New York trio Sanhedrin will release their new full-length, Heat Lightning, on March 14th via Metal Blade Records.

Sanhedrin has spent the last decade at the forefront of the American heavy metal scene blending traditional metal and hard rock sounds with a fresh modern energy and perspective. With 2022’s critically lauded Lights On full-length, the band had created their most complete work to date. With their follow-up, Heat Lightning, the band delivers a diverse collection of songs that wholly captures their wide array of influences with an elevated level of production.

“Sonically, there’s no comparison,” notes drummer Nathan Honor when asked how Heat Lightning compares to the band’s previous efforts. “Heat Lightning is the fullest representation of the power of this band. When you take three seasoned musicians with their favorite handpicked instruments, put them in front of two brilliant producer/engineers in a studio stacked with incredible equipment and no outside distractions, this is what you get.”

Unlike the previous three albums, which were all tracked and mixed by Colin Marston, for Heat Lightning Sanhedrin opted to work with a fresh set of ears in a new environment. In doing so, the band landed at the legendary Utopia Bearsville studio in Woodstock, New York. At the helm for recording and co-producing were Matt Brown (Life of Agony, A Pale Horse Named Death) and Jerry Farley (Sick Of It All, Madball).

Heat Lightning gets its title from the second track of the same name. “‘Heat lightning’ is a flash of lightning from very far away, sometimes seen in a clear sky,” says vocalist/bassist Erica Stoltz. “It is used as a metaphor for where we see ourselves at the moment in relation to climate change. Collectively we have moved further away from our direct relationship to nature and have adopted a paternal relationship with the natural world, as if we have control.”

It was one of the first songs written for the album, and one of the most dynamic tracks the band has ever written. Elsewhere, “The Fight Of Your Life” is a tribute to those we call “lifers” in the music business.

“It’s about the compulsion to play music no matter what. When you get the bug and you have it for life, it is your north star, your reason to be,” says Stoltz.

“Franklin County Line” is the fastest song on the record, and inspired guitarist Jeremy Sosville’s hometown and surrounding area in northern New York state. Sosville recounts, “Erica and Nathan came up to visit me and work on new music. In the process, we wrote a song inspired by the local Amish population but with a naughty twist.”

The record commences with “Blind Wolf,” a hard-rocking, heavy metal stomper and the record’s lead single. Lyrically, the song is inspired by the band’s shared fascination with cults. According to Stoltz, “The blind wolf symbolizes losing your animal instincts as a result of adopting someone else’s belief system.”

The song is straightforward, pounding, and delivered with ill intent. “We knew as soon as the song was complete that it should open the record,” says Sosville. “It really sets the tone for the journey the listener is about to take with this album.”

“This album is a symbol of persistence during hard times, friendship through music, and the unwavering desire to do our best work together,” says Sosville. “After a decade of being a band, we are proud that we continue to push ourselves to new places sonically and musically. We hope the listener can hear our sincerity and our dedication when listening to this new collection of songs.”



Heat Lightning, which features the striking hand-painted cover art of band friend and fervent supporter Johan Prenger, will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
-180g Black
-Violet Blue Marbled
-Ruby Red Marbled (Ltd. 500)
-White, Purple Splatter (Ltd. 200)

Preorder at metalblade.com.



Tracklisting:

“Blind Wolf”
“Heat Lightning”
“Above The Law”
“The Fight Of Your Life”
“King Of Tides”
“Franklin County Line”
“Let’s Spill Some Blood”
“High Threshold For Pain”
“When The Will Becomes The Chain”

In a new interview with Rock Sound, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman Matt Tuck spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's upcoming eighth studio album. Asked how many songs are currently in the works, Tuck said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "13 tracks. So a huge chunk. A long way to go. None of them have proper top lines or vocals on it. It's just in the studio with guitars and just having fun instrumentally, writing stuff, messing around with tunings. And that's how we've done things on the last album."

He continued: "We don't go in there with an agenda to write a certain way. We just try and make things different, like tuning the guitar differently or using a different amp. All those little things just kind of make your brain think in a different way, and you can play certain riffs in different tunings on a different amp, which sound better than others for some reason, even though it's the same riff. So it's just discovering something which gets the heart racing, makes you wanna play guitar. And then you just keep going until you get it. And sometimes it's six months, sometimes it's a year. So I don't know how long this journey is gonna be, but we started it and it'll be done when it's done."

Asked how much of an impact BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's recently launched "The Poisoned Ascendancy" tour with TRIVIUM, during which BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its "The Poison" debut album, is having on the musical direction of the band's new material, Tuck said: "We did have conversations about it before the creative process started. And because of this, the conversations have restarted. So it's a difficult one because, obviously, 'The Poison' and that sound and that era of the band is a huge reason why we're still around today. It was a huge record for us, it was a huge record for metal and British metal. We were in the right place at the right time. We were part of a movement with TRIVIUM and AVENGED [SEVENFOLD] and KILLSWITCH [ENGAGE] and all that stuff. It was a genuine new breed of heavy metal, which we were part of, which was amazing. And that's kind of what gave us this platform. But as you grow older and you get creatively different, things change. You wanna experiment, you wanna be brave, you go on that journey. And we've never really come back around. And seeing, obviously, what this tour has done and the reaction it's getting and putting us back 20 years, the feeling it was making that record, there has been conversations about, should we kind of reignite that old sound? But it's a tricky one. It's a tricky one, because in my head, I kind of feel I know where I'd like to go next, but this has kind of started some conversations, which all our brains have kind of thought, 'Oh, fuck, what do we do?' It's hard. But whatever we decide, it's gonna be sick. We won't put anything out there that we're not fully behind just for the sake of it."

