In a new interview with The Vulgar Display Of Podcast, SNOT guitarist Mikey Doling spoke about the reactivated Santa Barbara-based metal/punk rock hybrid's long-awaited new studio album. The upcoming effort is being recorded with producer, engineer and mixer Chris Collier and will mark SNOT's first release with new singer Andy Knapp, who made his live debut with the band in January 2025 in Anaheim, California. Mikey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "First I gotta say, filling [late SNOT singer] Lynn Strait's shoes is not fucking easy, man. And we cycled through a few people to try to get the right guy, and we finally fucking found [Andy]. Andy is... He's just got the vibe, the energy. He's even from where SNOT's from, up there in Ventura, Santa Barbara area. And the fit is perfect, and also the dude is so fucking talented, man. He just gets it. So we went into the studio with Chris Collier. Chris Collier produced a couple of KORN records and PRONG and a lot of records I like. And working with Chris is just — he just totally gets it, too."

Mikey continued: "We started working with [Chris] — God, it's been about eight months, I think we started, just started chipping away at new songs. And we are now eight songs into the record, man, and it's fucking amazing. We're stoked. It's punk rock. It's got that funk element to it. We kept it real. It's got that taste of metal in there. And we kept all that loungey stuff we did on [the debut SNOT album, 1997's] 'Get Some'; we're putting that in there as well. So what we did was we tried to stay in our lane as SNOT, and I think we accomplished it. And so I can't wait to put this record out for everybody to hear it, 'cause it's on fucking point. We're very excited to release this thing."

Asked if there is a tentative release date for the new SNOT album, Mikey said: "Not yet. We're starting to think about it. I'd like to get it out definitely next year, in the spring or something, 'cause I'd like to have something to tour on for the summer festivals and all that, a new album. I'm hoping to get a new single, or our first single, out before the end of the year, with a video and all that, and maybe drop another one and then just drop the record. But it's definitely coming. We are on it. I mean, we mean business with this album."

Earlier this month, SNOT bassist John "Tumor" Fahnestock told SWOMP about the band's upcoming LP: "I never thought it could be done until we met Andy, to be honest. We've tried for the last several decades to put something together. But it feels so real now. And with the new music being written and hearing what Andy's bringing to the table, we're definitely confident we're gonna come out swinging."

Asked at what point in the process they wanted to start working on new music, or if that was always the plan, Mikey said: "No, it wasn't always the plan. We started touring and we realized how great he is. So we tried a couple of songs and it went so well, we just kept writing."

Fahnestock added: "Mikey and I had been tracking music for eight years. And then we just had it in our back pocket. And we always knew if somebody could bring something to what we've written… Otherwise we're, like, 'Well, I guess we've got a bunch of instrumentals until we find somebody.'"

Mikey chimed in: "We knew once we did the first song with Andy, we could do a record. So we've been chipping away at it."

Last month Doling shared in a social media post that the writing process for a new SNOT album was "going exceptionally well or I should say fucking killer".

He continued: "Restarting the musical SNOT engine isn't as challenging as expected. The creativity is flowing effortlessly, like back in 1995! It's stankalicious funk, punk, and high-energy rock 'n' roll with sprinkles of what we used to call lounge jams. Andy Knapp's impact and talent, on this album has been hi level, he's crushing it!"

Mikey added: "Stepping into the great Lynn Strait's role is virtually impossible, but Andy's done it head first, professionally and with class and my god he's owning it big time."

Last fall, Fahnestock told Australia's Heavy about SNOT's return to the live stage and the band's plans for the coming months: "Well, I think things are a lot different now. We're pretty much saying SNOT is back at this point. We finally found, in Andy, what we basically were dreaming of having. And I'm not saying anything negative on the past singers that we had. Before, when we put SNOT together, it wasn't, like, 'We're reforming. We're back,' anything like that. We were just more doing it for fun, for the love of music, love of Jamie [Miller, SNOT drummer] and Mikey and myself playing together. And we were, like, 'Let's go out and play the songs,' but it wasn't seriously saying, like, 'We're back and coming back to here to stay and swing,' like we are now. And, like I said, it's a blessing to have found Andy and what he's doing. And, obviously, the response from the fans has been nothing but positivity."

Asked what it was like returning to the live stage under the SNOT banner, Fahnestock said: "Yeah, coming off this last tour and seeing the response from the crowd, it brought tears to our eyes. And it brought tears to their eyes, to our fans. I'd look out and see people crying, and there are 16-year-olds and they're singing our songs and they knew all the lyrics and they're fucking losing their mind. And I wasn't expecting that at all. And it wasn't that way 10 years ago when we ran through those areas. Yeah, a lot has changed. I think there's a big resurgence now of bands from the '90s, the late '90s, getting a whole resurgence. And I see it a lot, and it's a good thing — it's a really good thing. I think that style and the ['90s] metal thing is actually coming back now and being embraced."

Reflecting on how the latest SNOT reunion came about, John said: "There was a festival in the U.S., and it's kind of where this all started, and it's called Sick New World. And I went there, and it was SYSTEM OF A DOWN and COAL CHAMBER and INCUBUS and all the bands that came up in that era. That's when Mikey and I again started getting a fire under our ass, thinking, 'Dude, if we could only find the right singer, we could do this again.' And we did. So we're back."

Asked if the new SNOT music follows the same "eclectic" direction as the band's 1990s output, John said: "Exactly. It's how we write. It's crazy. Mikey picks up a guitar and it smells like SNOT, bro. It's fucking eerie. And what's really eerie is I could hear Lynn. Like, 'What would Lynn do on this?' In my head I could hear him, 'cause it sounds like he should be there. So, yeah. It's crazy."

In September 2025, Doling told Ore Bihovsky of TotalRock's "Louder" radio show about SNOT's return to the live stage: "I'm really excited, first of all. Just having SNOT back — [I] never expected it. We found a new singer who's amazing, and he made it all possible. And we put some tickets on sale and they're all selling out, all the shows, and we're pretty blown away. We're very grateful to be doing it and super stoked."

Asked how it feels to have Knapp fronting SNOT, three decades after the band's formation and 27 years after the passing of Strait, Doling said: "Honestly, it feels kind of like it used to, with Andy. Andy brought energy to the band that we haven't seen or had since Lynn Strait… Having Andy in the band, he's brought that energy again to us. The shows are full of energy. It's wild, man."

After Ore noted that this is the first time that he has heard the members of SNOT say that the band is officially "back", Doling clarified: "Well, before, when we [played gigs with other vocalists], it was more like we wanted to fucking just get together and play. We weren't really focused on new music or promotion or selling shows. We didn't give a shit. We just wanted to go out and play. This time, we feel like we found the right singer. Also, that it's the right time to actually bring it back full blown. So we're getting in the studio, we're recording new music, we're booking tours. We've got the booking agent. And we're just going full-on, man, and it's great."

Asked about new SNOT music, Mikey said: "It's funky. It's punk. It's got attitude. It's cool. It sounds like old SNOT. And we're trying to keep it like that. We don't wanna change the sound. We wanna keep it like 1996, '97 — lots of wah pedal, lots of grooves, some heavy punk influences. It's cool."

In April 2025, SNOT recruited Doc Coyle (GOD FORBID, ex-BAD WOLVES) as the band's touring guitarist after the group's split with Sonny Mayo.

The news of Mayo's departure was broken by Doling, who stated in a video message at the time:  "Sonny Mayo has decided to quit SNOT. SNOT doesn't fit into his life right now, and he just wants to focus on himself and his life. And SNOT's just too busy for him to be able to continue.

"So I'd like to wish Sonny Mayo the best of luck in his future, and I wanna thank him for all he's contributed to SNOT over the years. We love you, brother," Mikey continued.

"That being said, our very, very good friend from GOD FORBID, formerly BAD WOLVES, Doc Coyle, is going to be filling in on guitar for the upcoming shows. And we're excited to have him on board. And thank you very much, Doc Coyle."

When SNOT's longtime drummer Jamie Miller is unable to tour with the band due to his commitments with BAD RELIGION, he is replaced on the road by Chris "Seven" Antonopoulos, who has previously played with OPIATE FOR THE MASSES and CHANNEL ZERO.

SNOT disbanded in 1998 following Strait's death, putting an end to a career that generated considerable promise but only one studio album, "Get Some". The band had been writing material for its sophomore CD and had completed 10 songs at the time of Strait's tragic passing. As a memorial to Strait, SNOT eventually decided to release those tracks, with lyrics and guest vocals provided by a host of stars from the alt-metal community. The resulting album, "Strait Up", was a fitting tribute from Strait's peers and friends, featuring members of LIMP BIZKIT, KORN, SLIPKNOT, SEVENDUST, (HED) P.E., COAL CHAMBER, SUGAR RAY, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SOULFLY, and more.

SNOT in 2014 recruited Carl Bensley (VITIATE, CONSUME THE FIRE) to sing for the band following the departure of Tommy "Vext" Cummings (ex-DIVINE HERESY, BAD WOLVES).

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lynn died in died in a car accident in December 1998 as he attempted to drive across Highway 101 in Mussel Shoals, California. The 30-year-old singer died instantly after his 1992 Ford Tempo was broadsided by a southbound full-size pickup truck about noon. Also killed was Strait's small bulldog, SNOT's mascot Dobbs, who adorned the cover of the band's debut album, the 1997 Geffen Records release "Get Some". Strait, a Santa Barbara resident, was crossing the highway after visiting his girlfriend in the community. Lynn apparently pulled into the path of the truck, which was going about 65 mph. The impact sent Strait's car spinning into the center divider where it stopped, a California Highway Patrol officer told the Los Angeles Times at the time.

Cummings fronted SNOT in 2008-2009 before he and Mayo exited the group amid "strained relationships."

Southern California's post-hardcore stalwarts MOVEMENTS will release their fourth full-length album, "Happier Now", on September 4 via Fearless Records.

Today, the band fires off not one but two new tracks with "Dissolve Me" and "Back In My Ways".

MOVEMENTS have earned their reputation in the post-hardcore scene with mathy, discordant riffs wrapped in forward-thinking melodies. The band further perfects the formula that has served it so well with "Dissolve Me", which features tense and angular riffs wrapped in shimmering, layered vocal harmonies. It's a hardcore bop that will have the kids in the pit jumping up and down and dancing like no one is watching.

"'Dissolve Me', the first track we wrote for this record, set a precedent for our writing process," explains MOVEMENTS vocalist Patrick Miranda. "Nailing the lead single for an album cycle on the first try is a significant accomplishment. It felt like the perfect culmination of energy, emotion, and growth for us sonically. Like much of the record, this song is introspective, and It's a sort of confession about my own social behaviors and the challenges I face in navigating even the smallest or most 'normal' everyday interactions. Those feelings tend to accumulate and worsen over time, to the point where they can become debilitating. Sometimes it feels like the only remedy would be to slam my head into a wall." But rather, the bandmembers channel those frustrations into their music.

MOVEMENTS have also served up a moody and melancholic volley with "Back In My Ways". It's a master class in slow burn sonic storytelling. The tinny riffs and evenly delivered vocals steadily escalate through to the final third of the song. That's when the track absolutely erupts in a torrent of riffs and a rush of emotive vocals. "Back In My Ways" hits you in all of the post-hardcore feels. Ultimately, "Back In My Ways" was a grower for the band, and one that harks back to the band's earlier sounds.

"'Back In My Ways' was a track that I kinda hated at first," offers Miranda. "I think there was part of me that was hesitant to want to slip back into the 'sadder' side of our music. Sometimes the early versions of the songs we write don't hit right away, but over time it's become one of my favorite tracks on the record. This song is a slow burn in more ways than one, and it's really special."

"Happier Now" track listing:

01. Pulse
02. Dissolve Me
03. Everything Is Fine
04. Happier Now
05. Flowerbed
06. Back In My Ways
07. Spellbound
08. Ill At Ease
09. Live By The Sword
10. Everyone I've Ever Been
11. Fragile Hands
12. Separate

"Happier Now" was once again helmed by Grammy-winning producer Will Yip (TURNSTILE, TITLE FIGHT, CIRCA SURVIVE). The result is an album that's as expansive as it is emotional and takes MOVEMENTS' signature sound to a heightened level that further establishes the band as scene statesmen.

"I think at first we weren't really sure what the record was going to be," Miranda admits. "We all had a general idea: We wanted it to bring in the early elements of our sound and blend it with the newer material like [2023's] 'Ruckus!' and mesh both of those sounds." Two of the songs that came from that initial session were the album's first two singles: the instantly infectious anthem "Dissolve Me" and moody meditation "Back In My Ways", which collectively acted as sonic north stars to guide the band through the recording process.

