During an appearance on "The Jasta Show", the video podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick spoke about the likelihood of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans one day touring with METALLICA. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think the fact that PANTERA is out there with [METALLICA now] and just killing it at the stadium level… Yeah, even though, [PANTERA] did some real numbers as far as record sales in the '90s, but still, it's intense music and it's much closer to the sort of — I wouldn't say extreme these days, 'cause now music's gotten so extreme, but it's much closer to a lot of the more underground music and they're doing it at that level and proving that it works at that level. So you never know. "

He continued: "But whenever I run into the METALLICA guys, I'm not gonna ask them, 'Hey, man, take me on tour.' [That would be] ridiculous. I'd rather talk to Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] about movies. I'd rather talk to Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] about vintage Gibson guitars. I'd rather talk to Robert [Trujillo, METALLICA bassist] about Jaco Pastorius. James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist], whatever he wants to talk about.

"They're great guys, and they're so supportive," Skolnick added. "I mean, sure, it would be great. But also that's an organization now. Even if they want to handpick some lineup, they have [their management company] Q Prime [which oversees all of that]."

Last November, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy told Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast that his "number one" ambition "is to be able to go on tour with METALLICA, a band that grew up in our scene, our area, paved the way for this kind of music. We've never had that opportunity to perform a tour with them," he said. "We might have played a couple of shows and festivals over the time, but never got to tour. There's a lot of history there that I really don't know the answer why we never have, and maybe you could pose that question to them one day — why not? — and maybe I'll get my answer someday what the reason is. But that would be my number one, because I always look up to James as a vocalist, his style, whenever I write music. Even to this day, my go-to is, 'What would James do on this song? What would he do for this?' So they're a big inspiration for me. I'm glad that they're forging forward, putting in the time and not giving up either after this many years."

When McKaysmith noted that he "connects" with TESTAMENT's music more than he does to METALLICA's, Chuck said: "Well, it depends how old you are. I connect [with METALLICA's music] just because I know what they started from and what they've grown into. And, yeah, you're right — [METALLICA] is a supernova, and you can't slow it down and you can't look back. You've gotta kind of keep doing what you do. But I give them props for continuing on and not just going, 'You know what? I'm rich enough. I'm done.' And having the balls to play [the] music [they want] to make no matter what anybody has to say about it. As long as you're getting in that rehearsal room and it still gives you a chub, hey, more power to you."

Billy previously talked about his desire to tour with METALLICA in an August 2021 interview with "The Jasta Show". Lamenting the fact that TESTAMENT has yet to do a proper tour with METALLICA even though the two groups have known each other for more than three decades, Chuck said: "Whenever I'm asked, 'What is the one band you wish you can play with?', it's always METALLICA. It's, like, we grew up with these guys [in] the same era, but we never went on tour [with them]. I think a few years ago, we did three shows in Germany [with them] on a festival. It was funny, 'cause our band walked in and their band was walking, and we all kind of met in this hallway. And [we were], like, 'Hey, what's going on?' It was a like old friends seeing each other. I think it was James or Lars, they said, 'Oh my God. Look at you guys. You guys all still got your hair. You guys are big.' 'Cause Steve [DiGiorgio, TESTAMENT bassist] and Gene [Hoglan, then-TESTAMENT drummer] are all six-[foot]-two, six-[foot]-three. But it was great seeing 'em."

Billy went on to express his hope that TESTAMENT could still properly share the stage with METALLICA. "It would be great," he said. "And who knows? Maybe one day. Even the [San Francisco] Bay Area shows, when they do those special shows, EXODUS played, DEATH ANGEL played — a lot of people got to play. I don't know. I do know, because Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] — I don't know if you know the story — Eric actually married Kirk's [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] ex when they split up. So I don't know if that has something [to do with it] — [a] deep down underlying reason. That's the only thing [we can think of]. We're, like, 'What is it, Eric? What'd you do to us? Why did you date her? Now we can't play with METALLICA.' [Laughs]"

Back in 2017, Hetfield was asked in an interview with Elliott Fullam of Little Punk People to name his favorite thrash bands that are not part of the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal (METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX). James said: "Oh, my God! There's tons of them. Well, EXODUS for sure. We grew up with those guys in the [San Francisco] Bay Area. Oh, and we stole their guitar player; that too. [Laughs] But, yeah, I think they're great. TESTAMENT… A lot of bands in the Bay Area, a lot of thrash stuff."

Photo credit: Fred Kowalo

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS were joined by former FOO FIGHTERS and current NINE INCH NAILS drummer Josh Freese for a performance of the classic STP song "Sex Type Thing" during the veteran band's September 20 concert at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Fan-filmed video of Josh's appearance can be seen below.

Freese rejoined NINE INCH NAILS in July, just two months after he was fired from the FOO FIGHTERS following a two-year run with the Dave Grohl-fronted act.

In addition to FOO FIGHTERS and NINE INCH NAILS, the 52-year-old Freese has performed with GUNS N' ROSES, DEVO, A PERFECT CIRCLE, VANDALS and many more.

In a 2023 interview with Chasta Michaelis of San Francisco's 107.7 The Bone radio station, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo was asked if his group was fairly labeled as part of the grunge movement associated with the U.S. Northwest back the early 1990s when they came out with their debut album, "Core", and follow-up effort, "Purple". He responded: "I don't think the four of us ever put any kind of name on what kind of music we were making. We happened to come out at a time when the people in this business were creating these terms. It's a selling point — it's all a selling point — and we got caught up, as well as other bands, in a selling point for record companies to make money. And I think when you can obviously see that is when they start doing clothing after it. It's all pretty ridiculous.

"'Interstate Love Song' — grunge? I don't think so," he continued. "I actually wrote that as a bossa nova song; that's what it started out as."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — Robert DeLeo, guitarist Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz.

Singer Jeff Gutt, a 49-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first all-acoustic album, titled "Perdida", in February 2020. The disc was Gutt's second with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.

In a new interview with KLAQ 95.5 FM El Paso's Best Rock radio station, CREED singer Scott Stapp was asked if there has been any talk of him and his bandmates working on some fresh music. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've talked about stuff, but nothing is definitive, nothing's been planned. We're letting this all just kind of develop organically, reconnect as human beings and as a band. And I think that if we continue to do that, at some point in time it's inevitable that possibly new music would come out of that. I don't think it's out of the question. But, again, like I said, there's nothing planned, and nothing to announce right here on KLAQ."

Stapp previously talked about the possibility of new CREED music this past June in an interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. He said at the time: "We're talking about it. We're taking things slow. We're rebuilding, we're relearning about each other. We're reconnecting. I think this experience has been kind of like a — it's putting on an old glove, but we've all changed. We're all older, we have kids, we have different responsibilities and priorities in life. And we're all extremely focused. And I think that when that day comes when we decide to make a CREED record, I think it'll be probably, if not on par, better than anything we've ever done. Just based upon the life experience that we have, everything we've done the last two years of playing together, I think that sets the stage that when it's the right time, it's gonna be incredible."

Stapp also talked about what it has been like for him and his CREED bandmates to reunite in the summer of 2024 for the "Summer Of '99" tour, joined by the likes of 3 DOORS DOWN, FINGER ELEVEN, SWITCHFOOT, FUEL, BIG WRECK and DAUGHTRY. The band then headed into arenas last November and December on the "Are You Ready?" tour with 3 DOORS DOWN and MAMMOTH WVH in the U.S. and MAMMOTH WVH and FINGER ELEVEN in Canada. "Man, it's hard to put into words," Scott said about returning to playing arenas. "Of course, the cliché word would be it's surreal. But, man, it was exciting. There was just so much energy and connection between the band guys. We were having a good time, and I hope the audience saw it. And we're fired up up there. I mean, we're soaking it all in, we're all present, we're all in the moment. And we all know what it's like to have that and then not have that, so there's a new level of appreciation for those moments. And I think that that motivates us to play every show like it could be our last, because we've been in that situation where we had that last show and then everything went away. So I think that gives us a new sense of urgency, energy and passion for every show. And to hear the fans sing every song and the energy that's in the room, man, it's a dream come true, and we don't take a moment of it for granted."

In the summer of 2023, after an 11-year hiatus, CREED announced their long-awaited reunion — returning to the stage for the first time at the sold-out Summer Of '99 cruise and Summer Of '99 And Beyond cruise. In May 2024, meanwhile, the band's multiplatinum-selling "Greatest Hits" collection made its wide debut on vinyl (via Craft),landing the collection back into the Billboard Top 200, as well as hitting Top Hard Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and moving up the Top Hard Rock Albums rankings. Originally issued in 2004, the 14-track compilation spans the band's first three albums (1997's "My Own Prison", 1999's "Human Clay" and 2001's "Weathered").

CREED kicked off its first tour in 12 years, "Summer Of '99", on July 17, 2024 at Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

With more than 53 million albums sold worldwide, CREED remains one of modern rock's most successful acts. Now, 30 years into their incredible journey, CREED is bigger than ever. In late 2023, the Texas Rangers made "Higher" their unofficial anthem, as it spurred them to their first World Series win. In early 2024, the song appeared in a high-profile Paramount+ Super Bowl commercial, while a NASCAR Daytona 500 campaign also incorporated the hit single. Along the way, CREED has gained a new generation of fans, thanks to countless TikTok videos that feature their songs.

