Swedish sleaze metallers Smoking Snakes are excited to announce the release of their new studio album, “All Lights On”, out on July 10, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.

Following the release of the single “Pleasure And Pain”, the band share today a new track, “Broken Heart”, along with an official video.

The band commented: “Broken Heart” captures the fragile line between despair and rebirth. Through vivid imagery of darkness, desire, and destiny, the song reflects on the scars left behind by love… And the quiet strength it takes to start again. It’s both intimate and explosive, turning vulnerability into power”.


Pre-Order “All Lights On” HERE

Describing the new album, Smoking Snakes stated: “NOTHING STAYS HIDDEN WHEN THE LIGHTS COME ON. The shadows run, secrets surface, and every flaw, fear, and fire inside us is exposed. This album is a raw flash of truth, like the blinding light in a horror flick when the killer is revealed, or the stage lights right before the first scream of feedback”.

“There’s no place to hide. No mask to wear. No safe darkness”, they continued. “All Lights On” is where neon nightmares meet rock ‘n’ roll redemption. Electric, intense, and unfiltered, just the way it’s meant to be”.

Hailing from Gothenburg, Smoking Snakes are steadily carving out their place in the sleaze metal scene with a sound that blends attitude, melody, and raw energy. Inspired by the great arena rock bands of the 1980s, their music has evolved beyond its roots to develop a distinct and recognizable identity of its own.

A key part of their identity lies in their strong commitment to live performances. Smoking Snakes are a highly active touring band, hitting the road, playing shows, and building a direct connection with their audience. This dedication to the live circuit has allowed them to grow organically, sharpening their performance skills and expanding their fanbase step by step.


At the same time, the band continues to invest serious effort into their artistic development, working consistently to refine their songwriting and define a clear sonic direction. Their evolution reflects both persistence and a genuine passion for their craft.

Their new album, produced by Jack Stroem, captures this moment of growth perfectly. It delivers a collection of songs that balance grit and melody, showcasing a band that is becoming more confident, focused, and mature without losing its edge.

With a strong work ethic, an increasing presence on stage, and a clear vision for the future, Smoking Snakes prove themselves to be more than just an emerging act – they are a band on a steady rise, and one that fans of sleaze metal should keep a close eye on.

“All Lights On” deliver a band in perfect shape ready to take its place in the sleaze scene.

“All Lights On” Tracklist:

1. 103.1 The Scream – The 80’s Late Night Radio Broadcast
2. Don’t Touch
3. Trick Or Treat
4. All I Need
5. Look In Your Eyes
6. Last Man Standing
7. Screaming For More
8. Broken Heart
9. Nasty & Wild
10. Turn On The Lights
11. Pleasure & Pain
12. The Last Nightmare

Line Up:
Brett Martin – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Andy Delarge – Bass, backing vocals
Mackey Gee – Drums, backing vocals
Rob Raw – Lead guitar, backing vocals

During an April 13 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris spoke about the band's upcoming feature documentary, titled "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition", which will hit theaters for a limited time only beginning May 7, 2026. Asked why now was the right time to tell the MAIDEN story in film form, Harris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, in actual fact, it wasn't us. It's about us, but not by us. That's the difference. So it's a documentary, which they came to us with an idea that they wanted to do, and it changed a little bit from the original idea. They were gonna do it more about the fans, and it still is, to a certain degree. So, yeah, it's not by us. They wanted to use our artwork and everything, and it seems like as if it's our documentary. It's not. I think they really should have put out that it's a documentary aboutIRON MAIDEN, not byIRON MAIDEN, because it's not us. We didn't have that control that we would normally have if we were doing it ourselves, of course."

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

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

Directed by Malcolm Venville ("Churchill At War") and produced by Dominic Freeman ("Spirits In The Forest - A Depeche Mode Film"), "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" charts IRON MAIDEN's remarkable five‑decade journey.

Alongside the band, the documentary features on‑camera reflections from prominent admirers, including Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, each speaking to IRON MAIDEN's influence on music, culture and generations of fans worldwide.

When it was first made available in February, the key art by Albert "Akirant" Quirantes offered the first visual look at the documentary.

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

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

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

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

In a new interview with Spain's Stairway To Rock, former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson reflected on "Strange Highways" (1993) and "Angry Machines" (1996),which are considered DIO's most controversial and "angry" albums, marking what at the time was divisive shift toward a darker, heavier, and more modern sound influenced by 1990s grunge/metal. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "'Strange Highways' and 'Angry Machines' were such fun records to make. And, yeah, what a lineup. I mean, Vinny [Appice, drums], Ronnie [James Dio, vocals], Tracy ['G' Grijalva, guitar]. I love Tracy G's guitar playing. He was very underrated, in my opinion. He was not respected as much as he should have been, 'cause he was a brilliant player and a great guy to just improvise with. And that band was so much fun. We had so much fun together. It was really, really great making those records."

After the interviewer noted that a lot of DIO fans didn't like the darker, experimental edge of Ronnie James Dio's mid-1990s era, due in large part to Tracy's much different playing style to that of his predecessors, Vivian Campbell and Craig Goldy, Jeff said: "I know. I know that. We know that. And I just think it's a real drag because it was great. I mean, if we would've been a new band and not called DIO, I think a lot of people would've appreciated it, but, of course, when you have Ronnie in the band [laughs], it's kind hard not to call it DIO. So, yeah, I know. That's an unfortunate thing.

"People have something that they're looking for, and they wanna hear that, and they don't really wanna deviate from that," Jeff explained. "And I understand that. I get that. It's tough when an artist wants to make a change, unless they can bring the audience along with them, it can be very, very frustrating."

Circling back to the fact that Tracy's guitar-playing style wasn't completely embraced by some DIO fans, Jeff added: "So, yeah, we understood that, and it was kind of a shame, but I was proud of Ronnie that he didn't just abandon Tracy right off the bat. He knew about the criticism, but he believed in Tracy, and that speaks volumes about Ronnie's character."

Pilson is best known for playing with DOKKEN and FOREIGNER, but he also toured with DIO in the 1990s and performed on three of the group's albums — the aforementioned "Strange Highways" and "Angry Machines", as well as the group's tenth and final studio release, "Master Of The Moon" (2004).

Tracy reflected on the way he was let go from DIO's band several years ago in an interview with The Metalcast. He said: "One of the last things [Ronnie] said to me on the phone, he goes, 'I wish you were an ass.' He goes, 'I wish you were an ass. That way this would be a lot easier to do, but I really dig you and sorry to say, it has to end now because of powers that be.' So we got along. It wasn't like a big blowout or anything, no. It was just mutual respect and he just said a lot of his fans didn't dig what I was doing and his new record company wanted him to go back to one of his first guitar players, if he could. Vivian and him weren't getting along, so the next choice was Craig. And so he went to Craig. The label wanted him to play with guys he used to play with. He also brought back in Jimmy Bain when I left. It's all a business thing, 'cause they wanted more of the first guys so that they'd sell more tickets — the original DIO lineup. It's all about money to the business people — money, money, money. I don't think the albums after me sold way more than 'Strange Highways'. I really don't know, but I doubt if they did. They weren't any better. They weren't as good, as far as I'm concerned, but that's just me. But he has to go where his manager points him, and it's a business, unfortunately. I wish it was just people playing music, what they wanna play. But the business gets into it, and, 'Well, if you wanna get this record deal, you've gotta get rid of that guy 'cause Tracy's going the wrong way. Tracy's bringing all this weird new shit in and people don't dig that, so get rid of that guy.' That kind of vibe. So he apologized for that. And what he first wanted me to do was stay in the band and have Craig Goldy in the band too and just have me play rhythm guitar now. And I declined. I said, 'Ah, fuck that. What do I wanna do that for? I played lead guitar for six years. Now I'm gonna play rhythm just to stay in a band. Just to stay in Dio's band and be the rhythm guitar player.' I said, 'I'm better than that, as far as I'm concerned. So, no, thanks. No, thanks.' So then he had to let me go, 'cause I didn't wanna stand in the back and just play rhythm and let the Craig Goldy thing go. I don't even dig Craig Goldy's solo playing. I'm not even a fan of his. It'd be different if he was bringing in someone that I loved. I'd be, like, well, 'Let me think about it.' But he was gonna bring in someone that was, like — I'm not even a fan of his. He's not a fan of mine, I'm sure, but who cares? Whatever. But so I stepped out. I'm the one who said, 'No, I won't do that.' And then he said, 'Okay, let's forget we had this conversation and just go on.' And I said, 'Okay.' And then a week later he called again and said he's gotta let me go. So that's how it went."

Tracy G played with DIO from 1993 to 1999 and was featured on the aforementioned two studio albums, "Strange Highways" and "Angry Machines", and one live album, "Inferno: Last In Live", as well as a concert film, "Live In London, Hammersmith Apollo 1993".

A year ago, Tracy was asked by Chris Akin Presents why he never joined another nationally touring act after his departure from DIO. He responded: "'Cause of me. It was my decision. 'Cause I said, 'Okay, I was in DIO. [Ronnie James Dio is a] pretty great singer. [It] doesn't get much better than that. Should I seek out something' like you just said, 'something bigger?' I had too much stuff I wanted to say myself. And I was getting turned on to these little home studios. Now I can record stuff myself. I just wanted to sit in my room and record what's in my head and not have anybody tell me anything, basically. I wanted to do what I wanted to do, and I was kind of tired of being led around type of thing, being in somebody else's band. I did that. I did it the best I could until Ronnie wanted me — they wanted me to play with another guitar player. They didn't kick me out of the band. First they said, 'Well, Tracy, the record company, they wanna add one of our old guitar players.' Craig Goldy got the gig and he was one of their old guitar players. And they got [bassist] Jimmy Bain back too, cause those guys were part of the original DIO, and they wanted to sell more tickets because life is about money. The world is about money. The business is about money. I mean, that's why we're here, right? Well, no, but that's how the world looks at it, right? Me, I'm, like, the things I wanna say. So, I had already played lead guitar and did two or three albums with Ronnie, and now they wanted me to step in the back and let somebody more known, more known in DIO, like Craig Goldy play the solos, which I'm not even a fan of his — sorry, but I'm not even a fan of his. He's probably not a fan of mine [either]. So, oh, just to be a rock star and keep getting some money, I gotta stay in DIO? No. No. No. What's important to me is saying what I wanna say on the guitar. That's what I do."

