In an interview with Brazil's Heavy Talk, guitarist Jeff Loomis spoke about the new lineup of NEVERMORE, which made its live debut on April 1 at IF Performance Hall Beşiktaş in Istanbul, Turkey. Joining Loomis and drummer Van Williams in NEVERMORE's current incarnation are the band's latest additions, Jack Cattoi on guitar, Semir Özerkan on bass, and new vocalist Berzan Önen.

Regarding how the new NEVERMORE lineup came together, Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, to make a long story short, Van and I started talking about the possibilities of reforming NEVERMORE, I would say about two years ago, something like that. I guess the original idea came up just in natural discussion, because I had just finished my 10 years with ARCH ENEMY, basically. And the discussion came up, is it even possible to reform NEVERMORE? Because, as you know, there's other bands out there that have done similar things, like ALICE IN CHAINS and — what's another band? — STONE TEMPLE PILOTS would be another one."

Jeff continued: "We kind of did things the old-school way. We basically just held an audition. And it's crazy because we ended up getting over 700 submissions from people. And that may not seem like a lot, but going through each individual one, it took a lot of time. It took two or three months to give everyone the attention that it deserved. And with looking through all those submissions, we found Berzan. And we were, like, 'Okay, here's a gentleman that can really sing like Warrel, but he's kind of got his own thing at the same time, his own style.' Because we weren't really looking for a [late NEVERMORE singer] Warrel Dane clone. We were looking for somebody that could carry the songs, but then do something on their own as well. So, realistically, he was really the perfect choice right off the bat. And Jack, the guitar player, he was the first one that we found, because he basically works at Seymour Duncan guitar pickups in Santa Barbara, California. And I was doing some work down there, some video work for them. And he just started playing my guitar one day. He's, like, playing my guitar. And then I was, like, 'Who is this kid?' And that's how Jack kind of came into the picture. I met him at Seymour Duncan guitar pickups. And this is how the whole band kind of came together, with these auditions. And it just kind of came together kind of quick, in a way. And after it was all said and done, we basically took the time in January, when we did this [introduction] video with [Swedish guitarist and YouTuber] Ola Englund, to rehearse and to kind of get to know one another and to see if it's even possible to make this whole thing work. And it was. We ended up getting through 25 songs in rehearsal, and we ended up playing our first live show just five, six days ago in Istanbul. So it's all coming together, man. It's crazy how it took so long — like, two years. And now finally we're here, and we have the confidence now knowing that we got this first show in the bag, and now we're coming to South America to do the same thing."

Elaborating on what he and Van were looking for in a new NEVERMORE singer, Jeff said:"We definitely wanted somebody that could carry the songs, like I said, the old NEVERMORE songs, which Berzan can do extremely well. I mean, he has that certain tone in his voice that's very reminiscent to Warrel's, but he also, like I said, has his own thing. He also has different vocal styles that he can sing. He can sing in a death metal style. He can sing in almost like an ethnic, chant thing that he does. So he's got all these little cool things that he can do on the side as well, just to add to when we do another record or when we write again. So, yeah, that's basically kind of what I was saying from the get-go, is that we didn't want somebody that was a clone, but we wanted somebody that could carry the songs but add their own personal touch as well. And that's exactly what we got from Berzan."

As for the possibility of the new lineup of NEVERMORE releasing fresh music in the not-too-distant future, after it was recently announced that the band has signed a deal with Reigning Phoenix Music, Loomis said: "We're hoping the first quarter of '27 we'll have an album out. But, yeah, much of the songwriting has already been started. We're gonna be collectively getting together in May and June and July to work on new music as well. But, yeah, then shortly after that we have another tour that starts in the summer where we're gonna be doing some select dates with SAVATAGE and also we are going to be supporting JUDAS PRIEST right after that. So, yeah, we have a very busy rest of the year. It's gonna be on the road and in the studio both collectively. So we have a lot planned. New music is definitely one of them."

Earlier this month, Loomis told Brazil's Headbangers News about the new NEVERMORE lineup:  "It definitely took — it took some doing. It took a while to get everything finetuned to the way we liked it, to make sure that it was even going to be possible. And that happened with finding the right people to complete the job. And we had to audition quite a few people to make sure that we found the right people that could actually do it. So, we're very, very fortunate that we have Mr. Berzan Önen on vocals, Mr. Semir Özerkan on bass, and Mr. Jack Cattoi on guitar. So these are the three new members. And, of course, it's still me and Van — me on guitar and Van on drums. And, yes, we just had our first show just a few days ago in Istanbul. And it went really, really well. The crowd was phenomenal. They sang along to all the songs and really just made us feel welcome. And now we're coming down to South America to do some more shows. So we're really, really excited."

Addressing the fact that NEVERMORE's current lineup doesn't include singer Warrel Dane, who died in 2017, Jeff said: "The initial talks, back when Van and I first started talking about [putting NEVERMORE back together], was, can it be done? And I think so. If you can find the right people that can perform the songs in the correct way, it can be done. We weren't looking for a Warrel Dane clone either. We were looking for somebody that could still sing the songs, but also had his own personal style. So that's what we were looking for from the very beginning, and that's what I believe we found. And we're very happy."

Asked how the involvement of three new musicians will affect NEVERMORE's overall sound going forward, Loomis said: "The core of the NEVERMORE sound is not ever really going to go away. And I think that the core, you could say that that would be me and Van, where we're writing in the style of NEVERMORE and it's still holding its own weight there. But I think when it comes down to longevity in bands, you'll always notice that everybody contributes. Like a band like RUSH, for instance — everybody's contributing something in that band. And we don't wanna have NEVERMORE just be the Van-and-Jeff show. We wanna have the other guys contribute as well. We wanna have Berzan contribute lyrics. We want him to contribute lyric melodies. We want Jack and Semir to contribute riffs. So, will that change the core sound of NEVERMORE? I don't really think so. I think it's just gonna add to the dynamic and make it cooler, 'cause there's gonna be other little elements of cool musical passages that are gonna be available now to use. And I think it's just gonna be that much more interesting for the listener. It'll still have the same core elements as it did back in the day, but it'll be new and interesting with a new vibe, so to speak. And that's kind of what we're looking for for the new NEVERMORE."

Forged in the aftermath of SANCTUARY, NEVERMORE carved out a sound defined by precision musicianship, fearless songwriting, and emotional intensity. From their self-titled debut in 1995 through landmark releases such as "Dead Heart In A Dead World" and "This Godless Endeavor", NEVERMORE built a global following and a reputation as one of modern metal's most distinctive voices.

