake [E. Lee]. Now, was everybody there? No. There were some key people — Bob Daisley — some people that weren't there. But for the most part, they brought a lot of the people back. And just speaking of BLACK SABBATH, they brought the original, the core four back, and they said goodbye. Not only did they say goodbye, everybody got to say goodbye to them. And I think when you're doing a farewell, that's important, that you get to say goodbye and everybody gets to say goodbye to you. I think that that's an important part of it. But that's me. I'm not in the band anymore. I have no say in it. So that's just me. That's just one guy with an opinion, quite honestly."

After podcast co-host Joshua Toomey opined that "everyone that was ever in MEGADETH should also be able to say their farewell too" and be part of the celebrations in some way, Ellefson said: "Well, I strongly stand against the notion that MEGADETH was only Dave Mustaine, 'cause it wasn't. And everybody knows that. So, if Dave needs to retire, wants to retire, I get it. I understand. He's given a lot. It's taken a lot out of him. It's taken certainly a toll on him, as anyone can imagine. So, look, God bless you, brother. If you're done, this is it, you wanna go do something else with your life, spend time with your family, just not play guitar, I get it. I mean, dude, believe me, I'm 60. There's some days I just kind of go, 'God, really? Should I write another album, another song? Do I really wanna go on stage?' And the answer always comes back to yes, I do. So I do. So I can't speak for him, and I'm not gonna speak for him. But, look, again, I haven't talked to the guy now in four and a half years, so I have no idea what his reasoning is, what the thinking is behind it.

"Someone made a point, they said we're all fans of MEGADETH music, even if we're not maybe fans of a particular lineup of the band, or we're not fans of certain members of the band, we still all love MEGADETH music," he continued. "And I thought, okay, I'm down with that. I can get behind that."

Referencing Mustaine's decision to fire Ellefson in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter, David said: "It's unfortunate that things landed between me and Dave where they did, because as I said right from the beginning, they didn't have to. And I made it very clear on the phone call when they were firing me that they didn't have to do that. It was unnecessary. Whatever those circumstances are were nothing to be feared. We can move on. But whatever. They made their decision, so let the chips fall where they may. I don't really even like going back to that period of time, because I felt like there was a lot leading up to that stuff behind the scenes, conversations that Dave and I were having about things that maybe we just weren't agreeing on. And that's okay. You can agree to disagree. You don't have to agree on everything.

"[OVERKILL singer] Bobby Blitz said something really good to me when I was touring with OVERKILL," Ellefson added. "'Cause he said he and D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist], they're the boss. They run OVERKILL, they run the band. And he said, 'No matter how we go into the room with separate ideas, we come out as one voice.' And I thought, 'Man, that's a great way to put it.' And I always felt like Dave and I did that. No matter what we felt like when we got in the room, we leave this room as one voice. And Dave being the leader, Dave being the self-appointed voice of the group, let him have that voice. So I always felt like I stood behind that. I was unified with him. Whether I agreed with it or not, you get on board with it and that's what it is, and you go with that. And look, for the most part, Dave's way worked pretty good. I wasn't there to defy that."

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Progressive metal standouts STELLAR CIRCUITS have returned with their powerful new single, ‘Stargazer,’ marking the band’s third new release in as many months and continuing an impressive creative streak that has showcased the group’s evolving sound.

Following the releases of ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Wounded Healer,’ ‘Stargazer’ finds STELLAR CIRCUITS once again balancing crushing heaviness with soaring melody, cinematic atmosphere, and deeply introspective songwriting. The result is one of the band’s most dynamic and emotionally resonant tracks to date.

A brooding exploration of obsession, self-reckoning, and the pursuit of truth, ‘Stargazer’ captures the tension between illusion and reality. Anchored by massive riffs and an expansive progressive chorus, the song navigates the feeling of constantly being too late or too soon, ultimately arriving at a simple but profound realization: the only person capable of saving you is yourself.

Stream ‘Stargazer’: https://sc.bfan.link/stargazer


Released in late 2025 to widespread praise from fans and critics alike, Phantom :: Phoenix represented a defining moment for STELLAR CIRCUITS, showcasing the band’s ability to merge progressive complexity, crushing heaviness, and cinematic atmosphere with deeply personal songwriting. Exploring themes of rebirth, perseverance, and self-discovery through tracks such as ‘I See Your Spirit,’ ‘Corridor,’ and ‘Bury The Ashes,’ the album further cemented the band’s reputation for crafting emotionally resonant music without sacrificing technical prowess or intensity.