In many ways, "Happier Now" is a full circle moment for MOVEMENTS, who are once again performing on the Warped Tour this summer and slowly becoming veterans of the community that inspired them growing up. The struggle never sounded so sweet.

Photo credit: Adam Alonzo

Danish metal band RAUNCHY has released the official music video for its latest single, "Designed Despair". The track is taken from RAUNCHY's long-awaited new album "Prisoner", due later this year via Mighty Music. The group first studio LP in 12 years was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios.

A crushing blend of mechanized grooves, razor-sharp riffs and haunting atmospheres, "Designed Despair" channels RAUNCHY's signature balance between melody and aggression into one of their most intense and thought-provoking tracks to date.

RAUNCHY comments: "'Designed Despair' sheds light on the arcane mechanisms of systemic oppression and the engineering of invisible borders that divide, confine, and silence. Voices rise from the margins only to vanish into a void built to ignore them, as redlined boundaries and hierarchical design trap those hidden in plain sight. Ultimately, this song reflects the reality of a system that creates roads to nowhere, where escape exists only through the narrow cracks of a broken foundation."

Hailing from Thisted, Denmark, RAUNCHY has long been a defining force in the Danish metal scene and a standout name across Europe. Since the mid-1990s, the band has carved out a distinctive identity by fusing melodic death metal with industrial textures and electronic elements — a forward-thinking approach that helped shape their self-styled "death pop" sound. With a catalog marked by constant evolution and a strong presence on European stages, RAUNCHY remains one of Denmark’s most enduring and influential metal exports.

"Designed Despair" is out now on all relevant streaming services.

RAUNCHY 2026 lineup is:

Jesper Andreas Tilsted - Guitars, Keyboards (1992–present)
Lars Christensen - Guitars (1992–present)
Jesper Kvist - Bass (1992–present)
Morten Toft Hansen - Drums (1992–present)
Jeppe Christensen - Keyboards, Vocals (2001–present)
Mike Semensky - Vocals (2013–present)

Mighty Music released the first two RAUNCHY albums, "Velvet Noise" (2001) and "Confusion Bay" (2003).

Formed in 1992, RAUNCHY has released six albums, including the band's latest, 2014's "Vices.Virtues.Visions". The follow-up to 2010's "A Discord Electric" was RAUNCHY's first album to feature vocalist Mike Semesky, who replaced Kasper Thomsen.

Photo credit: Martin Paldan / Lars Christensen

In a new interview with the Thinking About Guitar podcast, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5, who has been in the band for more than three years, addressed one of the most debated topics in MÖTLEY CRÜE's live shows, namely the group's use of backing tracks. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm so glad you brought that up, and people don't wanna talk about it, but I'm so glad you brought it up, because here's the thing. I've always said, 'cause there was this talk that was going on for so long, like, 'Oh, this person's not playing live,' or, 'That person's not playing live.' Everything — Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] is playing every note up there, but it's so funny that people don't wanna accept that. They'll be, like, 'Oh, his hands aren't even on the bass,' and it'll be up in the air. But it's, like, he's fretting a note, or it's he'll have this arm up, but he's picking with this hand. But people don't understand that. Nikki plays every single note on that stage. He messes up. You can hear mistakes. Tommy [Lee, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer] plays everything. I play everything. Vince [Neil, MÖTLEY CRÜE vocalist] is singing. And I think people just don't wanna hear that. I don't understand why people don't want to accept that, but we work really hard, and the live tracks, they sound great. We play. I listen to these songs, these tracks back, and I'm, like, 'This sounds really great.' And that's 'cause we work hard at it. And that's it. Everybody plays everything."

John 5 continued: "Listen, there's backups [backing vocals] that are on track. Of course, there's backups pumped in, there's sirens pumped in, there is intros pumped in, but all the music that we're playing is being performed by us. And I'm up there singing backups, and Nikki's singing backups, and we do our best, and it's probably… I'm not a singer. I've played with some of the greatest singers in the world, but I'm doing my best with backups. But, yeah, we play all of that stuff, and I'm proud of that. I'm proud of that. And everybody just works really hard."

In August 2023, ex-MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman John Corabi, who joined the band in 1992 as the replacement for original singer Vince Neil, was asked by Cassius Morris if he thought there was any truth to Mick Mars's claim that he was the only bandmember to play 100 percent live on CRÜE's 2022 stadium tour, claiming Sixx "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour." Corabi responded: "Nowadays recording on Pro Tools, 'cause I released a couple of [solo] songs a little bit ago, if you said to me, 'Hey, can you just give me the rhythm guitar track?' I could literally just go online, highlight that track and e-mail you just that track. So as far as the drums go or any of that stuff nowadays with computers and all that shit? Yeah, it's possible. Is it happening? I don't know. I haven't toured with MÖTLEY for 27 years, 28 years."

Asked if MÖTLEY used any backing tracks while he was in the band, Corabi said: "No. I mean, we did use tracks. I'll say that right now. We were using some backing vocal tracks, and we used, for the song 'Misunderstood', there was a 53-piece orchestra on that track, so we just used the orchestra tracks to enhance what we were doing live on stage. But then Nikki was playing bass, Tommy was playing drums, Mick was playing guitar, I was playing guitar and I was singing. Now whether or not they've elaborated since — I couldn't tell you. I haven't seen MÖTLEY live since… I saw them one time in my entire life, and that was a tour they did in, like, 2003 or [200]4 with… they toured with AEROSMITH. And I saw them that one time, and I haven't seen them since. So I don't know about Mick's claims. Mick has never really been a bullshitter in the past, so if he says they were using tracks, then, you know, maybe they were. I don't know."

In June 2023, Nikki told Jen Thomas, the entertainment writer at U.K.'s Metro that "the silliest thing" he has ever read about himself and the rest of CRÜE "was from Mick Mars's attorneys," referencing the recent lawsuit filed against MÖTLEY by the band's founding guitarist. "I'm just really sad at what's happened... They put out that the band doesn't play live. We're, like, who is playing the bass then? It's literally one of the funniest things.

"Imagine being in a rock'n'roll band for 42 years and some guy in a suit puts out that the band doesn't play," Nikki continued. "The silliest thing is, because of the way a lot of media is these days, they don't cross-check. They just run with headlines and we call it clickbait. I mean, that's about as silly as it gets."

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, in his lawsuit, which was filed in April 2023 in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, the now-75-year-old musician said that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

In response to Mars's lawsuit, CRÜE's manager of more than three decades, Allen Kovac, told Variety that Mars is coming out with a list of allegations "to gain leverage in a smear campaign on MÖTLEY. He's attacked the band, and he's done it in a slanderous way, with false accusations and misrepresenting the facts to the fans. Mick is not the victim. The victims are MÖTLEY CRÜE and the brand, which Mick is so prideful of." But, he added, "What's upsetting to me is not Mick, but his representatives, who have guided Mick to say and do harmful things to the brand he cares about so much, MÖTLEY CRÜE. He has a degenerative disease and people are taking advantage of him. It's called elder abuse."

Kovac continued: "Mick's representatives have no idea what they've created, but I've stopped the band from speaking about this, so they're not gonna turn the fans against Mick. But I am going to make sure that people understand that Mick hasn't been treated badly. In fact, he was treated better than anyone else in the band, and they carried him and they saved his life."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

Regarding Mick's claim that he was the only CRÜE member to play 100 percent live on their most recent tour, Kovac told Variety: "Everything is live with Nikki's bass playing and Tommy's drum playing. When they've used loops, they're still playing. There are augmented vocals, which were (recorded) in the studio and are backgrounds behind the two ladies who are singing and (other background vocals by) John 5 and Nikki Sixx, and before that Mick and Nikki." He described the pre-recorded vocal layering as where "you multi-track and you do gang vocals with, like, 20 people, just like all the other bands do with background vocals. They've got background vocals in the mix. That's the truth.

"But Nikki played his bass and always has," Kovac continued. "Vince was singing better than he was before (on the latest tour). That was in reviews. Now, John 5 is playing like who John 5 is. I've heard John 5 perform and I heard Mick perform. Both are great guitar players. Unfortunately, Mick is not the same. He hasn't been the same for a long time. Which was in reviews! You see that the professionals knew. DEF LEPPARD (which alternated headlining spots on tour) knew. And (Mars) caused a train wreck up there, because he would play the wrong songs and the wrong parts, even with the guide tracks. When he played the wrong song, it wasn't Nikki Sixx that had a tape; it was the soundman bringing it into the mix so the audience could hear a song, even though the guitar player was playing a different song." He says audiences "would hear it at first, but (sound engineers) would fix it so that we could keep the song going. I heard it. I'd go to the soundboard."

In a new interview with the Paulieflix channel on YouTube, former IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dennis Stratton spoke about the band's recently released feature documentary, titled "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition", which hit theaters for a limited time only beginning May 7, 2026. Directed by Malcolm Venville ("Churchill At War") and produced by Dominic Freeman ("Spirits In The Forest - A Depeche Mode Film"),"Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" charts IRON MAIDEN's remarkable five‑decade journey.

Dennis, who got an opportunity to see "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" for the first time at the film's world premiere on May 5 at Cineworld Leicester Square in London, England, said about the documentary (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When you're watching it for the first time, it's a lot to take in. But because I had the pleasure of watching it twice, on a Thursday [May 7] as well in Belgrade [Serbia], there was things that I missed on the Tuesday that I picked up on the Thursday.

"I'd never met Blaze [Bayley, former IRON MAIDEN singer] before until we got on the red carpet [at the London premiere], and Blaze was in front of me. And he turned around and we had a hug, and we had some photos done together. And we said, 'We finally meet after all these years.' And we had a long chat. It was great. But at the same time, watching the film, I felt really sorry for Blaze, because the way it was narrated, it was as if the minute Blaze joins the band, they go downhill. People start burning records. People start talking about this devil cult, and then they're playing clubs. And I thought, 'Hold on a minute. This is, this is angling towards... ' It sounds like that Blaze is getting the blame for the band going downhill, which it was nothing like that. Blaze did — I think it was three albums, really good albums. As Steve [Harris, IRON MAIDEN bassist and founder] said to me on the phone, he contributed towards them albums. So you gotta take your hat off to Blaze for walking into the boots of Bruce [Dickinson, longtime MAIDEN vocalist] and then trying to pick up where Bruce left off. It's a killer job. And the way that was portrayed was, like, 'Oh, now they're playing in clubs.' And then the punchline was when Bruce came back and Steve said, 'Why do you wanna come back?' He went, 'Because I'm fed up playing small shows. I wanna play big shows.' So it was as if the minute Bruce came back, the band was massive again. It didn't sort of like jell in a friendly kind of way, if you know what I mean.'

Dennis continued: "I don't want the MAIDEN family or the MAIDEN fans saying 'it's sour grapes' or 'he's got the hump because he's [not in the band].' I haven't. It's a film for the fans. I'm proud of what I did in MAIDEN first couple of years, and also what I took into it and working on them early songs. Because, yes, in 1979, it's said many times that the band was very punky and very aggressive, and that's how we liked it. But you still had to have a bit of class, and that's when separating them guitars and adding a couple of little vocal harmonies, that's when you start making the songs a bit more interesting, not so punky, not so raw. And that's what I'm pleased about. The fact is we'd worked on them first two albums, and I think they'd come out pretty well. So, as I say, the film's fantastic for the fans, but for me, [it's] just a little bit sad that they rushed through the early days, that's all."

Dennis, who played with the emerging NWOBHM act from December 1979 until October 1980, appeared on MAIDEN's No. 4-charting self-titled debut album, contributing significantly to such classics as "Phantom Of The Opera", "Running Free" and the band's eponymous anthem "Iron Maiden".

In a March 2023 interview with Brazil's Rock Mania, Stratton was asked about his memories of the making "Iron Maiden". He said: "It was recorded very quickly. There was not a lot of thought that went into pre-production, because all the songs were already written. All they needed doing was the guitars added and then work out what we were gonna do between me and Dave [Murray, MAIDEN guitarist] to make the songs bigger and work on the harmony guitars and who's doing solos. And that was easy. But the album was recorded very quickly. Whether people like it or not, the production [was handled by] Wil Malone. Me personally, it's amazing because I feel so honored that I was part of that epic album. But at the time, 'cause we were very young and it was done very quickly, you didn't expect it to do what it did. Forty-odd years later, it's still amazing. It's such an honor to be part of that, and it always will be, 'cause it's stood the test of time. I'm just very proud to be part of it."