AFTERLIFE — Tyler Levenson (vocals), Andrew McGuire [guitar], Luke Walkinshaw [drums], and Tristan Edwards [bass] — have bad habits and they’re sharing them! The band has just dropped the video for their frenetic and gloriously glitchy new single “Bad Habits.”

“‘Bad Habits’ is about realizing that your behavior or vices are negatively impacting the people around you,” explains Levenson. “It captures the struggle between denial and self-awareness, ultimately becoming a cry for help. As people, we all struggle with life and the unfortunate circumstances it brings. Sometimes the ways we cope, the ways we ‘get by’ can become harmful, not only to ourselves but to those around us.”

He continues, “One of my favorite deliveries in the song takes place in Verse Two, where I intensely describe my battle with denial: ‘Then I put a fake face on, ’cause I’m headed to a place that I gotta get away from / Can you help me get away from all the pain, the doubt, the fear that traps me here?’ The song is a perfect description of how I was feeling on a day-to-day basis at various points in my life.”

LISTEN


Also, Afterlife were just added to Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida. They will appear on Thursday, May 7.

Upon solidifying their lineup back in the 2017s, the members of Afterlife bonded over influences like Slipknot, Linkin Park, and Papa Roach as they cultivated their own sound. As a unit, they locked into a groove and dropped the Vicious Cycle EP that same year. Speaking to the excitement around the band, they sold out their very first headline gig: the EP’s release show. Catalyzing their momentum, they hit the studio with producer Zakk Cervini [Bring Me The Horizon, Bad Omens, Poppy] and dropped their debut album Breaking Point during 2019.

Pushing forward, they evolved once again with the full-length Part of Me [2021]. Beyond amassing millions of streams, they’ve shared stages with the likes of Ice Nine Kills, From Ashes To New, Crown The Empire, Bury Tomorrow, Rise Of The Northstar, Zero 9:36, and more. Gracing the bills of some of the country’s biggest rock festivals, they’ve ignited Welcome To Rockville, Louder Than Life, Inkcarceration Festival (Main Stage), Shiprocked Cruise, and Blue Ridge Rock Festival. Meanwhile, they have received widespread critical acclaim from Alternative Press, Rock Sound, Metal Hammer, Revolver, Loudwire, Substream Magazine, Knotfest, and more.

In 2024, the band independently released their smashing single “Bleed You Dry,” opening the door to a surge virality on TikTok. Afterlife premiered the song live for the first time ever at Welcome To Rockville, and it remains a live staple. Moreover, “Bleed You Dry” quickly piled up north of 15 million collective streams and views.

Renowned for explosive live shows, witnessing one gig was all it took for Mascot Records to sign them in 2025. Shortly after inking their deal, the group hit the studio with producers Zach Jones [Crown The Empire, Nothing More, We Came As Romans, Pop Evil] and Austin Coupe [Papa Roach, The Devil Wears Prada, Thousand Below, Moodring].

Swedish cult act MASTER MASSIVE will release a new studio album, called „White Shadows“, out on July 10th through Fireflash Records. The album is a pure and epic heavy metal gem, and unites traditional metal with progressive and doom elements.

MASTER MASSIVE release their first single & lyric video for the song „Blood On The Floor“.

Stream/Download here: https://save-it.cc/fireflash/blood-on-the-floor
Bandcamp: https://ff-mastermassive.bandcamp.com/track/blood-on-the-floor
„I wanted to make a really stomping mid-tempo song, and just thinking that thought made me play the first riff without hesitation. The image I worked from was a child lifting their gaze from play and looking out into the world. With each verse, the child grows older and begins to draw their own conclusions more and more. One of the best lyrics. The basic song itself has a fairly simple structure. It’s only at the solo that we start to go wild, with a death riff in 7/8 time. Really tricky harmonies, which made composing melodic solos quite challenging. But after many hours of effort, it turned out really well. Per-Mårten added a couple of important keyboard lines at the end of the solo. Masken’s understanding of the lyrics and his raw power bring so much energy“, comments lead guitar player Jan Strandh.


The sound of MASTER MASSIVE is unique. You can hear MERCYFUL FATE, but also CANDLEMASS and early FATES WARNING and QUEENSRYCHE. „I’ve listened a lot to those bands, especially Mercyful Fate („Melissa“ and „Don’t Break The Oath“), and later also Fates Warning („Awaken The Guardian“). Originally, I come from the symphonic rock tradition, with bands like Queen, Genesis, Jethro Tull, and Black Sabbath. My playing style comes exclusively from the guitarists in these bands“, adds Strandh.

There is a lot to discover in „White Shadows“. It is an album that is timeless, that needs full attention and will once in the future be named along with many classics. „We had big ambitions for the album. We decided that there shouldn’t be a single weak song or meaningless note. Even so, it surpassed our expectations. One of the feelings we wanted to capture in our sound was a natural groove, the kind you hear in older artists and in classical music. To achieve this, we chose to make a record entirely without a click track. Johan was the perfect drummer for the challenge, and once everyone who plays and sings on the album had added their parts, the result became far more fluid, alive, and dynamic than we could have imagined.“

MASTER MASSIVE are:
Tony Niva – lead vocals
Marcus ”Masken” Karlsson – lead vocals
Viktor Gustafsson – lead vocals
Jan Strandh – lead guitar and vocals
Max Warnby – bass guitar
Johan Hautajärvi – drums

The "Mandylion" lineup of Dutch rockers THE GATHERING — including singer Anneke Van Giersbergen — played half a dozen shows last year to celebrate the classic album's 30th anniversary. The band will continue the celebrations in 2026 with around 30 more shows in Europe, North America and South America, concluding with a headlining appearance on October 17 at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile.

THE GATHERING's third studio album, "Mandylion" was released in August 1995 via Century Media Records. It was the band's first LP to feature Van Giersbergen.

Asked in a new interview with Chile's iRock.cl what it was like to play with Anneke again after such a long time, THE GATHERING guitarist René Rutten said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At the beginning, we just started with only the musicians, because it's a bit more difficult to figure out how the music works. And then Anneke came by, and then she was so impressed with hearing the old classic songs, but now with two guitars and really full force, amps on 11. So, yeah, that's absolutely fantastic to do again. And also on stage, the same kind of feeling, like how we did it exactly also 30 years ago."

Regarding how the idea of the reunion and the celebration tour came about, René said: "We got the ['Mandylion'] gold album two years ago in the Netherlands. And we had a meeting, and we had a lunch. And during the lunch I asked Anneke, like, 'Let's do something special with being this album 30 years old. And so it happened. Yeah. And that's why I'm now here giving this interview to you. So, yeah."

As for the setlist for THE GATHERING's 2026 shows, René said: "That's a big secret. No. Everybody knows, in a way, what we played in the Netherlands last year in August. So it will be similar to that. And maybe a few more other songs. We still have to make that decision. And we have to see. We didn't discuss about it yet."

Asked if there are any plans for THE GATHERING's "Mandylion" lineup beyond the 2026 tour, René said: "No, we don't have any plans for the future. No. The last show will be in Chile, from this kind of 'Mandylion' 30th-anniversary shows. And after that I stay, of course, a little bit longer here in Chile, because I have my family here. And after that we will see — we will see what the future will bring. Anneke, of course, has her solo career and shows, and that's happening in '27. And we will see later what it'll bring and what it'll do."

The THE GATHERING's "Mandylion" lineup played five reunion shows at Doornroosje in Nijmegen, The Netherlands last August. They also previously staged a kick-off "try-out" concert on June 29, 2025 at Dynamo in Eindhoven.

In a 2025 interview with Femmetal - Goddesses Of Metal, which took place before the first b>THE GATHERING reunion show, Anneke spoke about THE GATHERING's concerts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Mandylion". She said: "Well, actually, I'm quite excited… This idea came kind of spontaneous. We were having conversations, we had just coffee and talking about life, other things, and then we talked about 'Mandylion' turning 30 and because time flies, we didn't really think about it. And then we said, 'Maybe we can do something nice with it,' because it's such an important album for us personally because we had a great time at the beginning of THE GATHERING career with me, of course. And we said, 'Well, if we do something, we have to do it now, because next year it's not such a good reason because now 'Mandylion' is 30 years old, and let's do something nice.' And so we made this plan, and we made these ideas for these shows. And then a lot of people wanted to come to the shows. I mean, I know THE GATHERING is still a popular band and I know it's alive — people really like THE GATHERING's music now and back then. But we didn't expect this many people to react on it and want [to buy] a ticket [to see us perform live again]. And so we are so happy. And we're gonna make a few beautiful shows and gonna have lots of fun playing together again, 'cause it's been a long time. It's been 10 years, I think."

The lineup for the concerts consisted of the following musicians:

* Anneke Van Giersbergen - vocals
* Hugo Prinsen Geerligs - bass
* Frank Boeijen - keyboards, backing vocals
* Hans Rutten - drums
* René Rutten - guitar
* Jelmer Wiersma - guitar

In November 2014, THE GATHERING celebrated its 25th anniversary with a one-time special show at Doornroosje in Nijmegen. All past and present members of THE GATHERING — from 1989 until 2014 — appeared on stage and performed in this unique show together.

