New York hardcore legends AGNOSTIC FRONT have just released their new album, "Echoes In Eternity", via Reigning Phoenix Music. The official music video for the LP's third single, "Sunday Matinee"can be seen below.

AGNOSTIC FRONT frontman Roger Miret comments: "In this song, we celebrate the gathering of friends, families and the joyous times when we all looked forward to our Sunday Matinee. Specifically, the days gone of the 'classic' CBGB Sunday lineups, where we made lifelong bonds with show attendees and all the visiting hardcore/punk bands! Basically, true social media at its finest!"

The raucous assault that is the album's opener, "Way of War", sees AGNOSTIC FRONT unleashing a relentless storm of driving rhythms and aggressive vocal chants calling out the injustice and widespread harm of conflict. "You Say" is a short sharp anthem against disingenuity. "Matter Of Life & Death" is a fiery onslaught with punchy rhythms, riffs and vocal hooks. AGNOSTIC FRONT put their pedal to the metal in "Tears For Everyone". Racing ahead with unceasing speed, it's fueled with a heavy power.

Challenging the increasing distance between love and hatred, "Divided" cries out against fascism. Lace up and trek down for "Sunday Matinee", an upbeat and catchy track that embraces the energy between the band and its crowd in a live setting. "I Can't Win" spirals through a cycle of self-doubt, doom and gloom before rising up out of the shadows into the light. Calling all to "Turn Up The Volume" against incessant tyrants, AGNOSTIC FRONT provide yet another compelling riff-led track in their sonic arsenal.

Marching drums explode into high-speed aggression in "Art Of Silence" in a fury lasting less than a minute. Continuing with dominant percussion, "Shots Fired" provides a dark rhythmic display with discordant touches. A destructive barrage is contained within "Hell To Pay", while "Evolution Of Madness" is a ruthless exploration into chaos. Rumbling bass of "Skip The Trial" emphasizes the sinister tone of this intense track. Abrasive guitars ignite the turbulent regiment of "Obey", before the deafening bombardment of "Open My Eyes" draws "Echoes In Eternity" to a close.

Miret previously said: "I'm excited for our new release, 'Echoes In Eternity'.

"We have always taken risks, never followed the pack and are really proud of how the album turned out. The songs feel fresh, and the lyrics are current and personal. It's an attestment to our longevity, dedication, and leading the forefront in our genre. What we do in life now echoes in eternity, and it shows! The songs viciously hit hard and the sound is HUGE compliments of our producer Mike Dijan and an electrifying mix by Zeuss at Planet Z!! You will enjoy cranking the volume up on this beast!"

"Echoes In Eternity" track listing:

01. Way Of War
02. You Say
03. Matter Of Life & Death
04. Tears For Everyone
05. Divided
06. Sunday Matinee
07. I Can't Win
08. Turn Up The Volume
09. Art Of Silence
10. Shots Fired
11. Hell To Pay
12. Evolution Of Madness
13. Skip The Trial
14. Obey
15. Eyes Open Wide

Back in July 2024, Miret was asked by Prescription Punk Rock if it gets harder for AGNOSTIC FRONT to write new music after having done it for so long. Roger said: "First of all, we have to — we like the songs, we have to like the songs a lot, we have to love the songs, and we have to believe in them. And if we believe in them, we have to then trust that the people will love them and enjoy them too. But there's always the critics, there's always somebody waiting for you to mess up or do something or wanna just bring you down. But they have no one idea how hard it is to write songs when you're under that microscope. Unfortunately, when you get to a certain level of a band — we're going on our 14th album, whatever, spanning a career of 42 years— it's a long career. And most people love it, but there's always that critic, and you can never change their mind, whatever. But I'm here for the people that wanna accept and enjoy our show. We just wanna come to your place, have a great time. We wanna play, make new friends, meet new people and do what we love. And that's who I'm there for, playing for, that's who I write songs for."

Regarding the lyrical themes he covers in AGNOSTIC FRONT's songs, Roger said: "We've always been socially political. We don't really talk about world politics. We'll touch on it here and there, but that's a touchy subject. Everybody's got a really strong opinion about stuff. And some of it's valid, some of it's not what you think… I try to work on day-to-day stuff that happens around me, socially stuff. And I write about real stuff — my experience; it doesn't mean [it will be the same as] your experience."

He continued: "It was interesting. When I was writing my book, I was telling these stories, and I had Amy from NAUSEA, who is the mother of my child. And I respect the mother of my child — I have a lot of respect — I said, 'Hey. I'm writing this book. These are these stories. I want you to read them because it's about you too. So I don't wanna say anything that would upset you.' And the funniest thing of the whole conversation was when she says, 'You know, it's funny. We have two different visions of the same story.' And I never thought about it. I remember what I wanna remember, she remembers what she wants to remember. We were both living the same story, but it's what you take of it. I could witness something and I could write something about it and you witnessed the same thing and you write something different about it. But it's the same thing; it's just how we perceive it in our minds. And it's interesting 'cause with that thought in mind, I'm, like, these are my stories. If you want to listen to my stories, you can. If you don't agree with them, well, this is my experience."

In September 2021, Miret revealed that his cancer was in remission.

After Miret was diagnosed with cancer in early 2021, a long road of tests and diagnoses led to a complex initial surgery and lengthy hospital stay. Even though the original surgery was complicated, the results were extremely positive.

Born in Cuba, Miret fled with his family to the U.S. to escape the Castro regime. He joined AGNOSTIC FRONT in 1983, and the seminal New York hardcore group released classics like "United Blood", "Victim In Pain" and "Cause For Alarm" over the next several years.

In 2017, Miret released a memoir, "My Riot: Agnostic Front, Grit, Guts, And Glory", which documented his struggles to adapt to life in the U.S. after his family fled the Castro regime. According to the Phoenix New Times, the book delved into many facets of Miret's life: the grinding poverty of his childhood; living as a teenager squatter; becoming deeply enmeshed in downtown New York’s hardcore scene; and later turning to drug-running to support his family.

In addition to fronting AGNOSTIC FRONT, Miret has also played with ROGER MIRET AND THE DISASTERS and is a member of THE ALLIGATORS.

For the past several years, Roger has resided in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Press photo courtesy of Reigning Phoenix Music

A new MEGADETH song, "I Don't Care", will make its online debut on Friday, November 14. A teaser for the song's accompanying music video is available below.

"I Don't Care" is the second single from MEGADETH's upcoming self-titled album, due on January 23, 2026. The follow-up to 2022's "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" will be released via MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label.

"Megadeth" track listing:

01. Tipping Point
02. I Don't Care
03. Hey, God?!
04. Let There Be Shred
05. Puppet Parade
06. Another Bad Day
07. Made To Kill
08. Obey The Call
09. I Am War
10. The Last Note
11. Ride The Lightning (METALLICA song; bonus track)

MEGADETH played its latest single, "Tipping Point", live for the first time on October 14 at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, The Netherlands during the band's European tour as the support act for DISTURBED. In a short interview with the Instagram account of MEGADETH's mascot Vic Rattlehead, Mustaine stated: "I was a little nervous about playing it because we hadn't played it live yet. And I always get a little nervous whenever we play a song for the first time. But it went off without a hitch and the fans really liked it."

Mustaine continued: "I thought we were going to save it until we got to England [a week later], but we were so excited because of the fans, their approval of the song and how many people are really responding in a positive way for 'Tipping Point'. So we just couldn't wait anymore."

Prior to launching into "Tipping Point" at the Amsterdam show, Mustaine told the crowd: "So, we have a new record coming out. And we have a new single that's out right now. And we're gonna play that song the first time ever right now."