Matt continued: "It's just overthinking. It's just 'cause we've been so consumed by this [tour] — a year leading up to this point — and now we're here. It's just such a celebration, such a successful tour. We knew it would do good, but to be like smashing out the rooms we do, it's fucking phenomenal. And there's obviously an appetite for that. So, unfortunately, that kind of gets a little bit in your brain and kind of eats away. But again, we're not gonna do it because of that. We've got a good radar of what we wanna do. And once I kind of lock in on something, I see it through. And that's the way to do it. We're not gonna write an album just because this is happening — that's what I'm trying to say — but there is food for thought of maybe let's try and write a couple of songs and see how we feel. If it feels dated and there's no progression, then absolutely not. I think we know when things feel comfortable or yucky."

In September, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and TRIVIUM announced the North American dates for "The Poisoned Ascendancy" tour. Support on the trek will come from AUGUST BURNS RED, with SYLOSIS and BLEED FROM WITHIN appearing on select shows.

Produced by Live Nation, the 26-city tour kicks off on March 30 at PNE Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, making stops across North America in Las Vegas, Chicago, New York and more before wrapping up in Raleigh, North Carolina at Red Hat Amphitheater on May 18.

"The Poisoned Ascendancy" has just launched in the U.K. for six shows, before the two bands, along with support act ORBIT CULTURE, head over to mainland Europe for 18 more concerts.

For BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, "The Poison" was their debut album, which saw the band propelled to unimaginable heights. That year saw the Welsh metallers graduate from supporting FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND on their U.K. run in the summer, to ending the year headlining the very same venues just months later. Dropping in October 2005, "The Poison" hit number 21 in the U.K. album charts, becoming a late contender in end of year polls, placing at number seven on Kerrang!'s "Albums Of The Year" list, and since achieving gold status.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE released the deluxe version of its latest, self-titled album in August 2022 via Spinefarm/Search & Destroy. This extended release featured four brand new tracks, plus "Stitches", a song previously only available as a Japanese exclusive. Following the CD and digital releases, a vinyl pressing launched in November 2022.

In a new interview with the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, Todd Kerns spoke about the status of the songwriting and recording sessions for the next SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album. The bassist and backing vocalist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would say we're probably halfway through it. We've taken a bit of a hiatus for… The funniest thing about this kind of stuff is it's, like, everybody's off in different directions… So I think that everybody's kind of doing other things. It was sort of this window of the four of us, essentially, Slash and THE CONSPIRATORS, to try and get in and record the music. And then we'll eventually get around to singing with Myles and then I'll come out and all that kind of stuff. Myles is doing a solo run."

He continued: "The songs are written. We've all heard the songs, but we went in and sort of focused on the musical side of it, so that it'll be sung at some point as well. So it's been really interesting, kind of, like, we have a moment, a window of time to make this record. We will figure out where to place that down the line, so that being release… I'm hopeful for the end of '25, but I've been around long enough to kind of go that can easily turn into early '26, no problem. Which is messed up to talk about in January of '25. But knowing how quick… It was yesterday, it was January of 2024, so, to me, I kind of feel like it just feels like time goes fast. I'm already looking at my calendar booked till pretty much September, and I'm, like, 'Wow.' It's like you get on the treadmill and it just takes you all the way to September in the blink of an eye and you go, 'Whoa. What just happened?' And by then, who knows what we'll be talking about? So, like I said, I'm hoping it'll be out in the world by then, but it could very easily be '26 at this point, so who knows? But it's happening. That's the important thing."

Earlier this month, Kennedy told Heavy Consequence about the next SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album: "As far as the progress goes, I think a lot of it is well on its way. I have to get my vocals recorded. Just have to find a window of time to do that in between the touring and whatnot. I have my vocals written and melodies and lyrics and all that stuff. I just need to get in to the studio and knock it out."

He continued: "As for the direction of the record, it's still riff-based rock 'n' roll with a heavy dose of the blues element that Slash brings, like only he does. It's some really great stuff. I think it's going to be another fun one to tour live."

Last month, Myles told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that "the demoing and all that, the writing" for the next SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album "was done before I even embarked on this last [solo] tour. The easy part is the recording; the hard part is the writing. Slash and I were — he was sending me demos of the tunes. Then I was spending time with him, coming up with melodies and lyrics. And so that's all done — I think with the exception of one song. Now I just have to find a moment to get in the studio and all that, knock that out. But I will say that just even in the demo process and where we stood there before they went in to actually make the record musically, it is really exciting stuff. I'm really, really stoked about where this one's going. It's gonna be cool."

Asked if he writes any of the music for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS or if he is mostly in charge of coming up with the lyrics and the melodies, Myles said: "Yeah, most of what I'm doing is lyrics and melodies. Occasionally if something comes in and I'm, like, 'Hey, can we change this chord progression for the sake of the melody?' But it's interesting 'cause more so on [2012's] 'Apocalyptic Love', when I played guitar on that record, there was a little bit more of, 'Hey, try this part. See what this sounds like, if we utilize this to help the arrangement somehow.' But it's funny — I was thinking about that the other day, and I was just, like… It just highlights how cool [Slash] is. I [was] coming in, it was [my] second record [with Slash] and I've got my guitar, and I'm, like, 'What do you think? What if we tried this?' And I'm, like, 'You're sitting there with Slash. He doesn't need any help, man.' But he was so cool and so accommodating. But as the years have gone on and we've made all these records, one thing that continues to amaze me is just how much he understands, not just the riff thing, but coming up with chord progressions that really lend themselves to coming up with compelling melodies for me. It's, like, he knows how to sequence the chords where it's gonna really leave room for a melody, which I appreciate. And, like I said, occasionally I'd be, like, 'Hey, can we try a G here instead of a D 'cause I hear the melody doing this?' Or I'll send the melody back and he'll go, 'I'm gonna change this chord because I feel like it suits the melody better.' I'm, like, 'Great.' So yeah, he totally gets it."

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS entered the studio in November to begin recording its fifth album for a tentative 2025 release.

