Fan-filmed video of MEGADETH's entire September 22 concert at Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park in Istanbul, Turkey can be seen below.

The setlist for the show was as follows:

01. Wake Up Dead
02. In My Darkest Hour
03. Hangar 18
04. Dread And The Fugitive Mind
05. Skin O' My Teeth
06. Angry Again
07. Sweating Bullets
08. Dystopia
09. Countdown To Extinction
10. She-Wolf
11. Trust
12. Tornado Of Souls
13. We'll Be Back
14. Symphony Of Destruction
15. Mechanix
16. Peace Sells
17. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

Ex-MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and his solo band served as the support act for MEGADETH in Istanbul, but Marty did not take the stage with his former band at the show. Friedman took to his social media right after the gig and wrote: "My band and I had an incredible time playing in Istanbul! … After our show Naoki [Morioka, a member of Marty's Japanese touring band] and I watched as [current MEGADETH guitarist] Teemu [Mäntysaari] absolutely NAILED my solos with ease and MEGADETH tore up the place! We can't wait to come back."

As previously reported, MEGADETH will release a new single, "Tipping Point", on Friday, October 3.

On August 14, MEGADETH announced that its upcoming LP will be the band's last. The Dave Mustaine-led outfit will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026.

Mustaine and the rest of MEGADETH have yet to reveal the final album's title, release date or the band's remaining tour dates.

In a press release announcing MEGADETH's final album and farewell tour, Mustaine thanked fans for their commitment and love while celebrating the band's impact on the music world.

"There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional," Mustaine said. "Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them."

He continued. "We can't wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it's now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it's now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it's our last studio album. We've made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour.

"Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything."

The follow-up to 2022's "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" will be released via Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label, and is expected next year.

Fans can register for early access to exclusive information and offers surrounding the upcoming final album on MEGADETH's web site. The initial run of farewell tour dates will also be announced later this year.

For its final album, MEGADETH is once again working with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on MEGADETH's last two LPs, the aforementioned "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

Guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari joined MEGADETH two years ago. He stepped in as the replacement for Brazilian-born guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who announced in September 2023 that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that the now-38-year-old Finnish musician would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Released in September 2022, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!", sold 48,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked MEGADETH's eighth top 10-charting album.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown To Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

Led by the growled vocals and razor-wire riffing of Mustaine, MEGADETH are one of the "Big Four" thrash titans. Shortly after being kicked out of METALLICA in 1983, Mustaine met bassist David Ellefson, and the pair bonded quickly, forming the core of MEGADETH. Drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland later joined, and MEGADETH released their underground-hit debut "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" in 1985. Its follow-up, "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", solidified the band's status with sprawling yet tightly wound songs like the uneasy opener "Wake Up Dead" and the fiery title track.

"So Far, So Good... So What!", released in 1988, featured a new lineup as well as a thrashy cover of the SEX PISTOLS' "Anarchy In The U.K." and the anti-PMRC broadside "Hook In Mouth". In 1990 they released "Rust In Peace", with Nick Menza on drums and technical wizard Marty Friedman on guitar; songs such as "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Hangar 18" blended pummeling riffs and suspicion-fueled lyrics with a stadium-rock ambition that matched the era's metal-embracing tendencies.

"Countdown To Extinction", released in 1992, and "Youthanasia", released in 1994, continued the band's dominance of metal and emergence in rock's mainstream, with the latter album's "À Tout Le Monde" being a rare thrash ballad. After a brief breakup in the early 2000s, MEGADETH returned as a de facto Mustaine solo project with 2004's "The System Has Failed". Ellefson rejoined in 2010 prior to the album "Th1rt3en" and remained in the MEGADETH lineup until 2021, when he was fired.

In addition to Mustaine and Mäntysaari, MEGADETH's current lineup includes drummer Dirk Verbeuren and bassist James LoMenzo.

MEGADETH Y MARTY FRIEDMAN TOCARÁN JUNTOS DE NUEVO ESTE AÑO!

Acaba de anunciarse que Megadeth volverá a compartir...

Posted by Megadeth Ecuador on Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Fresh off of their successful recent European tour, Arizona thrash metal veterans FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have announced their brand new partnership with Napalm Records. The long-running band has signed a worldwide contract with the Austrian rock and metal label, and is preparing to release new music soon.

A new era is dawning for the Arizona metal icons. With their iconic mascot Flotzilla growing more menacing with each release (just like the band themselves!),FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's work on their upcoming 16th studio album keeps the heavy momentum moving. Currently in production and slated for a 2026 release, it'll mark nearly 40 years since the band's groundbreaking debut, "Doomsday For The Deceiver" — one of the only albums to ever receive a 6K rating from Kerrang! magazine. Though bassist Jason Newsted departed to join METALLICA, the band pushed forward, following up with 1988's unstoppable "No Place for Disgrace". Since then, they have continued to evolve, showcasing some of their best work to date with recent releases "Flotsam And Jetsam", "The End Of Chaos", "Blood In The Water" and "I Am The Weapon".

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's current lineup is arguably its strongest ever. Frontman Eric "A.K." Knutson continues bringing the magic, steadily improving his craft with every album and tour. He's backed by the incredibly talented, exceptionally brilliant guitar duo of co-founder Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley, the powerful, precise and lightning fast magic of drummer Ken K Mary (ALICE COOPER, ACCEPT) and the "fresh blood", extraordinary technical skills and prowess of bassist Bill Bodily.

Gilbert comments: "We are extremely excited about working with Napalm! They are an amazing company that is very passionate about metal music, just like FLOTSAM AND JETSAM is. Everyone in the band looks forward to a great relationship with a very like-minded company!"

Napalm Records senior A&R Sebastian Münch adds: "We've been very impressed by 'Blood In The Water' and 'I Am The Weapon', the two amazing power/thrash metal albums that FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have released in recent years. Due to that and their legendary metal status, we are absolutely thrilled and proud to work alongside the band as they continue their legacy! Welcome to the Napalm family!"

In 2019, Knutson told Glendale Star about the band's career: "We've been through a lot of crap. For a while I had a lineup with me who was just together to go out on vacations then have the promoters pay for it. And it's a little different now. We are back to a real band making a stab at growing and becoming a bigger entity in the music industry. Our goal in writing a record is to put out the coolest music we can."

Gilbert said: "We're making a bit of a comeback. They're starting to revisit and buy the new stuff as well. We're seeing a lot of younger people at the show. They're in the front row, singing songs that were out 20 years before they were born. It gets us all excited. That was happening when we did the self-titled album. There's this spark again. The power metal music fans are digging A.K.'s voice."

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM is:

Eric "A.K." Knutson (Vocals)
Steve Conley (Guitar)
Michael Gilbert (Guitar)
Bill Bodily (Bass)
Ken K Mary (Drums)

Photo credit: Shane Eckart

In a new interview with 96.9 BOB FM, Richie Faulkner was asked how his role in JUDAS PRIEST has evolved since he joined the band 14 years ago as the replacement for PRIEST's original guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's a good question. I think, like with any role, when you come in first, initially you have to keep your own house in order. So you're very much focused on what you are doing and how your performances [are and making sure] you're playing everything correctly and doing everything you should be doing. I think as the time goes on, you become more aware and more a part of, what are we doing? What are we doing as a collective? What can we do to make it better — better performances, better records or whatever it may be. So that definitely changes. And as I said, that's probably the same in any situation — in any group, a football team or an office, when you come in, you have one kind of mindset. And as you become more a part of that team, more close to everyone in that team, you become more a part of it. And I think that that's no different in this band as well. And [the other guys in PRIEST have] always been open to opinions. And that kind of mindset really helps, I think, the situation as a whole. Everyone has got their own opinion and we all work together to make it the best we can be for a fanbase that's put them there for over 50 years. And I think that's how it's changed, really. You just become part of that."

Asked if he finds it important to keep JUDAS PRIEST moving forward creatively by always recording and releasing new music, Richie said: "I think it's important for a band that has a creative energy like that to nurture that creative energy and try and push forward. And I think they always have tried to do that. They've always pushed into new areas. They were always pioneers.

"There's a certain time when everyone comes into PRIEST's catalog — it might be 'Painkiller', it might be 'Stained Class' or it might be 'Killing Machine' — but there's a younger audience out there now as well," Faulkner explained. "And we talk to them sometimes and their first album they heard was 'Firepower' or it was 'Invincible Shield'. So I think they're important right across the board. Our last album was as important as other ones for those people that are seeing PRIEST for the first time. And there's always that creative itch that we have to do better, as I said before — a better record, better production, better songwriting, better solo, better performance, whatever it is. I think we're all driven in PRIEST to do that. So it's just a natural thing. Whether it's important or not to everyone, I don't know — some people might see that differently — but I think it's important for us in PRIEST as creatives to nurture that and get that creative stuff out, if you know what I mean."

In 2011, Faulkner came in to replace Downing, who had left in 2010. The move seemed to have reinvigorated the band as evidenced by a show-stealing performance on the "American Idol" finale that also served as Faulkner's debut performance with the band.

JUDAS PRIEST and Alice Cooper kicked off their summer/fall 2025 co-headlining tour on September 16 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Support on the trek is coming from CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. The tour is making its way through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, winding down on October 16 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston.

PRIEST last toured the U.S. in the fall of 2024 as part of the second leg of its "Invincible Shield" tour and the release of the band's celebrated 19th studio album, which debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Box office reports submitted to Pollstar from last fall include a sellout YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, with 5,481 tickets sold.

Earlier this year, PRIEST completed a run of South American and European dates.

During the European leg of JUDAS PRIEST's "Shield Of Pain" tour, the band's setlist included seven tracks from PRIEST's 1990 album "Painkiller", which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

In addition to performing the "Painkiller" title track, PRIEST played "All Guns Blazing", "Hell Patrol", "A Touch Of Evil", "Night Crawler", "One Shot At Glory" and "Between The Hammer And The Anvil" from the same LP.

PRIEST formed in 1969 and has sold over 50 million albums.

At this past weekend's Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee spoke to PK of the ALT 105.1 radio station about the setlist for the band's current run of shows. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're in this kind of in-between phase right now because we were touring our last album, 'The Bitter Truth', for quite a while and doing a show that had, obviously, songs from all the other albums, but it was centered around that theme and started with that intro and was that thing. And we're midway through the process of making our next album now. So we just have a handful of shows this year, and it's that moment where we're, like, 'Well, we can't just like do the old thing anymore,' and 'we can't do the new songs…' Well, we have two new songs, and we can work them in. But it's kind of — I don't know — it's a weird teenager phase of what we're doing. It is fun, though. It's perfect for the festival setup, 'cause if we have — like tonight we have an hour. We can jam-pack an hour full of cool [stuff], like a hit from every album and just make it really fun."

After PK asked Amy to elaborate on her comment that EVANESCENCE was "halfway through the process on the next album", Lee clarified: "I'd say we're more than halfway. We're really getting there. [I'm] really excited about it."

Asked if EVANESCENCE's recent single "Afterlife", from the Netflix series "Devil May Cry", will appear on the band's next album, Lee said: "I think so. I don't see why not. We haven't really gotten into the track list and that yet, but I think we have all the songs that are gonna be on it at least started, so we're in that moment of finessing and beautifying and writing lyrics and doing the hard stuff where I slam my head up against the wall."

Earlier this month, Lee, SPIRITBOX's Courtney LaPlante and Poppy joined forces on a brand new single, "End Of You", out now via Sumerian Records.

This past July, Lee told Kevin Ryder and Megan Holiday of the KROQ radio station that she and her EVANESCENCE bandmates were "just full speed ahead, making stuff, putting stuff out, doing stuff on the side. We're in a super just energized creatively mode this year."

Lee went on to say that she doesn't "like to set" a release date for an album "until it's really done. So, we're recording now. We're writing now. We're doing this album kind of in a way that is very freeform. We have a few songs with one producer, we have a few songs with another one over here. We're just doing whatever feels good. No rules except what the song wants."