The sonically explosive and lyrically unflinching "Tipping Point" kicks off with a thunderous guitar solo before Dave's iconic voice hauntingly kicks in. In the desolate but hopeful accompanying video, directed by Leonardo Liberti, Dave is locked up in a prison being tortured in extreme fashion, while the band performs in the same lock-up. In the end Dave perseveres evil and walks away into a new day.

"We all have different 'tipping points' and they may vary from day to day," Mustaine previously said about the track. "I think we’re all being pushed to the edge right now, and it's easy to lean into that feeling. But it's important not to let things get you down."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KISS's "Alive!" turns 50 in 2025 — a golden jubilee for the iconic live album that catapulted the band and revolutionized live albums for the music industry from end-of-career obscurity into career-defining mainstream success. Often revered as one of the greatest live albums ever by countless music journalists, "Alive!" is celebrated with a Super Deluxe 180-gram 8-LP + Blu-ray Audio boxset showcasing 120 total tracks amplified with 88 unreleased tracks. LPs 1 and 2 feature the original album newly remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original 1975 stereo analog master tapes. LPs 3 through 6 showcase two full-length concerts from the 1975 "Dressed To Kill" tour — RKO Orpheum Theatre in Davenport, Iowa on July 20, Second Show and Wildwood Convention Hall in Wildwood, New Jersey on July 23 — newly mixed by legendary producer and engineer Eddie Kramer from the original multi-track analog tapes as KISS performed in 1975, with no overdubs. Bonus tracks on LP 7 and 8 include five rehearsal tracks at the Davenport gig including an impromptu jam and an additional six songs from Cleveland Music Hall, Cleveland, Ohio on June 21, 1975, all newly mixed by Eddie Kramer from the original multi-tracks. The Blu-ray Audio disc features "Alive!" newly mixed by Eddie Kramer from the original album multi-track analog tapes in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround along with the newly remastered stereo in 192kHz 24-bit and 96kHz 24-bit PCM stereo set to a brand-new visualizer featuring a treasure trove of unreleased live photos.

The Super Deluxe explodes further with an extensive array of bonus kollectibles including:

* 100-page hardcover book with extensive liner notes by Ken Sharp featuring new interviews from Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and many notable "Alive!"-era KISS team members plus tons of unreleased photos and rare imagery.

* "Alive!" 1975 press kit featuring

- Press Release
- Four Black & White Glossy Photos 7.5"x10"
- Marketing Slick Sheet
- "Alive!" Tour Program
- "Alive!" Back Cover Fan Banner Poster
- Album Cover Lenticular
- T-shirt Iron-on
- Four Live Color Glossy Photos
- Peter Criss Drum Head Litho
- Wildwood Concert Poster 20"x28"
- Cleveland Concert Mini-Poster 10"x17"
- Cobo Arena Concert Main Floor Ticket Stub
- Wildwood Concert Ticket Stub
- Cleveland Concert Ticket Stub
- Cobo Arena Concert Backstage Pass
- New Year's Eve – Nassau Backstage Pass
- Four Double-Sided Coasters
- Four Guitar Picks
- Bumper Sticker 8"x2.5"
- "Alive!" Die-Cut Double-Sided Mobile
- Gotham Rock City News Volume 4 Newspaper – Track-by-Track interview with Eddie Kramer of nearly all tracks appearing on the collection

"Alive!" (Remastered)

LP One - Side A:

01. Deuce
02. Strutter
03. Got To Choose
04. Hotter Than Hell
05. Firehouse

LP One - Side B:

01. Nothin' To Lose
02. C'mon And Love Me
03. Parasite
04. She

LP Two - Side C:

01. Watchin' You
02. 100,000 Years
03. Black Diamond

LP Two - Side D:

01. Rock Bottom
02. Cold Gin
03. Rock And Roll All Nite
04. Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll

Live In Davenport, Iowa – RKO Orpheum Theatre – July 20, 1975 – Second Show*

LP Three - Side E:

01. Deuce
02. Strutter
03. Got To Choose
04. Hotter Than Hell

LP Three - Side F:

01. Firehouse
02. She
03. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
04. Nothin' To Lose

LP Four - Side G:

01. C'mon And Love Me
02. 100,000 Years
03. Peter Criss Drum Solo / 100,000 Years

LP Four - Side H:

01. Black Diamond
02. Cold Gin
03. Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll

Live In Wildwood, New Jersey – Wildwood Convention Hall – July 23, 1975*

LP Five - Side I:

01. Deuce
02. Strutter
03. Got To Choose
04. Hotter Than Hell
05. Firehouse

LP Five - Side J:

01. She
02. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
03. Nothin' To Lose
04. C'mon And Love Me

LP Six - Side K:

01. 100,000 Years
02. Peter Criss Drum Solo / 100,000 Years
03. Parasite

LP Six – Side L:

01. Black Diamond
02. Cold Gin
03. Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll

Bonus Live

Rehearsals – Live In Davenport, Iowa – RKO Orpheum Theatre - July 20, 1975*

LP Seven - Side M:

01. KISS Jam
02. Room Service
03. Strange Ways
04. Rock Bottom
05. Watchin' You

Live In Cleveland, Ohio – Cleveland Music Hall – June 21, 1975*

LP Seven - Side N:

01. She
02. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
03. Nothin' To Lose

LP Eight - Side O:

01. C'mon And Love Me
02. 100,000 Years
03. Peter Criss Drum Solo / 100,000 Years

Blu-ray Audio – Alive!

Disc Five:

[Dolby Atmos* / Dolby True HD 5.1* / 192kHz 24-bit & 96kHz 24-bit PCM Stereo]

01. Deuce
02. Strutter
03. Got To Choose
04. Hotter Than Hell
05. Firehouse
06. Nothin' To Lose
07. C'mon And Love Me
08. Parasite
09. She
10. Watchin' You
11. 100,000 Years
12. Black Diamond
13. Rock Bottom
14. Cold Gin
15. Rock And Roll All Nite
16. Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll

* Previously unreleased

For more information, visit shopkissonline.com.

Last year, Eddie told Guitar World magazine about his work on the original "Alive!" album: "The thing with KISS was we knew we had to get everything down on tape no matter what it took. It was hard because they were always jumping around, and we had to do a bunch of work on the album after the fact, but that's how it was. The band may deny it, but the fact remains that on 'Alive!', we had to fix a bunch of stuff."

Asked if anyone in the band had a say in those fixes, Eddie said: "They did. And the album came out bloody great because the guys in KISS were very particular about how it should sound and be mixed. We worked tirelessly for weeks to make 'Alive!' sound amazing. So, while it's not totally 'live,' it's a great creation of the live sound of KISS from that time. There were just bits we had to fix for obvious reasons, like the guys being on stage in six-inch boots, bombs going off and rockets and flames shooting to God knows where. [Laughs] It takes a lot of work to keep in time and tune while jumping up and down. They can do it now, but in those days, not so much."

In June 2025, Stanley told Justin Richmond of the "Broken Record" podcast about KISS's first live album: "'Kiss Alive!' really captured the essence of the live experience. Now, that couldn't have happened without us going in the studio and enhancing it and surrounding you with people… Live albums were boring for four hours. You didn't even know they were live until the end of the song where you heard some clapping. But for KISS, we wanted an album that immersed you, immersion in the experience, which means being surrounded by people, which means bombs going off that are deafening, which means fixing any mistakes or a broken string. Snobs or purists may have looked down their nose at that idea, but the truth is that album is still considered, if not the greatest, one of the greatest, and in a lot of circles greatest live album ever. Not because everything was live, but because it captured the live experience."

KISS played its two final shows ever in December 2023 at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

The last show, held on December 2, 2023, streamed live on pay-per-view.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

Early last year, KISS sold its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment. A biopic, an avatar show, and a KISS-themed experience are already in the works, with Simmons and Stanley playing key roles in the development of all these projects, working closely with Pophouse.