Last May, Slash told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that the CONSPIRATORS would go in the studio "in the fall". And then next year is gonna be back [on the road] with GUNS. And then we're gonna figure out exactly when to release the CONSPIRATORS record. 'Cause you've got ALTER BRIDGE, you've got all these other things going on," referencing the fact that SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS singer Myles Kennedy is also a member of ALTER BRIDGE.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS kicked off "The River Is Rising - Rest Of The World Tour '24" on January 23, 2024 with the band's return to Mexico City's Pepsi Centre WTC. The group's 24-song setlist included the live debut of a deep GUNS N' ROSES cut, "Don't Damn Me", featuring bassist Todd Kerns on lead vocals.

Support on various dates of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS's "The River Is Rising - Rest Of The World Tour '24" came from MAMMOTH WVH.

Prior to the launch of "The River Is Rising – Rest Of The World Tour '24", SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS last performed in February and March 2022 as part of a U.S. tour.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "4", was released in February 2022 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.

"4" was Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Kennedy, drummer Brent Fitz, Kerns and guitarist Frank Sidoris.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS released "Live At Studios 60", their first-ever double live LP, for the 2022 Record Store Day. The effort contained a performance of "4", plus four additional songs from the group. Recorded live in Los Angeles at Studios 60, the "Live At Studios 60" double LP exclusive Record Store Day release was limited to only 2,250 copies. The full concert featured all the songs from "4". Additional performances of the group's Top 5 rock radio hits, including "You're A Lie", "World On Fire", "Anastasia" and "Driving Rain" are also included in the double vinyl package.

For "4", Slash and the band traveled across the country together to Nashville, Tennessee and recorded the new album at the historic RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile),revealing a stunning new sound and style all captured live in the studio. Cobb shared the band's desire to lay down the tracks live, in the studio including guitar solos and vocals — a first for the group.

Slash released a blues album called "Orgy Of The Damned" in May 2024 via Gibson Records.

Last summer, Slash brought his brand-new "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to cities across the U.S.. On all dates, Slash performed alongside his blues band featuring bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy "ZigZag" Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, POWER TRIP guitarist Blake Ibanez spoke about the Texas thrashers' recent return to the live stage for their first full performances since the tragic passing of frontman Riley Gale.

POWER TRIP's longtime friend and collaborator Seth Gilmore has stepped in for Gale to handle vocals for the band. Gilmore is embedded in Texas's hardcore and punk communities and is well known as the vocalist of SKOURGE and as the frontman of Dallas thrash metal band FUGITIVE, which he founded in 2021 alongside Ibanez.

Asked if Gilmore's addition to POWER TRIP has sparked an interest in putting out new music, Ibanez said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "After everything happened in 2020, we were looking for something to do. Me and [drummer Chris] Ulsh, we finished up some music we were writing, the music we had written for the POWER TRIP album. We went and recorded a bunch of stuff and just kind of sat on it and we were, like, 'Maybe someone will sing on this one day.' And it ultimately didn't really happen. But after that sort of got shelved, that's when all this stuff kind of happened with Seth and us playing again."

He continued: "Right now, we're just enjoying being back on stage together. We played five or six shows. Now we're out here [on a European tour] with PANTERA, which we didn't expect to tour or to get invited to do anything like this. So to be able to be afforded an opportunity like this after not even being able to step on stage for years is amazing. We're very fortunate. So, we're just trying to enjoy being back together and playing again. And who knows? I mean, I think at some point obviously we'll wanna go back to all that stuff and maybe consider doing something with it. But I think right now, we've just been kind of approaching every step like, 'How does this feel? How does this feel?' And so far everything's been good.

"Everything that we've done has been step by step and not forced," Blake added. "So, we took four years, basically, to decide if we wanted to play again and until the right situation arose, we didn't. And we wouldn't have done it if it wasn't right or if it didn't feel right or if it wasn't done the right way in our eyes. So, we're gonna apply that to everything we do. So if we decide to work on new music and it sounds really good and it works and it feels like POWER TRIP and all that, then maybe we'll do that. But we just wanna do things the right way and do it our way. And I have confidence that we'll make all the those decisions the right way. Again, we're not trying to jump into another phase right now. We're trying to play all the songs that we wrote in the past and honor what we did, obviously, with Riley, and continue to play the songs. We missed playing those songs. They're great. And we love what he did and everything that we did in that that whole era. So we're not running away from that anytime soon. We're just trying to enjoy playing the songs again and thinking about all the memories. When we're together now, we just talk about tours we did, things we did, funny memories and times we had together. And we could do that for a long time."

Last year, Blake told Sh!t Talk Reviews about Gilmore's addition to POWER TRIP: "He's a natural. He's been on stage a long time. Once we had done all this FUGITIVE stuff and we had done these last couple of recordings, his voice is killing it and he really feels good on stage. And I think I kind of asked him before we even started FUGITIVE if he wanted to mess around and maybe try out or throw something down on one of these… We had been working on a POWER TRIP record that we recorded all the music to. And I think at the time — it was during COVID — and he was sort of, like, 'Ehhh…' It was a little soon after everything had happened — it was probably a year after everything went down — but it was still a little soon, a little fresh. And I don't know if he really had the confidence level yet to feel like he could approach that the right way. I don't blame him, 'cause it was a little soon and it was a weird time."

He continued: "At this point, it had been so long. And I think we'd been playing together. I think POWER TRIP fans knew who he was. When it comes to like what we're doing, in terms of POWER TRIP, I had really no desire to reform the band if we couldn't do it the way we wanted to do it, with people that we wanna work with. We come from a scene, so we're not gonna just hold YouTube auditions for a guy that sounds like Riley, bring him in. It's gonna be someone that's a friend of ours, that's from our world, that's from our scene. And I just think the way it worked out — it had been long enough since POWER TRIP had played."

Regarding what criteria he and his POWER TRIP bandmates had for bringing in a new vocalist, Blake said: "It's not about filling any shoes. I think people need to understand that. We're not even really a full-time band. We're just playing some shows. So it's really just about playing the songs again and kind of honoring what we did and celebrating the songs and doing it a different way. I think we realized that getting someone that sounds just like him would have been really weird and, I think, not the right thing to do, because that's not right. And I think Seth is in the same family tree vocally, but he's got his own sound and his own delivery. And I think he sings the songs a little bit differently in a way that I think is more him. He's his own person. And so we wanted that."