Earlier in July, EVANESCENCE and alt-rock visionary K.Flay released the video for their song "Fight Like A Girl". The track plays over the end credits of "Ballerina", the latest film set in the world of "John Wick", now available on PVOD. The clip was helmed by Chad Stahelski, director of the "John Wick" films and producer of "Ballerina".

EVANESCENCE will embark on a tour of Australia and New Zealand at the end of October, including several shows as the support act for METALLICA.

In 2003, when the rock charts were dominated by predominantly male nü-metal and post-grunge acts, a young female-fronted band from Arkansas stood out from the crowd, offering something entirely new. They were EVANESCENCE — and with their debut album, "Fallen", they transformed the rock landscape. Led by Lee, EVANESCENCE's cinematic blend of metal and symphonic, piano-driven melodies captured a generation, while "Fallen" set the band on a path to global superstardom, earning them multiple Grammys, and becoming one of the highest-selling albums of all time.

Released in the spring of 2003, "Fallen" resonated deeply with fans, selling more than 141,000 copies in its first week and peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it spent an astonishing 43 weeks in the Top 10. Within a month, "Fallen" was certified platinum by the RIAA, while it was a Top 10 hit in more than ten countries, reaching No. 1 in the U.K., Canada, Australia, and across Europe. Much of the album's initial success can be attributed to its stratospheric singles, including "Bring Me to Life", which broke the Top 10 in more than 15 countries and topped Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 and Alternative Airplay charts. "My Immortal" was a Top 10 hit in over ten countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

At the 2004 Grammys, EVANESCENCE received five nominations, including "Album Of The Year", "Best Rock Album", "Best Hard Rock Performance" for "Bring Me To Life", and "Best New Artist", taking home the latter two. The following year, "My Immortal" received a nod for "Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals".

Today, "Fallen" holds steady as the sixth best-selling album of the 21st century (ranking just behind Lady Gaga's "The Fame" and ahead of COLDPLAY's "A Rush Of Blood To The Head") and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time, with more than 17 million copies sold worldwide. In 2022, "Fallen" received a rare diamond certification from the RIAA, which recognizes 10 million units in U.S. album sales. As a testament to the album's enduring appeal, the video for "Bring Me To Life" surpassed 1.6 billion views on YouTube, making it one of the most-watched rock videos of all-time while "My Immortal" follows close behind.

To date, EVANESCENCE has released a total of five studio albums, including the multi-platinum "The Open Door" (2004) and "Evanescence" (2011),both of which topped the Billboard 200. In 2021, the band thrilled fans with their first album of new material in a decade, "The Bitter Truth". Now more than 20 years on, EVANESCENCE continues to scale new heights. Featuring a lineup of Amy Lee (vocals, keyboards),Tim McCord (guitar/bass),Will Hunt (drums),Troy McLawhorn (guitars) and Emma Anzai (bass, backing vocals),the band continues to travel the globe, staging some of the most successful shows of their career, including Allianz Parque, a soccer stadium in Sāo Paulo, Brasil, which was the biggest headline show of EVANESCENCE's career to date, drawing 40,000 fans.

October 31 will see French melodic death metal frontrunners, Aephanemer, release their new studio offering, Utopie, through Napalm Records.

Blending ferocious melodic death metal with cinematic grandeur, Utopie sees the band unleash an ambitious, razor-sharp assault of epic melodies, relentless speed, and philosophical depth, pushing their sound into bold new territory. Led by the commanding presence of Marion Bascoul, Aephanemer delivers a fiercely technical and emotionally immersive record — lyrically exploring the uniquely mythic urgency of modern times.

In support of Utopie, the band will embark on a European tour in early November, with special guests Valhahlore, Dark Oath and Waldgeflüster. Find the band’s itinerary and ticket links here.

Following the previously released, blistering album opening track “La Règle du Jeu”, today, the trio has unveiled a music video for their latest single, “Le Cimetière Marin”.

“Le Cimetière Marin” offers an intricate guitar tapestry beneath a scathing vocal assault, crafting a track that’s both graceful and menacing. It powerfully blends progressive metal complexity and emotional intensity, showcasing Aephanemer’s ability to balance technical proficiency with deeply resonant atmospheres.

The accompanying music video takes viewers into the band’s rehearsal space, offering a thrilling performance of the track with eye-catching visual cues that amplify it’s intensity.

The band comments: “Le Cimetière Marin is one of the most distinctive tracks on the album. We aimed to create a truly heroic piece – not in a modern way, but inspired by the way heroism was expressed in classical music centuries ago. Fueled by bold elements from both classical traditions and melodic death metal, it carries a strong, almost epic energy. We’re really eager to bring it to the stage!”

Watch the official music video for “Le Cimetière Marin” below:



Following the roaring success of their latest album A Dream Of Wilderness (2021), the Toulouse-based melodic death metal powerhouse, Aephanemer, strikes again with their fourth studio offering. With Utopie, Aephanemer recalibrates their formula, surging with heavier classical influences, blistering riffage, majestic orchestrations, and Slavic folk undertones — etching a sound equally ancient and futuristic.

The band recently said, “With Utopie, we set out to create a sound that brings together the elements we’ve always loved — the intensity of melodic death metal and the depth of classical music. We spent a lot of time shaping melodies, drawing inspiration from polyphonic writing, and building orchestral arrangements that feel both powerful and natural to us. It was a challenging but fulfilling process, and we sincerely hope listeners will connect with what we’ve crafted.”

Lyrically, the record engages with the concept of utopia not as escape, but as confrontation — dissecting philosophical ideals with their refined sonic scalpel, and pushing for a world of harmony between living beings.

Actively bucking genre conventions, Aephanemer continues to reinvent their path in the melodic death metal landscape. Utopie is more than just an album — it’s a storm of sound, an ideological reckoning, and a powerful new chapter from one of Europe’s most vital and visionary metal bands.



Utopie will be available in the following formats:
– 1CD Digipak
– 1LP Gatefold Black
– 1LP Gatefold Orange / Black Marbled
– Digital Album

Pre-order here.



Utopie tracklisting:

”Échos d’un Monde Perdu”
”Le Cimetière Marin”
”La Règle du Jeu”
”Par-delà le Mur des Siècles”
”Chimère”
”Contrepoint”
”La Rivière Souterraine”
”Utopie (Partie I)”
”Utopie (Partie II)”

Two years since the release of Saturnian Bloodstorm, Lamp Of Murmuur has once again raised the chalice of victory for the masses with a new beckoning of devotion and elegance, titled The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy. Gradually ascended these past years as one of the furthermost esteemed and sought luminaries within the new wave of black metal, Lamp Of Murmuur is still a force to be reckoned with.

Where Saturnian Bloodstorm raged with untamable fire and Submission And Slavery plunged into catharsis and purgatory, this new opus stands as the synergy of both sides of a bloodstained coin.

Triumph and grief, transcendence and torment. Beneath the soundscapes of blackened vigour and madness lies a narrative that reaches beyond dreams, exploring instead the unyielding pursuit of absolute spiritual liberation through sacrifice, manifesting the will of the Seven Spears with a delicate, yet more menacing gesture than in previous efforts, birthing the project’s most adventurous and daring offering yet.

Inspired by the primordial majesty of black metal, yet unbound by its limitations, Lamp Of Murmuur continues to prosper, owing nothing to convention, repetition, or the demands of the masses. With The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy it has become evident that this vision refuses to compromise and keeps pushing the boundaries within the darker arts. From traditional rooted blastbeating riffs, haunting gothic overtones, and triumphant heavy metal debauchery, Lamp Of Murmuur has transmuted continuously, and embodies yet another metamorphosis, an extravagant voyage that’s in equal parts dream and nightmare, standing in defiance of all that was, is, and will be.

To be released through Wolves Of Hades on November 14,The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy stands as another testament to Lamp Of Murmuur’s unwavering pursuit of vision and freedom: an offering of intoxicating grandeur, a hymn to the eternal dream of a soul yearning to be unchained.

Preorder on Bandcamp.

Front cover by Batdog:



Tracklisting:

“The Fires Of Seduction”
“Forest Of Hallucination”
“Hategate (The Dream-Master’s Realm)”
“Reincarnation Of A Witch”
“Angelic Vortex”
“The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy Part I – Moondance”
“The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy Part II – Twilight Orgasm”
“The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy Part III – The Fall”
“A Brute Angel’s Sorrow”

Northern Ireland metallers, Stormzone, are back. The band checked in with the following update:

“Following the well documented and understandable short break from all things rock and metal due to the passing of singer John “Harv” Harbinson’s father, we are delighted to announce the band’s return to all things relating to powerful music with a brand new album, Immortal Beloved, in time to celebrate 20 years since the first Stormzone release, Caught In The Act, back in 2005.

That debut album was released by Escape Music, eight more albums have followed and number nine, ‘mmortal Beloved, sees Stormzone returning to the Escape Music family!

The new album is scheduled for release worldwide through Escape Music in November 2025 on CD, various spectacular vinyl formats and of course all major streaming services. The vinyl release is a real bonus for rock and metal fans because the artwork for Immortal Beloved was painted by the legendary artist Rodney Matthews, a much sought after genius responsible for iconic artwork featured on album covers for Diamond Head, Magnum, Asia, Allen Lande, Avantasia, Praying Mantis, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Nazareth and Scorpions! Therefore the vinyl release of the new Stormzone album will be the first time for years since rock aficionados will have been able to have Rodney Matthews artwork on a large scale befitting of the scale of the music it envelopes!

Stormzone will also return to the important business of delivering songs live with their last major performance being at Barcelona Rock Fest in 2023 with KISS, Judas Priest and Nightwish just before the Stormzone singer’s bereavement cutting short the momentum which the band was building on larger stages.

Stormzone has apparently been missed, but no longer because they’re back and ready to unleash their Irish power once more to celebrate their 20th anniversary with you and to ensure that there are 20 more years of classic rock and metal ready and waiting to keep the spirit of rock and metal vital and alive!”

Check out the new album cover below, and stay tuned for further updates from the band.

In a new interview with Christina Rowatt and Chris Enriquez of the We Wreck Records podcast, acclaimed guitarist John 5 (MÖTLEY CRÜE, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, David Lee Roth) was asked for his take on "the new generation" of guitarists such as POLYPHIA's Tim Henson, who has emerged as one of the most authoritative voices in the contemporary guitar scene. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I love the new generation. So, in time we will always have epiphanies with Jimi Hendrix and then Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, POLYPHIA, Guthrie Govan, Tosin Abasi. It will always keep evolving. And you know what? Thank God for it. There's so many incredible guitar players. And even before Jimi Hendrix, we had Chet Atkins, we had Roy Clark, all these people that were just ripping it up on guitar. And it will never stop — thank God. I love anybody that is ripping it up. And that's why I love Instagram so much, because you can see people all over the world. But before you just would see people in Hollywood or hear about them in Guitar Player magazine. But now I can hear about somebody in Russia or someone in Brazil, and it's wonderful."

Asked to name the three guitarists who changed music for him, John 5 said: "The three guitarists that changed music… I think where I was really taken aback and it really changed my life, I would say Eddie Van Halen definitely was that for me. And when I heard Eddie, I loved it so much, just like everybody else. He really took it to the next level. Then I would say Yngwie Malmsteen, because I just love that… That 'less is more', I've never gotten that. I've always gotten the, 'No, more is more.' And that's what I loved about Yngwie. And then I'm gonna go with even Guthrie for today, modern. I just love him so much. I just love how he creates his solos and how he plays live. I appreciate great guitar players so much, and it's so hard to find inspiration, but I'm always looking. But I really, really love when I find these certain guitar players that are super inspiring, to me and the world."