Stream/Purchase Phantom :: Phoenix: https://sc.bfan.link/phantom-phoenix

Building on that momentum, STELLAR CIRCUITS have spent 2026 on an impressive creative run, releasing a trio of standalone singles—’Spotlight,’ ‘Wounded Healer,’ and now ‘Stargazer.’ Each release has further expanded the band’s sonic palette while reinforcing the dynamic songwriting and emotional depth that continue to define their evolution.

Melancholic aggression and intensity await in the new single release, “When The Sun Comes Out At Night” featuring Johan Lindstrand (THE CROWN). With a line-up formed of three previous members of AMON AMARTH, and completed with Clint Williams, FIMBUL WINTER embarks on greater exploration and development of melodic death metal. This latest endeavor follows the band’s previous single “Crowned In Ash” and the 2025 debut EP What Once Was.

“When The Sun Comes Out At Night” descends into a thunderous, high-speed onslaught driven by incessant riffs and untamable percussion. Fiercely melodic, entwining guitars traverse alongside the anguish-fueled harsh vocal performance from Clint Williams and guest vocalist Johan Lindstrand (THE CROWN). The shadowy atmosphere, brutal in nature, obtains a heroic, victorious quality as it reaches its end.

Lyrically, “When The Sun Comes Out At Night” explores the loss of stability experienced upon seeing reality too clearly. This awakening of truth, of knowing, becomes disorientating as it dismantles what was once certain.


Forging a sound that is heavy, melodic and atmospheric, FIMBUL WINTER honor the legacy of their death metal foundations producing music that feels familiar yet is modern in its approach. Drawing from their knowledge and experience in AMON AMARTH, and expanding further their artistic boundaries, FIMBUL WINTER brings power, energy and vehemence into all of their sonic offerings.

Drums and guitars on “When The Sun Comes Out At Night” were recorded at Studio Fluff Vasteras with engineer Andreas Moren while vocals were recorded at Witching Hour Audio and engineered by Shaun Farrugia. Bass performance on the track was performed by Risa Andersson, and mixing and mastering was completed by Marko Tervonen at Studio-MT. The cover artwork for “When The Sun Comes Out At Night” was created by Katarzyna Urbanek.

About FIMBUL WINTER:

Comprised of three former members of AMON AMARTH, including founding members Niko Kaukinen and Anders Biazzi, FIMBUL WINTER strive to redefine melodic death metal. Based out of Stockholm, Sweden and Melbourne, Australia, FIMBUL WINTER formed in 2023 building upon their roots and the members’ legacies in Swedish death metal.

FIMBUL WINTER’s beginnings grew from a spontaneous reunion performing AMON AMARTH’s 1994 demo titled The Arrival Of The Fimbul Winter. The instant connection between the musicians ignited a desire to create something new that captured the essence of Swedish death metal in an updated style that is clean and modern without being polished to its detriment. 2025 brought this vision to life with the unveiling of the ensemble’s first EP, What Once Was.

The new single releases, “Crowned In Ash” and “When The Sun Comes Out At Night”, mark the band’s continuing trajectory. FIMBUL WINTER push their compositional creativity while striving to remain truly authentic to a sound they helped to craft.

In a new interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris and singer Bruce Dickinson spoke about the legendary British heavy metal band's upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2026. Steve and Bruce will be inducted into the Hall Of Fame alongside other members of the group's current lineup, guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, as well as ex-singers Paul Di'Anno and Blaze Bayley, ex-guitarist Dennis Stratton and former drummers Nicko McBrain and Clive Burr.

Asked if there were any internal discussions about turning the Rock Hall honor down, Steve said: "No. There have only been comments from a couple of members of the band here and there. Bruce has his own strong feelings about it, which is his opinion. It's never really bothered me one way or the other, because awards aren't what we do this for. But in a weird way I'm glad it’s happened so the Americans will stop banging on about it. To me, if you get offered something, you say, 'Thank you very much.' But did I lose sleep over getting it or not getting it? No."

Bruce chimed in: "I can't even summon the energy to be vitriolic about it. I appreciate that a significant number of people are happy for us. That's nice. It's not something we're bothered about."

