In a new interview with Sportzwire Radio, KING'S X bassist/vocalist Doug "Dug" Pinnick spoke about a possible follow-up to the band's last album, "Three Sides Of One", which came out in September 2022 via InsideOut Music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET) "I don't know. We're just not as quick to make a record as a band. It's just the morale of the band. We're older, we're slower, we've other things to do. For me, I just put my solo record out, and I'm getting ready to put all my demos out on vinyl. And I remixed my [2013] 'Naked' record that came out 10 years ago and put it out.

"With KING'S X, we take our time," he explained. "Me, I'm a workaholic, so I'm just putting stuff out all the time. I'm writing and writing and putting bands together, putting records out, and it's a lot of fun. So, I will continue to do that with whatever I'm doing until I can't do it anymore.

"With the band, we've been talking about a new record and slowly we'll come around to it, just nailing our heads down and go, 'Okay, where are we gonna do it? How are we gonna do it? Who's got songs?'"

Elaborating on why there is such a long gap between KING'S X albums now, Pinnick said: "The whole effort of making a record is not as easy as it used to be with KING'S X… We always say, if we don't have anything to offer musically or lyrically, then we don't wanna put nothing out. We just don't wanna put a record out just to put it out. It has to have some kind of depth and meaning to it. Like I said before, if you don't do it 'cause you love it, nobody's gonna like it. That's the way I feel. Maybe I'm wrong."

"Three Sides Of One" was recorded during 2019 at Black Sound Studio in Pasadena, California with Emmy Award-winning producer Michael Parnin.

The latest KING'S X LP was mastered in June 2021 at the Bernie Grundman Mastering facility in Hollywood, California,

KING'S X was sidelined by several health scares in recent years, including Pinnick's two hernia operations and two near-fatal heart attacks suffered by drummer Jerry Gaskill.

In October 2019, KING'S X canceled all of its previously announced tour dates for the year so that Gaskill could undergo undisclosed heart "procedures."

2008's "XV" was KING'S X's highest-charting album since 1996's "Ear Candy".

In 2005, VH1 included KING'S X in its list of "100 Greatest Artists In Hard Rock.

Photo credit: Derek Soto

Chaoszine and Wyatt's Metal, among others, have shared separate video reports on the 2025 edition of 70000 Tons Of Metal, the world's original and biggest heavy metal cruise. Check out the footage below.

The 2025 edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal festival took place from January 30, 2025 to February 3, 2025, sailing from Miami, Florida to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and back. Among the performers this year were DIRKSCHNEIDER, CANDLEMASS, EMPEROR, FINNTROLL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, HAMMERFALL, ONSLAUGHT, SAMAEL, SEPTICFLESH, SEPULTURA, SONATA ARCTICA, STRATOVARIUS, SUFFOCATION, THE KOVENANT and TROUBLE.

Earlier this month, the 70000 Tons Of Metal organizers announced the first details of the 2026 edition of the cruise. Don't miss out on this epic journey from Miami, Florida to Labadee, Haiti and back, taking place from January 29, 2026 to February 2, 2026.

With unrestricted festival access, every festival goer can indulge in over 120 shows and special onboard events. Guests will have the opportunity to attend meet-and-greets for all the bands, intimate masterclasses with select musicians, experience exclusive live album premieres, engage in listening sessions, and so much more. Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience Labadee with their favorite bands on an "Artist Escorted Shore Excursion".

Come on board and see 60 bands perform on the Freedom Of The Seas with shows spread across four stages, including the iconic pool deck stage, the world's biggest open air stage structure to ever sail the open seas and bask in the comfort of a hot tub while enjoying the electrifying performances of your favorite metal bands with a delicious cocktail in hand. The 156,000-plus-ton cruise ship boasts numerous onboard amenities, such as bars, lounges, and complimentary dining options.

This four-day heavy metal music festival and Caribbean vacation offers 3,000 metalheads the amazing opportunity to mingle side-by-side with all of the bands on board. With no VIP areas, it truly is like everyone has a backstage pass. Not only do guests have unrestricted festival access to over 120 live performances (all bands play twice),every ticket also includes meet-and-greets with every band, intimate masterclasses with select musicians and exclusive live and listening premieres. Guests also have full access to the "Jamming In International Waters All-Star Jam" — a one-of-a-kind jam session featuring a host of musical virtuosos performing classic metal songs together on stage.

For more details about 70000 Tons Of Metal, including FAQs, vessel amenities and contact information, visit 70000tons.com.

During an appearance on The Bad Decisions Podcast With Scott Nathan, L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns spoke about his early years as a member of GUNS N' ROSES. Asked what GN'R singer Axl Rose was like as a roommate, Tracii said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "He was a great roommate. The interesting thing about Axl is he really knows right from wrong. Let's just start there. He's smart, he's responsible, he is not afraid to ask for help when he needs help, he's always ready to give help. A really solid person. We really had a great friendship. We were inseparable for a few years. The thing that changed — and I had known; he had told me — he had… What did we call it back then? Manic depression is what he called? 'Well, yeah, I have manic depression,' blah, blah, blah. 'I'm supposed to be taking these meds, but I'm okay.' And I would have never known — until the one day. And the one day was, he was off with a junior high school friend of mine. And he had taken some ecstasy, and we didn't see him for, like, a week and he showed up at this gig and he was just like a completely different person. I was, like, 'Whoa. Who are you? Who's this guy?' And that's when the other side of that kind of kicked in."

Tracii continued: "I knew I wasn't gonna… I couldn't deal with that. I loved him on the one side, the person I knew, and we were creative together, we were funny together, but at that time, he really wanted to take control over everything around him. And that's when we were getting really popular. Before that, he was more aware and taking in information and kind of sorting out what we were doing and how this is going and all that stuff. But once we knew, once he knew that we were locked, that GUNS N' ROSES was going only one direction… I mean, sometimes he would talk for 40 minutes out of a 60-minute set on stage, stuff like that. And I would look at Izzy [Stradlin, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] and Izzy would be very passive about it. I'd be, like, 'Fuck that, man. I'm here to play guitar.'