This past January, Stapp was asked by Sylvia Alvarado of the Las Vegas radio station KOMP 92.3 what the conversation was like about getting CREED back together in July 2023, initially for two different "Summer Of '99" cruise festivals in April 2024, followed by two separate U.S. tour legs last year. Scott said: "There was a time that I didn't think that things would come together. We began having conversations, I think, in 2020 when we started to notice this kind of viral thing happening organically online. And so conversations were had about potentially doing something. And I just felt at the time — I didn't wanna rush it. I didn't wanna just throw something together, and I wanted it to be real. I wanted it to be authentic. I wanted it to be where everyone's heart was in it."

He continued: "I can't really say it was one person or the other [who initiated the discussions]. We all kind of were feeling it. Calls were made. Then management was talking. And we all just kind of migrated to each other organically, kind of the same way we did in 1994 when we started the band. And then when we got together and started rehearsing, the energy within the band — there was so much love in the room, so much support in the room. We all kind of went from back in 2001, [200]2 and [200]3, when we kind of ended our run there, doing multiple nights in the same city and sold-out arenas, having stadiums on hold, we all went our separate ways and started over with our solo careers and our other projects and were back out there [sweating] it out in clubs and bars. And I know it's kind of probably hard for people to believe, but it's true. The other guys did, and I did as well. And it was quite the contrast to what we had just experienced in CREED, but I think it was a necessary thing for us to grow as individuals and human beings, but also to really appreciate what had happened to us between '96 and 2000, into 2003, 2004."

Scott added: "I think everything happened so fast and so quick on our first three CREED records and the rise to arenas was, like, 12 months. I think that's not typical. It's unheard of. And I think when it happens like that, you miss out on what paying your dues does to you in terms of your level of appreciation, your level of maturity, your ability to handle the growth at such a rapid pace when it happens, your gratitude, your gratefulness, your maturity, your understanding of the big picture and your impact. And so I think we kind of did that in reverse. So we had it all and then went back and paid our dues in reverse. I went back to playing clubs, they were playing clubs, and then here we are all these years later bigger than we were when we went away in 2004. And so I think all of that contributed to our gratitude and how we walked in, because we're all much more mature and have a deeper appreciation. And it definitely had an impact on me in my solo career, because I was out there slugging it away on my first three solo records, wondering, 'Should I continue?' I love playing music. I love doing this. It didn't happen like CREED, so initially I was kind of, like, 'What am I supposed to do? I love making music.' But I just kept at it, kept at it, kept at it. And here we are with [my solo single] 'Higher Power' breaking the Top 10 and now 'Black Butterfly' Top 5 and with more music to come. And so it's really been just a complete full-circle experience with CREED and my solo career all kind of peaking at the same time."

Asked what it is like seeing the love that CREED is getting all over again, and a whole new generation is learning about the band, Scott said: "It's probably one of the most gratifying and humbling experiences you can have as an artist, especially where we all are in our hearts and in our minds and in our spirits today. To see a whole new generation that never saw a CREED show — most of them weren't even born when we broke up. I mean, I think the numbers, if I'm quoting them correctly, I think over 80 percent of our tickets sold out of the near-million tickets we sold last year were between [people between the ages of] 18 [and] 35. We have a whole new generation of fans. And all I can say is I'm grateful, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I understand how rare this is. I have an appreciation for it, and I just wanna do it right. And I want to give the fans what they deserve. I wanna represent my children and my friends in the best way that I can, so they're proud of me, and leave a legacy that they're proud of, because it's no secret I went through my struggles, and they were very public and at times very humbling. And so this is an opportunity to kind of end the movie the right way. But I still think the movie's being written. But I think you get what I'm saying by that."

In a new interview with Lyndsey Parker of Gold Derby and Lyndsanity! with Lyndsey Parker, SOUNDGARDEN drummer Matt Cameron spoke about the status of the recordings made before vocalist Chris Cornell's death in May of 2017. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we are in the process of finishing it. We don't have a release date yet, but I'd say we're about — I don't know — maybe 70 percent finished with all the tracking and stuff. So, yeah, it sounds killer. It's been a really amazing and bittersweet process as well. So, yeah, we are our hard at work at completing that album."

Asked when the upcoming SOUNDGARDEN album was written and recorded with Chris, Matt said: "Well, gosh, we started songwriting together, trading demos back and forth around 2015, '16, something like that. And then we had some sessions in 2017 before we went out on tour, just rough rehearsal. We recorded some rehearsals. But the vocals that we're using are from the demos that we all recorded together. And so we're just sort of building our tracks around those vocal parts. But yeah, it sounds killer, and we're really excited to finish it."

After Parker noted that it "must be emotional and bittersweet to hear" Cornell's voice and to hear those tracks a decade after they were originally laid down, Cameron concurred. "It really is," he said. "But I think we're trying to stay focused on the overall sound of it and all the reasons for us doing it. But, yeah, it's been tough to solo up that voice and hear him loud and clear. But I think the fans will like it and it's gonna be a really nice way to finish the creative chapter in SOUNDGARDEN."

Asked if there is any chance that some of the new SOUNDGARDEN music will be released in time for, or played at, the band's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on November 8, Matt said: "I don't think there's gonna be anything played at the ceremony. And I think the idea is that we wanna wait until everything's finished and then we'll start putting out singles. So, unfortunately we don't have a real strict timeline for that just yet, but it's pretty close. It's pretty close."

Cameron also confirmed that one of the songs that will appear on SOUNDGARDEN's new album is a track that he co-wrote, called "The Road Less Traveled". He said: "I wrote this music that I didn't really know if it would fit for SOUNDGARDEN, but I just sent Chris all these musical ideas around 2016 or so, '16, '15. And that's one that he really liked. He made an arrangement from my demo and then he added vocals to it, and it came out really, really good. The lyrics are mesmerizing, as always. But, yeah, that's gonna be a really great one for people to hear. It has all the trademark elements that SOUNDGARDEN fans might be familiar with, as well as a little bit of new territory. And there's two or three other songs that do sound like the band, but I think we were able to sort of stretch out a little bit creatively, and hopefully when people hear that song, they'll notice that as well. But, yeah, I guess it's hard rock. It's sort of bluesy, sort of psychedelic, sort of folky, I guess all the things that we were known for. So, I hope people like that one when they finally do hear it."

This past May, SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil told Rolling Stone that he was optimistic the band's final album would see the light of day. "Our objective and goal was always to complete that," he said. "I probably have OCD enough to not want to leave something unfinished or incomplete like that, so I think the more we can attend to our body of work and our catalog…I think everyone in the band feels that way. I don't just to attend to my work, but the collective work, and in this case specifically, the work of Chris."

Thayil continued: "I have pride for what I did and I want to see that come out. It doesn't exist in the vacuum. It exists as a collaboration with Matt and Ben [Shepherd, SOUNDGARDEN bassist] and Chris, but it takes on an entirely different weight when you think about what it is you're honoring, and the work that you're paying tribute to. It is us collectively. We want to do it proud. And that part of us is certainly one of the most intimate components of what SOUNDGARDEN has been since 1984."

He added: "It would be a great gift to the fans. And I do think about this, and I don't know how strange this sounds, but I feel like it's a gift to Chris too."

Back in April 2023, SOUNDGARDEN and Vicky Cornell, the widow and personal representative of Chris's estate, announced that they had reached "an amicable out-of-court resolution" regarding the release of recordings made before the singer's death.

The resolution came less than two years after SOUNDGARDEN and Vicky came to a temporary agreement that would transfer the SOUNDGARDEN social media accounts and web site to the band's remaining members, Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd and their managers, Red Light Management. This included SOUNDGARDEN's web site, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In March 2021, Thayil, Cameron, Shepherd and their business manager Rit Venerus filed papers in Washington state U.S. District Court claiming that Vicky Cornell had locked them out of their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, Snapchat, Tumblr, Top Spin and Pinterest accounts, as well as SOUNDGARDEN's official web site, and changing all the passwords.

Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd claimed their socials were previously managed by their then-management company Patriot Management. They said they later learned that Patriot had handed over all the login information to Vicky after Patriot was terminated in October 2019.

The band asked a judge to order Vicky Cornell to hand over the passwords or include a final posting stating, "SOUNDGARDEN has temporarily suspended its official social media accounts due to pending litigation."

Cornell was found hanged in his room at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel in May 2017, following a SOUNDGARDEN show at the city's Fox Theatre. His body was found soon after he had spoken with a "slurred" voice to his wife by phone. The death was ruled a suicide.

In December 2019, Vicky filed a lawsuit against the surviving SOUNDGARDEN members, alleging the group owed Cornell's estate hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties and the rights to seven unreleased recordings made before the singer's death. Cornell is credited as a writer on all seven songs, receiving sole credit on two, "Cancer" and "Stone Age Mind". He wrote "Road Less Traveled", "Orphans" and "At Ophians Door" with Matt Cameron; "Ahead Of The Dog" with Kim Thayil; and "Merrmas" with Ben Shepherd.