KISS legend Gene Simmons knows what it's like to live like a rock star. In the latest episode of the Men's Health video series Gym & Fridge, the 76-year-old music legend takes us into his home, opening up about his favorite foods, why he never drinks alcohol, his workout philosophy, his secret to longevity and more.

Select quotes from the episode of Men's Health's "Gym & Fridge" featuring Gene Simmons are below, and the full video is available at this location.

On what's in his fridge:

Simmons: "Nothing that you see in here — the salads — describes my taste buds. The wifey puts all that stuff in, 'cause my druthers: hot fudge sundae, a good backrub, and shut the f* up. I don't really care if it's pasta or shmasta, or foie gras and anything with a French name…I really don't care. I love cake. Cookies, chocolates, cake. It's about as much fun as I can have with my pants on."

On what his diet is like on tour:

Simmons: "When in the middle of a tour, it doesn't matter. I'd eat cheesecake every day because I'm wearing 40 pounds of armor, seven-inch platform heels — each one of the dragon boots probably weighed, I don't know, eight to 10 pounds, a leg, a foot. You don't have to do anything. Within two hours, you will be exhausted. The amount of calories burned on stage…you know, it's like a heavy workout. And so I could eat anything. Strangely, I wouldn't be that hungry, after you exert that pressure, but I'd crave sweets. So, in the morning, big egg white, maybe a little steak, toast, coffee. And then nothing until about three, four o'clock in the afternoon — a little pasta for some carbs, and then hit the stage. And then coming off the stage, cake. I woudln't even have to eat it, I'd just rub it all over myself."

On what his diet is like now:

Simmons: "I have to watch it. You know, my girlish figure and everything. And the older you get — I'm 76 now and do I look good, shit. The problem is your metabolism; it slows down like a tick tock of an old clock. So, at 76 I can't have as much as I like.

On why he doesn't drink alcohol:

Simmons: "I don't drink. I never have… The rock world is filled with losers, idiots. Actually, I think it goes back to my mother. She was a survivor of Nazi Germany's concentration camps at 14 years of age, and I never wanted to break her heart. I'm her only child, so this idea that you could be a loser, not be able to earn a living, and destroy yourself. I mean, she'd give her life to prevent anybody from hurting me, but it's okay for me to hurt myself? It's like crazy. No."

On his workout philosophy:

Simmons: "As I mentioned, I'm 76. Just walk. And you don't have to do miles and miles. There's the 10,000 steps they tell you about. We're all genetically different. Just try to stand more than you sit the whole day. That's all you'll need."

On whether he has any back pain from decades of performing in crazy shows:

Simmons: "Genetics is a really unfair thing. I've never had surgery, any back problems, I've never had a massage in my life. I don't get aches and pains. I know people don't believe anything I say, but I don't give a…."

On the deal with his iconic tongue:

Simmons: "I was in seventh grade. I remember it was Stella, and it might have been Irene. I don't use their last names — they're probably grandmothers by now, or dead. And I was always the tallest one in the class, so they turned around in the middle, 'Do the crazy thing they could do.' And I thought it was, sort of, making a funny face. So I'd stick my tongue out, like if there was a little food. They would both make sounds like turkeys that are about to go to the chopping block and have their heads chopped off. And then, of course, I'd get in trouble."

On the secret to his longevity:

Simmons: "The secret of long healthy life really has to do with taking the long-range point of view. I've never been really gung-ho about doctors, except for the fact that I am the doctor of love. They call me Dr. Love 'cause I've got the cure you're thinking of… But [my wife] Shannon is wise. I'm an idiot compared to her. The entire family is healthy, like nothing you've ever seen, because she insists on getting yearly head-to-toe MRIs… The biggest problem with your dental care, your health care, your anything, is waiting too long. You've got to check yourself. Go to the doctors. Too much is better than not. When you're watching this, pick up a phone, make an appointment, and keep doing it every year. You can never start too early, and it can never be too late."

Dutch progressive metal pioneers TEXTURES return with "At The Edge Of Winter", the second single from their forthcoming album "Genotype", set for release on January 23, 2026 via Kscope. Featuring Charlotte Wessels (ex-DELAIN),the new single blends atmospheric synths, intricate sound design, and polyrhythmic grooves with massive riffs and soaring vocal lines. The modern, bombastic mix is accompanied by a new video directed by TEXTURES bassist Remko Tielemans with the lyrics exploring introspection, looking within, and understanding the roots of emotion.

When TEXTURES announced their disbandment in 2018, it marked the end of an era for progressive metal. Their absence was felt across the world — by fans, by peers, and by a scene they helped define. Now, six years later, the Dutch innovators return with "Genotype" — a monumental resurgence to the forefront of modern progressive music and a powerful reaffirmation of everything that made them a force in the first place.

Serving as the conceptual counterpart to 2016's acclaimed "Phenotype", "Genotype" is not a continuation but a rebirth. For nearly a decade, fans speculated about its existence, but what arrives now is not a relic of unfinished ideas — it's something entirely new, written from scratch and self-produced. "Genotype" distils the essence of TEXTURES' DNA into eight new songs, mixed by Forrester Savell (KARNIVOOL, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS). Lyrically, the album speaks to the unheard - introverts, outsiders, and those navigating internal worlds that often go unseen, standing as an ode to authenticity and resilience.

"Genotype" track listing:

01. Void (3:49)
02. At The Edge Of Winter (6:42)
03. Measuring The Heavens (6:51)
04. Nautical Dusk (5:35)
05. Vanishing Twin (5:49)
06. Closer To The Unknown (4:08)
07. A Seat For The Like-Minded (5:01)
08. Walls Of The Soul (7:52)

TEXTURES have built a passionate global following over this time. In India, they rose to headline festivals and perform for thousands of devoted fans. In Europe, they became a staple at major events such as Hellfest, Wacken Open Air, Graspop Metal Meeting and Brutal Assault. Their electrifying performances cemented their reputation as one of progressive metal's most unmissable live acts — and now, they are set to reclaim that stage on the upcoming European tour supporting JINJER that runs from January through March 2026.

TEXTURES is:

Daniël De Jongh - Vocals
Bart Hennephof - Guitars
Joe Tal - Guitars
Remko Tielemans - Bass
Uri Dijk - Keyboards
Stef Broks - Drums

Photo credit: Jeroen Aarts Photography

In what has become an annual holiday tradition, VENAMORIS, the darkly romantic duo featuring legendary extreme metal drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, FANTÔMAS, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DEAD CROSS) and his wife Paula, as returned with a new standalone single for the festive season: "Dreaming Of You".

"What began as a one-time spark has become an annual ritual," Paula notes. "'Dreaming Of You' drifts in as our fourth unexpected holiday song — a wintry dreamscape about longing, connection, and the ghosts that live inside a melody."

The married couple released their Ipecac Recordings debut, "To Cross Or To Burn", earlier this year. The 10-song collection features the singles "In The Shadows", "Truth", "Spiderweb" and a stirring cover of SCORPIONS' "Animal Magnetism" with guest guitar player Gary Holt (SLAYER, EXODUS). Kerrang! dubbed the album "beguiling," Treble Zine noted its roots in "dark jazz" and "exotica," while Ghost Cult said the album captures "the spirit of… noir classic 'Blue Velvet'."

"Dreaming Of You" is the second post-"To Cross Or To Burn" single, with the duo releasing "Contrapasso", a song they described as "the story of an antagonist's eventual ruin" in May.

The indefatigable Dave Lombardo's bona fides as a world-class drummer are well-known. While he drafted the blueprint that would define thrash metal drumming during his time with SLAYER, he's also applied his finesse to solo percussion (2023's "Rites Of Percussion"),hip-hop and classical music, as well as boundary-pushing recordings and performances with everyone from John Zorn's ensembles to punk icons MISFITS and MR. BUNGLE.