"And so that's when that whole thing started, the platform, the Axl Rose platform, and I think people really connected with it, , obviously, and I think they still do," Guns added. "The things that he has to say, the things that are interesting to people, and his very — what's the word? — loud and confident opinions on things like that. People latch to them, and it's very heartfelt, and he's very sincere when he says things, even if later he kind of might backtrack a little bit and say, 'Well, I really meant it then, but humans grow and we move on.' He's very in [his head], and that's what makes him great. But at that point, it just scared the shit out of me. I was just, like, 'This isn't a fun rock and roll band anymore. This is something else.'"

Back in 2007, Tracii told the South Wales Echo about his time with GUNS N' ROSES: "If I had stayed with Axl, I don't know if GUNS N' ROSES would have been any better or worse but I think it would have been a very different band. We would have had a bit more fire. But the key to that band's success was Axl because at that time his singing really connected with people on a social level."

"I haven't spoken to Axl since 1988, but we still have a lot of mutual friends. I don't wish him ill, but it's hard because he never stops saying bad things about me.

"Axl's problem is that if people don't support him 100 percent in what he's doing, he just doesn't want to know them anymore. He's so talented but that talent comes from being a nervous wreck and some place in your head you need to be happy, which he isn't."

"If I'd stayed with GUNS N' ROSES for two more years, I could have financed my rock and roll dreams — got Blackie Lawless to play bass, Nikki Sixx on drums and Robert Plant to sing — but at the same time we had a pretty good run with L.A. GUNS, so I take the positives."

In 2016, Tracii was asked by Jacky BamBam of Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station if Axl was difficult to work with in the early days of GUNS N' ROSES. Guns responded: "No. I loved it. There came a point in time where I don't know exactly what was going on with him. I mean, I probably do, but it's not important. It became really less about the music toward the end of when I was in the band and more about this kind of statement, this lifestyle, this kind of shoutout mentality — negative and positive. And I mean, that was cool, and he really found his calling; GUNS N' ROSES became really Axl's voice, and we've seen that through the years. He can be really reclusive, but with GUNS N' ROSES, being on stage and writing songs, he's really able to express himself and really connect with millions and millions of people. And I've always been really supportive since I left, and I'm still supportive to this day. One of the happiest things I've ever seen in my life is seeing Axl singing for AC/DC. It's just, like, 'Wow, dude! You're singing for AC/DC.' It's, like, 'Wow!'"

L.A. GUNS' new album, "Leopard Skin", will be released on April 4, 2025. It will mark the first fruit of L.A. GUNS' reunion with Cleopatra Records, a label known for its diverse roster and innovative approach to music production. The LP's first single, "Taste It", was released in early February on all digital outlets, along with a Jason Wisch-directed music video.

AEROSMITH has shared an official video recap of singer Steven Tyler's sixth annual "Jam For Janie"Grammys viewing party, which was held on February 2 at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California. Check it out below.

Tyler performed six songs at the event, which was sponsored by Janie's Fund, the initiative he created in order to bring hope and healing to girls and young women who have experienced trauma. More than 100 firefighters who battled the recent Los Angeles wildfires were also invited to the event through the Widows, Orphans And Disabled Firefighters Fund and Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

Tyler and EXTREME's Nuno Bettencourt opened with "More Than Words", joined by Mick Fleetwood, and went into "Dream On" with Lainey Wilson. AEROSMITH's Tom Hamilton and THE BLACK CROWES' Chris Robinson then joined Tyler and Bettencourt for "Sweet Emotion", "Walk This Way" with Jessie J, and "Heartbreaker". Tyler and Bettencourt also performed "Toys In The Attic".

Tyler said: "What the Los Angeles community has endured with these wildfires is unthinkable. Music has healing powers and we hope to bring a moment of joy and levity to our first-responder firefighters and those most affected by the fires. The trauma experienced by the girls we work with is also unthinkable and we will continue to shed light and support the amazing work of Janie's Fund."

The evening featured a red carpet, cocktail reception, dinner, live auction, and exclusive after-party benefitting Janie's Fund, as well as raise critical proceeds for the aforementioned fire organizations to acquire lifesaving equipment and resources.

Joining AEROSMITH as event chairs are Ace and Matt Sorum, Alice Cooper, Andrea Bocelli, Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross, Bill Maher, Bo Derek, Chris and Rich Robinson, Dolly Parton, Flavor Flav, Jane Lynch, Kayte and Kelsey Grammer, Lionel Richie, Melissa Joan Hart, Miley Cyrus, Nuno Bettencourt, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Sammy Hagar, Scarlett Johansson and Shep Gordon.

Last August, AEROSMITH announced that they were officially retiring from touring due to Tyler's vocal injury.

The legendary Massachusetts rockers made the announcement on August 2, 2024 — nearly one year after the now-76-year-old singer fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

In AEROSMITH's original retirement announcement, the band wrote: "As you know, Steven's voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We've seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible.

"We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision - as a band of brothers - to retire from the touring stage," the statement continued. "We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time."

The band also thanked its fans for their constant support.

"Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades," the statement read. "Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock 'n' roll history."

"It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives," the statement continued.

The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.

The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.

Tyler released a solo LP in 2016.