At the time, Vicky claimed that Chris made seven recordings at his personal studio in Florida in 2017, adding that there was no explicit agreement as to whether the recordings were meant for SOUNDGARDEN, which made Chris the exclusive owner. However, the surviving SOUNDGARDEN members responded by saying that the unreleased recordings were the result of writing and recording sessions going as far back as 2015. They also pointed to public interviews with Chris and Thayil that suggested that SOUNDGARDEN had been working on the material since 2015, and detailed recording sessions up until April 2017, just one month before Chris's death. SOUNDGARDEN also included several text exchanges from Vicky, in which she referred to the unreleased recordings as the "SG files". They also provided a March 2017 e-mail from Vicky which said that Chris was travelling for the "SG record". The band went on to refute Vicky's claim that Chris's recordings took place in his personal studio in Florida in 2017, insisting that most of the actual sound files "significantly predate 2017" and that the recording sessions took place in Seattle and New York while the band was touring.

Responding to Vicky's lawsuit, Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron claimed that they "don't have possession" of their "own creative work," and alleged that "Vicky Cornell has possession of the only existing multi-track recordings of the last SOUNDGARDEN tracks that include Chris Cornell's instrumental parts and vocals. All of the band members jointly worked on these final tracks, Vicky now claims ownership of the final SOUNDGARDEN album."

Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron initially accused Vicky Cornell of misusing funds from the January 2019 "I Am The Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell" concert. After being challenged by Cornell's attorneys with the threat of sanctions, SOUNDGARDEN withdrew that portion of its countersuit, while its lawyers wrote at the time that the band believes the claims "remain well-founded."

In February 2021, Vicky Cornell sued the surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN over the buyout price for her stake in the band. In the lawsuit, Vicky Cornell said Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd offered her just $300,000 for Chris's share. This amount, she said, is far lower than the real value of the Chris Cornell estate's interests in SOUNDGARDEN, especially considering the fact that the band got an offer of $16 million from an outside investor for SOUNDGARDEN's masters.

As previously reported, SOUNDGARDEN will join the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame class of 2025 in the Performer category. The Seattle grunge legends were first nominated for the Rock Hall in 2020, and were on the ballot again in 2023 before finally being chosen for induction this year.

Thayil, Cameron, Cornell and Shepherd are being included in the induction, as is original bassist Hiro Yamamoto, who was with SOUNDGARDEN from 1984 to 1989 and played on the band's first two EPs and first two albums.

Brandon Ellis is standing in for CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Rob Barrett on the Florida death metal veterans' U.S. tour this summer/fall. The trek, featuring support from MUNICIPAL WASTE, FULL OF HELL and FULCI, kicked off on September 15 in Nashville, Tennessee and will conclude on October 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Just a few hours prior to the Nashville concert, Ellis told Another Rundown about how he was feeling about landing the CANNIBAL CORPSE gig (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm feeling good, man. I can't wait to rip the Band-Aid off and get this show over with. I've been sweating it for many days, just busting my ass, learning all these hella confusing songs and just cranking out riffs every day."

Regarding his preparation process, Ellis said: "I made videos for the guys [in CANNIBAL CORPSE] for every song that we're playing and a couple more. So I was, like, every day I would learn a song and turn on the camera and just try to get a perfect studio-quality take from front to back of a song I'd never really heard before, for a lot of them. It was a lot of work, man. [It took] a couple of weeks to just get all the songs together and get ready to be here today."

On the topic of his role in CANNIBAL CORPSE, Brandon said: "In this position here, I'm mostly playing a rhythm guitar gig. I have a handful, like five solos or so in the show or something like that, and I'm mostly just really doing justice to what Rob would do. So it's not like I'm up there showcasing all my fucking crazy solo guitar playing or whatever on this. But it's an amazing opportunity to get that [gig]."

He added: "I'm a CANNIBAL CORPSE fan since I was a teenager, dude. That's like the first death metal band that turned me on to it. And, yeah, it's surreal to be asked to do this. And I'm just, like, dude, tonight I'm gonna go on stage and I'm gonna play 'Hammer Smashed Face' with CANNIBAL CORPSE for the first time. It's gonna be crazy. Yeah, it's insane, dude. So, yeah, I'm lucky."

Ellis announced his departure from THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER in February.

Brandon, who made his name in fellow American death metallers ARSIS before replacing Ryan Knight in THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER in 2016, contributed to three albums during his near-decade stint in the latter group. Two of those featured the band's original vocalist Trevor Strnad, who passed in 2022.

CANNIBAL CORPSE's sixteenth studio album, "Chaos Horrific", was released in September 2023 via Metal Blade Records.

Since 1988, CANNIBAL CORPSE have been at the forefront of death metal, shaping and defining the genre. In 2021, they raised the stakes again with "Violence Unimagined". And in 2023, the band's thirty-fifth anniversary, they returned with its successor, the equally monstrous "Chaos Horrific", starting a new chapter in their storied legacy.

CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist/producer Erik Rutan has now helmed six of the band's albums, starting with 2006's "Kill". This is Rutan's second release as a full-fledged member, since officially joining in 2020.

"Chaos Horrific" was recorded at Rutan's Mana Studio in Florida.

In a new interview with Charlotte, North Carolina's WCNC, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford opened up about his faith. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I came to a point in my life that I talk about in my autobiography, 'Confess', where, when you're an alcoholic and when you're a drug addict, you are left with a choice. You either kind of hand it all over to somebody greater than yourself, and then you start to work on a daily basis to maintain your sobriety, along with the spiritual connection. That is really important.

"I've always been a person of faith, ever since I was a little kid," Halford continued. "But when I became clean and sober 38, 39 years ago, that became really, really vital to me. It's part of my daily affirmations. I start the day with prayer and I end the day with prayer. And this imagery of how you choose a higher power is left entirely into your own hands. That's what I love about the work that we do in supporting each other on a day-to-day, 24-hour cycle. Your spiritual object can be anything. If you want a physical, tangible object, it can be anything. For me, it's my heavy metal cactus by the swimming pool. I don't go in front of the cactus and pray, but when I look at it, that makes a connection for me. And that's just a really important part of my life on a day-to-day basis for every day of maintaining my sobriety. I can't do it by myself. I know I have something that's there with me right now, that there's a presence that's there with me."

Rob added: "I just love the idea of prayer. Some people kind of look at it and [wonder], 'Well, what does it do?' Well, try it. What have you got to lose? Prayer and praying can bring beautiful peace to your life. It can work miracles. So, that's just another facet of what keeps me in this balance and harmony, whereas before I was very fractual and disjointed and disconnected, and broken glass everywhere. Now I see much more clearly — my conscious stream is more fluid. There's nothing interrupting that from a substance or a chemical. The clarity is great for me as a creative person. And so all of that combined makes my day-to-day living a good thing to feel and to be a part of."

Back in May 2024, Halford was asked by Kat Mykals of the 103 GBF radio station, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford about the lyrics to the band's song "Crown Of Horns", which appears on PRIEST's latest album, "Invincible Shield". He said: "I love love. It's the best four-letter word in the history of words. Love is everything. Love is all you need. We certainly need love more than ever right now. Let's not get into that.

"I think I did a lot of reflecting as I've moved on through these decades," he explained. "You tend to reflect a little bit more. You just gain wisdom, opinions. But I just thought about this thing, particularly about love. Love doesn't come easy. You have to fight for love. And you can't just let it sit and you can't just let it be there. You've gotta work it all the time. You've constantly gotta be reinforcing whatever love you have in your life, whether it's with a partner. Me and [my partner] Thomas have been together for a thousand years, and every night I say, 'I love you.' You tell people that you love them. Just say those words. Just say, 'I love you.' It's just such a powerful, simple statement. So you've got that. And it is true. I found the hard way — I did find the hard way, 'cause it took me forever to find somebody that I fell madly in love with. And I think that is for most of us. Love doesn't come easy. That's a song, isn't it? 'Love Don't Come Easy'. So, that's just a reference. We all wear something like a bit of a crown of horns to get to the place that we need to be in a relationship in particular. So it's a love song. It sounds crazy, but 'Crown Of Horns' is a love song."

Halford, who celebrated the 39th anniversary of his getting sober this past January, was also asked by Mykals how he stays humble in order to maintain his sobriety when he is literally known to the world as a Metal God. He responded: "First thing in the morning, I say prayers. Last thing at night, I say prayers. I have to — that's part of the sober routine, staying sober.

"I don't think that's ever been lost on me because I know how hard it is for any band to stay together," he continued. "Bands are so complex and so fragile. The toughest bands in the world are like made of glass — they can just shatter and break apart for the craziest of reasons. So to be able to do this work, this job for over 50 years, I am honored and I am humbled by it. I can't believe it, and I'm eternally grateful — I'm grateful every day that I wake up that I'm in this band, JUDAS PRIEST. What a band, what a life, what a story. So, reflection, gratitude, being kind. And it's tough, particularly in the world that we live in. We're surrounded by a constant screaming clutter. And I'm sure being sober has been a big part of my understanding of this. You've gotta try and find your own internal peace and harmony. And that's tough. It's hard work. You can't let it go. You're working at it all the time. So it's a lot of that. But truly, I'm just so, like I said, grateful and honored to be in this band doing the work that I love to do, understanding the power of metal, understanding the power of rock and roll.