Van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released several albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project.

In 2005, Century Media celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Mandylion" by releasing a special deluxe edition of the album. The double-CD set featured new artwork, a 16-page booklet with song-by-song liner notes from the band and never-before-seen photos from the album's recording sessions. CD2 contained the first demo recordings THE GATHERING did with Van Giersbergen in June 1994 and early 1995. "Solar Glider" was a previously unreleased instrumental while "Third Chance" appeared two years later in a different version on the "Nighttime Birds" album.

In a 2007 interview with PopMatters, Van Giersbergen stated about her decision to leave THE GATHERING and launch AGUA DE ANNIQUE: "I had been in THE GATHERING for 13 years, and I had never done anything for 13 years in my life. It's been my whole adult life, so to leave that, on one hand, was a very clear decision and a very strong feeling, and I was ready. In 13 years, things had changed in my personal and musical life. It was difficult as well, because the guys, they were like brothers, so to leave that and to change that relationship has been a long process and was probably one of the hardest things I did.

"I told them at the beginning of March, and so we really took some time to assess the situation," she continued. "Also, the guys, they wanted to see what their plans would be next. Of course they were not happy with my decision, but they are respectful and they have good spirits to continue. Of course, I put a big stamp on the sound and the look of THE GATHERING, but on the other hand I'm not the only singer in the world, so it's going to change, but it's not going to stop."

Regarding her reasons for leaving, Anneke said, "There were a lot of physical reasons, but they all came out of one big feeling in my heart that it was time to change. I was supposed to do this record besides THE GATHERING, and I was given time and it was all okay, but I like to do other small projects and work with other people a lot. I had some plans, and the feeling became stronger to develop that more seriously and also especially to be with my family a little bit more. Now, I can direct everything I do from this one agenda, and it feels very good to be the director of your own life. In a way THE GATHERING was officially a bigger band, and we were day and night constantly working with it, and it was quite intense, all the processes. So a lot of small things became one big feeling, like, 'Okay, I'm ready.'"

In December 2025, Norwegian singer Silje Wergeland, who had been fronting THE GATHERING since early 2009, announced her departure from the band. She explained in a statement that "after 16 years of creating and playing great music with THE GATHERING" it was "time to move on to new ventures."

Prior to joining THE GATHERING, Silje sang for the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI.

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan addressed the band's recently launched first-of-its-kind partnership with USA company Sweetwater, the world's leading online retailer of musical instruments and pro-audio equipment, to search worldwide for SKID ROW's next lead vocalist. The collaboration invites singers from around the world to audition for the opportunity to front one of rock's most enduring and respected acts. Bolan said about SKID ROW's singer search (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're pretty focused in on a couple of guys. We haven't made a decision yet. We're taking our time. We're taking our time, because we have the luxury of doing that right now. We don't have to rush. We don't have any tours planned. We don't have anything like that. So in the meantime, [SKID ROW guitarist] Snake [Dave Sabo] and I have been getting together and writing. Scotti [Hill, SKID ROW guitarist] and I have been writing. And we're just doing that. We're doing that, prepping for if we find a singer tomorrow, we could go into the studio or we could start rehearsing. But, yeah, we got some guys on our radar, but like I said, not making any rushed decisions."

Earlier this month, Bolan told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station that he and his SKID ROW bandmates were "still looking" for a new vocalist. "We're taking our time. But Snake and I do get together and write [new SKID ROW music]. We just wrote a little bit today, as a matter of fact. He just left [my house] about 10 minutes ago. So, yeah, we just keep the machine rolling, and when we find someone, we'll find someone. But we're not gonna rush it. We did this promotion through Sweetwater and probably have listened to about 300 submissions at this point. And there's some really good stuff on there. And, we've auditioned people outside of that as well that were really good. So, it's a long process, and were prepared for it."

After Meltdown noted that if SKID ROW was to hire the singer of another well-known band to front the group, such as HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale, who played four shows as the frontwoman of SKID ROW in the spring of 2024, fans would likely expect to see SKID ROW perform some of the material from the other group's catalog, Rachel said: "Yeah. I would think people would wanna hear, like, 'Wow, what would it sound like for SKID ROW to play a HALESTORM song.' And, yeah, that's the one thing about bringing in someone well known. But I guarantee whoever we get will be well known [laughs], as soon as he's in the band."

This past January, Rachel spoke the "Rockstrap" podcast about the band's ongoing singer search following the departure of Erik Grönwall more than two years ago. The now-38-year-old Swedish-born musician, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, announced his departure from SKID ROW in March 2024, saying that it had become increasingly "difficult to prioritize" his health and full recovery as the lead singer of the group.

"We have a couple of guys on our radar," Bolan said. "We've auditioned a few people, but we're gonna do a big, gigantic… We were just waiting for the new year to start. Not so much an open call, but there's a lot of people that wanna audition, so we're just going — us and management and our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, we're all going through each person saying, like, 'Okay, let's get in a room with this person. 'This person [is a] little too young or a little too green,' or 'they can't sing. Who told them they could sing?' You get that too. So we have a couple of guys on our radar that we're pretty excited about. So hopefully before the end of the year we'll be back out on the road."

When one of the interviewers noted that SKID ROW has had especially bad luck with securing permanent singers, Rachel said: "It's just one of those things, man. We had a really good thing going with Erik. I think the road was just too much for him, [with] his past health issues and whatnot, and it just didn't work out, which was a bummer… He fit right in, and the fans loved him."

Last September, Rachel told Lisa Karkos of the Nashville On The Rocks podcast/show about how he and the rest of SKID ROW are going about looking for a new vocalist: "It's kind of become a thing with SKID ROW, 'cause we've had quite a few [singers]. But we're going to do something pretty big to find one, find the [right] person [to front the band].

"We have a certain criteria, and I think the main part, you have to have strong pipes," Bolan explained. "You have to be able to tour a lot. And you have to be a good hang. I think that's the main thing, is being a good hang.

"It's really hard doing it as long as we've been doing it, and other bands and artists could back me up on this, [when] you're doing it for this long, the hang becomes really necessary. When you get someone in there that is out for themselves and doesn't care about anything that's going on around them, it's tough.

"So that's where we're at," Rachel added. "We've auditioned some people, and some people came in and they were great — they were really great. But you have four guys that are looking at someone, and it's, like, one guy might think they're perfect, another guy might think they're almost perfect, another person might think, 'Eh,' wasn't feeling it. So all four of us — Rob Hammersmith, Snake, Scotti Hill and myself — we need to be a hundred percent on board."

Rachel went on to say that he and his SKID ROW bandmates are "not gonna rush anything" when it comes to selecting the group's next vocalist. "We have the luxury of time on our side," he explained. "Maybe not our ages [laughs], but we have the luxury of time. We don't have any tours set up or anything like that, that we have to just like kind of get someone in place… Our booking agent says those shows are still gonna be there. If it takes two years, three years, whatever, those shows are gonna be there, dude. And it makes you feel good, because when you're as close to it as I am, it's, like, you don't look at us, like, 'You guys are fucking SKID ROW, man. You can do whatever the fuck you want.' I look at it as, like, 'We're SKID ROW. What the fuck are we gonna do?' We just told ourselves we're not gonna stress. If it takes a long time, it takes a long time. And like I said, we've had people down that we've dug a lot. Something was there. Maybe there was pieces missing, an element missing, but it is what it is. And we're meeting a lot of really cool people along the way — a lot of really cool people who I'm, like, 'Wow.' I'll listen to some of their songs, and it's, like, you look at someone and you're, like, 'Maybe we could work together on something else or write songs together.'"

Erik was SKID ROW's fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach's departure.

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Six years ago, Bolan confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

Seven years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In response to Bach's statements about the earnings of SKID ROW's singer, Sabo told Rolling Stone in an e-mail: "I guess fact-checking isn't in his skill set… The five of us go on that stage as a band and we all get paid equally. We're in this together. There's no egos."

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was "close to reuniting, but then it didn't happen. The fact that it didn't happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says," he added.

"I wouldn't say 'came close,'" Bolan told Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach's account of the reunion talks. "We entertained the idea. Snake and I went as far as talking with agents and promoters about money. But we quickly learned after a few text conversations, why we fired him in the first place. Nothing is worth your happiness and peace of mind."

In a new interview with Matt Capitano of the Face The Music podcast, guitarist Chris Caffery of acclaimed progressive metal pioneers SAVATAGE was asked how the band's comeback performances in 2025 were received by the fans in South America and Europe. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been amazing. And I think it's better than I could have hoped for, which I was just hoping for it to be really good, that people would be happy we were back and they would accept it and they would wanna see more. It's been over-the-top great, which is really cool. People have been so excited. And there's been so many new fans that never had a chance to see us before. And some of the old ones that are arriving to the shows with their children that [are] anywhere from 14 to for how long it's been since we played, in their twenties, where the kid never had a chance to see SAVATAGE. So, we're meeting their families as they bring 'em to the shows."