Two years ago, John 5 named Malmsteen and Van Halen as two of the 10 guitar players who shaped his career, telling Guitar World magazine about the former: "I was just obsessed with his playing and remember being blown away by him. His playing was a real game-changer because it was genius. But genius is not, 'Oh, that guy can play' — that's not genius to me. I think genius is something I can't see. And that's what Yngwie Malmsteen did — he changed everything and created this style. That's what genius is, it's the thing you can't see but is created. And he created something that really had an effect on me and zillions of other people all over the world."

Regarding the legendary VAN HALEN axeman, John 5 said: "My number one is like a lot of other people's number one, and that's Eddie Van Halen. He's another player who fits what I was describing before with genius. Eddie created something that changed the world forever — it's very hard to explain, but it's just so unbelievable. He did that with his songwriting, amazing guitar playing, and the inventions and designs, too. I was just obsessed with his playing, like all the other guitar players in the world. Thank god we had Eddie Van Halen, that's for sure."

John 5 also mentioned original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, stating: "I love Ace Frehley. He was like my Superman or Spiderman. I love, love, loved Ace as a young kid while I was learning everything. The whole vibe of Ace was something really special to me. I was so small, and Ace was just like this larger-than-life figure… I didn't even think he was a real person. I was like, 'Wow, this is just totally insane,' and was really blown away by Ace. Luckily, I still have this love for a lot of these players, and I do still have that same love for Ace."

John 5 will release a new solo album, "Ghost", on October 10.

Earlier this month, John 5 joined his MÖTLEY CRÜE bandmates as they kicked off their 10-show residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada. September 12 also marked the release of "From The Beginning, The Definitive Collection Of Mötley Crüe Hits" via BMG.

Following the MÖTLEY CRÜE residency, John 5, along with Alex Mercado, will also head out with fellow guitar great Richie Kotzen for the first time ever on an extensive co-headlining tour beginning October 16.

For over 30 years, John 5 has been one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet. As well as being a songwriter/guitarist for hire, John 5 has shared the stage as axe-man for Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Rob Halford. He has also worked with an impressive array of names, from all walks of music, including KD Lang, Rod Stewart, David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Tina Guo, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Meat Loaf, Dolly Parton and Ricky Martin. In October 2022, it was announced that John 5 would be joining MÖTLEY CRÜE as their guitarist following Mick Mars's decision to retire from the road.

John 5's most recent solo album, "Sinner", came out in 2021. The first single from the LP, "Qué Pasa", featured a guest appearance by MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine. "Sinner" also included a guest appearance by original KISS drummer Peter Criss on a cover of "Georgia On My Mind", a 1930s classic by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell that became famous thanks to Ray Charles decades later.

In the last four years, John 5 has been involved in numerous projects, including completing his documentary, which includes testimonials from the likes of Joe Satriani, Rob Halford, the late Gary Rossington, Michael Anthony and Rudy Sarzo, among others. He's also announced the opening of his KISS museum, featuring his own personal mementoes and rare artifacts from the group's early years.

Slash has called John 5 "one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around," and Rob Zombie has dubbed him "a fucking shredder."

John 5 has released ten solo albums to date, as well as a remix album.

Curb Records releases the second of two companion albums produced for the 2024 "Reagan" film starring Dennis Quaid. The first was the August 29 release of the "Reagan" soundtrack and the latest release is the 11-track "Reagan: Songs Inspired By The Film" featuring original tracks from celebrated artists who drew inspiration from the themes, characters and heart of the film.

Gary Cherone, best known as the frontman of EXTREME, has unveiled his powerful new single "America's Dream". The song captures Cherone's signature mix of passion and urgency, delivering both a timely message and a timeless performance.

"America's Dream" was co-written by Cherone and Jon Levin (DOKKEN),who also contributes searing guitar work on the track. Rounding out the all-star lineup are Pat Badger (EXTREME) on bass and Eric Kretz (STONE TEMPLE PILOTS) on drums, creating a formidable rhythm section that drives the song's intensity.

Cherone says: "'America's Dream' is a profession of faith in the great American experiment, that never ending work in progress in forming a more perfect union. In short, a love letter."

"Reagan: Songs Inspired By The Film" track listing:

01. "America's Dream" - Gary Cherone
02. "City On A Hill" - Travis Tritt
03. "I Saw The Time" - ALABAMA
04. "This Is America" - Wayne Newton
05. "Rancho Del Cielo" - Ricky Skaggs
06. "Always" - COMMODORES
07. "Keep On Moving" - MARTY STUART AND HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES
08. "I Knew It Would Be You" - Kathie Lee Gifford, Claude Kelly
09. "Do We Want To Win" - Tanya Tucker
10. "Do I Say Goodbye" - SWEET COMFORT BAND
11. "Start The World Over Again" - Lee Greenwood (co-written with Mike Curb and Ronald Reagan)

Veteran music and film producer Mark Joseph and Vince Emmett produced the song collection, while Tim Cook served as music supervisor for "Reagan: Songs Inspired By The Film".

Joseph says: "We were so pleased to have an eclectic and amazing group of artists come alongside the project. It was great to partner with Mike Curb and the Curb Records team to bring these collections out."

Joseph and the creative team behind the music for 2024's hit feature film starring Dennis Quaid, "Reagan", also received a nomination in the "Public Choice" category by the prestigious World Soundtrack Awards, presented by Film Fest Gent based in Ghent, Belgium. The awards will be given out in Ghent on October 15.

"Reagan: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" showcases the music heard in the film itself. Artists who contributed new recordings for the film included Bob Dylan who sang "Don't Fence Me In", while KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons crooned "Stormy Weather" and Clint Black offered "Take Me Home, Country Roads".

"Reagan" is available on Blu-ray/DVD as well as Video On Demand (VOD) platforms such as Apple TV, Amazon Prime and more.

Celebrating 60 years in business, Curb Records is the largest independently distributed record company in America. Owned and operated by Mike Curb and founded in 1964, Curb Records has achieved 435 number one records, over 1,500 Top Ten records and charted over 4,500 total records. With over a half century in operation, Curb Records has been influential in the careers of some of the biggest names in music.

Swedish rockers GHOST have revealed that they filmed the final two shows on this year's "Skeletour" for future release.

After's GHOST's September 23 concert in Mexico City was canceled due to frontman Tobias Forge having food poisoning, the band's two performances at the 20,000-capacity Palacio De Los Deportes on September 24 and September 25 were shot on 16mm film "for the rest of the world to see at some point".

GHOST posted on social media: "Children of Mexico! Two out of three nights of heat, jumping, singing, passion, rawk, roll and filming at the classic Palacio De Los Deportes. We shot it all on 16 mm, for the rest of the world to see at some point. But for now it'll be our little secret. Again; Deepest apologies for the first night being cancelled. Thank you and Good Night / A Nameless Ghoul".

MTV Europe "Headbangers Ball" legend Vanessa Warwick, who hosts GHOST's own GTV for exclusive coverage of all things GHOST and "Skeletour", also weighed in on the announcement that the Mexico shows were filmed for future release, writing on social media: "The rat is out of the bag! A new GHOST live concert movie is in the making, filmed in Mexico City on 16mm film — old school style! This will make the magic of the 'Skeletour' available to everyone in perpetuity!

"Last night's ritual was on another level and I am so glad it was captured on celluloid for everyone to enjoy.

"GHOST always provide so much to look forward to and keep the magic alive for all of us."

This past August, GHOST completed the U.S. leg of the "Skeletour" in support of the group's sixth studio album, "Skeletá", which came out in April. Marking a bold evolution in GHOST's live performances, the tour was the band's most theatrical and cinematic production yet. Designed by creative director Tobias Rylander and Forge, the tour embraced a grander and more ambitious scale than ever before.

The set design was a striking blend of gothic symbolism and brutalist architecture, melding the ornate drama of cathedrals with the stark lines of modernist concrete forms. Inspired by brutalist cathedrals across Europe, the stage transformed into a sanctum of dark majesty: part sacred temple and part rock coliseum.

At the core of the design was the "Grucifix" — GHOST's reimagined crucifix inspired by their iconic logo. Suspended above the band, this colossal structure functioned as both a visual centerpiece and a dynamic lighting rig, casting an ethereal glow over the stage.

Rylander's design included sculptural scenic facades on the lighting pods, echoing the textures and verticality of cathedral interiors, further reinforcing the ecclesiastical themes central to GHOST's identity.

The lighting leans into a retro-rock aesthetic, with visual nods to classical QUEEN and VAN HALEN. The tour also represented a milestone for the band as it's the first time a full-scale video production led by Rylander and video director Amir Chamdin. With video content by Green Wall Designs, the creative direction transcended the physical stage, evolving into a fully immersive multimedia experience.

In keeping with the show's theatricality, the stage itself had been engineered to perform as much as the artist. Multiple elevated performance platforms, mechanical lifts, and concealed entrances are strategically placed to accommodate dramatic reveals and character transitions. A living, breathing cathedral of performance, "Skeletour" redefined the GHOST live experience, where sacred architecture collides with the raw energy of rock and roll.

Renowned for his work across live music world tours, fashion, theatre and art installations, Rylander has collaborated with artists such as Beyoncé, THE 1975, Childish Gambino, Chappell Roan, The XX and FKA Twigs. "Skeletour" marks his first creative partnership with the Grammy Award-winning band, bringing a new dimension to GHOST's already-iconic stage presence.

The European leg of GHOST's 2025 world tour kicked off on April 15 in Manchester, United Kingdom and concluded on May 24 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour launched on July 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and wrapped up on August 16 in Houston, Texas.

Through the use of technology like Yondr, fans are able to place their phones in a pouch that unlocks only after they leave the no-cell-phone zone. The pouch can also be unlocked at specific cell phone stations inside the venue.

Phones, Apple watches and other communication devices are placed in the pouch and sealed using a magnetized lock, which can be opened with an unlocking base.

This past May, "Skeletá" landed at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 86,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the LP's first week of release. According to Billboard, 89% of that figure (77,000) consisted of traditional album sales, with vinyl purchases accounting for over 44,000 copies. Notably, "Skeletá" was the first hard rock album to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 since AC/DC's "Power Up" in 2020.

The music video for the LP's first single, "Satanized", introduced the new character who is fronting GHOST for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua.

Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle". In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the character who fronted the act for its "Impera" (2022) album phase.

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Jeff "Mantas" Dunn and Anthony "Abaddon" Bray, iconic co-founders of the pioneering black metal band VENOM, will celebrate the 45th anniversary of VENOM's classic debut album, 1981's "Welcome To Hell", at the 2026 edition of the Keep It True festival on April 24, 2026 at Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany.

For this unholy occasion, Mantas and Abaddon will summon the spirit of the very first black metal album with a once-in-a-lifetime performance. To make this night even more legendary, they will be joined by an infernal all-star lineup of guest musicians:

* Tom Angelripper and Andy Brings (SODOM)
* Tom G. Warrior (CELTIC FROST, HELLHAMMER, TRIPTYKON)
* Schmier (DESTRUCTION)
* Attila Csihar (MAYHEM)
* Danny Lilker (NUCLEAR ASSAULT, S.O.D.)
* Diva Satánica (BLOODHUNTER, NERVOSA)
* and introducing Blake "Bulldözer" Arendell from the rising force INTERCEPTOR

This exclusive gathering of metal legends will take place as the Friday headliner of Keep It True 2026 — a night of chaos, darkness and unrelenting power.

Mantas commented: "I still vividly recall walking into Neat Records in 1981 to record another set of demos when David Wood, the owner, asked us if we had enough material for an album. We, of course, said 'yes' and we were given three days to record our first album, 'Welcome To Hell'. That, my friends, was 45 years ago, and now we are here at the Keep It True festival to celebrate 45 years of 'Welcome To Hell', a groundbreaking album in heavy metal that I am so proud of. This is gonna be an amazing night my friends with so many very special guests. Come celebrate with us. April 24 2026, see you all there. Maximum respect."

