Marking the 40th anniversary of ACCEPT's iconic album "Balls To The Wall", the band's founding member and former frontman Udo Dirkschneider has reinterpreted this classic with a fresh and star-studded twist. Far from a simple remake, this project was born out of countless conversations with prominent artists across the global rock and metal scene, who frequently asked: "Are you planning anything special for the 40th anniversary of 'Balls To The Wall'?" These discussions sparked the idea to re-record the album's legendary tracks alongside a stellar lineup of guest musicians, transforming the project into a heartfelt tribute. For both Dirkschneider and the participating artists, this endeavor is more than a celebration — it's an homage to one of heavy metal's most groundbreaking albums.

The reimagined "Balls To The Wall", which is being released today (Friday, February 28) via Reigning Phoenix Music, features an impressive roster of talent, breathing new life into each track:

"Balls To The Wall - Reloaded" track listing:

01. Balls To The Wall (feat. Joakim Brodén of SABATON)
02. London Leatherboys (feat. Biff Byford of SAXON)
03. Fight It Back (feat. Mille Petrozza of KREATOR)
04. Head Over Heels (feat. Nils Molin of DYNAZTY/AMARANTHE)
05. Losing More Than You've Ever Had (feat. Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN)
06. Love Child (feat. Ylva Eriksson of BROTHERS OF METAL)
07. Turn Me On (feat. Danko Jones)
08. Losers And Winners (feat. Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER)
09. Guardian Of The Night (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens of KK's PRIEST, formerly of JUDAS PRIEST)
10. Winter Dreams (feat. Doro Pesch)

The official music video for the third single from the album, a re-recording of "London Leatherboys " featuring a guest appearance by SAXON's Biff Byford, can be seen below.

Regarding the task of reimagining the entire "Balls To The Wall" album, Udo previously stated: "Re-recording 'Balls To The Wall' was a big challenge for me. The album is a milestone of my career, of course. That's why it was even more important to me to make the original songs shine in a new light without losing their initial essence. All guests have put their individual stamps on these classic tracks, and collaborating with such outstanding vocalists has moved them into a fresh and exciting dimension. The result is a powerful homage to all fans but also an invitation to the next generation to experience the songs not minorly passionate than I was when I recorded them back in the day. It's a never-ending personal journey for me — 'Balls To The Wall' will always be a part of me."

Reigning Phoenix Music managing director Jochen Richert expressed his excitement about the new version of "Balls To The Wall", saying: "This masterpiece has accompanied me for almost my entire life. When Udo first told me about his idea, my initial thought was, 'Can this really work?' But as soon as he mentioned the first guest singers, I knew it would be great. When I finally got to hear the tracks, I was blown away. My nostalgic side cautioned me, 'No, you can't like this better than the original.' But there's no use denying it, I have to admit it's at least as good as the 1983 recordings — if not better! Accordingly, it's an incredible honor to be able to contribute to this opus."

DIRKSCHNEIDER, the band featuring former ACCEPT members Dirkschneider (vocals) and Peter Baltes (bass),along with drummer Sven Dirkschneider (Udo's son) and the talented guitar duo of Andrey Smirnov and Fabian "Dee" Dammers, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall", which was originally released in late 1983 and is the most commercially successful and best-known album by ACCEPT, by performing the LP in its entirety on a world tour.

In an fall 2024 interview with Eric Blair of The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show, Udo spoke about his plan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall". He said: "I think [in 2025] we make a break with U.D.O., and now we start in November [2024] in South America, the 40-years anniversary of the 'Balls To The Wall' album. And that means I think we continue until the end of next year. I mean, there's already booking stuff. and it goes very well. So that means, of course, I play the whole 'Balls To The Wall' album. And I'm really looking forward to this. Also now I have Peter [Baltes, former ACCEPT bassist, playing] with me."

Asked what he loves about playing with Peter again, Udo said: "[It's] fantastic. We have a really good relationship. So when he left ACCEPT in 2018, we were working together on an album with the German army, a classic album. We were writing songs together, and that was the first time we were working together again. And then the problem came for [U.D.O.] when we had this 'Game Over' tour in Europe. The other bass player that we had at this time felt very sick. And then for me it was, like, 'Hmm, hmm. What am I doing? I need a bass player who can do everything very quick.' I was calling Peter. I asked him, 'Can you help us on this tour?' And then, I think in South America, the bass player that we had before, he said, 'Yeah, I don't wanna do it anymore. I'm out of U.D.O.' And then we were sitting there in a restaurant, and I said, 'Oh, no. We have to look for a new bass player.' And Peter said, 'Maybe I would love to join U.D.O.' So here we go. And it's good. I mean, I'm really looking forward also to work with him on the next U.D.O. album."

