In a new interview with Kati Rausch of Music Interview Corner, Nick Holmes of PARADISE LOST was asked how he feels about being considered one of the pioneers of the so-called "gothic" metal movement. The singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know. We kind of came up with that title at a time when everybody was labeling everything, and it was kind of the only one that we felt fit the music, really. We didn't really give it a lot of thought. But it kind of sums up particularly the early material; around the second album [1991's 'Gothic'], it kind of really fit the bill for that."

He continued: "We don't really think about labels too much, I guess, but we still have no problem calling ourselves that, though I'm sure a lot of maybe younger people wouldn't even regard us as gothic metal. They think another younger band, that is gothic metal and we are not. But it's not a problem. I don't lay awake at night worrying about these things."

Regarding the fact that PARADISE LOST is often cited as a musical influence for a lot of the younger metal bands, Nick said: "It's great. It's the same way that the guys in the bands that are in their 60s, such as bands like CELTIC FROST and DEATH and SODOM and CANDLEMASS, these bands are all a few years older than we are, and we were influenced by them. And then we've got the guys who are kind of three, four years younger than us in bands that kind of listen to us. So there's a four-year interval for people to get into bands, and then the next gen gets into that band, and that's how it's kind of gone for us listening to bands growing up, and for younger bands listening to us, I guess. So it's just a generational thing."

Holmes also talked about the inspiration for the title of PARADISE LOST's seventeenth studio album, "Ascension", which came out last September. He said: "'Ascension', in the biblical terms, is about rising up to God and rising up to greatness. But I kind of find that throughout life, all you're trying to do is rise up and do the best that you possibly can from minute you're born. So I was thinking more along that line, as opposed to anything remotely religious. Although we do love religious imagery, as a band, we always appreciate religious imagery. We are not a religious band whatsoever, but we do like the art of that."

The band's first LP in five years, following 2020's critically acclaimed "Obsidian", "Ascension" was produced by PARADISE LOST guitarist guitarist Gregor Mackintosh and mixed/mastered by Lawrence Mackrory.

Nearly four decades into their career, and with over two million albums sold, PARADISE LOST remain the undisputed kings of metal's dark side. Formed in Halifax in 1988, the band quickly became noted as the pioneers of gothic metal through their early groundbreaking albums like 1991's aptly titled "Gothic", a mixture of heaviness intertwined with shadowy melody and atmosphere.

Never a group to remain creatively static, across their career they've explored a myriad of avenues of dark music, from sludgy doom-death roots, to conquering the metal mainstream with the enormous, lush sounds of 1995's "Draconian Times", to more experimental, electronic leanings, leaving an influence on a trail of artists as varied as CRADLE OF FILTH, HIM, GATECREEPER and CHELSEA WOLFE.

PARADISE LOST's current lineup consists of Nick Holmes (vocals),Gregor Mackintosh (lead guitar/keyboards),Aaron Aedy (rhythm guitar),Stephen Edmondson (bass) and Jeff Singer (drums).

PLUSH has released a new single, "Animalistic", via Pavement Entertainment on all major streaming platforms. The track was written by singer/guitarist Moriah Formica, Blair Daly and Zac Maloy. Produced by Kile O'Dell and Formica, "Animalistic" serves as the first introduction to PLUSH's second full-length album, "Mass Hysteria", set for global release on September 18, 2026.

Driven by heavy riffs and unapologetic energy, "Animalistic" tackles the concept of internal warfare. The single explores the necessity of accepting the rage that lives inside us all and embracing it head-on in the face of turmoil. It sets a cinematic tone for the broader themes of the upcoming album, "Mass Hysteria", which paints a powerful picture of resilience. The album delivers a stark message: you can survive the pain, and still never forget the emptiness deep down within, but, ultimately, that battle is up to you.

"This record is about facing the darkest, most volatile parts of ourselves," says Formica. "With 'Animalistic', we wanted to capture that raw, untamed survival instinct. 'Mass Hysteria' represents the aftermath of the struggle, knowing you survived the chaos but still carrying the scars. It's an open invitation for our fans to join us in fighting through the noise."

PLUSH quickly built a reputation for delivering hard-hitting rock anthems that combine classic intensity with modern sonic precision. "Mass Hysteria" marks their most mature and sonically aggressive work to date with deeply personal, introspective lyrics.

To support the single and album, PLUSH has embarked on a nationwide "Mass Hysteria" tour beginning on August 13 at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and ending on October 9 in Tracy, California at the Grand Theatre Center for Arts. Fans can expect to hear PLUSH classics along with a rare preview of unreleased music from their upcoming album.

PLUSH bassist Ashley Suppa says: "We're excited to step into the world of 'Mass Hysteria' with our fans and preview our new record live. You only get one first listen. We wanted to turn that moment into a tour, where every night feels like a live listening party and 'Mass Hysteria' comes to life with the people we wrote it for."

Along with concert tickets, the band will also offer a VIP Meet-And-Greet that will include an unplugged performance of another song off "Mass Hysteria".

"One of our favorite parts of touring is getting to meet the people who make it all possible. The VIP experience gives us the chance to connect with our fans and share an exclusive performance of an unreleased song," says PLUSH drummer Faith Powell.

There is also a "Mass Hysteria" bundle available for purchase. The bundle includes an exclusive "Animalistic" t-shirt, with the option of either a signed CD or vinyl.

PLUSH is a rock band dedicated to bringing rock music back to the forefront of the industry. The lineup consists of three young women: singer/guitarist Moriah Formica, bassist Ashley Suppa and drummer Faith Powell.

PLUSH has charted four times on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart with the songs "Hate", "Better Off Alone", "Left Behind" and "Run". The band has toured with renowned bands, such as DISTURBED, KISS, ALICE IN CHAINS, EVANESCENCE, and more, playing across the U.S. and abroad.

Unceremoniously dismissed in 2025 from the band he co-founded and fronted for 35 years, former MY DYING BRIDE singer Aaron Stainthorpe recently returned with TOWARDS THE SINISTER, a new project featuring three of his ex-bandmates, Calvin Robertshaw (guitar),Ade Jackson (bass) and Rick Miah (drums). The new outfit also features second guitarist Chris Revett, keyboardist Mark Deeks and violinist Emma Allington — all with the intent of faithfully paying homage to MY DYING BRIDE's classic first four studio albums of utterly dark, dreary and miserable doom metal. The band's immediate plans include a handful of small warm-up gigs in their native England, accompanied by European festival slots by the time next summer comes around.

In a new interview with Paul McNamee of The False Face show, Stainthorpe stated about his departure from MY DYING BRIDE (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That doesn't bother me anymore. I've moved on. Obviously, I was gutted when [it happened]... I mean, it was a misunderstanding, which they don't believe that it is what it is. And I tried to prove that it was a misunderstanding. They weren't interested. So I think they wanted me out — I don't know why — a long time before that. Anyway, it happened. I was heartbroken. I couldn't believe it. Luckily, I had HIGH PARASITE [Aaron's other band] to sort of catch me as I fell, which was great. And then Mark Deeks approached me about doing maybe some keyboard stuff, singing MY DYING BRIDE songs. So I thought, 'Okay, it's not necessarily over, me and MY DYING BRIDE music.' So we did a few things together. It was great."

Returning to his exit from MY DYING BRIDE, Aaron continued: "I don't care what they say about me now. We all know why it happened and how it happened. If they wanna spout some bullshit, well, that would be the measure of those people. I'm not getting into any online spat because you will just bury yourself if you do that. Everyone will laugh their socks off, and it's no good for anybody. So, I don't follow any of them anymore. I'm not interested in anything they've got to say. By kicking me out, they showed their cards. If they want to continue to beat me, that's absolutely fine. But I think the more people who see that will realize what kind of a band they've turned into."

Asked how long he thinks the other members of MY DYING BRIDE had wanted him out of the band before the split happened, Aaron said: "Well, God, I have no idea. I remember years ago, [MY DYING BRIDE co-founding guitarist] Andrew [Craighan] would say to me, 'Look, if you're gonna leave, at least give us plenty of notice.' 'I've no intentions of leaving. What are you talking about?' I would never leave MY DYING BRIDE, and I said that right till the end, which is why they had to kick me out. I had no reason to leave, because I've done nothing wrong, despite whatever B.S. they're gonna come out with. But, as I say, I've already moved on. I've got a hatload of exciting things ahead of me.

On the topic of the early fan response to TOWARDS THE SINISTER, Stainthorpe said: "It's been nothing but positive. You always hope, when you're embarking on a new journey, that people welcome you with open arms, but it's no guarantee. So you keep your fingers crossed, and you just hope that you've got all the right ingredients in the right place, the right people, the right music. And you're just never sure. People might think, 'What's the point?' And other people would be absolutely in rapture. They'll absolutely love it. But it seems to be the 'loving it' thing, particularly when we decided that we're only gonna focus on the first four albums and the in-between EPs. Because the rest of the guys, they weren't involved in writing anything after that, and they're not interested in playing anything they didn't help write. They helped write the first four albums, so they want to play the first four albums, so we're going to. And it's something we're all very much looking forward to."

Asked if there as been any discussions at any stage of perhaps expanding that window a little bit and playing a few of the MY DYING BRIDE songs from the later albums, Aaron said: "Well, I've been singing all of them, obviously. So I'm gonna leave that decision up to those guys. They all obviously are aware that I'm going away for a few days, and I've just said, 'Right, you do the T-shirt designs. You work on the posters. You guys do everything, while I do absolutely nothing.' But they're happy to do that. And I will suggest — I thought I may have suggested in the past, but come to think of it, perhaps I didn't, or maybe it was over a beer and we all forgot — maybe they do have a think about doing something beyond the fourth album. But that's entirely up to them. I've been doing all the music for 30 — I think 32 years. So it's up to them if they wanna learn something new… But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I mean, even with the four albums and the EPs, that's a lot of music. And typically, when we announced it, we already had the setlist nailed down. And of course, there's hundreds of people asking for songs that are not on the setlist. But they will be. We intend to get through as many of the early albums as possible. Most of the songs we're gonna try and have a go at. But we obviously we can't do them all. The long songs, some of the festivals we'll only be playing for 40 minutes or something like that, and some other festivals want us for an hour and a half. So we've learned about an hour and 20. And I'll throw in some jokes to flesh it out. And then we'll probably play this setlist — I don't know — for a year, I guess, and then perhaps start introducing one or two other songs. But we will get through the good majority of that early cannon at some stage. But we've gotta learn to walk before we can run."

TOWARDS THE SINISTER brings together key architects of MY DYING BRIDE's classic era to celebrate and resurrect the dark, mournful atmosphere that helped define the death-doom genre. The lineup features Stainthorpe, founding MY DYING BRIDE members Robertshaw and Miah, and original bassist Jackson, performing material drawn primarily from the band's seminal early releases including "As The Flower Withers", "Turn Loose The Swans", "The Angel And The Dark River" and "Like Gods Of The Sun".

Last October, MY DYING BRIDE announced that it had officially parted ways with Stainthorpe. The news came less than a year after MY DYING BRIDE recruited singer Mikko Kotamäki (SWALLOW THE SUN) to front the band for its live appearances in 2025 and beyond.

At the time of the announcement, MY DYING BRIDE stated about the split with Stainthorpe: "Please understand that this decision does not come lightly, hence our initial and painful silence while we gathered our thoughts and carefully considered our response to the disengaged, eerily abandoned state we suddenly found ourselves in.

"Our collective decision to move forward without him is not something we thought we would ever be forced to say, but to ensure a continued legacy for what we hold dear to our hearts, we simply have to move past this. Whilst change can be difficult, we are doing our best to bring this new chapter forward with powerful positivity."

MY DYING BRIDE's latest album, "A Mortal Binding" — featuring Stainthorpe on vocals — came out in April 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Aaron's recently formed band HIGH PARASITE released its debut album, "Forever We Burn", in September 2024 via Candlelight/Spinefarm. The LP was produced by Gregor Mackintosh of PARADISE LOST.

