STRAY FROM THE PATH — Drew Dijorio, vocals; Tom Williams, guitar; Anthony Altamura, bass; and Craig Reynolds, drums — has released the official music video for the band's ferocious new single "Kubrick Stare". Watch it below.

In conjunction with the new song and visual, the band is pleased to announce that it has signed with SharpTone Records.

For "Kubrick Stare", STRAY FROM THE PATH returned to the studio with longtime producer and frequent collaborator Will Putney (BODY COUNT, KNOCKED LOOSE, VEIN.FM). They tapped into a groove almost immediately. Backed by a jarring beat, a stomping guitar riff punctuated by eerie squeals sets the tone for the track. It gives way to a vitriolic verse from Dijorio who wonders: "How much can we fucking bare?" Finally, the hard-hitting hook takes hold: "Oh you traumatized, just walk it off?"

About the track, which is somewhat of a commentary on our digitally driven society, Williams states: "It felt like we were capturing lightning in a bottle. We built the song around those scary chords. Every day, people on the Internet see the craziest things they've ever seen in their lives. Sometimes, it's hard to feel seriously about these atrocities because we see them all day. You're so numb to it that you're just staring blankly."

He continues: "It's unfortunately become normal, and it's driving us crazy. Hence, the 'Kubrick Stare' reference — which was a tactic Stanley Kubrick used to show a character losing his mind. We're locked into our phones, and we probably look like Jack looking out of the window in 'The Shining'."

Expect even more from STRAY FROM THE PATH in 2025. But for now, it's all about that "Kubrick Stare".

STRAY FROM THE PATH will hit the road later this month for a European tour supporting SPIRITBOX.

Since the turn of the century, STRAY FROM THE PATH has infused hardcore with metallic precision, hip-hop attitude, punk spirit, and unapologetic politically charged songwriting unafraid to point out injustice. As such, the New York quartet Ha engendered obsession among a diehard fanbase, selling out shows worldwide. In 2025, an unbreakable creative and personal bond continues to drive the band as they prepare more music for release.

Swedish occult metallers GHOST have announced that there will be a new character fronting the band for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua.

Papa V Perpetua's name was listed as one of the performers for BLACK SABBATH's final concert, set to take place on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

GHOST also confirmed the singer's participation in a social media update, writing: "We wish to inform you V is coming… To Birmingham on July 5th."

GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle". In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the character who fronted the act for its "Impera" (2022) album phase.

Asked in a 2019 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show how those different identities empower him as a performer, Forge said: "Speaking just for myself, I know that coming out onstage as another character, looking different, acting different, definitely allows for you to act and behave in a way that you wouldn't normally do. This can be both traumatic and also therapeutical in away.

"Even though it's been a long time since I practiced any sort of martial arts, I almost feel similar to myself back then, like after karate class. I did all kinds of things. I did judo, jiu-jitsu, tae kwon do and karate. After you are sort of cleansed from any sort of violent urges that you had. And in a way, I feel that way. Especially now when we play on our regular nights. When we play that long, any inkling that you have of wanting to dance and rock out is sort of over when you come off stage, which is very nice.

"One of the luxuries of being able to dress up for it and become a different character is that as soon as I am not that character anymore, no one expects me to behave the way that the character does onstage," he added. "No one expects me to be that way offstage. There's been a great handful of rock artists that have had a big problem differentiating themselves from their character onstage. And that leads to a lot of potential problems."

As previously reported, GHOST will embark on a world tour in 2025. The European leg of the trek will kick off on April 15 in Manchester, United Kingdom and conclude on May 24 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour will launch on July 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and wrap up on August 16 in Houston, Texas.

The physical home video of GHOST's worldwide Top 10 box office smash feature film debut "Rite Here Rite Now" was made available on December 6, 2024.

Photo credit: Ryan Chang

[MESSAGE FROM THE CLERGY]

We wish to inform you V is coming ………. To Birmingham on July 5th. Slide for more information. #BlackSabbath

Posted by Ghost on Wednesday, February 5, 2025

In a new interview with Lyndsey Parker of Gold Derby, JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford was asked where his positive attitude comes from. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "My sobriety. I just celebrated 39 years this past January, the sixth. One day at a time. It's a great way to live, because you're living in the moment. It's pointless worrying about tomorrow because you don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow. Plans and ideas and dreams are vital, but tomorrow hasn't happened. Yesterday's gone. It's in the past. You can't change anything. You can maybe look at things that could be utilized to fix things in the next opportunity. So living in the moment is just so important. And look, where I'm at in my life, I've got nothing to complain about, absolutely nothing to complain about. But a lot of it is mental health. Regardless of who you are and what you do in life, to try and find the balance and harmony of mental health is really, really important."