Caffery continued: "I think the fact that we really busted our butts to make sure that the band was very tight and the music was played very well and we were all in shape when we went up on stage and did the best we could do, the fans that used to go see us all the time that would brag to their friends that didn't know of SAVATAGE, how we were live, 'You gotta see this band live. You gotta see this band live,' I think we lived up to their memories to them, and they were very happy. So when they brought their friends out and their family and this and that, they were, like, 'See.' So we didn't let anybody down. And I think that includes ourselves. And I just wanted to do the best I possibly could do. I mean, I sat and really kind of nickel and dimed a little bit of the [late SAVATAGE guitarist] Criss [Oliva] solos more than I did in the past, because in the past I was just kind of playing 'em and into my head, making sure I remembered 'em as close as possible, but this last time I was going through and really picking apart specific licks and even some of the songs I'd never played before. I think it was just either the amount of time that it's been since I first played a SAVATAGE song till then. I would send tapes of me playing this stuff to [SAVATAGE singer] Zak [Stevens], and they were just, like, 'This sounds exactly the same.' And I'm, like, 'Yeah. I never played that song before.' So there'll be SAVATAGE songs I never played that I'll play for the first time, and I'm playing the lead or songs that I played 20 years ago, I'm playing the lead completely different. And the different happens to be really correct. [Laughs] So it's one of these things where I don't know if it's just me getting older and getting better or if there's a little bit of guidance that comes around every once in a while. I think it's a little of both."

Asked if he thinks the current lineup of SAVATAGE will ever perform in the States again, Caffery said: "Yeah, I think we will. I think right now everybody just needs to be happy that we're back. I try to tell it to the States fans. I'm, like, do you understand that it was the Europeans and South Americans that dug this out of the woodwork? Now that you've seen that we're playing all these other places, don't get upset when we're not playing with you. If you would've had the same demand out of the gate, or in the past, the first shows may have been the United States. They got that benefit. So it's, like, now we're just trying to make it be the right thing. We don't wanna come over here and do anything less as far as the production and how we're getting on that stage and the situations. We don't wanna get into a compromise situation where [fans will say], 'I saw 'em. It was okay.' It's, like, we wanna really make sure that we get something together that's gonna work. We've been going over, mulling through a few different ideas and things that happens, and I know some festivals have asked us to come and play and some of 'em headline. And we're working it all out. It's not like it's not going to happen. I just don't know exactly when or how. And I'm always the last to know. So somewhere there's gonna be somebody out there who will know before me. 'Hey, I hear you guys are playing…', and I'll be, like, 'We are?' It's always like that. It was like that last year when we were playing. 'Oh my God. It's great to know you guys are playing back at Rockwave [in Greece].' I'm, like, 'We are?' The people in Greece knew before me, and the people in the United States will know where we're playing in the USA before me. It's just gonna happen that way."

Chris added: "I wanna play everywhere we can. And like I said, hopefully none of our travel plans get messed up through the ways of the world. But I keep my finger crossed and hope for the best."

After Capitano noted that it seems like European hard rock and heavy metal fans tend to appreciate the music "on a different wavelength than American does," Chris concurred. "I love playing in America, but I think a lot of times we have so many things going on in this country that for some people the music becomes just a part of everything else," he said. "With a lot of these European and South American fans, I know that especially some of the countries that are less busy economically, I think the music is such a bigger percentage of a part of these fans' lives that when you go to see them live, you're filling maybe 10 holes that music would fill in America, that are filled around us by nine other things. The music is just one of 10 in the things that people do on the weekend. These kids are doing just that. It's their one release. And I think when you play for these audiences, you feel that live. And I think it's undeniable. Not that there's not great audiences in the United States — there are, and there always has been — but you'll see, even with that, some of the places you get to, some of the more rural places where the kids will crawl out of the woodwork, 'cause they're not in a big city and there's not a big sports team and there's not a big arena around it. When we used to play some of the club venues with SAVATAGE or some of the theaters, you would get out there into some of these places and these crowds were just, like, bananas. They were great. And you feel that. But the European festival scene is definitely something that has to be seen to be able to describe exactly. It's kind of like a TSO [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA] show. You could talk about 'em, unless you see it, you don't really know. But I mean, there's lots of great stuff, like I said, in South America too. And I know there's a lot of great festivals coming around in America too."

On June 26, 2026, earMUSIC will issue "Madness Reigns From The Gutter (1990)", a previously unreleased official live recording capturing SAVATAGE at the height of their legendary "Rulin' Gutter" tour.

This spring and summer, SAVATAGE will embark on the 2026 "Prelude To Madness" European tour consisting of nearly 20 shows, including appearances at such festivals as Germany's Wacken Open Air, Spain's Leyendas Del Rock, Belgium's Alcatraz and Sweden's Sweden Rock.

The 2026 "Prelude To Madness" tour will once again feature SAVATAGE's current lineup: vocalist Zak Stevens, guitarists Al Pitrelli and Chris Caffery, bassist Johnny Lee Middleton and drummer Jeff Plate.

SAVATAGE's journey began in Tampa, Florida, founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva. Their story is one of both triumph and tragedy, marked by groundbreaking albums including the seminal 1987 release "Hall Of The Mountain King" and the critically acclaimed 1991 rock opera "Streets", both of which continue to resonate with fans worldwide. Following the untimely death of guitarist Criss Oliva after the success of 1993's "Edge Of Thorns", the band persevered with renewed purpose, culminating in their transformative 1995 album "Dead Winter Dead".

Throughout their four-decade career, SAVATAGE have cultivated one of metal's most passionate cult followings. During their nearly 20-year hiatus from touring, devoted fans continuously campaigned for the band's return. Their electrifying reunion performance at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in 2015 captivated 80,000 fans and reaffirmed both SAVATAGE's legendary status and their audience's unwavering devotion.

Building on the momentum from their 2015 Wacken triumph, SAVATAGE made international headlines in 2025 with their first headline shows since 2002. The European dates successfully reunited multiple generations of "The Legion" — longtime devotees experiencing long-awaited performances alongside newcomers discovering the band's power for the first time.

SAVATAGE played four shows in South America in April 2025 and 10 dates in Europe in June 2025, including at France's Hellfest and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting festivals.

SAVATAGE played its first non-festival headlining concert in more than 20 years on April 21, 2025 at the Espaço Unimed in São Paulo, Brazil. The show took place two days after SAVATAGE performed at the Monsters Of Rock festival at Allianz Parque in São Paulo.

Appearing with Middleton, Caffery, Pitrelli, Plate and Stevens were SAVATAGE's two new touring keyboardists, Paulo Cuevas and Shawn McNair.

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.

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 addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Jon 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.

FIREHOUSE's latest single, "Midnight Gasoline", is now available for streaming on YouTube. You can check out the track below.

Originally released in early March as a paid digital download on FIREHOUSE's web site, "Midnight Gasoline" marks FIREHOUSE's second release with the band's new lead vocalist Nate Peck, 2023 "American Idol" golden ticket recipient from Season 21, who officially joined the group in 2024. He replaced late FIREHOUSE frontman C.J. Snare, who died on April 5, 2024 at the age of 64 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

In a recent interview with Anthony Bryant of The Hair Metal Guru, FIREHOUSE guitarist Bill Leverty stated about how "Midnight Gasoline" came together: "Well, I had this guitar riff that I'd been playing for years to check the guitar when it's my turn at soundcheck. And at soundcheck, we get the drums first, and then we get the bass, then we get everybody's vocal mic, and then the last thing our soundman wants to hear is the guitar. And he wants to hear rhythm guitar. He wants to hear some rhythm guitar so he can balance it in with the other stuff. And so I've been playing that riff for a long time. And Nate came up, he goes, 'You know, we should do something with that riff.' And I was, like, 'Well, man, send me a title. What does this sound like?' He goes, 'Well, I'll think about that. Just record it for me and send it to me.' So I recorded it for him, e-mailed it to him, and he came back with 'Midnight Gasoline'. And I was, like, 'That is so cool. How did you come up with that, dude? You're 25.' But anyway, that was a great title. And then it just kind of took off from there. And we e-mailed back and forth."

Bill continued: "I put a lot of time into trying to get the details right to go from one section to the other. But the guy who really knocked that song out of the park was Michael Foster, our drummer, who — I think it's his best drumming performance ever, and he just keeps getting better and better as a recording artist and is a live performer. But this song, he really, really played so well on it. And [he's] just so creative and [he came up with] so many cool fills. And he lives pretty close to me here, so he could come back over and say, 'Man, I wanna change this little fill here,' and we could change that fill and get it. And he got it exactly the way he wanted it, and that's the way I wanted it. If your drummer's happy, the song's gonna be grooving. He's got a great ear for it too. So, yeah, so it was a team effort. Al [bassist Allen McKenzie] came over here and recorded the bass and his vocals, and so we've got a lot of background harmonies in there and a solo section that kind of takes the listener from the storyline, which is a couple going across the country and the solo section, it gets a little bit spooky. Like maybe they had a flat tire or maybe they're getting pulled or maybe something happened where they were getting their midnight gasoline, where it got scary. And then it gets back into being fun and cool again and a fun ending. So that's kind of how we got that one going."

Leverty went on to say that there are tentative plans for FIREHOUSE to eventually release a new album.  "We wanna write and record some more [songs]," he explained. "So we're working on ideas to try to decide which one to work on next. And that'll be song number three. After we get that done, we've got seven to go and we'll have a CD. So that's our plan.

"It took a while to get this one ['Midnight Gasoline']," he explained. "I mean, this one took a few months to figure out all the little pieces and get all the lyrics right and get everything recorded and then mixed. But some of 'em go a little faster. With this one, we really took our time to make it so that it was just right. I feel like everybody's happy in our band about it."

As for why FIREHOUSE chose to initially make "Midnight Gasoline" only available as a paid digital download, Bill said: "We like selling it from our web site for a dollar. That way people can support the band by purchasing it. One day it'll be on the streaming services, but we're not in a huge hurry to do that. We want the people who wanna support us to be able to do that. When it gets on the streaming services, it doesn't really trickle down to us very much, but that's just the way the music industry is now. We're not in it to try to get rich. We just wanna try to be able to make enough money to cover our recording costs and the flights that happen and put the gas in the car to get from one place to the other to do it. And that's about it. But if it's a dollar and somebody has an extra buck and they wanna support the band and get a cool song, that's the way to do it."