Abaddon added: "Jeff 'Mantas' Dunn and Antony 'Abaddon' Bray, will be performing at next year's Keep It True festival. It will be a celebration of their seminal album... 'Welcome To Hell'. Mantas and Abaddon, founders of VENOM, will be joined by an amazing lineup of guests from some of the world's greatest thrash, speed and black metal bands."

Last month, Mantas and Abaddon reached out to their loyal fans — the "Legions" — for support in a legal battle against former bandmate Conrad "Cronos" Lant. Since 2023, Mantas and Abaddon have fought to resolve two critical issues: securing recognition for their contributions to VENOM's legendary artwork and claiming their rightful share of merchandise profits from albums they co-wrote and performed, including "Welcome To Hell" (1981),"Black Metal" (1982),"At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985).

Now in their 60s, Mantas and Abaddon seek a fair resolution to ensure their families benefit from VENOM's enduring legacy, which helped define the black metal genre. "We're simply asking for what is rightfully ours," they said in a joint statement. "After decades of avoidable conflict, we want peace and closure."

Despite efforts to resolve the dispute amicably, the duo has been forced to pursue legal action, incurring significant personal and financial costs.

The legal battle intensified in June 2024, with Cronos suing Abaddon and Plastic Head Music Distribution Ltd, accusing the distributor of selling merchandise with Lant's copyrighted VENOM designs and Bray of approving the infringement through a licensing agreement. The dispute revolved around the fact that both parties were licensing and selling official VENOM merchandise featuring the contested designs.

Mantas and Abaddon expressed deep gratitude to Plastic Head for their support (including facilitating this crowdfunder) and to the Legions for their unwavering devotion. "It was the honor of a lifetime to create music that inspired a genre," they shared. "Your support has carried us through the best and hardest times."

After Abaddon's recent triumph over cancer, the pair pledge any surplus funds from their campaign to the MacMillan Cancer Charity.

The duo is calling on fans worldwide to help fund their legal fight. "If every fan bought us a pint, we could see this through," they said.

Contributions can be made at this location.

According to Law360.com, Lant testified in court that he joined VENOM in late 1979 and came up with the Satanic-themed designs used in the band's logo and album covers, which included goat heads, pentagrams and inverted crosses.

Bray filed a counterclaim for infringement against Lant and Lant's distributor, Razmataz.com Ltd., arguing that Bray was the real author of the works.

Because Lant was able to produce numerous sketches which demonstrated his design process and Bray was unable to do the same, Bray was deemed the owner of the original logo, while Lant was found to be the creator and copyright owner of all but one of the other artistic works in dispute.

Regarding the first VENOM logo used by the band — the version of the logo used on the album "Welcome To Hell", released by Neat Records in 1981, but that predated that release — High Court Recorder Amanda Michaels, who heard the case, wrote in her July 31, 2025 judgment, which has been obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "Mr Lant said that he had produced the logo soon after joining the band, whilst Mr Bray said that he had painted it himself onto a drum riser used for the band before Mr Lant joined it. Mr Bray's evidence was supported by Mr Dunn and Mr Ash [Stephen Ash, who was a friend of Bray's from 1977 and was involved in the early years of the band], both of whom agreed that the band had been called VENOM before Mr Lant joined it, and that VENOM['s first logo] was in use on the drum riser before he joined the band.

"The Defendants had no documentary support for the claim that the logo was designed by Mr Bray before autumn 1979," the judgment continued. "They initially relied on a photograph of the original vocalist [Clive] Archer standing on stage in front of a VENOM logo, saying this showed [the original] VENOM logo. Mr Bray said that this was taken at a birthday party and predated Mr Lant joining the band. However, the Defendants later conceded that the image had been cropped from a photograph which it was agreed had been taken at a performance in Newcastle in 1980 which showed Mr Lant on stage too, playing guitar. The logo in that complete photograph could be either version 1 or 2, so does not help to establish either side's case on VENOM Logo 1. On the other hand, there is a photograph of Mr Dunn standing before the drum riser on stage, and the logo on it appears to me to be VENOM Logo 1. The V is not shown in full, but the tops of the letter N, O and M are visible and are rounded rather than pointed, which means this was Logo 1. Mr Lant identified that photograph as being from a performance in about March 1980 in Newcastle. I think it likely that it is from the same gig as is shown in the larger photograph, but if it is not, it is from much the same time. Unfortunately, the fact that the band was using VENOM Logo 1 in early 1980 — which I do not think was really in issue — does not help me to resolve the question of who designed it.

"Mr Lant said that he started by redesigning the Sigil of Baphomet device, and the following week took some sketches of a new VENOM logo to rehearsals to show to the others," the judgment added. "He worked on the sketches and got Mr Bray's approval of them before reaching the final version, which was then put onto a drum riser. He believes that happened in late 1979 or early 1980. He disclosed some early sketches, which include some versions of the logo which are highly similar if not identical to VENOM Logo 1. However, the sketches are all undated and it is not possible to know the sequence in which they were drawn, or whether they were original works or copies of an existing form of the logo used as a baseline for design ideas. One such drawing shows a logo which is neither VENOM Logo 1 or 2 on a sketch of a ticket for a very early performance by the band. This does not help to establish dates or the sequence of design iterations. In the circumstances, it does not seem to me that Mr Lant's evidence that he drew VENOM Logo 1 as well as 2 is clearly supported by any documents. My finding that VENOM Logo 1 was in use on a drum riser in early 1980 cannot help me to resolve the issue of its authorship.

"Mr Lant's claim to authorship was contradicted by the evidence of Mr Bray, Mr Dunn and Mr Ash, all of whom were involved with the band prior to Mr Lant joining it. Both Mr Dunn and Mr Ash believe that Mr Bray was the author of VENOM Logo 1 and produced it before Mr Lant joined the band. Mr Ash said that he remembered helping to attach the signage with VENOM Logo 1 to the drum riser to do a show on Mr Bray's mother's lawn, when the band made so much noise that the neighbours called the police. Mr Dunn said that the version of the logo shown to him by Mr Lant at the rehearsal was VENOM Logo 2, not 1, and his willingness to accept that Mr Lant was the author of that version of the logo gives some weight to that evidence and his view that he did not draw VENOM Logo 1. On balance, I consider that I should accept the evidence for the Defendants on this point, the veracity of which was not challenged.

"Mr Dunn expressed the view in evidence that all of the artworks in issue were produced by the band and could be used by any member of the band. He thought that was made plain by the presence of copyright notices in the form '© Venom' on the albums and older merchandise, such as that produced by Razmataz in 1996. However, this was not either side's pleaded case. Also, in the 1990s the members of the band discussed entering into an agreement to share use of the band's artwork, but that did not happen. On the contrary, there is no suggestion that at any time Mr Lant authorised the Defendants to use his copyright works, or that Mr Bray authorised Mr Lant and Razmataz to use his works."

Nearly a decade ago, Dunn formed VENOM INC. with Bray and another former VENOM member, bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan.

Last December, approximately eight months after suffering his second heart attack, Dunn announced that he was leaving VENOM INC., explaining in a statement that his "health and wellbeing are of paramount importance to myself and my family," but adding that "there are also more personal issues which have influenced my decision."

Dunn suffered his first heart attack in May 2018 and underwent a double bypass surgery.

Mantas sat out VENOM INC.'s fall 2023 U.S. tour after revealing that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. He was replaced on the trek by Mike Hickey, known for his work with VENOM, CARCASS, CATHEDRAL and CRONOS.

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

VENOM's classic lineup trio of Dunn, Lant and Bray recorded four studio LPs, "Welcome To Hell" (1981),"Black Metal" (1982),"At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM is still fronted by Cronos and headlines festivals all over the globe and continues to release new music while Dunn and Dolan had joined forces in the similarly named VENOM INC.

Abaddon was part of VENOM's classic lineup from 1978 to 1992. He then returned to the band in 1995 and stayed with them for four years before joining VENOM INC. alongside Dunn and Dolan. VENOM INC. released its debut album, "Avé", in August 2017. A year later, VENOM INC. revealed that it was recruiting Jeramie Kling of the Tampa-based melodic death metal band THE ABSENCE to fill in for Bray on a European tour while Abaddon stayed home to spend time with his newborn daughter.

Dunn, Bray and Dolan released three albums as VENOM between 1989 and 1992 — "Prime Evil" (1989),"Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

In September 2022, Bray revealed that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma.

Japanese rock music promoter UPP-tone Music announced in July that Dunn and Bray will perform "VENOM classics" on November 30 at Shinjuku Antiknock, a legendary music venue in Tokyo, Japan, alongside some of Japan's finest black metal players: Masaki "Gezol" Tachi (SABBAT) on bass and vocals, Mirai Kawashima (SIGH) on vocals, Shinji "Samm" Tachi (METALUCIFER) on drums, and Noboru "Jero" Sakuma (ABIGAIL) on guitar. Support at the gig will come from SURVIVE and HELL FREEZES OVER.

KEEP IT TRUE FESTIVAL 2026 – FRIDAY HEADLINER ANNOUNCEMENT

The gates of Hell will open once more! We are beyond proud...

Posted by KEEP IT TRUE Festival on Friday, September 26, 2025

M-Theory Audio is proud to present a special 25th anniversary vinyl reissue of the classic comeback album by German thrash legends, Destruction, All Hell Breaks Loose, on November 28th. Originally released in 2000, this comeback effort marked the return of founding bassist / vocalist Schmier (Marcel Schirmer) after being absent from the band for over 12 years, and the first official Destruction album since 1990’s Cracked Brain. It was also the return to a classic three-piece lineup and to the band’s Teutonic thrash metal roots.



Now reissued as a limited (400 copies) 2LP gatefold on tears of blood splatter vinyl. Five bonus tracks are included on the re-release, including Destruction’s cover of the Metallica classic, “Whiplash”, and four live songs from 2000 including standouts “Mad Butcher” and “Total Desaster.” Pre-order now at this location.

Officially licensed from Nuclear Blast Records, All Hell Breaks Loose was produced by the legendary producer Peter Tägtgren (Amon Amarth, Celtic Frost, Sabaton). It features striking artwork from Joachim Luetke, who worked with the band on Release From Agony and Live Without Sense, as well as being known from his work with Dimmu Borgir and Arch Enemy. The album was well received by fans and critic alike and ushered in a career renewal that continues to this day.

In a new interview with Alex Stojanovic of Metal Master Kingdom, TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson spoke about the band's upcoming album, "Para Bellum", which is due on October 10 via Nuclear Blast. Regarding the songwriting process for the LP, Eric said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I think not having to write a record, like we used to do, every year gives you a little bit more time to find the right… I mean, it is only 10 songs, and the songs are three to five minutes. I think just finding the right riffs and then building off 'em. I think all the different styles are just from different periods of time, riffs that we've had. I'm still reaching in sometimes to some of the older riffs that I've had. Like the beginning of [the song] 'Para Bellum', believe it or not, is a heavy part when 'The Legacy' had a heavy part — not the album 'The Legacy' but the song 'The Legacy' [from 1990's 'Souls Of Black' album]. So there's stuff like that a little here and there. But overall, it's pretty much all kind of new stuff. And, yeah, I think we're still having fun with it. And getting new blood, a new drummer. I think any time you get a new drummer or you're jamming something new, it's more about the music and the participation is more sincere, I think."

Asked about his musical chemistry with new TESTAMENT drummer Chris Dovas, who is less than half his age, having been born in 1998, 11 years after the release of TESTAMENT's debut album, Eric said: "Well, we're in modern times, so everyday life is the same for everybody. But, yeah, it's not like I'm getting somebody from Elvis's [Presley] band in the '50s and I'm in the '70s and I'm a hippie. It used to be really decades apart, but for some reason in the 2000s everything's kind of not really changed, if that makes any sense. And I think from his schooling and his dad's a metalhead, he was very much influenced and listens to the same kind of stuff we did. I mean, the first question I would ask someone of that age is, 'Have you ever tripped on DEEP PURPLE or UFO?' Or, 'What about RUSH? He's all, 'RUSH. I love 'Hemispheres'.' And I'm, like, 'Dude, that's my favorite record.' So the technicality of those kind of records. And then, of course, for me in TESTAMENT, I'm probably the only one that listens to [black metal bands like] DISSECTION and EMPEROR and knows about WATAIN and stuff like that. I don't think any of the other guys listen to that, but Chris is, like, 'Oh, yeah.' So right away we're just like two peas in a pod."