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In an interview with Ryan McCredden of the I-Rock 93.5 radio station, DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan spoke about the musical inspiration for the band's new single, "I Will Not Break", which came out this past Friday (February 21) via DISTURBED's own label, Mother Culture Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[That song] came late in the recording process. We were out in L.A. this past September, October and November, just getting the ball rolling. There was no really gameplan of a timeframe or deadline in any way. We had some time off the road with only a handful of shows last fall, so we said, 'Let's get back in the room and get things going again and see how the creative process goes.' And everything was going great. We wrote a bunch of material, tracked it all, and then 'I Will Not Break' kind of came late in the session. I just felt like I still had a lot left in me. And I was supposed to be tracking guitars for something else that day, and I just told my producer I felt really creative. I wanted to kind of go with this kind of old-school — I wanted to give something to David [Draiman, DISTURBED singer] that was gonna hopefully trigger kind of that old-school delivery out of David. So we just kind of worked on this heavy groove, this beat, and I just started improvising over it, and as soon as the riff came around, we kind of all just looked at each other, like, 'That's the one. That's the one.' And then I just continued down that road and put together a rough structure. David wasn't there at the moment, at the time, so we just kind of worked out the music and put together a rough structure. And when I'd seen him next, I kind of went over it with him and he connected with it. And he kind of gave us those elements that we were looking for — the still melodic, but still quick, rapid-fire syncopation at times and just that kind of delivery we were hoping to pull out of him. And we thought it would be a great lead-off track to share with the fans."

When McCredden noted that "I Will Not Break" sounds like something DISTURBED could have recorded 25 years ago, possibly inspired by the fact that the band is preparing to embark on a 34-date North American tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 2000 debut album "The Sickness", Donegan concurred. "I was going through the archives and going through a lot of stuff here, my memorabilia, gearing up for this 25th-anniversary tour, and I came across some old demo tapes," he said. "I had actually cassette tapes, if people don't remember what those are. Back in the day, in the late '90s, when we got David in the band, we would just set up a little cassette player in the back of the room and hit 'record' and record us — crappy version, but record our practices so we could hear us just improvising ideas. And so I was kind of in that headspace 'cause I was listening to these old riffs and these old deliveries of us just kind of improvising, like I said, and it just had me in that headspace. Actually, one of the song ideas was a riff I pulled from 1998 off the demo and I kind of slid it back into the mix. I have a history of doing that. I have a way of sneaking in old ideas and seeing if it triggers anybody, if they remember it and pick up on it, if it's been that long ago. But I try to get back into that headspace. And so, even though the riff for 'I Will Not Break' is brand new, I was kind of in the spirit of that old-school DISTURBED, and that's what we were hoping to do — trigger [David] in that that kind of way."

"I Will Not Break" marks DISTURBED's first new music since its acclaimed 2022 album "Divisive".

According to DISTURBED, "I Will Not Break" is "a necessary song, about becoming stronger than the forces that constantly try to tear you down." The track includes the stirring lyrics "I've had enough of feeling terrified, now I'm deciding that I won't be hiding from anyone," which encourages listeners to push back in the face of adversity.

"I Will Not Break" was helmed by producer Drew Fulk, also known as WZRD BLD (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT),who previously worked with DISTURBED on "Divisive".

"Divisive" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

"The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" will kick off in Nampa, Idaho on February 25. Produced by Live Nation, each night will feature two sets of music, opening with DISTURBED playing the five times platinum "The Sickness" in full, followed by a full set of greatest hits. The first half of the tour will feature support from special guests THREE DAYS GRACE, featuring the return of original singer Adam Gontier, and opener SEVENDUST, and the second half will feature special guests DAUGHTRY with opener NOTHING MORE.

Since "The Sickness" was released in 2000, the album was certified five times platinum by the RIAA, spent a total of 106 weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart, and Revolver named it one of "Top 25 Debut Hard Rock Albums." Billboard said of the title track upon release: "'Down With The Sickness' is, of course, the quintessential DISTURBED song, harnessing all the band's seethe and its now-famous tribal beat and guitar chug into three and a half minutes of alt-metal mayhem. It's menacing, it's rhythmic, it's rebellious."

DISTURBED recently announced the 25th-anniversary edition release of "The Sickness". To commemorate the anniversary, the band will reissue the five-times-platinum-certified LP on March 7, exactly 25 years to the date of their original release.

"The Sickness" 25th-anniversary edition is available to pre-order on all formats. The deluxe box set will be available via the band's web site and digitally on March 7, and via all retailers in North American on March 21.

In a new interview with Evan Toth, BUCKCHERRY frontman Josh Todd weighed in on the perception that it is increasingly difficult for modern rock bands to make their mark these days. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "In my opinion, it's still about melody. If you've got great melody, if you've got great songs, you're going to find an audience. That's just it. And I just think you've gotta have great songs, you've gotta have songs you can remember you, you've gotta be unforgettable, especially now because information is spread so thin and people's attention span now is brutal. It's, like, you've got five seconds to get somebody's attention online. And so you've gotta have great songs and you've gotta have a story and you've gotta know who you are, and if you can put all that together, you can have success."

Back in November 2023, Todd told Classic Album Review spoke about KISS bassist/vocalist's Gene Simmons's much-repeated lament that "rock is dead." He said at the time: "I understand what he means by that as far as the bigness of what rock used to be, and I think that's what he means. But [rock is] alive and kicking. There's tons of rock bands putting out records and. But I understand what he means… I think it's just a much different platform for everybody. Information is just so spread out now. There's no controlled marketplace. There's no radio-driven stuff anymore. It's just everywhere. And so it's very hard for people to focus on you. So, yeah, what he's saying is completely correct."

He continued: "Let me just tell you something. I don't know if it was [around the release of BUCKCHERRY's] 'Hellbound' or 'Warpaint' [albums]. At 'Warpaint', we got sat down and said, 'Okay, you've got 20 seconds to get somebody's attention, and then that's it.' I'm, like, 'What? 20 seconds?' 'Yeah.' Guess what it is now. It's like five seconds. And so that's crazy. People are just flipping through stuff, and they just only watch what they see. So many people don't even know you put a record out. It's insane."