Following the band's disbandment, Jeff released the acclaimed solo albums "Zero Order Phase" and "Plains Of Oblivion", co-founded CONQUERING DYSTOPIA and spent nearly a decade as a member of ARCH ENEMY, contributing to releases, including "Will To Power" and "Deceivers". Van remained active through projects such as ASHES OF ARES and GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS. Dane continued creating until his passing in 2017, leaving behind a body of work that continues to inspire musicians and fans worldwide.

Dane died in in December 2017 in São Paulo, Brazil while recording his posthumously released solo studio album, "Shadow Work". The musician reportedly had a heart attack during the night and could not be revived.

According to guitarist Johnny Moraes, who played in Warrel's solo band, Dane had a history of addiction and other health issues. "His health was already very weak because of his diabetes and his problems with alcoholism," he said.

The instrumental parts for Dane's follow-up to 2008's "Praises To The War Machine" solo album were almost completed and he had begun laying down his vocals shortly before his death.

Photo credit: Ola Englund

In a new interview with the Metal Forever Music Defenders Of Metal podcast, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner addressed the fact that some fans have criticized bands like RUSH for choosing to tour again without the full classic lineup. Asked how he feels about various long-running bands hitting the road without all the original players, Richie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think as long as the guys wanna do it, they should do it. If people don't wanna go, then don't go. And people kind of vote with their ticket, don't they? If RUSH got up there and you've got 20,000 people in an auditorium and the guys wanna do it, do it. But if RUSH turned up and there was five people there, they've got an issue. Maybe people don't wanna see it. I can name other bands as well. If the guys wanna do it and people are showing up in the thousands to see it, then why not do it? If people don't wanna go, then don't. Simple as that. That's what I'd say."

Vocalist Rob Halford and bassist Ian Hill are the only remaining members from JUDAS PRIEST's "classic" lineup in the current PRIEST touring band, which also includes guitarists Faulkner and Andy Sneap and drummer Scott Travis.

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.

Nearly three decades Richie's senior, K.K. left PRIEST amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

In December 2010, JUDAS PRIEST announced that its "Epitaph" farewell world tour would be the band's last. Downing left PRIEST before the start of the trek, and a year later Halford said "it's turned out not to be the final world tour" and explained the band had "got into gear again" since they recruited Faulkner.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than 15 years ago but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST's "Firepower" album. He was replaced by "Firepower" and "Invincible Shield" producer Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

Travis joined PRIEST after an audition in Spain in November 1989.

Scott made his recording debut with PRIEST on the band's 12th album, 1990's "Painkiller", which marked Halford's last recording with the band for more than decade, as he left PRIEST in May 1992 to pursue a solo career.

Press photo credit: Jeremiah Scott

During an April 16 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre and guitarist Michael Wilton spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance" album. Todd said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a ton of songs that I have to write lyrics and melodies for, which I've been doing some of that at home, tracking ideas, showing the guys some stuff. So we've got songs in demo forms. Really good stuff, really exciting stuff that I'm looking forward to digging in when we get home. But, yeah, [we're] just working on a new record."

Todd continued: "You know how it goes — [we're doing lots of] fly dates [in between working on new music]. The days where you could take a year off and just focus on an album, those don't exist anymore. So you're trying to write in these little pockets of time and then have a home life and decompress your ears and chill out for a little bit. I can't believe we're already this far into the year. But, yeah, [we're] just working on a new record. [We have] lots of fly dates [scheduled for later this year] and a European tour."

Wilton added that he and his QUEENSRŸCHE bandmates haven't been able to carve out a chunk of time to work on new music due to their hectic live schedule. "We are so busy," he explained. "And Todd said it right. It's, like, every week you've got a show, you've got a show. You don't have the time off — especially for Todd. In the '80s and early '90s and stuff, you had breaks of time where the vocalists could rest his voice. And it's hard because hard rock bands, metal bands, whatever, these days and the situation with the media and everything, you have to tour to stay alive… And so that being said, you're always touring. We're trying to write a record. Plus you have to coordinate with who's recording the record, because [the producer is] busy, because all the other bands are in the same situation as we are. They're touring and taking a week, 10 days off and recording and then going back out on the road. So it's a bit challenging. But this year we're not doing any major USA ground tours. So we're really concentrating on the record and then going to Europe."

This past January, Wilton confirmed to Mark Strigl that QUEENSRŸCHE was once again working with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously helmed QUEENSRŸCHE's "Condition Hüman" (2015),"The Verdict" (2019) and "Digital Noise Alliance" LPs.

Regarding the musical direction of the new QUEENSRŸCHE material, Michael said: "Well, we're pushing the envelope. We don't get a lot of standard radio play, so we're just going for it. We're keeping the progressive element, the melodic element, the heavy metal element. So it's gonna be a killer album. But we're trying to make it a little bit different than the previous one. So, fingers crossed."

Asked if QUEENSRŸCHE is still in the "pre-production" and songwriting stage for the next LP or if he and his bandmates are already recording the music for the effort, Wilton said: "Well, it's a bit of both. We're at a point where we know our sounds, so if it's kept in the arrangement of the song, then you're halfway there. But yeah, QUEENSRŸCHE likes to come up with, in the writing process at least, 15 to 20 songs. So that's kind of where we are right now. We're probably on the 13th idea right now. So we're kicking ass."

Wilton also talked about his songwriting chemistry with fellow QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Mike Stone, explaining: "We're both in the room with Zeuss, our producer. And if I have a song, I play my idea. We document it, get it recorded, and then I go, 'Mike, it needs another part on top,' and he comes up with something and it complements, and then we just work together and just build the song. It's great, because you can bounce ideas off each other and it's not just one person saying, 'It's my way or the highway.' It's about getting the vibe and getting the right flavors of the music, and I'll tell you what: Mike Stone does a great job. He can understand what I'm playing and he knows that what we call RŸCHE-ian sound."

Wilton previously told the "Iron City Rocks" podcast about QUEENSRŸCHE's working relationship with Zeuss: "We built such a relationship, and when he hears my ideas and my riffs and everything, he knows, and I trust him with his decisions. And we just have a great relationship with Zeuss."

In a separate interview with J.J. Caithcart of Different Stages Radio, QUEENSRŸCHE bassist Eddie Jackson stated about Zeuss: "Yeah, he's just awesome. He's great to work with and bounce ideas with. He's a great guy, and he's actually a good musician too; he plays guitar and all that. But if it's still working, why not continue working with him?"

In April 2025, La Torre was asked by Brazil's Monsters Of Rock which "unexplored musical directions" he would like to see QUEENSRŸCHE go in on its next LP. He said: "[We're] kind of [doing] the same thing as what we've been doing. I mean, we don't go in writing a record with a preconceived idea. We just get in a room and [go], 'Hey, show me your guitar parts. What do you have in your mind?' And we kind of all get together in a room and just see what happens in real time. So as far as unexplored musical directions… Personally, I'd love to hear more clean guitar on the next record, maybe some more spacious stuff, some more clean guitar. Orchestration is always fun to work with. It's very huge and cinematic sounding. So those are fun things to play with. Maybe some different percussion things would be interesting to play around with again.