Asked if they would go to the ceremony if they weren't on tour in Australia at the time, Bruce said: "No." Steve added: "I don't do those sort of things. I didn't even go to the recent red-carpet thing for the [MAIDEN] documentary. It's not me."

The 2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony will take place on November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will air on ABC and Disney+ the following month.

On November 14 IRON MAIDEN will be in the middle of an Australian tour, with dates booked for November 13 in Melbourne and November 15 in Sydney.

While MAIDEN has been eligible to join the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame since 2004, the band had only been nominated twice before — in 2021 and 2023.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

The only metal or metal-adjacent acts to have made it into the Rock Hall so far have been BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA, AC/DC, JUDAS PRIEST, KISS, VAN HALEN, RUSH, GUNS N' ROSES, Ozzy Osbourne and DEEP PURPLE.

IRON MAIDEN finished in the fourth place in the fan vote for the 2023 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction class.

IRON MAIDEN is among the artists who will be inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame class of 2026 Performer category. Also set to be honored are Phil Collins, Billy Idol, JOY DIVISION/NEW ORDER, OASIS, Sade, Luther Vandross and WU-TANG CLAN.

Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Gram Parsons will be presented with the Early Influence Award; Philly Soul songwriter Linda Creed, producer Arif Mardin, producer Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin will be honored with the Musical Excellence Award; and Ed Sullivan will be given the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

When IRON MAIDEN's induction was first announced earlier this week, Smallwood said in a statement: "We'd like to thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for including us (and former members who were all part of our story) in the 2026 roll call of inductees.

"IRON MAIDEN have always been about our relationship with our fans above anything else, including awards and industry accolades. However, having said that, it's always nice to be recognized and honored for any achievements within the music industry too!"

Smallwood added: "It also seems appropriate for the band to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year as we continue our 50th-anniversary celebrations with our 'Run For Your Lives' world tour visiting the Americas and beyond. We would also like to congratulate our fellow 2026 inductees and extend our gratitude as ever to our fans for their loyalty, perseverance and support for over 50 years now! See you all, somewhere on tour."

Seven years ago, Harris said that he didn't care that his band had yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame despite the fact that it had been eligible since 2004.

"I don't mind that we're not in things like that," he told Rolling Stone in an interview. "I don't think about things like that. It's very nice if people give you awards or accolades, but we didn't get into the business for that sort of thing. I'm certainly not going to lose sleep if we don't get any sort of award, not just that one, any award. I don't think we deserve to have this or that necessarily. With what we do, whatever comes of it is great. Whatever doesn't come of it is great, too."

Dickinson made headlines in 2018 when he referred to the Rock Hall as "an utter and complete load of bollocks" during a spoken-word gig in Australia, insisting that the Cleveland-based institution is "run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock and roll if it hit them in the face."

Bruce later told The Jerusalem Post that he was "so annoyed with that coverage because they took my statement out of context to make it seem like I was upset that we weren't in the Hall Of Fame."I'm really happy we're not there and I would never want to be there," he continued. "If we're ever inducted, I will refuse — they won't bloody be having my corpse in there.

"Rock and roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland," Bruce added. "It's a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it's dead. It's worse than horrible, it's vulgar."

Harris previously told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" that he wasn't concerned about whether IRON MAIDEN would eventually be inducted into the Rock Hall. "I don't really think about it, to be honest. I think awards are things that are nice to have when you get them, but it's not something you're really striving for — it's not what it's about it," he said. "It's never been about that. It's aways been about just trying to make good music and go out and play good live shows, and that's it, really. Hopefully people will appreciate it. It's probably nice when people give you awards — don't get me wrong; I think it's great — but it's not something that you would lose sleep over if you didn't get any.

"It's the way that I am," Harris added. "I don't know. Maybe the rest of the guys [in the band] might think differently to me, but that's the way I think. It's not that I don't care about [awards]. It's just… And it's not that they're not meaningful when you do get 'em — it's nice. But I certainly don't worry about it or anything like that. I think other people are the ones that make a bigger deal out of it than us, about whether we got one or not."

Marking 30 years since the SEX PISTOLS burst back on to the scene, fans will this year be able to buy "Filthy Lucre Live" as a 2LP red vinyl set featuring bonus tracks.

It was the biggest shock reunion of the 1990s and on June 23, 1996, Johnny Rotten (John Lydon),Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock took to the stage at Finsbury Park for a landmark concert that cemented their place among the greats of popular music.