Todd added: "Everything's on streaming. In the States, there's no rock radio anymore. It doesn't mean anything. And so it's just a whole different thing. So it's all about promoting your stuff online, for sure, and streaming and all that, but it doesn't mean what it used to mean. And I think that's what he means."

Several years ago, Forbes reported that the chance of a song being skipped in the first five seconds on streaming platforms was nearly 25% and there was a nearly 50% chance of the song being skipped before the end. A skip is registered each time a listener abandons a song before the song has completely finished, either because the listener explicitly presses the skip button, they click on a different song or they search for and start another song before the current song ends.

BUCKCHERRY's 11th studio album, "Roar Like Thunder", is set for release on June 13. A video for the title track was shot in Los Angeles early February and will be released on March 13 along with information on the album preorder.

The follow-up to 2023's "Vol. 10", "Roar Like Thunder" was once again be helmed by producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

In a new interview with The Prog Report, JETHRO TULL leader Ian Anderson was asked for his thoughts on social media and whether he pays much attention to what people write about him and his band online. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm as uninterested as I was back in 1968, '69, because I think there's a degree to which it's nice if someone gives you a little smile or asks for an autograph at the right time, but I don't depend on it and I certainly don't want to be smothered with affection or congratulatory communications from people. I'm embarrassed by it. And if people want to be negative and nasty, well, I haven't got much time for that either. So I've never — although we have a presence, obviously, on social media on a number of platforms, which, professionally speaking, we are rather obliged to do. But in terms of personal communication, I have absolutely no interest in reading people's Twitterings on whatever it's called these days, whatever 'battery man' calls it. X, isn't it? It's called X."

He continued: "It's all of these dependencies that people have, seemingly, on social media, particularly people who are blogging or in some way making their presence felt, they count the happiness of their days in how many followers they have gained and they fall into desperate senses of malaise and self-loathing because the number of followers is reduced. It can really play havoc with your life if you take too much notice of what people think of you. Just have the confidence in your own ability and your own sense of who you are and don't rely on other people to somehow bolster some insecurity or lack of confidence. It's not good for the soul.

"So, no, I don't personally do social media," Ian added. "There are other people who do it on my behalf in the sense of making sure people are aware of what's going on, but not to to and fro with conversations, whether they're upbeat and friendly or negative and destructive. I just haven't got really time or inclination for that kind of discourse. It's not that I'm old-fashioned, because I'm at the front, in terms of operating programs and software in terms of the things that I really do need to do, musically speaking, I'm using advanced stuff in terms of digital recording and when it comes to photography, for example. I mean, I'm up there with a state of the art in terms of what I do and delivering finished product to people. So, I think I'm not a person who lives in a sublime, dislocated period of either analog or old-fashioned values. I'm very much in touch with what's happening today, including what's happening in terms of news and current affairs and politics and religious strife and all the other things that beset our increasingly crowded planet."

JETHRO TULL's 24th studio album, "Curious Ruminant", is due on March 7, 2025.

"Curious Ruminant" consists of nine new tracks varying in length from two and half minutes to almost seventeen minutes. Among the musicians featured are former JETHRO TULL keyboardist Andrew Giddings and drummer James Duncan, along with the current bandmembers David Goodier, John O'Hara, Scott Hammond and, making his recording debut with JETHRO TULL, guitarist Jack Clark.

"Curious Ruminant" will be available on several different formats, including a limited deluxe ultra clear 180g 2LP + 2CD + Blu-ray artbook and limited deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray artbook. Both of these feature the main album, alternative stereo mixes and a Blu-ray containing Dolby Atmos and 5.1 Surround Sound (once again undertaken by Bruce Soord of THE PINEAPPLE THIEF),as well as exclusive interview material. The limited deluxe vinyl artbook also includes two exclusive art-prints. The album will also be available as a special edition CD digipak, gatefold 180g LP + LP booklet and as digital album (in both stereo and Dolby Atmos).

Anderson had been saying for months following the release of "RökFlöte" that he would embark on a new project in late 2023. He waited only a few weeks before the first notions began to solidify into some drafted words of intent and in May 2024, some unfinished music recorded earlier with John O'Hara, David Goodier and James Duncan became the starting point for the new songs as they took shape.

Writing the lyrics and melodies for all the newly written material came very quickly once he began in earnest during June and just seemed to slot right in to the musical feel and styles of the earlier recordings.

Anderson's writing here is often on a more personal level of lyric content than we are used to hearing. Interspersed with his usual observational descriptions are the slightly more heart-on-sleeve moments of soul-baring — albeit not on the topics more often paraded by the usual I-me lyric merchants of pop and rock.

Some of the songs are developed from unfinished instrumental demos made some years ago although this does not result in a huge stylistic divide to jump out at the listener. Apart from the signature flute solos and melodies, accordion, mandolin, acoustic and tenor guitars feature on several tracks too, so the subtle backdrop of acoustic and folk rock serves to remind of the TULL heritage of the 1970s.

In a new interview with Jason Fraley of the Beyond The Fame podcast, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman was asked what it was like to work on his first album with the band, the now-classic "Rust In Peace", which came out in 1990. Marty responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, if those fans are out there [who want to know about that stuff], they're really gonna enjoy [my recently released autobiography, 'Dreaming Japanese'] because I outlined all of that stuff, like almost on a day-to-day timetable. I've listed every little detail about what it felt like to do this and what it was like doing that. But to bring it up here, the short version is a lot of that stuff, at that time, was all written together with the four members in the band. When I first joined the band, maybe two or three songs had been roughly outlined and the rest of it had not even been written yet at all. So all of that stuff was written with four of us in the same room, same amount of time, working on things together. And I detailed that process in the book, and it's an interesting process. But we just all knew that what we were doing was gonna be cool. And when we started recording it, it became very obvious that we had something that was very lucky to have. None of us did the same thing. There were two guitar players in the band, but we sounded totally different, which can be good or bad. In our case, we were very lucky that they fit in together like springs in a watch or something. And we didn't repeat each other at all. And that worked out nicely. We knew that we had something, and then when we took it out on the road, people were just like — their jaws were dropping because it was not like the previous MEGADETH. It wasn't anything like the previous MEGADETH."