Asked to name his "best memories" from his time with MAIDEN, Dennis said: "Well, just the touring — the fans. Wherever we went on the KISS tour, JUDAS PRIEST tour, we were just astounded by the amount of support for this band that's only been together six, nine months. We had a big fanbase no matter where we went. But being away with KISS for all them big shows, it reminded me of being away with STATUS QUO back in the '70s, but being on tour with KISS with all the fans and the crowds and the big stadiums, yeah, [it was] unbelievable. Just seeing all the IRON MAIDEN shirts as you're driving up to a football stadium and you look out the window of the car or the bus or the coach or whatever, and you see all these IRON MAIDEN t-shirts, you go… We were a support band, so that was lovely."

Dickinson addressed the fact that "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" doesn't properly cover some of the key moments in IRON MAIDEN's history during a recent interview with Australia's Heavy. Bruce said: "When we knew there was going to be a documentary, the first thing was that we really didn't want to be involved in it in terms of editorial or whatever. You have to have a hands-off approach, because you want somebody to look at it and tell the story. Obviously, there's so many… this documentary could be ten hours long, but then everybody would lose the will to live. [Laughs] So you've got to make the story concise. There are going to be fans who say, 'Oh, they missed out this and what about that' — yeah, sure, but for people who don't know the story of IRON MAIDEN, this is a great introduction to the band. Because of that, we wanted an external take on our career and you can't really be fiddling about with that and going in every five minutes saying 'change this' or 'I don't like that', 'Oh, my hair looks messy in that picture.' None of that crap. We're not a bunch of poodles. It is a bit warts and all, but I think that's great. There's nothing in there that I would want to change."

Alongside the band, "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" features on‑camera reflections from prominent admirers, including Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, each speaking to MAIDEN's influence on music, culture and generations of fans worldwide. The "electrifying film offers an intimate look at [MAIDEN's] uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their global army of fans," according to a press release.

Spanish illustrator Alberto "Akirant" Quirantes contributes newly created key art, following his work on IRON MAIDEN's 50th-anniversary coin for the Royal Mint, which was released to celebrate the band's milestone in 2025.

During an April 13 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris was asked why now was the right time to tell the MAIDEN story in film form. Harris said: "Well, in actual fact, it wasn't us. It's about us, but not by us. That's the difference. So it's a documentary, which they came to us with an idea that they wanted to do, and it changed a little bit from the original idea. They were gonna do it more about the fans, and it still is, to a certain degree. So, yeah, it's not by us. They wanted to use our artwork and everything, and it seems like as if it's our documentary. It's not. I think they really should have put out that it's a documentary about IRON MAIDEN, not by IRON MAIDEN, because it's not us. We didn't have that control that we would normally have if we were doing it ourselves, of course."

Harris added: "Yeah, we cooperated with it and we did interviews for it and all that stuff — we did what they wanted us to do — but if we'd have done it, I think we'd have done it in a slightly different way, and I'll say no more. But I still think the end result is… Well, I'll say no more because it preempts whatever. I think people should just go and see it and see what they think."

Asked by "Trunk Nation" host Eddie Trunk if "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" covers the overall history of the band, Harris said: "Yeah, it's historical stuff. There's a lot of historical stuff for the first hour, probably, I suppose. So, yeah, I think people have gotta watch it and make their own minds up, really."

In an interview with Kerrang! magazine, IRON MAIDEN's longtime drummer Nicko McBrain was asked what the biggest surprise was for him watching "Burning Ambition". He responded: "When you think about it, there's 50 years of history to IRON MAIDEN. How do you tell that story in 90 minutes or so? That's an awful lot to cram in, but I thought it was brilliant. I was overwhelmed by the whole thing, to be honest. There was a lot of information to absorb, so I was like a sponge. But the one thing I took away is how wonderful it was to see the fans tell their stories about what we mean, and what we've meant, to them. And of course, we have the wonderful Javier Bardem — who's a great mate of mine — and Lars Ulrich, Chuck D, Gene Simmons and so many other celebrities, too. But what impressed me the most was the interaction of the fans. There were a couple of moments when they were talking that I actually started to have a tear run down my cheek and my wife just looked at me and squeezed my hand."

Formed in East London in 1975, IRON MAIDEN have grown into one of the world's most influential and enduring rock bands. Across 50 years they have released 17 studio albums, sold over 100 million records, and performed almost 2,500 concerts across 64 countries.

The documentary arrives as the band continues its two-year "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which included a triumphant homecoming performance at London Stadium a short distance from where it all began five decades ago.

A recently announced, one-of-a-kind, celebration named EddFest in historic Knebworth Park, England, on July 11 forms part of over 50 shows worldwide in 2026.

IRON MAIDEN was founded in 1975 by Harris and has grown to become one of the world's most celebrated bands. With a steady recording output beginning with their self-titled 1980 debut, they have released 17 studio albums, 13 live albums and 47 singles which have sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide. They have played almost 2,500 live shows across 64 countries and were carried to some of these aboard Ed Force One, a Boeing 757 and then later a 747 piloted by Dickinson. They have been the recipients of a Grammy Award and a Brit Award, among many other accolades, most recently joining THE ROLLING STONES and PINK FLOYD with their very own Royal Mail stamp set. Their beer, Trooper Beer, is now in its thirteenth year and has sold in excess of 40 million pints and is distributed in 68 countries, including six local variants in USA, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Australia. 2025 marked the band's official 50th year and is being celebrated by a two-year world tour titled "Run For Your Lives" and a range of events and products including their first-ever official hardcover visual history book, "Infinite Dreams".

American hard rockers TESLA have shared their cover of QUEEN's 1977 classic "Spread Your Wings", taken from their upcoming album "Homage", set for release on July 17, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl. Marking a full-circle moment in TESLA's storied career, the album finds the band returning to its roots with a collection of covers honoring some of rock's most timeless hits.

TESLA bassist, keyboardist, pianist and backing vocalist Brian Wheat comments: "'Spread Your Wings' for me was the song I always wanted to record by QUEEN. I always felt it was the one song they had in their catalog that should've been a massive hit, but wasn't because it was overshadowed by 'We Are the Champions' and 'We Will Rock You' on the 'News Of The World' album. It was also a song written by John Deacon, who was the band's secret weapon and whom not many people talk about, the quiet one, shall we say."

When "Homage" was first announced in April, TESLA shared its cover of CLIMAX BLUES BAND's iconic track "I Love You" (2026 version). The single arrived alongside an official video, available to view below.

TESLA commented at the time: "'I Love You', like all the tracks on 'Homage', not only pays tribute to legends but gives us a chance to showcase our lead singer's diversity as well as the musical dynamics we learned as a band many years ago."

It is remarkable to reflect on the more than 40 years since TESLA began as a cover band performing in California nightclubs before going on to write and record original material and sell millions of albums.

Much like their musical heroes — THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES — artists who honed their craft by performing songs from those who came before them, TESLA followed a similar path in their early years and continues to embrace the tradition of paying tribute through cover songs today.

"Homage" not only honors legendary artists but also provides an opportunity to showcase TESLA lead singer Jeff Keith's vocal diversity. The album stands as a thank-you expressed through music, an offering to the iconic voices and songs that shaped the band’s influences and, ultimately, their own songwriting.

"Homage" is not about imitation, but acknowledgment, tracing the line from influence to identity, from listening to becoming. The project also arrives more than 20 years after the "Real To Reel" series, a release that helped inspire the creation of a new original TESLA song, "Never Alone".

The selected songs on "Homage" were chosen for a variety of reasons, primarily representing some of the greatest vocalists of all time, including Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Etta James and James Brown. Additional selections reflect songs the band grew up hearing on the radio and on their turntables.

On the upcoming album, TESLA shares: "Our new album 'Homage' is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to, and the songs we would eventually write. We hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it. Thank you for all the years — keep it real and keep on rockin'!"

"Homage" track listing:

01. Never Alone (original song)
02. Bring It On Home (Sam Cooke cover)
03. Spread Your Wings (QUEEN cover)
04. I Wish It Would Rain (THE TEMPTATIONS cover)
05. Night Moves (Bob Seger cover)
06. If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley cover)
07. Come And Get It (BADFINGER cover)
08. I Got You (James Brown cover)
09. Give A Little Bit (SUPERTRAMP cover)
10. I Love You (2026 Version) (CLIMAX BLUES BAND cover)
11. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew (LYNYRD SKYNYRD cover)
12. Have You Ever Seen The Rain (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL cover)
13. I'd Rather Go Blind (Etta James cover)
14. Mind Your Own Business (Hank Williams Sr. cover)

TESLA will hit the road this summer on "The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins" tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE and EXTREME. The trek begins on July 17 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and winds its way through the United States before concluding on September 26 in Ridgefield, Washington.

Last October, TESLA completed a five-song Las Vegas residency at the House Of Blues Las Vegas inside Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino. During this exclusive run of shows, TESLA touched all sides of its unique discography, including the heavier edge of electric songs like "Modern Day Cowboy", "Hang Tough" and "Edison's Medicine", as well as the band's acoustic-driven songs such as "Signs" and "Love Song" (two Top 10 Billboard-charting hits).

TESLA previously held a residency at the House Of Blues in April 2024.

TESLA's latest six-song EP, "All About Love", was released in November 2024. The EP included four versions of "All About Love" (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of "Walk Away", a concert favorite from "Reel To Real, Vol. 1"; and another new song, "From The Heart", an instrumental track by Hannon.

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song was a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP included the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

Press photo credit: Brandon Gullion

During an appearance on the May 10 episode of "Whiplash", the 95.5 KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke about her band's upcoming North American tour as the support act for BABYMETAL. The trek will kick off on September 2 at Denver, Colorado's Ball Arena and conclude on October 1 at Phoenix, Arizona's Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre. Lzzy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Honestly, I'm so excited about the idea because it's a little off center. And we've been fans of BABYMETAL for — good Lord —a little over 10 years now. Man, I forget what record we were making, but they were kind of inching their way out into the scene, and a bunch of my friends ended up sitting me down, like, 'You have to listen to this BABYMETAL stuff. This is incredible.' So, the fact that this worked out and this opportunity kind of came in is really exciting for us because one of our favorite things to do is... I'm guessing that there's gonna be at least a decent percentage of the BABYMETAL crowd that has not actually seen a HALESTORM show before. So I'm looking forward to the handshake of, like, 'Hey, how you doing? This is what we're about.' [Laughs] It's gonna be amazing. And just the combination of our two crowds, I think that's gonna... I think they're gonna get along really well. And for me, it's, like, the weirder, the better. Let's go. It's always the best decisions, because there's this element of, like, 'I don't really know what's gonna happen,' and that's exciting to me."

As for what's on the horizon for HALESTORM beyond the BABYMETAL tour and whether there will be more live activity or studio work, Lzzy said: "It's a little bit of everything. We had a hell of a year last year. We were out pretty much consistently from, like, May through Christmas. So, we're spending a little bit of time this year, trying to make sure everybody remembers what their houses look like and their wives and [laughs] ... and kids. But other than that, yeah, there's some one-offs. We're going back over to Europe, playing Download [festival in the U.K.], and then, actually, Joe [Hottinger, HALESTORM guitarist] and I are doing some acoustic dates over there for the first time, very much like what you had seen at the Grammy Museum [in Los Angeles in early March], but gonna give Europe a taste of that. And, yeah, continuing to write and to be creative. And we have a studio in our basement, so we're gonna take advantage of that too."

HALESTORM's sixth full-length studio album, "Everest", came out last August via Atlantic Records. HALESTORM worked with producer Dave Cobb, after making three records with Nick Raskulinecz.

Fronted by Lzzy with drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

"Love Bites (So Do I)", from HALESTORM's second album in 2012, won the Grammy Award that year for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance".

In 2019, HALESTORM was nominated for "Best Rock Performance" Grammy for the song "Uncomfortable".

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

Massacre Records has announced a partnership with Polish extreme metal legends BEHEMOTH for the worldwide physical edition of their exclusive release "I, Scvlptor". Available on CD, LP, MC and limited-edition box set, the release is scheduled for September 4, 2026 — a worldwide simultaneous physical release through Massacre Records.

This release marks a significant milestone for Massacre Records, representing one of the most exciting and prestigious partnerships in the label's storied history. To be entrusted with bringing "I, Scvlptor" to fans worldwide is a testament to the label's enduring commitment to delivering the highest quality physical releases to the global metal community.

"I, Scvlptor" is an exclusive release featuring eight previously unreleased songs — a significant and self-contained body of work. Pre-orders go live on June 1, 2026, when the official cover artwork and full track listing will also be revealed. Stay tuned to the official channels of both BEHEMOTH and Massacre Records for all upcoming announcements.