The incendiary show drew heavily on the classic album "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols", featuring defining tracks including "Anarchy In The U.K.", "Bodies", "God Save The Queen", "Holidays In The Sun" and "Pretty Vacant".

The definitive double red LP and single CD sets, released on November 20, 2026, will include the Japanese bonus tracks — "No Fun" and "Buddies" (a crowd sing-along version of "Bodies") — for the first time.

The release delivers a raw and uncompromising snapshot of the SEX PISTOLS at full volume, reaffirming their enduring influence and confrontational spirit.

Guitarist Steve Jones said: "It was 20 years on from when we initially broke up in '78 and it was always a debate that the pistols couldn't play. I think 'Filthy Lucre' shows not only that we can play but we are a powerhouse. Long live rock 'n' roll."

Drummer Paul Cook said: "It wasn't all about the 'filthy lucre' — that title was always ironic — it was about getting the original lineup behind 'Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols' back together and showing what we could really do. I loved it."

The show came at a time of Britpop optimism and amidst the excitement of Euro 1996. The previous day, England had beaten Spain on penalties and PISTOLS fan Stuart Pearce and future England manager Gareth Southgate were at Finsbury Park to introduce the PISTOLS on stage.

Named after a 1976 Daily Express headline ("Punk? Call It Filthy Lucre") the "Filthy Lucre" tour saw the band reunite following its original implosion during a 1978 tour of the U.S., and their final show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. "Filthy Lucre" brought back into the fold original PISTOLS bassist Glen Matlock, who had been replaced in 1977 by the late Sid Vicious.

John Robb, writing later for Louder Than War, said of the Finsbury Park show: "I still clearly remember the surge of hair-raising excitement as the band's sound tsunami and cacophonous outrage of high decibel noise exploded from the speakers."

Music writer Robert Thomas Christgau described the live album as "that rare thing, a live album with a life of its own", compelling us to rehear a band that "defined both a new rock voice and a new rock attitude".

Vinyl

A1. Bodies
A2. Seventeen
A3. New York
A4. No Feelings
A5. Did You No Wrong

B1. God Save The Queen
B2. Liar!
B3. Satellite
B4. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone

C1. Holidays In The Sun
C2. Submission
C3. Pretty Vacant
C4. EMI

D1. Anarchy In The U.K.
D2. Problems
D3. No Fun
D4. Buddies

CD

01. Bodies
02. Seventeen
03. New York
04. No Feelings
05. Did You No Wrong
06. God Save The Queen
07. Liar!
08. Satellite
09. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
10. Holidays In The Sun
11. Submission
12. Pretty Vacant
13. EMI
14. Anarchy In The U.K.
15. Problems
16. No Fun
17. Buddies

Press images courtesy of The Outside Organisation

MISS MAY I — Levi Benton (vocals),Jerod Boyd (drums),Ryan Neff (bass) and Elisha Mullins (guitar) — will release a new album, "No Place For Me", on October 2 via Solid State Records. Today, the band also shares the video for the new single "Sanctuary". Watch it below.

"'Sanctuary' is a song about wanting to feel safe and realizing you're the one making that impossible," says Benton. "It's a cycle I've struggled with my whole life and I think a lot of people know exactly what that feels like."

Regarding the album, the singer reveals it was a truly cathartic process to write and record it, saying, "'No Place For Me' is everything I've felt for a long time but never had the words for. Writing it taught me who I actually am even when that hurt to look at. It's a full journey: Where it started, what I discovered, and where I am today."

"No Place For Me" track listing:

01. Sanctuary
02. Portrait Of Pain
03. Hand Me A Halo
04. Pray For Silence
05. Death Threat
06. Die On The Vine
07. Fire Falls
08. Bury Me Down
09. Ashes Of The Altar
10. Highbrow Thieves

In a December 2025 interview with the Vulgar Display Of Podcast, Benton stated about MISS MAY I's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "Curse Of Existence" album: "Well, the funny thing is we have taken two years doing this album, just 'cause our schedules are crazy. And since it's a new lineup, we're making sure it's perfect. So it's taking a long time. I have five more songs of vocals to do. That's why I'm going in a couple weeks to finish it. So the album's not done yet, so until it's done, we don't really have a date, but because we have a lot of singles and a lot of stuff… We have the art and everything ready, so I think we're gonna start rolling it out sort of with no end date."