Asked if he thinks 1992's "Countdown To Extinction" album was some of his "best work" with MEGADETH or if he is more of a "Youthanasia" (1994) of "Cryptic Writings" (1997) kind of guy, Marty said: "It's all my best work, man. If I'm playing on it, it's the best I can do. So whatever year any one of those records was done, if it was done in one year, if I would have done the same thing a year later, it would have been one year better.

"When you're working on something, especially for people's consumption, you automatically put your best foot forward and you don't release it until you're a thousand percent happy with it," Marty explained. "And that goes for all those albums you listed, that goes for the album that I just released now, 'Drama', it goes for the next album that I'm gonna release. And then only with the benefit of hindsight can you look back and say, 'I would have done this differently' or 'I don't like this as much as I did at the time.' But I can assure you that at the time, not only myself but everyone involved thought it was the best thing that we could possibly do, or else we would have kept working on it. We would have kept going."

Friedman kicked off his "Live Drama 2025" U.S. tour on January 25 at Count's Vamp'd in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Friedman's latest solo album, "Drama", came out last May via Frontiers Music Srl.

Recorded in Italy, "Drama" showcases Marty's unique touch, for the first time using both vintage and modern guitars, delivering a pure delight for lovers of music everywhere. From the captivating first single "Illumination", to the album's breathtaking "Mirage" and 10 other emotionally charged mini-symphonies, Marty paints atmospheric elements with a modern and exotic flair, promising an unforgettable musical experience.

Marty's presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. His first major impact in music was in the game-changing guitar duo CACOPHONY, which he founded with equally enigmatic and now-legendary guitarist Jason Becker. He then spent 10 years as lead guitarist in the genre-defining thrash metal act MEGADETH before moving to Tokyo due to his love for Japanese music, language, and culture.

Following his move, he landed a starring role for a new TV comedy "Hebimeta-san" ("Mr. Heavy Metal") and its spinoff, "Rock Fujiyama", which ran for six seasons and propelled him into the living rooms of Japan's mainstream. He has since appeared in over 800 TV shows, movies and commercials, including a two-year campaign with Coca-Cola for Fanta, authored two best-selling novels and was the first-ever foreigner to be appointed as an ambassador of Japan heritage and perform at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Marathon.

At the same time, Marty has continued his career in music with several solo albums in addition to writing and performing with the top artists in Japanese music, racking up countless chart hits, including a No. 1 with SMAP, two No. 2 songs with MOMOIRO CLOVER, a No. 2 with SOUND HORIZON — just to name a few.

Friedman's autobiography, "Dreaming Japanese", arrived on December 3, 2024 via Permuted Press.

Three-time-Grammy-nominated hard rock heavyweights and platinum-selling band KILLSWITCH ENGAGE — Jesse Leach, vocals; Adam Dutkiewicz, guitar; Joel Stroetzel, guitar; Mike D'Antonio, bass; and Justin Foley, drums — released their new album, "This Consequence", on February 21 via Metal Blade. The official music video for the LP's latest single, "Collusion", can now be seen below.

"'Collusion' is about the struggle between people in power and the common people," explains Leach. "It speaks about the propaganda and divisiveness used to keep us in control. It's about the ruthlessness of the ruling class who use wealth to raise, manipulate, and destroy empires at their will."

He adds: "I wish for people to use discernment and intellect to read between the lines. My hope is to instill a desire for analyzation and critical thinking amidst the current rigged and corrupt forms of governments the world over."

In a recent interview with United Rock Nations, Jesse spoke about "This Consequence", which is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's ninth LP overall, and sixth with Leach, who rejoined the band in 2012. Asked what the biggest challenge was in making the new record, Jesse said: "I think for me wanting to be, and I use this word loosely, relevant, but relevant to me and my bandmembers. I wanted what I had to say to excite them, but I also needed it to be genuine. I needed it to be something that when I looked at those lyrics, I thought, 'Yes. That's exactly what I wanna say.'

"I went through — I don't know — seven, eight songs where I was kind of just throwing it out to see what would stick," he continued. "And those guys were, like, 'This doesn't feel like you're really giving us your best.' So having that sort of rejection from them initially was very hard. It sort of felt like I was becoming insecure. I was wondering if I had it in me. But that turned into a determination to rediscover myself as a writer, to go deeper, to tap into things that I never tapped in before, and to sort of look outside of myself. I mean, after everything we've been through, there's so much to draw from. There's so much to pull from. So I started pulling from things that I was seeing on mainstream media. I started pulling from stories that I heard from people that they've been through. I started pulling from extreme relationships of abuse and just kind of dialing them all into a story — obviously coming from me and the way that I saw and felt about those things, but it ended up becoming much more of a worldview as opposed to just me going, 'I, me, I.' It was more about us — 'This is about us.' Hence the title 'This Consequence'. It's about us — all of us. How do you respond to these situations? How do you modify your behavior? What lessons have you learned? And realizing that with everything that you do, there's going to be a reaction.

"So, the big picture to me is what I was focusing on and how to how to heal our PTSD from everything we've gone through and realizing that we're still all going through it," Leach added. "We may not realize it, but we are. And how do we allow the outside sources that are constantly manipulating us to control our minds and to continue to keep us divided? The challenge was how do I crack that code? How do I get that message through to people? And I did the best I could. And I think I did pretty damn well."