"I'm sure people have told you time and time and time again that they've been listening to your show and you've helped them get through a hard part of the day or you played a song that made them cry or you played a song that made them feel good. So this is the power of music that unites us and keeps us all in this connectivity. We call ourselves the metal community in PRIEST, and this inclusiveness, everybody's welcome. And I think again, it's making everybody feel a part of your life.

"When we're up there on stage, when I'm up there being the Metal God and doing my stuff, we're doing this together," Rob added. "It's not just me. Firstly, I can't do that without you guys. I'd be stupid doing that to an empty room. So, that's never lost on me. Every single show is special in that respect, and every single show works its magic for me as a person.

"Before I go on stage, I say my serenity prayer. When I come off stage, I say my serenity prayer. I'm a prayer freak. But it helps me. It's just a beautiful thing. And some of my friends, they say, 'Why are you always praying?' 'I'm not always praying.' I said, 'Do you pray?' I [go], 'Just try it. What have you got to lose? You've got nothing to lose. You've got everything to gain by just finding just even one moment in the day, just like 30 seconds of your day, just close your eyes and say a serenity prayer, and eventually it'll work. Things will start happening. You've got to work at it. It's like love. You can't expect these things to come to you. You can't [go], 'Let me win the lottery. Let me get this. Let me do it.' You can't do that. You've gotta work, you've gotta work. And when you work, when you put in the work, you get the rewards. So all of that is wrapped up in this staying in a sensible, realistic place."

In 2022, Halford spoke to Spain's Mariskal Rock about how he has managed and avoided the urge to relapse since 1986. "I think about it all the time," he said about drinking alcohol. "It's an addiction. When I'm watching the Phoenix Cardinals play on TV the other day, there's constantly adverts for beer and for alcohol and stuff. And I know it's there. And it's a temptation. So you have to have all of the mental tools ready to get you through that instance. 'Cause it's all about instances. And I live one day at a time. I've lived one day at a time for [almost 40] years now. And that's all that matters. It's the moment. You live in the moment — not yesterday, not tomorrow; it's now. And you have to be ready for when that little beer devil comes on your shoulder and goes, 'Come on, Rob. Have a little drink of beer.' 'Fuck off.' [Laughs] Because I don't wanna feel that way again, man. I don't want to be that person. I was miserable. I wasn't happy. I was bad to people. I don't wanna go through that again. So that's also part of my finding a balance in my day-to-day life."

Rob previously spoke about how he manages to stay clean on the road in a 2020 interview with the "Across The Board" podcast. "It's not easy," he said at the time. "It's very much a day at a time. You're given all the tools and resources from your rehab experience. I use 'em every day. A lot of it is just like mental notes — talking things through. Sometimes I speak 'em out; a lot of it is internal. So that's really vital on a day-to-day level of sobriety.

"When I was in rehab [in 1986], there's anonymity in rehab, but at the same time, you have to tell everybody your life story, so everybody knew what I did. And I remember we talked about the fact that I'm gonna go back to this world of sex and drugs and rock and roll and booze. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to cope, because it won't be a gradual reimmersion into society, so to speak. I won't be able to go tiny steps; I'm just gonna go straight into the deep end. I cannot go to work and say to my bandmates, 'You can't drink. You can't do this. You can't do that,' because it's control. Accept your powerlessness.

"I don't think we ever in the band had a sit-down conversation about this, but I think that there was caring and understanding — as there still is," Halford continued. "But I'd be the last person to say that I have to set a set of rules, because then this whole business of living my life on my terms [turns into something] you push on to other people: 'Well, now, you can't do this,' 'You can't do that.' That's just hypocrisy on the highest level.

"Even now, when we're flying after a show, and the guys are having a beer or a cocktail or whatever, man, I would love that cold beer. I would love a slug of Jack and Coke. I can smell it, 'cause we're in a plane together. It's like this little angel on one side and the devil on the other side. My instant thought is I never wanna be sick again. I never, ever wanna feel that bad ever again. I never want to be in that terrible, dark, lonely place ever again. So it's fleeting. But, again, it's always there.

"When I'm home, especially [during] this COVID thing, [my longtime partner] Thomas doesn't drink. When I first met Thomas, he quit drinking. So that's a support to me. I'm never really around alcohol that much, or drugs, when I'm not working. But, yeah, when my fans, or when PRIEST fans come to see us, yeah, they're gonna have some drinks; they might have a couple of spliffs [and] do whatever else recreationally. They're entitled to. And they are living their lives and they are partying and they are having the time of their lives, as they should. They don't have an alcohol problem; they don't have a drug addiction. There are people that can enjoy these things in life and it [has] no effect on them, in a physical sense and in a mental sense.

"So, it's an absolute miracle," Halford added. "I can only say it's a miracle that I've got that far from January the 6th, 1986 without slipping once. And I'm not boasting, because it's all the past — that's the past; it's gone. I live in the moment. I don't think about yesterday or tomorrow; I'm living now. But I'm grateful that I've been able to get this far without failing. Not failing — that's the wrong word. Without a slip off the wagon — whatever the term is. I'm grateful that I've been able to get this far and stay clean and sober. Because if I didn't, who knows where I would have gone and where I would have ended up?"

Halford credited his belief in a higher power for helping him in his recovery. "When I got clean and sober, that was a major change in my life," he said during an appearance on HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show". "And part of my recovery is just having this higher-power belief. And it works. It works, man. It really, really is important."

Halford added: "There probably will be people listening to [this] podcast who don't have anything like that in their life, and that's great; it's all about acceptance. But I always say to people, if you're thinking about it, the simplest thing I do is I pray. I pray quite a bit, actually. And even if you don't believe in prayer, just have a go. Pray for a good day, or just pray for your friend, or whatever it might be. And it's amazing, man, 'cause it absolutely works. I guarantee, it genuinely does work. And now I'm sounding like [American evangelical Christian evangelist] Billy Graham, but I'm just trying to express some of the things that are important to me on a day-to-day basis that make me able to walk out on that stage each night and do my work."

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Halford said that he quit using substances because he "was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I will always remember the first show I did clean and sober… It was in New Mexico, in Albuquerque," he recalled. "I literally felt elevated, as everything was coming with such clarity. I was able to really… enjoy the performance of JUDAS PRIEST without having all of the other things in front of it. Since that day, it has been a miracle."

Halford added, "Everybody has to face things in their lives at some point. It [doesn't have to] be booze and drugs. You can eat too much, or you can not exercise, or whatever… It is not easy staying clean and sober in rock and roll. There are temptations galore from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, especially when you're on the road. [But] I think we're some of the strongest people, my friends and my sober brothers in metal."

Rob's autobiography, "Confess", in which he discusses his journey to sobriety, arrived in September 2020 via Hachette Books. It was written with Ian Gittins, co-writer of "The Heroin Diaries" by Nikki Sixx.

Legendary rockers STYX are already starting to lock in shows for their 2026 tour schedule, which will once again include an unforgettable five-night engagement at The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. STYX will be performing 1978's "Pieces Of Eight" in its entirety, along with the band's classic hits. The shows will be held on January 23, 24, 28, 30 and 31, 2026, with all performances scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.

Citi is the official card of STYX's exclusive Las Vegas engagement at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. Citi cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, September 23 at 10 a.m. PT until Thursday, September 25 at 10 p.m. PT through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete pre-sale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

Additional pre-sales run will throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning Friday, September 26 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets starting at $45, plus applicable fees, will be available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com, VenetianLasVegas.com, any box office at The Venetian Resort, or by calling 702.414.9000 or 866.641.7469.

Creating and recording new music is often considered the lifeblood of any band — an ethos AOR torchbearers STYX continue to embody with the highly anticipated release of "Circling From Above", the 18th studio album in their formidable catalog via the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. Spanning 13 tracks, the album navigates the complexities of the human experience through the intersecting lenses of technology and nature. "Circling From Above" — hailed by critics as their third "masterpiece" album in a row, following 2021's "Crash Of The Crown" and 2017's "The Mission" — features contributions from all seven members of the band, including founding guitarist/vocalist James "JY" Young (affectionately known as "The godfather of STYX"),guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, original bassist Chuck Panozzo, longtime drummer Todd Sucherman, keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, guitarist/vocalist Will Evankovich and bassist Terry Gowan.

The seven men comprising STYX have committed to rocking the Paradise together with audiences far and wide, and each one of them is committed to making the next show better than the last. They draw from over five decades of barn burning chart hits, joyous singalongs, and hard-driving deep cuts. Like a symphony that builds to a satisfying crescendo, a STYX set covers a wide range of stylistic cornerstones. From the progressively sweeping splendor that is "The Grand Illusion" to the hunker-down fortitude of all that is the "Blue Collar Man", from the majestic spiritual love for a special "Lady" to the seething indictment of preening, primping pageantry for pageantry's sake of "Miss America", from an individual yearning for true connection as a "Man In The Wilderness" to a soul-deep quest to achieve what's at the heart of one's personal vision in "Crystal Ball", from the regal reach-for-the-stars bravado of "Come Sail Away" to the grainy all-in gallop of that rugged "Renegade" who had it made, the band draws on an unlimited cache of ways to immerse one's mind and body in their signature sound.

Photo credit: Jason Powell

We're heading to Las Vegas! Our residency is coming to The Venetian Theatre at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on January...