Ibanez added: "You can't really win, 'cause some people want [us to get someone who] sounds exactly the same. If we did that, then the same group of people would be criticizing us for getting a lesser version. He's a different person; it's not gonna sound the same. But I really like what he brings to the songs, and I think this is the best-case scenario for us to play again."

In July 2024, POWER TRIP drummer Chris Ulsh told Metal Hammer about how the decision to return as POWER TRIP came about: "During COVID, we were still having bi-weekly or monthly Zoom meetings, and at one of those, we just came out with it, like, 'Hey, do you guys want to keep playing music together?' Everybody obviously still wanted to do that, but we didn't really know if it was going to be POWER TRIP or a different band or whatever. As those conversations progressed, we realized we wanted to keep doing POWER TRIP, but didn't really know what that would look like. As the COVID restrictions started lifting, Blake and I were getting together, working on some new music, just to keep busy. We tried out a couple things, with different people, just demoing vocals over it, just to kind of get a feeling for the full song. But initially nothing really came of it. It just didn't come as easily as maybe we would have thought."

Regarding Gilmore's addition to POWER TRIP, Ulsh said: "Yeah, during that time, Blake started FUGITIVE with Seth. He was someone that we reached out to at the beginning, but he wasn't ready. Somewhere along the way, I think he started feeling a lot more comfortable filling that role. We decided to test him out at that show in Austin [last December], since FUGITIVE were playing, and one of my other bands. So, we just had everyone get onstage."

In announcing POWER TRIP's return to the live stage, surviving members Ibanez, Nick Stewart (guitar, vocals), Chris Whetzel (bass) and Ulsh wrote on social media: "Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as POWER TRIP. It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley.

"We know this can't be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of POWER TRIP and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way.

"We'll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we've received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who've been there throughout our existence as a band."

Regarding Gilmore's addition to the POWER TRIP lineup, the band said: "It feels right playing our songs with Seth, who's been a longtime figure in Texas hardcore, and we've had the pleasure of watching and playing alongside his bands since the origins of POWER TRIP. We're grateful for his dedication to this project and can't wait to see everyone."

Gilmore stated: "I'm honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of POWER TRIP and deliver these songs to the fans of past and current generations. I would not be who I am today without the massive influence that both the band and its members have had on my life, and I look forward to celebrating their work alongside them while giving it my all to honor the spirit of Riley's memory."

Ibanez, Stewart, Whetzel and Ulsh played a surprise five-song set with Gilmore on December 1, 2023 at Mohawk in Austin, Texas.

Riley died on August 25, 2020. An autopsy report for Gale ruled that he died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, while the manner of death was ruled accidental.

Following the news of Gale's death, a number of other artists shared tributes to the frontman, including members of CODE ORANGE, ANTHRAX and COHEED AND CAMBRIA.

Riley guested on the track "Point The Finger" on BODY COUNT's "Carnivore" album, released in March 2020, and BODY COUNT frontman Ice-T later suggested in an interview with Stereogum that Gale's death was opioid-related. Ice-T said in December 2020: "When we shot the video [for 'Point The Finger'], he looked healthy. It was a good vibe. That's why I got blindsided when I got the call from his dad, who said that Riley passed away. Apparently, he was dealing with the same bullshit everyone is — this opioid stuff. He'd gotten clean, and when you relapse, you go back to the same dose you're used to and it kills you. It was a really sad thing."

Gale's autopsy report noted that he died from pulmonary edema — a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. This was caused by "the toxic effects of fentanyl" in Gale's system. The fentanyl in Gale's blood was measured at 22.5 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter),and he tested negative for all other drugs and alcohol.

The report went on to note that Gale had a "history of Xanax abuse" and a "history of depression," and revealed Riley was found "unresponsive on the floor at home."

In October 2020, plans were announced for the Riley Gale Library at the Dallas Hope Center — the city's sole shelter for LGBTQ+ youth.

POWER TRIP released two albums on Southern Lord, 2013's "Manifest Decimation" and 2017's "Nightmare Logic". A rarities compilation, "Opening Fire: 2008-2014", followed in 2018.

"Nightmare Logic" peaked at No. 22 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart.

POWER TRIP was said to be working on its third album at the time of Riley's death.

Photo credit: Adam Cedillo

SYSTEM OF A DOWN's "Toxicity" music video has officially topped a billion views on YouTube.

The clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in October 2009, marks SYSTEM OF A DOWN's second song to reach the milestone, after "Chop Suey!" hit one billion views in November 2020.

The "Toxicity" video was co-directed by Marcos Siega (311, WEEZER) and SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian and kicks off on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame before cutting to the band. Guitarist Daron Malakian can be seen wearing a Los Angeles Kings jersey with his last name on the back most of the time in the video. A closeup from behind John Dolmayan's drum kit reveals a double-bass pedal attachment even though he doesn't use it during the song. During the verses, a projector shows homeless people lined against the streets. After the second chorus, Malakian is seen playing the fast riff in fast motion while the band freezes and a crowd slowly appears. The rest of the band resumes as they all come in. The crowd sings along with the band as well as forming a circle pit both in the light and in the dark with glow-sticks. Similar to a scene in the "Chop Suey!" video where singer Serj Tankian is seen eating chop suey, the band is shown eating seeds, corresponding with the lyrics "Eating seeds as a pastime activity". The video ends with a shot of the Milky Way.

"Toxicity" topped out at No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in May 2002 and No. 7 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart.