Photo credit: Jonny Hunter

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated rock band FUEL continues the rollout of its highly anticipated seventh studio album, "Pendulum", with the release of "Pull Me In". Arriving as the album's second single ahead of its October 30 release, the emotionally charged track reveals a deeper, more vulnerable side of the record while still delivering the crushing guitars, soaring melodies, and powerful songwriting that have defined FUEL for more than two decades.

Built around Carl Bell's poignant songwriting and Aaron Scott's commanding vocal performance, "Pull Me In" explores the tension between grief and hope — the longing to reconnect with the memories, people, and moments that once carried us through life's darkest chapters. Wrapped in massive guitars, an anthemic chorus, and the unmistakable emotional weight that has long been a hallmark of FUEL's music, the song balances vulnerability with resilience, reminding listeners that even life's deepest scars can become sources of strength.

"This song hit me like a ton of bricks when I first heard it," says Scott. "To me, it's a beautiful balance of grief combated with an unrelenting call for rescue. We all have memories in our lives we cherish and hold on to. To me, this song feels like a calling out to those memories to return and rescue us from the weight and challenges of today."

The single serves as another compelling preview of "Pendulum", arriving October 30, and continues to showcase the creative chemistry that has flourished since Scott joined the band in 2022. After first capturing national attention performing FUEL's iconic hit "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" on NBC's "The Voice", Scott has become an integral creative force within the band, contributing not only his unmistakable voice but also a collaborative energy that has helped shape FUEL's newest chapter.

That renewed chemistry has energized founding guitarist and songwriter Carl Bell, longtime drummer Kevin Miller, Scott, guitarist Mark Klotz and bassist Tommy Nat, resulting in what promises to be one of the band's most dynamic records to date.

Since emerging in the late 1990s with a melodic yet hard-hitting brand of rock built on unforgettable hooks and emotionally resonant songwriting, FUEL has become one of modern rock's defining bands. Their platinum-certified debut "Sunburn" introduced enduring hits including "Shimmer" and "Bittersweet", while the double-platinum "Something Like Human" launched the band into arenas behind "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)", which spent 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on rock radio and was later recognized by Billboard as one of the most successful alternative rock songs of the modern era.

Across a career spanning more than 25 years, FUEL has earned multiple platinum certifications, Grammy nominations, and countless rock radio staples including "Falls On Me", "Bad Day" and "Won't Back Down". Their music continues to resonate across generations, while "Pendulum" finds the band honoring that legacy without standing still.

In addition to new music, FUEL will spend the summer and fall bringing its celebrated live show to audiences across the country. The band's busy touring schedule includes headline performances, fairs, casino dates and festivals, highlighted by a special intimate performance at New York City's iconic Silver Lining Lounge on September 9, presented by Scott Lipps. The exclusive evening offers fans a rare opportunity to experience FUEL up close just ahead of the new album.

Photo by Josh Erdmann

A KILLER'S CONFESSION, the alt-metal outfit led by former MUSHROOMHEAD vocalist Waylon Reavis, has released a new single, "Blinding Lights", a stripped-down reimagining of The Weeknd's massive global hit.

Stepping away from the crushing weight and aggression that typically define the band's sound, A KILLER'S CONFESSION approaches "Blinding Lights" from an entirely different direction. Their rendition strips the song back and places the focus on its unmistakable melody and Reavis's vocal performance, offering an unexpected side of the band while retaining the emotional pull that made the original a worldwide phenomenon.

Reavis says the decision to tackle another cover came after the strong response to the band's rendition of NIRVANA's "Heart-Shaped Box", but this time he wanted to venture even further outside A KILLER'S CONFESSION's usual territory.

"I enjoyed doing 'Heart-Shaped Box' so much and it was so well received I felt like maybe I should do another," he explained. "This time I wanted to do something in a different genre and go a completely different route. I always enjoy the song 'Blinding Lights'; [there's] just something catchy and haunting about it. I feel like it could be the perfect song to be stuck in our character's head for the last time ever as we end this trilogy."

The new single arrives as A KILLER'S CONFESSION prepares for a busy fall that will include the release of its sixth studio album, "Victim 3", via MNRK Heavy. The band will also hit the road this fall for the "Everything Comes Full Circle Tour", a headline run featuring special guests DIZASTERPIECE and DEAD THINGS.

A KILLER'S CONFESSION tour dates:

Nov. 04 - Raleigh, NC - Chapel of Bones
Nov. 05 - Baltimore, MD - Fish Head Cantina
Nov. 06 - Lowell, MA - Taffeta Music Hall
Nov. 07 - Pottstown, PA - Cosmic Arts
Nov. 08 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
Nov. 10 - Warrendale, PA - Jergel's Rhythm Grille
Nov. 11 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
Nov. 12 - McHenry, IL - The Vixen
Nov. 13 - Louisville, KY - The Fox Den
Nov. 14 - Columbus, OH - The King of Clubs
Nov. 17 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
Nov. 18 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
Nov. 19 - Des Moines, IA - XBK Live
Nov. 20 - Sioux Falls, SD - Bigs Bar
Nov. 21 - Rapid City, SD - The Park
Nov. 22 - Denver, CO - HQ
Nov. 24 - Glendale, AZ - The 44 Sports Grill & Nightlife
Nov. 25 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go
Nov. 27 - Anaheim, CA - The Parish @ House of Blues
Nov. 28 - Murrieta, CA - Solaris Beer & Blending
Nov. 29 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
Dec. 01 - Draper, UT - Leatherheads Sports Bar & Grill
Dec. 02 - Rifle, CO - The UTE Theater
Dec. 05 - Lakewood, OH - Mercury Music Lounge

Formed in 2016, A KILLER'S CONFESSION has spent the past decade carving out its own identity within modern alternative metal, combining punishing riffs and massive grooves with memorable hooks, electronic textures and a dark cinematic sensibility. Along the way, the band has generated tens of millions of streams behind songs including "Numb" and "Angel On The Outside".

Throughout A KILLER'S CONFESSION's run, Reavis has also joined forces with an array of notable artists, including Brian "Head" Welch of KORN, Chad Gray of MUDVAYNE, Aaron Nordstrom of GEMINI SYNDROME and his former MUSHROOMHEAD bandmate JMANN.

The group entered a prolific new chapter with the consecutive releases of "Victim 1" in 2024 and "Victim 2" in 2025, earning praise throughout the rock and metal press while continuing to expand their audience. "Victim 2" also featured the band's popular interpretation of NIRVANA's "Heart-Shaped Box", whose video has approached one million views on YouTube.

Now, with the unexpected reinvention of "Blinding Lights" offering a different glimpse of A KILLER'S CONFESSION and the "Everything Comes Full Circle Tour" approaching, the band is setting the stage for its next chapter. Their sixth studio album, "Victim 3", will arrive this fall via MNRK Heavy.

In a new interview with Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone magazine, RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson spoke about the band's "Fifty Something" tour, which launched on June 7 in Los Angeles. It is RUSH's first tour in over 10 years and the group's first run of shows since the 2020 death of Canadian rock legends' iconic drummer Neil Peart. The "Fifty Something" tour is also RUSH's first with the band's revamped lineup of classic members Lee and Lifeson alongside Anika Nilles, a German drummer who toured with legendary guitarist Jeff Beck in 2022, and newly added keyboardist Loren Gold, who is best known as touring member of THE WHO and CHICAGO.

Speaking about how he, after over five decades of singing professionally, decided to take his first lessons with a veteran vocal coach, Mitch Seekins, who works remotely from the small town of Ilderton, Ontario, Geddy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was important to me to do as many original versions for our audience as we could, and I didn't want to have to start changing keys to every song and go into that whole bullshit. So how do I do that? Well, a friend of ours recommended this vocal coach for me. His name is Mitch Seekins, and he's a terrific guy. He's a great singer, lives in the country now, and that's his job. He coaches all kinds of people. It's really interesting. He coaches opera people. He coaches a lot of rock bands. He coaches one guy who does the play-by-play announcement at a horse racetrack. So, all kinds of people need vocal training, for various [reasons]... He coaches people that, for one reason or another, have started to lose their voice. And so he's very well-versed in analyzing what you got. So I started with him — what? — about a year and a half ago now. And the first few sessions, he was listening to what I had, and he said, 'Okay. Well, you've got a voice that the muscles are out of shape. So you haven't sung in 11 years. That's normal.' So after the first number of sessions, he said, 'Well, the good news is you still have that range in there, but we've gotta strengthen your voice so you can access it.' So that became the beginning of this whole exercise regime. It's no different than going to the gym and getting strong. I go to the gym four days a week, get my body strong. Well, you have to get this muscle [that controls your vocal cords] strong, and that's what I've worked on. And as we went along, he's very good at getting me to stretch my range and also give me confidence in my range. Part of it is learning new techniques to access your range so that you're not working so hard to do it. He would look at videos. Sometimes he'd come to rehearsal, and he would video me. I'd go, 'Well, that's embarrassing.' And he would show me the video and say, 'Look how hard you're working to hit that note.' But yet when we're warming up, you hit that note, and you're not working hard at all. So you have to learn, while you're standing there, to breathe at the right time — that's more than half of it — and to position your vocals and to take a more forensic look at how a voice makes a sound and apply it.' So it's been a year and a half, but it's paying off, and I'm pretty pleased at my progress. I think if I keep working at it, it'll keep getting better, I think. I hope. And I have to stay healthy."

After Hiatt noted that Lee is probably hitting notes that he himself couldn't imagine would be accessible to him again, Geddy concurred. "I thought, 'There's no way I can do that song," Lee said. "There's no way I can do that song. I can't hit those notes.' And he would listen to them and he'd go, 'Well, that's an E. That's high, but you can hit it. You're doing E in warm-ups.' And this is not E. This is an octave above everyone's normal E. 'And I've stretched you out to F sharp. I've stretched you out to G.' … So I was nervous to try some of those songs, and then he would encourage me, and I would do them. And I would struggle at first, and then I'd listen to them with him, and he'd go, 'No, you can do this. Try this. Breathe here. Remember when you're singing the choruses of 'A Farewell To Kings', make it bounce.' And that helps. All those little tricks — they're not tricks; they're exercises — help you realize, 'Look, I got this.'"

Geddy went on to say that he used to sing the classic RUSH songs in the band's earlier years "without any schooling and with more youthful verve. [Mitch] said, 'When I listen to your early records, I can't believe the way you're hitting those notes without even thinking about it.' Because it's a combination — it's what they call blending, where you're blending chest voice and head voice, and I did that instinctively my whole life," Lee explained. "And at a certain point, I didn't really work on the techniques to keep those high songs, so we just started dropping some of those super-high songs. And so that was a challenge for me to bring them back."

When Hiatt pointed out that a couple of the songs in RUSH's "Fifty Something" set are being performed a step down, Geddy said: "'Anthem''s down a step, and '2112' is down a step. Everything else is in the original key. Well, frankly, 'Anthem' sounds much heavier down a step. Sometimes you drop a step to make the song feel more powerful. And although I could do '2112' in its original key, I think it just sounds heavier like this now. Now that's partly an excuse and partly the truth. So, yeah, both of those songs I don't think have suffered. We were gonna drop 'Kings' originally. And then we went, 'Nah, it just sounds better in its original key, so we have to keep it in the original key.' So, we went through the whole catalog like that, judging if the keys were fine and especially with 'Freewill'. There was no way I would do that song unless I could hit that third verse, which is really the highest verse that I sing all night."

RUSH's setlist for "Fifty Something" is culled from a pool of more than 40 RUSH classics, with the band playing two sets a night that celebrate late RUSH drummer Neil Peart's life and legacy.

The 2026 leg of the "Fifty Something" tour, which will cover Canada, USA and Mexico, initially consisted of 22 dates, which sold out immediately, prompting the addition of more shows. The tour now totals 58 shows across 24 cities, with over half a million tickets sold for 2026.

In February, RUSH announced the addition of South America and Europe tour dates to the "Fifty Something" tour, in early 2027. The dates will be the first time the band has played in Europe since 2013 and 17 years since visiting South America.

RUSH performed in public with Nilles for the first time at Canada's Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario in late March. They played "Finding My Way", the first song from RUSH's first album, the band's only LP not to feature Peart.