Ten years ago — in 2015 — Udo announced that he would embark on a special tour during which he would perform ACCEPT songs one last time under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner before closing that chapter for good. Since then, the former ACCEPT frontman has continued to play ACCEPT material at select shows, including at the September 18, 2020 U.D.O. concert in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which was released on DVD and Blu-ray.

When he first announced the original DIRKSCHNEIDER tour in 2015, Udo said that had "to make a clear break for myself — close the book and this is it. And I have the problem that people come to me and ask me to play more ACCEPT songs," he explained. "Other people ask me why I play ACCEPT songs at all, because there are [more than] fifteen U.D.O. records. I want to avoid such things and avoid the repeating questions concerning ACCEPT. I just can't stand that anymore. There is nothing more to be said. U.D.O. exists longer than ACCEPT. We have more records than ACCEPT."

While acknowledging that some ACCEPT fans want to hear the band's classic songs performed by the group's original singer, Dirkschneider explained that "you always have these comparisons [between how these songs are played by ACCEPT and U.D.O.]. I don't want this anymore either. [The current lineup of ACCEPT] also play 'Metal Heart', they play 'Balls To The Wall' and 'Princess Of The Dawn'. And then some people tell me, 'Oh, [current ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo] is doing it better than you.' And I go, 'That's fine. Enjoy yourself.' But I don't want this anymore. And to avoid all of this in the future, I said, 'We are doing this one more time.'"

Dirkschneider said that his vow to never play ACCEPT material again came with one caveat. "If the band ACCEPT dissolves one day in the near future and I am still around with U.D.O., then there is a chance that I put ACCEPT songs back in the setlist," he said. "But currently there is ACCEPT, so go see them [if you want to see those songs performed live]. They are playing these songs."

Udo previously said the original plan was for DIRKSCHNEIDER to only "a few shows," and "then [the tour] got bigger and bigger [due to demand]." But, he added, "I don't want to complain about that."

Back in 2018, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann declined to comment on Dirkschneider's decision to embark on one final tour during which the singer would perform nothing but ACCEPT songs. "I have lots of thoughts about that, but I'm not gonna share 'em with you," he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I'd rather not comment on that, because that seems so much 'back and forth,' and I think I should stay away from it… You can draw your own conclusions all day long, but I'm not gonna get into it; it's just not worth it.

"I get asked [about Udo] so many times, and, man, it's been so many years — it's such an old story by now," Wolf continued. "We've moved on way past that, and we've had [15] brilliant years [with Mark Tornillo], we're making cool albums; I think we're doing fine. So I don't spend any time thinking about it.

"I'm very proud of the history we have together and all that, but I'm just not gonna get into the current 'he said, she said' whatever — it's not worth it," Hoffmann concluded.

California rockers PAPA ROACH have released the cinematic music video for their latest single, "Even If It Kills Me", directed by Jesse Davey and Ed Shires.

"This is one of our most epic videos yet," said PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix. "Jesse and Ed helped bring to life the song in a visual we did not expect — and I got to explore my inner action hero. It's a must-watch."

The band's first single release in three years is taking the world by storm. In just five weeks, the song has already amassed nearly 10 million streams and is rapidly scaling the charts in 27 countries.

In a new interview with the I-Rock 93.5 radio station, < Shaddix spoke about the lyrical inspiration for "Even If It Kills Me", which was released in late January via the group's own label New Noize Records/ADA. He said: "This one was started about two years ago, the music part of it, and I heard it first from the first musical just vibe with the strings. I was, like, 'It sounds cinematic. This sounds like it's about to be a journey we're taking the fans on.' So I hit the boys up instantly. I'm, like, 'Dude, I can't wait to get in the studio on this one.' Then life happens, and some stuff goes down. My older son went through this really traumatic heartbreak breakup. Just his whole world was leveled, and I watched my son just crumble. And that was a tough one. But to also have to go, 'Hey, man, there's some hard truths about life, and sometimes people aren't what they show themselves as, and there's two sides to people sometimes. And you got one, and then eventually discovered that other dark side of them and you were hurt.' And that was really hard for me to watch my son just fall to pieces. And that song was born from that moment of going, 'I wanna be able to help you, but I also know that you kind of gotta walk through the fire.' And knowing that, 'I'm not gonna leave you. I'm here for you, but I'm also gonna stand in that fire with you.' And I wanted to shoulder the pain. I wish I could, but sometimes we have to go through those moments in life that build character. Who are you? Can you get back up? Well, my son got back up."

PAPA ROACH recently completed the European leg of the "Rise Of The Roach" tour. The trek saw PAPA ROACH bring its biggest-ever production and journey deep through their vast music catalogue, including a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the band's iconic breakthrough album "Infest". Special guests for the global tour were WAGE WAR in Europe and will include RISE AGAINST and UNDEROATH in the U.S.