"BEHEMOTH are one of the most powerful and iconic forces in extreme metal, and we could not be more honored to bring 'I, Scvlptor' to their fans on CD and vinyl worldwide," said Thomas Hertler, label manager of Massacre Records. "This is a landmark moment for our label, and we are fully committed to giving this release the presentation it deserves."

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski comments: "'I, Scvlptor' is BEHEMOTH's latest full-length release — an autonomous work that bridges our past with what is new and fresh. It features brand-new, previously unreleased tracks that embody the full force of our live energy, intensity, and the fire that has driven this band for decades. We also revisited our earliest material, reshaping it with a modern edge while preserving its ancient spirit. 'I, Scvlptor' is equally a tribute to the artists and bands without whom BEHEMOTH would never have existed. Get ready for 40 minutes of a sonic pilgrimage forged at the highest level!"

BEHEMOTH's ascent from the Polish underground to the upper echelons of the international album charts is one of extreme metal's most remarkable stories. With virtually every major release over the past two decades, the band has broken new ground commercially — without ever compromising a single note of their uncompromising vision.

"The Apostasy" (2007) marked the band's first-ever entry on the U.S. Billboard 200, debuting at No. 149 — a landmark moment that signaled the arrival of a new global force in extreme metal. "Evangelion" (2009) raised the bar further, debuting at No. 56 on the Billboard 200 and making it clear that BEHEMOTH's fanbase was growing at an extraordinary rate. "The Satanist" (2014) shattered all expectations. Debuting at No. 34 on the Billboard 200, it became the highest-charting black or death metal album in the chart's history at that time — a record-breaking achievement that sent shockwaves through the industry. The album simultaneously debuted at No. 1 in Poland on the OLIS chart, the band's home country — cementing BEHEMOTH as a mainstream cultural phenomenon as much as an underground institution. Nergal himself called it "unheard of" and noted that no black or death metal artist had ever reached a higher Billboard position. "I Loved You At Your Darkest" (2018) continued the momentum, debuting at No. 85 on the Billboard 200. In Poland, the album again dominated, reaching No. 1 on the vinyl chart and No. 4 overall. The album also charted highly across Germany, Sweden, the UK, Australia and beyond. "Opvs Contra Natvram" (2022) saw BEHEMOTH chart once more across multiple territories, including a Top 20 entry on the U.K. official albums chart (No. 19),further cementing their position as one of the most commercially viable extreme metal acts in the world.

Photo credit: Sylwia Makris and Christian Martin Weiss (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

GABI & THE FLY, the heavy metal project led by Calgary, Alberta, Canada vocalist Gabriella Lindland and Matt "Piggy D." Montgomery (former ROB ZOMBIE bassist, current MARILYN MANSON guitarist),has released its debut five-song demo, "Initiation Of Decay", exclusively on Bandcamp. A video for the song "Devil's Chain" can now be viewed below.

Montgomery is widely recognized for his 18-year run as bassist for ROB ZOMBIE, as well as his work with WEDNESDAY 13, AMEN, ALICE COOPER, THE HAXANS and MARILYN MANSON. Together, he and Gabriella push into heavier territory, drawing from sludge, grind, industrial metal, and extreme music influences to create a sound rooted in aggression and atmosphere.

GABI & THE FLY brings together Lindland's roots in Calgary's underground heavy scene with Montgomery's decades-long career in horror-driven rock and metal. Before launching the project, Lindland performed in numerous local bands spanning sludge metal, crust punk, and grind, developing a vocal style defined by force, intensity, and raw physical presence.

In addition to the digital release, fans will have access to a strictly limited pressing of 100 CDs available as part of an exclusive merch bundle while supplies last.

GABI & THE FLY fuses the raw aggression of underground extreme music with the experience and precision of veteran heavy musicianship. "Initiation Of Decay" serves as the first glimpse into the band's emerging sound as they continue work on their forthcoming debut full-length album.

"Initiation Of Decay" track listing:

01. Lust For Violence
02. I Feel Your Shadow
03. Sacred Heart
04. Devil's Chain
05. World Of Hate

Matt played his first show with Manson in August 2024 at the kick-off concert of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's summer 2024 arena tour.

Montgomery joined Rob Zombie in 2006 as the replacement for Rob "Blasko" Nicholson. Nicholson left Zombie in May 2006 in order to join Ozzy Osbourne's recording/touring band. Nicholson rejoined Zombie in 2024 following Montgomery's departure.

Montgomery's debut performance with Rob Zombie came on May 24, 2006 during an appearance on CBS's "Late Night Show With David Letterman".

Montgomery played bass on the Rob Zombie studio albums "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" (2010),"Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" (2013),"The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" (2016) and "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" (2021).

In addition to his work with Zombie and Manson, Montgomery has collaborated with Alice Cooper, John 5 and Wednesday 13. He's also released solo music and is a member of THE HAXANS alongside NEW YEARS DAY singer Ash Costello.

In a recent interview with Jerry Kurunen of Rauta, vocalist/bassist Stian "Nagash" Arnesen of THE KOVENANT spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's first studio album in more than 20 years. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we started THE KOVENANT again now. But the whole thing was we basically just wanted to do some shows, some festivals and just have a little bit fun with it. And then it turned out that we all remembered how fun it was to play together and how good we play together. So suddenly Hellhammer [THE KOVENANT drummer, also of MAYHEM] was, like, 'Dude, we have to do a new album. We have to do new music.' So we started writing new material, and now we have, like, maybe half of the album is finished, and it's a mix of allTHE KOVENANT albums. The four first [songs] we finished now, it sound very [much like a] mix of the first album and 'Nexus Polaris' — very aggressive, very dark, very atmospheric. [There's] a lot of keyboards and stuff, but very black metal. And then, of course, me, I have to put in all the electronic stuff, all the symphonic things in there. And so we're gonna see what it ends up as, but for now it's not like going back, but it's like mixing everything together."

Last August, Nagash told Colombia's Savage Noise Media about the musical direction of the new THE KOVENANT material: "With me, I hate to do the same album twice. I don't play in AC/DC, so you're not going to get the same album for 40 years. So, the new album, it's different from all the others, but it is more metal. It's a bit darker, but it's a mix between all the albums, plus new stuff, of course, 'cause it's been such a long time and everyone has evolved as musicians and stuff. But it sounds very KOVENANT. The people I've played the demo tracks to so far, they all say, like, 'Holy shit, this sounds like KOVENANT.' So it's not like we're going back either with this new one, like, 'Oh, we're gonna do 'Nexus Polaris' part two' or something. But there are some elements from 'Nexus' that we have on the new album, like all this whole symphonic, a little bit technical, weird riffs and stuff."

Regarding the songwriting process for THE KOVENANT's new music, Nagash said: "Basically, it's me and [Steinar] Sverd [Johnsen, keyboards] who are writing at the moment, most of it. But then we also have the new guitarists, both of them, Ghul [Charles Hedger] from MAYHEM also joined, and Knut [Magne Valle] from ARCTURUS, and they both have very interesting approaches to music. And we're gonna include all of that. So we're gonna focus on the new album, for sure. Not just one, but more."

On the topic of which record label THE KOVENANT is working with at the moment, Nagash told Savage Noise Media: "We have interest from a lot of labels. We have a really great management who also does EMPEROR and SAMAEL and bands like this. And he's very respected in the whole industry, so we are relying a lot on him to help us with the deals, 'cause we have lots of interest from big labels, medium labels, even smaller labels. So we'll see what we're gonna do."

In a separate August 2025 interview with Colombia's iRock, Nagash was asked if he believes THE KOVENANT, after having gone through several lineup changes, is tied to specific members or it's more of a conceptual project that can survive beyond who is in the band at any given time. He responded: "Um, [that's a] hard question, actually. So even if the band — take CRADLE OF FILTH or DIMMU BORGIR as an example, even if they change members, it still kind of stays the same. A little bit changes, small differences here and there, but with KOVENANT it's very different because the only thing we're not trying to do is to recreate the same album twice. That's the only thing I refuse to do, 'cause I don't play in fucking AC/DC or KISS, so I don't want to do the same album for 40 years, like 'Nexus Polaris' one, two, three, four, five, six and stuff. I also like to experiment with things. If I hear something cool and I want to try it in music, I will, because I don't give a shit what other people think. So in that regard, I think KOVENANT is very different from a lot of bands when it comes to that. The members influence the music, of course, but I think the main essence of the band has always been myself and the guy [Amund Svensson] I also started KOVENANT with, Blackheart or Psy Coma, as he is also known, even though he is not with us anymore in the band. It's just how I am as a person. So I can't release the same album again and again and again. It's fucking boring. And you could probably make a lot of money from it and stuff, but I'm not in this for the money. I do this because I like to create music. I like to talk to people. I like to have a message and stuff like this."

THE KOVENANT returned to the live stage in December 2024 at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting festival in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

At some of its recent shows, THE KOVENANT, which won a Norwegian Grammy equivalent, called Spellemannsprisen, in 1999 in the category of "Best Hard Rock Album" for the "Nexus Polaris" LP, performed that effort in its entirety, along with tracks from "Animatronic", plus classics from THE KOVENANT's debut album, "In Times Before The Light".

While the band faces challenges with the absence of founding member Psy Coma due to health issues, the aforementioned Knut Magne Valle from the legendary band ARCTURUS has stepped in to ensure that the magic continues to flow seamlessly.

THE KOVENANT was formed in 1993 under the name COVENANT by two black metal artists known as Nagash (Stian Arnesen) and Blackheart (Amund Svensson),who released the debut album, "In Times Before The Light" (1997). The band signed with the German record company Nuclear Blast in 1998 and recruited four other members to form an actual band: Astennu (of DIMMU BORGIR, CARPE TENEBRUM),Sverd (of ARCTURUS),Sarah Jezebel Deva (of CRADLE OF FILTH and others) and Hellhammer (of MAYHEM and others). With these new recruits, they released their second album, "Nexus Polaris", which was hugely successful and is largely considered their best album to date by fans.

Following a dispute with a Swedish electronic band of the same name, in 1999 COVENANT changed its name to THE KOVENANT. The name change also signaled a musical shift into an industrial metal-influenced sound.

In the beginning THE KOVENANT had a sound much similar to DIMMU BORGIR. Indeed, Nagash has played in the band and is a longtime friend to the lead vocalist Shagrath. On the "Nexus Polaris" album, the band developed a more industrial sound but still with a strong symphonic black metal influence. A re-release of "Nexus Polaris" was made in 2002. The original tracks were left untouched but two versions of "New World Order", a song from their 1999 album "Animatronic", were included as a bonus.

The new lineup of METAL CHURCH made its live debut last night (Sunday, May 17) at the San Luis Metal Fest at Teatro del Pueblo in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

METAL CHURCH's current lineup consists of founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof alongside longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bass icon David Ellefson (MEGADETH),powerhouse drummer Ken Mary (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, FIFTH ANGEL, ALICE COOPER, HOUSE OF LORDS, TKO, CHASTAIN) and dynamic new vocalist Brian Allen (VICIOUS RUMORS).

Last November, it was announced that METAL CHURCH was returning with a "revitalized" lineup consisting of Vanderhoof alongside Van Zandt, Ellefson, Mary and Allen. The announcement came nearly two years after METAL CHURCH canceled its 2024 tour dates due to "an ongoing back issue" suffered by Vanderhoof.

METAL CHURCH's new album, "Dead To Rights", was released on April 10 via Rat Pak Records. The LP was produced by Vanderhoof and mixed and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z.

During a December 2025 appearance on "The David Ellefson Show" podcast, Vanderhoof stated about how the latest version of METAL CHURCH came to be: "Well, it was a couple years ago, after we just did our Australia run. And when we came back, things just really fell apart. Stet [Howland, former METAL CHURCH drummer] quit, Stet left, 'cause he wasn't happy with the way business was going. The other two guys kind of felt the same. I felt the same for different reasons, and for me, it was, like, 'This isn't any fun and this is no good.' And at my age, at this many years of doing this, if it's not fun. I'm out. If there's just drama and stuff like that, I'm just not interested. So I let everyone know, 'Hey, I'm shutting this down. Sorry. I'm done with this. This is not working.' And, basically, I thought we were done. And then about a year and a half later, just out of the blue, these opportunities [came up] with people that were interested that would be a good fit if I was to resurrect the band, and it kind of resurrected itself. We ended up getting Brian Allen, the singer, who came through his friend, and our friend as well, Todd La Tore from QUEENSRŸCHE. He had pushed Brian to send some kind of audition tapes or something to me and to Joe [O'Brien] at Rat Pak [Records, METAL CHURCH's record label]. And he did, but I didn't know it at the time. And all of a sudden Joe sends me a couple of MP3 files. He goes, 'Hey, check this out.' And it was 'Start The Fire' and a song off 'The Human Factor'. And I started playing 'Start The Fire', and I was, like, 'Is this an unreleased vocal track of David Wayne?' I was, like, 'Wow. All right.' And then I listened to the other one, and it's, like, 'Well, he's singing the Mike Howe stuff too.' Again, at this point, I really hadn't made any decisions on what was gonna happen. Again, I thought we were done. And so that was very inspiring. That was kind of, like, 'All right. Well, okay. That just came out of nowhere to me. What are you trying to tell me?' And then after that, it was through Rat Pak — Dave was in contact with Rat Pak because of the ELLEFSON-SOTO record. And the discussion just kind of started."