The Juno Awards performance was Lee and Lifeson's first as RUSH since they finished their 40th-anniversary tour in 2015, although they have performed under their own names on occasion, including tributes to legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot and Taylor Hawkins of the FOO FIGHTERS.

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

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

In a recent interview with Mr. Music's "Meet My Guest" podcast, Andi Deris spoke about how he had to adapt his voice when he first joined HELLOWEEN as the replacement for Michael Kiske more than three decades ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the majority of the songs we decided to detune half a tone down. I think from [2000's] 'The Dark Ride' on, we had these low tunes, like a half tone or even a full tone down. Back in the days it was not so easy technically. You would have to change the guitars again and again and again and again. So we said, 'Okay, the compromise is we don't play 'The Dark Ride' drop D, but we find a middle way,' and we just dropped down half a tone and we played everything half tone D. So 'The Dark Ride' itself on stage was higher performed. But nowadays it's much easier. Nowadays with the [technology], we go back to the normal tunings again. Because it's just a push of a button and you are half tone lower, half tone higher. So now we are capable of playing everything in its original [tuning] again."

Asked if he ever pushes a button to lower the key of the songs on a night when he is not feeling good about his voice, Deris said: "Oh, no. You shouldn't do that. Because during a, a tour, you are completely used to change your technique in between the songs. So when you suddenly push it down a half a tone, then the bridge to switch is lower as well, so you're not doing yourself a favor. So it's even worse, actually, because your routine is completely fucked up then. So, no, we would never do that. If you would realize that, let's say in front, a few weeks before the tour, that something is not fine with me or [current HELLOWEEN co-vocalist] Michael [Kiske], then you could decide to put everything one tone down and rehearse like that to get the routine to do that. But so far, thank to God, we never had to do that."

Referencing the fact that both Deris and Kiske currently sing in HELLOWEEN together alongside original guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen, Andi said: "[Having more than one singer] helps a lot, because sharing means more luxury. Sharing means a little bit more breaks to calm down, so let Michael sing his song and I'm fine after five minutes again and can perform much better than if I would have to go on without a break. This is the luxury of two singers. Well, Michael always says we have two and a half singers. Yeah, but that's pure luxury, actually. That's pure luxury. And that probably gives us a free ticket to go on another 10 or 15 years even without pissing off the people because we can share. And in the rehearsal room you check it out, and you say, 'Maybe the running order is not working because I need a break here. Otherwise, my voice is fucked up,' blah, blah, blah. All that shit you can do because you have two singers [or] three singers."

HELLOWEEN's latest album, "Giants & Monsters", arrived in August 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).

The follow-up to 2021's "Helloween", "Giants & Monsters" was mixed at the legendary Wisseloord Studios (IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, DEF LEPPARD) in Hilversum, Netherlands.

"Helloween" was the first HELLOWEEN album to feature the band's expanded lineup, consisting of returning members, Kiske and Hansen, along with Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble.

Upon its release in June 2021, "Helloween" landed in the Top 10 in more than 10 countries, including Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria.

HELLOWEEN released a live album, "Live At Budokan", on December 13, 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The effort immortalized HELLOWEEN's September 16, 2023 performance at Tokyo's legendary Nippon Budokan.

THE VIOLENT HOUR, the heavy rock group formed by Carla Harvey (BUTCHER BABIES) and Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX, PANTERA),has released a new single, "Screenager". The track combines heavy riffs and commanding vocals with melodic hooks, and lyrically addresses the erosion of genuine human connection in the digital age. The band is also scheduled to perform at several fall festivals, including Rocklahoma, Louder Than Life and Aftershock.

Barreling out of the gate with crushing riffs and thunderous energy, the track pairs Harvey's raw, commanding vocals with relentless instrumentation before opening into soaring melodic hooks. Lyrically, it serves as a warning about what happens when the digital world begins to replace the real one, and how humanity and empathy can get lost in the process. "Screenager" explores the quiet death of real connection in the age of endless validation, where anonymity breeds cruelty and curated digital selves slowly consume human ones.

"We wanted to write something that felt as relentless as the endless scroll," Harvey says. "Musically, 'Screenager' channels the aggression and energy of early METALLICA but opens up into huge, soaring melodic choruses. Lyrically, it's about how we've traded genuine human connection for digital validation, and how anonymity has fueled a growing lack of empathy by making cruelty feel consequence-free. We're more connected than ever, yet somehow we've never felt further apart.'

Harvey recounts: 'We asked our friend Attila Vörös to lay down the guitar solo for 'Screenager', and he absolutely delivered with a combination of '80s shred and modern melodic metal that only he could pull off.'

THE VIOLENT HOUR will embark on a string of festival performances this fall, including Rocklahoma in Pryor, Oklahoma on September 6, Louder Than Life in Louisville, Kentucky on September 17, and Aftershock in Sacramento, California on October 1.

THE VIOLENT HOUR was born from a moment of truth. After 15 years commanding some of heavy metal's biggest stages, Carla Harvey found herself at a crossroads: walk away from it all, or dig deep and create the album she'd always dreamed of. She chose the latter.

Teaming up with now-husband and legendary drummer and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Benante, the two hunkered down to write and what followed was electric. The songs poured out fast, raw, and real. Fueled by that spark, THE VIOLENT HOUR came to life with bandmates Kiana De León (guitar),Allie Kay (guitar),Jewel Steele (bass),and Sasha De León (drums). Kiana and Sasha previously played together in the PANTERA tribute band FAR BEYOND HOSTILE and the covers project VIXEN VENDETTA.

Blending the grit of old-school rock 'n' roll, the soul of indie and alternative, and just the right dose of heavy metal, THE VIOLENT HOUR isn't chasing trends; they're carving out their own lane. Songwriting comes first, emotion is everything, and every track is a piece of Carla's story, unapologetically honest and sonically bold.

When the touring lineup of THE VIOLENT HOUR was first announced in August 2025, Harvey commented: "As a huge fan of the '90s Riot Grrl movement, I've dreamed of having an all-girl band my whole life. After a long search, I finally found them. Four incredible women who share the same drive, passion, and fire that fuels me. We are THE VIOLENT HOUR and we are your new favorite band."

THE VIOLENT HOUR's self-titled debut EP was released in July 2025 via Megaforce Records. Carla wrote all lyrics and handled all the vocals on "The Violent Hour", while Benante wrote the music and played all instruments on the EP. The track "Sick Ones" features an absolutely shredding guitar solo from MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5, and PANTERA guitarist and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman Zakk Wylde makes an explosive cameo on the track "Hell Or Hollywood".

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Anabel DFlux

With one of the biggest global audiences of its career and more than five million global streams already on its latest single "Scream", Christian rockers SKILLET have announced a new independent EP, "After The Storm", arriving October 9. The project's newest single and anime-inspired lyric video for "Lift Me Up" is available below.

The six-song EP is available for pre-save now, with "Lift Me Up" available everywhere today.

The announcement comes during one of the most remarkable periods of sustained momentum in SKILLET's nearly 30-year career. The band now averages more than 12 million monthly Spotify listeners, while its six-times-platinum anthem "Monster" has surpassed five billion global streams and earned a place in Spotify's Billions Club, Earlier this year, SKILLET's European headline tour drew the largest international crowds in the band's history, including record-breaking ticket sales at Zénith in Paris.

Produced by David Cowell (SLEEP THEORY) and the band's own Korey Cooper, "After The Storm" marks both a return to SKILLET's heavier musical roots and one of its most personal creative statements to date. Inspired by seasons of betrayal, grief, perseverance, and ultimately hope, the EP finds frontman John Cooper writing from one of the most vulnerable places of his career.

"'After The Storm' is special to me because it reignites what SKILLET was always meant to be — which is music that helps lift people out of dark times," says John Cooper. "I wrote these songs because I needed to be lifted out of my own darkness."

The EP's newest single, "Lift Me Up", pairs crushing guitars with an arena-sized chorus that captures the heart of the project.

"'Lift Me Up' reminds me of early SKILLET, but it still feels fresh," John Cooper says. "When I wrote it, so many things were dragging me down. I was asking God to lift me up. It's a reminder that even when life feels overwhelming, there is still hope."

The EP follows "Scream", which has already surpassed five million global streams and introduced listeners to the emotional landscape of "After The Storm". Written in response to anxiety, anger, and the search for purpose amid the constant noise of modern life, the song has quickly resonated with fans around the world.

"After The Storm" track listing:

01. Scream
02. Lift Me Up
03. Grave Stomper
04. After The Storm
05. Heaven Help Us
06. Come And Find Me

SKILLET will support "After The Storm" with a nationwide U.S. Live Nation headline tour beginning this October, following a landmark European run that delivered the biggest international audiences of the band's career.

With more than 23 million albums sold, two Grammy Award nominations, a Billboard Music Award, three Top 5 Billboard 200 debuts, and music featured by the NFL, WWE, ESPN, Marvel and countless film and television productions, SKILLET continues to expand its reach across generations.

Nearly three decades into its career, SKILLET isn't looking back on its legacy — it's writing its next chapter. "After The Storm" captures a band at the height of its global reach while delivering its most vulnerable and hopeful music to date.

SKILLET tap into the sound of surviving any adversity, dusting yourself off, and getting back up again for another round. Heavy guitars kick with the inspiration to keep going, while stadium-size hooks double as a reminder to never give up no matter what. The quartet — John Cooper (lead vocals, bass),Korey Cooper (guitar, keys, production),Jen Ledger (drums, vocals) and Seth Morrison (lead guitar) — have quietly, yet indisputably become one of the biggest global hard rock bands of the 21st century with total album over 23 million, an average of 12 million monthly Spotify listeners, and dozens of massive placements across sports, film, and television. Among a catalog highlighted by chart-topping albums and hits, the six-times-platinum "Monster" has eclipsed five billion global streams, claimed a place in Spotify's "Billions Club", resounded as "one of the most streamed rock songs of all time" and the only Christian song in history to cross one billion Spotify streams. During 2025, their first-ever Christmas release "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" made a viral impact and captured No. 1 on five Billboard charts. The band's 2026 European tour brought them in front of their biggest international crowds yet — not only selling out shows across the continent, but breaking ticket sales records at venues like Zénith Paris. Awarded multiplatinum, platinum, or gold RIAA certifications for 12 singles and four full-length albums, the group has notably garnered two Grammy Award nominations, earned a Billboard Music Award, and impressively delivered three Top 5 debuts on the Billboard 200. Widening the scope of this vision, SKILLET launched the graphic novel series "Eden" with Z2. Kicking off another chapter, SKILLET decided to get heavier and punch harder on their 2026 independent EP "After The Storm", introduced by the single "Scream".

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

In a new interview with the "Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show", which airs on New York's Q104.3 FM radio station, GUNS N' ROSES' Slash was asked if he thinks it's easier or harder now for aspiring guitarists to get started than it was when he first began playing the instrument more than four decades ago. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Are you kidding? People are incredible now. They pick up an instrument and there's so much information out there on YouTube and Instagram, all the social networking stuff, where you can really learn how to play, as opposed to having to look in a book or sitting down and listening to records and going to concerts and sort of watching from a distance. You really get tutorials, and people are getting so good so fast. Little kids are blowing my mind."

After one of the interviewers noted that he often tells aspiring guitarists to learn Slash's licks from the GUNS N' ROSES songs "November Rain" and "Sweet Child O' Mine", as well as classic rock tracks from Jimi Hendrix and PINK FLOYD, such as "Comfortably Numb", which features David Gilmour on guitar, they will be able to play anything, Slash said: "Well, the way I see it is, you learn a few of those licks, and I don't know about the 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and all that, but David Gilmour, if you can do that and put it in context of other music, other songs and not just play 'Comfortably Numb' only, yeah, you can do a million things. I mean, when I first picked up the guitar, it was, like, literally five notes that was sort of a blues lick. And it was like the heavens parted… So once you get that structure and start applying it to different pieces of music, it's wide open."