Asked if writing about all those topics was a form of therapy for him, Leach said: "Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely, it is. And I think it's necessary. You can't avoid it. And I think I avoided it a lot during the pandemic. I wanted nothing to do with it, 'cause it was such a volatile time. I think we're all sort of coming down off that, and it's not so intense where people are actually open to discussions of, or maybe you weren't 100 percent accurate or correct in your belief. Maybe you have room to be wrong here, and if so, what did you learn from that? And how do you move forward without having that assumption being part of your vocabulary? I think all of that is very important. And as a writer, how do I write it in such a way where you as a listener can draw your own conclusion? So I'm not giving you the answer. I'm asking you to think about this thing. And then what do you think about that? You as the listener can sort of put the answer on that question. And that's really what I tried to do — writing with a broad enough brushstroke where the song can be yours. I penned the lyrics, but I very much want you to sort of take the torch and run with it."

In a separate interview with Joshua Toomey of the "Talk Toomey" podcast, Leach stated about the "dark", "angry" and "aggressive" nature of "This Consequence": "Yeah, I think angry, dark and aggressive, for better or for worse, is kind of what the world needs right now, I think, therapeutically speaking. I think a lot of us can relate to frustration, anger, betrayal, all those things, and that's kind of what I highlighted lyrically with this album; I was really focusing on that stuff. But I will say this: if you really read into the lyrics, there's a positivity through a righteous anger, anger that wants to sort of wake people up and have people choose their own path instead of just the blind leading the blind, which is what we see so much in society and our governments and organized religion and all these things that control us as people. It's very much about breaking out of the matrix, if you will, and carving your own path. And there's a righteous anger underneath all of it, and that's where the positivity lies. But I think with metal music, the great thing about it is you can talk about dark stuff and it is therapeutic. That's why a lot of us get into this kind of music."

Jesse also talked about the lyrical inspiration for the first single from "This Consequence", a song called "Forever Aligned", which was made available in November. Speaking specifically about the line "now my tongue must confess", Jesse said: "Yeah, I'm always weaving in and out… I was raised by a minister, I was raised in a Christian home, so even though I don't subscribe to organized religion anymore, I like using biblical words here and there to sort of tie in the themes. I'm very much a believer in in God, if you will, in general. I know people roll their eyes when other people say that, but my journey has been such where I've just seen much deeper things that I don't think can be defined by a particular human organized religion. And 'Forever Aligned' is about that. It's about love. It's about, first and foremost, the song was inspired by the love I have for my wife and the relationship we were able to have during the pandemic, especially, where it was just the two of us, nobody else, and really learning what love and sacrifice is, and then weaving that into what I believe God is. God is love, to keep it really general for people to understand. We can try to tap into that as humans, that word 'love', but it's far beyond human comprehension. So that song is very much about being broken and in a dark place and finding salvation through love."

Elsewhere in the chat, Leach touched upon his growth as a vocalist since the release of 2019's "Atonement" LP, saying: "Truth be told, ['This Consequence'] was very difficult for me to write and sort of find my inspiration again. And even vocally, learning new techniques, like the vocal fry, and trying to add that into my old technique and still sound like me, it was a long, hard process.

"Especially after my vocal surgery in 2018, I relearned how to speak differently — I speak differently than I did," he explained. "I'm more measured; I make sure my voice is placed in the right place. And through that, it went into my vocals, my singing, especially. I was really focusing on my singing first and foremost to stay in key and not go flat or sharp. Then it was, like, my screams were — I was so paranoid. I was really worried about… We do three shows in a row. That fourth show, I'm, like, 'It's getting difficult. I can feel the swelling happening.' So I was really studying vocal fry, 'cause you can do a lot of cool stuff with fry, but me with my voice, it has such a signature sound to it, I guess, according to Adam [Dutkiewicz, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist and producer], at least, that if I just went into that new technique completely, the lows were missing something, my yelling. It different. So I was going into these demos just doing fry, saving my voice, especially thinking that, once I get to the studio, it's going to be fatiguing; we're doing four- or five-hour sessions. But I kept falling flat and the voice just didn't sound right. For some of the high stuff, it works, but for the lower, mid stuff and for the death metal growls, that's all old school… It's the old-school way, the way we all started doing it in the late '80s and early '90s. So I've learned, thankfully, through a lot of trial and error, and this album had a lot to do with it, to blend the styles. So I can do my old-school stuff, and then I can sort of blend in some of the vocal fry to hit those crazy, maniacal-sounding highs without it destroying my voice."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will embark on a headline tour in March 2025. It's their first tour of North America since late 2022. The trek will feature support from KUBLAI KHAN TX, FIT FOR A KING and FROZEN SOUL, and will kick off on March 5 in Nashville and runs through April 12 in Portland, Maine.

In a new interview with Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles Live!, original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was asked to reflect on his time with the legendary thrash metal band. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I love it. I look back in retrospect and it's been amazing. How can you not? Shit happens, man. You have disagreements. Families argue. And so it is what it is. I'm happy to have been a part of such a legendary band, happy to have contributed to this genre that has loved me and supported me for my entire musical life."

He continued: "Like I said, shit happens, but it is what it is. I've been very fortunate that I've made a few friends along the way. And they've asked me to be in their bands. I've created several new bands or launched them, and still I feel there's so much more in me that I don't see it ending anytime soon. Until somebody pulls the plug, I'm still here, man. [Laughs]"

A year ago, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was asked by Rolling Stone magazine if he had spoken to Lombardo, who has been out of SLAYER for more than a decade. He responded: "No. Lombardo is dead to me." Elaborating on why he feels that way, the now-60-year-old musician said: "[Dave] went on that tirade when we were on a flight to Australia, and he knew we couldn't retort for 14 hours, and he threw me under the bus. I was the only one keeping him in the band. Tom [Araya, SLAYER frontman] wanted him out before that, and Jeff [Hannemann, SLAYER guitarist] had just gotten the spider bite [causing him to contract a flesh-eating bacteria, forcing him off the road], so he wasn't playing with us much. I said, 'We need [Dave]. The fans won't get it if we replace him right now.' And then the Australia thing came up. He threw me under the bus, and I'm, like, 'I'm the guy that kept you here.' So I thought, 'Fuck that guy.'"