Canadian-born Paula Lombardo began her musical career at 18 as a backing singer for Las Vegas icon Wayne Newton, performing multiple shows in the demanding Vegas circuit before relocating to Nashville to pursue her own path as a songwriter. A dynamic musical force, she combines impressive vocal prowess, a deftness on piano and synthesizers with a natural instinct for crafting alluring lyrics, melodies and arrangements.

The couple, who record together as VENAMORIS, have released two full-length albums: "To Cross Or To Burn" (2025) and "Drown In Emotion" (2023),as well as two annual holiday singles.

Photo credit: Hannah Verbeuren

During an appearance on today's (Wednesday, November 5) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Warren DeMartini spoke about his reunion with his longtime RATT bandmate Stephen Pearcy for more than a dozen shows this spring, summer and fall. Asked what it has been like playing with Stephen again, Warren said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, God. It's just been absolutely fabulous. [Tonight's concert at The Sands in Cancún, Mexico] is, I think, about our 14th show since M3 [Rock Festival in May], and it just gets better and better and tighter and tighter. And that telepathy never left, that we had on stage, going back to early '80s. It's just revisiting a dream come true."

Asked if he and Stephen have talked about making new music together, Warren said: "We talk in the weirdest situations. We were waiting to go on stage at Anaheim. The lights are out. We're backstage, as this fog and the intro tape's going. And that's kind of when we start chatting about stuff, waiting for the two minutes to go by. And he's, like, 'Hey, let's think about really getting together and doing some writing next year.' And I said, I'm, like, 'I'm ready when you are, bro.'"

DeMartini also reflected on his first reunion concert with Pearcy, which took place on April 5 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. Playing alongside Pearcy and DeMartini at all the gigs have been former RATT and QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, former RATT and ROUGH CUTT bassist Matt "Thorr" Thorne and former SLAUGHTER drummer Blas Elias. Thorne and Elias are both current touring members of Pearcy's solo band. Warren said: "[That first show] was amazing. It's hard to put into words, that energy that these songs, together with the fans, what that energy is like. But it's just awesome. And it's kind of just kept me in the game this whole time. It is just the most amazing thing. So it was incredible. I listened to some of it, and there was definitely some rust to dust off, looking back, but that we've taken care of now. When I compare the way we're performing now to then, it's night and day. So it was starting from a good place, but now it just feels better and better."

Earlier this year, Pearcy spoke about his reunion with DeMartini, telling Waste Some Time With Jason Green: "It's always been going around, 'You guys should get together.' I believe I actually approached Warren a few years ago. I go, 'Hey, why don't we try doing this [Jimmy] Page-[Robert] Plant [-style] thing or something.' And nothing became of it. So, I'm, like, hey, well, he's grooving. He's still that guy — he's the lead guitar player in RATT, the guy who co-wrote those songs; he's the guy. So I went about my business, as you know, and do my solo thing. And I have great players, but this is the real deal.

"So what happened was, over seven years later here, we get a contact from a promoter at M3 [Rock Festival], and it was, like, 'Well, I have this idea. Maybe we can get you guys back together and you can headline one of these nights.' And I'm, like, 'Okay. Yeah, right. Okay, well, let's see what happens.' So anyway, long story short, I said, 'Hey, whatever it takes, I'm in. Let's see if we can make this happen.' Well, it just happened to be the right timing for Warren too, to go, 'Hey, why not? Let's play again.' And here we are."

Regarding Pearcy and DeMartini's first reunion show at Mohegan Sun, which took place in April, Stephen told Waste Some Time With Jason Green: "It was fucking amazing. And we kind of blundered here and there and it's a given. We had a few rehearsals.

"The way Warren and I worked in RATT was we do like to be loosely tight," he explained. "We don't wanna be that technical out there when we play. So it kinda worked out the other day, like, 'Okay, we got our feet wet. Now we know what's happening.' So, some of those songs you may never hear us play again, that we played."

Regarding the fact that drummer Bobby Blotzer and bassist Juan Croucier, who were both members of RATT's classic lineup, are not playing with Pearcy and DeMartini at the current shows, Stephen said: "People are already going, 'Oh, bring back the other guys.' Well, I don't really think they know how complicated it is or it would be, or if it even need be. Because the reason Warren and I are out here in the first place is to kick about the legacy of the music. Hey, we had great songs.

"It wouldn't have worked [with the other members], nor would I think I would've… Of course if you're really doing 'business business', you have to consider all aspects," he added. "But do I wanna fuck with our fans or our friends and go out there and pretend it's fucking cool and it's really not? You know what I mean? I mean, look, it took seven years for Warren and I [to play together again], and it was, like, 'Hey. Wow.' I never thought it would happen, but now we're talking about writing new music. So what the fuck?"

Asked if he thinks he will ever play under the RATT brand again, Stephen said: "Uh, well, I could say it would be cool, but I've proven it's not necessary right now. If you're doing 'business business', so to speak — but it's not necessary. That's why I've been out there busting ass for the last few years, is to establish that… It's irrelevant. I'm the guy who co-wrote or wrote those songs, created the band. Here I am — I'm singing. Because one day I'm gonna wake up and go, 'I don't wanna do this shit anymore.' And it happens… But, yeah, I think about that all the time. I mean, I'm fucking Evel Knievel right here, so I've gotta take it carefully."

RATT exploded on to the national scene in 1984 with the release of "Out Of The Cellar". Featuring an undeniable hook and legendary music video, lead single "Round And Round" hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Out Of The Cellar" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200 and was certified triple platinum. Two more charting singles followed with "Back For More" and "Wanted Man". RATT started the tour as an opening act, but by the end of the tour had climbed to arena headliner.

RATT returned in 1985 with its second full-length album, "Invasion Of Your Privacy". Certified double platinum and also reaching No. 7 on the Billboard 200, "Invasion Of Your Privacy" also featured the classics "Lay It Down" (No. 40 on Billboard Hot 100) and "You're In Love".

"Dancing Undercover" followed in 1986 as RATT toured North America with a then-brand new Los Angeles band called POISON as the opening act. Lead single "Dance" hit the Billboard Hot 100 and spawned another music video hit with "Slip Of The Lip", while "Body Talk" was featured in a key scene in the Eddie Murphy film "The Golden Child". "Dancing Undercover" became RATT's third consecutive platinum album and reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200.

1988's "Reach For The Sky" saw RATT return to the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 album charts, peaking at No. 17. Driven by the bluesy hit and MTV favorite "Way Cool Jr.", "Reach For The Sky" was also certified platinum and became RATT's fourth album in a row to move well over a million copies. "I Want A Woman" was also a successful single and the video captured the excitement and energy of RATT live.

RATT released its last full-length record of the Atlantic era, "Detonator", in 1990. Music was changing, but "Detonator" was still a success, peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and going gold. It was the first RATT album to feature major outside songwriting contributions (Desmond Child, Diane Warren) and guests (Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Schenker). Lead single "Lovin' You's A Dirty Job" hit No. 18 on the rock chart while the power ballad "Givin' Yourself Away" reached No. 39.

In 1991, they released the single "Nobody Rides For Free" from the hit film "Point Break", starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans DEATH ANGEL have released a new single, "Cult Of The Used". The band's second new song in six years is intense pit fuel that that ignites into a blaze with DEATH ANGEL's unmistakable chugging rhythm and breakneck riffs. The track is accompanied by an astounding animated video created by Tamara Llenas of Aimed And Framed.

DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany says: "Our new song 'Cult Of The Used' is a depiction of society under hypnosis, being strategically manipulated and taken advantage of. It urges you to leave the so called reality behind…

"Fendie Daywalker did a stellar job illustrating the Cult Leader — beckoning his blinded followers who remain in trance by his strangely charismatic facade, enchanted by the vibrant colors, mesmerized by his stare.