Asked if he has heard any longtime FIREHOUSE fans say "no C.J., no FIREHOUSE" in the two years since the singer's passing, Bill said: "A little bit, but I think anybody who's given Nate a fair listen will go, 'You know what? He really serves the song well' — all the songs, he does 'em great justice. And he has that natural tone that a lot of people expect. And he's just got it. So I don't let any of those [naysayers bother me] — and it's very few that say that, once they've gotten a chance to really listen to Nate and give him a chance."

According to Leverty, FIREHOUSE pays tribute to C.J. at every show by dedicating "Home Is Where The Heart Is" to the late vocalist. "That was one of the first songs that he and I wrote," Bill explained. "And he was really fond of that song. And we feel that heaven brought him back home. And so that's what we say every night, is that that song goes out to him."

Bill continued: "[C.J.] was such a huge part of our band. And he was such a great musician and a great singer and a great piano player and just an unbelievably awesome songwriter and just a great guy. Everybody that knew him loved him. And so we miss him, but he wanted us to go on — he wanted us to continue and to keep the music going. And he told me that several times before we lost him. And we didn't think we were gonna lose him. When we did, it was a shock, actually. 'cause he was due to come back in July [2024], and we lost him in April [2024]. He just had lost a lot of weight, and his heart couldn't keep up and he had a sudden cardiac arrest."

Reflecting on Snare's strengths as a vocalist, Leverty said: "Out of the whole career that we had together — we started playing together in 1988, and we got our first record out in 1990 — but that whole time, I can count on one hand how many shows that he lost his voice. And it was only because he got some kind of virus, like a strep throat or something, where he got laryngitis so bad that he couldn't [sing]. But it wasn't from overusage of the voice. He had such a strong voice that even when he was like, 'Yeah, I might not be able to hit all the notes tonight,' it would still blow everybody else away. And that's just the kind of guy he was. He really took care of his voice and really took care of his health. And that's why it was such a shock to us when he got sick, because he was the most healthy out of all of us, the strongest of all of us, and the most energetic. I mean, we'd get somewhere and he'd just want to go out and see it, where the rest of us are, like, 'Yeah, man, I gotta take a nap. I'm tired. I've traveled 46 hours.' And he's, like, 'Man, I wanna go.' So he was just one of those guys."

Peck has been singing with FIREHOUSE since October of 2023.

FIREHOUSE's first single with Peck, "Mighty Fine Lady", was made available on Spotify in July 2025.

Snare died was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2020 and took a hiatus from the band in 2023 to undergo abdominal surgery. However, his daughter is reported to have stated the official cause of death was cardiac arrest, according to TMZ.

In a statement on FIREHOUSE's social media, Snare's bandmates said he died "unexpectedly" despite his long illness.

They shared their "great sorrow" at losing their "brother… the rock and roll warrior.

"We are all in complete shock with CJ's untimely passing," they wrote."CJ was was arguably one of the best vocal talents of a generation, touring the world with FIREHOUSE non stop the past 34 years.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Snare family, Katherine Little, friends, and all our beloved fans all over the world."

FIREHOUSE hasn't released a studio album since 2011's "Full Circle", which featured re-recorded versions of some of the band's older songs. The group's last collection of new material, "Prime Time", came out in 2003.

FIREHOUSE reached stardom during the early '90s with hits like "Reach For The Sky", "Don't Treat Me Bad" and "All She Wrote", as well as its signature power ballads "I Live My Life For You", "Love Of A Lifetime" and "When I Look Into Your Eyes".

At the 1992 American Music Awards, FIREHOUSE won the award for "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist". They were chosen over NIRVANA and ALICE IN CHAINS.

Formed nearly four decades ago, FIREHOUSE's classic lineup consisted of Snare, Leverty, Foster and bassist Perry Richardson. Richardson left in 2000 and was replaced by Allen McKenzie in 2003.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Behind The Kit" podcast, hosted by Kyle Smith of Arizona Drummer, LAMB OF GOD drummer Art Cruz discussed the making of the band's latest album, "Into Oblivion", which came out on March 13 via Epic in the U.S. and Century Media in Europe. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've said this a couple of times, especially going into this now as we've talked to a lot of people about the record. But it was the most organic thing that we could have done as a band. And then I think as a drummer, it was kind of like 'less is more' for me, and I wanted to play what I thought 16-year-old Art would've wanted to hear. And to be honest with you, that's kind of weird because some of the old LAMB stuff that was being played before in the past was really technical, and this doesn't have any sort of extremely technical things. But it's technical for a player like me. And I kind of just was able to do what I was able to do on my own. I went in very organically. I went in very purely. I went in very motivated. Not that I wasn't for the last two albums that I've done. But in this particular time, in the career with not only the band and how much time I've already had under my belt with them, I feel like I just got all the shit out of the way that needed to get done. And it was just a lot of learning, evolving. And my creative flow — I think this is the most 'me' album. There's enough technical shit — I'm doing some cool shit — but I shocked myself, honestly, with some of the things that I was doing, and Josh Wilbur, our producer, just really helped bring that out."

After Smith noted that "Into Oblivion" feels more like an Art album than the previous LAMB LPs the drummer appeared on, 2020's "Lamb Of God" and 2022's "Omens", Cruz said: "I'm happy that you're saying that, because something, too, that I've been kind of… I mean, you record an album, you work so hard on it, you're in the fucking zone. But then it finally comes out. And then you're kind of like seeing what [the fans are] thinking and what other people are thinking, maybe what your friends are saying. But this was one of those ones where I was getting a lot of like messages, like, 'Hey, man, something's different. Whatever it is, yes. Like, yes.' And it's crazy because I had never… The first album ['Lamb Of God'] had that, but that was more of, like, 'Congratulations. You're in it.' And then the 'Omens' one was, like, 'Wow, that was a cool experience to see happen,' 'cause we had put out a documentary with it. Different things, different praises, if you will. But this one — everybody's saying the same thing, they're, like, 'Man, this one hits different.' Don't know what it was, but I think it was just… Again, we were all just doing what we were supposed to do. It wasn't complicated at all. And I think Mark has said this in a couple interviews, we had kind of really had nothing to prove. With that we were, I would imagine, inspired by ourselves, and thankfully my inspirations are part of LAMB OF GOD — LAMB OF GOD are part of those. So it's kind of, like, I just went back to, like, 'Oh, let me just kind of lay it back a little bit.' You know what I'm saying?!"

Last month, Art told Loyal To The Craft about "Into Oblivion": "It's been a long time coming. It's the band's tenth studio album. What a monument to be a part of, for not only the legacy of LAMB OF GOD, but my third album [with the band]. And I think I got — no, I don't think; I know that I got all the cobwebs off. I know that this album, to me, is me. It's Art. It's my identity. And honestly, it took a lot of time, and that's part of jumping into a band like this and part of jumping into something. So I'm very excited to see what the fans think and what the music industry thinks of this new music because it's very special to us and me."

Art continued: "I'm gonna cherish this one a little bit more. Nothing about the other ones is uncherishable — they're special to me — but this one is… We turned it up, and by turning it up, I actually turned it down, which, we can get into that. That's just crazy. So I'm proud of it."

Speaking specifically about his contributions to "Into Oblivion", Art said:  "My entire approach on this record was so different because not only is this my first record sober — that's a big deal — the type of alcoholic I was, I was constantly just burying myself in it, and I was never really fully present. My priorities were all messed up. I think to explain it in a short term of that, the emotions are very loud and I'm feeling everything extra. Everything I touch is very — the smells are stronger, the studio is stronger, the lights are brighter. I love that. I'm happy that I'm present for this one because it changed my entire approach to my approach creatively, to what I did performance-wise, the condition that I put my body in and how I got my body into condition, and eating good, and like all those things that came into play to prepare myself. I actually was really hard on myself, and I had to learn how to get out of that too, 'cause I was being super paranoid about, like, 'Oh, this part's not good.' And if there's anything that I took from this whole experience is less is more; real recognizes real; air drumming — literally all three of those things, man."

Cruz continued: "So, from the start, my creative process started… I had this whole different view. Not only that, I wasn't thrown into it. My first LAMB OF GOD album, the self-titled, I was just getting off the last SLAYER tour and it's, like, we're gonna go home. 'You wanna be in the band, right?' 'Yes.' 'Okay, cool. We're gonna write a record. We got songs already.' I'm, like, 'What is happening?' Right into it. And I've talked about this before, but that record, we'd like to consider it a safe album. I didn't go too far away from what was already there. I was learning the method of how these dudes worked. That's part of evolving. And I didn't know what I really was doing. I didn't know how they worked. So I had to learn a lot on that one. And then my sophomore album, 'Omens', the 'Omens' album that we did was a very high production, the band's peak production — big-ass studio [in] Hollywood, month at a time, where you're gonna stay out there for a month and pre-production and writing sessions. And that was that one. And that was a great experience to be a part of that, 'cause they never experienced that. So to come into this one, it happened so naturally, man. And early on in the creative process, I wasn't sure what to expect, because it wasn't the same. It was not like the ones we did before. So I'm, like, 'This doesn't feel right. Something feels off.' So me, the way that I am as a person, like, 'Oh, what do I do?' I'm trying to figure out how to be involved in this and this. And sometimes you just have to settle down and pause and let it be what it's gonna be. It's totally out of my control."