Back in 2014, Slash described his good friend, ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons, as one of the defining guitarists of his life, telling Esquire magazine: "Billy is somebody I know. But first and foremost, way, way before I ever actually met him, he was one of the tastiest sort of rhythm, blues, and electric-blues guitarists who I had ever heard. As far as me identifying with a certain tone and a certain style of putting notes together, he's got so much soul. And he's got such a great guitar sound. He is obviously very, very well-known in every circle as far as musicians and fans of ZZ TOP, but sometimes I think he's underrated for just how great he really is."

Regarding Hendrix's influence on his playing, Slash said: "[Jimi] was the pioneer for electric lead guitar. Even the guys before him — like [Eric] Clapton and [Jeff] Beck and all that — but the thing about Jimi is he came along and he was definitely the primal wild man, shit coming out of his pores. It was the extremes of all the different nuances that all the different guitar players before him had and just coming out in droves and saying it in a certain way that was uniquely Jimi and nobody else. Jimi's still the man. It's funny because you hear about him so much but he was that great. And his material stands the test of time all these years later."

GUNS N' ROSES officially launched the North American leg of their 2026 world tour on July 23, with an opening performance at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. The show kicked off the band's 18-date stadium, arena and amphitheater run across the United States and Canada this summer.

The North American run follows a landmark period for the band, including the release of two new singles, "Nothin'" and "Atlas", via Geffen Records — their first new music since 2023 — as well as the acclaimed deluxe reissue of "Live Era '87-'93", featuring newly remastered audio and updated artwork. Together, the new releases continue to expand the band's legendary catalog while complementing the classic songs that have defined generations of rock fans.

Produced by Live Nation, the North American tour continues through September 19 with stops at iconic venues including MetLife Stadium, Allegiant Stadium, BC Place, Globe Life Field, Snapdragon Stadium, Busch Stadium, and a historic return to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena — the band's first performance at the legendary venue in more than 30 years.

Limited tickets remain for select dates at gunsnroses.com, with a variety of VIP packages and fan experiences available through VIP Nation, including premium tickets, the pre-show VIP Lounge, exclusive merchandise, behind-the-scenes tour opportunities, and more.

GUNS N' ROSES have steadily been releasing new material in recent years in conjunction with their sold-out tours across the globe. Following 2023's "The General" and "Perhaps", "Atlas" and "Nothin'" join as vital additions to setlists otherwise featuring all the classic hits and deep cut fan favorites from GN'R's early catalog.

GUNS N' ROSES are Axl Rose (vocals, keyboards),Duff McKagan (bass),Slash (lead guitar),Dizzy Reed (keyboard),Richard Fortus (rhythm guitar),Isaac Carpenter (drums) and Melissa Reese (keyboard).

ABBATH, the project led by former IMMORTAL frontman Abbath, ended its performance Friday (August 14) at the SaariHelvetti festival in Tampere, Finland after only about two minutes.

A YouTube clip of ABBATH's appearance at SaariHelvetti set (see below) shows the band launching into the opening song, "To War!", with Abbath — whose real name is Olve Eikemo — not sporting any of his trademark corpsepaint and body armor, unlike his bandmates. About halfway through the track, Abbath can be seen angrily throwing his guitar onto the stage and walking off.

According to Inferno magazine, ABBATH's Finnish drummer Ukri Suvilehto then stepped to the front of the stage and told the audience that the singer has been struggling with health problems and apologized on the band's behalf.

"Let's just say that it probably won't come as a surprise to anyone that our lead singer is struggling with health problems, so we're very sorry if this gig has been interrupted," Ukri reportedly said. "But we, as solid professionals, are prepared for anything, so we'll see. But thank you and sorry. We have done everything we can."

The organizers later announced that the gig ended unexpectedly because "Abbath was unable to perform due to singer Abbath Doom Occulta's health problems."

ABBATH's participation in the SaariHelvetti festival was announced in March.

Back in November 2019, ABBATH played a disastrous two-song concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, resulting in some fans requesting a refund. ABBATH's lineup for that show consisted only of its visibly inebriated namesake frontman alongside then-bassist Mia Wallace and drummer Ukri "Uge" Suvilehto. Rumors had spread earlier in the day that Abbath had gotten into an argument with guitarist Ole André Farstad, who reportedly decided to stay at the hotel and skip the gig.

Later that same month, Abbath issued a statement saying that he had been battling addiction and vowing to commit himself to a rehab program that would help him "get clean once and for all."

ABBATH has spent the last few years touring in supporting of its latest album, "Dread Reaver", which arrived in March 2022 via Season Of Mist.

Chicago punk rock quartet RISE AGAINST has released two new singles, "Katy Bar The Door" and "Living Undercover". These two new releases embody their original spirit of rebellion that they have held over a quarter century.

"Katy Bar The Door" takes its name from an old expression meaning trouble is coming and that all hell is about to break loose.

"I don't know where I came across this expression, but I immediately was taken with it," says RISE AGAINST vocalist Tim McIlrath. "While an obscure reference now... I liked the idea of resurrecting it for this song, and that it sort of fits what it feels like to be alive in 2026."

The track was written in the aftermath of some of the most violent ICE raids in Minneapolis, and McIlrath sees it as part of a longer historical reckoning with abuses of power.

"This is not the first time in history we have reckoned with abuses of power," McIlrath says. "Bearing witness to the fragility of democracy is a scary thing, and it demands a response."

The band describes "Living Undercover" as a song about the things we hide in plain sight.

"Sometimes it's because we're building something beautiful behind the curtain, other times we're hiding some kind of darkness," McIlrath adds. "I like the cloak and dagger feel of the song that ties into its central theme."

Both "Katy Bar The Door" and "Living Undercover" were recorded at The Blasting Room, a longtime home base for the band.

"The studio there is a home away from home, and we know those rooms like the back of our hands," McIlrath adds. "It'd been a while since we worked at the studio, and it was good to be under their roof again."

These releases come just after RISE AGAINST announced its headlining tour dates in the fall across the U.S. with support from ALKALINE TRIO. They will kick off the tour in Dallas, Texas on September 22 at South Side Ballroom and will be visiting cities including New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, San Francisco,and more. In the meantime, the band is currently on tour in the U.K. supporting JIMMY EAT WORLD.

Photo credit: Mynxii White

Keanu Reeves's reactivated 1990s and early 2000s grunge band DOGSTAR performed its single "Joy" on last night's (Thursday, August 13) episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". You can now watch the performance below.

"Joy" is taken from DOGSTAR's fourth studio album, "All In Now", which came out in May via the group's own label Dillon Street Records. The LP was produced by Nick Launay (IDLES, AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS, YEAH YEAH YEAHS, NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS) and is the follow-up to DOGSTAR's first album in two decades, "Somewhere Between The Power Lines And Palm Trees", which came out in October 2023.

DOGSTAR is composed of guitarist/vocalist Bret Domrose, drummer Rob Mailhouse and bassist Keanu Reeves.

"The album really sets up the energy at the heart of this album and the fun that we've always had playing together," Mailhouse stated about "All In Now". "We couldn't fucking wait," Keanu Reeves said about DOGSTAR's collective desire to get right back to the studio. "Personally, I loved it all. For me, the attitude was like, 'let's work hard and let's GO.'" "It felt like our last album was our ticket into a party," said Domrose. "And now we've shown up to the party — the three of us."

DOGSTAR, which Rolling Stone hailed for its "sleek, post-grunge alt-rock", is a brotherhood — a group of three men with multiple talents who combined, have created a sound and energy that is greater than the sum of its parts. After being dormant for 20 years, the California-based trio reunited in 2023 to release their celebrated album "Somewhere Between The Power Lines And Palm Trees", which SPIN called "honest and inspired" and "fully reflects these three guys, the stories of their lives over the last three decades, and exactly who they are." Their new album pushes them further, with a unified and self-assured album forged by their time on the road, touring both in America and around the world, playing everywhere from sweaty rock clubs to giant festivals.

Mailhouse remembers: "Just seeing the smiles on people's faces and feeling their joy on a musical level. Playing some outdoor festivals, and when it starts to rain, seeing nobody leaving." "Those festivals in Europe really made a big, positive impact on us," adds Reeves. "We loved playing to people in the afternoon who didn't come to see DOGSTAR but connected with what we were doing. And that connected with us." Bret continued, "You never know if people are going to show up, are they going to stay, are they going to listen? It meant a lot that people not only stayed but got into songs that they mostly had never heard before."

DOGSTAR credits legendary producer Nick Launay — whose has worked with artists from MIDNIGHT OIL to NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS to YEAH YEAH YEAHS and AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS — with the fully realized sound and the energy of "All In Now". As Domrose recalls, "Our management put Nick's name on a list of possible producers." "And we all thought it was a typo. Like this guy will never work with us," Mailhouse adds with a laugh. For Nick Launay, "Working with Bret, Robert and Keanu was extremely fun because it brought things back to why people form bands and make music. These three friends wrote some killer songs and wanted to push some boundaries in the studio. It's all passion and no B.S. For me, it's always a treat working with such capable musicians because the sky's the limit when experimenting, and that's exactly what we did, while smiling all the way."

"All In Now" reflects DOGSTAR's commitment to put their all into the project, both onstage and in the studio. As Nick Launay puts it, "I love how Bret's voice and melodies soar above the solid grooves on this album. There's something very honest about it, which I guess is why it's called 'All in Now'. I think this friendly trio is sounding HUGE and will turn some heads this time around."

Kelly Osbourne has blasted Dee Snider for "trying to diminish" Ozzy Osbourne's "abilities and achievements" after the TWISTED SISTER frontman questioned Ozzy's songwriting contributions. Dee also made a pointed remark about Ozzy's wife and longtime manager Sharon Osbourne.

The war of words between Dee and Kelly began after a fan brought up late MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy Kilmister songwriting and musical contributions to Ozzy's 1991 "No More Tears" album — on which Lemmy is credited with co-writing several songs, including "I Don't Want To Change The World", "Mama, I'm Coming Home", the title track and "Hellraiser". Snider wrote: "I know too much about the truth behind the scenes. Let's just say that Sharon doesn't like to share."

When someone later noted that bassist Bob Daisley claimed to have written a "load of lyrics" for Ozzy's "No More Tears" album before being "sacked for the final time", Snider responded: "A load? How about ALL the lyrics? Ozzy always had bass players write his lyrics. [BLACK SABBATH bassist] @geezerbutler wrote ALL of @BlackSabbath lyrics. Daisley wrote lyrics for the first two solo albums (I'm pretty sure he was paid to write on other records but not credited) & Lemmy wrote lyrics."

A a fan later commented that they love a "frontman who doesn't write his songs, but has such a way to bring them to the people," to which Snider responded, "Many singers don't write their own songs but make them their own."

After Snider's remarks, Kelly took to her Instagram Stories to write: "My father's legacy as a musician, songwriter, singer and bandleader speaks for itself. His friends, those who worked with him, those who loved him and millions of fans around the world that still continue to buy his records know exactly what he meant, what he contributed and what he leaves behind. His legacy will live on eternally."

She then followed up with a lengthier post, which read at the top, "@deesnider your last hit… not to age myself was the year I was born over 40 years ago," referring to TWISTED SISTER's "We're Not Gonna Take It", released in 1984. She added: "There's something spectacularly classless about Dee Snider trying to diminish my father Ozzy Osbourne and his extraordinary abilities and achievements when he is no longer here to challenge his allegations, particularly when Snider cannot claim to know the private reality of my father's life simply by looking in from the outside or from hearsay from a delusional man with a vendetta against my father. When to the best of my knowledge they were maybe in the same room once if even at all.

"And if Snider wants to invite comparisons between their careers, that comparison is devastating enough on its own.

"Snider had a brief period of mainstream success more than 40 years ago. My father's career spanned nearly six decades — from helping define heavy metal with BLACK SABBATH to building an extraordinary solo career. His music will continue influencing generations long after all of us are gone.

"It's difficult not to wonder whether Snider's attempt to belittle my father is simply a way of getting people talking about him again. Because musically, the music industry moved on from Snider's commercial peak decades ago, while my father's name, catalogue and influence still remains globally relevant.