"But, gosh, after 40-plus years, I think without completely changing the band, the band's style of music, I don't know that there's really any too much unexplored musical directions," he continued. "I mean, QUEENSRŸCHE's kind of done a lot within the large space that QUEENSRŸCHE has to run around in. I mean, if we were to do something — we wouldn't write a hip-hop song, we wouldn't write a death metal song. So within the confines of what QUEENSRŸCHE kind of is, as diverse as it as it is, I don't know what kind of unexplored musical directions there would be. On the next one, I mean, I would love to, like I say, play around with some other clean guitar sounds, maybe some more interesting percussion things — like the song 'I Am I' had some really neat percussion things going on."

Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2021, contributed guitar solos to the band's latest studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past nine years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Jackson and Wilton filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit. That dispute has since been settled out of court.

In a recent interview with The Joel Martin Mastery Podcast, Wilton stated about QUEENSRŸCHE's songwriting process: "Well, the last few albums we've kind of wanted to write fresh, so kind of on the spot. So I'm not looking at anything I've done in the past. I'm looking at just the inspiration of the day and getting something recorded and live with it for a couple of days and then come back and go, 'Okay, yeah, this is pretty cool,' or, 'Nah, I'm gonna delete this.' But I think it's something that is special to a group of guys that everything that you create is new or kind of new. We're probably ripping ourselves off blind with all the riffs and melodies, but that seems to be the fresh approach. I mean, the stuff that goes by the wayside, that's stuff that goes on solo albums. [Laughs]"

Wilton previously discussed the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to "Digital Noise Alliance" in February 2025 in an interview with Marko Syrjala of Metal-Rules.com. Michael said at the time that he and his QUEENSRŸCHE bandmates were "following the same process" this time around as they did for "Digital Noise Alliance". "With ['Digital Noise Alliance'], the recording and writing sessions were meant to feel fresh — nothing was e-mailed back and forth," he said. "Everything was built during the writing process. In that sense, it was about going back to the days when we'd be in a room writing the [debut QUEENSRŸCHE] EP in the morning. Back then, we didn't have technology like we do now. No cell phones, no computers — maybe, if you were lucky, you had a four-track recorder. The way we worked was simple: 'Hey, Chris [DeGarmo], you got a riff?' And I'd say, 'Okay, I like that. Let me add something to it.' It was a real band effort because everyone was in the room, giving input. That's exactly what we did with ['Digital Noise Alliance']. Everyone was involved — 'Oh, I like that,' 'Oh, I don't like that' — and the songs evolved a little more each day. Some songs we dissected and reworked completely. Take 'Tormentum', for example — that's like four songs merged into one! [Laughs]"

Asked if it's "correct to say" that recording the "Digital Noise Alliance" album was "a fresh start" for QUEENSRŸCHE, with Grillo becoming a permanent bandmember and Stone returning to the fold for the studio sessions, Michael said: "Yeah, I think so. This next one will be even better because, with ['Digital Noise Alliance'], Mike didn't come in until the end of the process. But now, he's here from the beginning of the process. He's writing with me, and I'm writing with him, so it should be a bit more cohesive, I think… He knows the ways of the RŸCHE. He knows the guitar style and how to stay within that area. But, like I said, the stuff we've written so far sounds pretty cool."

QUEENSRŸCHE will head back to Europe this summer, starting on June 6 in Köln, Germany and ending on July 5 in Cartagena, Spain. Dates include a mix of headlining shows with RIVERS OF NIHIL opening, as well as festival appearances.

Photo by Silly Robot Studios

Fan-filmed video of ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate's entire April 15, 2026 concert at A38 Hajó in Budapest, Hungary can be seen below.

Geoff's setlist for the show was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Anarchy-X (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
02. Revolution Calling (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
03. Operation: Mindcrime (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
04. Speak (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
05. Spreading The Disease (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
06. The Mission (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
07. Suite Sister Mary (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
08. The Needle Lies (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
09. Electric Requiem (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
10. Breaking The Silence (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
11. I Don't Believe In Love (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
12. Waiting For 22 (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
13. My Empty Room (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
14. Eyes Of A Stranger (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
15. Empire (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
16. Walk In The Shadows (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
17. Jet City Woman (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
18. Take Hold Of The Flame (QUEENSRŸCHE song)

Encore:

19. Silent Lucidity (QUEENSRŸCHE song)
20. Queen Of The Reich (QUEENSRŸCHE song)

As previously reported, Tate will release the third chapter in QUEENSRŸCHE's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album series, "Operation: Mindcrime III", on May 3. The LP's first single, "Power", was made available in March.

"Power" was written by Geoff and his guitarist/producer Kieran Robertson. It features vocals by Tate, drums by Rich Baur, bass by DISTURBED bassist and "Operation: Mindcrime III" co-producer John Moyer, guitar by Dario Parente and Amaury Altmayer, and synths and strings by Tate and Robertson. It was mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California.

Released under Geoff Tate's own name and not under the QUEENSRŸCHE banner, "Operation: Mindcrime III" is once again a concept album with a storyline following Nikki, a drug addict-turned-assassin manipulated by a shadowy figure known as Dr. X. However, unlike the first two installments, "Operation: Mindcrime III" will tell the tale from the perspective of Dr. X, "how the story happened from his point of view," according to Geoff. "Which is kind of interesting, I think, because we've only heard it from Nikki's point of view, and he's been sort of this victim throughout the whole story," Tate previously explained. "And Dr. X's perspective is completely different, 'cause he's not the victim at all. So it's very aggressive."

In a recent interview with the "Let There Be Talk" podcast, hosted by rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, Tate stated about "Power": "It's a cool track. 'Power' is the first — I don't know — we call 'em singles nowadays. It's the first release on the album. And, yeah, it's a really cool song — very, very energetic, very up, and kind of says a lot in a very short time, which I like."

Regarding the writing process for "Operation: Mindcrime III", which follows 1988's "Operation: Mindcrime" and 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II", Geoff said:  "I think you use whatever sort of way you can in order to get what you want. And, for me, I sort of look at it as a story, and I write the story out first of what is happening, and then I kind of dissect it and create chapters, and those chapters turn into songs. And then I kind of work to link them all together and follow a storyline that makes sense. And then you gotta kind of factor in musically how you're gonna tie it together. Does it make sense musically and melodically to put this song before this song, before this song, before this song? 'Cause that's a big thing too, is making it flow, so it doesn't seem obtrusive and people don't have to turn the page back to find out what happened, and they're kind of following along in a chronological order."