He continued: "I used to have really, really, really bad depression, not only when I was drinking, but as I came out of drinking. And I think that kind of came from my mom's side, with the DNA and all that kind of stuff. Somehow I got through that. I didn't go to therapy. No, I did my research. Yeah, a lot of it again is trying to understand… Sometimes there's a chemical imbalance that has to be treated and can be treated successfully with the right pharmaceuticals, but sometimes you bring it on yourself, and that is stress, that is just overworrying about things that really haven't happened or in your mind they might happen and all this plays on into your into your mental health. So that is something that I treasure amongst everything else — sobriety and staying in a mental positive frame of mind. Because negativity is crushing — negative thinking, negative things that you see and hear on the Internet or on the news, I try and just blank that out because it has no value, it has no purpose. It doesn't build, it destroys. So, all of that is just part of trying to find the joy of waking up and thanking God for the day and just getting through the day — and just trying to push out as much goodness and kindness that you possibly can. It's easy to do, and the circumstances surrounding getting to that place can be difficult, but we've all got a good heart. And so all of that is a part of staying in the light. Stay in the light. Stay with the love."

Halford previously talked about his sobriety last May in an interview with Kat Mykals of the 103 GBF radio station. Asked how he stays humble in order to maintain his sobriety when he is literally known to the world as a Metal God, he responded: "First thing in the morning, I say prayers. Last thing at night, I say prayers. I have to — that's part of the sober routine, staying sober.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AEROSMITH bassist Tom Hamilton's new band CLOSE ENEMIES will release its second single, "Inside Out", on February 28 via TLG|ROCK.

Joining the 73-year-old Hamilton in the new group his bass tech Trace Foster, who plays guitar in CLOSE ENEMIES alongside Peter Stroud, who has been playing with Sheryl Crow for 25 years. CLOSE ENEMIES' drummer is Tony Brock, who had a band called THE BABYS and then played with Rod Stewart for 12 years. Fronting CLOSE ENEMIES is Chasen Hampton, a performer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a strong background in the country music scene. CLOSE ENEMIES is also working with "a great lyricist" named Gary Stier.

CLOSE ENEMIES released its debut single, "Sound Of A Train", on January 17, garnering overwhelming praise from both fans and the press. They recently wrapped up a successful string of tour dates, met with enthusiastic crowds and glowing reviews.

In other news, CLOSE ENEMIES has signed with TKO (The Kirby Organization) booking agency. This marks a significant milestone as the band sets its sights on bringing their music to audiences worldwide.

Hamilton says: "Looking forward to TKO helping get our band out in front of the fans."

Foster states: "With TKO in our corner were now ready to take on the world. Jim Lenz and all at TKO are top notch and we're in great hands."

Hampton adds: "From the start, CLOSE ENEMIES has focused on making great music, and it continues to bring the right people into our corner. We're thrilled to team up with TKO booking and can't wait to hit the road again, keeping rock and roll alive and strong into the future."

Jim Lenz of TKO says: "I'm honored to be working with this group of veteran musicians who have a catalog of great music and are putting out great new music! Our team at The Kirby Organization are looking forward to helping CLOSE ENEMIES make close friends and fans on the road this year!"

"Sound Of A Train" is being distributed through Virgin Music Group.

Foster and Stroud recently spoke to the "Is Breakfast Included?" podcast about how the band came together two years ago. Peter said in part: "I'm sure each of us have our own perspective. It was sort of in layers. Trace and I had already been working on another band project, trying to get something off the ground, and then just out of the blue — I think it was at the when an AEROSMITH tour had to go on a hiatus — apparently Tom and Trace had been speaking where Tom said, 'Man, I got all these songs I would love to try to do something with,' and the light bulb goes off in Trace's head, and he goes, 'I know just the guy to come up, and maybe we can get together and help you with that.' So he asked if I'd be interested in going up there and just jamming around, and I said, 'Yeah, well, I think I know just the drummer who would be into it.' And that was Tony Brock, who's a longtime buddy of mine. And we had always been trying to figure out some way to play together. And I figured that Tony and Tom might find some common ground and a good comfort zone playing-wise. So that was sort of the initial get-together."