"My father doesn't need Dee Snider's approval to establish his place in music history.

"And trying to make my father smaller won't make Dee Snider bigger. It only reminds everyone of the enormous difference between their legacies and further proves just how irrelevant Snider is to the music industry and society as a whole. However I would like to thank you Dee Snider for allowing the world to see how truly desperate he really is!"

Following Kelly's post, Snider returned to X to clarify: "To be clear, I HAVE NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR OZZY. He was always lovely to me. @BlackSabbath changed my life! As a songwriter I can be a little touchy about credit and royalties."

More than 55 years after forming in the U.K., FOGHAT — Roger Earl (founding drummer),Bryan Bassett (lead/slide guitar),Scott Holt (lead vocals/guitar),and Rodney O'Quinn (bass/vocals) — remains one of rock and roll's hardest-working and most respected live bands. Throughout its 2025 "Slow Ride 50th Anniversary Tour" and in-progress 2026 "Twang & Bang Tour", FOGHAT has kept the wheels turning with performances across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe, including its grand return to the U.K. after 52 years, bringing all audiences the unmistakable blend of blues, boogie, and straight-ahead rock that has become the band's trademark thanks to their classic hits "Fool For The City", "Slow Ride" and "I Just Wanna Make Love To You", among many others.

As they look ahead to 2027, FOGHAT is bringing their live show from the stage to speakers with their new triple vinyl release, "Live & Loud Across The U.S.A.", which is due out October 30 on the band's label, Foghat Records, distributed by Select-O-Hits (part of the Sun Records family). It's now available for pre-order and will be sold as two-gold vinyl discs, along with a bonus third red vinyl disc that will include a reissue of the fan favorite EARL & THE AGITATORS (side project and alter-ego band featuring members of FOGHAT) record "Shaken & Stirred" (produced, mixed and mastered by guitarist Bryan Bassett),which has never been available on vinyl until now.

The first single, "My Babe", was released today on all digital outlets.

A limited quantity of numbered and autographed copies of "Live & Loud Across The U.S.A." can be pre-ordered now on TalkShop.Live. Last night, Roger Earl, Scott Holt and Jason Peverett (Lonesome Dave's son),and a few selected fans appeared on the site's Rock & Roll Channel with their good friend and host Steve Harkins for an in-depth discussion about this new release and the band's legendary career.

"Live & Loud Across The U.S.A." captures the first live album by the current FOGHAT lineup where they have always been at their absolute best, on stage. Recorded during performances in cities across America throughout the 2024 and 2025 tours, this powerful collection highlights a band that continues to play with the passion, chemistry, and fire that has defined them since 1971. Featuring many live recordings being released for the first time, it's a testament to a group that refuses to slow down. Instead, FOGHAT remains exactly what it has always been: a great live rock and roll band.

In 2014, Roger and Bryan met Scott Holt, who had toured and recorded with Buddy Guy for over a decade. They immediately hit it off and invited Scott to write some material and perform on what became their 2016 release "Under The Influence". They ended up writing 17 songs. The following year brought an unexpected opportunity. Tom Mix — winner of FOGHAT's lyric-writing contest while serving as a pilot in Afghanistan — had returned home and was attending the Dark Horse Institute in Franklin, Tennessee. As part of the student's graduation project, he invited the band to record at the school's professional studio. The students would mix the recordings, and the band would keep the masters.

Over the next several days, even more songs were written and recorded. One evening, while enjoying a bottle of Foghat Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, guitarist Bryan Bassett jokingly suggested the name EARL & THE AGITATORS and it stuck. The band began playing shows, often opening for FOGHAT itself. In 2018, the music was released online as "Shaken & Stirred" and has been a fan favorite ever since.

FOGHAT is still making chart-topping music and touring relentlessly over 50 years later. Their latest studio album, "Sonic Mojo", was released in November 2023, and remained on the Billboard Top 10 Blues Albums chart for 34 weeks, including two weeks at No. 1. It is the first time the band has ever landed at No. 1 on any of Billboard's charts after a new album release. Even "Slow Ride" had never reached No. 1. "Sonic Mojo" is available in various formats, including a single CD boasting 12 electrifying tracks in a stunning six-page digipak and digital copies. For vinyl enthusiasts, there's a limited-edition 180-gram, neon purple vinyl version featuring 11 tracks and a gatefold jacket.

Included in the "Live & Loud Across The U.S.A." packaging is a special message from Roger Earl: "People often ask me if we're ever going to slow down. The answer is… not yet!

"The performances on this album were recorded in cities across the United States during the past two years. We didn't set out to make a live record — we simply wanted to capture FOGHAT doing what we've always loved to do: playing live. Most of these songs have never been released as official live recordings before, and I think they show where the band is today.

"For the second disc, we wanted to include something that many people may not realize is also part of the FOGHAT story. EARL & THE AGITATORS isn't another band — it's us.

"Whether you know us as FOGHAT or EARL & THE AGITATORS, it's always been about playing music we believe in and sharing it with people who love it as much as we do.

"Thank you for coming along with us on this incredible journey. We couldn't have done it without your support, and we hope these recordings bring you as much enjoyment as we've had making them.

"See you down the road…"

"Live & Loud Across The U.S.A." track listing:

Disc 1 and 2 ("Live & Loud Across The U.S.A.", including the cities where the songs were recorded):

Side A:

01. My Babe (Ferndale, WA)
02. Drivin' On (Miami, OK)
03. Road Fever (Atlantic City, NJ)
04. She's A Little Bit Of Everything (Atlantic City, NJ)

Side B:

01. Let Me Love You Baby (Atlantic City, NJ)
02. Black Days & Blue Nights (Indianapolis, IN)
03. Home In My Hand (Great Falls, MT)
04. Slipped, Tripped, Fell In Love (Miami, OK)

Side C:

01. It Hurts Me Too (Tracy, CA)
02. Hold To Hide In (Great Falls, MT)
03. Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed (Bethlehem, PA)
04. Third Time Lucky (Great Falls, MT)

Side D:

01. Sweet Home Chicago (Atlantic City, NJ)
02. I Just Want To Make Love To You (Miami, OK)

Disc 3 ("Shaken & Stirred" by EARL & THE AGITATORS):

Side E:

01. Guess Things Happen That Wat
02. Where's The Rock N' Roll
03. Linda Lu
04. Upside Of Lonely
05. Honey Do List

Side F:

01. Wild Horses (Live)
02. Love Isn't Kind
03. Hi-Heel Sneakers
04. Shaky Ground (Live)

"Live & Loud Across The U.S.A." recording lineup:

Roger Earl - Drums
Scott Holt - Lead Vocals/Guitar
Bryan Bassett - Slide/Lead Guitar
Rodney O'Quinn - Bass and Lead/Background Vocals
Eddie LeFebvre - Percussion/Background Vocals

"Shaken & Stirred" by EARL & THE AGITATORS recording lineup:

Roger Earl - Drums
Scott Holt - Lead Vocals/Guitar
Bryan Bassett - Slide/Lead Guitar
Rodney O'Quinn - Bass, Lead/Background Vocals
Craig McGregor - Bass
Mark Petrocelli - Percussion (live tracks)
Tony Bullard - Guitar (live tracks)

SLIPKNOT has officially parted ways with longtime member Sid Wilson.

Earlier today (Friday, August 14),exactly two weeks after TMZ reported that DJ and keyboardist Wilson, 49, had been permanently removed from SLIPKNOT, ending his 28-year run with the Iowa-based metallers, the band shared the following (since-deleted) statement via social media: "Effective immediately, SLIPKNOT will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson. We wish him the best in his future endeavors."

On August 3, TMZ shared a follow-up report indicating that Sid's exit from SLIPKNOT was "a long time coming" and that the decision to kick him out of the band "came after the group finally had enough of Sid's behavior ... namely, the way he treated his bandmates."

According to TMZ, SLIPKNOT was planning to announce Sid's departure the first week of August, but the band "lost control of the rollout" when TMZ first reported Wilson's dismissal on July 31.

The same day that Wilson's exit from SLIPKNOT was first reported, the band's guitarist Jim Root shared a cryptic Instagram Stories post that appeared to address the reported drama, soundtracked by SLIPKNOT's 2008 song "'Til We Die".

"Don't believe everything you read," Root wrote. "Stop. Think. Take a breath. Sit with it for awhile. Maybe. Just maybe even wait until there's more information."

Wilson had been a member of SLIPKNOT for nearly three decades, joining in 1998 shortly before the release of the band’s self-titled debut record.

In May 2022, Sid and his now-former fiancée Kelly Osbourne — daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne — announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child together. Sidney was born in November 2022 and shares both of his parents' last names.

Sid started dating Kelly in 2022, after being good friends for a number of years, and in July 2025, it was announced that Wilson and Osbourne got engaged at BLACK SABBATH's farewell show, just weeks before Ozzy's death.

This past March, it was reported that Kelly and Sid had split. They were said to have quietly ended their engagement weeks earlier according to the Daily Mail. They were last pictured together at the Grammy Awards in February.

As a member of SLIPKNOT, who use numerical stage names, ranging from 0 to 8, Wilson was known as #0, producing sound effects and background noises for the group's music.

Since the 2000s, Wilson had also occasionally toured under the name DJ Starscream, which derives from the "Transformers" character of the same name.

SLIPKNOT's most recent live performance was at Inkcarceration, a music and tattoo festival in Ohio, in July 2025.

DEATH ANGEL and KERRY KING vocalist Mark Osegueda joined PRIMUS on stage on Saturday, August 15 at the Dynamo Metalfest in Eindhoven, The Netherlands to perform a cover of the DIO classic "Holy Diver". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

PRIMUS's studio cover version of "Holy Diver" appears on the band's "A Handful Of Nuggs" EP, which was made available in May. That rendition of the track was sung by Puddles Pity Party, the singing clown persona of Michael Geier.

Written by late metal icon Ronnie James Dio, "Holy Diver" served as the lead single and title track to his namesake band DIO's 1983 debut album.

"Holy Diver" was a platinum-certified smash and one of the late singer-songwriter's most groundbreaking achievements.

Four years ago, Rhino revisited this epic metal moment on "Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition", now available as a four-CD boxed set ($59.98) and digitally.

Released in July 2022, "Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition" came with two versions of "Holy Diver". The first was a new mix of the album made by Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SLIPKNOT). He used the original analog tapes to remix all nine tracks on the album. The second was a newly remastered version of the original 1983 mix. The "Super Deluxe Edition" also featured unreleased live performances and outtakes, along with a selection of rarities from the era.

On Friday, August 14, founding POISON drummer Rikki Rockett paid tribute to POISON's "Look What The Cat Dragged In" album by performing the entire LP with his new band, THE ROCKETT MAFIA, at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. This year marks the album's 40th anniversary, which features the hits "Talk Dirty To Me", "I Want Action", "Cry Tough" and the album's title cut.

Fan-filmed video of the Whisky A Go Go concert — uploaded by the Kenneth Ramone channel on YouTube — can be seen below.

THE ROCKETT MAFIA's lineup for the Whisky A Go Go show consisted of Rikki Rockett on drums, Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar, Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS) on guitar and backing vocals, and Michael Adams (PUDDLE OF MUDD) on bass.

THE ROCKETT MAFIA kicked off its series of shows paying tribute to "Look What The Cat Dragged In" on May 21 at The Vixen in McHenry, Illinois.

When the shows were first announced in April, Rikki said in a statement: "Playing POISON's first album with THE ROCKETT MAFIA is a full-circle moment for me. It's raw, it's fun, and it's exactly how those songs were meant to be heard. Celebrating the 40th anniversary is really about giving the fans a chance to relive that moment with us."

Rikki added in separate video message: "It's gonna be a celebration of 'Look What The Cat Dragged In'. We're calling it 'Look What The Mob Dragged In', going across this country. We're gonna perform everything, from the first chord to the last scream of that record, plus more, some fan favorites. But we're not gonna stop there. We're gonna offer some really cool VIP packages where you can, of course, meet the band, take a picture, come to a soundcheck, signed merch, all kinds of really cool stuff. Make sure to go to rockettmafia.com and get all that information on tickets and VIP packages, when and where we're playing. We're gonna upload some really cool content as well along the way."