After Delray noted that "Power" "sounds like QUEENSRŸCHE", Geoff said: "Yeah. Well, part of the whole writing process was keeping the music in the universe of 'Mindcrime', writing within that style, I guess you'd say."

As for how "Operation: Mindcrime III" was recorded, Geoff said: "There's 13 songs on the record, and it was recorded all over the world. And the beauty of modern recording is that if you have the right equipment, the quality gear, we just take it with us wherever we go. And we set up in hotel rooms backstage at shows, venues. I think one track was recorded in a church. Just wherever we have the right kind of room for the sound, we can record there. We recorded one of the songs, parts of it, in this castle in Italy. Do you remember that character Casanova? Well, he was imprisoned in this castle way back when. And the place is just an amazing ruin, of course, but it had this one room that was just incredible. It [had] big, high ceilings, open environment, big stone walls and that kind of thing. But it added a really unique sound to the song. So anyway, we just kind of took advantage of that wherever we could and wrote the album as we were touring around the world, really. And I wrote music for the album and lyrics for the album. And Kieran Robertson, my writing partner for this project, contributed so much to this record, playing guitar and also writing music and lyrics too."

Earlier in March, Tate was asked by Canada's The Metal Voice why he wanted to make another LP in the "Operation: Mindcrime" series. Tate said: "I'm interested in it. It's a subject I've always been interested in, the 'Mindcrime' saga, the story of these three characters, really: Nikki, Dr. X and Sister Mary. A fascinating triangle there of… Oh, it's an interesting relationship between all three of them. And Nikki's story has really been kind of chronicled on 'Mindcrime I' and 'Mindcrime II', and nothing has really been written about Dr. X. Like, who is he? What's he all about? Why is he the way he is? What got him to this place he's at? And I just found the subject to be interesting. And especially at the age I'm at now, where I'm probably very close to Dr. X's age, I'm looking at life differently now, and [I have] different goals, [and I have] a different reason to be, really, which I think probably happens with people as they age and get older. You've had past accomplishments, you've had things that you've done that you've really been interested, and you've followed your dreams, you followed your muse, and now you're at a different place where those wants and needs kind of change. So Dr. X is a character study, really, of where he is at and how he got to where he is."

Asked if "Operation: Mindcrime III' is "a prequel" to the first two albums or if it is a continuation of the story, Geoff said: "It's kind of a — hmm, I'd say it's in the same universe, but a different perspective. It's X's perspective. It's happening in time at the same time as 'Mindcrime I'."

On the topic of whether "Operation: Mindcrime III" is musically as heavy as the original "Operation: Mindcrime" album, Tate said: "Oh, yes. The new one is probably, I guess in the same realm. It's heavier than 'Mindcrime I'. I don't know. I'd have to go back and listen to it again, 'Mindcrime II', to see where it compared in the heaviness [laughs] scale."

As for his expectations for the "Operation: Mindcrime III" album, Tate said: "I just hope everybody can give it a spin, check it out. And especially with headphones. It's a wonderful headphone album. Absolutely. We spent a lot of time dialing all the details in that I find to be very important with the record, is it's gotta sound good on headphones. And it really sounds great with the mixing and the engineering on it. John [Moyer, DISTURBED bassist, who produced the album] did an amazing job putting it all together, and the sound, especially of the rhythm section — oh, it's phenomenal. It's really, really crunchy, punchy, big… I think it's miles above 'Mindcrime I' — absolutely. Especially the bottom end — the bass and drums, rhythm section. It's so modern, so huge. If you listen back to the 'Mindcrime I' album, it sounds like… I think it was one of the three first digital recordings made, and so it has a brittleness to it that you just don't hear anymore, 'cause the technology has gotten so much better now. The analog-to-digital converters are so much more sophisticated now. So, yeah, it sounds miles about that. I'm very happy, very happy with it."

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

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

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

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

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

In a recent interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, EXODUS and SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt was asked if he thinks it's important for a band like IRON MAIDEN to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in order to give the heavy metal genre the respect that it deserves. Gary responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I personally couldn't give a shit, 'cause the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is fucking lame. The obvious ones get in, and if you had, like, three Motown hits, you're pretty much guaranteed of getting in. IRON MAIDEN's still selling out stadiums, and isn't in. THIN LIZZY had hits. They pioneered twin guitar rock harmonies, and they had just legendary albums. They sold a lot of albums. They probably will never get in. [Female rapper] Missy Elliott is in. Fucking [rap band] N.W.A.'s in, and they wrote vile anti-police rhetoric. And I think they had, like, what? Two records? How do they fucking get in? And THIN LIZZY's not in there. JUDAS PRIEST got in through a back door. MOTÖRHEAD should be in there. It's a popularity contest. They had to grudgingly let KISS in, who should have been a first-ballot member."

Holt continued: "I've never gone to the [Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame museum in Cleveland]. I have no desire to go. It's fucking stupid… I mean, I'm sure there's some great memorabilia to look at in the place, but I just fucking — I don't care. It's kind of like the person who goes to Hollywood and walks around looking for certain stars on the [Hollywood] Walk Of Fame. I couldn't give a fuck."

A year ago, Holt's SLAYER bandmate Kerry King was asked by Billboard Brasil when fans will see his band inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The SLAYER guitarist responded: "Pfft. Why don't we see them there yet? [Laughs] I don't know. We've never even been on the nomination list, so I don't know what they're waiting for. How many more decades do we have to play? Forty years isn't enough, I guess. I don't know. We'll see."

He continued: "I went to [the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame museum in Cleveland, Ohio] thinking I'd be there for, like, a half hour, and I didn't go there until like 10, 15 years ago. It took me a while. And I'm, like, 'Eh, I'll go check it out for maybe like a half hour.' I was in there for four hours, and there's a lot of cool stuff in there."

Circling back to the possibility of SLAYER one day being inducted into the Rock Hall, Kerry said: "Is it something that's gonna make my career complete? Absolutely not. If my parents were alive, I would be stoked if we got in there so I can say, 'Hey, mom, I'm in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.' That would be cool.

"To me, if it happens, it happens, 'cause, obviously, the voting process and the election process is a little faulty. So we'll see. And me here badmouthing it probably isn't helping my situation. [Laughs]

"If we ever got nominated and the fans elected us to be in, it would be honorable, for sure, just to say these kids from Los Angeles got together and ripped the world a new fucking asshole," he added.

When the interviewer noted that SLAYER "changed heavy metal music forever", Kerry said: "Yeah, we were part of it, for sure. There was a movement of a lot of bands, ironically at the same time, that came out and then put thrash on the map."