TESTAMENT has released two singles so far from "Para Bellum": "Infanticide A.I." and "Shadow People".

The official animated video for "Shadow People", created by Freakshot Films, can be seen below.

When "Para Bellum" was first announced in August, it was accompanied by the official music video for "Infanticide A.I.", directed by Joey Durango.

Peterson stated about "Infanticide A.I.": "When we wrote the song. I think it was like 12 at night and we were done for the day for jamming, and Chris [Dovas, TESTAMENT drummer] was at the house and we were watching [the 2023 horror film] 'Evil Dead Rise'. And just within a half hour, I'm, like, 'Come on. We're going downstairs.' And just the imagery of that."

Added Dovas: "It just inspired us. We're, like, 'We're gonna go down and write some evil music. Come on, let's go.' I think we were drinking some Jäger[meister] or something like that. And, yeah, I don't know. We were just up really late. It was one of those nights where we were up till two, three in the morning just jamming, and it was kind of how that song was born."

Eric continued: "I think a lot of movies, for me, visually, horror movies, I think that inspires me to write music."

TESTAMENT bassist Steve DiGiorgio chimed in: "I always knew that was a strong one right out of the gate. I had a feeling it would be considered probably a single or a title track."

TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy previously stated about "Para Bellum": "The new album 'Para Bellum' consists of some fast, heavy and melodic tunes. Once again Peterson has found a way to keep the song writing fresh and modern sounding. It's gonna be hard to choose what songs to play live cause to many to choose from."

Peterson added: "It's been five years since our last record 'Titans Of Creation' was released. Since then, we all waited to get back to it and we all did in a big way! Now our long over due new record 'Para Bellum' is upon us and about to be released in October. We are super stoked and excited to release new blood and fury to you all! With our first single 'Infanticide A.I.' we're coming out swinging! But with new velocities of fury, while maintaining a balance that we all love and know from a TESTAMENT track. Enjoy!"

With every generation comes a great war. It may take years to fully reveal itself, but the seasoned warrior knows preparation is everything. Now in 2025, Bay Area thrash metal icons TESTAMENT return with their fourteenth studio album, "Para Bellum". Taken from the Latin phrase "Si vis pacem, para bellum" — "If you want peace, prepare for war" — the album stands as both a battle cry and an observation of humanity's uneasy alliance with its own creations. As technology accelerates and disconnection grows, "Para Bellum" sees TESTAMENT reflecting the modern chaos through music that's urgent, sharp, and unflinchingly human.

True to TESTAMENT's legacy, "Para Bellum" is a masterclass in dynamic thrash songwriting, guided by founding guitarist Eric Peterson and vocalist Chuck Billy, who continue to lead the band with vision and force. Each track on the album stands on its own — distinct in structure, key, and atmosphere — but when taken together, they create a record that flows seamlessly, puzzle-like, through eras and styles. From the haunting, groove-laden "Shadow People" to the whiplash intensity of "Infanticide A.I.", the band explores themes both timeless and immediate: technology's encroachment, supernatural dread, generational collapse, and duels worthy of a standoff in "The Gathering"-esque "High Noon".

"Who's the fastest?" Billy joked, "It sounds like there is about to be a draw." Songs shift effortlessly from pummeling thrash to eerie darkness, with Chuck stretching his voice across clean chants, guttural roars, and whispers of doom, all in perfect sync with the mood of each piece.

To the delight of many life-long TESTAMENT fans, this record also sees the inclusion of a ballad for the first time in many years. Precisely formulated to weave effortlessly with the album, "Meant To Be" contains a world of variety within itself; "I love how the song takes off at the end and just doesn't look back," explained Peterson. "It's different, but it fits. It's like a breath of fresh air." This also marks another novel moment for the band using true, orchestrated strings performed by world renowned cellist Dave Eggar.

A major evolution on "Para Bellum" is the addition of powerhouse drummer Chris Dovas, whose precision, speed, and instinctive dynamics infuse the album with fresh energy. Working closely with Peterson throughout the writing process, Dovas helped shape song structures, accelerated the workflow, and injected a level of versatility that amplifies the album's modern edge without straying from the TESTAMENT sound. "He's so inspired and quick to throw ideas back," said Peterson, who also embraced his own black metal influences more heavily this time, both vocally and in the guitar work. Tracks like "Infanticide A.I." and "For The Love Of Pain" reflect this genre-blending approach — tight thrash foundations with ripples of black metal atmosphere. "Eric and I have a lot of similar influences," explained Dovas, "We worked really closely on this album and had a great time."

Alongside Peterson, Alex Skolnick's guitar work remains both razor-sharp and exploratory. "This album captures many different sides of the band through the years, along with some fresh new sounds," Skolnick noted. "There's a little something for everyone. You will not be disappointed." Rounding out the rhythm section is the inimitable Steve DiGiorgio, whose walking bass lines add a unique low-ness, and technical depth, locking in flawlessly with Dovas's expressive drumming. Meanwhile, Chuck leads the lyrical vision with contributions from longtime collaborator Del James and other friends, weaving a mix of supernatural mythos, sociopolitical commentary, and apocalyptic dread.

Recorded with Juan Urteaga and mixed for the first time by Jens Bogren, "Para Bellum" is extremely polished and operating at full throttle. The cover art, once again painted by Eliran Kantor, captures the album's essence: a serene angel made of missiles, an explosion turned halo, surrounded by shovel-bearing cultists with books strapped to their faces. It's a visual metaphor for blind belief and self-destruction — created, notably, by hand — in an era flooded by A.I.-generated imagery.

In its opening notes, "Para Bellum" nods to the past by resurrecting a lost bridge from "The Legacy" — a full-circle moment that anchors the album's expansive sonic journey. And as it ends, it does so peacefully, with a moment of classical-esque finger picking long used by Peterson to warm up his hands before battle. From first note to last breath, "Para Bellum" is an album by warriors — crafted in chaos, and built to outlast the wars to come!

"Para Bellum" track listing:

01. For The Love Of Pain
02. Infanticide A.I.
03. Shadow People
04. Meant To Be
05. High Noon
06. Witch Hunt
07. Nature Of The Beast
08. Room 117
09. Havana Syndrome
10. Para Bellum

Photo credit: Fred Kowalo

Former EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza played his first solo concert ever last night (Friday, September 26) at the Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida. Backing Souza on stage at the gig — billed simply as ZETRO — were the following musicians:

* Zakk Frye (SLIKK WIKKED) - Rythm Guitar/Backup Vocals
* Kyle Smith (SLIKK WIKKED) - Lead Guitar
* Andrew Dewar (VICIOUS INTENT) - Drums
* Donny "Death" Weissinger (NASTY TRAST, HATE GRENADE) – Bass

Edward Mak, who attended last night's gig, shared some video of the concert in the Exodus Band Official group on Facebook, and he included the following message: "Zetro's first show as a solo artist since his departure from EXODUS. 9/26/2025 Brass Mug, Tampa FL.

"Great show, band was tight. I don't know who the lead guitarist is, but he played all the leads perfectly.

"Deep cuts — 'Deranged', 'Like Father Like Son', 'Shroud Of Urine', 'Thrash Under Pressure', 'Verbal Razors', 'Seeds Of Hate', also 'Toxic Waltz' and 'Brain Dead', 'War Is My Shepherd', 'Blacklist', 2 AC/DC songs, 3 LEGACY songs. Well worth the $25 tix. Only negative was the crowd size. I counted 60-65 people for a Friday night."

Souza will next perform tonight (Saturday, September 27) at Piper's in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He will also embark on a three-date tour of Australia in early February 2026.

Regarding the setlist for his solo concerts, Zetro said in a video via his Zetro's Toxic Vault channel on YouTube: "I'll be playing a lot of EXODUS, a lot of deep cuts, a lot of songs that I've seen you guys, over the years through social media, chime in about wanting to hear. So that's what you will see. Actually, some of you guys [on social media] are nailing some of the songs, some of them, but some of them I'm going to get to, 'cause I've actually answered on some of them about getting to 'em. So this will be an old-school evening of Bay Area thrash metal. I've even got a couple of very obscure [ones] because I think the LEGACY [pre-]TESTAMENT songs that I'm playing don't necessarily get played all the time anymore. I know one does, but I know the other three don't. And then I would have to say, out of the EXODUS songs that I have chosen, you've probably heard me — and I'm only gonna go on the last 10 years since I was back from 2014 until just six months, seven months ago — I would say there's maybe only three or four that you have heard me sing in the set in the past. Everything else has not been played for a long time. Some songs probably when the albums came out initially. I know one song I can't even remember playing ever. So that's gonna be kind of cool for the fans. But songs that I've seen that you guys have all chimed in on and said, 'Hey, when are you guys gonna play this?' 'When are you gonna play that?', which I think is gonna absolutely differentiate my set from, say, if you go see EXODUS, because I'm not necessarily gonna play the same songs. Am I gonna play 'Toxic Waltz' and 'Blacklist'? Definitely, of course. I'm not going to hold you back. But that's the thing — I'm picking the setlist. Absolutely. And I think you'll like what I've chosen. I think it's 16 or 17 songs total, so it'll be a good evening."

Regarding the possibility of making new music and including fresh material in his setlist, Zetro said: "I'm gonna be honest with you: right now I'm not really into writing or doing a new solo Zetro project with new songs. I feel that there's so much, or so many songs, that have not been played in years or have never been played that I think I'd like to make shows of that first. And maybe in a year or two down the road, if it seems right to do, I'll venture [into writing and recording new music]."

He continued: "You guys don't want to hear [new solo] Zetro songs [at these shows]. You're gonna be yelling out the stuff from EXODUS or the stuff that you know that I performed with LEGACY. And I do [the AC/DC tribute band] AC/DZ, so you might even hear some AC/DC songs. So there's a lot that I can do. There's songs in the EXODUS catalog that have never been played live. 'Architect Of Pain' has never been played live. It's 11 fucking minutes — probably why [it has never been performed live] — but, hey, [IRON] MAIDEN plays 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner' and some of those other ones that are, like, 12, 13 minutes, so I'm not opposed to doing it. So, I'm implementing those songs, and I want to play all of those songs. And everybody I've heard forever [asking for] 'Cajun Hell', 'Verbal Razors', 'Chemi-Kill', 'Seeds Of Hate', all these songs that have not been played in years, and I wanna play them. And then obviously the demo songs that I did with LEGACY. I pretty much wrote the whole first [TESTAMENT] record, so I'll bring those songs too. 'Curse Of The Legions Of Death', I wrote that. 'The Haunting', I wrote that."

Souza's previously announced 10-date solo tour of Latin America, which was scheduled to take place in September 2025, was canceled by the promoter. The trek was slated to kick off on September 4 in San José, Costa Rica and end on September 14 in São Paulo, Brazil. At all the shows, Souza was expected to perform classic songs from his former bands EXODUS, TESTAMENT (Zetro was the lead vocalist for LEGACY, an early incarnation of TESTAMENT) and HATRIOT, as well as the Bon Scott era of AC/DC.

Eight months ago, it was announced that EXODUS had parted ways with Souza and had welcomed back Rob Dukes.

Souza joined EXODUS in 1986 after previously fronting the band LEGACY (which, as stated above, later became TESTAMENT). He remained in EXODUS until their hiatus in 1993, but rejoined them for two years from 2002 to 2004. Dukes became the singer of EXODUS in 2005 (following Souza's departure) and stayed until 2014, when Souza returned.