Last month it was announced that SYSTEM OF A DOWN has added second shows as part of their one-of-a-kind massive stadium events this year. The run of 2025 North American shows will kick off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on August 27-28 with special guests KORN, as well as two night at Soldier Field in Chicago (August 31-September 1) with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and a final stop at Rogers Stadium in Toronto on September 3 and September 5 with DEFTONES.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN will also play a run of South American stadium gigs this spring. The seven-show "Wake Up! South America" tour is slated to kick off on April 24 in Bogota, Colombia at the Estadio Nemésio Camacho El Campin, followed by a show in Cercado De Lima, Peru at the Estadio Nacional. The tour will move on to Chile, Argentina and Brazil, wrapping up with a run of three shows in Curitiba, Rio De Janieiro and São Paulo. The concerts will be SYSTEM OF A DOWN's first visit to South America since 2015.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 19 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.

In a new interview with 96.1 KLPX afternoon jock Larry Mac, ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate spoke about his upcoming "Operation: Mindcrime - The Final Chapter" tour. The U.S. leg of the trek, which will kick off on March 18, 2025 in Tucson, will see the 66-year-old vocalist perform the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album in its entirety for the last time. Asked why this is the final time he is planning to play the LP from beginning to end, Tate said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I wanted to play the album 'Operation: Mindcrime' one more time before I retire it, basically. And I'm kind of getting up there in age. And I thought, well, I have a new collection of songs that I'm gonna be releasing that are kind of in line with the story 'Operation: Mindcrime' and it kind of all fits together. It seems like the right time to do it, and it all kind of makes sense in the big picture of things.

"When I tour something like this, it typically takes me a couple of years to get everywhere I need to get," he explained. "It just takes that long to get everywhere you wanna go. So I'll be doing this for a couple of years starting in March, and people will probably get tired of seeing the advertisements for it, but that's the way it works. It takes forever to get everywhere. 'Cause I'm not one of those artists that does a 20-date tour and calls it quits. Last year I did 242 dates. I go, I go and I go. And I wanna go everywhere I can. I like to take the show to the smaller venues, the smaller cities rather than concentrating on the big cities. I think that's important to bring the show to where people live."

Asked about the upcoming third and final chapter in the classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album series, Tate said: "Well, I wouldn't call it a sequel. I'd call it a continuation of the story. We're doing it in kind of an interesting way. We're not gonna release an album, so to speak, right off the bat. We're going to release the album once all the songs are released, if that makes sense. We're gonna release a song a month or every quarter, and then when it's all finished, we're gonna do a special presentation with all the songs included."

Regarding how he comes up with the musical and lyrical ideas for his albums, Geoff said: "It's all different, really. Sometimes it's a musical figure that you're fiddling around with in the studio that leads to a complete song or a few songs. And sometimes it's the lyrical idea. Sometimes it's a sentence that just sparks your imagination and gets you rolling on something. With the 'Operation: Mindcrime' albums, it was a story that came about really quickly, actually — I wrote it very quickly — and then expanded on it over the years to explain a little bit more in depth as to what was happening within the story. 'Cause the first album is a little bit vague in what it's talking about in it. The second album explains even more as to what the characters are going through. And the third album, again, will be even more explanation, but taken from a number of different viewpoints, which kind of is interesting, I think."

Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant."

The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.

Tate previously discussed his plans for "Operation: Mindcrime III" in a November 2024 interview with "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern". Speaking about the musical direction of his new solo material, Geoff said: "I would say it has more of an early QUEENSRŸCHE feel. [The new songs are] super heavy, and some of 'em are incredibly technical. They're like algebra. [Laughs] You need a calculator when you're listening to the song. [Laughs] And, of course, some of them are very emotional. It's the last chapter in the 'Mindcrime' series. So it's following the exploits of Dr. X and Nikki and Sister Mary, and picks up at a particular point in their story and kind of does the microscope of what is happening at that particular time with them. And I am just in love with it. I am so happy with everything so far, and I can't wait for people to hear it."

Asked if there will once again be "some of those political interplays" within the lyrical themes on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Tate said: "Oh, I think so. Yeah, I think that people will be able to detect little bits of what's happening around them. And it's an interesting time right now — very interesting. Especially next week [after the 2024 U.S. presidential election], it's gonna be really interesting [laughs] what happens. So, we'll see."

Pressed about whether "a familiar voice" will play Dr. X on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Geoff said: "I can't tell you, actually. But thanks for asking. [Laughs]"

In a 2016 interview with East Valley Tribune, Tate said that he looked back fondly on "Operation: Mindcrime II". "I haven't listened to that album since I recorded it," he admitted. "However, it was a new story. Overall, it went down well live with the audience. I have no complaints or regrets about it."

During QUEENSRŸCHE's 2012 legal battle with Tate over the rights to the band's name, guitarist Michael Wilton submitted a sworn declaration in which he said the idea to make "Operation: Mindcrime II" was first brought to the table by Geoff's wife and QUEENSRŸCHE's then-manager Susan Tate. "The band was hesitant and did not want to lessen the original," the guitarist claimed. "But Susan Tate and Geoff Tate hired a budget producer and took control without really any other input. Scott Rockenfield [drums], Eddie Jackson [bass] and I were squeezed out of having any input in the musical direction or business decisions, thus the project suffered. During the initial writing phase, I would show up to bring my input to the creative process only to find that the producer, the new guitar player (who were both staying with the Tates at the time),along with Geoff Tate had been up late the night before or up early that morning and had written the songs without me. I was then told my ideas were not needed as the songs were now done. I could, however, 'bring my own style' in during the recording after learning to play what they wrote for me. In frustration, I gave up on the writing process knowing that I would at least get to make changes in the studio to bring back the QUEENSRŸCHE sound into these songs that we were known for. The final straw was when they refused to let me to be a part of the final recordings and mixes. I was shut out and they had the nerve to replace some of my parts on my songs. They denied me flying to San Francisco to be a part of my band, telling me that everything was ready to go and I was not needed. Had the communication been better, and had I been aware that parts needed to be recorded or rewritten, I would have been there. It was not until years later that I even became aware of the issues during the final recording and mixing of 'Operation: Mindcrime II'. It was all under the control of Geoff and Susan Tate. Call it delusions of grandeur, but they were convinced that this was going to sell three times more than the original, and to date (six years later) this album has sold fewer than 150,000 copies. The original album sold over 500,000 copies within a year."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate's replacement, Todd La Torre, has released four albums thus far with QUEENSRŸCHE: 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance".