King previously addressed the likelihood of SLAYER being inducted into the Rock Hall during a 2015 interview with VH1.com. He stated at the time: "I went there [Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum] last year, and I was surprisingly amazed. It was awesome… I thought I'd be there for, like, 40 minutes. I spent three and a half hours. The stuff in there is amazing. It's way cooler than I ever imagined it would have been. It is really cool."

He continued: "I'm not making a ploy to get in, but it makes me think, 'Man, I hope they call my name one of these days.' I think it took them a long time to get METALLICA in there. But METALLICA basically opens door for us, because when you think of metal who do you think of next from that generation? Of course there's [BLACK] SABBATH, [JUDAS] PRIEST and [IRON] MAIDEN, without question. But for the 'Big Four,' you think METALLICA… We've always been number two on the 'Big Four' shows. So come on, Rock Hall, give us that call! We're ready! I'll donate some change or something. [Laughs]"

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

The Rock Hall didn't induct BLACK SABBATH until 2006, and METALLICA followed three years later.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, JUDAS PRIEST was finally inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2022. PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award — originally titled the "Sidemen" category when it debuted — which is given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.

Asked about the fact that MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy (born Ian Fraser Kilmister) and Ronnie James Dio had not yet been inducted into the Rock Hall, King told Loudwire in a 2017 interview: "It's kind of like Ken Stabler not going to the NFL Hall Of Fame. They waited till he died, when he can't enjoy it, and that's a super bummer. Dio is one of my top two singers of all time, and he was a good friend and a good dude. Lemmy, the career speaks for itself.

"The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, it's weird. It's private. It's privately owned, so people from the music industry don't vote. I don't actually know how it works. I've been there and it's very cool, I've gotta tell you that. I went there, like two, three years ago, and I expected to hang out for, like, an hour, and I was there for, like, three hours. It was very cool. If you ever get around Cleveland, check it out. But that being said, I still don't understand the process. But yes, [Lemmy and Ronnie James Dio] motherfucking should be in the Hall Of Fame."

Fan-filmed video of ARCH ENEMY's April 17 concert at EX Theater Roppongi in Tokyo, Japan can be seen below.

ARCH ENEMY recently completed a seven-date Chinese tour. The concerts marked the band's first live performances with new singer Lauren Hart (ex-ONCE HUMAN),who replaced Alissa White-Gluz, late last year.

This past February, ARCH ENEMY released its first studio recording with Hart, a new song called "To The Last Breath". At the time, Michael Amott, guitarist and founder of ARCH ENEMY, stated about the track: "Connecting with Lauren has marked an important step in my journey. Working with her was an exceptional experience — her remarkable voice, coupled with her dedication and professionalism, brings a rare level of excellence. I look forward to continuing the collaboration."

Amott added: "Make no mistake — this song is a reckoning. Musically, it's unapologetically aligned with my original vision for the band — and I believe longtime fans will recognize that immediately. Lyrically, it's about seeing through deception and dismantling the illusion of control. It captures that moment when you realize you've been fed poison — and you choose to fight back. Once that clarity hits, there's no retreat. It's do or die."

ARCH ENEMY will embark on an intimate European club show run dubbed "Back To The Root Of All Evil" in the summer of 2026.

In a recent interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, ARCH ENEMY drummer Daniel Erlandsson was asked about the fan reaction to Hart. He said: "I think the response has been overwhelming. I could not expect that it would go that well, actually. It seems like the fans, they see something in Lauren that they really like, and it kind of connects a little bit to [former ARCH ENEMY singer] Angela [Gossow]. Her style is kind of similar to that of an Angela. The response has been overwhelmingly good. And now we're playing the first few shows [with Lauren] as well, and you can tell that the vibe inside of the room or the atmosphere inside of the room is electric. And it's really cool. It's almost like we're starting a new era of the band now, which is kind of funny because we've been playing for — what is it? — 30 years or something."

Asked if he sees Lauren's addition to ARCH ENEMY as "a fresh start for the band" or "as a continuation of what has been done in recent years with Alissa", Daniel said: "I think that we're looking forward now into the future. And we are imagining what kind of songs we can have, and the next album and so on. I think we're looking forward, if anything, and everybody's very excited about it. And since the interest in this has been so good, I think we're looking forward to touring a lot, first of all and just showing that we are a strong live band still, and if not even better. So that's the priority right now."

As for what caused Alissa's departure from ARCH ENEMY, Daniel said: "The story that was official was that, like she said, she left to do her solo stuff. Now I think she has started her own band instead. We had a long, lasting relationship together, and I guess you could say that it came to an end naturally. It was good and it worked out really well — until it didn't anymore. That's all I can say about that. Some fans take that [the hard way] — it's kind of a difficult thing to accept. I know what it's like when your favorite singer quits, but there's no reason that you can't like both sides. You can still be a fan of ARCH ENEMY and Alissa, if that's the case. So I think it's all gonna work out for the best for everyone."

Asked if he expected Alissa's departure prior to it happening or if he was "taken by surprise" by her exit from ARCH ENEMY, Daniel said: "It's kind of difficult to say, because I think it was something that you could feel it was leading up to a point. Everything was leading up to a point, and once it finally happened, it was not a surprise."

On the topic of ARCH ENEMY's working relationship with Lauren, Daniel said: "Right now she's joining her favorite band. She told us that [ARCH ENEMY's 2001 LP] 'Wages Of Sin' was a very important album for her, and that's the album that made her want to become a vocalist. And we were lucky that she was not in a band… She still had a band called ONCE HUMAN, but as it turns out, they hadn't been very active for a number of years, and she was just ready to join when we got in touch with her.

"We as a band have been going for a long time, and we toured the world many times, but now when she's coming in, she's doing these shows with us, and you kind of get to see the whole experience through her eyes, if that makes sense," Daniel explained. "Everything is a little bit new and fresh, and it brings a certain freshness and positivity to the band as well."

As for whether are there any plans for more new ARCH ENEMY music or a new album with Lauren in the near future, following the release of the "To The Last Breath" single in February, Daniel said: "Oh, yeah, absolutely. Like I said, everything happened really fast when she joined. We were lucky to be able to squeeze out 'To The Last Breath', that song. And now we have these tours in front of us. But the priority is gonna be working on more music and release an album definitely at some point, hopefully even next year."

Erlandsson also addressed fan speculation that Angela was returning to ARCH ENEMY and Gossow's own social media post in which she admitted she had considered rejoining the band before deciding against it.

"I can totally relate to the fans, 'cause in that whole process online, a lot of fans believed that she was actually coming back," Daniel said. "And I can relate to that because I'm a fan of other bands as well, and you wanna see your heroes back in the bands. But the thing is that she got really tired of touring and she decided to do what she likes even more, and that's being a manager. And that's still the case. I don't think she would actually enjoy the touring life anymore. And as us bandmembers, we already know this, we know that she wouldn't be happy touring. So it's kind of strange to imagine that fans imagine that she's coming back when we know that it wouldn't work. But I agree — it would be super cool to see her back on the stage… It kind of blew up on social media when fans were suspecting that she might be coming back and she received an incredible amount of love from fans all over around the world. And that's why I think she actually seriously considered it."