Posted by Styx on Monday, September 22, 2025

THE VIOLENT HOUR, the new band fronted by former BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Carla Harvey, performed at the Whisky A Go Go on Sunday, September 21 as the support act for BUCKCHERRY. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Joining Harvey in THE VIOLENT HOUR are Kiana De León on lead guitar, Allie Kay on rhythm guitar, Jewell Steele on bass and Sasha De León on drums.

Kiana and Sasha previously played together in the PANTERA tribute band FAR BEYOND HOSTILE and the covers project VIXEN VENDETTA.

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

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

"Writing this EP was a liberating experience," Carla said. "When I started, I felt lost… but by the time I sang the last note, I had found myself again. From the beginning, I wanted the music to come out organically: no agenda, just whatever needed to be released. I've been immersed in a world of guttural screaming for so long, but when I sat down to write my own material, what came out felt lighter — like I was reconnecting with parts of myself I hadn't explored in years. It reminded me of why I fell in love with music in the first place. Writing became fun again.

"This EP reflects all sides of me: it's made by the 16-year-old who loved everything from LYNYRD SKYNYRD to thrash metal, the grit and riot girls of the '90s, and the danger of GUNS N' ROSES. It's raw and it's real.

"Working with Charlie on these songs was a dream. He is so talented and he really inspired me to be better; I couldn't have made this album without him."

Said Benante, who also conceived the EP's cover art: "Carla was my muse in all of this. I was inspired and motivated by her to write the songs that fit her voice. Once we got started, it was that lightning-in-a-bottle-feeling.

"I think that this EP, when people hear it — I don't care if you're 13, 33, or 63 — I think you're going to feel the power of it. And I think that once the songs and the choruses hit you, it's going to be unstoppable, it's going to be infectious, and this just might become your favorite new band."

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

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

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

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

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

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

BUTCHER BABIES announced their split with Harvey in July 2024, saying in a statement that "Carla has been an integral part of our journey, bringing her unique talent, passion, and energy to the band," and wishing "her all the best in her future endeavors."

Carla, who co-founded BUTCHER BABIES in 2010 with fellow vocalist Heidi Shepherd, confirmed her exit from the band in a separate post, saying that she was "super proud" of her work with BUTCHER BABIES and adding that she was "not done making music and performing."

In the fall of 2023, BUTCHER BABIES completed a European tour without Carla, who sat out the trek in order to undergo emergency surgery on her left eye.

In January 2024, Harvey and Benante announced that they were officially engaged.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

During an appearance on the latest episode of the ICED EARTH-centric Podcast Of The Wicked podcast, ICED EARTH's founding guitarist Jon Schaffer, whose band effectively split up after he was arrested for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, was asked if there are any plans for him to get ICED EARTH back together. He responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Look, the short answer is no, not anytime soon.

"I just want the fans to know that this has been a lot, and I've had great offers, great financial offers [to bring ICED EARTH back], so if it was about chasing money, but that's a checkers move, first of all. And it wouldn't be good for me or the band or the crew or the fans, because I need to do this because I love it, and whatever happens needs to happen and be truly inspired and not a 'good' ICED EARTH record or a 'good' show or whatever; it's gotta be gold. And that's gonna take some time.

"I've got a lot of recovering to do from all of this, and I'm working on that," Jon continued. "And I have a job that I absolutely love that feels like it's serving a purpose much greater than anything I've done before. And I know the music has helped a lot of people and I really appreciate that, and I love them for that. I love the fans. We have the best fans; we always have. Since the very beginning, there's just been this kind of a loyalty, and that's an amazing thing. But this is a season, and anybody that's lived long enough knows that in your life, you go through seasons. And there's been major changes, which very likely will result in the best music that I've ever written. And I think there's a good possibility of that. But the time is not right now. And I don't wanna push and force something because it's not gonna be good for anybody — it's not gonna be good for me, it's not gonna be good for the band, it's not gonna be good for the fans.

"This is a long legacy," Schaffer said. "I started this band 40 years ago, and that's a long time. And I worked my ass off for it. And God gave me the gifts, but I did the work, and did a crazy amount of work. And it's a solid legacy. And so I don't have anything to prove to anybody. I don't miss performing right now. I mean, that was never really my thing anyway. It was always about the songs. That's the number one — period, end of story, that's it. Everything else you do because that's what you have to do to get your songs heard. ICED EARTH, along with [Jon's other projects] DEMONS & WIZARDS and SONS OF LIBERTY, and when my old buddies in PURGATORY and I got back together, that was a fun thing. That was a fun project to do. That was not really because of work; it was because it was a fun thing to do with old friends. It's gotta be inspired. I'm not gonna do this to go out and chase federal reserve notes or euros. That's not the way I'm built. It would definitely make it easier for me to get my financial world back in order, but I don't whore myself out and I never have. And that's the whole point. And just getting off of that hamster wheel of 'album, tour, album, tour, album, tour', it's been a good thing for me. I think that there's a very good chance that something can happen in the future. Right now, my energies are focused on something that is not self-serving that is being part of something that is really trying to make significant change and to try to push our society into a freer society — pointing it back towards the founding principles, even maybe a little bit better, this philosophy, the live-and-let-live philosophy.

"I'm not gonna make any promises about anything right now," Schaffer added. "There's a huge catalog to celebrate. The first album has probably been reissued close to 15 times at this point, which blows me away because I wouldn't have even thought about that when I was however old I was then, 20 years old or whatever. And so that's awesome. The catalog, it keeps going. So that means that there's still demand out there, which is very humbling. But I know the rough spots in my catalog. I know when it was going, I had to do it because of scheduling and because of the business. And you're sort of going through the motions, pushing through things at times you probably shouldn't. So you have to trust me. I know how this works, and I know whatever that we deliver in the future has got to be nothing short of amazing or I'm not gonna do it, because I don't wanna do it if that's the case. It's just not a smart move; it's just not."

Schaffer also talked about his current relationship with two of his former bandmates, ex-ICED EARTH singer Stu Block and BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch, both of whom distanced themselves from Jon's actions following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot. Block, the Canadian-born vocalist who had fronted ICED EARTH since 2011, officially quit the band in February 2021, stating at the time it was "the best decision in many ways" for his "personal and professional growth going forward." Around the same time, the German-born Kürsch quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer.

Schaffer told Podcast Of The Wicked in part: "Let me just take this opportunity to say, I hope that the fans out there will stop — I mean, my wish is that they would stop hating on Stu and on Hansi… The guys were pressured. Some guys handled it better, some guys handled it very weak and kind of pathetic. And I think the biggest issue when it comes to Stu is that he made a post [on January 6, 2021] cheering it on and then flipped and that looks like a total poser move. You know what? It is a total poser move, but it's okay. Forgive him. We did some great work together. I had some of the best times in my life with Stu… I have very precious memories with Stu, so please just forgive him. I forgive him."

Jon continued: "Everybody is a flawed human being. And the thing is Hansi and I are still close and we are always gonna be. And the difference is that we talked before I turned myself in, several times, and I knew what was coming because the pressure he was under, and he hated it. But it's a witch hunt. It was a witch hunt. And it is what it is. It's a bummer, because we write great stuff together and we were on a serious trajectory. I mean, the last show I played in Europe, headlining Wacken [Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany] on Saturday night in front of a hundred thousand people, and it was fantastic. And SLAYER went on after us and about 70 percent of the crowd left, and it was their last show in Germany. I mean, I'm just saying that's what happened. I was pretty, pretty shocked. The reunion tour of DEMONS & WIZARDS was hugely successful. And we had an amazing contract, actually, a really, really amazing contract. But Hansi had to do what he had to do. It is what it is. I treasure the memories that I've had with Hansi, and we're gonna have more — probably not musically; I doubt that's ever gonna happen. I don't even know if I'm gonna do music again; that's off the table right now. But just as brothers, nothing's going to change that.

"Look, I'm all about free speech, man — I am," Schaffer added. "I'm just asking, try to be a good human about this. You have the freedom to say that. I don't censor anything. I don't have the ability to now, but even when I did, when I had the admin access to those pages, people can te talk shit. There was only one or two times where there was some really vile, hateful stuff directed at Stu that I deleted those posts, but I've never done that because I don't really care. I mean, I believe in freedom. You're allowed to say what you want to say. But let's forget all the division and stuff.

"I'm not an angel. I have behaved poorly in the past. I've made mistakes — everybody has — so let's just forget all that and let's focus on the good stuff, because we did a lot of good shit together. I mean, we really did — with both of those guys.

"The 'cancel culture' mob mentality, it's real, and if you're not really strong and really of your convictions, it's gonna have an effect. So it's, like, I get it, and I don't hold any ill will and I would really love for the fans to just let it go and celebrate… This catalog that's hanging up behind me was done with a lot of very talented, cool people. Whatever drama, whatever shit's happened, let's let it go. I really don't have any ill will. I know [Stu's] true colors, so that's a good thing. I'm not interested in hanging out like we did — I have no interest in that — but he's a part of the band's history and we did some great stuff together. And I wish him well."

Schaffer's involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot also apparently affected his relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

Back in August 2021, Stu said that Jon "fucked up real bad" when he got involved in the violent protest at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 that left several dead, including a Capitol police officer.