Kurdt continued: "So, I guess to make a long story endless, I had really no intentions of starting up the band again, but the band resurrected itself through those kind of channels, and it was just something that just kept going step by step. Again, very similar to what happened a few years ago with the 'Congregation Of Annihilation' [2023] lineup. Again, I didn't really plan on it. It's the band that wouldn't die. So I'm embracing it, and it's really great. And to have somebody like Dave, and then also to bring Ken Mary on, and then to have Brian, who's just really nailing the METAL CHURCH sound. It's, like, 'Well, this is definitely worth doing.' And with the new song and the reaction to the new video, it seems to be a good thing to do. So that's kind of the long and short of it, basically. Again, it just kind of happened."

Elaborating on how the material for the new METAL CHURCH album came together, Kurdt said: "Like I said, I'm sitting here and all of a sudden these great people just became available and were interested in doing this. And I had to literally stop, 'cause I was, like, 'Wait. What? I hadn't planned on this.' I wrote a bunch of metal stuff and a bunch of riffs and stuff, which I do anyway.

"When everything fell apart, I went on to make other records," he explained. "I did the HALL AFLAME record, the new PRESTO BALLET record, which are different styles, but I'm always writing something. So there was this pile of stuff, and it was already kind of right there. So as this thing kind of fell into place, it was definitely ready to go. And also [former METAL CHURCH drummer] Jeff Plate was initially gonna be involved [with the new METAL CHURCH lineup] when we decided to go forward, and he started, but then as the thing started, the SAVATAGE reunion just took off, and I couldn't be happier for him. So he wasn't able to really see it through. But kudos to Jeff… 'Cause they're [SAVATAGE] kicking ass right now and it's doing great. So he couldn't be involved. And then Ken Mary became available. And Ken and I have a history, 'cause we're both from Seattle and we did shows together way back in the day, in the mid-'80s, with TKO. And while we were in the studio with [producer] Terry Date, he was in the studio with FIFTH ANGEL, with Terry Date. Terry was playing our stuff to him and he was playing [their] stuff to us, and so there's this big incestuous kind of thing. So Ken Mary being available and interested in doing it just made perfect sense."

Born out of the explosive West Coast metal scene of the early '80s, METAL CHURCH quickly established themselves as one of the genre's most formidable and musically sophisticated bands. After signing with Elektra Records, the group released two landmark albums — their self-titled debut "Metal Church" and its follow-up "The Dark" — both of which remain essential listening in the heavy metal canon. As the U.S. metal wave surged, METAL CHURCH hit the road with labelmates METALLICA, further solidifying their reputation for precision, power, and uncompromising intensity.

The band continued to evolve into the late '80s and early '90s, tackling political and social themes with vocalist Mike Howe on the acclaimed albums "Blessing In Disguise" and "The Human Factor". While many peers shifted toward the era's commercial trends, METAL CHURCH stayed true to their heavy roots — a commitment that earned them a loyal global following.

In 2016, the band reunited with Howe for their eleventh studio album "XI", which debuted at No. 57 on the Billboard Top 200 and charted internationally, marking one of the strongest comebacks in modern metal. Its 2018 successor, "Damned If You Do", continued that momentum with additional worldwide chart success and reaffirmed the band's enduring relevance.

Singer Marc Lopes joined METAL CHURCH in the summer of 2022 as the replacement for Howe, who tragically passed away in July of 2021. Lopes's first and only studio album with METAL CHURCH, "Congregation Of Annihilation", came out in May 2023 via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe). The LP was produced by Vanderhoof.

METAL CHURCH made its live debut with Lopes on June 3, 2023 at the Legions Of Metal festival at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois.

Christian hard rockers SKILLET performed a new song called "Scream" during their headlining concert on Thursday (May 14) at Arena 8888 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Prior to launching into the track, SKILLET vocalist/bassist John Cooper told the crowd (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Maybe what we should do is this. Maybe we should play a new song, not only for the first time, but for the only time on the whole tour. Does that sound good?

"This song is gonna come out next month. You are the first people in the world to hear it. And I wrote it because the world has gone crazy and people are angry. And it breaks my heart to see what all of us humans do to one another. It makes me wanna pray. It makes me wanna treat people better. It makes me wanna listen more. Maybe not talk so much. I talk a lot. It makes me wanna play rock and roll because rock and roll makes people feel better. But every once in a while, talking about it isn't enough. Sometimes you just want to scream."

In a December 2025 interview with U.K.'s The Sound Lab, John confirmed that SKILLET would release new music in 2026. "We're working on it now," he said. "We have a couple of songs finished already. So I'm kind of hoping that next year will be the release of new music that will be a nice 30-year kind of… I don't know… Starting over — let's start over again, release new music. Feel like a young person again, releasing songs that you love and songs that you believe in, singing about things that you care about. That's what I hope."

Asked about the musical direction of the new SKILLET material, John said: "Yeah, we are in the middle of that now. Sometimes you don't wanna speak too early because things can change in the studio. You're sure it's gonna be one thing and then all of a sudden it starts [going in a different direction]. But that kind of happened a little early this time, and so I feel like I can share a little bit.

"The Christmas song that we [released in November, 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel'], we did experiment with some of the new things that we are already trying in some of our newer music. And it's been kind of fun because it's been a bit of a… SKILLET's been around for so long, we've had so many different sounds and things we've tried. We have a lot in the arsenal, so you can kind of pull out something that maybe you hadn't done in a little while and try to make it fresh again. And that's kind of what we did on this Christmas song on the really heavy parts. There's some more metal aspects to that that I don't think we've done anything that heavy since, like, 2003 maybe. And that was really fun, getting to do some of the really low tunings again. And we've always done a little bit of it, but we kind of went overboard. And that's because we're kind of going a little bit that direction on the new stuff as well. Also, what's kind of cool with this resurgence of metal is… For people that've seen SKILLET live, they may or may not recognize — I don't know — SKILLET live, we have more touches… I don't mean we're overboard prog, but we have some touches of prog metal in our set, more than we do on our records. And some of that is because as music shifts and changes, some of the younger fans weren't really understanding that stuff 10 years ago. It just wasn't in their wheelhouse. We did a touch of that at the very end of a song, one of our songs called 'The Resistance'. 'The Resistance' ends with this prog rock kind of jam session, and our fans loved it, but we're having a little bit more of that in our live show. And so now we're able to bring some of that. We did it in the Christmas [song], 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel', and we're doing some of that in the new music as well. And I'm, like, why not? It's 30 years. We need to come out with a bang and show people that we're still as young as we used to be— ish [laughs], sort of."

In various interviews over the years, John Cooper has said that he "always had faith in God" and that his mother was a "Jesus fanatic." He also claimed that he was willing to put his career on the line to take a stand for Christ.

In April 2021, Cooper told the "Undaunted.Life: A Man's Podcast" that it was perfectly fine for Christians to play rock music. "I would say that music is created not by the Devil; [it is] created by the Lord," he said. "All things were created by God. So instead of thinking that the Devil owns a genre of music, I would say capture that music and bring it back into subjection under the Lordship of Christ."

John has written in depth about his views in the two books he has released so far, "Awake & Alive To Truth", which came out in December 2020, and "Wimpy, Weak, And Woke", which became available in late 2023.

Cooper told Baptist Press about how his faith directs him to speak out on cultural issues: "If Jesus is the truth, then that means He has something to say about culture, politics, abortion and sexuality. The Bible has something to say about these things."

SKILLET's latest album, "Revolution", arrived in November 2024 via the band's Hear It Loud imprint.

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SHINEDOWN has officially made history once again as the band's latest single, "Safe And Sound", reaches No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart. This milestone marks the band's 25th No. 1 at the format and extends their record for the most No. 1 songs in Mediabase Active Rock chart history. The achievement further solidifies SHINEDOWN's place as one of the most dominant and consistent forces in music, all in time for their new album, "Ei8ht", to arrive on May 29 via Atlantic Records.

The chart-topping success of "Safe And Sound" arrives during a massive moment for the multi-platinum band, who continue to dominate both onstage and online. In recent weeks, SHINEDOWN delivered a standout performance on the grand finale of "American Idol" alongside finalist Philmon Lee, headlined Sonic Temple festival, SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers sat down for an emotional interview with Allison Hagendorf, Brent chatted with American Songwriter's "Song Diving Podcast" and Zach showcased his sneaker expertise on "The Downbeat Podcast". Not to mention this year they were crowned "Best Rock Artist" at iHeartRadio Music Awards two years in a row and have been featured in Rolling Stone, Parade, Billboard, USA Today and more in anticipation of their new album.

The band's momentum will continue this summer as they just kicked off the "Dance Kid Dance Act II" world tour, spanning 11 countries and more than 50 dates across North America and Europe. Continuing the band's long-standing philanthropic efforts, SHINEDOWN will donate $1 from every ticket sold on tour to City Of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States. The initiative follows the band's previous partnership with Musicians On Call during their last tour, which helped raise more than $300,000 to support the organization's mission of delivering music to patients, families, and caregivers in healthcare environments nationwide.

"Ei8ht" follows an incredible run for the band that has already included the No. 1 rock singles "Dance, Kid, Dance", "Killing Fields" and "Searchlight", alongside crossover success for "Three Six Five", which reached No. 1 at Alternative radio while also climbing the Hot AC and Top 40 charts. From arena stages and major television appearances to viral online moments and chart history, SHINEDOWN continue to prove they are operating at the peak of their career more than two decades in. Produced by bassist and songwriter Eric Bass at the band's own Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina, the album showcases the band continuing to evolve creatively while maintaining the massive hooks, emotional honesty, and explosive energy that have made them one of the biggest bands in the world.

MASSACRE frontman Kam Lee, who was a member of an early version of DEATH as well as the pre-DEATH band MANTAS alongside guitarist/vocalist Chuck Schuldiner and guitarist Rick Rozz, will handle lead vocals for British death metal veterans BENEDICTION during their November 2026 tour of Latin America.

Lee's addition to BENEDICTION's touring lineup comes one week after it was announced that BENEDICTION vocalist Dave Ingram was stepping down from the band due to ongoing health issues. BENEDICTION confirmed that Ingram will still appear at select shows throughout 2026, depending on his health. BENEDICTION will also play other concerts with fill-in vocalists, including Oscar Rilo and returning frontman Dave Hunt.

Earlier today (Monday, May 18),BENEDICTION released the following statement via social media: "FROM BEYOND!… Exciting news for our friends in Latin/South America!! BENEDICTION can now confirm that the guy assuming the frontman/vocalist position on their LATAM tour in November will be the original voice of Death Metal, Kam Lee!

"The band are super excited about the prospect of working with Kam and are looking forward to going back on the road in one of their favorite territories.

"Go grab your tickets and let's make this historic event something people will talk about for years!!!

"This promises to be a real case of ‘legends collide’ and a true celebration of 'OLD SCHOOL! DEATH METAL!'"

Kam added in a statement: "I am excited to be joining BENEDICTION as vocalist for the LATAM tour. Given my long-term friendship with Dave Ingram, it was vital for me to obtain his dark blessing before stepping into this position. The band has been aided by notable talent, including Oscar Rilo and Dave Hunt, who have both delivered impressive live performances. I'm eager to follow their lead and hope to adequately represent the band and satisfy the fans."

Originally a member of BENEDICTION from 1991 to 1998, Ingram returned in 2019 and has since released two albums with the group.

According to Ingram, the "increase in pain" from arthritis meant he would be unable to continue as BENEDICTION's frontman.

Ingram said: "Some sad news ahead. Due to the current state of my arthritis now, I have to withdraw as vocalist for BENEDICTION. The increase in pain, and the frustration it causes from its debilitation, has led me to this disconsolate decision.

"I will be performing select shows with the band during 2026 as I would like a chance to say farewell and thank you to the fans who have supported us throughout the years, so hope that all attending them will have an awesome time with us.