Art added: "I don't play guitar. I gotta wait for the riff or wait for the song to be where it's at. And these guys are LAMB OF GOD for a reason. Shut up, drop the ego, listen. Learn to listen, listen to learn. That's what I've learned a lot over the years. And these guys have taught me that. They've taught me that. And with this mindset, going into the new album, I'm, like, 'I'm gonna try to go in as pure as they possibly can. I'm gonna get off YouTube. I'm gonna get off social media. I'm gonna stop looking at other drummers, perfect drummers, and listening to albums that are coming out right now. At the time when we were recording, [I was], like, 'What's so-and-so doing?' 'I'm gonna cut all that out. I'm gonna get my body and my mind right.' I worked out for six months on a huge regimen to get my body back in shape, get my mind right. Obviously staying sober helps that all the time. And I went in so pure, the songs weren't gonna change. It was like, 'Here, kid. Here are the songs.' I didn't know that then, but I know that now, that that was them putting faith in me and knowing what I can do. I don't know if I earned my stripes yet, but it's also like I felt it. They just said, 'Do what you do.' They weren't directing me. They're just, like, 'Just do what you're gonna do. The songs aren't changing.' And honestly, it's the best thing that ever happened to me. And the mindset was clear, pure, and whatever is on this album is what was supposed to be on this album. And it was uninfluenced. It was all what was already in me. And now I'm proud of it. It's my best record. For me, it's my favorite record of all time. Like, for real."

Cruz celebrated the third anniversary of his getting sober this past January.

Art filled in for original LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler on several of the band's tours before being named Adler's official replacement in July 2019.

"Into Oblivion" arrived to widespread acclaim. In the lead-up to the release, LAMB OF GOD appeared on the covers of Metal Hammer and Kerrang!, with critics praising the album's intensity and relevance. The Associated Press featured the album in their weekly highlights, calling it "10 tracks of ferocity," while Brooklyn Vegan noted that "the band spends these 10 songs reminding the world that their reign as New Wave Of American Heavy Metal giants is far from over," and SPIN said the band is "channeling America's unraveling into a ferocious new album."

The album is available now across multiple formats, including various vinyl variants, a collectible "Into Oblivion" CD with a limited-edition companion zine featuring album art sketches, handwritten lyrics and never-before-seen studio photos.

Produced and mixed by longtime studio collaborator Josh Wilbur, "Into Oblivion" was recorded across multiple locations tied closely to the band's identity. Drums were tracked in Richmond, Virginia, with guitars and bass recorded at guitarist Mark Morton's home studio. Singer Randy Blythe recorded his vocals at the legendary Total Access studio in Redondo Beach, California, the birthplace of seminal punk records by BLACK FLAG, HÜSKER DÜ and DESCENDENTS.

MIRADOR, the band co-founded by Grammy Award-winning GRETA VAN FLEET co-founder Jake Kiszka and IDA MAE's Chris Turpin, will release an acoustic EP, "The Gathering At Badon Hill", on May 15 via Republic Records. The five-track collection, produced by Kiszka and Turpin, includes reimagined and reborn songs off MIRADOR's self-titled debut album.

"The Gathering At Badon Hill" was recorded live in the shadows of an ivy covered 12th century stone barn, set deep within one of England's oldest landscapes. Encircled by centuries-old graffiti — apotropaic symbols, witch marks, daisy wheels, and pentangles etched into the stones to ward off unseen forces — the single-take performances hit with an intensity the band weren't ready for.

"While recording one of the tracks, we all felt it, a surge of energy rising and swirling above us into the rafters," Turpin recalls. "It was unlike anything of us had experienced before…it shook us."

"The ground shook, the sky rumbled, and every microphone heard it… rather humorous, considering we had just come to record a few quiet acoustic tracks," Kiszka remarks.

"The Gathering At Badon Hill" is available for pre-order as a 12-inch vinyl (available June 19).

MIRADOR has also shared the first track and music video for "Ashes To Earth (Reborn At Badon Hill)". Check out the clip below.

"The Gathering At Badon Hill" track listing:

01. Ashes To Earth (Reborn at Badon Hill)
02. Feels Like Gold (Reborn at Badon Hill)
03. Fortune's Fate (Reborn at Badon Hill)
04. Must I Go Bound (Reborn at Badon Hill)
05. Ten Thousand More To Ride (Reborn at Badon Hill)

"Mirador" came out last September via Republic Records.

"MIRADOR comes from a deep passion for rock 'n' roll, early folk, and country blues as well as folklore," says Turpin. "Our world lives in those traditions," Kiszka adds. "There's an unspoken mysticism. You can trace it back to the stories of meeting the devil at the crossroads, selling your soul, and losing your mind to the wind. MIRADOR definitely inhabits a lot of that. We're hyper aware of our lineage, so we can build our own future as a band. It's two guitar players from notable groups coming together to create a new mythology. As soon as we were in uncharted territory, we knew we were doing something right."

MIRADOR has the uncanny ability to conjure sky-shaking and boundary-bursting rock 'n' roll by invoking spirits of ancient myth, traditional folklore, and Delta-born blues in one concentrated musical incantation. Kiszka not only shares vocal and guitar duties with critically acclaimed co-vocalist and guitarist Turpin, but he also shines as a producer and songwriter, stepping out on his own. The group, filled out by Mikey Sorbello on drums and Nick Pini on bass and keys, stretches the limits of rock 'n' roll and showcases the band's myriad influences and uncompromising vision.

Kiszka and Turpin met in 2018 when IDA MAE opened for GRETA VAN FLEET during a sold-out three-night stand at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan. On the road, Kiszka and Turpin cemented their friendship by way of late-night jam sessions fueled by wine and a shared passion for everyone from Charley Patton, Muddy Waters and Lightnin' Hopkins to Martin Carthy, Bert Jansch and FAIRPORT CONVENTION.

"We were like long-lost brothers," says Kiszka. "After we wrote those songs, I realized we had a chemistry I'd never had with anybody but my own brothers. It was obvious we needed to do this."

The world got to know MIRADOR when they spent a month opening up GRETA VAN FLEET's "Starcatcher" world tour in arenas coast to coast throughout 2024. Galvanized by this nightly trial by fire, the band rolled right into a Savannah, Georgia studio with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton) and they cut "Mirador" live in barely two weeks.

"After four weeks on our first tour, we went to the studio," says Turpin. "By the time we got there, Dave harnessed a lot of the intensity and frenetic energy from the road." Kiszka adds, "if we didn't cut our teeth in the most intense circumstances, I don't think the record would have the same spirit."

"Feels Like Gold" introduces the album with rumbling guitars breaking like a wave against a it's towering chorus, "and it feels like gold." On "Fortune's Fate" a turbulent guitar groove tosses and turns before spilling over into an emotional crescendo, "there goes my shadow to the one I love." Elsewhere, "Heels Of The Hunt" launches forward on a rapid-fire drum roll, while wild riffs chase goosebump-inducing vocals through a bluesy haze. The finale "Skyway Drifter" opens with finger-picked accents before breaking open into a cathartic breakdown.

"For me, it would be beautiful if this is all-consuming for listeners — like when you see a movie at the cinema," Kiszka concludes. "We're trying to immerse people in the world of MIRADOR and where we're coming from. There's so much duality in the album: the humanity, the soul, the adventure, the tyranny, and the journey. It's a very important record for us, but also in terms of what has gone down in the world of rock 'n' roll today. We hope you feel like you belong to this place as much as we do."

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

To celebrate the announcement, the band has shared the new single and accompanying lyric video, "Cry No More", available below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"II" track listing:

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

ICONIC "II" recording lineup:

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

Photo credit: Justin Roszkowski

During an April 15 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Y&T frontman Dave Meniketti was asked about the possibility of a follow-up to the band's latest album, "Facemelter", which came out in 2010. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the [other] guys [in the band] would love me to say, 'Okay, let's get together and start writing for the next record.' They're secretly — [or] not so secretly — talking behind my back and saying, 'That motherfucker.' [Laughs]"

Meniketti, who recently moved to Italy with his wife and manager Jill, continued: "No. I have been in flux the last couple of years with my life as far as where I'm living and what I'm doing. And it's a little bit tougher for me to sit down in one spot and just concentrate on writing. Now it's gonna be a little bit easier 'cause I have indeed sorted that situation out."

Referencing his new home in Italy, where he previously identified the medieval hill town of Gubbio as his ancestral homeland and frequently visited family there, Dave said: "When we first bought this place, my wife and I said, 'We're not gonna tell anybody.' Because first off, I don't wanna make it sound like, 'Oh, you bastards,' that kind of thing. But then everybody comes up to us and says, 'Hey, man, I heard you moved to…' And I'm, like, 'Oh, Jesus.' You you can't keep anything a secret. [Laughs]"

Earlier this month, Dave told Bill Kopp of Metro Silicon Valley about the likelihood of new Y&T music: "Album releases don't mean what they used to mean. In the '70s and '80s, you made a big release, and it was part of getting airplay and booking a tour." And while diehard fans would likely enjoy hearing some new music from Y&T, "Will that sell more tickets?" Dave asked rhetorically. "And will it make us any money? No, not really."

Despite this, Meniketti didn't completely rule out a new Y&T single or album in the future, saying: "It's not as simple as saying, 'Hey, let's go to a rehearsal studio, get together and write some songs.' But it's absolutely a possibility."

In February 2023, Meniketti, who went public with his prostate cancer battle a year earlier, said that he was in complete remission after receiving radiation.

In July 2022, Y&T was forced to cancel its previously announced European tour in order to allow Meniketti more time to recover from the radiation treatments.

Meniketti discussed his diagnosis and treatment during an appearance on an April 2022 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Dave said that while prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men, with one in eight men getting it, it is also one of the most treatable, with a survival rate of over 90 percent after 10 years. "This is one of those cancers, if you catch 'em early, you can be one hundred percent fixed — it's over; it's done; you're sorted," he said. "I mean, sure, it could come back at some point, but even if it does, they can treat it again. You usually outlive this cancer, if you get it early enough. So, luckily, I have gotten it early enough."