Stu addressed Jon's involvement in the Capitol riot as well as his departure from ICED EARTH in an interview with The Metal Voice. Speaking about his former bandmate, he said: "We all make bad decisions, man, and [Jon] fucked up real bad. And I'm sure he knows it, and I think everybody with half a brain knows it… The line that was crossed with going in and all that kind of stuff… He had so much going on. It was a shame. It hurts, 'cause you've got plans, and all of a sudden, you can't tell someone what to do — you can't tell a very strong-willed individual what to do; you can't. And so it would be lost words."

He added: "At the end of the day, I don't hate him. I'm not writhing in hate for him. I feel sad. I feel bad that everything went down the way it did. And maybe one day we'll talk. I don't know. I'm not too sure. But I think he knows that I still have a place in my heart for him, because I've seen that man do a lot of amazing, wonderful things for people. But I just wanna move on. And that's what it is."

When Hansi announced his exit from DEMONS & WIZARDS in February 2021, he said in a statement: "I notified Jon and Century Media [DEMONS & WIZARDS' then-record label] on Monday that I was leaving the DEMONS & WIZARDS project with immediate effect. My collaboration with Jon in DEMONS & WIZARDS is over."

Back in December 2022, Hansi declined to discuss DEMONS & WIZARDS while speaking to Metal Hammer magazine, saying: "It's an open case. I believe [Jon] deserves the right to express himself, to explain his side, and we wouldn't want to interfere with that."

In May 2024, Hansi was asked during an appearance on "The Jasta Show", the podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, if he had heard from Jon in the preceding months, with Jasta opining that "everybody deserves a second chance." Hansi said: "Well, I agree. He certainly deserves a second chance. That is the main message which should be spread out in general. And other than that, he's facing his trials. So, it's a very open situation he's in. And, yeah, let him express himself first before anyone else is saying anything about it. That's my opinion, and this is how I treat it."

Asked if he thought there was a road back for Schaffer in terms of ICED EARTH's ability to secure tours in the future and whether European promoters would be willing to book him, Hansi said: "Um, I have no idea. I really have no idea. I haven't spoken to anyone, and that basically is not my business."

Last October, Schaffer was sentenced to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service in connection with his involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. At the sentencing hearing, Jon was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial assessment. Schaffer later became one of about 1,500 people accused of crimes related to the riot who were pardoned by U.S. president Donald Trump.

This past April, Schaffer said in an interview that the legal issues and professional setback he faced as a result of his involvement in the Capitol riot have been "the biggest gift" of his life, in part because "it is what led" him "to [Jesus] Christ."

Former SEPULTURA members Max Cavalera (guitar, vocals) and Igor "Iggor" Cavalera (drums) performed the band's landmark fifth album, 1993's "Chaos A.D.", on Saturday, September 20 as a support act for SLAYER at the 30,000-seat Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Featured songs:

00:00 Intro by Damian Priest
01:40 Refuse/Resist
04:50 Slave New World
07:45 Nomad
13:18 Amen
17:38 Propaganda
21:10 We Who Are Not As Others
24:50 Biotech Is Godzilla
27:25 Symptom Of The Universe (BLACK SABBATH cover)
30:53 Territory

Joining Max and Igor in CAVALERA are Max's son Igor Amadeus Cavalera on bass and Travis Stone on lead guitar.

As previously reported, Max and Igor are performing "Chaos A.D." in its entirety on a U.S. tour this fall. Support on the trek is coming from FEAR FACTORY.

Back in February 2023, Max spoke to Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about the 30th anniversary of "Chaos A.D." The 56-year-old Brazilian-born musician, who spent much of the last decade celebrating the 20th anniversary of SEPULTURA's "Roots" and 30th anniversary of "Beneath The Remains" and "Arise", respectively, on tour all over the world, said: "Those albums, to me, they're kind of like kids. I like to celebrate their birthdays. I almost feel like I need to buy a cake and have a real birthday party on the day that the thing came out.

"Nah, I think we celebrate through the music, 'cause we're doing all these cool tours of celebrating the music," he continued. "Of course I'm not saying we're gonna do a 'Chaos A.D.' one, but if it happens, it'll be really cool… 'Chaos A.D.' opens with [my son] Zyon's heartbeat. It's a very special record. It's almost like a defining moment in metal, one of those records that kind of broke the mold, how metal can be. Because before 'Chaos A.D.' everything was super fast and aggressive, and I think with 'Chaos A.D.' we showed there's another way to make aggressive music, that's a little bit slower and more groove oriented, with stuff like 'Territory' and 'Slave New World' and 'Refuse/Resist'."

SEPULTURA was founded in 1983 by the brothers Max and Igor with Wagner Lamounier and Jairo Guedes Braga (known professionally as Jairo Guedz). Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. joined just a few short months later and in 1987, with the departure of Jairo and addition of guitarist Andreas Kisser, the solid lineup of SEPULTURA was final. The band quickly became an influential force in heavy metal music thanks to its dynamic studio recordings and intense live performances.

The band was in the midst of a creative and commercial peak in 1993 when it released "Chaos A.D." with Max on vocals and guitar, Andreas on guitar, Paulo on bass, and Igor on drums. The record sonically sees the band transcend from their thrashing death metal aesthetic into a more eclectic output, showcasing groove-oriented paces, incorporating moody riffs, industrial soundscapes and even introducing hardcore punk elements throughout the record. With protest songs like "Refuse/ Resist" and the Jello Biafra-penned "Biotech Is Godzilla" spouting conspiracy theories, the politically charged lyrics aided in "Chaos A.D." becoming a breakthrough album for the band worldwide.

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's four-decade history, "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.

Regarding "Chaos A.D."'s visual representation, Max previously described its conception thusly: "'Chaos A.D.' was commissioned through Michael Whelan [whom] we already used on two albums before — 'Beneath The Remains' and 'Arise' — but 'Beneath The Remains' and 'Arise' were already existing paintings, and 'Chaos A.D.' was a brand new painting that was commissioned by us to Michael Whelan to create based on the name of the album. We gave it to him, and he came up with the body bag with the money upside down and all the electronic stuff going through the body bag and I think it was really cool."

sioproductions has uploaded video of MUDVAYNE's entire September 17 concert at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio during the band's "L.D. 50 25th Anniversary" tour. Check it out below.

MUDVAYNE's setlist for the Youngstown show was as follows:

01. Dig
02. Internal Primates Forever
03. -1
04. Severed
05. Death Blooms
06. Cradle
07. Under My Skin
08. Prod
09. Nothing To Gein
10. Hurt People Hurt People
11. Dull Boy
12. World So Cold
13. Determined
14. Not Falling
15. Happy?

As previously reported, MUDVAYNE guitarist Greg Tribbett is missing the "L.D. 50 25th Anniversary" tour after his wife reportedly lost her year-and-a-half-long battle with cancer.

The "L.D. 50 25th Anniversary" tour kicked off on September 11 in Dubuque, Iowa and will conclude on October 26 in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Last year, Greg sat out the remaining shows on MUDVAYNE's "Destroy All Enemies" tour with MEGADETH due to what at the time was described as a "family issue". Filling in for him was MUDVAYNE's touring guitarist Marcus Rafferty, who has served as a guitar tech for several metal bands over the years, including LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED. He also worked for HELLYEAH, which originally featured both Tribbett and MUDVAYNE vocalist Chad Gray.

Earlier this month, MUDVAYNE released a new single called "Sticks And Stones". The track arrived two weeks after the release of MUDVAYNE's first new single in 16 years, "Hurt People Hurt People", which has already accumulated over half a million streams and counting.

"L.D. 50" was MUDVAYNE's debut studio album, arriving in August 2000 via Epic, and established the band as a new yet major player in the hard rock scene. It eventually went on to achieve a gold certification. Years after its release, both Revolver and Metal Hammer deemed the album an essential of the '00s metal class, rightfully so. The tour will feature support from STATIC-X, while VENDED will open.

"Sticks And Stones" and "Hurt People Hurt People" were released through Alchemy Recordings, a record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings vice president of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States. Other Alchemy artists include STAIND and CHEVELLE.

Prior to the arrival of "Hurt People Hurt People", the reunited metallers hadn't put out any new material since 2009, which means more than a decade and a half had gone by without a single fresh MUDVAYNE song.

MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms.

Gray spent 15 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away seven years ago.

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

Released in 2000 via Epic, "L.D. 50" produced three singles — Dig", "Death Blooms" and "Nothing To Gein". "L.D. 50" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 85 on the Billboard 200. It was certified gold by the RIAA for shipment in excess of half a million copies in the U.S. alone.

MUDVAYNE completed its first headlining tour in over 14 years, "The Psychotherapy Sessions", in the summer of 2023. Support on the 26-city trek, which was produced by Live Nation, came from COAL CHAMBER, along with GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES.

Previously, MUDVAYNE made waves in 2022 when they embarked on the "Freaks On Parade" tour co-headlined with ROB ZOMBIE. The 2023 tour, however, marked MUDVAYNE's first headlining endeavor since 2009.

In a new interview with Lisa Karkos of the Nashville On The Rocks podcast/show, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan confirmed that he and his bandmates are still looking for a singer to replace Erik Grönwall, who exited the group more than a year ago. The now-37-year-old Swedish-born musician, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, announced his departure from SKID ROW in March 2024, saying that it had become increasingly "difficult to prioritize" his health and full recovery as the lead singer of the group.