He continued: "It's gonna be a little experiment for us. But it's been fun because I think our fans will like it. Yeah, we're just not gonna approach it normally of, like, 'Hey, here's the pre-order. Here's two music videos from the album.' Since we've worked so hard on it, we're gonna really try to make each song special and just really work on it. And [the recently released new single] 'Pray For Silence' is as light as the album gets. So I try to tell everybody, like, that's the ballad of the album."

Referencing the fact that founding MISS MAY I guitarists B.J. Stead and Justin Aufdemkampe left the band in 2024 and guitarist Elisha Mullins was welcomed into the MISS MAY I family in their place, Benton stated about the group's mindset while writing "Pray For Silence": "We knew the lineup was changing, we knew we were doing everything, but it was sort of traumatizing to us, 'cause, obviously, we didn't want the original lineup to change. So that whole thing was just sort of a mess. And Elisha was amazing. He was a fill-in before he became part of the band. And we [went] into the studio and then we worked with Elisha for the first time and we were dumbfounded, because we've been with the original lineup since high school. And B.J. and Justin, the original guitar players, always started the songs. So we got into a room, and he's, like, 'Okay, where do we go?' And we're, like, 'Oh, shoot. Those guys aren't here.' We're, like, 'We don't even know where to start.' Which was cool, 'cause Elisha was that for all his projects. And being from Missouri and the same age, we're all cut from the same cloth, which was really cool, 'cause we had the same upbringing and same inspiration, just 500 miles over. So we were doing the same thing just east, which was cool. And then now being a four-piece, and writing with Elisha and not having a full five-piece — and I think people can really tell in 'Pray For Silence' and we lean into it more in further songs. But we'd sort of take rhythm out, the rhythm guitar, and we're playing with soundscapes because we're a four-piece, but we've never got to play with those sounds. So that's why there's a lot of crazy sounds that we were screwing around with, because we're down a person. But we didn't wanna just have a guitar playing on a speaker somewhere, so we've been playing with a lot of sounds. And I think not only 'Pray For Silence', but it gets crazier further in the album of just crazy soundscapes that we're doing. And that's new for MISS MAY I. So that's why I think it sort of sounds like old MISS MAY I, but the new thing — if somebody's really paying attention, dissecting it, we've never had soundscapes until now. Which is so fun, to open up a keyboard and just, like, have 3,000 sounds to be, like, 'Okay, guys, let's figure out what the rhythm's gonna sound like.'"

Benton went on to say that "the secret member" of MISS MAY I "that's behind the scenes that I guess only diehards or people looking at the credits will see is, we've had this guy Nick Sampson, who's sort of been with us since our second album. He was like a young padawan to Joey Sturgis, engineering on when we did 'Monument' at Joey's house," he explained. "And then he's worked on all our albums since. And he does POLYPHIA, he was in I AM ABOMINATION. He's like a guitar shredder, and he's up in Michigan. So he actually comes to Cape Girardeau and he's like our consistent piece instrumentally, on guitar from second album on. So he's sort of like our judge, like, 'No, we wouldn't do that.' Or 'this is that or 'let's do that.' So he's like our boundary to keep it consistent, which has been great."

In 2024, MISS MAY I joined the Solid State Records roster and released "Apologies Are For The Weak (Re-Recorded 15th Anniversary Edition)", the awesomely ambitious 15th-anniversary edition of the band's classic, beloved debut album "Apologies Are For The Weak". The LP was entirely re-recorded and featured cameos on every single song, including from Jake Luhrs of AUGUST BURNS RED, Brandan Schieppati of BLEEDING THROUGH and Scott Lewis of CARNIFEX. Asked what MISS MAY I's relationship with Solid State is like, Levi said: "It's unreal. I wish I started a band like this 15 years ago. Not that everyone's always cracking the whip, but we were just so busy all the time and there was such hard deadlines all the time, which I get, but it's also, like, who knows if that's gonna be the best album? Or who knows if you worked hard enough? And when we were shopping around and we had kids and we were parents, we talked to all the labels and a bunch of managers too; our management team changed at the same time. 'Cause we're just a different band. We are doing things on our own time. We're not just a poster boy metal band that they could just throw out there anymore, 'cause we don't say 'yes' all the time, as much as we used to. And they're still totally cool with it. It's so weird to get off a call and they're just, like, 'Take your time. It'll be done when it's done.' And I'm, like, 'I don't understand.' I'm, like, 'That's crazy.' And they're, like, 'Turn it in when you guys are ready.' And I'm, like, 'This is so nice.' We've always been, and I think you guys have probably seen it a million times in band interviews, but it's always the vocalist's last day, like, 'Yeah, I had to finish three songs before the next band was coming in, 'cause that was the last day of the studio.' I'm, like, we've always done albums like that, and this is just, like, 'Hmm, I could do better. I'll go back in in a month and do different lyrics and try to make it perfect.' 'Cause we know we wanna sit on this one and really make it… I think it's a pivot point for our career. When it comes out, it's gonna be different. I think it's gonna be really awesome."