This is a historic moment for all POISON fans, as this is the first time that "Look What The Cat Dragged In" is being played in its entirety. Rockett's involvement with the performance creates a unique and authentic experience that will electrify the rock scene with THE ROCKETT MAFIA while honoring POISON's legacy.

"This band lets me play the kind of rock I grew up loving — loud, raw, and from the heart," said Rockett. "We take the music we love and give it new life."

In addition to performing songs from the POISON catalog, THE ROCKETT MAFIA performs a powerful mix of classic rock from the 1970s and 1980s, often reimagining songs from that era with a heavier, more contemporary feel.

Earlier this year, POISON scrapped its previously proposed 2026 tour plans to commemorate the 40th anniversary of "Look What the Cat Dragged In" after frontman Bret Michaels allegedly demanded to earn $6 for every dollar his each of his bandmates stood to make from the shows, a claim made by Rockett in January. Bret later shot down the report, saying he and his POISON bandmates "never got to that part of negotiations."

POISON was founded in 1983 and released "Look What the Cat Dragged In" in May 1986.

DOWN, the long-running heavy metal supergroup featuring vocalist Philip H. Anselmo, guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein, drummer Jimmy Bower and bassist Pat Bruders, kicked off its two-week North American tour with HELMET and SPIRIT IN THE ROOM Saturday night (August 15) at The Eastern in Atlanta, Georgia. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

DOWN is headlining all dates on the regular portion of the "Strap It Down" trek, which will close at the Ramova Theatre in Chicago, Illinois on September 2. DOWN will also make a stop in Shakopee, Minnesota on September 4 with a special previously announced performance as direct support to SLAYER. The journey also includes slots on the 2026 installment of Zakk Wylde's "Berzerkus" festival featuring LAMB OF GOD, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and others on August 28 in Scranton, Pennsylvania and August 29 in Wantagh, New York.

DOWN's special cover of Dr. John's "Right Place, Wrong Time", initially released in video form to celebrate Mardi Gras earlier this year, is currently available on all streaming platforms.

In a recent interview with Metal Nation, Windstein spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for DOWN's long-awaited new album. Kirk said: "It's done. It's been recorded. The process of trying to find… 'Cause we kind of self-produced it, so it's not that we're looking for a producer. The work is done. We just need to find the right person to mix it properly. So that's what we're looking at right now. But we're hoping to have a release by October or something, I would think."

Windstein also talked about the songwriting chemistry between him and his bandmates. He said: "It's been amazing. It really clicked — when we started writing for this new record, it was like we were back in the '90s or something, writing the 'NOLA' record [debut DOWN album]. It's, like, everybody's got ideas. One guy's got a riff and then somebody's got something that works with that riff. We also have a situation where Jimmy Bower, who plays guitar in EYEHATEGOD, he really started out as a drummer. I always joke with him — it's not even a joke; it's true — I'm, like, 'Dude, you're a way better drummer than you are a guitar player. But you're perfect for EYEHATEGOD,' which is the only band he plays [guitar] in. But Jimmy can write killer riffs. Our bass player Pat does. And the thing a lot of people don't know is how much Phil Anselmo is such a great songwriter and arranger, really, but he's a great riff writer. And I think three of the 10 songs on the record are pretty much his songs; every part is his. And we're, like, 'This is great.' We add a little something to it here and there."

Last fall, Windstein told "The Jasta Show", that the new DOWN album was shaping up to be "a killer, killer record."

As for his expectations for the LP, Windstein said: "It's either gonna totally be this huge thing or just flop. But if you're a DOWN fan, I don't see how you can not like it."

In August 2025, Kirk confirmed to Geoff of the Gas Masks & Hand Grenades podcast that DOWN was originally going to release a covers LP next. "It started out that way," Kirk said. "And that was the talk for quite a while, and it was kind of, like, well, if we're gonna learn all these really obscure songs, in the time it's gonna take us to learn all these fucking things and kind of make 'em our own, we could probably write originals. So we got together in January of 2024. Went to Phil's [rehearsal and recording studio]. Pepper, myself, Jimmy and Pat had gotten together and come up with a few ideas, and Phil had some stuff. We went out for three days and came back, came home, and by the time we were done, we had seven songs — not perfectly arranged."

Elaborating on the songwriting and recording process for the new DOWN material, Kirk said: "When we got together to write, the chemistry is just undeniable. It's just magic. We've known each other so long, we've jammed together for so long. And Pepper and I did something — [it was] kind of his idea, but I thought it was a pretty brilliant idea. Jimmy doesn't play to a click track, so it's harder [to keep time], especially when you're not looking at him. So, he said, 'You know what? Let's track the fucking guitars together. Let's not do one guy, then one guy. Let's pick out one section, let's make it through the whole fucking verse, and if one of us fucks up, we stop, go back and start it again.' So we're doing it, just playing together and shit. So it's got more of a live feel, because Pat and Jimmy laid the drums and bass down together, and now we're doing guitars together with the rhythm tracks and shit."

He added: "DOWN's one of the few bands — of course we use Pro Tools [recording software], but we don't do click tracks and fix shit. It's real music."

Earlier in August 2025, Kirk told The Five Count radio show in Mankato, Minnesota about the upcoming DOWN LP: "We couldn't be more excited about the material we have. The songs are extremely strong and they're very old school. They're put together really well, arranged really well, great riffs. We're real excited about it and I think the fans will be equally as excited."

In April 2025, it was announced that DOWN had signed with Nuclear Blast Records. At the time, the label said in a statement: "Nuclear Blast is proud to be in the trenches with NOLA legends DOWN as their partner in their long overdue return to the metal world. In addition, we are excited to bring some of their key past catalog releases back into the spotlight, especially on the vinyl side. There are so many longtime DOWN fans at Nuclear Blast who are excited to be working with one of their all-time favorite bands. 2026 can't come soon enough!"

DOWN headlined night one of last year's edition of the Milwaukee Metal Fest in May. The show followed the band's Western U.S. tour with DANZIG.

In April 2024, Windstein, who is also the frontman of CROWBAR, told Concrete Spew about the musical direction of the new DOWN material: "It just sounds like DOWN. I mean, it sounds refreshing because we haven't done it in so long, gotten together with me and the guys and done it in — fuck — 12 years or something. So it sounds like DOWN, I think, to me, it sounds more old-school DOWN. And the reason I say that is I think we got to a point where… Like, the 'NOLA' record is so simple, and it just wrote itself; it was so simple. And that's how this is coming about, which is great."

He continued: "We're not overthinking it. We're not trying to make things too complex. Phillip's not trying to write so many lyrics and things. We just kind of got away — I hate to say 'got away', 'cause anything we do is DOWN, but, to me, we kind of got a little bit… We needed to go back and look at each other and just go, 'Let's just get in a room and do it like we did from the beginning.' And that's what it feels like to me. It's very magical. The ideas and the working together, just bounce off of one another, it's a natural thing."

In August 2020, DOWN celebrated the 25th anniversary of "NOLA" with a special livestreamed event. Dubbed "The Quarter Century Throwdown", the high-production, multi-camera event took place using cutting-edge streaming technology to create a one-of-a-kind virtual concert experience.

A founding member of DOWN, Windstein left the band in 2013 in order to focus on CROWBAR and his family life. He was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, DOWN's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER),and HONKY.

Windstein announced his return to DOWN in 2019, with the band confirming a number of festival appearances for 2020 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of "NOLA", all of which were later canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic which swept the globe.

The supergroup hasn't issued any new original material since the arrival of the "Down IV – Part Two" EP in May 2014.

"Down IV – Part Two" sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in May 2014 to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous EP, "Down IV Part I – The Purple EP", opened with around 12,000 units in September 2012 to land at No. 35.

"Down IV – Part Two" was recorded at Nodferatu's Lair — Anselmo's home studio — and produced by Michael Thompson. It was released via Down Records/ADA Music.

On the latest episode of "Nashville Now", Rolling Stone 's podcast where senior editor Joseph Hudak dives deep into the hottest genre in music, country, former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted spoke about how his recent battle with throat cancer inspired him to hit the road with his long-running THE CHOPHOUSE BAND this summer. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "About a year ago, they found some throat cancer, and so I had some pretty serious procedure. And so I'm, yeah, 300 and whatever days out, nearing 400 days out. And I've got some healing to do. They told me to wait till about August or so to start trying to do anything, but I really want to bet on myself and have some incentive and all that kind of thing."

Jason continued: "I had to claw back. I had to claw my way back. The depression, the level of depression was so severe that you just... A couple of times, I'd never been the kind of person that would say that or even had that kind of thinking, but [I felt], like, 'Dude, fuck this.' I done did what I did, been blessed very much. Great friends, a way to be still, just fucking let... Like, 'Okay, man, just take me now, motherfucker,' that type of thing, for a couple weeks. And I started getting back out of it. I started swimming again, got back on my bike, doing my things, doing my things, getting some sun, playing some music, meeting some people, keeping my head out, writing some more songs, doing all the things. The planets started aligning. I thought, 'I need to go out and play these songs for people.' You felt so close to dead. How you go the exact opposite of that, all the fucking way over here like this, is to go out and play for people. Express. Let them hear your stories, your new songs. Tell your stories with your songs. Fuck no, they ain't perfect. No. No. Nope. They're just what they are. I do what I can with what I got and what's left, okay? So now stepping into new worlds, even though I've been where I've been, a bunch of new things for me, like starting over."

Newsted, who played with METALLICA from 1986 to 2001, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2025 but wasn't declared cancer-free until earlier this year.

"May of 2025, about 370 days ago or something, I had a procedure for throat cancer and they took tonsil, lymph nodes, and all this kind of thing out of here and it was a very harrowing type of thing," he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" in May. "I didn't really tell anyone other than my family and closest circle. I didn't want anybody to know. I wanted to keep it private until I knew what was going to happen. I got my free and clear a few weeks ago, and so that's when I started talking about it and telling my friends about it."

Regarding his decision to play live again so soon after his cancer battle, Newsted said: "I was betting on myself that I was going to heal and I was going to get better and I was going to be strong enough to do these shows. I kind of put it out there as an incentive thing, but also to prove to myself I could and to feel as alive as possible, because I'd never been that close to death before. And it was very eye-opening at the same time, and it makes you appreciate everything that you've had and the opportunities you've had and maybe you want to take some more opportunities while you're able. That's kind of where it's at for me to feel as alive as possible is when I go out and sing and play and interact with the people. That's the one thing that I miss the very most. It's not the money. It's not any of that shit. It's not the trappings. It's meeting the people."

Newsted previously told the "Let There Be Talk" podcast that he initially suffered with earaches and a sore jaw but simply wrote it off as minor ailments that were only slightly affecting his ability to sing. When he finally noticed a lump on his neck, he decided it was time to get checked up.

"The doctor calls [back] and he says, 'You need to come in,'" Jason recalled. The 63-year-old musician initially thought "there's no way…" before remembering how chaotic his years in METALLICA had been. "I expected [a diagnosis like that] maybe 20 years from now… but then I started thinking about it," he said. "Our accelerated lifestyle [in METALLICA]… with the big tours, you're doing a couple of hundred shows a year… Those touring years are dog years."

Newsted and his THE CHOPHOUSE BAND kicked off their first-ever North American headlining tour on July 1 at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts.

JASON NEWSTED & THE CHOPHOUSE BAND are playing eight headlining dates in cities including Albany, Alexandria, Grand Rapids, Knoxville and more. The group is also supporting BLACKBERRY SMOKE for 10 shows in July.

The 18-date run is visiting major markets across the South, Midwest, and East Coast, and conclude with a two-night stand at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on July 24-25.

Since 1992, JASON NEWSTED & THE CHOPHOUSE BAND have performed periodically at select benefit shows and charity gigs, supporting causes like veterans' relief and animal rehabilitation, as well as youth music and arts education programs.