Canadian sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD played the first of their two shows with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal, conducted by Dina Gilbert, Wednesday night (January 29) at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletie in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Experiment
02. Holographic Thinking
03. The Unknown Knows
04. The End Of Dormancy
05. Into My Hypercube
06. Forgotten In Space
07. Cosmic Drama
08. Pre-Ignition
09. Nuclear War
10. Fall
11. Tribal Convictions

Encore:

12. Astronomy Domine (PINK FLOYD cover)

Fan-filmed video and photos can be found below.

A review of the show, along with exclusive photos, is available at The Metal Voice.

This legendary Quebec band, known worldwide for redefining the boundaries of metal for over 40 years, will play another concert with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal at the same venue tonight (Thursday, January 30).

Regarding how the collaboration with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal came about, VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin told The Metal Voice in a December 2024 interview: "Oh my God, I think we've been dreaming about that forever. But it came through a strange chain of circumstances, where I did an interview for the magazine L'Itinéraire, for homeless people selling magazines on the street, and then I did an interview with one of the journalists for the magazine, and it ended up being published online by La Presse. And then the people directing the orchestra, the organization, they were made aware of that by one of the musicians from the orchestra, which is a metal dude and he's a fan."

The drummer continued: "It's funny because since my cousin Richard Langevin is married to Diane Dufresne, a famous singer from Montreal, and she had done the orchestra before, so they got in touch with him, because I was mentioning him in the article because he showed me how to draw. [Laughs] And anyhow, they phoned Richard, my cousin, and he phoned my mother. [Laughs] And when I came back from touring with VOIVOD, I had a message on my answering machine saying that the orchestra were looking for us. So, quite amazing."

Langevin added: "We didn't approach [the orchestra], but we always talked about either doing symphonic shows or doing a soundtrack for a sci-fi movie or something like that. It's part of the dreams we have."

VOIVOD guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain >, who previously wrote an eight-minute arrangement for the brass quintet that performed with VOIVOD at the Montreal International Jazz Festival (Festival International de Jazz de Montréal) in June 2019, went on to say that the collaboration with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal is "a dream come true."

"I never tried to write for a whole orchestra," he explained. "I know a little bit about it, studying orchestration at university and knowing my music theory and all that. But what happened is that my help with the project was to provide the music sheets to the arranger, Hugo Bégin. He did an amazing work. He took the music sheet that I wrote for guitar and bass. So he had a template to work on. And so he orchestrated it for the whole orchestra and added his own color to it. And it's very efficient. It's like a movie soundtrack, like the movie we used to watch, like 'Planet Of The Apes' and 'Ben-Hur' and 'Mad Max' and all that. VOIVOD has been influenced since the beginning by those movies, so you can hear it, but with the whole orchestra, it's very exciting. So I exchanged a lot of e-mails and messages with Hugo, the arranger, and we worked really hard on it and he was really, really fast and efficient. And until the last minute, the last day, there was little modifications here and there, but it's gonna be amazing. It's a dream come true, but it's so big that you only imagine something like that in your wildest dreams, but you know it's not gonna happen. So this is just a life-changing experience, a bonus in a career. It's gonna be grandiose."

Added Langevin: "We're also gonna put a lot of work into the visuals with a company called Noisy Head. They're really high tech. It's gonna be spectacular. They did stuff for Lizzo or CHEMICAL BROTHERS. And also they did a symphonic show with the music of Harmonium. And so, yeah, it's gonna be pretty sci-fi visually as well."

For more information, visit www.osm.ca.

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

As previously reported, VOIVOD's long-awaited official documentary, "We Are Connected", received its world premiere on July 29, 2024 at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Canada.

"We Are Connected" dives deep into the 40-plus-year legacy of one of the most original and influential metal bands in history. From their explosive beginnings in Jonquière to their groundbreaking global journey, VOIVOD's story is one of unparalleled creativity, resilience, and evolution. The film covers VOIVOD's history from unlikely origins in northern Québec at the height of the Cold War to underground success to sharing tours and stages with IRON MAIDEN, RUSH and METALLICA. Included in the documentary are high and lows throughout those 40 years, from major-label support and Billboard recognition to seismic lineup changes and an event many critics claimed to be the end of VOIVOD: the death of co-founding guitarist and composer Dennis "Piggy" D'Amour.

Directed by Felipe Belalcazar and produced with full access to the band's archives, this film features exclusive insights and appearances by metal icons like Tobias Forge (GHOST),Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH),Jason Newsted (METALLICA),Zach Blair (RISE AGAINST, GWAR),Tom G. Warrior (CELTIC FROST, TRIPTYKON) and Ivan Doroschuk (MEN WITHOUT HATS),among many others.

Back in 2006, it was reported that VOIVOD had recruited Canadian documentarian Sam Dunn to helm the band's documentary after he interviewed members of VOIVOD for his "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" movie.

After VOIVOD's collaboration with Dunn failed to materialize for reasons that are not clear, the band recruited Belalcázar, who has a proven record of delivering quality productions to millions of metal fans around the world, including the critically acclaimed Chuck Schuldiner documentary "Death By Metal".

In early 2024, VOIVOD completed a North American tour with PRONG.

VOIVOD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Morgöth Tales", which was released via Century Media, The Orchard and Sony Music.

The band's 2022 release, "Synchro Anarchy", garnered significant acclaim, winning the 2023 Juno Award for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Album" in Canada.

Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by VOIVOD, "Morgöth Tales" includes fresh studio re-recordings by the band's current lineup of nine especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band's hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song and the album's title track, "Morgöth Tales".