"It saddens me greatly, and I hope that friends and fans alike will understand. Thank you, it has truly been a blast!"

BENEDICTION's latest album, "Ravage Of Empires", came out in April 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. "Ravage Of Empires" was the band's ninth full-length since forming back in 1989 in Birmingham, England.

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Earlier this month, Mats Levén played two shows at Otsuka Hearts Plus in Tokyo, Japan that focused heavily on the material from the sole Yngwie Malmsteen album the Swedish singer appeared on, 1997's "Facing The Animal". Backing Mats at the gigs were Jien Takahashi (guitar),Ollie Bernstein (bass),Kohta (keyboards) and Kouta Mikawa (drums).

Fan-filmed of the second of the two concerts, which took place on May 12, can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the show was as follows:

01. Braveheart (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
02. Sacrifice (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
03. Heathens From The North (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
04. Enemy (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
05. End Of My Rope (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
06. Alone In Paradise (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
07. My Resurrection (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
08. Playing With Fire (Yngwie Malmsteen song) ("Facing the Animal" demo track)
09. Poison In Your Veins (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
10. Air On A Theme (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
11. Like An Angel (For April) (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
12. Only The Strong (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
13. Casting Pearls Before The Swine (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
14. Another Time (Yngwie Malmsteen song)
15. Facing The Animal (Yngwie Malmsteen song)

Encore:

16. Hit The Ground Running (VANDENBERG song)
17. Rock 'N' Roll City (SWEDISH EROTICA song)
18. Fallen Angel (AT VANCE song)

In a backstage interview with Stefan Nilsson of Roppongi Rocks, Mats stated about his decision to revisit the "Facing The Animal" material nearly three decades later (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it kind of felt like they wanted me to do Yngwie stuff, so we said, 'Okay, let's do the whole album,' 'cause it's a pretty cool album. It was, like, ridiculous to do it, because it's so much work to learn all the lyrics again, because I refuse to look at monitors or anything, so... But it was cool. I made it. I remembered the lyrics. And it's cool to play it 28 years later in the original keys, so it's like a challenge. But we did it really well. The guys played really well… It [was] awesome. We just had a really good show. I'm happy."

Asked if these will be the only two shows featuring a performance of "Facing The Animal" in its entirety, Mats said: "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I might do it somewhere else. I had some requests, but I have to wait and see. I've got a lot of shows with VANDENBERG for the rest of the year."

Last December, Yngwie blasted some of the singers he worked with early in his solo career for allegedly "trying to capitalize from [his] brand". The 62-year-old musician, who has worked with a number of acclaimed vocalists over the years, including Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals, Joe Lynn Turner, Göran Edman, Michael Vescera, Mats Levén and Tim "Ripper" Owens, with Nick Marino most recently handling some of the vocal duties live, took to his social media to write: "So it has come to my attention that these hired and paid singers that I hired for my solo records are all trying to capitalize from my brand!

"Let's be clear: performing on MY SOLO records does not equal ownership, authorship, or legacy. Writing a line here and there doesn't make someone a songwriter, and singing my material doesn't make it theirs. They were merely given a salary (work for hire) to put down MY written parts, just like the keyboard player, bassist, drummer etc.

"If the only way you can tour or get attention is by leaning on my brand and using my name and album titles and my SOLO catalog, then you've already answered the question of who actually built something. And -What have they recorded/created the last 30,40 years?"

It's unclear what prompted Malmsteen's outburst, but it could have had something to do with the fact that Levén had already announced at that point that he would play two shows in Japan focusing on "Facing The Animal". Separately, Boals and Vescera have announced a European tour for September 2026 dubbed "The Seventh Trilogy Tour". An admat for the tour shared on social media bills the singers as "The Voices Of Yngwie Malmsteen."

Boals appeared on four Yngwie studio albums, including the hard rock classic "Trilogy".

Vescera recorded two full-length studio records with Malmsteen as well as an EP, various videos and the "Live At Budokan" DVD in the 1990s.

Earlier in December, Mats was asked by a fan if he had any input when it came to writing the lyrics for "Facing The Animal". The Swedish singer responded: "Well, at bit different from song to song…a song like 'Braveheart', Yngwie had the title to the song and then I wrote most of the lyric and some melody lines.

"Yngwie was quite open to letting me contribute. I wrote 30-35% of the 'Facing The Animal' album.

"'Alone In Paradise' was an old idea from the 'Odyssey' [album]. I only completed that lyric. Actually, Joe Lynn Turner's backing vocals were still there when we recorded. Tracks like 'Enemy' and 'Facing The Animal', I wrote all lyrics and melody lines for."

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Kevin Klingenschmid.

Only four of the songs on Yngwie's latest album, 2021's "Parabellum" featured vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

Yngwie released a live album, "Tokyo Live", in April 2025 via Music Theories Recordings. The concert was recorded at the Zepp DiverCity, Tokyo on May 11, 2024 as part of Yngwie's 40th-anniversary world tour.

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Björn Strid (SOILWORK, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA),Dino "Jelusick" Jelusić (ex-WHITESNAKE),Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, TREAT, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN),Pontus Egberg (KING DIAMOND),Joakim Svalberg (OPETH),Linnea Wikström Egg (THUNDERMOTHER, THERION) and Kee Marcello (ex-EUROPE, EASY ACTION) are among the more than 20 musicians who took part in the 2026 edition of the "Stargazer Alliance" memorial concert for Ronnie James Dio, which was held this past Saturday (May 16) at Bibliotek Bar & Restaurang in Medborgarplatsen, Stockholm, Sweden. The non-profit charity event in aid of the Cancerfonden, the Swedish Cancer Society, featured performances of many of Dio's classic hits from RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

Ronnie James Dio, best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and his own band DIO, died of stomach cancer just over 15 years ago (May 16, 2010) at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer, who was recording and touring with SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

A free public memorial service was held on May 30, 2010 at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, attended by more than 1,500 fans, friends and fellow musicians.

In March 2011, it was announced that the surviving members of the final lineup of DIO would embark on a project with former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens under the name DIO DISCIPLES.

Ronnie James Dio, real name Ronald James Padavona, was born in New Hampshire on July 10, 1942.

He moved to Cortland, New York at a young age, where he began playing with local acts. A street in Cortland, Dio Way, was named after him in 1988.

He released his first single, with a band called RONNIE AND THE REDCAPS, in 1959.

His first heavy rock act, ELF, released three albums and opened for DEEP PURPLE, where Dio's voice caught the ear of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Blackmore recruited Dio for his own band, RAINBOW, after leaving PURPLE in 1975.

Dio recorded three studio albums and one live set with RAINBOW before exiting in 1978, including "Rising" and "Long Live Rock And Roll".

He replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner in 2006. HEAVEN & HELL released an album called "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

He also recorded 10 studio albums with his own band, DIO, including a classic 1983 debut, "Holy Diver", and an equally renowned follow-up, 1984's "The Last In Line".

Dio was also behind the HEAR N' AID project, a collection of metal artists who recorded the track "Stars" in 1985 to raise funds for African famine relief.

Rock and metal musicians around the world paid tribute to Dio in the weeks and months following his death. SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor shared his feelings with The Pulse Of Radio about the fallen metal icon. "When I got that news that he had passed away, man, it seriously — it broke my heart. It broke it in two. Because honestly, I just feel like there will never be another Ronnie James Dio. He had such a pure voice — and still singing his ass off. I just know he'll be missed, and I will miss him as well."

Ex-VAN HALEN and current SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE bassist Michael Anthony also shared his memories of Dio with The Pulse Of Radio. "I don't know anybody that didn't grow up listening to his stuff," he said. "You know, VAN HALEN, we used to do from the first RAINBOW album, we did 'Man On The Silver Mountain'. I remember one time, the second VAN HALEN tour we were doing some festivals in Europe, and we actually played on the same show as Ronnie's band. Real powerful voice, you know, and definitely a driving force in hard rock music, that guy was."

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that he felt the loss of Dio very keenly. "He's just somebody I was influenced by," he said. " I played all the RAINBOW stuff, I played the DIO stuff, the SABBATH stuff when I was in, you know, high school. I don't think that it's really set in what a, you know, huge figure in rock 'n' roll we lost, you know. Really major. Probably one of the most influential heavy metal singers of all time."

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Guitarist John 5 kicked off his European tour on Thursday, May 14 at the Underworld in London, England. Apart from a few shows in 2016, this is John's first-ever solo tour in these territories.

Fan-filmed video of the entire London show can be seen below, courtesy of TwinPines Music and SwitchCritch.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the concert was as follows:

01. Wicked World
02. Season Of The Witch (JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES song)
03. The Ghost
04. Six Hundred And Sixty Six Pickers In Hell, CA
05. Howdy (JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES song)
06. Strung Out
07. Fiend
08. La Express
09. Crank It - Living With Ghosts (JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES song)
10. How High The Moon (Morgan Lewis cover)
11. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (QUEEN cover)
12. I Am John 5 (JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES song)
13. Deviant
14. Georgia (On My Mind) (HOAGY CARMICHAEL AND HIS ORCHESTRA cover)
15. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (EURYTHMICS cover)
16. Que Pasa (JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES song)
17. You Me And The Devil Makes Three
18. Moon Glow
19. The Black Grass Plague (JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES song)
20. Mötley Crüe Medley

For over 30 years, John 5 has been one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet. John has shared stages and recording studios with Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Meat Loaf, Dolly Parton and more, and is now a member of MÖTLEY CRÜE.

Since 2011 John has released a dozen solo albums highlighting his unique style of playing that has been entertaining and impressing audiences around world. His latest album was the critically acclaimed "Ghost", released in October 2025.

Last year, John 5 told Illinois Entertainer about the musical diversity on "Ghost" and his approach to making the record: "The love I have for all these different styles of music… there's a Robert Johnson-esque one on there ('You, Me And The Devil Makes Three'),and there's 'Moon Glow', a jazz standard. And, of course, tons of rock and craziness. How we did this record was, I wanted to do everything as a performance. I would work on it for a few weeks and get it down pat and record it as a performance. And if I messed up, I would start over from the top and record with no overdubs or anything — or no punch-ins, I should say. So everything you hear from it is just a live performance, and it was a lot of fun that way. I don't know why I did it that way, but it was really a lot of fun."

In an October 2025 interview with Orlando Weekly, John 5 stated about the touring lifestyle: "I really love being on the road. A lot of people aren't cut out for it, but I just really, really enjoy it. It's super relaxing."

He added: "I am very health-conscious all the time but especially on the road. I try to go to bed around the same time every night because getting sleep is the most important thing you can do, eat right, and take vitamins. It's not the rock and roll answer people expect, but it's true. That’s how I stay ready for 50 shows in a row."

In October 2022, it was announced that John 5 would be joining MÖTLEY CRÜE as their guitarist following Mick Mars's decision to retire from the road. John 5 continues to tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE, including an upcoming U.S. summer 2026 tour.

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

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Lzzy Hale, lead singer of HALESTORM, joined DAUGHTRY on stage this past Friday (May 15) at the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio to perform a cover of the JOURNEY classic "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" . Fan-filmed video of the collaboration can be seen below.

A studio recording of DAUGHTRY's and Lzzy's version of "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" was made available in January 2023, exactly 40 years to the day that the original song was released on January 5, 1983.

"Chris Daughtry and I have been threatening to unleash a duet for years. What better way to do that than by paying tribute to one of our mutual influences…. JOURNEY!" Lzzy said at the time. "This song is not only part of the 'Stranger Things' soundtrack, but has been my go-to for karaoke for as long as i can remember! I'm so honored to have been a part of this and I hope it makes you smile as big as I did while recording it!"

Chris added: "I've always loved the song and I was wanting to do a classic cover and my wife and I were watching the 'Stranger Things' season finale and there's this incredibly intense scene and 'Separate Ways' was a big part of this scene. It was so moving just the way it was used, it felt so cool and epic and I was immediately like 'THIS is the one! We have to cover this song.' Then I was, like, 'How can we make this extra special? What if it was a duet? What if we got Lzzy on it!!??" Needless to say I was pumped she said yes and I absolutely love how it turned out."

That same month, Chris told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about covering "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" with Lzzy: "Lzzy and I have been talking about doing a duet, whether it be an original or a cover, for a long time. When we did that acoustic tour she came out on one of the dates and did an acoustic cover of ALICE IN CHAINS' 'Man In The Box', and, I was thinking, 'Maybe we should record that,' and then this idea came up. I was, like, 'Hey, would you be interested in covering 'Separate Ways'?"