Earlier in February, Angela Gossow shot down rumors that she had rejoined ARCH ENEMY following the departure of White-Gluz.

Speculation about Angela's possible return was sparked by a teaser video shared by ARCH ENEMY and Gossow in which a mysterious figure could be seen holding up a torch, captioned with a cryptic "2026" Everything else has been wiped off each of their accounts.

After a second teaser video was shared, Angela, who has been managing ARCH ENEMY for more than a decade, took to her social media to write: "It's not ME! But thank you for all the love! I am really excited to be involved in this new chapter as the manager. This is gonna CRUSH!"

After 13 years as ARCH ENEMY's vocalist, German-born Gossow shocked the heavy metal world in 2014 with the sudden announcement of her retirement from the band. While she is no longer performing with them, she has remained closely involved with ARCH ENEMY as their business manager.

When Gossow officially announced her departure from ARCH ENEMY in 2014, she said that she was "passing the torch to the super talented Alissa White-Gluz, whom I've known as a dear friend and a superb vocalist for many years."

ARCH ENEMY recorded three albums with vocalist Johan Liiva — "Black Earth" (1996),"Stigmata" (1998) and "Burning Bridges" (1999) — before Liiva was replaced by Gossow.

Gossow appeared on all ARCH ENEMY albums from 2001's "Wages Of Sin" through 2011's "Khaos Legions".

ARCH ENEMY released four studio albums with White-Gluz on vocals: "War Eternal" (2014),"Will To Power" (2017),"Deceivers" (2022) and "Blood Dynasty" (2025).

ARCH ENEMY 2026 is:

Lauren Hart - Vocals
Michael Amott - Guitars
Joey Concepcion - Guitars
Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums

🇯🇵 It’s finally time. We are incredibly excited to return to Japan this April for three special nights. We’ve missed the...

Posted by Arch Enemy on Wednesday, March 18, 2026

In a new interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, Dave Mustaine was asked about MEGADETH's role as one of the key members of the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal, alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. Mustaine said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I've been very invested in the metal community. Kerry [King, SLAYER guitarist] and I played together [during the two bands' early days], and I showed him how to play MEGADETH songs, which was before [SLAYER] started having all their pivotal records. Kerry and I had a really great time together. And I wrote music in METALLICA and I wrote music in MEGADETH. So, I've been very influential with the guitar with these three bands. And when I met Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist] and the guys in ANTHRAX out in New York, same thing happened. Their first record was very different from the record they made after they met me and the guys in METALLICA. So I think that's great. I love all those bands."

METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX played together for the first time in history on June 16, 2010 in front of 81,000 fans at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland and shared a bill again for six more shows as part of the Sonisphere series that same year. They reunited again for several dates in 2011, including the last "Big Four" concert, which was held on September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Since then, METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX have played a number of shows together, including the 2013 Soundwave festival in Australia. They also performed at the 2014 Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Mustaine touched upon the possibility of further "Big Four" shows in a 2022 interview with Greg Prato of Songfacts. He said: "I really think it's time for the guys in METALLICA to step up and us do one last round, see if we can get SLAYER to come out of retirement and do a 'Big Four' passing of the torch to the new 'Big Four'. It would remain to be seen who they are.

"I think it would be really cool symbolically if we did something at, like, the L.A. Coliseum, even if it's one show and that's it," he continued. "SLAYER is from Los Angeles, so it would probably make it more convenient for them to go home at night. [Editor's note: SLAYER's Tom Araya is a longtime Texas resident while Kerry King currently calls New York City his home. Paul Bostaph and Gary Holt live in Northern California.] I personally have been hoping for this for a while, and I keep asking and asking and asking. They're just not into it. But that's up to them."

Back in 2018, Mustaine spoke about "Big Four" in an interview with "Trunk Nation LA Invasion: Live From The Rainbow Bar & Grill" on SiriusXM. Asked if there was a personal highlight for him from all the "Big Four" shows that MEGADETH has played so far, Mustaine said: "No. The whole thing was great. I can't whittle it down to one thing. I do know that looking out in the audience and seeing everybody in black t-shirts before we started and then the rain started and all these rainbow-colored umbrellas opened up, it was the most beautiful thing. Because it went form this monochrome kind of really ugly place in Sofia, Bulgaria in the rain to just this plethora of color and just beauty, and everybody was dancing and pogoing and wheelchairs going across people's heads and stuff. They didn't let the rain bother them at all. Me, I felt like I was ice skating up there on the deck, 'cause it was really slippery."

Earlier in 2018, Mustaine said that he would love play a "Big Four" show where all the bands "got treated fairly" instead of METALLICA performing a longer set and getting more stage space than the other groups on the bill. "It always kind of soured to me when you watch [METALLICA guitarist] Kirk Hammett say on the DVD ['The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria'], when they're praying, and he says that 'we're the Big One,'" Mustaine told SiriusXM. "That just kind of shows you how the mentality was there — that it really wasn't the 'Big Four'; it was METALLICA and then the three of us."

Mustaine added: "I would love to see it done in a way where we all got treated fairly and we all played together, same amount of time, same kind of stage situation, but I don't think that's gonna happen. And it's cool, because SLAYER's gonna down in history, and they don't need the 'Big Four' to make them any more legendary than they already are. Nor do I."

Hammett said in 2017 that he believed that the "Big Four" idea would be revisited again. He explained: "I see those shows as kind of like a celebration — a real celebration of each other, and a real celebration of the music that we all make, and a real celebration of the audience embracing [what] we've done. And why not have more of that?"

Thirteen years ago, SLAYER frontman Tom Araya said that the only thing that was standing in the way of further "Big Four" shows was "the politics of character in one particular band," with some fans speculating that he was talking about Mustaine and MEGADETH.

In his autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir", Mustaine addressed the issue of where his band fit in the "Big Four" order. According to The New York Times, he assured the reader that he was not offended by being put behind SLAYER. But he added an interior monologue: "O.K., we'll play ahead of you guys on this trip, and God willing we'll do it again sometime in the near future and we can flip things around."

Mustaine was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Kirk Hammett. He went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

Mustaine feuded with the members of METALLICA for more than two decades before finally patching things up over the last decade and a half. He has jammed with his ex-bandmates on several occasions during "Big Four" shows and at METALLICA's 30th-anniversary concerts in 2011.

A "minor prostate issue" forced the cancelation of former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes's previously announced tour of the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, scheduled for May 2026.