Trace added: "I had this other band, and I thought we're riding around in a van, doing shows and not making any money. And I'm, like, if I'm gonna do this, I need to up my game, because at our age to be driving around in a van, not to make any money… So I called Peter. Why not? Why not start there? I just thought we could add him to the band I was already in. And then we did it. And it started to work really well. And then, of course, like every other band that you've been in in your life, somebody does something wrong and they're out of the band. Me and Peter were, like, 'This isn't worth it. Let's just wait.' And then, like he said, we started putting this other project together, 'cause we did all kinds of writing and we got the guy from Atlanta, Gary Stier, that was in my original band in Atlanta. I started writing with him, and then I brought Peter in. Peter knows Gary, of course. So the band that I was in in Atlanta all knew Peter, but I didn't so that's the weird thing. And then it just kind of went from there. Everybody's schedule didn't always jibe, and we just tried to make it work, and then we were in Las Vegas with AEROSMITH and I literally went, 'Man, we really gotta do something.' And then I just looked at Tom, and it was one of those moments where you go, 'This is the guy. He's asking for some help,' and this and that. I just walked up and I said, 'Hey…' I didn't ask him. I basically told Tom, I said, 'Hey, we're gonna come to Boston and work on your songs.' And he was, like, 'Well, let me think about that.' And then like an hour later, he was, like, 'I think that's a really good idea.' So that's how it started. And once Tom and Tony played together, it was pretty much a given."

Peter continued: "That was a great five days. I loved it, too, where Trace suggested to Tom, 'Hey, why don't we come up for a couple days, two or three days?', and he goes, 'How about five?' First he was, like, 'Well, let me think about it.' He was like, 'How about five? You guys wanna move up here?' I was, like, 'Man, there you go. I said, 'That's a reflection of somebody who knows hard work right there.'"

CLOSE ENEMIES made its live debut on October 11, 2024 at Eastside Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.

In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Tom said about CLOSE ENEMIES' debut gig: "I was a little bit nervous, you know. But that feeling, it energizes you. It doesn't hold you back. It makes you want to dive in deeper and deeper."

In an interview with AARP, Tom described Hampton as "a gifted singer who really made the songs come to life."

"When I joined, these guys had worked up a bunch of great songs, and I was able to contribute something I had," the bassist continued. "Hopefully, when the time comes, we'll work up some others I've had in my pocket for a while. All of these guys are great musicians, and it's an honor and a challenge to be part of it all. I'm looking forward to seeing how people like it. I think they'll be pleasantly amazed."

The members of AEROSMITH made the announcement that they were retiring from touring on August 2, 2024 — nearly one year after singer Steven Tyler fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

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

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

Photo credit: Tom Sprafke (courtesy of O'Donnell Media Group)

Sharon Osbourne spoke to BBC News and Reuters about BLACK SABBATH's upcoming reunion concert, which will take place on July 5 in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Ozzy and the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — will perform one last time as part a fundraising event at Villa Park, featuring a host of bands they inspired, including METALLICA, PANTERA, SLAYER, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.

The concert, dubbed "Back To The Beginning", was announced at Villa Park on Wednesday (February 5) by Sharon and Tony.

Proceeds from the show will support Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, a Children's Hospice supported by Aston Villa.

The concert will mark the first time that Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward have played together in 20 years.

Ozzy, who revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, will play a short solo set before joining his SABBATH bandmates for the show's finale, marking his last-ever concert.

Sharon told BBC News about Ozzy: "He's doing great. He's doing really great. He's so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It's exciting for everyone."

According to Sharon, Ozzy, who paused touring "for now" in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery and rescheduled his "No More Tours 2" shows from going ahead several times because of illness, the pandemic and logistical issues, will not play any more shows after the Villa Park event.

"Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's no been no full stop," she explained. "This is his full stop."

In addition, there will be a performance by a "supergroup of musicians" including Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS 'N' ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH) and Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

"It's an endless amount of people," said Sharon. "They're going to be doing some SABBATH songs, some Ozzy songs, and they'll all mix together. Different little groups will be coming on, but they're all icons."

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.

"For Ozzy right now, it's definitely: 'I love you and good night'," Sharon told Reuters.

She added that Ozzy was doing well and excited about the gig. "It's stimulated him," she said. "He's very, very excited and very thankful that he can do it."

Tickets will go on sale on February 14.

BLACK SABBATH is considered a pioneer of heavy metal and was formed in 1968 in Aston, Birmingham.

BLACK SABBATH has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, awarded a Lifetime Ivor Novello Songwriting Award in 2015 and were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

The band has a star on the Broad Street Walk Of Stars in Birmingham, alongside individual stars in their own right, together with a bench in their honor.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.

The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.

"13" was the first album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Osbourne and Butler all playing together.

Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced 11 years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its final reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and Osbourne, Iommi and Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.