Meniketti is the only surviving member of the Y&T lineup — then known as YESTERDAY AND TODAY — that recorded the band's self-titled debut album.

Original Y&T rhythm guitarist Joey Alves died in March 2017 at the age of 63. Two founding Y&T musicians — drummer Leonard Haze, 61, and bassist Phil Kennemore, 57, who both had left the lineup — died from complications of lung cancer: Kennemore on January 7, 2011, and Haze on September 11, 2016.

Y&T's current lineup is rounded out by guitarist John Nymann, drummer Mike Vanderhule and bassist Aaron Leigh.

"Facemelter" came out in May 2010 via Frontiers.

An EP featuring acoustic arrangements of Y&T classics, "Acoustic Classix Vol. 1", was made available in 2018.

In a new interview with Jaimunji of Metal On Tap, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser was asked if he would rule out a reunion show for him and his bandmates a few years after the completion of their ongoing "farewell" tour. He responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Dude, I don't rule anything out. It's irrelevant to say if [the retirement is] gonna be forever or we gonna be back. The important thing is that we're gonna stop now. We need that rest, because we organize everything around that. We need our time — we need time to look in a different direction.

"SEPULTURA is not gonna die," he continued. "I mean, MOTÖRHEAD is more alive than... Unfortunately, we don't have the touring, but MOTÖRHEAD will be together with us forever. So we're gonna explore different territories and stuff. And the future, we're gonna deal [with it] when it comes. I mean, possibilities are always open. I don't think we have the power to do eight farewell tours, but who knows? [Laughs] I mean, you see [other bands who announced farewell tours before and then came back or kept touring, like] SCORPIONS, you see Ozzy [Osbourne], you see KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE and SLAYER and stuff. It's okay to rest and to go out a little bit. It's very healthy, because it shows that art is not really connected to any stereotype of what you should be in the eyes of others."

Andreas also talked about SEPULTURA's previous announcement that it was putting together a live album commemorating its last run of shows. The band is recording 40 songs in 40 different cities for what Andreas and his bandmates said would be a "massive compilation of our best, most energetic moments on stage."

"Yeah, we're still making [it]," Kisser said about the live album. "We're still going places, recording. We have the new [SEPULTURA] EP that we are performing live as well, the new songs, et cetera. But this is something for next year. We'd like to stop everything we're doing here, enjoy what we doing, the shows and everything. But we are recording, every show since [drummer] Greyson [Nekrutman] joined the band [in early 2024]. And we have a lot of material. And it's gonna be an amazing project. We like to take our time as well to do something really special, like vinyl, like old-school KISS 'Alive II' type of vibe, with the photos and stuff like that. Very organic and going to the opposite direction of showing everything on the Internet."

Andreas continued: "I remember listening to live albums like MOTÖRHEAD or [IRON] MAIDEN or KISS and just imagining with the headphones being in the concert. And not even imagine to be on stage, but just there, because in Brazil we didn't have shows and concerts. I mean, imagination, it's such a powerful tool to create atmospheres and to fulfill and pursue your dreams. I was only imagining, and that stuff drove me to be where I am today. So I think we like to try to bring a little bit of that vibe back, since vinyl is back with full power. Who knew? I mean, vinyl was dead, completely, this thing of the past, and now it's back with full power in times of artificial intelligence. So that's a hope. This is something organic and human and more connected to something real."

Earlier this month, Andreas told France's Metal OBS about his plans for after the completion of SEPULTURA's farewell tour: "I'm not gonna stop, of course, doing music. I have so many ideas, but I didn't decide yet where to go. I still wanna enjoy the moment, enjoy the tour, enjoy the very last run that we have this year. But I have many possibilities. Maybe [I will] do another album myself or try something different. I wanna explore different worlds. I'm going more to the art world, like painting and mixing music with colors and stuff. And it's interesting, to try to go to different places. I don't wanna find another world that is the same as SEPULTURA. I already did [all that] during SEPULTURA. So I'd like to absorb more ideas and to be aware of new possibilities and see what happens. But now I'm very focused of what we doing today and the [last few months of the] tour."

Kisser also talked about SEPULTURA's recent announcement that it would release a new EP, "The Cloud Of Unknowing", on April 24 via Nuclear Blast Records. Regarding why he and his bandmates chose to release new music while preparing to put the group to rest, he explained:  "When we announced the farewell tour two years ago, almost three years ago, we announced that it's gonna be open. But I mean, we know we are dying; SEPULTURA is stopping. So we're gonna leave it open to fulfill our last wishes. For instance, we had the chance to play Lollapalooza in Brazil for the first time… We went to Iceland for the first time. So we need time to go to places and to fulfill all the possibilities. So every album that SEPULTURA puts out, we take three years touring the world. If you see the history, that's our rhythm. Because we go everywhere. We've been to more than 80 countries and we go far and it takes time. So, why rush? Why run? I mean, there's no reason that we [have to] announce [the final tour] and in a year we have to stop just because people think the farewell has to stop in a certain time. And we leave it open, because we live the moment, we live the present. And it turned out the possibility to record an album."

Kisser continued: "We did the 70000 Tons Of Metal last year, which is a cruise, from Miami to Jamaica and then Jamaica to Miami, and then we make the best of the situation. We went to the Criteria Studios in Miami to record four songs. I had a few ideas. I always have demos and ideas floating around. And [SEPULTURA drummer] Greyson [Nekrutman] came into the band two years ago, and he brought a new perspective, a new energy, new frequencies to the band that it was great. The atmosphere was perfect for us to work. We went into the studio. We didn't have a release date. We didn't have a name for the album. We didn't have even names for the songs. I mean, the song 'Sacred Books', the number three song, we wrote in the studio, jamming, together, me and Greyson and stuff, and we did it in the studio. So it's very spontaneous. It's an album that it doesn't have any attachment to any strategy or marketing or whatever you wanna call. It just happened. And it's great, in this third year of our farewell tour, to have a new element, to have new songs. We have four new songs, which we will play live on this upcoming tour and stuff."

As for why SEPULTURA didn't make a full-length album and opted to record an EP instead, Andreas said: "The pressure of doing an album is totally different. It's totally different. It's another story. We have an EP. The format really fits wherever we felt at the time. Why we have to do an album? There's no law that [says we have] to do something like that. So we made the best of what we had in our hands. The elements of the present. We [were] in Miami. We [had] a few ideas. We went to the studio for 10 days, and we did it. And then a year later now, everything's ready to release. We put out the first single, and April is coming out the whole, full EP. So it's great. I mean, it's, it's something that was really spontaneous. It's kind of crazy. Of course you have some planning, you have some ideas, but you have to let room to improvise as well."

SEPULTURA has already released two singles from "The Cloud Of Unknowing": "The Place" and "Beyond The Dream". SEPULTURA collaborated on the latter with Sérgio Britto and Tony Bellotto of TITÃS.

SEPULTURA kicked off its farewell tour on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The sold-out show marked the band's debut performance with Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

SEPULTURA announced previous drummer Eloy Casagrande's departure on February 27, 2024, explaining in a statement that he was leaving to join "another project", with Eloy later confirming that he was the new drummer of SLIPKNOT.

The news of Eloy's exit from SEPULTURA came just two months after the band announced it would celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024 by embarking on a "farewell tour" which would cover the entire globe.

In SEPULTURA's statement, the remaining bandmembers expressed their shock over Casagrande's departure, saying they were "taken by surprise" that their now-former drummer would "abandon everything related to SEPULTURA" less than a month prior to the start of the tour.

The final North American leg of SEPULTURA's "Celebrating Life Through Death" tour will feature support from thrash legends EXODUS, hardcore heavyweights BIOHAZARD, and newcomers TRIBAL GAZE. The trek will kick off on April 29 in Montclair, New Jersey and will visit major cities across the U.S. and Canada, including Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles, before concluding on May 29 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Along the way, SEPULTURA will also perform at major festivals, including Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple.

In a new interview with George Dionne of KNAC.COM, METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof was asked about his work as the composer of the musical score for the upcoming feature documentary about legendary BMX rider and stuntman Eddie Fiola. Kurdt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yep, yep. I did that. That was my first [film score]. That was a lot of fun, and I'd like to do more of that, because that was really a whole different approach to music creation 'cause you're doing it for a whole other application. So it took me a while to get my head around it. But, yeah, I did that. And that was really a great experience. I think it just played at a film festival or two, and I don't remember the names offhand, but it will be released apparently pretty soon, from what I hear."

Speaking about Fiola, who is considered one of the greatest bike riders in history, Vanderhoof said: "Well, I only know about him now, because when I got hired to do the thing, 'cause I didn't know anything about him [before that], but in the process I learned quite a bit about him. And, yeah, for that scene, yeah, he's quite the guy. The people that are into that kind of stuff, the skateboard, BMX crowd, he's quite a legend, apparently. So it was definitely a learning experience. And it was pretty cool to know the whole story of how he started and how he broke all his bones trying to learn to fly around and stuff like that. I was, like, 'Man, he's a better man than I.' I couldn't ever have done that, even when I was a kid. But it was pretty amazing. It was interesting."

Asked how he got the opportunity to score that film, Kurdt said: "The guy who made the film reached out to me a number of years ago about doing a documentary about METAL CHURCH. And so he came to one of our shows and we kind of connected. And [he] was talking about that, and I said, 'Hey, that's something I've always wanted to do and would love to be able to do.' And he has made other documentary films and other films like that. So we just stayed in touch. And then this movie came up, and he said, 'Why don't you give it a shot?' So I did. And he was a fan of METAL CHURCH. He came to one of the shows, and we just kind of became friends. And we're talking about doing a documentary right now."