Posted by Tammy Isabel Pardo on Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Absolutely insane show tonight by Voivod at Place des Arts. I’ll only post short clip upon the request of Stefan...

Posted by Tammy Isabel Pardo on Wednesday, January 29, 2025

On y est !

Posted by Pierre Girard on Wednesday, January 29, 2025

A unique and epic fusion of metal and symphony. First time seeing Voïvod live—and with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal - OSM at Wilfrid-Pelletier!
What a fun evening! ⚡🎻🤘
#Voivod #OSM #MetalMeetsSymphony

Posted by Marie-Christine Leduc on Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Symphonic Voivod Merch

Posted by The Metal Voice on Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Roger Waters is set to release a super deluxe box set of his "The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux" on Friday, March 14, 2025. The box set includes a special live album containing versions of the classic songs from Roger's sold-out appearances at the London Palladium on October 8 and October 9, 2023.

The super deluxe box set includes:

* "The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux" on gold vinyl (2LP),CD, Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos Mix, 96/24 Audio.

* "The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux Live" on gold vinyl, CD, Blu-ray, 96/24 Audio

* Roger Waters track-by-track video interview on Blu-ray

* Four 4 x 10-inch vinyl from the original "Redux" album cut at 45 RPM for "Money", "Time", "Speak To Me"/"Breathe" and "Us And Them", each with an artwork etched B-side.

* A 40-page commemorative book of photographs from the making of the album, rehearsals, and Roger Waters "Redux" live at the London Palladium.

* Initial box set orders from the official store include a signed print by Roger Waters

Waters states: "All that is gone, all that's to come? Looking back or looking forward, 'Dark Side Of The Moon' offers you choice. The choice is yours. Darkness or the light."

"The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux" studio album and Roger Waters live album:

01. Speak To Me
02. Breathe
03. On The Run
04. Time
05. Great Gig In The Sky
06. Money
07. Us And Them
08. Any Colour You Like
09. Brain Damage
10. Eclipse

"The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux" box set credits:

Roger Waters: Vocals
Gus Seyffert: Bass, Synth, Backing Vocals
Joey Waronker: Drums, Percussion
Jonathan Wilson: Guitars, Synth
Johnny Shepherd: Organ, Vocals
Via Mardot: Theremin, Vocals
Azniv Korkejian: Vocals, Percussion
Jon Carin: Keyboards, Lap Steel, Synths, Organ, Vocals
Robert Walter: Piano, Harpsichord, Synths
Gabe Noel: Strings
Gabe Noel: String Arrangements

Recorded live at The London Palladium
Produced by Gus Seyffert and Roger Waters
Mixed by Sean Sullivan, Darrell Thorpe, Roger Waters and Gus Seyffert
Mastered by Dave Cooley, Elysian Masters
Art direction and design: Sean Evans
Photography: Kate Izor

Recorded by PINK FLOYD when Waters was just 29, "The Dark Side Of The Moon" was an extraordinary multidimensional meditation on the human experience, the passage of time, descent into madness, and the abyss.

"The memories of a man in his old age - are the deeds of a man in his prime". As foretold by its opening line, "The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux" sees Waters transcend this half-century void to reinterpret and embellish his original creations with a new perspective gleaned from his own life experience, philosophy, and the wisdom of age, with added emphasis on the philosophical, social and political themes of the original.

Waters's extraordinary vocal performance adds fresh layers of profundity to his classic lyrics, and gravelly wisdom to his philosophical new creations. Waters and Gus Seyffert's production strips back PINK FLOYD's psychedelic orchestrations into something rawer and more delicate, but no less experimentally inventive, exquisitely textured, and rich in musical intertext.

In addition to reimagining each of "The Dark Side Of The Moon"'s original ten tracks — which, like the original, run seamlessly together to create one epic composition — "The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux" LP format features a bonus 13-minute original composition inspired by the re-recording as a final track.

Roger said: "The original 'Dark Side Of The Moon' feels in some ways like the lament of an elder being on the human condition. But Dave, Rick, Nick and I were so young when we made it, and when you look at the world around us, clearly the message hasn't stuck. That's why I started to consider what the wisdom of an 80-year-old could bring to a reimagined version.

"When I first mentioned the idea of re-recording 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' to Gus and Sean, we all thought I was mad, but the more we considered it, the more we thought 'isn't that the whole point?'

"I'm immensely proud of what we have created, a work that can sit proudly alongside the original, hand in hand across a half century of time."

Italian doom metal alchemists, Messa, will release their new full-length, The Spin, on April 11 through their new label home of Metal Blade Records.

Sailing past their tenth anniversary in 2024, Messa takes another step towards legendary status with their majestic fourth album The Spin, which takes its listeners on a breathtaking journey across the wide-open skies of their creative imagination and over a compelling landscape of moods, twists, and styles. Based in the band’s eclectic, self-defined “scarlet doom” sound, The Spin rises, falls, broods, bites, comforts, and destroys, all the while resounding with both instinctive magic and obsessive, concerted hard work. After lighting up the underground with a triptych of increasingly distinctive and wondrous records – 2016’s Belfry, 2018’s Feast For Water, and 2022’s Close – Messa is audibly equipped for the proverbial big leagues.

Palpably assembled with love and care, Messa’s heightened craftsmanship rings loud from the album’s elegant architecture. Written over six weeks of intensive daily sessions, in a 500-year-old villa close to the quartet’s beautiful hometown of Bassano Del Grappa (VI) in Northern Italy, Messa applied scrupulously high standards to the process, even while challenging themselves to change the way they work. “When we recorded Close back in 2021, we wanted to be all in the same room together,” explains the band. “This time we decided to do the exact opposite. We recorded the album in three different locations and timings. This record has seen a lot of rearrangement of the same musical material in order to make a coherent work from start to finish. We also aimed at making the songs work with the most minimal structure while trying not to repeat ourselves too much. We applied a simple rule: if you hear the same thing twice it’s enough. Three times? It gets boring.”