Regarding what happened to cause the split with Lombardo, King said: "He's super impressionable. He was listening to this woman that was his attorney at the time, and she thought we had METALLICA money, which we've never had fucking METALLICA money. So she's just blowing shit in his ear, and he thinks he should be getting more than he should be getting. It's like, talk to somebody that actually knows the situation and isn't just blowing sunshine up your ass to make money in your commission."

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER's tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.

Lombardo released a statement in February 2013 saying he "was denied access to detailed information and the necessary backup documents." He added: "I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a longform contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order."

Dave previously opened about his departure from SLAYER while taking questions from the audience in March 2014 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

"I did my best to try to keep it together, but I couldn't go on, man," Dave said. "I had to step out, because you can't be shackled like that; nobody can take advantage of another person like that anymore. I did it for too many years, and I held my breath. Red flags kept going on in my books. It's, like, 'Really? I'm supposed to make more money? Why am I on the same salary? I'm making the exact same thing I've been making the past two years. And this is back in 2004. So I knew something was up. And I tried my best to work it out with the guys. I brought Tom into the picture. I had Tom in a hotel room with me talking to my attorney, and my attorney was telling him everything their management company had been doing to them for the past 30 freakin' years. And we had an accountant, a forensic accountant, ready to go in there and look at the stuff."

He continued: "Tom got bought out. Management flipped him over a couple of hundred grand — who knows how much? — and Kerry as well, to keep quiet and go against Lombardo. So they turned their backs on me. And on the last day, when I'm at rehearsal with them — and I saved it all the way until the end — I said, 'Guys, we need a new business plan. You guys have been on the same business plan after 30 years. Now I'm an income participant. In other words, I 'm a percentage holder.' So if you're a percentage holder, you have the right, and you're contracted, as a percentage holder, you have the right to see where all the expenses are going. Because here you are getting paid off of net, and then out of 4.4 million dollars, the band gets 400 thousand dollars. Where's the four million? And that's just 2011. [The rest of the money went to] lawyers, accountant and the manager.

"For the past 30 years, they were doing that to the guys. And they took my information… I'll never forget the day…. I just said, 'Guys, look at this. This came from your accountant.' And it showed all the money. It wasn't showing where the money was going, it was just showing 'gross,' 'expenses,' 'net.' And out of that net, I made, on tour, in 2011, 67 thousand dollars. Kerry and Tom, that was about 114 thousand dollars they made on tour. So if you did about 60 shows, divide that up between 60 shows… Anybody have a calculator? No, not 60… Let's say about 90 shows per year: 30 in the spring, 30 in the summer and 30 shows in the winter, in the fall. So you break that up per show… Really? It's disgusting. I bust my ass up there playing drums. I mean, I am just sweating, I'm beat. And for the guy in the Hollywood Hills, for his facials, his manicures… No, I'm not gonna play for that. No."

In a November 2013 interview with Minneapolis City Pages, Araya stated about Lombardo: "Dave left the band originally in '91 or '92, After that, we brought in Jon Dette for two years and then we hooked up with Paul [Bostaph], who did four really great albums with us. Then he decided to move on. Our manager hooked us up with Dave again and when we were putting together [2006's] 'Christ Illusion', Dave offered to help out. We wanted to make things fair for him, so we offered him a contract with the band. Most recently, we were offered to tour Australia. When we were rehearsing, he seemed to do a 180 and said some things that kind of upset me and Kerry. Kerry just looked at him and said, 'If you feel that way, then why are we even rehearsing for this tour?' So we wrote him a letter and said, 'Listen, we need to know if you're going to do the shows in Australia. If you're not, we need to do something about that.' We didn't get a reply. We were put in a position where we had to do something, so we got Jon Dette to play with us again. After what happened with the Australia tour, we made the decision to move forward and make him aware that we no longer needed his services. He was really upset about that. He wrote a rant on Facebook. He said some things that he shouldn't have. It really upset us. And it upset me. I was fuming. I couldn't believe that he would throw that out in the court of public opinion. After that, Jeff [Hanneman, deceased SLAYER guitarist], me and Kerry all got on the phone and talked about it. And Paul's name came up. It was a sure thing with Paul. He'd been in the band for over 12 years. So we gave him a call to see if he was interested and he was more than happy to. It was a no-brainer. He's an amazing drummer."

A few years ago, King said that "when Dave was in [SLAYER] this last time, I figured I'd be on the stage with him until one of us fell off the stage, dead. Things change. He got some bad advice and listened to some bad advice, gave us an ultimatum ten days before we went to Australia [to do the Soundwave festival tour]. And I said, 'I can't have this over my head.' And I feel bad for Dave to this day; I really feel bad for him because he shot himself in the foot. Maybe he thought he had the upper hand, but you ain't gonna get me."

Loud And Proud Italy has uploaded video of NAPALM DEATH's February 22 concert at Hall in Padova (Padua),Italy during the "Campaign For Musical Destruction 2025 Tour" with CROWBAR, FULL OF HELL and BRAT. Check out the clips below.

In October 2023, NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury told Mammoth Metal TV that the band would "probably" begin work on its next studio album in 2024. Asked about a possible timeline for the recording sessions for the follow-up to 2020's "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", Shane said: "The last record, we started it musically in two stages, and then Barney [vocalist Mark Greenway] took quite a few days to record his vocals, 'cause we were touring.