A week after it was announced by the social media of The Abyss club in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Holmes was scheduled to perform on May 27, that the 67-year-old musician was scrapping his shows in May "due to health issues that require immediate attention", his wife/manager Catherine Holmes shared the following update: "First, thank you for your patience. Sometimes people forget that behind the music, the noise, and the stage lights, there are real human beings — with real lives, real bodies, and real little health issues like everyone else. The only difference is that when something happens to them, it ends up on social media and suddenly becomes bigger than it is.

"To everyone who reached out with kindness for Chris: thank you. Truly. Your messages touched us more than you know. You care about the man as much as the artist, and that means everything.

"Now, let me be clear. The message that ended up online was for promoters. The decision to postpone the May tour was mine — as his wife and as his manager. Nothing mysterious, nothing dramatic, simply because at his age, some small things — like prostate issues (many men know exactly what I mean) — are better handled right away and I wanted this small issue fixed now so it doesn't interfere with future projects and shows. A misunderstanding happened. It's life. We all make mistakes.

"So: Chris has a minor prostate issue, nothing that threatens his projects, his tours, or his fire. It's already being taken care of, and he'll be back on his feet and on stage soon.

"To those who support Chris with heart and respect: we send that love right back to you. We love you all."

In February 2022, Holmes was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer, and he immediately postponed his touring commitments while he received treatment. He completed seven weeks of radiation therapy and five months later, he shared the good news with fans that his cancer was "gone".

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, the guitarist returned to W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Chris has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

In 2021, Holmes told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that W.A.S.P. was "a group, a band" on the first LP. "And after that, the second album, it wasn't a group — it was a one-man show," he said. "And it's been a one-man show after that ever since. It's the way it is. Look at the records. It's the way it is in that band."

According to Chris, he, guitarist Randy Piper, drummer Tony Richards and Blackie Lawless were all part of W.A.S.P. initial management contract, but Blackie was the only one signed to the record label. "Everybody thinks we [all] signed to the label, but it wasn't [like that]," Holmes told "Trunk Nation".

Despite the fact that he only got songwriting credit on a couple of the songs on each of the first four W.A.S.P. records, Holmes was adamant that his input was essential to the band's overall sound.

"If I would have quit after the first album, the way I play guitar, the way I play is really important to writing those songs," he told "Trunk Nation".

"If I hadn't joined in the beginning, it would have never worked. Blackie told me that the first day, when he came and talked to me to play in W.A.S.P. He says, 'I've got this band. It's not gonna work unless you're in it.' He told me that to my face."

Image credit: Perry Denton

SCORPIONS have canceled their previously announced tour of India tour. The four-city trek was scheduled to make stops in Shillong, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Mumbai later this month.

Tour organizers BookMyShow took to social media earlier today (Saturday, April 18) to announce the cancelation, citing "unforeseen medical circumstances affecting the band members".

SCORPIONS were set to perform at JN Stadium in Shillong on April 21, at HUDA Grounds in Delhi-NCR on April 24, at NICE Grounds in Bengaluru on April 26 and at Jio Gardens, BKC, Mumbai on April 30.

BookMyShow wrote: "We regret to inform you that the SCORPIONS 'Coming Home' India tour scheduled in Shillong on April 21st, Delhi-NCR on April 24th, Bengaluru on April 26th and Mumbai on April 30th, stands cancelled due to unforeseen medical circumstances affecting the band members."

It added: "We apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment caused to fans. The band are very keen to perform in India when possible and within their schedule."

The organizers also said that all the tickets purchased would be automatically refunded within seven to 10 working days.

SCORPIONS' "Coming Home" tour of India would have marked the band's first live appearance in the country in nearly two decades.

SCORPIONS last performed in India in December 2007, when they played in Shillong, Mumbai, and Bengaluru as part of their "Humanity" world tour.

SCORPIONS' most recent concert took place this past Wednesday (April 15) in Brussels, Belgium.

Earlier this month, SCORPIONS vocalist Klaus Meine told Rolling Stone India that he and his bandmates were very much on "this upbeat feeling" ahead of the tour. "We still enjoy what we're doing. We're still very passionate about things and very excited to go on this road ahead," the 77-year-old said. Acknowledging that the road ahead is "much shorter than the years behind us," he added that SCORPIONS were "very grateful" to still be around. "We're still standing," he said. "God knows how long we can do this. We're getting older every year, but when we see the fans in front of the stage, we get so much energy and power back from our fans that we're still young at heart."

Last May SCORPIONS canceled some of their 60th-anniversary concerts in South America dates due to a respiratory infection suffered by Meine.

The SCORPIONS launched their 60th-anniversary tour in March 2025 in Mexico, Brazil and Chile. The trek was originally supposed to kick off in February 2025 with a Las Vegas residency at PH Live at Planet Hollywood. However, these dates were postponed due to drummer Mikkey Dee's recovery process following a diagnosis of sepsis.

SCORPIONS' only continuous member has been guitarist Rudolf Schenker, although Meine has appeared on all of the band's studio albums, while guitarist Matthias Jabs has been a consistent member since 1978, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016, respectively.

SCORPIONS' latest album, "Rock Believer", was released in February 2022. The album was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

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In a new interview with Australia's Everblack podcast, guitarist Sven "Silenoz" Kopperud of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR spoke about the band's upcoming album, "Grand Serpent Rising", which will arrive on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records. Regarding his expectations for the effort, Silenoz said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Of course you have an anticipation for how you want the public to receive it. But at the end of the day, we feel strongly about it and we feel like we've done a collection of great songs, and that's essentially what the new album is. If it stands the test of time as one of our better albums, then so be it. That remains to be seen. But I think we have accomplished the goal, which was to make another new good-sounding record."

He continued: "I think especially the previous [album, 2018's 'Eonian'], and maybe this new one even more so, it's something that some of it hits immediately and some might need some extra time, which is always usually a sign of a great record. Some records are immediate and they still continue to be great 15, 20 years later, but it all comes down to a combination of what you probably expect, want and need from your artists, I guess. And a new record is always a subjective thing, isn't it? So it's bound to disappoint a lot of people, even before they've heard it. But that's the day and age we live in, isn't it?"

Asked if he and his DIMMU BORGIR bandmates felt any pressure to deliver something special this time around, Silenoz said: "It might sound cocky, but I think if there is any pressure, it's the one that we put on ourselves and not from exterior things. Obviously, after so many years, decades of being in the band and releasing albums, you always have in the back of your mind, even though you don't think about it very often, but it's still there, it's like, yeah, obviously you want the audience and your fans to approve of what you do and that you put so many hours and [so much] energy into it. But at the end of the day, talking to you now, before it even actually has been released, which [will be] the 22nd of May, it's already a success in many ways because we have accomplished what we set out to do and that's to make a collection of great songs as a new album, and do it our way, without compromising in any field. So that makes me proud already. But, of course, the 'thumbs up' and that people love it and will go and see us at the shows and stuff, that's the bonus. That's the top cream of the cake, basically."