EXODUS played its first concert with Dukes in nearly 11 years on April 5 at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dukes previously joined EXODUS in January 2005 and appeared on four of the band's studio albums — "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" (2005),"The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A" (2007),"Let There Be Blood" (2008, a re-recording of EXODUS's classic 1985 LP, "Bonded By Blood") and "Exhibit B: The Human Condition" (2010).

Souza discussed his most recent split with EXODUS during a previous episode of Zetro's Toxic Vault. Addressing the reasons for his departure, Zetro said in part: "I've been doing this since 1986 —1986, in June, I joined EXODUS for the very first time. I was 22 years old. I'm now 61. So to have kind of a rollercoaster ride in music has actually been kind of exciting,. It kept my life going. Certain things happen and certain things go on, and you kind of have to deal with them as they happen, like anything."

Clarifying that he "did not quit" EXODUS and "was let go", Souza continued: "I don't read much of what goes on the Internet. With no disrespect to anybody, I don't give a fuck what anybody thinks about me or what you say… But I was made privy by my son of something Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist and main songwriter] had responded to me saying that I didn't quit; I was let go. And I have to agree with his analogy. Being in a band is like a marriage — it truly is — and the marriage was over. And it was. Now, I was never gonna quit, meaning maybe I guess I would never leave the marriage, for whatever reason. But I truly think that it was probably the right thing for me especially, and I hope it's the right thing for them as well."

Regarding his mindset after his latest departure from EXODUS, Souza said: "People were calling me — my friends and my family — asking me if I was okay. And I was fine. I was, like, 'I'm great.' I'm really, really happy and more content. And again, we're in April now, and this went down in January. And actually, I knew in December — I knew before anybody knew, before it was announced. And I was cool with it."

Speaking directly to the EXODUS fans, Zetro said: "I'm gonna miss you guys. I really am. But for me, my life has changed a lot. What I liked when I was younger in my twenties and my thirties are not necessarily what I'm into anymore. I love my family. I mean, I came home and got married to Vickie, who I've been with for 17 years, and she is the love of my life. And you know how hard it is to go away from the love of my life at this point, at 61 years old for five weeks, six weeks at a time? It wasn't easy for me, even though it may not have shown on stage, and it definitely didn't show when I was with you guys, with you fans, and anybody that approached me because I would never want anyone to have an awful experience with me. But I think it was time, honestly.

"I had told Gary, and I told them that I would like to do this till I was 70 and probably not much more than that, but I think in the back of my mind I think I was kind of already done with the rigorous life of touring, 'cause it's very demanding," Souza admitted. "And the business doesn't care about what you have going on. [I'll] give you an example — in 2016, my mother died and I was in El Salvador on tour. I should have been at her bedside, but I wasn't, because I had to do this. I've had dogs pass. I've missed graduations from my children. Any musician that has been in my position can absolutely relate with this, because it is part of it. And a lot of times people don't necessarily think of that. And then there's the guys, there's the musicians that really like to do this, and they'll go out and they'll hit it hard. They'll go from one thing to another."

Elaborating on his reasons for wanting to spend less time on the road, Zetro said: "I've changed over the past few years, even in the last 10 years since I've been back. And I think I'm more interested in what's going on in my house and around what I'm doing here. I like to see my dogs every day. I have three pugs that absolutely love. I have a grandson now. I never get to see them. I wanna see my wife every day. I wanna sleep in my bed every day. It's been something that mentally has gone on and changed. But again, I would've never quit because I'm not a quitter in that type of respect. Everybody's, 'Oh, well, you quit in 2004.' No, I had to leave the band because I had a union job, three little kids and a wife, and I was trying to balance working as a foreman, as a union job, being a father, coaching baseball and soccer, and being a husband and playing in EXODUS, and I couldn't balance all three. The thing that I loved the most was playing in EXODUS, but, unfortunately, it could not take care of my wife and my kids and ballerina signups, baseball signups. The business wasn't paying that much at the time, so I needed to go and take care of my family… So coming back into the band in 2014, kids are grown, I'm set in my job. I was very, very excited. And again, I had a really good time over the last 10 years playing in the band. And it was one of those things that I have to say I'm kind of glad that I've ended up where I'm at right now, I don't like airports anymore. I don't like sleeping on the tour bus anymore… So I'm not saying that this was a decision that I would've made, but I'm saying for myself and to have a few months to look at it, it was definitely the right decision."

Souza went on to say that EXODUS fans should continue to support the band now that Dukes has returned to the group.

"I look at it now as, what about all you guys that are big fans of Rob's era? Just think — now you get to come back and see Rob maybe for the next 10 years and see him continue on," Zetro said. "So if you were fans of his era, like you were fans of my era, or both eras — I know there's some of you [that are] 'I'm [Team] Zetro' or 'I'm [Team] Rob', or whatever, 'I'm cool with whatever EXODUS does,' I get it. And I totally understand that, and I respect every one of you for those things. But now maybe for the last part of the band they get to enjoy Rob and Rob's era of the band. I mean, Gary's gonna continue to write music and record music. And Gary Holt doesn't know how to write a shitty riff. Okay? So you EXODUS fans know what you're gonna get from that, and that's what I have to say."

Souza also addressed the possibility of another reunion with EXODUS down the line, saying: "Will I ever grace the stage with them? No, definitely not. I think it's been done. This was the third time that I had joined the band, so I think it would be a bit redundant to try to do this or do this again. So just so you guys wanna know, I have no desire to do that ever again. It's been done. If you saw my last concert in Los Angeles at the Regent [in December 2024], then you truly saw the last concert that Zetro will ever sing with EXODUS."

Zetro added that he went out on top, both in term of his live performance with EXODUS and his relationship with the band's fans.

"If you saw us on the last tour with HAVOK, then, honestly, I was singing better than I've ever sung through the years," Souza said. "So I don't feel that it was something that, vocally… I did my job — I did my job quite well — and even they'll tell you that. And the fans, you guys know that I bring it. Every time I come, I bring it. And that's just the way it is. And if you walked up to me for a picture or an autograph, I never would say no and I've never pushed you guys away. I would hang out and talk to you about stuff. How many of you fans have spent time after the show talking to me about whatever? Horror, movies, metal sports, whatever. I'll sit out there and talk to you guys 'cause I've never considered myself above anybody."

Asked what specifically he didn't enjoy about the touring lifestyle, Zetro said: "Too much time in the day. Waiting to wait. It's a lot of waiting. Going to an airport, waiting four hours for the flight, getting on the flight for five hours, getting to where you've gotta go. Then you have another six-hour layover before you have another five-hour flight. And line one, line two, security this, security that. I don't have the patience for that anymore. The bus — I know this sounds very pompous. I was very fortunate to get to tour in a bus. I know bands that do not tour in buses… But for me, the bunk started to be very, very uncomfortable. And the only time I could get in there was when I truly had to sleep. But as soon as I woke up, I got up. So there's too much time in a day for you to go to museums or comic bookstores or me to go buy toys and whatever I do on the road. It is just a lot of downtime, and I feel as now 61 years old, I wanna do other things in that downtime. And I don't wanna be doing this, and all of a sudden I end up getting sick or my wife end up getting sick and one of my children, and I have to come home and I've got six months to live, or they've got six months to live and I've missed all of this with them and I missed it all. I don't want to do that anymore. I've missed too much over the years, and it's just kind of where I've been mentally — especially the last few years I've been thinking about that."

Florida I’m Coming To See You in September!

Posted by Steve Zetro Souza on Thursday, August 14, 2025

At the end of August, KREATOR guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö spoke to IMPACT Metal Channel about the German/Finnish/French thrash metal veterans' upcoming sixteenth studio album, "Krushers Of The World", which will arrive on January 16, 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. KREATOR recorded the follow-up to 2022's "Hate Über Alles" at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren. Bogren previously helmed KREATOR's "Phantom Antichrist" (2012) and "Gods Of Violence" (2017) LPs. The "Krushers Of The World" cover artwork was created by Polish genius Zbigniew Bielak (GHOST). Sami said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We were in the studio in May, and we were working on it for a long time. And it's finished. I got the final mixes, like, yesterday. And I'm very excited about it. We recorded with Jens Bogren; it's the same producer who produced us a couple of albums ago for two albums. And we are all very excited about it, and we hope that the people will like it too."

Asked what fans can expect from the new album, Sami said: "Well, it's got lots of interesting themes in it and a little bit of a new approach. For some songs, we tuned the guitars a little bit more down, like way down to a baritone, even to A, but not all of the songs. It's always when it serves a purpose, when it serves the vocals and stuff like that. But, yeah, there's three videos we shot already."

Yli-Sirniö went on to say that KREATOR fans can also expect "different kind of songs" from "Krushers Of The World". He explained: "Mille [Petrozza, KREATOR guitarist/vocalist] is the main songwriter, and he came up with the excellent song ideas. And we all worked on it very hard. We did a lot of demos, threw a lot of songs out. You just wait and see. We're all very excited about it. We think we managed to top its predecessor."

Last week, KREATOR revealed plans for a monumental European tour across 20 countries, joining forces with fellow metal powerhouses CARCASS, EXODUS and NAILS. The tour kicks off on March 20, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal, at MEO Arena and wraps up on April 25, 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark, at Poolen. Highlights include shows in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Stockholm, and more.

Alongside the album and tour announcement, KREATOR unleashed a new single called "Seven Serpents", accompanied by a cinematic music video, which you can watch below.

"Krushers Of The World" track listing:

01. Seven Serpents
02. Satanic Anarchy
03. Krushers Of The World
04. Tränenpalast
05. Barbarian
06. Blood Of Our Blood
07. Combatants
08. Psychotic Imperator
09. Deathscream
10. Loyal To The Grave

According to a press release, "Krushers Of The World" also tackles Petrozza's love for horror flicks by paying tribute to Dario Argento's "Suspiria" in "Tränenpalast" with extreme metal vocal coach Britta Görtz (HIRAES) adding her own vicious tone over dark-yet-catchy melodies. "Barbarian", "Deathscream" and "Psychotic Imperator" deliver your fix of merciless riffs, majestic leads by guitarist Yli-Sirniö and some of drummer Ventor's fastest parts ever.

A novelty to "Krushers Of The World" is immediately obvious when staring at its cover. With Zbigniew Bielak, renowned for his work for GHOST, art and design offer an interesting twist to KREATOR's history. Transforming classic visual trademarks dedicated fans will recognize from "Coma Of Souls" (1990),"Out Of The Dark... Into The Light" (1988) and "Pleasure To Kill" (the font!) into a highly detailed tapestry garnered with occult symbolism, Bielak crafted an outstanding piece paying homage to a band he loves since his teenager days yet with a daring and unique flair. The cover of "Krushers Of The World" rewards everyone willing to analyze the grandiose sleeve design.

In essence, "Krushers Of The World" is, of course, not a throwback to KREATOR's past, it is furious, massive sounding and creative in its own right, gifted with a songwriting quality honed over years. It displays a band which earned its spot among the giants of the genre, and developed its youthful anger further into a professional, internationally successful, nonetheless intimidating creature. "Krushers Of The World" underlines the fact that fueled by the reflective look at their own legacy sparked by 2025's "Hate & Hope" movie, KREATOR nowadays appear more mindful of their early days while simultaneously progressing uncompromisingly, unstoppable in their search for new realms to conquer and new worlds to krush.

"Hate Über Alles" was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions for that LP was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

"Hate Über Alles" marked KREATOR's first album with Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

The official KREATOR documentary, "Hate & Hope", was shown on July 2 at the 42nd Munich International Film Festival and received a theatrical premiere on September 4. The 110-minute film was directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post.

Mille's official German-language autobiography, which he wrote with journalist, author and presenter Torsten Groß, "Your Heaven, My Hell - Mein Leben, Heavy Metal Und Wie Das Alles Passieren Konnte", was published on August 28 via Ullstein Verlag.