In a separate interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, Shaddix was asked if fans can expect to see a new studio album from him and his PAPA ROACH bandmates in 2025. He responded: "Definitely. At some point [in 2025], there will be a new record. Probably not — it won't be till the end of the year at the soonest. But we're really proud of the stuff that we've done. And I think the fans will be surprised. The fans that are coming to the shows are gonna be surprised at what we're doing too. And so it's gonna be a good time.

"As we evolve the music and push things forward, you never know what's gonna happen in the studio," he added. "And I've gotta tell you, what happened in the studio this time around has been just exciting.

"We've had a really good run with our [last] album, [2022's] 'Ego Trip', and a lot of successes, especially here in America as well, as well as Germany, we've had some great successes on that record, and it's just been one of those records that our fanbase has been really excited about. And so we're taking that momentum and going back into the studio and creating again, it's been a really good feeling."

PAPA ROACH are two-time Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling leaders in alternative hard rock music. PAPA ROACH are not unfamiliar with calling attention to mental health and have been doing so since the seminal release of their first hit single "Last Resort". Since then, the band has gone on to create 10 studio albums, their most recent, "Ego Trip", on their own label New Noize Records.

In a new interview with U.K.'s Amped magazine, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA vocalist Mike Hranica spoke about what fans can expect from the band's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "Color Decay" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I think Jeremy's [DePoyster, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA guitarist/vocalist] already kind of said this before, but we couldn't make happy songs if our lives depended on it. So when the next record inevitably comes along, and we have a lot of songs we're sitting on, people can expect to feel as sad as ever, because even when we kind of put it to the test to brighten things up, it's, like, that's just not THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA at all. So I don't wanna say more of the same, because that's the last thing that any artist wants to do, but it certainly hasn't gotten brighter, I'll say that."

As for a possible release date for the next THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA LP, Mike said: "I think we'll have a new record this year. We'll see. And then hopefully this time next year back [on the road] in E.U., U.K. and, yeah, doing it all over again. [It will be] year 21 [for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA] by then, if we're not dead. So, we'll see."

Last November, DePoyster confirmed to Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", that he and his bandmates were working on a new THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA album. "We are, definitely," he said. "I mean, it's been about two years since we put ['Color Decay'] out. But we've been working on that record for a couple years since before then. We're really busy, like too busy. We've kind of spent every single moment that we're not on tour going out to California and renting some studios and writing a bunch of stuff. So we're sitting on a big pile of stuff. But we will definitely not put anything out until next year. I didn't really wanna cloud up the set with trying to put out a new song and stuff. But I would say this [fall 2024 North American] tour and our European tour coming up [in February 2025] are probably the tail end of the 'Color Decay' era. And then we're gonna push forward from there."

Asked if THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA still believes in "the album philosophy" as opposed to focusing on singles, Jeremy said: "Oh my gosh, yeah. Dude, I'm old school, man. I still like records. [Laughs]"

He added: "You know what? A couple of years ago, I had a bunch of people telling me the record is dead. It's all about singles now. It's all about short form. And then a bunch of my friends in other bands just kept putting out records and we kept putting out records. And I'm, like, I don't think the suits really know what's going on. I think the fans and the bands definitely know what's going on. And I think people just, especially with physical media and putting an LP on and listening to it, there's just something about just from start to finish, a really well-curated track listing, and that sets the vibe that I don't think we'll ever go away from."

Asked if there is any sort of theme or direction for the new material that he and his bandmates have been working on so far, Jeremy said: "I think we all, particularly Mike and myself, and Jon [Jonathan Gering], our keyboard player, that we write all the lyrics, and I think we all were, like, 'Man, I'm in a really good headspace. My life's really good. I'm feeling great. We've had a lot of great tours. My relationship's awesome.' And then we started writing, and it was, like, 'Oh, man. This is so depressing and so soul crushing.' And so I think there's just these little demons lurking in there that come out when you put the pen down and you're, like, 'Oh, I didn't even know that was in there.' … I think sonically, maybe I want it a little more upbeat, but it's kind of like a pop song that just destroys your life type of thing — with some breakdowns. You can't get away from the breakdowns."

"Color Decay" followed 2019's "The Act". As Revolver stated when selecting the record as one of the "50 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2022," "THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have proven time and time again that it's possible to never stop sonically experimenting — with screamo, with spoken word, with atmospheric electronica, with sludge — and never lose their own crushing identity. Anticipating their next successful risk is one of the things that makes being a TDWP fan so rewarding."