"We wanted to release this song to coincide with our 'Act III' U.S. tour which kicks off on November 26th in Denver and concludes with two nights at The Fillmore in San Francisco on December 18th and 19th for our 10th annual 'Another Death Angel Xmas Show(s)'. We haven't headlined in the states since 2019 so we wanted to make it extra extra! Of course we're excited to include 'Cult Of The Used' in our setlist when we hit the road this month."

Earlier in the month, DEATH ANGEL released the official music video for their first new music in six years, a song called "Wrath (Bring Fire)" . The clip, which can be seen below, was filmed by Edgar Salazar during the "Summer Of Wrath Tour 2025" in Europe.

When "Wrath (Bring Fire)" was first made available in May, DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda commented: "'Wrath(Bring Fire)' is the first DEATH ANGEL song featuring the whole band to be released since our 2019 Grammy-nominated album 'Humanicide'. This song was, however, written during the pandemic. I wrote the lyrics and melody to this song in January of 2021. During that time I was, as all of us were, stuck at home lost, angry and very confused. I was also watching way more television than I usually had. One genre being medieval/fantasy shows which were kind of new to me as an adult yet were very popular during that time. Which makes sense in retrospect. We all needed some new forms of escapism from the worldwide hell that we were all going through. That being said, it was partially what inspired these lyrics. An ancient/medieval fantasy end of the world war meets my actual approach in disputes. That can unfortunately, for all involved, turn very ugly if I'm pushed to a certain level or place when I feel I'm being wronged. And, as always for me, pen doesn't hit the paper until I hear the music and that paints a picture and inspires a vision that ends up being my lyrics. And the music Rob [Cavestany, guitar] wrote for this and the fantasy/medieval-based shows I was watching at that time and the personal hell that I was going through, figuring out who the hell I was during that awful time in our collective history and marrying that with my true personal aggressions and fury that I still fight with to this very day when I feel I've been wronged, inspired this song. And it does still happen to me, and I'm sure all of us. It definitely still happens to me to this very day. Sometimes it still does, by those that are supposed to be closest to me that think they must be more clever than me when in actuality they are just deceitful and so easily read.

"Well, for those of you who can relate to this subject, which I assume is most of us, this song is for you. Because if you are foolish enough to try to take advantage of me once or continually — to quote Al Capone: 'Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weakness is not what you are going to remember about me.' That being said, when I come, I'll bring FIRE!!"

As previously reported, DEATH ANGEL will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its "Act III" album by performing it in its entirety on a fall 2025 U.S. tour. The trek, which will feature support from VIO-LENCE (replacing originally announced support act TOXIC HOLOCAUST),LIONS AT THE GATE and MISFIRE, will kick off on November 26 at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado and wrap with two Christmas shows on December 18-19 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

In March 2024, DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar told El Planeta Del Rock that there were "a bunch of songs, a lot of skeletons" for the band's next album. "We spent the first three months of this year writing. We didn't do any activity — just writing… There's a bunch of skeletons, as we call it. There's a lot of ideas that we're waiting for [singer] Mark to put some vocals on."

Osegueda is the featured singer on SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which arrived in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Earlier in March 2024, Osegueda told El Planeta Del Rock about the songwriting process for DEATH ANGEL's next LP: "It's going great. And we're excited about it."

In a separate interview with Elevar, Cavestany confirmed that new DEATH ANGEL music was in the works. "I don't like divulging the 'play by play'; I'd rather news came out when there is substantial information to speak of," he explained. "That being said, I can tell you there are around seven songs we are currently working on and I'm currently getting deep into the writing zone, which is my happy place. If we can manage to stop saying yes to every tour offer (we love to tour),then maybe we can finally get this new album done."

Also in March 2024, DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll said that he was "stoked" about how the band's new music was shaping up. "The creative juices are flowing and things are moving along at a very productive rate," he wrote on social media.

He added: "I can't wait for the DA fans around the world to hear this new material and hopefully we'll make some new ones along the way. Exciting times indeed."

In January 2024, Will said that he and his DEATH ANGEL bandmates were "hard at work getting" the band's next album "written and completely demo'd."

"It felt good to get back to work with Rob Cavestany," Will wrote. "It's a real challenge to not rehash the same ideas and beats from previous albums but I think so far things are sounding fresh and inspired."

In July 2024, Aguilar told Vikram Chandrasekar about the band's songwriting process: "Well, when it comes down to writing, it's all Rob. It's all Rob. It starts with him. He comes up with a basic structure and him and Will get together and they hash it all out and they record it. And when they get it to a point where, 'Oh, yeah, this is great,' then they send it off to everyone else. And Damien does his parts and Mark will listen to it and try to write lyrics and melodies. And I'll listen to it and I'll touch base with Rob: 'What do you want me to do here? Do you want me to play something here? Or do you want me to do something different?' 'Cause Rob has a vision and you kind of wanna see his vision. And as soon as the song comes together to where we play it quite a few times, then we could throw in our ideas, like, 'Hey, maybe that part should be a little longer,' or, 'Maybe cut that out,' or Will will go, 'I wanna do something different here instead.' So, you know, Rob has a vision, we listen, we play along with it. Then if we feel like there needs to be changes, we express our concern, and Rob is really good at, 'Yeah, let's give it a try.' So we try everything. And it comes down to, 'All right, this is what works.' So it starts with Rob. And with regarding the lyrics, every now and then Rob will pick out a song: 'I wanna write lyrics for this song.' And Mark goes, 'Go ahead.' But Mark writes all the lyrics, and what he does is with the music, he'll listen to it over and over by himself. I don't know where he goes. He goes into the far corners of the earth by himself, with the headphones and music, and he'll come up with so many types of different melodies and stuff, and then come up with the ones he's happy with and lay it down on the demo form. Then when we get into the real studio, then things start to evolve 'cause we've played it so many times or we listened to it so many times that when we get in there, [we go], 'All right, let's try this.' It's always evolving to the point where it's handing it in to get mastered. Some songs stay kind of the same from what it was, but we just put more energy into it. Some songs have been rewritten quite a few times, so it differs. Rob's the songwriter, and on the last album I wrote one song. Yeah, it's how it is. And right now I'm writing some stuff, and how it goes is I'll write some stuff, I'll send it to Rob. I always tell him, 'If it's good, use it. If not, if you find parts are good, use it. If it's not good, it's okay, dude.' I'm just throwing some stuff out there, 'cause he knows what the DEATH ANGEL sound should be. And if he likes it, he'll use it. If he doesn't, my feelings are not broken."

DEATH ANGEL released a live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" was described in a press release as "a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog" that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, "Humanicide" saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

In March 2020, Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

Carroll joined DEATH ANGEL in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original drummer, Andy Galeon.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Ignacia Fernández, a 27-year-old model who is also the vocalist and founder of the Chilean progressive death metal band DECESSUS, surprised everyone at the Miss World Chile 2025 (Spanish: Miss Mundo Chile) semifinal last Sunday (November 2) by singing a death metal song.

Fernández, a Miss World Chile 2025 contestant, is representing the Las Condes district in this year's pageant, with hopes to then represent her country in Miss Universe.

For her performance in the semifinal of the beauty pageant, she decided to sing one of the original songs from DECESSUS, wearing a ball gown and accompanied by her bandmate, guitarist Carlos Palma.

Both the audience and the judges were taken aback during the first few seconds of the performance. That surprise quickly turned into a standing ovation: one of the judges said he had never seen anything like it in a beauty pageant.

Her performance earned her a place among the top 20 favorites in the beauty pageant and a spot in the final, which will be held this Sunday, November 9.