When it was first released in August 2025, "Pray For Silence" was described in a press release as "a vocally dynamic anthem, with a chorus that will instantly embed in your brain, heavy artillery riffing, and floor-shaking breakdowns. It's ultimately classic metalcore that swells with modern flourishes, ushering MISS MAY I into their next exciting era."

Benton previously told Rolling Stone Australia about Mullins: "He comes from being a producer. All this new music we're doing, it's stuff we've never had before, because we've never written with someone like this."

On a personal level, Benton said Mullins and the rest of MISS MAY I are "all cut from the same cloth. Elisha's from the Midwest, he's the same age [as us]. We listen to the same local bands. It's a natural fit. It's very cool."

Regarding what it was like working on new MISS MAY I material without their main songwriters, Benton said: "The funny thing was, it was a total lost thought. We weren't even thinking about it. We went into the studio and the rest of the guys were, like, 'Oh my God. Justin and B.J. were the main writers — we've got to change something up.' We went back to the drawing board, and that's when the anxiety hit. After years of touring, we didn't even think about writing [like that]. We spent a whole month with Elisha in the studio, just doing one song to get the vibe of how we write together. It was a mock-up of sorts, just a practice run; we ironed everything out."

Instead of letting doubts, anxiety, negativity, and intrusive thoughts run wild, MISS MAY I will catch and turn even the most volatile feelings into airtight anthems. The Ohio-bred quartet ground extreme emotions in a taut framework of technically adroit riffing, hardcore grooves, and unforgettable melodies. The band has expertly honed an uncanny ability to make sense of life on tape. That's why fans worldwide have leaned on the group's music since their emergence in 2007. Following years of grinding, 2012's "At Heart" marked a breakthrough moment for the group when it bowed at No. 32 on the Billboard 200. Their impact only expanded with "Deathless" (2015) and "Shadows Inside" (2017),which both debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and Top Rock Albums chart. In 2022, "Curse Of Existence" received widespread critical acclaim from the likes of Alternative Press, which raved: "MISS MAY I have penned one of their strongest records yet." V13 hailed it as "packed full of emotion and heartfelt rage," and Outburn marveled at "their fast, aggressive, thrashy metalcore mixed with powerful lyrics." Along the way, they generated hundreds of millions of streams and toured with everyone from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and PARKWAY DRIVE to MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.

"Mental Funeral" was AUTOPSY's second studio album, originally released back in 1991, and is rightly hailed as one of the greatest death metal albums of all time with its unhinged and uncompromising collection of odes to brutality and depravity, wrapped up in its highly distinctive raw, organic production. To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the seminal album, Peaceville will release two new editions on August 14, featuring newly remastered audio courtesy of current AUTOPSY bassist Greg Wilkinson at his Earhammer Studios.

"Mental Funeral" was recorded at Different Fur Studios in late 1990, with engineering work conducted by Ron Rigler. The iconic artwork appeared courtesy of Kev Walker, who had already provided the (at the time) controversial cover for AUTOPSY's debut, "Severed Survival".