Regarding how he and the rest of SKID ROW are going about looking for a new vocalist, Rachel said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's kind of become a thing with SKID ROW, 'cause we've had quite a few [singers]. But we're going to do something pretty big to find one, find the [right] person [to front the band].

"We have a certain criteria, and I think the main part, you have to have strong pipes," Bolan explained. "You have to be able to tour a lot. And you have to be a good hang. I think that's the main thing, is being a good hang.

"It's really hard doing it as long as we've been doing it, and other bands and artists could back me up on this, [when] you're doing it for this long, the hang becomes really necessary. When you get someone in there that is out for themselves and doesn't care about anything that's going on around them, it's tough.

"So that's where we're at," Rachel added. "We're going to start up in hopefully October again. Because we've auditioned some people, and some people came in and they were great — they were really great. But you have four guys that are looking at someone, and it's, like, one guy might think they're perfect, another guy might think they're almost perfect, another person might think, 'Eh,' wasn't feeling it. So all four of us — Rob Hammersmith [SKID ROW drummer], Snake [SKID ROW guitarist Dave Sabo], Scotti Hill [SKID ROW guitarist] and myself — we need to be a hundred percent on board."

Rachel went on to say that he and his SKID ROW bandmates are "not gonna rush anything" when it comes to selecting the group's next vocalist. "We have the luxury of time on our side," he explained. "Maybe not our ages [laughs], but we have the luxury of time. We don't have any tours set up or anything like that, that we have to just like kind of get someone in place… Our booking agent says those shows are still gonna be there. If it takes two years, three years, whatever, those shows are gonna be there, dude. And it makes you feel good, because when you're as close to it as I am, it's, like, you don't look at us, like, 'You guys are fucking SKID ROW, man. You can do whatever the fuck you want.' I look at it as, like, 'We're SKID ROW. What the fuck are we gonna do?' We just told ourselves we're not gonna stress. If it takes a long time, it takes a long time. And like I said, we've had people down that we've dug a lot. Something was there. Maybe there was pieces missing, an element missing, but it is what it is. And we're meeting a lot of really cool people along the way — a lot of really cool people who I'm, like, 'Wow.' I'll listen to some of their songs, and it's, like, you look at someone and you're, like, 'Maybe we could work together on something else or write songs together.'"

Erik was SKID ROW's fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach's departure.

This past March, Hammersmith told The Chuck Shute Podcast about SKID ROW's ongoing vocalist search: "We've been busy. We've been on the hunt, I guess we've been on the prowl, if you will, we have been on an active search since last year. So, having said that, we've had some really good candidates. We've had some really strong candidates that we have been in discussions with. We have actually been in a room with a handful of people. We've had a really good experience with a lot of people. That said, we are still in the midst of an active search, so we like to keep that storyline out there and remind everybody that we are still looking. So if anybody hears this, if there's anybody out there that thinks that they're right for it, it is still an ongoing search at this at this moment. But we've made a lot of progress. And it's amazing — to make the best of a situation like that, it's kind of awesome to see how many talented people there are out there. Whether or not they're right for us, it really doesn't matter. It's really inspiring. It's awesome to see how many talented people there are out there."

Asked if he and his SKID ROW bandmates are looking for a singer who is stylistically similar to the group's previous vocalists, including Bach, or if they want to find someone to take SKID ROW "in a different direction", Rob said: "We would be open to either of those scenarios. When you're dealing with a situation like ours, there's a legacy there. There's a history, there's a legacy, there is a particular component to what we do that a lot of people are very, very attached to, and we're aware of that, and we're grateful for that. It's a really wonderful situation to be in. So having said that, preserving the history and honoring the history is very important to us. But that's not to say — all of our favorite bands have evolved and they've changed throughout the years. So I would say we are open to either scenario that you're describing, but we do have to honor the history and so many important parts of the history of the band."

Regarding whether the singers SKID ROW has auditioned so far are established and well-known vocalists or if they are relatively unknown, Rob said: "A bit of both, a bit of both. So in regards to that, we are certainly not narrowing the scope of that in terms of who we're looking at and who would be a potential candidate."

Circling back to what he and his SKID ROW bandmates are looking for in a new singer, Rob said: "The way I've explained it to a lot of people, in my perception of the situation, it's a very specific gig. We're not claiming to be THE BEATLES, we're not claiming that we write the most complicated music that's out there, but it's a very specific thing. And then going back to the history and the legacy of the band, not only is it a specific thing, but it's a specific established thing. It's a pre-established sound. You're talking about an iconic catalog of music. For some people, they hold that catalog of music very sacred. So, you do have to find out what the balance of evolution, but honoring that and really giving the fans the experience that they're hoping to have. It's difficult. It's a balancing act, but you figure it out as you go. And everybody that we have been in a room with, as I said, there's some amazing people out there, amazing singers. And you can really see where every one of those people would bring something really cool to the table and bring something really cool into the mix. It's just the reality of a situation like this. It's a very specific gig."

In May 2024, Rachel confirmed to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station that he and his bandmates had been talking to singers about potentially stepping in to replace Grönwall. He explained: "No one, really, with a name. But, yeah, we've been talking to a few guys that piqued our interest, for sure."

That same month, Sabo ruled out a reunion with Bach telling The Hook Rocks podcast: "It's not gonna happen. And I say the same thing every time. I'm thankful that people have such an interest in wanting to see that happen, but I also have to reiterate that this is about being happy in the situation that you're in. So I'll speak for myself personally.

"First of all, I do need to say something too, is that the reason that this isn't happening is because there's three of us — myself, Scotti [Hill, SKID ROW guitarist] and Rachel — who've had conversations about this, and we've all been on the same page that we don't wanna go down that road again. We just — we don't.

"Rachel has taken a beating over this through the years," Sabo continued. "He's the one who's been blamed for this. 'Oh, it's Rachel's ego.' 'It's this and that.' No, that's a load of bullshit. That is not true. And I feel bad because he's really, really had to shoulder that blame and has never said anything derogatory or anything like that. But you know what? The truth of the matter is that Rachel, Scotti and myself have continually felt the same way, that we enjoy being happy in this band and we're really happy.

"It's been such a great experience for the last however, 35 years, everything, all the ups, all the downs, everything, but we just don't wanna revisit that particular aspect of our history," he explained. "I love the songs, [I] love a lot of the memories, [I am] not fond of some of the memories, but just as individuals and as a collective, that's just how we feel. So this is not on Rachel. And this has nothing to do with anyone's ego or anything like that. So that's just gotta be clear. Again, for anyone to sit there and make assumptions that this is Rachel Bolan saying 'nope,' it's not. It's the three of us, and we've all collectively sat there and just said that we don't wanna do it. We just don't wanna do it. And we wish everybody all the best."

Snake added: "We've been just ripped apart by ex-members of the band and stuff — ripped apart. Some really shitty stuff [has been] said about all of us. And we just choose not to [respond]. It's not who I am. It's not who we are. We won't go down that road. We just wanna play music and be happy. This has really never been about a monetary aspect of things because it's known that we've been offered a good amount of money to do shows together and to reunite [with Sebastian] and whatever, but it's just never been about the money, man. I choose my happiness, my willingness to continue to be a really good friend to my best friends and a really good husband and a really good dad and bandmate and person. And I don't wanna endanger that in any way. So the people that we choose to play with, those choices are made in order to keep those particular things in line for all of us."

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Five years ago, Bolan also confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

Six years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In response to Bach's statements about the earnings of SKID ROW's singer, Sabo told Rolling Stone in an e-mail: "I guess fact-checking isn't in his skill set… The five of us go on that stage as a band and we all get paid equally. We're in this together. There's no egos."

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was "close to reuniting, but then it didn't happen. The fact that it didn't happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says," he added.

"I wouldn't say 'came close,'" Bolan told Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach's account of the reunion talks. "We entertained the idea. Snake and I went as far as talking with agents and promoters about money. But we quickly learned after a few text conversations, why we fired him in the first place. Nothing is worth your happiness and peace of mind."

Legendary former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin banded together with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and explosive Tool drummer Danny Carey to create BEAT, a creative reinterpretation of the three iconic 80s King Crimson albums – Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair.

In 2024, the ensemble staged 65 standing room only shows in North America. They followed this touring with an expansive run of Mexico and South America in 2025.

And most recently, just returned from Japan where Beat staged a performance to a full house at the famous Budokan in Tokyo.

Today, the band and InsideOutMusic / Sony present “Thela Hun Ginjeet” in front of the release of BEAT Live on September 26. Watch below.

Adrian Belew shares, “In the eighties Robert Fripp made the observation the King Crimson quartet was perhaps the best live band in the world at the time. Tony, Steve, Danny and I are committed to honoring this legacy with each and every performance staged.”

In reference to “Thela Hun Ginjeet,” Steve Vai offers, “I used to listen to and love this song when it came out in the early 80’s. It’s a shot of adrenalin to end the BEAT show with this track. It gets people up and dancing… in 7/8! At least that’s the time signature of my blazing part. The whole song is a wild ride, from the tempo, the intensity of the groove and the subject matter. In my perspective, ‘Thela Hun Ginjeet’ is a masterpiece and I’m
honored to play it with the band every night.”