Asked if he had to approach composing a film score differently than he would a METAL CHURCH album, Kurdt said: "Oh, boy — very. Because it's not about the music; the music is in the background, other than every once in a while. I mean, it gets louder in certain parts, but it sucks back. So it's more about creating an atmosphere. And so, yeah, it took a while to get my head around it. I would write stuff just like I normally would. And there was really no application for it. So it took me a while to get in the flow of that. And it was great. And I loved that. It was a challenge, and it made me be more creative and experiment with other things. So, yeah, I loved that. I thought that was a real, real good experience, and learned an awful lot about how that works."

METAL CHURCH's 13th studio album, "Dead To Rights", came out on April 10 via Rat Pak Records. The album marks the first release from the band's latest lineup, featuring founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof alongside longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, joined by former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, drummer Ken Mary and new vocalist Brian Allen.

"Dead To Rights" was produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and mixed and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z.

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Rick Moyer

David Reece, who fronted ACCEPT in the late '80s, says that he "would love to" play some reunion shows with the band to celebrate the Wolf Hoffmann-led group's 50th anniversary.

The American vocalist was recruited for ACCEPT's "Eat The Heat" LP in 1989 following the departure of Udo Dirkschneider. Reece's higher-pitched delivery was in sharp contrast to Dirkschneider's distinctive style, and overall, the album was a critical and commercial disappointment. Midway through the "Eat The Heat" tour, differences between the band and Reece had come to a head, leading to the altercation between the singer and bassist Peter Baltes in Chicago. By the end of 1989, ACCEPT had hung it up.

Asked by Nejc Zupančič of PodRaznoKast if there has been any talk about him rejoining ACCEPT for a special appearance during the band's recently announced 50th-anniversary tour, Reece said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I hear rumors of 'ACCEPT fest', like Michael Schenker did [with MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST, a revolving all-star reunion project launched around 2016-2018, bringing together iconic vocalists from the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (MSG) era — Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley — along with TEMPLE OF ROCK vocalist Doogie White]. But I've never had any hard contact. I'm really good friends with Udo, I'm good friends with Peter Baltes, but I've never been actually approached about it. It wouldn't surprise me. And I'm okay if they say, 'Okay, we want you to do a few shows.' I'll just ride in a rental car and follow the bus. I don't care. I would love to do it. I mean, that part of my life is the reason I'm talking to you. That's what brought me to the forefront publicly in the music business. That was my breakout moment. So I would love to. I mean, I play ['Eat The Heat' song] 'X-T-C', I play 'D-Train', I play 'Generation Clash', 'Hellhammer' live in my set — even now. I would love to. But it's up to Wolf. I mean, it's Wolf's band now."

David went on to say that he is not holding his breath for an ACCEPT reunion with all of the band's former members. "It would be a massive undertaking, trust me," he explained. "There's so much history with that band, and let's say good blood and bad blood. I mean, to get everybody to agree to do it would be a really big job. But my door is open. Call me, find me. I'm there."

Reece also praised Dirkschneider, with whom David had played several times in the past. "The man, he's in his early seventies," Reece said. "He's a Panzer tank. I mean, I did the U.D.O. 'Steelfactory' tour, David Reece solo, as a special guest, in 2018, '19, and I think we played 38 shows together, and it was fabulous. And every night he was the same. He's not lost a step. But I can tell you this — he had a bone infection that he had contracted in Spain, and the doctors told him, 'You need to go home and get well.' And he said, 'I never cancel.' So most of the tour I did with him, he used a cane on stage. And it was unbelievable. I mean, I respect that man to no end. I'm dear friends with him and his son Sven [who is now playing drums for U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER]. Sven's band DAMAGED used to open for me in Germany. And if Udo was home, he would come to the shows, and, of course, people would go, 'Oh, David Reece is playing, and Udo's here.' So it was kind of an event. People get to see us together."

Regarding his personal relationship with Udo, David said: "We never had a problem. When I joined [ACCEPT], he was doing [the U.D.O. album] 'Mean Machine' next door to me in Dierks Studios, and that's where I met [U.D.O.'s then-guitarist] Andy [Susemihl]. And Udo never, ever treated me weird. He was always a gentleman, said, 'Good luck. You'll see what I'm talking about. It's not easy. I wish you the best.' And we've always been gentlemen."

On the topic of "Eat The Heat"'s more commercial sound compared to ACCEPT's earlier efforts, David said: "Sometimes I look back in retrospect and think maybe we should have changed the [band] name. But again, it goes back to branding. I think the first released single, the video for 'Generation Clash', was a terrible mistake because it's a heavy metal band. If we released 'D-Train' or 'X-T-C' as the first single, keep the fans that were devout followers: 'Oh, they're still heavy.' But we came out with kind of the polished American blonde singer Americanized version, which all came from corporate. 'Cause basically the after 'Balls Of The Wall', they started moving in the direction of that sound, like 'Metal Heart' and 'Russian Roulette'. They started to kind of get more commercialized, and Udo's voice did not suit that. So the record companies all said, 'Hey, get a singer that's got this vibe, and we can break this record into a million seller,' which was a mistake. I mean, people that wear suits and ties and record companies, they don't know what fans want. They have no clue. All they think about is money. And it was a shock for the band that it wasn't that successful, and a shock for me that I wasn't taken in and loved. I was either hated or loved — there was no middle."

As for why his collaboration with ACCEPT was so short lived, Reece said: "I'm an American. They're Germans. Number one, you've got cultural differences. One thing I learned from ACCEPT, you go from playing five shows [a week at clubs] to joining a band like ACCEPT — they were the second-largest metal band in Germany, SCORPIONS being number one — that was a whole different game for me. I was, like, you know, 'I can do this.' Well, ['Eat The Heat' producer] Dieter [Dierks] said, 'You've got a great voice, but we have to discover what it is. We have to find the identity.' And I didn't understand that, but when you're trying to sing like [Rob] Halford or [Ronnie James] Dio or David Coverdale and doing cover songs, you really don't have an identity, where Udo, that's just how he sings. That was the voice when he started the band in 1974. So that's what it was.'

Reece added: "The hardest part of the process was being accepted in the band, no pun intended. The final audition was a live show in Cologne, and they invited a lot of heavy people there to give their opinion. And there was about a thousand people at the show. I was convinced that that was my last day there, that it won't work. And I did the show. It went really well, and we had a guest house and I heard everybody talking in the morning. So I got up and said, 'Well, I better go say goodbye.' And I walked into the kitchen and they all said, 'Welcome to ACCEPT.' So I was hired. That was pretty terrifying, because I had been there for a long time, and they were really nervous about making the change, because they had a singer before me from England named Rob Armitage for a while, and he didn't work out. And you never really knew with them what they were thinking. They kept things very much in their private circle. Nobody would say 'yes', nobody would say 'no'. So that was really the final test, if I could fit in the band. And I made it."

Back in 2022, Reece was asked by Via Nocturna 2000 YT how he looks back on his time with ACCEPT. Reece said: "Well, I can be blatantly honest — it was super positive and super negative, but I wouldn't be speaking with you right now if I hadn't done that album. The doors were opened; the floodgates happened. The critics hated me. Some loved me. But I have to be honest and say that was an opportunity of a lifetime. I did the best I could. I have no animosity towards those guys. I don't care what they're doing; they don't care what I'm doing; but I'm grateful for the opportunity. It speaks volumes as a singer that I was chosen over 50 people to be the guy. It was a difficult job."

David went on to say that his association with ACCEPT landed him a call from JUDAS PRIEST after the latter band parted ways with Rob Halford. "At that time I could really sing like that," he said. "It was myself, Ralf Scheepers [PRIMAL FEAR] and Ripper Owens; [we] were the top three guys. So they chose Ripper. But they were contacting me six months later: 'Come over to England and let's jam.' So, obviously, it did a lot for me in a positive way."

According to Reece, he looks back on "Eat The Heat" fondly. "I mean, everybody has an album they regret, but if you regret an album, maybe you're not thinking clearly about the personal turmoil that was going on during the album," he explained. "That could affect how you think about it. And I've gotten to my old, mature state where I can go, 'That's pretty damn good.' I still play 'X-T-C' and 'D-Train' and 'Hellhammer' live, and 'Generation Clash', and people go crazy. So those songs are timeless for people."

In January 2021, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann called "Eat The Heat" "a dark time in our history of ACCEPT. I would say that all of the '90s were very difficult and very dark in a way, and I don't even like to think about it so much," he told Hardrock Haven. "If only you journalist guys didn't constantly ask me about it, I would never even think about it. [Laughs] 'Cause it was just a time when heavy metal was going through a very dark period. The traditional sound was out of style and nobody wanted to listen to it, so it was sort of searching for a new direction — especially in the '90s. 'Eat The Heat' came out at the beginning of that era and it was meant to be a new chapter, but it's just never panned out because basically everything went wrong with that album. And it's just something you go through in life. I don't see why I still have to defend myself in a way… People always ask me this question almost in a provocative way, as if I have to defend myself about this album. It's ridiculous… It's almost like people have to apologize that they like it."

He continued: "There's something about this album that rubs a lot of people the wrong way and they have such a strong opinion about it… It's sometimes laughable. In my mind, it had some fantastic songs but it was just never executed properly, and it was not meant to be. But over the years, I've met so many fans who said exactly the same thing, 'Man, I really wanna apologize, but I really like this album… I know nobody likes it, but I think it's great.' And I think that's so bizarre. If you like it, you like it. It's so strange that people are so opinionated about it.

"It's just music," Wolf explained. "You can like it or not, but it's not more than that. In any case, it wasn't the period of time that I like to even think about much, 'cause it was very difficult."

In addition to ACCEPT, Reece has played with BONFIRE, BANGALORE CHOIR and IRON ALLIES.

Press photo courtesy of Michael Brandvold Marketing