In February 2023, Hale told American Songwriter about her collaboration with DAUGHTRY: "We've been kind of chasing each other for years and years and wanted to do something together, so when Chris was in Nashville recording 'Separate Ways', he cold called me. I was, like, 'Dude, that's my go-to karaoke song,' so I ended up recording for about an hour and then screwing around for the rest of the time and just catching up on everything, on his life and my life. So that was the whole arc of our journey — literally, JOURNEY."

Lzzy went on to say that she has known Chris since 2008 when HALESTORM was working on its self-titled debut and DAUGHTRY was recording its second LP, "Leave This Town". "We just hit it off, and it's been this kind of cat-and-mouse game of 'Hey, do you want to do this?' 'Oh, no, I got to do this.' 'Hey, I'm too busy, but let's do something,'" she recalled.

Hale added: "Chris is one of those guys that since we met, no matter where you are in the world, you can pick up right where you left off. You don't have to talk to each other all the time. We're just on the same wavelength — and not to mention his incredible voice. I've sung with a lot of people and had a lot of collaborations in my day, and with Chris, we can kind of go toe-to-toe, and he's just as nerdy about it as I am."

Irish singer and three-time Eurovision Song Contest winner Johnny Logan, Finnish hard rockers LORDI, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2006, and former BATTLE BEAST singer Noora Louhimo have surprised their fans around the world by making history with an amazing collaboration.

Logan has released his own pop-rock version of LORDI's metal rock anthem "Hard Rock Hallelujah". Meanwhile, LORDI has joined forces with Louhimo and has released a metal version of Johnny Logan's legendary classic power ballad "Hold Me Now".

The idea emerged during a spontaneous phone call. "The meeting was scheduled for 15 minutes and then lasted over an hour. We immediately hit it off," says Logan. The original idea of a duet for the twentieth anniversary of LORDI's ESC victory was quickly discarded in favor of a song swap. "When I heard LORDI's demo of their winning song tailored to me, I knew right away that I wanted to do it."

LORDI leader Mr. Lordi states: "We really wanted to do something special to celebrate LORDI's twentieth anniversary of Eurovision victory as well as the seventieth anniversary of the whole Eurovision itself. So the outcome are the two Eurovision winning songs as new arrangements, and jumping bravely into other genres while doing so. I rearranged, and also recomposed, 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' in the style of what I thought would fit Johnny Logan."

LORDI invited Noora Louhimo to join "Hold Me Now". "I knew we needed some extra kick to the song," says Mr. Lordi. "Well, that extra kick is 'The Motherbeast' with her mind-blowing voice that lifts this version to a completely new height."

Louhimo says: "I am so excited about our collaboration and this new friendship we have created with LORDI in the past few months. In this project I get to fulfill many of my dreams — working with LORDI, working with the legend Johnny Logan, singing a Eurovision winner song, and singing in heavy metal style. I love ESC, I love our version and I'm so happy this will be my first release continuing my career as a full-time solo artist."

This year, due to the ESC boycott supported by Ireland, Johnny Logan cannot appear at the Eurovision Song Contest. "I would have loved to present the project live as well, but under the current circumstances that's not possible," Logan explains. LORDI, on the other hand, will be on stage at this year's competition.

"I'm very happy for LORDI that they are taking part in this special year concerning their anniversary," Logan says, delighted for the Finnish hard rockers.

Logan, who made music history with "What's Another Year" (1980),"Hold Me Now" (1987) and "Why Me" (1992),recorded his vocals in Copenhagen.

"'Hard Rock Hallelujah' had incredible energy from the very first moment," says the singer. He was also impressed by the reinterpretation of his own classic: "LORDI and Noora Louhimo have completely made 'Hold Me Now' their own."

Noora Louhimo is a Finnish award-winning singer best known for her big raspy powerful voice and striking stage outfits as the former lead vocalist of the metal band BATTLE BEAST, and for the character "Motherbeast" she created during her 13 years with the band. She departed the band in December 2025 to pursue her career as a solo artist. Since then her career has taken off with arena shows, touring around Finland, and performing on primetime TV shows.

Louhimo is a powerful, unapologetic artist making her music in different styles, using fashion as her armor and her voice to empower and entertain people. She is currently working on her second solo album, set for release in 2027, with a tour to follow celebrating both the album and her twentieth anniversary as an artist.

LORDI, whose ESC victory in 2006 brought Finland its first win in the competition and took "Hard Rock Hallelujah" into charts across Europe, took over the creative direction.

"The driving force behind the project is clearly [Mr.] Lordi — his idea, his production, his vision," Logan emphasizes. The collaboration developed into a personal connection. "We share the same dark humour and the same passion for music. This project was simply a unique pleasure."

Mr. Lordi adds: "I know I am speaking on behalf of our whole band when I say that we're both humbled and proud of having both of these iconic voices of their respective genres collaborate with us. Having Logan and Louhimo joining LORDI on this little anniversary celebration is truly an honor for us."

In a new interview with U.K.'s Planet Rock, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan spoke about the band's reputation for incorporating extensive, high-energy improvisation into its live concerts, with members often describing every show as unique. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When you're doing so many shows, which is our bread and butter, really — that's what we've always been, is a live band —you've gotta keep things energized when you're on a long tour. And you can't be changing the set every night because you find your best set, and you really wanna give that to every audience. So, the armchair warriors, they all go, 'Oh, you did the same set,' but it's not exactly the same."

Gillan continued: "[Late Italian operatic tenor Luciano] Pavarotti told me that he was very jealous. He said, 'Ian, I've seen you sing 'Smoke On The Water' six times, and every time it's different. If I did that with the emotion or the technical delivery of any of my famous arias, I'd be crucified by the critics and the fans. It's like that in the world of opera. But in rock and roll, you've got that freedom. I'm so jealous.' So one of the elements of what we do is improvisation. And so there are subtle changes every night that keep people on their toes. If you're not concentrating, you can get lost. And so everyone's in it and on it every night. I think that it's amazing to hear the trade-offs in the jam sessions between [keyboardist] Don [Airey] and [guitarist] Simon [McBride], and the shifting patterns between [bassist] Roger [Glover] and [drummer] Ian Paice, as what's happening on top, suddenly goes into a different groove. Ian Paice is the best swing drummer in living history, in my opinion, and Roger, they're tight as anything, but you feel the emphasis slightly changing. It's all subtle, but it's so exciting."

After the interviewer noted that Paice makes his drum parts sound deceptively simple and that the drummer gives the PURPLE songs a unique swing, Gillan concurred. "You listen to what [Paice] plays in 'Smoke [On The Water]'," he said. "Everyone thinks it's a crash bash, it's a heavy metal song. It's not. You just listen to the drums in 'Smoke'. [METALLICA's] Lars Ulrich came out and played it with me in San Francisco, and he battered the hell out of it. And I've worked with a lot of other drummers who've done it. And none of them actually realized that it's a gentle touch."

Asked about the lack of "production values" during DEEP PURPLE concerts and the band's emphasis on the instrumentation, Gillan said: "Well, there was a transition where we did start thinking about production. We do have a screen now, and there's some pretty nice stuff being shown up there that's relevant to the songs we're playing. I do remember the transition. It was during one of the DEEP PURPLE periods after 'Perfect Strangers', maybe two albums after that, where the manager suddenly... We were in Texas, down in Austin, and I turned up in the afternoon, and there was this huge aluminum framework around the stage behind the backline that somebody told me cost a quarter of a million dollars. And this was in the '80s. And I went out to a magic shop, joke shop, and I bought a stack of about 30 plastic urinals, and I got some Blu Tack [versatile, reusable and non-toxic putty-like adhesive] and I stuck them all along the line. It made it look much more interesting. I stuck one on the front of the Hammond, and then I got going and went out to the garden center and bought 25 trees in pots, young saplings, and put them all over the stage. The whole thing became more organic, and suddenly this new quarter-of-a-million thing was fantastic."

DEEP PURPLE will release a new studio album, "Splat!", on July 3 via earMUSIC. The band once again teamed up with renowned producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper) to create what has been described in a press release as "the heaviest DEEP PURPLE album in many years."

To celebrate the release, DEEP PURPLE will continue their extensive 2026 touring schedule with no fewer than 86 shows across 28 countries on three continents.

There simply aren't enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution DEEP PURPLE has made to rock music. Having sold more than 120 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there's little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the "Fifth Most Influential Band Ever". The band were also presented the "Legend Award" at the 2008 World Music Awards and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016.

In a new interview with Mind Behind The Music, the podcast hosted by John White, an American guitarist and composer from Albany, New York, ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush spoke about the band's upcoming full-length album, "Emotion Factory Reset", which will arrive on May 22 via Metal Blade Records. ARMORED SAINT's ninth studio album since 1984's "March Of The Saint" contains eleven songs of diverse musicality and lyrical themes produced, as were the previous four albums, by bassist Joey Vera and mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR).

Asked how he and his ARMORED SAINT bandmates used the recording tools that are available right now that make the process much more convenient but managed to prevent the music from becoming sterile, John said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, what we do is we do have a template that we use. Even no matter how the song gets finished, arranged, as far as the arrangement and stuff, we end up making demos, and then we work from the demo, which is not that different from what we did even in the '80s. In the '80s, it was just on a Fostex four-track. You're always scared if that cassette got tangled up, 'cause then you basically lose your main copy of the song. But it's not that different. We used to make cool, elaborate demos, as much as we could, in the '80s, and now we just do it a little bit more sophisticated, using Pro Tools. But Joey has a really cool system, and he has a great home studio, and he makes these really great elaborate demos that sound awesome, that are fun to work with. So, I'll go back and work on the vocals and take ideas from wherever they come from — other guys, others, whatever it is. And then write lyrics, and then I'll go to his house and sing. And then from those demos, we try to maintain a lot of the vocals from those versions, because I'm in the mindset that sometimes some of those vocal performances, the first ones that you do, are sometimes the best ones. Surely, sometimes you hear things and go, 'Okay, let's change that. I think it could be better.' And then you redo things. Or sometimes we are trying to get it done in a hurry, and then you think, 'Okay, well, that's just out of tune,' and it is making you, like, go, 'Ugh,' when you hear it. 'So let's correct that,' 'cause otherwise it's out of tune. But we keep a lot of those demos. And then what will happen is that then Joey will send it to Gonzo [Sandoval, ARMORED SAINT drummer], and Gonzo will kind of play to the demo. Of course, he'll create his own thing from it, and his own chops, but we'll use that template, especially as a click, 'cause it's just easier to create from that. But everybody comes in, everybody kind of contributes their parts, their guitar playing. Joey goes back sometimes and redoes the bass. And then we'll just kind of grow from that original template."

Bush continued: "The last thing we wanna do is use it in a way where it can feel like it's not breathing, and [it doesn't] feel like a whole band is performing. So, yes, it is different from how stuff was done in the '80s, but there was always layering, even in the '80s. You do a drum track, and then you put the bass on, and then you put the guitars. Probably the '80s was really the beginning of bands doing things separately. Look, I mean, we went to the Motown museum, and it was great, in there, in Detroit, where you literally see baffles in one room, where there's drums, a baffle, the bass, the guitar, the singing, and everyone's in there performing live. And so many of those songs were actually recorded that way, which is just incredible, really. But it's just not really done like that, and it hasn't for a long time. But again, if you could use these methods but still do it in a way where the music feels connected and everybody is doing their thing. I think that's the key thing. And it's a struggle more than ever, but I think that's a really important thing. You have this technology, but you don't wanna overuse it. And that's probably beyond music. I mean, that's gonna be something that we're challenged with as people in various ways, through A.I. — you name it."

"Emotion Factory Reset" was recorded across several studios, including 606 Studios, Secret Hand Studios, Skullseven Studios, Constantine Studios and Bridge Recording, engineered by Oliver Roman, Bill Metoyer, Joey Vera and Jason Constantine. It features cover art by DDKing.

The collaborative nature of "Emotion Factory Reset" led to the album title, a phrase from guitarist Phil Sandoval.

"Emotion Factory Reset" track listing:

01. Close To The Bone
02. Every Man-Any Man
03. Not On Your Life
04. Hit A Moonshot
05. Buckeye
06. Compromise
07. It's A Buzzkill
08. Throwing Caution To The Wind
09. Ladders And Slides
10. Bottom Feeder
11. Epilogue

A special European edition of the CD digipak includes the bonus track "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)", only available digitally until now. 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).

ARMORED SAINT's current lineup of singer John Bush, guitarists Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval and Vera has been together since 1989 — not including a few hiatuses while Bush served as ANTHRAX's lead singer.

At various points in the 1980s, Bush and Vera each had offers to audition for spots with fellow heavy metal giants METALLICA but decided to stay with ARMORED SAINT.