After more than two decades without a proper tour, SAVATAGE is preparing to return to the stage. The American metal band, known for its fusion of heavy, progressive, and power metal, has been largely inactive in the live scene since 2002, with their last full performance taking place at Wacken Open Air 2015. Now they are set for a series of concerts across South America in April and Europe in June. The return begins in Brazil, where SAVATAGE will perform at the Monsters Of Rock festival on April 19 at Allianz Parque, São Paulo. The event will also feature SCORPIONS, JUDAS PRIEST, EUROPE, OPETH, QUEENSRŸCHE and STRATOVARIUS. There is also speculation about a SAVATAGE solo concert at Espaço Unimed on April 21, though it has yet to be officially confirmed. However, one key member will be missing: Jon Oliva, SAVATAGE's founding vocalist and keyboardist. In 2023, Oliva suffered a T7 vertebra fracture in three places, a severe injury that has left him relying on a wheelchair. Additionally, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Ménière's disease, conditions that have further complicated his health.

In an interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, Oliva repeatedly emphasized that his injuries prevent him from taking part in the tour, explaining how his condition has affected even basic activities, let alone performing. "I can't even sing right now because of the pain," he admitted. "I can't stand for too long, and I need time for my vertebra to heal naturally." When asked about surgery as a possible solution, Oliva explained that he had considered it but ultimately decided against it after seeking advice from medical professionals and acquaintances. "They wanted to put metal in my body," he said. "But people I spoke to told me not to do it, that I would regret it. So, I chose to let it heal naturally."

Despite his absence from the tour, Oliva remains deeply involved with SAVATAGE. He spoke about the band's legacy, the music's ability to withstand time, and the status of their long-awaited new album. When asked about his favorite SAVATAGE record, Oliva had a quick answer: "That's a tough one. The album that means the most to me is [1991's] 'Streets[: A Rock Opera]' because my brother [late SAVATAGE guitarist Criss Oliva], [producer] Paul [O'Neill] and I worked so hard on it. It took a year to record. I had the most fun making it because it had so many songs and showcased every side of the band. From 'Agony And Ecstasy' to 'Believe' and 'Somewhere In Time' — that's probably my favorite." He also reminisced about the recording process, emphasizing how special the album was for him and the band. "It was the first SAVATAGE album recorded digitally," he said. "We were the guinea pigs at Record Plant since they had just gotten all this digital equipment. We were the first band to use it. It was amazing."

One moment that stood out was recording the track "Believe", one of the most emotional songs in SAVATAGE's catalog. "I sang 'Believe' like 304 times… and they used the third take," he laughingly recalled.

Even after decades, SAVATAGE's music continues to captivate fans. When asked why the band's material remains relevant, Oliva pointed to its timeless quality. "A lot of SAVATAGE's stuff doesn't sound dated. It reminds me of BLACK SABBATH's 'Paranoid'. That album never gets old. I was listening to it the other day — you put it on, and it still stands out. I think that happens with SAVATAGE, too. 'Hall Of The Mountain King', for example, still stands the test of time."

Oliva confirmed that a new SAVATAGE album is nearly complete, though work on it has been sporadic. "I basically have an album ready," he explained. "I've been working on it off and on. We were talking about touring before my accident. I've been working on stuff for about a year. If I get the guys together to record, it's ready. But we wanted to do this tour first."

Regarding the amount of material available, he revealed that there is much more than just one album's worth. "We have enough for four albums," he said. "The lyrics aren't written yet, but musically, it's done. And it's my fault everything stopped because of the fractures."

Despite previously stating that the next album might be the band's last, Oliva now seems uncertain about that claim. "I said it might be the last one, but now I'm not sure," he admitted. "I have all this material. What am I going to do? Release a quadruple album? I don't think it will be the last one."

In a new interview with The Metal Voice, guitarist Chris Caffery and drummer Jeff Plate of reactivated American progressive metallers SAVATAGE spoke about the band's upcoming 2025 live shows. Regarding how the SAVATAGE "reunion" came together, Plate said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think the catalyst has just been the fanbase. The fanbase never gave up on us. They've been beating the drum for this reunion for years.

"The band never broke up," the drummer clarified. "We haven't done a proper tour in over 20 years, but we never officially broke up. Obviously, we all work together in TSO [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA]. We've played a lot of this SAVATAGE music in the TSO shows. Throughout the years, we've done at least one SAVATAGE song per tour, I believe — at least one. So the music has been out there. And the fanbase has been clamoring for this for the longest time. And, man, I've gotta hand it to them.