Messa’s signature sound absorbs influences from jazz and blues, punk and prog, and black metal and dark ambient, but their restless experimentalism has extraordinarily smooth and assured results. The Spin incorporates another new element, interpolating an ’80s goth rock vibe in typically full-blooded fashion. “We don’t like to repeat ourselves and we constantly try to find a new language to express while keeping our identity,” stresses the band. “This time we delved into a territory we had never explored before, which is the decade of the 1980s. We are aware that many bands before us took inspiration from that era, but we decided to be careless and run away with it mainly because we get involved and question what we do. We are not part of the ‘dark scene’ in any way. The influence for this record looks back to the early goth rock/dark wave rather than the later emanations of the genre.” In addition to Sisters Of Mercy and Virgin Prunes, the band cites records by Killing Joke, Mercyful Fate, Jimmy Page, Journey, The Sound, Boy Harsher, and Vangelis as impacting significantly upon the creation of The Spin.

In advance of the release of The Spin, Messa today unveils a video for the record’s first single, “At Races.” The band elaborates, “This song is about the pressure we feel coming from the outside world. Expectation often is the root of pain and we sense the strain of the weight other people lay upon our shoulders. This song is born from our devotion to Killing Joke’s sonic language: our use of chorus-laden guitar tapestries and synthesizers is a nod to their work during the ’80s.”

Watch the video below.

The Spin was partly recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Maurizio “Icio” Baggio and includes a trumpet solo by Michele Tedesco on “The Dress,” synth work by Andrea Mantione (Nuovo Testamento) on “Fire On The Roof,” and cover art by Nico Vascellari.



The record will be released on CD (jewel case in the US and digipak in EU) and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:

– White (US)
– 180g Black (EU)
– Night Blue Marbled (EU – Ltd. 1000)
– Clear/Black Splatter (EU – Ltd. 500)
– Pic-LP (EU Roadburn Exclusive – Ltd. 300)
– Alternate Cover – Crystal Clear (EU Band Exclusive – Ltd. 500)
– Alternate Cover – Silver/Black Splatter (EU – Ltd. 500)

Find all pre-orders here. Find band exclusive vinyl here.



The Spin trackliisting:

“Void Meridian”
“At Races”
“Fire On The Roof”
“Immolation”
“The Dress”
“Reveal”
“Thicker Blood”

METALLICA has paid tribute to Marianne Faithfull, who died on Thursday (January 30) at the age of 78.

The British singer contributed vocals to the metal band's song "The Memory Remains" from 1997's "Reload" album.

A Marianne Faithfull spokesperson said: "It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull.

"Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed."

On social media, METALLICA shared a gallery of photos of the various METALLICA members with Faithfull, along with the following message from drummer Lars Ulrich: "Thank you, Marianne… For the good times, For your kindness, For the great stories, For your fearlessness … And the biggest Thank You and Fuck Yeah for your incredible and unique contribution to our music, and for always being so willing to join us in performing it … and partake in the ensuing shenanigans! Rest in Peace – Lars".

In a 1997 interview, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield stated about Faithfull: "We needed a real character, been-through-it-all voice. We got ahold of her and she agreed to do it. So, we flew to Dublin on the way to Belgium. We met up with her in the studio, went in and got her drunk and then she sang this bit. It was perfect. She definitely had the voice and it created a real eerie vibe."
Faithfull performed "The Memory Remains" with METALLICA on a December 6, 1997 episode of "Saturday Night Live" as well as at one of the band's 30th-anniversary shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco on December 7, 2011.

Faithfull's verse in "The Memory Remains" marks the first and only time that METALLICA has had a guest vocalist on one of its songs.

Thank you, Marianne…

For the good times
For your kindness
For the great stories
For your fearlessness

…And the biggest...

Posted by Metallica on Thursday, January 30, 2025

In a new interview with Earth House, legendary extreme metal drummer Nick Barker (LOCK UP, BRUJERIA, DIMMU BORGIR, CRADLE OF FILTH) opened up about some of his recent health challenges, including being hospitalized several times during 2022 and eventually being diagnosed with kidney failure. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I went from traveling the world every month to being stuck at home. And it took about six months to come to terms of it 'cause I felt like I was in prison.

"We picked up [touring] after COVID, and then I started to get sick," the 51-year-old British-born musician continued. "I ended up in hospital on a U.S. tour. 10 days in ICU in North Carolina. Yeah, it was pretty bad. The bill came to 98 grand. Well, I didn't pay. They've got a thing now in the States where if you're a non-citizen and you've got no insurance, you pay a waiver fee and you fill out the form, a waiver, and they just treat you. But they did show me, 'This is how much your treatment costs.'"

Barker went on to say that he really misses "not being able to travel or tour. When it's been pretty much what you do your entire adult life and then all of a sudden, it just stops suddenly, it's a bit of a headfuck," he explained.

Reflecting on another health scare that happened while he was on tour, Nick said: "We were on a heavy metal cruise from Florida to Nassau, Bahamas. And during the gig I had a panic attack. And the paramedics were there. I was, like, 'I need oxygen. I can't breathe.' They were, like, 'A thousand dollars.' And they were literally standing over me, watching me [gasping for breath]."

Asked if he ended up paying, Nick said: "No, I didn't. I said, 'Fuck you.' I kicked the emergency doors open and did a Titanic special. [Laughs]"

Barker started playing drums at the age of 13 years old, but his professional career began back in 1993 at age 20 when he joined U.K. black metal icons CRADLE OF FILTH. After four albums and numerous world tours that followed, Nick went on to join the ranks of Norwegian black metal rivals DIMMU BORGIR in 1999 and went on to enjoy even greater commercial success with them up until 2004.

Nick has also been a busy session player in both live and studio environments, lending his skills to the likes of such heavyweight metal acts as TESTAMENT, OLD MAN'S CHILD, EXODUS, BRUJERIA, GORGOROTH, GOD SEED, ANAAL NATHRAKH and BENEDICTION, to name a few.