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.

ARMORED SAINT is:

John Bush - Vocals
Joey Vera - Bass
Jeff Duncan - Guitars
Gonzo Sandoval - Drums
Phil Sandoval - Guitars

Photo by Travis Shinn

In a new interview with That Metal Interview, SALIVA singer Bobby Amaru spoke about the experience of replacing the band's original frontman Josey Scott a decade and a half ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I think it's a blessing and a curse at the same time, 'cause anytime you replace a singer, there's always gonna be doubters or haters or whatever. But now that it's been 15 years, I feel like the band has evolved so much. And I still give credit to what the band was in the early 2000s and what they ended up doing. But I also feel like bands do evolve and members change; people leave or whatever for whatever reasons it may be. And brands can move forward. And especially today with the Internet."

Bobby continued: "I don't think it was possible, without the Internet, to do this kind of stuff. 'Cause you remember when bands would change singers, and MTV and radio was still a thing, it's almost like everybody would just give up on the band. But I think now that you have the Internet, you have social media and stuff, you can find new fans. You can also rekindle with old fans because your songs are right in their face. They can see it or hear it."

Amaru went on to say that a lead singer change in rock bands rarely works. He explained: "I saw MÖTLEY CRÜE with John Corabi [back in 1994], and I love that [self-titled MÖTLEY CRÜE] record. And it's crazy because I feel like on the Internet, anytime I see anything about that record, there's not one negative comment about it. Everyone goes, 'Dude, that's the best MÖTLEY CRÜE record. I love that record.' Everyone always talks about that record. But where was that in '94 or '95 when they needed that support or whatever it was, and they didn't get that. But it doesn't mean they didn't make a good record and weren't trying to evolve or trying to do things. But the power of MTV and the power of labels and stuff back then, it's a much different time."

Bobby added: "I feel like there's a lot of bands today that have different singers, man. It's a lot more common than it used to be, is what I'm getting at. And even when I got in, in 2011, that was still kind of weird. It was kind of a weird time. And then I remember getting in the band, and there's Dave [Novotny, bass] and Wayne [Swinny, guitar] and Paul [Crosby, drums], and we start touring. And they vented a lot about the former guy and stuff, and I was kind of just there listening. And I got it. I understood it. But there were times that I thought, 'Should I fucking run or something?' And then you just... Adversity, man. You overcome those things and the naysayers and you figure it out. And it all goes back to rock and roll and playing music and for the love of that. Not the drama or any of that stuff. I mean, yeah, there's gonna be that, but I think it kind of comes with the territory. I just try to avoid the drama, and I don't like to deal with the drama. It's just negative energy, and it's toxic."

This past April SALIVA returned with a new single, "Cope", featuring Trevor McNevan of THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH, available now via Judge & Jury Records.

SALIVA's career launched in 2001 with the release of "Every Six Seconds", a certified double platinum-selling album, containing the hits "Click Click Boom" and 2002 Grammy-nominated "Your Disease". SALIVA's in-your-face, anthemic writing style continued with a certified gold-selling album "Back In To Your System" that contained top singles "Always", "Raise Up" and the Nikki Sixx-co-written "Rest In Pieces". Despite original vocalist Josey Scott leaving the band in 2011, the addition of Bobby Amaru brought a contemporary feel to SALIVA, all while staying true to the band's blue-collar roots. Amaru has been the SALIVA frontman for the past decade plus and was featured on the most recent releases, "Rise Up", "Love Lies And Therapy", "10 Lives", "Every Twenty Years" EP and "Revelation".

Shortly before the release of the most recent album, SALIVA guitarist Wayne Swinny passed away unexpectedly. The "Come Back Stronger" video was notably filmed just days before Swinny's death, and was dedicated to the fallen guitarist . The album went on to be highly acclaimed by critics and the singles "Crows" and "High On Me" charted Top 20 on Billboard's Active Rock chart. The band continues to honor "Uncle Wayne" at every show.

With nearly four million monthly listeners and Spotify and a catalog that boasts more than one billion streams, the popularity of the music, old and new, endures.

To celebrate the release of "Revelation: Retold" earlier in 2025, the deluxe album from SALIVA, the band released a music video for "Horizon" featuring Kevin Martin of CANDLEBOX, honoring their musical legacy with never-before-seen clips of Swinny on stage and in the studio. The deluxe record is available on Judge & Jury Records, a powerhouse record label and production company founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, SEETHER, SKILLET, OF MICE & MEN) and Neil Sanderson of THREE DAYS GRACE. The track was recorded at Valley Recording Studios, Benson's studio in Woodland Hills.

SALIVA is Bobby Amaru (vocals),Brad Stewart (bass),Josh Kulack (guitar),Sebastian LaBar (guitar) and Sammi Jo Bishop (drums).

Two nightmares. One legacy. And they're both back, louder and darker than ever.

Alice Cooper returns with the reissues of "Along Came A Spider" and "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" — two chapters from the twisted playbook of shock rock's original showman — via earMUSIC. Fresh formats, bonus material, and that unmistakable bite. If you know, you know. If you don't, this is a pretty great place to start.

For more than five decades, Cooper has been bending the rules of rock, dragging theater, horror, and dark humor onto the stage and daring everyone else to keep up. Guillotines. Snakes. Electric chairs. Hooks that stick in your head for years. It's not just music. It's a whole world. And these two albums sit right in the middle of it, telling stories that are as unsettling as they are addictive.

"Along Came A Spider" drops you straight into the mind of a serial killer. It's gritty. Tight. No filler. Tracks like "Vengeance Is Mine" hit even harder with Slash on lead guitar, while "Wake The Dead" carries the weight of Ozzy Osbourne behind the scenes. With Greg Hampton and Danny Saber shaping the sound, the album leans raw and immediate. It doesn't ask for permission. It just goes for it.

This remastered reissue lands in two formats. A jewelcase CD and a 2LP gatefold (45 rpm) vinyl edition. Both come packed with three bonus tracks, giving fans a little extra to dig into. Turn it up and let it play out. That's how it's meant to be heard.

Then there's "Welcome 2 My Nightmare". The return to Steven's story. The sequel fans waited decades for, and yeah, it delivers. It pulls threads from the original 1975 album and twists them into something new. Familiar, but not stuck in the past.

The guest list reads like the invitation list to a very exclusive nightmare. Desmond Child brings his hitmaking touch, while Ke$ha adds a surprising edge. Even better, original band members Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith step back in, reconnecting the sound to its roots.

This reissue comes as a newly mastered 2CD digipak and a 3LP gatefold (45 rpm) vinyl set, built for serious listening. Seven bonus tracks are included, among them live cuts of "Poison" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy" recorded at Download festival. Big stage energy captured properly.

Both albums remind you why Cooper is still standing at the front. The voice. The attitude. The commitment to detail. Nothing half done. Never has been.

The reissues of "Along Came A Spider" and "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" are available across all major platforms and in multiple physical formats.

Step back into the nightmare. Or step in for the first time.

Order your copies now and experience both albums the way they were meant to be heard. Loud. Dark. And just a little dangerous.

While these reissues bring two standout chapters of Alice Cooper's catalog back into the spotlight, Alice Cooper shows no signs of slowing down on stage. He continues to tear through electrifying live shows across the globe.

"Along Came A Spider" track listing:

Side A:

01. Prologue/I Know Where You Live
02. Vengeance Is Mine
03. Wake The Dead
04. Catch Me If You Can

Side B:

01. (In Touch With) Your Feminine Side
02. Wrapped In Silk
03. Killed By Love
04. I'm Hungry

Side C:

01. The One That Got Away
02. Salvation
03. I Am The Spider/Epilogue

Side D:

01. Shadow Of Yourself(Bonus)
02. I'll Still Be There (Bonus)
03. Salvation (Bonus)

"Welcome 2 My Nightmare" track listing:

Side A:

01. I Am Made Of You
02. Caffeine
03. The Nightmare Returns
04. A Runaway Train

Side B:

01. Last Man On Earth
02. The Congregation
03. I'll Bite Your Face Off

Side C:

01. Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever
02. Ghouls Gone Wild
03. Something To Remember Me By
04. When Hell Comes Home

Side D:

01. What Baby Wants
02. I Gotta Get Outta Here
03. The Underture

Side E:

01. Under The Bed (Bonus)
02. A Bad Situation (Bonus)
03. We Gotta Get Outta This Place (Bonus)
04. Flatline (Bonus)

Side F:

01. Poison (Bonus)*
02. No More Mr. Nice Guy(Bonus)*
03. The Black Widow (Bonus)*

* Recorded at Download festival

Hard rock supergroup ICONIC, featuring Michael Sweet (STRYPER) on guitar, Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE) on guitar, Nathan James (INGLORIOUS) on vocals, Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY, WHITESNAKE) on bass and Tommy Aldridge (WHITESNAKE, OZZY OSBOURNE) on drums, will release its sophomore album, "II", on July 31 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The official visualizer for the LP's second single, "Tears Keep On Falling", can be seen below.

Nathan James comments: "I loved singing this song in the studio. Such a great chorus and I really hope the listeners enjoy it as much as I do."

Michael Sweet shares: "I'm really proud to be a part of such an iconic band, no pun intended! It takes me back to the glory days, when rock ruled radio, and it was topping the charts. We created this album to remind people of those times. Here's to 'Tears Keep On Falling'."

Marco Mendoza says: "'Tears Keep On Falling' is a powerful rock ballad; it will get your attention as soon as you hear it, from the first verse. Nathan's vocals are amazing, and Michael and Joel's guitars are on fire… Tommy A at the helm driving! Enjoy!"

Joel Hoekstra comments: "I hope everyone enjoys 'Tears Keep On Falling'. It was killer to lean into the groove that Tommy Aldridge and Marco Mendoza gave us for this one. It was also great fun to play the harmony lead lines with Michael Sweet and finally to hear Nathan James belt out the vocals like only he can."

ICONIC returns with "II", a second album that doesn't just continue the band's journey — it defines it. Where their debut introduced the chemistry between five world-class musicians, "II" sharpens that vision into a clearer, heavier, and more confident sonic identity, delivering a sound that is more powerful, more direct, and unmistakably rock.

At the heart of the album lies the electrifying guitar partnership of Hoekstra and Sweet, delivering a masterclass in soaring melodies, blazing solos, and muscular riffs that perfectly balance technical brilliance with pure hard-rock attitude. Beneath them, the rhythm section of Aldridge and Mendoza drives the record with thunderous authority, creating a groove that is both massive and relentless.

The album kicks off with "Cry No More", a high-octane opener that immediately sets the tone — an energetic slice of hard rock packed with driving riffs, explosive drums, and a chorus built to stick.

On the other side of the emotional spectrum, "Tears Keep On Falling" showcases the band's dynamic range, unfolding as an electrifying power ballad where melody, atmosphere, and intensity come together in dramatic fashion.

Towering above it all is James, whose performance on "II" is nothing short of extraordinary — powerful, soulful, and commanding, elevating every track with unmistakable presence.

With bigger riffs, deeper grooves, and a stronger sense of identity, "II" captures ICONIC at full force: a band no longer introducing itself but fully owning its sound.

When the album's first single, "Cry No More", was made available in April, Sweet commented: "It's been a long time coming, and the time is finally here! It's an absolute honor to be a part of such an incredible band, and 'Cry No More' is the perfect representation of who ICONIC is. Music that takes you back to the best of times and reminds you that rock is still alive and well!"

Hoekstra added: "It's a pleasure to work with these fantastic musicians in ICONIC. 'Cry No More' should give classic rock fans something raw and real in terms of both playing and production. Crank it up!"

James stated: "I'm so pleased to have made another album with these incredible musicians. I hope everyone enjoys this first single, 'Cry No More', and the whole album."

Mendoza exclaimed: "Well, the time is here, folks, finally ICONIC 'II' is coming to you, with the first single 'Cry No More' coming soon! Like always, it's a blast and quite an honor to be part of a project like this, with all these players! Take a listen and enjoy! Viva la ROCK!!!"

"II" track listing:

01. Cry No More
02. All I Want
03. Open My Eyes
04. Tears Keep On Falling
05. Take Me To The Place
06. S.O.S.
07. Nothing Left For Me
08. Far Away
09. Valley Of Lost Souls
10. Written In The Stars
11. Heart Of Stone

ICONIC "II" recording lineup:

Nathan James - Vocals
Michael Sweet - Guitars
Joel Hoekstra - Guitars
Marco Mendoza - Bass
Tommy Aldridge - Drums
Keyboards by Antonio Agate
Backing vocals by Marco Pastorino

Photo credit: Justin Roszkowski