Photo credit: Robert Eikelpoth

At this weekend's Guitar Summit guitar show in Mannheim, Germany, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello and MR. BIG bassist Billy Sheehan revealed that they have both recorded separate guest appearances on the upcoming 50th-anniversary album from legendary German/American metallers ACCEPT.

Tentatively due in early 2026, ACCEPT's upcoming effort will cover the band's entire musical history. The anniversary LP will contain a carefully curated selection of the best ACCEPT songs from the last five decades, re-recorded — partly with well-known surprise musical guests and colleagues — as well as with some rare tracks that have not been played so often before.

Frank said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "My friends in ACCEPT, the band ACCEPT — I love the band ACCEPT. You guys know the band ACCEPT? I've been a fan forever. So they were kind enough to ask me to play a song on their 50th-anniversary record. I did a song, it's called 'Save Us' [from ACCEPT's second album, 1980's 'I'm A Rebel']. It's an old-school song. Some good, fun bass lines in it. And the funky thing [I mentioned in an Instagram clip I posted from the sessions a couple of days ago], I found it fun and challenging."

Billy, for his part, said: "I just did four songs on the ACCEPT 50-year-anniversary tribute record. ACCEPT was one of my favorite heavy metal bands of all time. Thank you, Germany. [Laughs] I did 'Fight It Back' [from 1983's 'Balls To The Wall' album], 'Restless And Wild' [the title track of 1982's 'Restless And Wild' album] and two others; I forgot. So that's coming out."

Last year, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann told Metal Journal about the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary LP: "I can't tell you anything yet, because it's way too early. I can just tell you it's gonna be a massive thing. And I don't really wanna get into it yet because I'm not really here to talk specifics about it. It's still in the planning stages. It's gonna be amazing. I think it's gonna be some really big names that are gonna be participating in that. And you'll have to wait. Sorry. It's just too early."

As for whether ACCEPT had already "selected" the guest musicians who would appear on the album, Wolf said at the time: "Yes, we have selected a lot of it. Not all of it, but we have selected a lot."

Back in April, Wolf revealed to Mark Strigl, that longtime ACCEPT producer Andy Sneap would not be involved with the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary album. "He will not be on this one, because he asked for a year off from us," Wolf said. "I asked him, I begged him to produce his album, but then we found a good buddy of his. His name is Zeuss [Chris Harris]. He's producing it."

Hoffmann continued: "[Andy is] kind of part of the family now, but he's been touring so much with [JUDAS] PRIEST [as that band's touring guitarist], and he's been working so much in the studio last year. I think he did SAXON, he did PRIEST, he also did DREAM THEATER — he's done a bunch of stuff. So when I said, 'Hey, can we work this year again?' He said, 'Man, can I please have a year off?', which is understandable."

Regarding ACCEPT's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour, Wolf said: "It's gonna be a retrospective of the whole 50-year career and, of course, it's gonna feature a lot of the important stuff from the '80s and some deeper cuts. And we're gonna perform with guest singers and guest players, and it's gonna be super exciting, like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You only have one shot at a 50-year anniversary… I don't think we'll get a chance for another one."

Sneap produced ACCEPT's last six studio albums: "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017),"Too Mean To Die" (2021) and "Humanoid" (2024).

Zeuss has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, QUEENSRŸCHE, SHADOWS FALL, DEMON HUNTER, OVERKILL and REVOCATION, among many others.

In February, Hoffmann told Metal Talks about ACCEPT's 50th anniversary: "Yeah, it's a funny thing. I joined this band when I was 16 and just never left. And here I am all these all these years later, coming on a 50th anniversary, which is crazy. But yeah, it's definitely something that we're very proud of. And not every band is lucky enough to be around for this long and to still be in the business and to still be touring to still have fans.

"I think ACCEPT, we're very fortunate in the way that we achieved the impossible," he continued. "We had a change of lead singers 15 years ago with Mark Tornillo, and things are better than they've ever been for us. I mean, the last few albums have been phenomenal, the touring is going great, we have sold-out shows everywhere. So, I mean, we are really, really fortunate, and I'm fully aware of that. And yeah, to mark the occasion, we're gonna have a special tour. We're gonna release a new album with — we're gonna re-record some of the old classics and some of the deeper-cut songs from back then with guest people, guest singers, guest guitar players, and we're gonna bring this out on the road in '26. So we're working on that for the next year or so.

"This is a milestone that needs to be celebrated properly, and what better [way to do it]?" Hoffmann added. "I mean, we only have one chance for a 50th anniversary. I don't think I'll get another one. With all optimism, I don't think I'll be around 50 years from now, or the fans will be, so we might as well have this opportunity and make use of it. And it's gonna be fantastic. I know it. We're gonna play some songs we've never played before, and it's gonna be great."

Last November, Wolf told The Adamantium Podcast about ACCEPT's upcoming 50th-anniversary album and tour: "Well, I can't tell you too much yet, because it's too early and right now we're featuring this tour [promoting ACCEPT's latest album, 'Humanoid'], so let's focus on that. But I can tell you it's gonna be a huge thing because turning 50 is a big deal."

Wolf continued: "We have always shied away from all these, I would call them little anniversaries, because, really, we could have done a [celebration of] 20 years of this album, 20 years of that album, 30 years [of some other album]. Every year is something to celebrate. I mean, when you have 15 albums or 16 or 17, something always happened 20, 30, 40 years ago. It's always a round number of years. So we could have done that for a long time. There's people who do it all the time. We always said, 'Nah, we'd much rather feature the current album and then make a new one after that and stay current.' But, man, with 50, that's where I gotta say this is the one — this is the big one. There won't be another one… And also, quite honestly, we're getting up there in age a little bit, and I'm not quite ready to retire, but you never really know. Honestly, at some point, we could all say this might be our last tour. You never really know. Somebody might get sick.

"50 is a big deal, and we're gonna really celebrate it properly," Hoffmann added. "It's gonna be a completely different show with a lot of surprises. That's all I know. So we've got a year of planning to do and then executing and stuff."

Hoffmann told Metal Journal about why he and his bandmates decided to announce that they would embark on a 50th-anniversary tour in late 2025 when they still had plenty of touring to do last year in support of their latest album, "Humanoid": "Things like that take time. People have asked me for the last two years: 'Are you gonna do an anniversary thing?' Everybody wants to know. So I finally said, 'Okay, we're gonna do it.' And it's gonna be massive, man. It's gonna be a huge surprise with all the guests that we're gonna have. And I think it's gonna be completely different from anything we've ever done before. So I think it's gonna blow people away. But that doesn't take away from this tour that we have coming up, because, first of all, it's gonna be another year or more before we even go on this next tour. So if you like the new album, 'Humanoid', and if you love ACCEPT, you've gotta see this tour, no matter what. It's gonna be definitely a highlight anyhow."

On the topic of whether there was any talk about possibly announcing a farewell tour to coincide with ACCEPT's 50th anniversary, Wolf said: "We've been doing it for a long, long time. And I honestly don't know how long I can do this. I mean, nobody knows what the future will bring, and it has crossed our mind, absolutely. So, it might be that we go off with a highlight like this and then just really say, 'Okay, this was it.' I don't know yet, to be honest."

Regarding whether former ACCEPT members Udo Dirkschneider (vocals) and Peter Baltes (bass) will be invited to take part in the 50th-anniversary tour, perhaps just in the form of a guest appearance at select shows, Wolf said: "Yeah, of course, of course. That doesn't mean they're gonna [show up]. We have to wait and see. Of course, everybody [is invited]. The door is always open for anybody to join us on this, because it's gonna be a retrospective of all the 50 years of ACCEPT, and whoever wants to participate is more than welcome. Yes, sure."

Asked if he will call Udo and Peter directly to ask them to participate in the tour or if he will wait for their call, a visibly irritated Wolf said: "Can you shut up already? You're not gonna get me to talk about it. I'm sorry, man. I know it's a nice try. Everybody wants to know these things."

Over the past five decades, ACCEPT has sold millions of albums and inspired countless musicians. Their energetic live performances and iconic albums such as "Balls To The Wall", "Restless And Wild" and "Metal Heart" have left a lasting mark on the heavy metal genre. Hoffmann's guitar style and musical vision have made the band one of the most respected on the heavy metal scene.

After a hiatus in the band's career, Wolf was introduced to New Jersey singer Mark Tornillo in 2009. The chemistry and fit between them was so remarkable, ACCEPT reformed and almost immediately rose to global success with chart-topping albums. ACCEPT continues to be celebrated for each of their new records with Mark, who is now the longest-reigning frontman of ACCEPT, placing the Hoffmann-Tornillo partnership firmly in the Metal Hall Of Fame.

For decades, ACCEPT has been recognized as a guarantee of high quality and each of their albums has reached the top of the charts, delivering energy, melodies, killer riffs and an impressively powerful stage presence for 50 years.

Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for Dirkschneider, who was the band's original lead singer. Mark can be heard on ACCEPT's last six studio albums.

As previously reported, ACCEPT will support QUEENSRŸCHE this fall on the "Volume And Vengeance Tour". The trek will kick off on November 7 in Denver, Colorado at Summit and will conclude on December 20 in Temecula, California at Pechanga Theater Casino.

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Glasya has released “Glimpse Of Memory” (featuring Visions Of Atlantis’ Michele Guaitoli), second single taken from the new album “Fear” to be released on October 24 by Scarlet Records.

This emotional song marks the moment when Sarah – the main character of the “Fear” story/concept – begins to have flashes of memory and remember herself and her past, and that there is someone else close to her… A magnificent duet with the very special guest Michele Guaitoli on vocals.

Three years after the Attarghan concept album, Fear displays a more modern symphonic metal sound with strong grooves, catchy chorus and several honorable special guests (Moonspell’s Fernando Ribeiro, Vision Of Atlantis’ Michele Guaitoli, Dark Oath’s Sarah Leitão).

Fear tells the quest of a woman who finds herself confronted with her own fears and gains the courage to overcome them. The listener will be walking in the shoes of the protagonist and feel her trepidation, her convictions, her achievements and the confidence that she develops in herself to help a close one.

During the course of the compelling story, she will fully reveal her weaknesses and how they can finally become her strengths – a real triumph over adversity.

Produced by Fernando Matias at The Pentagon Audio Manufacturers (Sinistro), and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios (Ghost, Behemoth, Paradise Lost), Fear will be released in the following formats:

– jewel case CD
– digital

Artwork by Phobos Anomaly Design:



Tracklisting:

“Fear” (feat. Fernando Ribeiro)
“Hunt Of The Haunted”
“In Debris” (feat. Fernando Ribeiro)
“Stuck In A Cobweb”
“Glimpse Of Memory” (feat. Michele Guaitoli)
“Rising Wildfire” (feat. Sarah Leitão)
“In A Flooding Room”
“The Cold Of Dark”
“Rescue”
“The Confrontation”
“In Your Haven”
“The Ultimate Challenge”
“Overcoming”
“No Teu Abrigo”

Dawn Of A Dark Age are finally ready to unveil some of the main aspects of their new album, Ver Sacrum. It will be released on December 12 via My Kingdom Music in digipak CD, LP and deluxe edition.

Today they present the amazing cover artwork created by Norwegian photographer, Kjetil Karlsen. See below.

The album sees the presence of a new singer, Ignazio Cuga, aka Brusiòre, of the Sardinian folkish black metal band Kre’u and this will permit the album to be brought on stage for the first time for the band with exclusive live shows programmed for December.

Musically, it is even darker and more sinister, with truly ancient atmospheres that leave an indelible mark on this work. The theme once again harks back to the Samnites, and in particular to the so-called Sacred Spring (Ver Sacrum in Latin), a social and religious ritual common in pre-Roman times.

Pre-order the album here.