The 35th-anniversary editions of "Mental Funeral" will be available on two new formats:

* Red/green ink spot vinyl, featuring newly remastered audio courtesy of current AUTOPSY bassist Greg Wilkinson at his Earhammer Studios

* Double-disc edition containing remastered audio and a special bonus commentary disc, with Chris Reifert, Eric Culter and Danny Coralles all sharing their recollections of the writing and recording process for the album, and its inspirations

Disc 1

01. Twisted Mass Of Burnt Decay (2:14)
02. In The Grip Of Winter (4:08)
03. Fleshcrawl (0:41)
04. Torn From The Womb (3:18)
05. Slaughterday (4:02)
06. Dead (3:18)
07. Robbing The Grave (3:52)
08. Hole In The Head (6:03)
09. Destined To Fester (4:34)
10. Bonesaw (0:45)
11. Dark Crusade (3:54)
12. Mental Funeral (0:36)

Disc 2 (2CD edition only)

01. Twisted Mass Of Burnt Decay (with commentary) (2:14)
02. In The Grip Of Winter (with commentary) (4:08)
03. Fleshcrawl (with commentary) (0:41)
04. Torn From The Womb (with commentary) (3:18)
05. Slaughterday (with commentary) (4:02)
06. Dead (with commentary) (3:18)
07. Robbing The Grave (with commentary) (3:52)
08. Hole In The Head (with commentary) (6:03)
09. Destined To Fester (with commentary) (4:34)
10. Bonesaw (with commentary) (0:45)
11. Dark Crusade (with commentary) (3:54)
12. Mental Funeral (with commentary) (0:36)

One of the early breed of U.S. death metal acts, AUTOPSY formed in 1987 in San Francisco. Drummer/vocalist Chris Reifert had gained initial recognition with Floridian genre pioneers DEATH and his participation on the classic debut "Scream Bloody Gore" before this new morbid creation was birthed. AUTOPSY released four albums on Peaceville Records in the early part of their career — beginning with the legendary debut, "Severed Survival", in 1989 — before disbanding in 1995, with members going on to become the stalwarts of sickodelia in ABSCESS.

AUTOPSY triumphantly and officially returned from the grave after a 15-year hiatus with the 2010 EP "The Tomb Within". This was followed by the release of the band's fifth studio album, "Macabre Eternal", in 2011, as the group celebrated a new era of popularity and creativity. This reverence continues to this day as AUTOPSY itself nears its 40th anniversary, and still features the longstanding core trio of Chris Reifert, Eric Cutler and Danny Coralles.

Multinational progressive metal / electronic band Playgrounded will release their new record A Flower to Water on 18th September via celebrated label Pelagic Records.

Stream and pre-order here: https://orcd.co/playgrounded

Playgrounded choose the heart of summer to release ‘Snow’, the prog metal quintet’s most intimate composition to date. Themes of loss and longing, a dreamy beat in 15/16, experimental modular synthesis and lush analogue basslines set the stage for a fragile vocal hanging delicately on chilling harmonies. ‘Snow’ unravels Playgrounded‘s electronic introspective core stripped of the heavy distorted tones that usually adorn it. A token of contemporary songwriting that transcends styles and aims for the heart.

The band comment: “We slightly lift the veil to uncover the themes of A Flower to Water in black and white. We speak of grief as a process, its marks on time, the anticipation of the new.

“So… we let it go, inside the snow, today.”


Playgrounded are a progressive post-metal band based in the Netherlands and Greece. Alternative metal and contemporary electronic elements form a genre-defying sound, comparable to artists as diverse as Deftones, Massive Attack, Karnivool, and The Ocean.

A band together for over a decade, Playgrounded have in their time supported Riverside, Anathema, and Nine Inch Nails. Their 2022 record The death of Death (Pelagic Records) was globally lauded, with praise from Prog, Eclipsed, Metal Injection, Metal Hammer Germany and more.

Following its release the band presented the album to packed venues in their home countries and embarked on a 36 date UK/EU tour with The Ocean and LLNN, and then festival performances at ArcTanGent, Euroblast, RADAR, and more.

A Flower to Water is Playgrounded’s third full-length offering and sees the band thriving in their creative relationship with Pelagic Records. Recorded and produced by the band across multiple studios back home in Athens, Playgrounded enlisted the help of longtime collaborators C. Cederberg (Leprous, Anathema) who mixed the album at Cederberg Studios in Kristiansand, Norway and George Tanderø (Madrugada, Satyricon, Jaga Jazzist) who mastered it in Oslo.

An ever sharper refinement of the quintet’s inimitable process, which sees the band build splinters of noise into huge, sprawling soundscapes inspired in part by the work of experimental sound artists like German composer Orson Hentschel; A Flower to Water welcomes the emotional and physical toll of loss into the melee.


Tracklisting:

1. A Flower…
2. Counting Embers
3. Someone
4. Snow
5. Of Air and Metals
6. … to Water