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have been consistently delivering since forming in 2005. Fans voted 2009's seminal "With Roots Above And Branches Below" one of the "5 Greatest Metalcore Albums" in a Revolver poll, with the magazine christening it "a true metalcore landmark." The group has notched six consecutive Top 5 debuts on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart, including "Dead Throne" (2011),"8:18" (2013),"Space" EP (2015),"Transit Blues" (2016),"The Act" (2019) and "ZII" EP (2021). The latter served as a sequel to one of their most beloved projects — 2010's "Zombie" EP. In the wake of the EP, the group exceeded a quarter of a billion cumulative streams and views. During 2021, the musicians decamped to remote hideaways together in Wisconsin and Desert Hot Springs, California. This time around, keyboardist/programmer Jonathan Gering took the reins as producer, collaborating closely to assemble a rich sonic architecture for what would become "Color Decay".

Photo credit: Imani Givertz

British rock band THE DARKNESS — singer/guitarist Justin Hawkins, guitarist Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Rufus Taylor — has released a scorching new single, "Walking Through Fire", the latest song to be taken from the band's forthcoming album "Dreams On Toast", due out March 28 via Cooking Vinyl. Watch the in-the-studio visualizer below.

"Walking Through Fire" is an epic DARKNESS anthem with signature guitar solos, a thunderous rhythm section and high-flying falsetto flourishes which deliver an amusing ode to the band's love of rock 'n' roll and the state of the music industry in 2025.

Regarding the single, Justin Hawkins says: "The life of an artist is grueling endeavor, leavened with rare moments of shining success. We wade through sweet treacle every day, to make things for others to love. For we chosen few, this is akin to climbing a mountain for the glorious view, whilst studiously avoiding looking at the discarded condom that has attached itself to our stylish yet practical hiking footwear. To rephrase in less oblique tones, nothing worthwhile is ever easy, and that is why we, THE DARKNESS, are walking through fire… thinking of you."

"Walking Through Fire" is the fourth single to be taken from "Dreams On Toast". It follows the self-deprecating glam punk rock of "I Hate Myself", jaunty pop genius of "The Longest Kiss" and tongue-in-cheek reflection of "Rock And Roll Party Cowboy" — showcasing the diversity and brilliance of the band's eighth studio album.

Produced by Dan Hawkins, "Dreams On Toast" flawlessly captures THE DARKNESS in their finest form, celebrating their influences, strengthening their sound, while also embarking on avenues never heard from the band before in a grand display from a passionate, hungry and inspired collective.

From the likes of the jaunty '70s pop genius of lead single "The Longest Kiss", searing hard rock of "Rock And Roll Party Cowboy", heartfelt '60s pop balladry of "Hot On My Tail", huge swaggering anthems such as "Mortal Dread" and "Walking Through Fire", while even creating a country classic with "Cold Hearted Woman", "Dreams On Toast" brings all of the wildest fantasies of THE DARKNESS to life.

When "Dreams On Toast" was first announced in September 2024, Justin said in a statement: "You know that thing when God's breath tickles your soul and tells you to create? Yeah, makes me giggle too. But you can't resist. God might not be the power she once was, but say what you like about her, she knows damn well that what the world needs now, is rock sweet rock. And who are we, mere mortals of extraordinary ability, to argue with the divine?

"So we knuckled down and thought really hard about the best of the best, the elite songs, the life-changing music of the ages. Then we popped out a dozen bangers before lunch. And these bangers we present to you here, wallowing in an aromatic aural ragu, served atop the charred remains of our envious contemporaries… ladies and gentlemen, I give you 'Dreams On Toast'!"

"Dreams On Toast" track listing:

01. Rock And Roll Party Cowboy
02. I Hate Myself
03. Hot On My Tail
04. Mortal Dread
05. Don't Need Sunshine
06. The Longest Kiss
07. The Battle For Gadget Land
08. Cold Hearted Woman
09. Walking Through Fire
10. Weekend In Rome

"Dreams On Toast" album artwork was designed by Grammy-nominated artist Perry Shall.

THE DARKNESS closed 2024 with a special treat for fans at a series of six intimate Rough Trade in stores across the U.K. where they performed songs from "Dreams On Toast" live for the very first time. The band will now hit the road in 2025 on a much larger scale and the "Dreams On Toast" U.K. headline tour will see them play 18 shows across the country, finishing at London's OVO Wembley Arena on March 29. This will be followed by a further 21 dates across Europe.

"Welcome To The Darkness", the epic documentary directed by famed photographer Simon Emmett, will be available for the first time in the U.S. on April 15. The film originally released November 2023 in the U.K., follows THE DARKNESS from before their wildly successful monster debut album "Permission To Land" in 2003 throughout the majestic highs and massive lows over the years, to beyond 2017's "Pinewood Smile".

Photo credit: Simon Emmett