Tracklisting:

“Il Voto Infranto (L’Ira Di Mamerte)”
“Il Consiglio Degli Anziani (L’Oracolo)”
“Il Rito Della Consacrazione”
“Venti Anni Dopo: La Partenza (Nascita Della Nazione Sannita)”

Metallica introduce the new Funko POP! Rocks: 72 Seasons figures with the following update:

“In the fifth Metallica x Funko collaboration, we’re celebrating 72 Seasons! Get your hands on the complete band bundle, now available in The Metallica Store, the Probity UK Shop, Funko.com, and in-store at various retailers.”

Shop The Met Store, shop Probity Merch, shop Funko.









Metallica continues: “When you support All Within My Hands through Fandiem, you could win an autographed copy of the new Load (Remastered) Deluxe Box Set!

Donation options start as low as $10, plus a free entry method. All donations support All Within My Hands’ mission to create sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

Sweepstakes ends Friday, October 3, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT. Open worldwide. Must be 18 or older to win. See complete details and donate to win at fandiem.com/metload,”

Catalyst Crime vocalist Zoe Marie Federoff, formerly of Cradle Of Filth, has checked in with the following update:

“Two years ago, Catalyst Crime shot a video for a song written almost four years ago. That video and that album will finally see the light of day soon. I’m sure a lot of people are expecting me to release music related to my departure from another band, but I just don’t have any interest in making music about that. I’ve got things I’ve been waiting ages for you to hear- and it’s not a sequel or a derivative. It’s a whole other book.

Prepare for something completely different. It’s been a long time coming.”



Catalyst Crime previously shared the following news:

“Dear Catalyst Crime friends,

Many of you noticed we were gearing up for a release next month with teaser posts and hints about an upcoming single/album. Unfortunately, after much thought, we’ve decided to once again delay the upcoming release. Most of it was written 3-4 years ago before Zoe joined another band, and is unrelated to anything underway in the public eye.

We have been sitting on this nearly complete album for almost 3 years and we hate to delay it again, but we feel strongly that it has nothing to do with current events and needs its own space to breathe.

We apologize to everyone who was anticipating this release and we hope to have a new date set soon when the time feels right. This hiatus should hopefully be much shorter than the last.”

Catalyst Crime is an international cinematic symphonic metal band that began in 2017 as a project between Xandria drummer Gerit Lamm and American vocalist Zoe Marie Federoff. They joined with orchestral composer and keyboardist Jonah Weingarten (Pyramaze, Aries Descendant), guitarists Chena Roxx and Kaelen Sarakinis, and bassist Matt Federoff, eventually taking shape into a fully formed band, blending the epic soundscapes of symphonic metal, the dark intensity of death metal, and moments of free-spirited progressive metal.

Upon meeting the band and hearing their music, legendary producer Alexander Krull (Leaves’ Eyes, Atrocity) eagerly joined the team and began recording sessions at Mastersound Studios in Stuttgart, Germany. Their self-titled debut album was released in October 2021 to widespread acclaim. Building off the positive reception of the album and 3 video singles, the band returned to Mastersound to record their second – and once again delayed – album in the fall of 2023.

US death metal veterans Deteriorot have dropped their second advance single, “In Battle To Survive”, from the band’s fourth full-length album, Awakening , which is set for release on October 21, 2025 via Xtreem Music on CD, vinyl, cassette, and digital formats. Place your pre-order here.

Stream “In Battle To Survive” at this location, and check out the lyric video below:



This new single follows the album’s first unveiled track, “Winter Moon”, and continues to showcase Deteriorot’s trademark fusion of atmospheric Finnish/UK death metal tones, Swedish brutality, and raw NJ/NY intensity — a sound that has solidified their legacy since their origins in 1988 (then as Mortuary, becoming Deteriorot in 1989).

Having shared the scene with influential acts such as Immolation, Incantation, and Mortician, founding member Paul Zavaleta (vocals, guitars) continues to drive the band’s vision forward, channeling pure darkness, heaviness, and atmosphere into Awakening.



Tracklisting:

Awakening
The Flame
In Battle To Survive
Horrors In An Everlasting Nightmare
A Ghost In The Mirror
Deliver Us From Fiction
Haunting Images From A Past Life
Programmed By Fear
Winter Moon
In Silence
The Spirit
To Sleep

Rammstein proudly present their ultimate vinyl collection, to be released on November 14, 2025. A limited-edition vinyl box featuring all 33 of the band’s singles, remastered, pressed on 7″ vinyl and housed in a stunning, handcrafted, black, heavyweight wooden case.

Pre-order Rammstein’s XXXIII Limited Edition Collector’s Vinyl Box here. Check out the trailer below.



With the XXXIII Collector’s Vinyl Box, released on November 14, 2025, a complete anthology of all 33 officially released singles since 1995 will be available for the first time – presented chronologically from “Du riechst so gut” to “Adieu” (2022), each with its original artwork and B-sides on 7″ vinyl.

This collection comes in a deep-black wooden box featuring an inlaid metal logo – strictly limited to 6,000 copies worldwide.

– each box is hand-numbered
– 33 x 40 g black vinyl
– remastered edition
– beech wood box, stained black
– embossed metal Rammstein logo, antique silver finish
– embedded metal hinges and magnetic closure



Tracklisting:

Vinyl I
Side A // “Du Riechst So Gut” (Single Version) 04:50
Side B // “Du Riechst So Gut” (Scal Remix) 04:45

Vinyl II
Side A // “Seemann” (Single Version) 4:48
Side B // “Der Meister” 4:10

Vinyl III
Side A // “Engel” (Single Version) 04:23
Side B // “Wilder Wein” (Demo Version 1994) 5:41

Vinyl IV
Side A // “Du Hast” (Single Version) 03:54
Side B // “Du Hast” (Remix by Jacob Hellner) 06:44

Vinyl V
Side A // “Das Modell” (Single Version) 04:46
Side B // “Kokain” 03:09

Vinyl VI
Side A // “Du Riechst So Gut ’98” (Single Version) 04:24
Side B // “Du Riechst So Gut ’98” (Remix by Faith No More) 01:58

Vinyl VII
Side A // “Stripped” (Single Version) 04:25
Side B // “Stripped” (Heavy Mental Mix by Charlie Clouser) 05:12

Vinyl VIII
Side A // “Asche Zu Asche” 03:51
Side B // “Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flammen Sehen?” (Live Version) 05:52

Vinyl IX
Side A // “Sonne” (Single Version) 04:32
Side B // “Sonne” (Clawfinger K.O. Remix) 04:10

Vinyl X
Side A // “Links 2 3 4” (Single Version) 03:42
Side B // “Halleluja” 03:40

Vinyl XI
Side A // “Ich Will” 03:38
Side B // “Ich “Will” (Paul van Dyk Mix) 06:13

Vinyl XII
Side A // “Mutter” (Radio Edit) 03:40
Side B // “5/4” 05:30

Vinyl XIII
Side A // “Feuer Frei!” (Single Version) 03:08
Side B // “Feuer Frei!” (Rammstein vs. Junkie XL Remix) 04:10

Vinyl XIV
Side A // “Mein Teil” (Single Version) 04:23
Side B // “Mein Teil” (You Are What You Eat Edit Remix by Pet Shop Boys) 04:06

Vinyl XV
Side A // “Amerika” (Single Version) 03:46
Side B // “Amerika” (Western-Remix by Olsen Involtini) 03:14

Vinyl XVI
Side A // “Ohne Dich” (Album Version) 04:31
Side B // “Ohne Dich” (Mina Harker’s Version, Remix by Laibach) 03:58

Vinyl XVII
Side A // “Keine Lust” (Single Version) 03:42
Side B // “Keine Lust” (Black Strobe Remix) 07:08

Vinyl XVIII
Side A // “Benzin” (Single Version) 03:48
Side B // “Benzin” (Combustion Remix by Meshuggah) 05:06

Vinyl XIX
Side A // “Rosenrot” (Single Version) 03:47
Side B // “Rosenrot” (Northern Lite Remix) 04:45

Vinyl XX
Side A // “Mann Gegen Mann” (Single Version) 03:51
Side B // “Mann Gegen Mann” (Popular Music Mix by Vince Clarke) 04:06

Vinyl XXI
Side A // “Pussy” (Radio Edit) 03:48
Side B // “Rammlied” 05:19

Vinyl XXII
Side A // “Ich Tu Dir Weh” (Radio Edit) 03:57
Side B // “Pussy” (“Lick It” Remix by Scooter) 04:54

Vinyl XXIII
Side A // “Haifisch” (Single Version) 03:45
Side B // “Haifisch” (Remix by Hurts) 03:45

Vinyl XXIV
Side A // “Mein Land” (Single Version) 03:53
Side B // “Vergiss Uns Nicht” 04:10

Vinyl XXV
Side A // “Mein Herz Brennt” (Album Version) 04:39
Side B // “Gib Mir Deine Augen” 03:44

Vinyl XXVI
Side A // “Deutschland” (Album Version) 05:26
Side B // “Deutschland” (RMX by Richard Z. Kruspe) 05:45

Vinyl XXVII
Side A // “Radio” (Single Version) 04:37
Side B // “Radio” (RMX by twocolors) 05:00

Vinyl XXVIII
Side A // “Ausländer” (Single Version) 03:52
Side B // “Ausländer” (RMX by R3HAB) 03:50

Vinyl XXIX
Side A // “Zeit” (Single Version) 05:21
Side B // “Zeit” (RMX by Ólafur Arnalds) 03:53

Vinyl XXX
Side A // “Zick Zack” (Single Version) 04:04
Side B // “Zick Zack” (RMX by Boys Noize) 04:00

Vinyl XXXI
Side A // “Angst” (Single Version) 03:44
Side B // “Angst” (RMX by twocolors) 04:01

Vinyl XXXII
Side A // “Dicke Titten” (Single Version) 03:38
Side B // “Dicke Titten” (LaBrassBanda Version) 03:17

Vinyl XXXIII
Side A // “Adieu” (Single Version) 04:38
Side B // “Adieu “(RMX by Richard Z. Kruspe) 04:42

Intense Indifference, the latest full-length from Swedish melodic death/thrash metal outfit Vittra, is out today (September 19).

Intense Indifference follows Vittra’s debut, Blasphemy Blues, released in 2022, and centers on one’s own emotional journey — soul searching while simultaneously fighting an inner battle, all while presenting an untroubled, almost indifferent attitude. Inevitably, it all cracks.

In celebration of the release, the band has unleashed a video for opening track, “MOFO.” Comments guitarist Johan Murmester, “‘MOFO’ is the opening track of the new album, and it sort of sets the tone for the whole creation. You got some thrash, death, and folk music vibes, and that music is about having fun!

“In the building where the recording studio is located,” he continues, “there used to be a research lab, now abandoned, that to some extend has turned into a film studio, where they do all sorts of movies and TV series. We got the opportunity to explore this environment with the amazing Snovonne during two days and the outcome is the video for ‘MOFO!’”



Intense Indifference was recorded and engineered by Simon Johansson (Soilwork, Wolf), produced by Johan Murmester, and mixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory (Lik, Bloodbath, Katatonia). The record includes several guest appearances including John Lönnmyr (Night Flight Orchestra) who adds piano to “Transylvanian Buffet,” Bastian Thusgaard (Soilwork) who contributes the shaker on “Burn(h)er” and vibra-slap on “Transylvanian Buffet,” and Linus Öhrn (Valkyrja) who contributes backing vocals on several tracks. Cover art for Intense Indifference was created by Hjules (Accept, Destruction, Jungle Rot) and based on his own interpretations of the record’s lyrics.

Intense Indifference will be released on LP and digital formats. Order here.



Intense Indifference tracklisting:

“MOFO”
“Reign Supreme”
“Burn(h)er”
“Transylvanian Buffet”
“Soul Searcher”
“The Leap”
“Bound By Blood”
“Hate”
“End To It”
“Piece By Piece”