"[SAVATAGE frontman and mastermind] Jon Oliva, several years ago… Jon is always writing music, and the plan was to do some recording — he's got a bunch of new ideas — do some recording and get out there and let's do this again. Jon has obviously run into a number of health problems, which are serious, and I'm sure everybody's read about them. But in Jon's wisdom, he's, like, 'You know what?' The ball kind of started rolling again. He's not going to stop it this time. Jon's gonna be involved in everything that we're doing from here forward. He can't go out and do these tours right now, and he's gonna work himself back into it. We've got our fingers crossed. But I tell you, man, the music in general, the fanbase, there's just a strength behind all that that's really kept the name alive, kept the interest alive.

"We're all here," Plate continued. "We're all playing probably as well or better than we've ever played. It's not like we've been sitting around for 20 years doing nothing and decided to reunite. Chris and I, Johnny [Lee Middleton, bass] and Al [Pitrelli, guitar], we've been doing these TSO tours every year, plus a number of things in the off season. So there's a lot of factors to this. But the excitement of seeing the reality of it, seeing the confirmed shows, seeing the posters…

"Chris and I have been basically joined at the hip since 1995," Jeff added. "We've done a lot of stuff together. We talk about this all the time, and it really is exciting just to be able to get back out there and do this and play this music."

Chris chimed in: "The plan was, after we did Wacken [Open Air festival in 2015], to start playing. But [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA founder] Paul [O'Neill] passed, and then we had to get over that. Then COVID came. And then Jon wanted to get started, then his injuries came. Like Johnny Lee had said when I was just speaking with him, 10 years went by like that. And we need to do this now. It's, like, if you blink your eyes, 10 more years will go by. And I don't wanna get emotional on things, but every other day, somebody in my life passes, it seems nowadays, as you get older. So we wanna take the advantage now of getting us together and celebrating what Jon and Paul and Criss [Oliva, late SAVATAGE guitarist] and all of us have done with SAVATAGE's music and give the fans that had a chance to see it a chance to see us again and the ones that never saw us a chance to see it."

Jeff continued: "And I'll tell you something. Chris mentioned losing Paul, and that obviously threw a huge wrench into everything. But in the infinite wisdom of Jon and Paul, they never dissolved the band. We've had this discussion several times. 'Well, what is SAVATAGE? Are we still a thing?' Paul refused to ever say that we were done. 'We're still a band,' yada, yada. So here we are all these years later. It may have been frustrating for a lot of people that we haven't played, but we never broke up. So now we're back. And I think this is gonna be really interesting and it's gonna be awesome."

Chris said: "I used to tell the fans, 'My crystal ball isn't working. When it happens, I will be there.' And I wanted it probably as much [as], if not 10 times more than, the fans, because it was such an important part of my everyday life. The fans are fans of a band, and SAVATAGE was a lot of my life for decades. And then TSO came along, but that piece of SAVATAGE not being there… I'm the one who's not married and I don't have kids, so it's, like, that part of my life being gone was a big part of me. So it means a lot for me to be back in that family and that world. It really does."

SAVATAGE's lineup for the 2025 dates will consist of Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Chris Caffery on guitar, Al Pitrelli on guitar, Jeff Plate on drums and Zak Stevens on lead vocals.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Ménière’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes severe dizziness (vertigo),ringing in the ears (tinnitus),hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or congestion in the ear. Ménière’s disease usually affects only one ear, but in 15% to 25% of people with the disorder, both ears may be affected.

Nearly two years ago, Jon told Sakis Fragos of Greece's Rock Hard that he had "enough material" for three SAVATAGE albums, but he wanted to take his time making the best LP possible. "I'm not rushing this," he said. "No fucking way. 'Cause this will probably be the last album we ever do. And I'm gonna make sure that it's a 10 out of a 10."

Regarding the musical direction of the new SAVATAGE material, Jon said: "Some of this shit is really strong. I'm even looking at myself going, 'Holy shit. This is really strong.' And the fact that you're gonna have me and Zak sharing the vocals and doing songs together in like a duet thing, is even more… it blows me away. I purposely wrote five or six songs specifically for Zak to sing. And then I worked [on] a lot of songs with Al Pitrelli that are definitely, 'These are Oliva songs.' And then we have a couple of big epic songs.

"This is gonna be the best album I ever made," Oliva promised. "Unless I kill myself. All I know is that the SAVA fans are gonna be fucking blown away when they hear this. They're gonna be blown away. I wasn't gonna do the SAVATAGE thing and just do a half-assed album. If I'm doing this album, it's gonna be the best album I've ever done. 'Cause when I go out, I wanna go out on top."