"I've got lots of ideas; [I just need] to piece it together," he added. "And hopefully go into the studio and just kind of experiment."

In February 2022, NAPALM DEATH released a new mini-album, "Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes", via Century Media Records.

"Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" is a partner recording to "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", concluding matters through vital, tumultuous grindcore and shockwave ambience.

The eight-song "Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" comes with a total playing time of 29 minutes and is available as a limited CD digipak, vinyl as well as in the digital album format.

"Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism" came out in September 2020 via Century Media Records. The band's 16th studio LP was recorded with longtime producer Russ Russell and features artwork by Frode Sylthe.

Embury released his autobiography, "Life?… And Napalm Death", in October 2023 via Rocket 88, an imprint of the established British book production company Essential Works.

Largely misunderstood and widely mocked in their early days, NAPALM DEATH nonetheless became the benchmark for uncompromising extremity, as well as a political force for good. Dismissed by many as a ridiculous noise, NAPALM DEATH became the credible face of extreme art rock, beloved of John Peel, NME cover stars and indie music darlings. Embury's debut studio release with the band, 1988's "From Enslavement To Obliteration", remains a seminal work of raging sonic violence coupled with ultra-credible punk critiques of corrupt politics, capitalist opportunism and societal collapse. The record remains as revered today as it ever was.

During this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, SYMPHONY X bassist Mike LePond spoke to Metal Anthology about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2015's "Underworld" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[We've been working on new material for] many years. A bunch of years. We are working on a new album, and it's gonna have all the cool stuff you guys like. It's gonna have the big symphonic stuff, it's gonna have the heavy riffs, it's gonna have the classical [elements as well]. It's gonna have all that stuff in there."

He continued: "When we write, it just takes time, because [SYMPHONY X guitarist and main songwriter] Michael Romeo, his rule [is] there's no filler songs, no songs that are, like, 'Ah, it's not bad.' And it goes in the garbage. They've all gotta be where at least we think they're all great. They all have to be that.

"The fans are, like, 'Hey, it's been so long.' But we promise you it's coming," Mike added. "It's gonna be good."

Asked if there will be a longer song on the upcoming SYMPHONY X album, considering "Underworld" contained mostly "shorter, more straightforward" tracks, Mike said: "We're still thinking where we wanna go with that. There's gonna be something crazy epic on it. We just don't know how we're gonna present it yet. But with all the newer technology for the symphonic stuff, it's gonna be monstrous."

LePond added: "So, yeah, we're excited to finally do it again. When it's time to record the bass, I'll been sweating for days, but once it's done… I have this routine. Once I finish all my bass tracks and I'm just so tired and wiped out, I go to McDonald's [fast food restaurant chain]. That's the only time I go, and it's, like, 'Ah.' My comfort."

Regarding a possible release date for the new SYMPHONY X album, Mike said: "I'm gonna take a guess. I'm gonna think that by the end of the year, we'll be finished writing it. It's just a guess. And then in 2026, probably get it recorded and out."

As for SYMPHONY X's touring plans in support of the new CD, Mike said: "We're gonna tour everywhere we can and just get back out there and really try to say, 'Hey, SYMPHONY X is back.'"

Last October, Romeo told the "Coffee With Ola" podcast about the upcoming SYMPHONY X LP: "With us, it's not like, 'Oh, yeah, we're just gonna write one — how do you say? — single, and then just have a bunch of filler. It's, like, everything's gotta be as good as it can be. So, yeah, it gets harder and it takes longer. Then you throw in COVID and a bunch of other things, and then it's just, like, 'Oh, shit.' Now it's, like, I don't know — eight years or something. I lost track.

"What's different now than in the past is that we could take a bunch of time off. There would be some royalties from CDs back in the day coming in and kind of float on the downtime and really get the record done and then come back out [with a] new record, tour. So now it's, like, well, that money's gone. So we have to tour a little bit, keep things going, work on the record, go back out. So it's been like that for a while. And for me — I do most of the writing, so for me it's hard because you're sitting in the studio for whatever month, 'I got this idea,' and you're trying to put these things together, and it's, like, 'Oh, we've gotta go on tour now.' All right, cool. We do our thing. And then you come back, and it's, like, 'What the fuck was I working on again? Was this riff here?' And so you're trying to arrange all this stuff. And then you're, like, 'Oh, I've got all these new ideas.' So then you keep adding. And then after a long period of time, it's, like, 'Oh my god, there's so much stuff I can't even manage it now.' Plenty of material — like three hours of stuff — but now it's actually making sense."

Elaborating on when SYMPHONY X might be done composing the material for the next album, Michael said: "It's gonna take some time to organize everything. It's not like there's nothing there. It's [not], like, 'Oh, man, we have to start from scratch.' There's quite a bit. It's actually overwhelming. I never remember being this overwhelmed by the amount of stuff, 'cause over the last year and a half or whatever, every time there was a break, it's, like, 'Okay, I'll write something.' I didn't stop and [go], like, 'Well, let me finish this.' It was, like, boom, 'I got all these ideas,' and I just kept going. So now it's, like, all right, no more writing. Now more arranging."

SYMPHONY X completed an extensive tour behind "Underworld" in 2016, including a U.S. run of shows with OVERKILL and a pair of headlining performances in Australia.

In July 2017, SYMPHONY X singer Russell Allen and his ADRENALINE MOB bandmates were involved in a crash that killed the latter group's bassist, David Zablidowsky.

In 2019, Allen — who has toured with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA since 2013 — was injured during the rehearsals for TSO's annual winter trek and was unable to make the tour.

Romeo released his latest solo album, "War Of The Worlds Pt. 2", in March 2022 via InsideOut Music. The record featured guest vocals by Dino Jelusick (WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).