Formed in 2020, DECESSUS, which also features drummer Martín Fénix and bassist Jaime Pepe, has opened for such international acts as INSOMNIUM and JINJER. They have also performed at festivals in Finland and Germany, and in September 2024 they opened for EPICA in Santiago.

In an interview with the Chilean newspaper Las Últimas Noticias, Ignacia said she was nervous about how the public would react. "Television lends itself to people making memes and making fun of you," she explained. The song I sang is by my band. It's my job, my life."

However, the beauty queen received a positive reaction for her performance with Palma.

Regarding how she takes care of her voice, Fernández said: "I studied for more than two years, very focused. I have an ENT [ears, nose and throat] specialist and a speech therapist with whom I constantly make sure that everything is okay. I warm up during the day and before a show I take between 15 and 30 minutes to do several exercises calmly."

Fernández was born and raised in Santiago, Chile, where she combines her modeling career — which she began in 2013 — with her other great passion: extreme music.

As she has shared on her social media, metal "has been a fundamental part" of who she is as a person and of her life. For her, it represents "a refuge, a source of strength and purpose."

The appearance of a death metal singer in a global beauty pageant has not only generated curiosity, but has also sparked a debate about the stereotypes that persist in these types of events, according to the El Independiente newspaper. Fernández stated that this performance was a great opportunity to break down barriers, asserting that one shouldn't fear the prejudices of others.

Fernández will now compete for the Miss World Chile crown with very clear objectives. "I'm not trying to fit in. I'm trying to show myself as I am," she said in an interview after her performance.

During a new appearance on "Talk Is Jericho", the podcast hosted by FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho, former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Jake E. Lee says reflected on the incident a little over a year ago when he was shot in Las Vegas. The now-68-year-old musician was hit three times in a shooting about 10 miles from the Las Vegas Strip early on October 15, 2024. He was later taken to the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center's intensive care unit.

Regarding the circumstances that led to the shooting, Lee said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was walking my dog. It was — I don't know — 2:30 in the morning, 3:00 in the morning, something like that. 'Cause it was middle of October, and last year it was hot. It was still, like, 80 degrees at night, at 3:00 in the morning. That's when I walk my dog; that's when we always go for walks. It's cooler [and] quiet, usually. We were walking. I saw these two guys in the driveway, hoodies pulled down, checking out this motorcycle that was in my neighbor's driveway. So I walk up, and they see me, and they go, 'Oh, shit.' And they start walking down the street real fast, but they're walking in the same direction I'm going towards my house. So I'm going that way, and I'm walking with an 85-pound pitbull. I'm still walking, and they keep looking over their shoulders and, eventually, I think they think I'm following them, when I'm really just going home. Finally they turn around and they got flashlights in my eyes. And they said, 'You need to turn around and get the fuck outta here.' [And I was, like], 'You need to turn around and get the [fuck outta here]. This is my neighborhood. You don't belong here.' And then there was a bunch of that. And I could tell they were kids. And they're scrawny, and I'm not scared of them. Plus I've got my dog. And I could see it's going nowhere. I go, 'Look, I'm going that way. Why don't you go that way? We'll call it a night.' They didn't say anything, but, 'All right. I'll start walking.' I'm walking, and I look over to see if they're walking. And one guy's just standing there staring at me. And he said, 'That's it. Keep walking, bitch.' And that pissed me off. That pissed me off. I turned around [and I was], like, 'Punk.' Then I heard gunfire. I didn't see a gun before that. Obviously, I probably would've spoken differently if I'd known there was a gun involved. But, yeah, at first I saw flashes — flashes was the first thing I saw. And then I could hear the shots, and I could hear the bullets whistling by. And I thought, 'Well, that's weird. I hear the bullets over there.' And then I looked down, and I see my dog's right there. I thought, 'They're trying to shoot my dog.' So I throw the leash at him and say, 'Go home.' He's glad to, and I watch him. And he keeps firing after my dog. Thankfully, my dog didn't get [hit], 'cause that would've killed me there. But after he found out he couldn't hit the dog, that's when I noticed a burning in my forearm. I was, like, 'Oh, shit. I must have got skimmed.' And then next thing I felt was like something hit me in the back. So I figure, 'Okay, it's time to run.' So I start trying to run, and then I got hit in the foot. It came in at the heel, came out just before the big toe. And that one felt weird. That one felt like I stepped on a vibrator. None of the shots hurt, which is interesting to me. [The forearm shot] just felt like a burn. The one in the back felt like a [push], and the one in the foot felt like if you barefoot stepped onto a vibrator. I got that kind of sensation — not pain, just a weird feeling. But then I fell to the ground, and as I was on the ground, I was just thinking, 'Did that just happen? This is weird. This is surreal.' Then shit started to hurt. Then the pain started coming, and I realized I had to call 911."

Lee went on to say that his injuries could have been a lot worse.

"Getting shot was unlucky, but everything about it ended up being lucky," he explained. "The one in the forearm was through and through, but it didn't hit any veins. It didn't hit the bone. It just went through the muscle [and] didn't tear it up or anything. So that healed pretty quickly. So that was lucky. 'Cause the back of my hand was numb for about three weeks, which was just weird. But that came back. The one in the back [was very close to] the spine."

Jake continued: "It's funny 'cause when the cops showed up, they pulled my shirt up and they said, 'Can you move your legs?' I went, 'Yeah.' And then paramedics showed up. 'Can you move your legs?' 'Yeah.' I get to the ER [emergency room], and the doctor says, 'Can you move your legs?' I went, 'Yeah. Ever since I was a baby. What's the big deal? Why does everybody keep asking me that?' 'Cause I didn't know. I didn't know until I got home from the hospital. My daughter was redressing the wound. She went, 'Oh, my god, dad.' I was, like, 'You take a photo and show me so I could see what the big fuss [is].' And I went, 'Oh, God.' It was so close to the spine. But it didn't [hit the spine]. It broke a couple of ribs, punctured my lung, but that's all healable. So that was lucky. And then the one in the foot came in at the heel, and the doctor said it would've gone all the way through and probably blown a couple toes off, but I have a titanium heel, 'cause I had shattered it, like, 18 years earlier. So it was titanium. So the bullet hit the titanium, ricocheted up and so I have all my toes. All of that's lucky. That night I had my phone in my shirt pocket, which I never do. I always put it in my pants' pocket. That night, for whatever reason, I put it in my shirt pocket. I fell on the ground and I realized, 'Ah, I can't really move.' I went, 'Oh, my phone's right here. So I was able to call 911.' So, yeah, a bunch of lucky things happened — other than getting shot."

Asked by Chris if they ever caught the guys who shot him, Jake said: "They did. I became friends with one of the detectives… They caught the guys two weeks after the shooting. And he had told me it's because it got news nationally — internationally, really — for a couple of days it did. And the mayor's office and everybody, city council and stuff, were, like, 'Oh, this looks really bad. A guy can't walk his dog without getting shot in Vegas. We need to solve this. We need to solve this.' So they had more resources available than they normally would. And they caught the guys. And the gun was tied to two previous murders. He'd already killed two guys. So, yeah, I have no doubt he was trying to kill me. Thankfully he didn't spend too much time at the range. [So he was charged with] two murders and attempted murder."

Police reportedly found 15 shell casings at the scene.

Jake's dog was unharmed.

Lee took part in the all-star "Back To The Beginning" event this past July in Birmingham, United Kingdom, which marked BLACK SABBATH and Ozzy Osbourne's final performance.

Last November, Jake wrote on Facebook that the shooting occurred after he noticed two men "dressed in black, hoodies pulled down low" checking out a motorcycle in a driveway. "They saw us coming up on them and exited the driveway and quickly walked down the street, the same direction we were headed." The men "kept checking over their shoulders at us" as Coco "pulled hard on the leash." Lee added that the men then warned him: “You need to quit following us, turn around and fuck off."