Jon went on to say that a new SAVATAGE song called "For The Man Who Would Be King" is one that he sometimes refers to as "the new 'Morphine Child'," a nod to the track on SAVATAGE's 2001 album "Poets And Madmen". "And that's one that me and Zak are gonna do together," he explained. "And then it's got this big middle section that's all these QUEEN, operatic[-style vocals]. I'm, like, 'Wow, this is gonna be epic.'"

Regarding which other musicians will be involved in the recording process for the new SAVATAGE album, Jon said: "I'm gonna have [former SAVATAGE drummer Steve] Wacholz come in and play on a couple of songs. But Jeff Plate, Johnny, Al Pitrelli, Chris Caffery, Zak, me, and on a couple of things I'm gonna have Jane Mangini [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA keyboardist] come in and play."

He continued: "I'm getting everybody involved from the beginning. I want it to be a full-band album, all of us working together. And it's gonna be great."

Asked about a possible title for the new SAVATAGE album, Jon said: "The working title is 'Curtain Call', but I don't know if that's gonna be it. 'Cause the very last song that's gonna be on the album is this song called 'Curtain Call', and it's just me with a piano, and it's very deep. It's basically me singing to the fans, telling them all goodbye and thank you. Every time I hear it, I cry. Everybody I played it for cries. It's just very deep. But it's my way of saying goodbye to everybody. 'Thank you. I love you all. And this is my final goodbye. Thank you. Have a good life. And do whatever.' So I think I'm gonna call it 'Curtain Call', but it's not in stone yet."

Zak joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air, which marked the band's first, and only so far, appearance on stage since they went on hiatus back in 2002.

SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of guitarist Al Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.

In September 2021, Jon Oliva was arrested on the west central coast of Florida for driving under the influence as well as possession of a controlled substance. Police charged Oliva with possession of cocaine, which is a felony, and DUI, which is a misdemeanor. Oliva was reportedly arrested again in July 2023 on another cocaine possession charge.

Back in 2016, Jon announced on social media that he suffered a stroke in April of that year. At the time, he said: "It was not as serious as it could have been, but it did leave me with some physical recovery challenges often associated with strokes."

Despite his health issues, Jon said that he didn't regret the way he had lived his life. He wrote: "I lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle since I was 18. It's all I knew and I enjoyed the ride very much. But there comes a time in everyone's life where you have to step back and make some life-changing decisions... which I have."

Shortly after SAVATAGE's reunion performance at the 2015 Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, Oliva claimed that he felt better than he had in 20 years because he had "stopped drinking and eating" in preparation for the concert. He explained: "It's my voice that's freaking me out, because, even when I was in my late 20s, early 30s, doing songs like '24 Hours Ago' were always really hard to do. And, of course, I didn't realize that it was all the drugs and alcohol I was doing. But, after doing that, getting my act together and stuff, singing '24 Hours Ago', it's actually easy now. [Laughs]"

In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside the project's founder Paul O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.

Jon's brother Criss, who was one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.

Special thanks to Igor Miranda for providing BLABBERMOUTH.NET with original English-language quotes from the Jon Oliva interview.

Employing a dazzling mix of glam rock, hard rock, and progressive rock, ANGEL's outrageous, white-satin-heavy image and equally over-the-top stage shows, making them one of the more colorful arena rock bands of the mid '70s and early '80s. Discovered by KISS bass player Gene Simmons, the group issued their eponymous debut album in 1975, which hewed closer to prog rock than the glam pop that would be on future endeavors like "On Earth As It Is In Heaven" (1977) and "Sinful" (1979). ANGEL released a total of five studio albums and one live album before going their separate ways in 1981. The band officially reformed in 2019 with original members Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino, and released their comeback studio effort, "Risen", that October and followed up with "Once Upon A Time" in 2023.

ANGEL's self-titled 1975 debut was recorded for Casablanca Records with a lineup comprising Frank DiMino (vocals),Punky Meadows (guitar),Gregg Giuffria (keyboards),Mickie Jones (bass) and Barry Brandt (drums). A heavy slab of heavy pomp rock with lengthy songs featuring the longtime stage favorite "Tower". Now to celebrate the 50th anniversary, this classic has been remastered and is being released on both a six-panel CD digipak and on 180-gram vinyl in two amazing limited-edition colors with liner notes by journalist Dave Reynolds. There are only 300 of the white-blue splatter and 700 of the black-blue swirl available with a limited number of bundles signed by the four surviving original members Frank DiMino, Punky Meadows, Gregg Giuffria and Barry Brandt.

The current lineup of ANGEL starts its 50th-anniversary tour in March and it will continue throughout the year.