BEAT Live will be released in three configurations. A 3-LP set, a Blu-ray release accompanied by 2-CDs and a 12-page photo booklet, and lastly a limited collector’s edition that will contain the Blu-ray, 2-CDs, a bonus CD, and a 36-page artbook. Pre-order here.



The Blu-ray tracklisting features “Neurotica,” “Neal and Jack and Me,” “Heartbeat,” “Sartori In Tangier,” “Model Man,” “Dig Me,” “Man With An Open Heart,” “Industry,” “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part lll,” “Waiting Man,” “The Sheltering Sky,” “Sleepless,” “Frame By Frame,” “Matte Kudasai,” “Elephant Talk,” “Three Of A Perfect Pair,” “Indiscipline,” “Red,” and “Thela Hun Ginjeet.”

The concert film was directed by Scrote, with a collective delivering the editing amongst whom include Scrote, Steve Vai (Harmony Hut, Encino), Alan Berry and Don Adams. The bonus material video was directed and edited by Alan Berry. Additionally, a mid-tour interview captured by Sweetwater is included in the program. Videography was captured by Alan Berry, Mike Skillsky, Jon Luini and Dan Ermey. Art Direction by Scrote and designer Dan Ermey. Photography compliments of Alison Dyer, Tony Levin, Peter Dervin, Jerry LoFaro, Mike Skillsky, Dan Ermey and Jim Snyder.

On the audio side, BEAT Live was Produced by Scrote and Mixed by Bob Clearmountain, assisted by Ira Becker. Mastering by Emily Lazar at The Lodge, assisted by Bob DeMaa. Audio editing by Scrote, Steve Vai (Harmony Hut, Encino), and additional audio production assistance by Bill Mims

The bonus CD contained in the deluxe set features the track listing “Neurotica,” “Neal and Jack and Me,” “Heartbeat,” “Sartori in Tangier,” “Frame by Frame,” “Industry,” “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part III,” “Elephant Talk,” “Matte Kudasai,” “Three of a Perfect Pair,” “Indiscipline” and “Thela Hun Ginjeet.”

The vision for this undertaking emanated from initial dialogue between Angelo Bundini aka Scrote and Adrian Belew. Tour Producer Bundini recalls, “When Adrian called me to help bring his idea to fruition, I immediately thought it best to focus on the 80s albums: Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair. These three records famously mark Adrian and Tony’s entry into King Crimson. Their fluid, melodic virtuosity, and Fripp’s and Bruford’s dramatic precision created a totally unique, dynamic push and pull that would influence nearly every rock musician and/or band going forward for years, if not decades, to come.”

In a new interview with Billboard, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx spoke about his band's absence from the Ozzy Osbourne/BLACK SABBATH "Back To The Beginning" farewell concert, which took place July 5 in Birmingham, England, two weeks before Osbourne passed away at the age of 76. "It was something we were just unable to do… We couldn't do it even if we wanted to," Sixx, who watched the streaming concert online, explained, referring to CRÜE frontman Vince Neil's recovery from a then-unspecified medical procedure, which the singer recently revealed was a stroke that occurred late last December.

Sixx went on to say that Osbourne played an instrumental role in the CRÜE's career when Ozzy took the Los Angeles hard rockers on the road as his opening act in 1984.

"Honestly, they broke our band, Ozzy and Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager]," Sixx said. "Sharon saw a band that something was happening with and it was a perfect fit for Ozzy, and we just became so close and Ozzy took us around the world and just did everything for us…and of course all the wild and fun stories that is Ozzy. I'll forever be in debt to Sharon and Ozzy for that."

Circling back to the "Back To The Beginning" concert, Nikki said: "And, man, I gotta tell ya — Ozzy, way to fuckin' go out with a bang. He really did it, and everybody showed up because they loved him and supported him. Unfortunately, we don't have him anymore, but we got one of the greatest rock stars of all time who came while we were here on this planet and went back to the fuckin' stars, man. It's like, 'I came down there and I kicked some fuckin' ass.' Thank you, Ozzy, every day for the opportunity to have a career."

It is not clear if MÖTLEY CRÜE was invited to perform at "Back To The Beginning", which featured METALLICA and GUNS N' ROSES, who paid tribute to Osbourne and the original BLACK SABBATH at what was billed as their final show. The charity gig featuring the four original BLACK SABBATH members — Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward — also included performances from SLAYER, PANTERA, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS and more, with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Tom Morello serving as the musical director. The event featured all-star jams that included AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler, SMASHING PUMPKINS' Billy Corgan, Morello, Sammy Hagar and more.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that what little he remembers of the '84 tour with the CRÜE was pretty wild. "The 1984 tour was the most craziest tour I think I've ever done in my life," he said. "I don't remember it, but I remember I used to wake up every morning or come around thinking, 'What the fuck went on last night?' I mean, everybody keeps asking me, 'Hey, Ozzy, did you really snort a line of ants?' You know what, the answer to that is: I don't know, but it's very possible."

When asked by Page Six if the story in the MÖTLEY CRÜE biopic "The Dirt" about Ozzy allegedly drinking his own pee and snorting a line of ants was true, Sixx reconfirmed it. "Of course," he said. "We were a wild young band and he kind of took us under his wing. We thought we could compete with that, but you can't with Ozzy. He won."

Back in April 2019, guitarist Jake E. Lee, who played guitar for Osbourne on the 1984 tour, disputed the Ozzy ant-snorting story, telling Tone-Talk: "I was there, and I never saw ants. I was right there. He snorted a little spider. There was a not a trail of fucking ants there. Tommy [Lee, CRÜE drummer] says it, Nikki says it, Ozzy says it — they were fucked up. I was not. I was just trying to get a fucking sun tan. That's all I was doing. They were getting fucked up. Ozzy snorted a little tiny stupid spider that was crawling across. There was no ants — there was no fucking ants. I don't care what the other guys say — there was no ants."

In October 2023, Ozzy's son Jack asked Sharon during their "The Osbournes" podcast if it's true that Ozzy snorted a line of ants. Sharon said: "I was not there, thank God. I used to try and stay away from MÖTLEY when they were with Ozzy. And I don't know. I honestly don't know. All I know is that I think it made their movie. And I wanna know why, now we're on the subject, of why, when they advertise their movie on Netflix, it's a picture of a guy imitating Ozzy. Why isn't the ad campaign a picture of MÖTLEY CRÜE? Why is it a picture of your father?" Jack said: "Well, I know, I know the answer to that. 'Cause Ozzy Osbourne's bigger than MÖTLEY CRÜE", to which Ozzy replied: "No. No. No. Stop. Stop. Stop. Let's move on." Sharon continued: " The thing is I just think it's an invasion." She then went on to call Sixx an "asshole." After Ozzy said, "No, he's not," Sharon countered with, "Yes, he fucking is."

Pressed by Jack if Ozzy did in fact snort the line of ants, Sharon said, "I say no." But Ozzy claimed otherwise. "Yes. Yes, I did," he said. "I was there. I did it. [In] my nostril… I was drunk and I did it."

A short time later Sixx responded to Sharon's comments, writing on Twitter: "We had a lot of love and respect for Sharon. We love Ozzy. So when people comment on stuff calling her a plastic granny tranny I have it deleted. Not sure what she's upset about now but let's not perpetuated her comments by posting negativity about her."

In a new interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, legendary ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider was asked if he has thought about writing his autobiography. Udo responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I was working already for years on this. But then I stopped. And then now I can say yes. I'm just finished nearly with the contract, with the publishing [company], and then I think now it's getting very quick to do a biography. But that will be very interesting for some people. [Laughs]"

Udo previously talked about writing an autobiography as early as 2007. He told Lords of Metal at the time: "I have already started working on it and try to get as much material as I can. But it's not going to be a typical autobiography style. I want it to be more like a novel. We'll see how it turns out and when it's ready."

Dirkschneider, who turned 73 years old in April, is a German singer who first rose to fame with the heavy metal band ACCEPT. After leaving the group in 1987, he formed the band U.D.O., in which he has also enjoyed commercial success.

Udo has a long career spawning almost five decades that helped to shape German heavy metal. His unique and raspy voice approach and, his taste for huge choruses made big part of ACCEPT's appeal and made him the one of the most recognizable characters in heavy metal history.

ACCEPT in 2005 completed a 25th-anniversary tour with a touring lineup of original members Dirkschneider, Wolf Hoffmann and Herman Frank (both on guitar) and Peter Baltes (bass),along with drummer Stefan Schwarzmann.

In November 2011, Dirkschneider's son Sven supported U.D.O. on a date in Germany and became a permanent member of his father's band in February 2015. That same year, the band was renamed DIRKSCHNEIDER and embarked in a long tour called "Back To The Roots" where the band only performed ACCEPT songs.

In 2021, Udo along with his former ACCEPT bandmates, drummer-turned-guitarist Stefan Kaufmann and bassist Peter Baltes, released new music under the name of DIRKSCHNEIDER AND THE OLD GANG that also features former U.D.O. guitarist Matthias Dieth, drummer Sven Dirkschneider and singer Manuela Bibert.

In April 2022, Udo released an album of cover versions, titled "My Way", to mark his 70th birthday

Dirkschneider continues to steadily expand upon his international successes with both his U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER outfits.