Lee refused to back down, believing the men were "obviously more intimidated by an 80-pound pitbull than an old guy in a bright Hawaiian shirt. He explained that "after some macho back and forth," he and his dog continued to walk home, leaving the men behind. It was then he was shot.

"We were about 50 feet apart when I heard the shots," Lee said. "I quickly realized he wasn't aiming at me. He was aiming at my dog. I threw my end of the leash at Coco and yelled to go home. He did. He's a good boy.

"One bullet went through my forearm, one through my foot, and one in the back, which broke a rib and damaged a lung. All the fingers still move."

Lee, who was tapped by Ozzy Osbourne to replace the late Randy Rhoads in the singer's solo band, played on two Ozzy records: 1983's "Bark At The Moon" and 1986's "The Ultimate Sin".

In a statement to TMZ shortly after the shooting, Ozzy said: "It's been 37 years since I've seen Jake E. Lee, but that still doesn't take away from the shock of hearing what happened to him today. It's just another senseless act of gun violence. I send my thoughts to him and his beautiful daughter, Jade. I just hope he'll be OK."

After performing with Ozzy, Lee formed the hard rock band BADLANDS. He released the solo albums "Retraced" and "Guitar Warrior" in 2005 and 2007, respectively. After a self-imposed exile from the music industry and the public eye, Lee returned with a new band called RED DRAGON CARTEL, releasing a self-titled album in 2013 followed by "Patina" in 2018.

1986 is considered by many the pinnacle of the emerging thrash metal scene. We look back fondly and reference classics from METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, KREATOR, DARK ANGEL, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, DESTRUCTION as some of these bands' and the genre's best work. But for those who were there or who just want to scratch deeper beneath the surface there is another level of bands, bands who still made an impact and were part of the scene. Many were outside the U.S. who are still cherished by those in the know but didn't have the same longevity and/or commercial relevance. Belgium's CYCLONE belongs to this second layer of bands, having released its debut, "Brutal Destruction", on Roadrunner in 1986, an album that is an underground and cult classic.

CYCLONE fell victim of changing times and musical styles and a lack of record company support, opportunities and international exposure plus shifting musical tides led to the group calling it a day in 1993 — until a reunion 15 years later, which began a series of festival appearances over the course of the past six years, including live performances at Graspop Metal Meeting, Keep It True, Alcatraz and True Thrash Japan, to name a few, along with a European tour supporting MIDNIGHT, and now finally some fresh music.

M-Theory Audio has partnered with CYCLONE and bring you the band's first new music in 35 years with the single "Eliminate" and its accompanying music video, which can be seen below. Punchy, old-school thrash metal is on hand with crunchy guitars and rebellious lyrics resulting in something that while ruthless is comfortably familiar, infectious and pure.

"Eliminate" comes from CYCLONE's upcoming EP, "Known Unto God", due out on February 6, 2026 on M-Theory Audio in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The five new songs were all written by core members singer Guido Gevels and guitarist Stefaan Daamen and recorded by Guido backed by a younger and invigorated lineup with vocal and drum production, along with mix and mastering handled by Martin Furia (DESTRUCTION, NERVOSA, EVIL INVADERS). The artwork of "Known Unto God" is courtesy of Ivan S. Bragin (OCTOBER TIDE, THE GATHERING). "Known Unto God" will be made available as on limited silver bullet-colored vinyl as well as on CD.

The first chapter of CYCLONE history dates back to 1980 when five teenagers obsessed with NWOBHM decided to start a band. Experience they had not, but enthusiasm plenty. A few years later, and after a series of shows with then established ACID, the quintet released its "In The Grip Of Evil" demo — a cornerstone of European extreme metal. The demo was supported by opening slots for ANTHRAX, OVERKILL, AGENT STEEL, KREATOR and DESTRUCTION, which led to label interest, with the band choosing to sign with Roadrunner Records. The infamous "Brutal Destruction" was released, followed by tours supporting METALLICA and SLAYER. Times change, people change and hard choices have to be made, resulting in Guido and Stefaan working with three new players on 1990's "Inferior To None". A European tour with BLESSED DEATH was launched to support the album, followed by another continental run with SADUS, THE OBSESSED and THE ACCUSED. But by 1993 CYCLONE had decided to call it quits.

CYCLONE 2025 is:

Guido Gevels - vocals
VIncent Heyman - bass
Gabriel Deschamps - drums
Max Deschamps - lead guitar
Jesse Vandenbosshe - rhythm guitar

In a new interview with Mark Strigl, ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited ninth studio album, due next spring through Metal Blade Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it's coming out on Metal Blade. I think we have a date tentatively at April 6th. I'm not at liberty to mention the name [of the album] yet, although we should be [announcing it soon], 'cause we're almost ready to finish all the mixes. But, yeah, it's sounding killer. Jay Ruston's mixing it, who mixed the last two records, and he's just awesome. And it's sounding killer; it's sounding great."

Regarding the musical direction of the new ARMORED SAINT material, John said: "It's a little continuation of what we've done over the last few records — [2020's] 'Punching The Sky' and [2015's] 'Win Hands Down' — but it also sounds kind of different at the same time. So, I think it's a big step as far as our songwriting and kind of the sophistication of ARMORED SAINT's hard rock, heavy metal, but sounding different, but still sounding like SAINT at the same time. But [it's] a record that sounds like it's coming out in '26, not a record that is coming out in '85, which I love 1985 — 'Delirious Nomad', our second album [came out in 1985]. It's our [40th] anniversary [of 'Delirious Nomad'] right now, and so we're playing a bunch of songs on this tour from that record. But, again, I don't want to… As much as you look back and I'm down with that, 'cause we all do, and there's a nostalgic connection and I love that, I still want it to sound like a record that sounds like now. So that's always the little bit of the puzzle that you have to form there and the slight dilemma — like, how do we make it sound modern without sounding like another modern band? 'Cause we don't wanna sound like anyone else other than ourselves, but we don't wanna say, like, we're just going back, and going, 'What did we do then? Okay, let's do that.' We don't wanna do that. So it's a combination of looking forward and a little bit of the history."

This past September, John told Chel Evah of Art Paparazza & Chel Shock Photography about what will be a six-year gap between "Punching The Sky" and ARMORED SAINT's next album: "It's a long time coming, but I blame COVID, because it pushed everyone back a little bit, 'cause 'Punching The Sky' came out in 2020. Plus we've toured a lot in the last couple years. So, to do some writing in conjunction with touring, it's not easy. Everyone aspires to write on the road, but it's difficult. But we have a bunch of great tunes. We're really excited. The record sounds awesome. And I'm real fired up and I can't wait to go out in '26 and play a bunch of new tunes."

Bush previously talked about ARMORED SAINT's upcoming LP earlier in September in an interview with Pete Pardo of Sea Of Tranquility. He said at the time: "We went out and toured a lot [in support of 'Punching The Sky']. So, we were able to do that, and did a couple of more tours, and we were really not planning on it. But getting out there and playing was great. And we actually sold so many records and CDs on the road, it was crazy. We actually re-charted because we sold so many records out there. So, kudos to all the fanbase who bought records and CDs and shirts, of course. But it kind of did push things back a little bit. We don't work that quick as it is, quite frankly, but I always said it for years: the quality of the tunes is contrary to the amount, because that's the fact for us. But the new record will be out next year. And I think it's great. It's gonna just kind of build on everything we've been doing."