Newsted leads the 2026 JASON NEWSTED & THE CHOPHOUSE BAND lineup, in which he is joined by Jesse Farnsworth (guitar, vocals),Jimbo Hart (bass, vocals),Humberto Perez (guitar) and Robert John-Tucker (drums, vocals).

Newsted told the Fairfax County Times about JASON NEWSTED & THE CHOPHOUSE BAND's current lineup and tour: "I hand-selected my favorite players from over the years, put together people I wanted to jam with for a long, long time. We've been doing monthly rehearsals and we're getting ready for pre-production. We've written some new songs, we're playing mostly original music and a few songs from some heroes."

Regarding his reasons for returning to the road, Jason said: "First and foremost, I'm doing it for the fun. It's my elective thing. I'm not making any money on any of this. I'm just doing it because I want to do it with some friends. I'm looking forward most to reconnecting with people that I've made great connections with in the past."

When the tour was first announced in April, Jason said in a statement: "We're fired up to finally take this to the people, and it's an honor to head out on the road with the BLACKBERRY crew for our first proper run. BLACKBERRY SMOKE has built a loyal following that knows and enjoys good music.

"We'll be performing THE CHOPHOUSE BAND originals and selections from a few of our heroes. Even at places like the Ryman, we will play some acoustic-based tunes, but throughout the set it is guaranteed to get heavy!"

JASON NEWSTED & THE CHOPHOUSE BAND play a gritty brand of outsider Americana, with roots outstretched into traditions of bluegrass, folk, soul, rock, and a bit of heavy metal. At the same time, Newsted's lyrics cut deep as he threads personal stories into the fabric of this music, presenting perhaps the most intimate and uncompromising portrait of who he is thus far.

Jason stated: "I've realized that this is where I can place my energy effectively now. THE CHOPHOUSE is the continuation of my ambassadorship of American music. THE CHOPHOUSE BAND plays everything from bluegrass to fucking slabs of metal. We're covering a lot of ground. There could be country flavor to a song, but it'll still have sharp teeth. We are looking forward to an exciting summer!"

Named after Jason's four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players, THE CHOPHOUSE BAND began in 1992 when Newsted founded The Chophouse Records Studio in San Francisco.

THE CHOPHOUSE BAND is led by Newsted, playing guitar and performing lead vocal, accompanied by 
close friends/musicians of all walks and styles.

Jason previously told the Palm Beach Florida Weekly about THE CHOPHOUSE BAND: "We all get along great because there's not money involved. They've got their own bands, their own families, their own gigs. We do benefit gigs, six a year, and that's it. I record and write and play songs the whole rest of the time. They could all run circles around me musical theory-wise. They could tell you everything they’re playing, and all the relating chords. I surround myself with the badasses, and they make me look really good. I'm playing cowboy chords the whole time, and they're doing their fancy shit to make me look good. I just concentrate on singing, and getting across the things I want people to hear."

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001, but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.

Twelve years ago, Jason shelved NEWSTED, the heavy metal project he operated between 2012 and 2014, saying that it cost him "an awful lot of money — hundreds of thousands of dollars." He added: "I couldn't continue because the business is such a harsh thing now and so different than what I had known."

In a new interview with Japanese music critic and radio personality Masa Ito of TVK's "Rock City", TESLA bassist Brian Wheat once again took issue with the label "hair metal," saying that the pejorative term was coined as a way to disparage acts thought to have been all flash and no substance. Regarding why TESLA can seemingly so comfortably share the stage with such acts as MÖTLEY CRÜE, RATT and POISON, Wheat said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think we fit in because we obviously came from that time period. One of the things that annoys me personally is when people call us a 'hair' band in a condescending way, not in a good way where they're trying to take the piss out of you. Because I look at TESLA and then I look at THE BLACK CROWES or GUNS N' ROSES, and TESLA were more like those bands than the hair bands they try to say we were. We were more a blues-based working-man, blue-collar working man rock band, more like a BAD COMPANY or a FREE or something in that sense versus a SLADE or a T. REX or that kind of glam thing, that new wave of glam or whatever. And there's nothing wrong with that — I'm not knocking that or anything — it's just I think sometimes they mislabel. And the category — everyone has to put you in a category or a box: 'Oh, well, they're this kind of band' or 'that kind of band'. We are just a rock band that wrote songs, hopefully, that people liked for 40 years and that have stood the test of time."

Back in February 2025, Wheat told Ethan Dometrius about TESLA being unfairly lumped in with such acts as MÖTLEY CRÜE, RATT, SKID ROW and L.A. GUNS: "I think TESLA probably has more in common with THE BLACK CROWES than we would some of the other bands that they call 'hair' bands.

"It used to drive me nuts because I used to take it, when people were saying it in kind of a derogatory, condescending way, 'Oh, they're a hair band,' which we never were," he explained. "We were no more a hair band than THE BLACK CROWES are. THE BLACK CROWES and TESLA are both blues-based rock bands. We both are heavily rooted in blues-based English rock. I mean, TESLA was like HUMBLE PIE or BAD COMPANY or LED ZEPPELIN, with two guitar players. Or AC/DC or UFO. Those were the things we grew up on. We weren't of that thing, but they wanna put us in there. And I'm over it now. It doesn't bother me. It used to really piss me off, but these days, last 10 years, I've just kind of said, 'Okay, whatever you wanna call us. As long as you're calling us something and talking about us and coming and seeing us play, then I don't care. Call us whatever you wanna call us.'"

When Dometrius noted that TESLA is probably benefiting from the fact that "hair metal" is "having a bit of a resurgence" right now and is becoming more popular again, Wheat said: "I guess. I wasn't aware it's popular. I didn't know if there was a resurgence. I mean, TESLA have kind of been doing the same thing we've always been doing for the last 20 years — playing anywhere from 60 to a hundred shows a year, depending on how we feel and what the climate is.

"When you say 'hair' bands to me, when you say RATT, their [debut] record came out — what? — in '84? There was no 'hair band' term then," Brian continued. "I mean, the SCORPIONS were out in '84. They had a huge record. VAN HALEN came out — VAN HALEN's '1984' was a huge album. Was VAN HALEN a hair band? They had long hair.

"It's kind of a slight in a way, which is the thing that kind of annoys me about it," Wheat added. "It's, like, well, how about we're just all playing rock music."

Wheat previously discussed TESLA's supposed association with "hair metal" during a March 2021 interview with "The Cassius Morris Show". Wheat said at the time: "I find [the term 'hair metal'] condescending. What does fucking hair have to do with the music? Should we be called 'cock metal' because we all have big dicks? Seriously, it's, like, 'hair metal' — what does that have to do with [anything music-related]? It's condescending. It's a putdown. It's almost like saying, 'Well, the music's not valid. They just had good hair.' That's what it's like.

"You can take the greatest hair metal band, whoever it is. I don't even know — who's hair metal? Would MÖTLEY CRÜE be considered hair metal? I guess they would. Well, 'Home Sweet Home' was a great song. What did fucking hair have to fucking do with that song? 'Dr. Feelgood' was a great song. So it's condescending. It's a putdown. Should we say about NIRVANA 'uncleanly music,' 'cause they look like they didn't bathe?

"I don't like it," he reiterated. "Just talk about the music, because that's what what matters. Not about the hair. If you wanna call it anything, call it '80s metal — call it 1980s rock. 'Cause that's what it was — it was rock that came out of the '80s and early '90s. THE BLACK CROWES came out a year later than TESLA, and they're not called a hair metal band.

"Why call us a hair metal band when all we were doing was imitating AEROSMITH?" Wheat added. "I think we're very parallel to an AEROSMITH. I think, personally, if you can't go see AEROSMITH and you wanna see a good version of AEROSMITH, go see TESLA. They're very similar. I mean, Jeff Keith looks like Steven Tyler; he sings like Steven Tyler."

TESLA played the first show as the support act on MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" tour Friday night (July 17) in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania at the Pavilion at Star Lake. The trek celebrates the 20th anniversary of latter the band's groundbreaking 2005-2006 "Carnival Of Sins" tour and MÖTLEY CRÜE's 45th anniversary. The 33-city Live Nation-produced tour features additional support from EXTREME.

TESLA's new album, "Homage", came out on July 17, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. The LP finds the band returning to its roots with a collection of covers honoring some of rock's most timeless hits.

The songs on "Homage" were chosen for a variety of reasons, primarily representing some of the greatest vocalists of all time, including Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Etta James and James Brown. Additional selections reflect songs the band grew up hearing on the radio and on their turntables.

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

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

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett reflected on the band's fourth album, "Native Tongue", which was originally released in 1993. Besides the core personnel of Rockett, singer Bret Michaels and bassist Bobby Dall, it is the only POISON LP to feature Richie Kotzen on lead guitar following the departure of C.C. DeVille in late 1991. "Native Tongue" marked a change for POISON as the band abandoned its anthemic party tunes to focus on more serious subjects, and the LP was far more blues-rock oriented than glam metal. The Richie Zito-produced set featured the singles "Stand" and "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" and debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200, but it was a commercial disappointment compared to the multiplatinum success of the group's three albums with DeVille, with whom the band would eventually reunite in 1999.

Rikki said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The thing is that during the early part of the whole grunge thing, we were so consumed with trying to kind of reinvent POISON and fill C.C.'s shoes in some way, shape or form, and we realized we're not gonna be able to do that, so we made a little bit of a left turn. And it's funny 'cause I just listened to that record, 'Native Tongue', yesterday. And I haven't listened to it for a while, except for one song that I do in my drum clinic. But I love the way I played on that record. I think it's a great record. Richie was great to work with, and I'm very, very proud of that record. I feel like we went, 'We're not gonna try to be grunge 'cause that's not our jam. We're not gonna try to be what we were with C.C. We're going to turn the page and do a new chapter, and we're gonna do it really well.' And I think we did all those things. Was it as successful as [1988's] 'Open Up And Say... Ahh!', and stuff like that? No, it wasn't. People had grown to understand POISON a certain way, and then there were other types of music that were, obviously out there. And so there was a lot of ingredients for why [it wasn't as successful]. But it still quietly sold a million records in the first few months. And we were still on MTV, and we did get treated differently than some of the other acts that followed us. And it was well-received by a lot of people. A lot of critics liked it. To this day, I think a lot of people like that record. And, again, I do too. I'm sitting there listening, I go, 'I really like what I played on that. That's cool.' I go back to [1986's] 'Look What The Cat Dragged In', and I go, 'Oh my God, why did I play that?' But it's 40 years later. What do you want?"

Speculating about the reasons "Native Tongue" turned out to be a relative commercial disappointment, Rikki added: "Sometimes it's just perception and timing and all that kind of stuff. But we had a great producer. Richie Zito was fantastic to work with. And I think everybody was playing, and Bret was singing — we were at our prime, I feel like. And [we made a] great video. The 'Stand' video's incredible. I look back at that and I go, 'Wow.' We shot it on film. It looked fricking like a movie. It was so good. But it just didn't resonate with core POISON fans — most of them anyway. We went out, we did a tour, we did fine and all that stuff. We did Europe. Again, it was fine. It was good. But it wasn't phenomenal."

A year and a half ago, Kotzen reflected on his brief stint in POISON during an interview following SMITH/KOTZEN's March 2025 acoustic performance at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Richie said: "It's something I'm quite proud of, and I have fond memories of the process of making that record that are very vivid still in my mind, I was very young. I came to L.A. – I was moved here. I was going to San Francisco back and forth from Philadelphia, making albums because [Shrapnel Records] was up there. Then Interscope bought my contract when I was, like, 19 or 20. They moved me to L.A., so for a year, I was working with [future chairman/CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M] Jimmy Iovine and [future chairman/CEO of Warner Bros. Records] Tom Whalley. Then we had Danny Kortchmar ready to produce my album, which was a big thing for me, because he had just done the Don Henley album 'The End Of The Innocence', and I was super-excited. At the last minute, Interscope pulled the plug and said, 'We didn't sign you to be a balladeer.' I flipped out — I was barely 21 at that point — and said, 'You don't know what you're doing with me. Let me out of the contract.'