Tour dates:

March 13 - Angel City Music Hall, Manchester, NH
March 14 - The Vault Music Hall, New Bedford, MA
March 15 - The Strand Theater, Hudson Falls, NY
March 19 - The Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
March 22 - The Wildey Theater, Edwarsdsville, IL
April 19 - The Token Lounge, West Midland, MI
April 22 - The Winchester, Lakewood, OH
April 26 - The Arcada Theater, St. Charles, IL
June 07 - The Whisky, Hollywood, CA
June 08 - Fulton 55, Fresno, CA
June 09 – Vamp'd, Las Vegas, NV

ANGEL was discovered in a nightclub by none other than Gene Simmons of KISS, a man who had (and still has) a knack for finding and nurturing talent. ANGEL was also known for their androgynous look and dressing all in white, a pure yin-yang contrast to KISS's own all-black clothing and elaborate stage outfits. In 1975, the glam-rockers were signed to the home label for KISS, Casablanca Records, ultimately releasing six albums (five studio, one live) uninterrupted between 1975-80 that mixed the best elements of glam, hard rock, and pure unadulterated fist-pumping melodic singalongs.

While ANGEL never quite achieved success as their labelmates KISS did, they left their mark on in-the-know rock fans of the era with tracks like the hard-driving "Rock & Rollers", "Tower", the perennial holiday favorite "The Winter Song", and their key contribution to the soundtrack of the Jodie Foster-starring 1980 teen drama "Foxes", "20th Century Foxes". The lineup for their self-titled 1975 debut, "Angel", consisted of guitarist Punky Meadows, bassist Mickie Jones, vocalist Frank DiMino, keyboardist Gregg Giuffria, and drummer Barry Brandt. This lineup recorded two more albums, 1976's "Helluva Band" and 1977's "On Earth As It Is In Heaven", after which Jones would be replaced on bass by Felix Robinson. Two more solid studio efforts, 1978's "White Hot" and 1979's "Sinful", ensued before the release of a stellar live set, 1980's "Live Without A Net".

ANGEL started to fall apart in the early 1980s after Casablanca pulled the plug on the group due in part to disappointing album sales. In 1981, Robinson and DiMino left to pursue other projects. Meadows and Giuffria tried to keep ANGEL going and came close to landing a record deal with CBS. But it didn't pan out, and ANGEL finally disbanded.

In 2018, Caroline/UMe saluted the core output of ANGEL with "Angel: The Casablanca Years". This ascendant, band-approved seven-CD box set featured the Washington, D.C.-bred glam/rock outfit's six albums that were released on Neil Bogart's legendary Casablanca Records label, in addition to a seventh disc that contains mono mixes, single edits, soundtrack contributions, and other rarities. ANGEL expert Dave Reynolds contributed insightful liner notes to the box set's included 28-page booklet, which also featured rare photos and other memorabilia.

Aficionados consider Jet Jaguar to be one of Mexico’s hottest contemporary metal acts, ready to take Europe and the rest of the world by storm. Following their furioso performance at the 2024 Wacken Open Air and their acclaimed European tour alongside Anvil, the four-piece have recently enlisted with Hanover-based imprint Steamhammer/SPV. Their latest album, Severance, is scheduled for release in fall 2025.

Even before the arrival of their 2020 debut album Endless Nights, Jet Jaguar had performed countless concerts and lots of important festival appearances. In 2017, the band played Wacken Open Air for the first time, emerging as winners of the Metal Battle. The band furthers their pedigree seven years returning to the iconic festival stage and joining Anvil’s 2024 European tour. For lead guitarist Ariyuki Arce, these shows were “one of the best experiences Jet Jaguar have ever had. Sharing the stage with metal legends is always a huge honour.”

Drummer/band founder Jimmy Lozano on the upcoming album and the band’s contract with SPV/Steamhammer: “Severance is the culmination of years of work. During the pandemic, everyone was going through some dark and somewhat depressing times, so we ended up with heavier and more aggressive songs than on our previous album. For us, signing with SPV/Steamhammer is an incredible milestone. Having the honour of partnering with one of the biggest and longest-running labels in Germany motivates us to work even harder for our extremely supportive fans. We can’t wait to get started on this amazing collaboration!”

Label manager Olly Hahn is also looking forward to the upcoming collaboration: “When I saw the band supporting Anvil in Hannover last year, I definitely had to sign them. The club was small and sticky but the band played as if there were 1,000 people in the room. This is what heavy metal is all about and Jet Jaguar are like a breath of fresh air in this genre!”