Circling back to ARMORED SAINT's increased touring activity and how it affected the making of the band's new album, John said: "We toured a lot. We actually put out four videos on the last record. So we've been on the public side maybe more than ever. And really I say this and it's really kind of the truth is ARMORED SAINT's probably bigger than we've ever been. Maybe there was a stretch in 1984 that we were maybe more popular, but honestly we're probably bigger than we ever were. So, we're just riding it. And the new record will be great, and I think people will dig it. And it really kind of shows sophistication in the songwriting, and we really believe in that. We try to kind of bring in all our different influences and styles and use some different instrumentation and take chances with arrangement a little bit. And I'm really proud of it. I think the songwriting is just — yeah, it's built on everything we've done. The origins of the band, our hard rock heavy metal band, but we really kind of feel like we just keep pushing the boundaries. And it's always gonna sound like SAINT. And this one does too. But I don't know. That's my pitch. I mean, of course it comes down to what the fans think."

After Pardo noted that ARMORED SAINT's musical output has been remarkably "consistent" over the group's four-decade career, Bush concurred. "When your band's been around as long as we have, and that goes for all the bands who have a four-decade career, is that usually new music means the opportunity to go take a piss or go get a couple of beers," he said. "But I really feel like people really think our last couple records have been great. And I think for us to keep building on that and keep writing new material that sounds very legit, I think is important. And not everybody can say that. Everybody kind of says it, but how much do you really believe it? And I really believe [it in our case]. I mean, again, it comes down to what the press and what the fanbase says, and they're the ones that make the final decision, really, on it. But at the end of the day, they've been saying ARMORED SAINT's making really great, modern music, so I'm stoked."

This past September, the band joined W.A.S.P. for a trio of U.K. shows before returning to the States to support legendary guitarist Michael Schenker on his "My Years With UFO" U.S. tour. ARMORED SAINT celebrated the 40th anniversary of its second album, "Delirious Nomad", with a five-song micro set of songs from the record throughout the tour.

Last November, ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera told Metal Kaoz about the musical and lyrical direction of the band's new material: "Every record we've made has been a little bit different than the one prior to it, and this one will be the same case where it will be a little different than 'Punching'. But our number one thing is just writing really great songs. We're not so concerned about trying to outdo the last record or do as good as it is or do the same thing. I always think that it's cool to just see where you are at that moment. And these songs that we've written, just like the last three or four records we've made, they all represent a particular time and place for us. So this these batch of songs, they're a reflection of where we are at a time and place right now. We're in post-COVID, we're coming back out of it, back into the world, and different things are influencing me personally than they were in 2014 when I was writing for [2015's] 'Win Hands Down'. So all those things are at play again. I'm trying to take a few chances as well on this, which we always try to do a little bit."

In June 2024, ARMORED SAINT released a rendition of "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)". The classic track was originally written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and was first released by PEOPLE in 1970. Additional covers include THE FOUR TOPS (1974),SANTANA (1978) and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (1989).

"One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)" was produced by Vera, mixed by Jay Ruston and mastered by Maor Applebaum.

ARMORED SAINT released the "Symbol Of Salvation Live" CD/DVD in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. The release came in celebration of the seminal album's 30th anniversary. "Symbol Of Salvation Live" was a combination live album and video of the band playing the album in its entirety at New York City's famed Gramercy Theatre during its 2018 tour.

In July 2023, ARMORED SAINT was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

In May 2023, ARMORED SAINT's long-awaited documentary, Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers", had its world premiere in the band's hometown at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Photo by Stephanie Cabral

DEF LEPPARD was honored with the 2,825th star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on October 9 at 11:30 a.m. PT at 1750 N. Vine Street. DEF LEPPARD received their star in the category of "Recording". Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Resnikoff, president and CEO Universal Music Enterprises (UMe),were guest speakers at the event, which was emceed by Bob Buchmann, Sirius XM radio personality.

An official video recap of the ceremony, as shared by the DEF LEPPARD channel on YouTube can be seen below.

In his speech, which can also be seen below in full, DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott mentioned the band's founding guitarist Pete Willis and the late Steve Clark, who died in 1991. He said in part: "Are we in good company or what? So, from all of us up here, including Pete Willis and the late, great Steve Clark, we all say to each and every one of you, to our collective families, especially our parents who helped us get where we are now, just simply to our incredible, loving fan base out there, two words — thank you."

Jon Bon Jovi recalled first meeting DEF LEPPARD almost four decades ago, saying: "We hit it off immediately. Hanging out with Joe and the guys felt like hanging with my own band, but with a different accent. We stayed in touch, and as they went on to record 'Hysteria' and we recorded 'New Jersey', it was the MTV era, what we refer to as the Gold Rush. Now, there have been many a long night in various cities after each other's shows, and many celebrations, fun times and laughs and even the heartbreaks and loss. There's just some things that you're able to share with a brother from across the ocean that you just both understand."

Jon added: "The music of DEF LEPPARD was born and raised in our generation but has continued to reach new audiences who have made it their own for four decades and counting. Their legacy is, in fact, etched in stone. From their induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame to this spot on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, the name DEF LEPPARD will always be."

Resnikoff stated: "[DEF LEPPARD] are one of only four bands — along with U2, AC/DC and METALLICA — that have had Top 10 albums in five consecutive decades. With 'Hysteria' and 'Pyromania', they are one of only five rock bands to have two studio albums with more than 10 million in sales in the U.S. Only four other bands have reached this level: THE BEATLES, LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD and VAN HALEN."

The Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce administers the legendary Walk Of Fame for the City of Los Angeles and has proudly hosted the globally iconic star ceremonies for decades. Millions of people from here and around the world have visited this cultural landmark since 1960.

When DEF LEPPARD's Hollywood Walk Of Fame honor was first announced, the band said in a statement: "Honored to share that we will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on October 9, courtesy of the Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce.⁠ None of this would be possible without YOU. Thank you."

Ana Martinez, Walk Of Fame producer, added: "The Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce is proud to welcome DEF LEPPARD to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. DEF LEPPARD has earned a permanent place not only in music history, but now on one of the most famous sidewalks in the world."

DEF LEPPARD's Walk Of Fame honor was first announced in June 2023.

Recipients have two years to schedule star ceremonies from the date of selection before they expire.

Upcoming star ceremonies are usually announced ten days prior to dedication on the official web site www.walkoffame.com.

The Walk Of Fame, which originated in 1960, consists of more than 2,700 stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Los Angeles.

DEF LEPPARD consists of Joe Elliott (vocals),Phil Collen (guitar),Rick Savage (bass),Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums).

With more than 110 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious diamond awards in the U.S., Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees DEF LEPPARD — Joe Elliott (vocals),Phil Collen (guitar),Rick Savage (bass),Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) — continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic ground-breaking albums — including the 14-times-platinum "Hysteria" and 11-times-platinum "Pyromania" — that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading DEF LEPPARD to be heralded as the world's greatest live rock band.

In May 2022, DEF LEPPARD released their critically and commercially acclaimed twelfth studio album "Diamond Star Halos". The album debuted at No. 1 on the Apple, Amazon Music and Billboard's Hard Rock charts, and scored a Top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the band's eighth Top 10 album of their career. Globally, it notched numerous Top 10 chart entries, including a Top 5 debut in the U.K. Following this success, the band released their 13th studio album "Drastic Symphonies" with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2023, which charted at No. 4 in the U.K. — their highest U.K. chart entry in over 32 years — and spent an impressive 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Current Classical chart.

By the end of this year, DEF LEPPARD will have sold over 4.5 million tickets across the globe since their sold-out stadium run in 2022 alongside MÖTLEY CRÜE, a massive feat in today's touring world. The group continues to push the boundaries with their electrifying live shows on their current summer tour with a number of headline shows and festival dates. Next year, the group returns to Las Vegas for their third residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Most recently, the band teamed up with legendary guitarist Tom Morello for their single "Just Like 73", which soared to No. 1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock chart.