"As they were letting me out of the contract," he continued, "it was Tom Whalley that said, 'Listen, Bret Michaels has been calling about you. He saw you on the cover of Guitar World, and he wants to meet you.' I flipped out even more — I said, 'Are you out of your fucking mind? I don't want to make a hard rock record. I want to do this other thing. I wrote all these songs.' He said, 'Just go talk to him. I don't think you're ready to make the record that you think you're ready to make.'

'So I go out – I drove out to Calabasas, and Bret had this killer house out on Stunt Road. The minute I met him, I really liked him, because he's from Pennsylvania too. I'm like, 'I feel like I'm at home.' We really connected, but then he kind of got me with, 'Look, I don't want someone to come in here and just do what they're told. I want someone to write an album with.' He wanted a writing partner. The other guys had input as well, but it was primarily he and I [who] really wrote together, to my recollection. I brought in a few songs that would have been on my solo record. 'Stand' was one of them. He added some flavor to it, and we worked on the verse lyrics together and added a bridge. It was really great. I think we really made a great record, and it came out of the gate [strong]. It shipped gold, and unfortunately, by the time we got to release the second single, whatever was happening at MTV, the gatekeepers just closed the gates and said, 'Any band that was famous from a certain era is no longer welcome.' We were subjected to that unfortunately, but outside of that, I love the record. I'm very proud of it."

As for how he approached DeVille's solos in concert, Kotzen acknowledged taking liberties. "I didn't really play them properly," he said. "I did the best I could — I really did — but I wanted to play them in a way where I maintained the integrity of what was written, but I also am me, so I can't help it. I'm going to play it the way I hear it."

Back in 2015, Kotzen played down the story about him dating Rockett's ex-fiancée, which many believe got him ousted from POISON, saying that he has long since made up with his former bandmates. "I saw Bret since then," he explained at the time. "He hugged me and said he loved me and congratulated me on how well I'm doing. I've seen Bobby multiple times. I saw Rikki once and shook his hand and said hello. Everything is completely fine. Whatever happened back then, I will tell you the truth of the matter is that it was really sensationalized; it wasn't nearly as insane as what was put in the press. They needed a story, 'cause the tour was bombing and the band was going into oblivion, so to speak. So, you know, they needed a story… But, in the end, we're all on good terms."

After leaving POISON, Kotzen resumed his solo career and has released records at a prolific rate over the past three decades. Additionally, he recorded two albums with MR. BIG (1999's "Get Over It" and 2001's "Actual Size") and three with THE WINERY DOGS, a power trio that saw him play alongside his former MR. BIG bandmate Billy Sheehan and drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER). In 2021, he joined forces with IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith in SMITH/KOTZEN; the group's second full-length, "Black Light/White Noise", was released in April 2025 via BMG.

In a new interview with Poland's Noise Magazine, VOIVOD's drummer and founding member Michel "Away" Langevin was asked when fans can expect to finally see the band's long-awaited official documentary, "We Are Connected", which received its world premiere in July 2024 at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Canada. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Right now we are aiming for a Christmas release. The main difficulty was to clear the rights for all the bits of music, because we've dealt with so many different publishing companies over the years, that it was quite a Kafkaesque enterprise. But we finally cleared all the music, and so there will be a version for the festivals, but a version for Blu-ray and a version for platforms, online platforms. So we're aiming for a Christmas release right now. And I would think that the video game ['Voivod: The Nuclear Warrior', the first official video game inspired by VOIVOD's distinctive blend of sci-fi, metal, and surrealism] would come first, but finally the 'We Are Connected' documentary will be available in not too long."

"We Are Connected" dives deep into the 40-plus-year legacy of one of the most original and influential metal bands in history. From their explosive beginnings in Jonquière to their groundbreaking global journey, VOIVOD's story is one of unparalleled creativity, resilience, and evolution. The film covers VOIVOD's history from unlikely origins in northern Québec at the height of the Cold War to underground success to sharing tours and stages with IRON MAIDEN, RUSH and METALLICA. Included in the documentary are highs and lows throughout those 40 years, from major-label support and Billboard recognition to seismic lineup changes and an event many critics claimed to be the end of VOIVOD: the death of co-founding guitarist and composer Dennis "Piggy" D'Amour.

Directed by Felipe Belalcazar and produced with full access to the band's archives, this film features exclusive insights and appearances by metal icons like Tobias Forge (GHOST),Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH),Jason Newsted (METALLICA),Zach Blair (RISE AGAINST, GWAR),Tom G. Warrior (CELTIC FROST, TRIPTYKON) and Ivan Doroschuk (MEN WITHOUT HATS),among many others.

Back in 2006, it was reported that VOIVOD had recruited Canadian documentarian Sam Dunn to helm the band's documentary after he interviewed members of VOIVOD for his "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" movie.

"It was a real honor to be asked, and we've already started shooting," Dunn said at the time. "The documentary is going to be about Piggy's life and the making of the new record and how those are tied together."

After VOIVOD's collaboration with Dunn failed to materialize for reasons that are not clear, the band recruited Belalcázar, who has a proven record of delivering quality productions to millions of metal fans around the world, most recently the critically acclaimed Chuck Schuldiner documentary "Death By Metal".

VOIVOD will embark on a 10-city U.S tour in October. Support on the trek, which will kick off on October 8 in Youngstown, Ohio, will come from BAT, the Richmond, Virginia metal-punk trio consisting of Ryan Waste, Nick Poulos and Chris Marshall.

VOIVOD frontman Denis "Snake" Bélanger is sitting out the band's European tour this summer in order to "attend to a family matter". He is being temporarily replaced by former VOIVOD and current E-FORCE vocalist/bassist Eric Forrest.

Forrest played his first show of VOIVOD's summer 2026 tour on July 10 at the Slaughter Club in Paderno Dugnano, a town in the province of Milan, in the Lombardy region of Italy.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Snake's partner Christine McDonald was battling stage four colorectal cancer. In an effort to assist with mounting medical and related expenses, a GoFundMe campaign had been launched to help support her during this difficult time.

VOIVOD's "Symphonique" live album, a special collaboration with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra (Orchestre Symphonique De Québec),was released on June 5, 2026 via Century Media Records. "Symphonique", which functions like an epic piece of cinema, showcases VOIVOD's pioneering futuristic metal with the strains of a symphony orchestra, and features a carefully curated VOIVOD best-of setlist composed of 12 songs across 73 minutes, recorded live on June 4, 2025, at the Grand Théâtre in Québec City, Canada.

VOIVOD previously played two shows with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal on January 29, 2025 and January 30, 2025 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletie in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

VOIVOD's official biography, "Always Moving - The Strange Multiverse Of Voivod", came out last November. The book celebrates the extraordinary 40-plus-year career of Canada's cosmic metal visionaries VOIVOD. Author Jeff Wagner draws from exclusive interviews with band members, managers, producers, record label reps, family, peers, and musicians profoundly shaped by VOIVOD's ever-mutating sound to tell their full, fascinating story.

"Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse Of Voivod" is presented as a monumental oral history woven with Wagner's narrative. "Always Moving" casts a bright arc light on every creative era — from the raw chaos of the early years to the tech-prog heights, through tragedy, reinvention, and ultimate triumph.

VOIVOD has been touring in support of its latest album, 2023's "Morgöth Tales", which was released via Century Media, The Orchard and Sony Music.

The band's 2022 release, "Synchro Anarchy", garnered significant acclaim, winning the 2023 Juno Award for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Album" in Canada.

Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by VOIVOD, "Morgöth Tales" includes fresh studio re-recordings by the band's current lineup of nine especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band's hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song and the album's title track, "Morgöth Tales".

In a new interview with Tony of Metal Exposure, DANKO JONES's namesake frontman was asked "what still makes writing songs feel urgent rather than just doing a routine". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's an interesting question. Well, the urgency, I guess — there is a slight urgent aspect to it in the sense that we've really yet to prove ourselves. We've never had a record explode, where I've seen and heard other bands' records, they exploded, and I'm, like, 'Really? Ours is better.' So we've never had that. But also the routine aspect of it, I don't think that's a negative. I think that's what we do. We are journeymen. This is our job."

He continued: "It's weird how people react to it when you say it's your job. People have a negative connotation to it. But that's their own projections. Because obviously if you hear me say, 'This is my job,' and you think that's a negative, you're telling on yourself more. You don't like your job. I love my job, but it's my job. If this wasn't my job, what the fuck am I doing? I'm just doing a hobby? Then what do I do? So I'm just an unemployed fucking traveler who just plays guitar like a fucking loser? No, this is my career. This is my job, my career, just like an accountant would say that, 'Well, I'm an accountant. That's my job. That's my career.' So am I less than that or more than that?"

Danko added: "I've gotten a lot of backlash from people when I say that. And the routine aspect of it is fine by me. Yeah, we're gonna do another record. It's gonna sound like the last one. And we're not gonna pull any tricks. We're not gonna evolve. We're not evolving. We're not doing anything new, and that's a page right out of the RAMONES and MOTÖRHEAD and AC/DC. And that's fine company by me. So, yeah, I have no problem doing that. Also, there is an art to taking the same three chords and making it fresh again. I didn't say 'new'; I just said 'fresh'. So I don't have any problem writing another record in the same style as we do. So there's a bit of an urgency in the sense that we still have yet to prove ourselves to certain aspects of the music world, but I embrace the routineness of it."

Elaborating on his previous comment that DANKO JONES is not interested in experimenting with its sound when composing new music, Danko said: "Well, I think in this day and age, with the amount of bands that exist, it is almost impossible, at this point — not impossible, almost — to carve a sound, a signature sound out. Imagine that. There's a million bands, but the ability for someone to hear a song, not know it, but go, 'That sounds like that band.' That's impossible, almost. And I think we're almost there. And so, yeah, I've had tons of people come to me and go, 'Oh, they played your song at the hockey arena last night.' I'm, like, 'Really?' 'Oh, no, it was another band, but it sounded like you.' Just that alone, that's really, really hard to get, considering how many bands are out there, for people to go, 'Oh, that sounds like you guys.' So to get a signature sound, I think, is incredibly difficult, and I think we've got that to a certain extent."

DANKO JONES's latest album, "Leo Rising", came out last November via Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music and Sonic Unyon (for Canada). The LP was produced by longtime collaborator Eric Ratz. Guitar legend Marty Friedman (MEGADETH, CACOPHONY) makes a guest appearance on the single "Diamond In The Rough", which landed at No. 32 on the Billboard Canada Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in February.

John Calabrese laid down bass tracks from Finland, Rich Knox flew to Toronto to record drums, and Danko worked with producer Eric Ratz in the same city to capture vocals and guitars.

One of DANKO JONES's biggest singles, "Full Of Regret", charted at No. 96 on the Canadian Hot 100 and No. 36 on the U.S. Top 40 Singles chart, and notably appeared in EA Sports's "NHL 11" video game in 2010.

DANKO JONES has been nominated for six Juno Awards, including a nomination for "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year" in 2024 for "Electric Sounds", which marked the band's second nomination in the category.

Formed in Toronto in 1996, DANKO JONES has seen and done just about everything over the last quarter of a century. Powered by a DIY punk rock spirit, and inspired by the good, great and grotesque of electrified rock 'n' roll, they have steadily built a colossal international fan base and become one of the most acclaimed live bands around, embraced by everyone from mainstream radio-rock fans to diehard metalheads. Along the way, they have released ten widely praised studio albums, generating a peerless repertoire of fists-in-the-air crowd-pleasers into the bargain. From the spiky blues of 2002's "Born A Lion" and the crazed power-pop of its follow-up "We Sweat Blood" (2003) to the priapic perfection of 2010's "Below The Belt", the band's knack for hitting rock’s sweet spot has never wavered.

Over the last decade, DANKO JONES has visibly moved up a few gears. Since frontman Danko and bassist John Calabrese joined forced with drummer Rich Knox, the band's creative fire has blazed more brightly than ever. A succession of all-killer, no-filler albums — "Fire Music", "Wild Cat", "A Rock Supreme", "Power Trio" — has led to even more gung-ho touring and unapologetic service to the rock cause.

Photo credit: Ole Martin Wold