Jet Jaguar are:

Bori – Bass
Ariyuki – Lead Guitar
Raiden – Vocals/Guitar
Jimmy – Drums

Pictured at top, from left to right: Bori (Bass), Ariyuki (Lead Guitar), Björn von Oettingen (Head of Promotion Steamhammer), Olly Hahn (Labelmanager Steamhammer), Raiden (Voice/Guitar), Jimmy (Drums)

In a new interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One, BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale was asked to name the biggest difference he has noticed between the environment that young musicians are coming into today versus the environment that he found himself in back when BUSH was first starting out. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, quite obviously, when I began, if you made something good, people might buy it. Now, if you make something good, people might stream it. And I have two sons that are poised to make music their lives, and I couldn't be more concerned for them.

"I've been a musician my whole life and I'm at a loss to explain to someone how to do it, how to build from the ground up, how to get a career in that," he continued. "It's just terrifying because how do musicians, how do young bands get paid? I can't work it out. I don't know. Maybe you get one song with loads of streams and we know that Spotify barely pays, and whatever they pay, the record companies make sure they siphon off most of it before it goes to the artist. So it's the same deal — artists getting screwed, record companies making a fortune and getting all the money. So same shitty business, but if you love it, what are you gonna do? You just do the best you can. And you can obviously make money touring, but it takes a while to build up a catalog, so if you wanna come and see you, that's a crap shoot. So the difference is I think it's much, much harder now, and it was nearly impossible then. So, I don't know what the odds are, but they don't feel good for young musicians, which breaks my heart for them because we always need music. We always need people's opinions. A.I. can take care of many things, but you talk about people relating to other people, it's by writing that brutally painful, honest lyric that other people can relate and get strength from. That exchange will never go away because people will continue to be upset and look for other people that understand."

As the lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and founder of rock band BUSH, Rossdale has sold over 24 million records in the U.S. and Canada alone, and won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement in Songwriting following a string of 26 consecutive Top 40 hit singles on the Modern, Mainstream, and Active Rock charts. Seven of these songs shot to No. 1: "Comedown", "Glycerine", "Machinehead", "Swallowed", "The Chemicals Between Us", "The Sound Of Winter" and 2022's "More Than Machines". Rossdale also reached the top of the charts with his 2008 standout solo hit "Love Remains The Same". He's starred in acclaimed films such as "Constantine" and "The Bling Ring", along with guest spots on several television drama staples including "Criminal Minds" and "Burn Notice". Most recently, BUSH released "Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023", their first-ever career-spanning hits collection, providing an expansive view of their incredible legacy with 21 tracks covering nearly 30 years — from their breakthrough hit "Everything Zen" to their latest single, "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere". The band recently completed a massive headline summer tour of North America in support of "Loaded", playing to some of their largest crowds in recent memory. More new music and worldwide touring awaits for what is sure to be an equally busy 2025.

Last month, Vizio announced the exclusive premiere of the celebrity culinary talk series "Dinner With Gavin Rossdale" (formerly "Rockstar Kitchen Chronicles") on WatchFree+, launching February 13. Rossdale opens his home and his heart to guests including tennis legend Serena Williams, multi-hyphenate entertainer Common, actress Selma Blair, author and actress Brooke Shields, iconic singer Sir Tom Jones, and actor and comedian Jack McBrayer. While Gavin prepares world-class gastronomic delights for their enjoyment, he engages with his guests in deeply personal conversations about their lives, careers, and everything in between.

Radiant Moon was formed in 2021 when veteran musicians/songwriters Brian Facklam (keyboards, vocals) and Dave Shahin (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) joined forces with Jimmy Grillo (drums) and Nick Lieto (vocals). They came from very different musical backgrounds which helped to create a unique chemistry in the band.

Dave Shahin has been in multiple original rock and prog bands as well as being Tommy Tedesco’s (Wrecking Crew Guitarist) East Coast bassist in the 90’s, and has performed with Steve Gadd. Jimmy Grillo is also a veteran of multiple original bands and has toured as Carl Palmer’s drum tech. Nick Lieto was a singer, keyboardist, and songwriter for Frogg Cafe who besides releasing original albums also performed at the famed Zappanale festival in Germany. Brian Facklam has not only been a major part of multiple bands but holds a master’s degree in music and music theory.

Together they’ve recorded their debut album, Now’s The Time, and it is already garnering impressive reviews. Listen to the album here.

Now’s The Time has ten tracks in total and features exceptional musicianship and songwriting in the vein of YES and Nektar which stands out on tracks like “Keep The Faith” and “Waking Dream”. Order your copy of Now’s The Time here.



Tracklisting:

“Waking Dream”
“Castaway”
“We Are One”
“Keep The Faith”
“One Life”
“Now’s The Time”
“Leave Yourself Alone”
“Nirvana”
“Take My Hand”
“Never Again”