Silenoz also talked about the "killing your darlings" part of the songwriting process, which involves removing some of his favorite lyrics, melodies or parts that he loves but that do not serve the songs' overall purpose. He explained: "It's the crucial part where the producer in you comes out, and you have to, as much as it hurts, put a lot of your ego aside and see things from the outside and look at the songs as a whole chapter, basically. And imagine all the great parts, all the great pieces of music and lyrics that didn't make it to this album. I mean, the percentage that made it to the album in terms of songs are smaller than the material that we had to work with. And, of course, it's a slap to the ego in the sense that, yeah, we all have parts that we have worked on for hours and hours, and it doesn't make it to the album in the end because it's not ready for being put into a song or a piece of music. So it's still a great piece of music, but it's being shelved for now, and see if maybe later at some point, it's the right time to use it. Who knows? It's just a part of being an artist and a creative person, is that you have to sacrifice to get to the end goal, which is to finalize the album. And, of course, when you don't really have a particular deadline for recording and stuff like that, things can drag on, because you feel like, 'Oh, we can still have time to work on this.' But I think this time we just made the decision to, 'Well, we have enough material now. Let's work on that and let's shave off and trim off the fat and book the time in the studio so we have, actually, a conclusive timeframe.' That's a difficult and the challenging part when you not necessarily have a deadline."

Recording for "Grand Serpent Rising" once again took place in Gothenburg with trusted producer Fredrik Nordström, the consummate professional behind such DIMMU BORGIR classics as "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" and "Death Cult Armageddon". Asked what Nordström brought out of him and his bandmates this time that some of the previous producers DIMMU BORGIR had worked with didn't or hadn't, Silenoz said: "What they have in common — I think I can speak for all of the people that we worked with over the years — is that they do their best to bring the best out of us, and they do because there are no shortcuts here. I mean, we come very well prepared to the studio. We have demoed every song down to the last little detail that we think is crucial for it to sound. So it's easier for us to have an overview already before we start the main tracking of the album, basically, which is a re-tracking in terms of you gotta get the real drums on there instead of the programmed drums that we have been working on. And also re-record everything and adjust everything with guitars, keyboards, and vocals and leads and all that stuff. But we already have that as a demo, so we know what type of highlights in each song that needs to be at the forefront. And I think Fredrik, he was very impressed and thankful that we come so prepared, and I think that's also, of course, a result of us taking the time it takes and taking the time it needs to finish it. And so for us, the album is, in many ways, I guess you can say, it's finished before we start recording with Fredrik because we lived with these songs so many years already. Some of them are from 2018, 2019. And so for us it's basically just go into the studio and re-record everything and to get the full production out of all the songs, basically. So, in that sense, Fredrik, he obviously has no say in the way the songs are structured, but he can always come up with a solution to maybe highlight an idea or a detail and we see what that sounds like in the mix. And it was, like, 'Yeah, why not do it like this?' So there's very little room for improvisation once we actually start recording the album, 'cause we have been living with the songs for so long and we have taken it apart, tweaked and twisted it around like you have no idea and re-edited pieces here and there, back and forth. So once we go into the studio to record, we are totally focused on the actual performance of the songs and not like, 'Oh, we can change the song around here.' Then that part of it is already done."

Silenoz also discussed his long-running working relationship with DIMMU BORGIR vocalist Stian "Shagrath" Thoresen, having formed the band together in 1993. Regarding how they have navigated all the changes in the music industry and the challenges they have faced over the course of the last three decades, the guitarist said: "I think it's not always easy, and I think something great never comes out of doing things easy or doing shortcuts and going the easy way. It takes a lot of determination, focus, stubbornness and being at the right time and place more than once. Actually, you have to be at the right place and time, every time. [Laughs] And you have to work at it. It's, like, if you look at successful bands, imagine how many times they have failed. But that doesn't come to the surface. People only see the successes. So, I think both me and Shagrath have the same amount of determination and ownership to what we have created over the years. We were there since the beginning, and we are just the same driven people. We are definitely very different in many ways, but we also have things in common, which is for the benefit of the band and for the music that we make. And despite common belief, I guess, we do agree more than we disagree. [Laughs] So I'm really proud that even if you have disagreements along the way, which you should have, doing it for this long, that's just normal, I'm proud that we actually are still on the same page when it comes to the major things."

He added: "At the end of the day, the feeling is still there as it was in the beginning because we do this because we want to, not because we have to. And it's a huge difference. I mean, if we did this because we had to, we would've released an album every second year, because it would look better on the bank account and we could use that as an excuse to tour more often. But that's not the case. We do this because we love creating art and, yeah, we love to take our time doing it, that's for sure. I'll take that. But it is what it is. And I think to make something a great product, you have to really sacrifice to get there. And people have no effing idea what sacrifice really means. So, I think that's the main clue."

When "Grand Serpent Rising" was first announced in late March, Silenoz said about the eight-year gap between "Eonian" and the new LP: "No question: quality must always trump quantity. We eventually set deadlines, but in the early stages of a new album, there are no schedules at all. Rushing means nothing to us. The most powerful blackened art simply can't be forced without losing its essence."

The guitarist paused, then continued: "It can easily become an endless process. Whatever you create, you constantly feel it could be improved — that's the artist's curse, and that's why you eventually move on to make another album. But with every record, a point finally comes when everything feels exactly right. And that's when it's time to let it go."

On the topic of the "Grand Serpent Rising" album title, Silenoz said: "It fits perfectly. DIMMU BORGIR is a leviathan of a band on a grand scale and we are rising once again. While the serpent represents evil to some, for us it symbolizes something else: renewal, growth, knowledge, and liberation. Shedding our skin, so to speak. And let's not forget that February 2026 marks the end of the Year Of The Snake, roughly the same moment this album was completed."

True to DIMMU BORGIR tradition, the creative process was once again grinding and demanding. Already during 2018–2019, and throughout the pandemic years, riffs, melodies and thematic ideas were developed independently in home studios, slowly accumulating into something vast.

"When we finally reunited fully as a band," Silenoz explained, "we realized we had far more strong material than we ever expected, enough for a double album."

A positive problem, some might say — if a problem at all. "Coming up with ideas has never been difficult for us," the guitarist laughed. "The real challenge is killing your darlings. Sometimes you deeply love a certain riff or melody, but that alone doesn't make a song. We had to set our personal attachments aside and focus entirely on what was best for the band and the album. Every single flavor, twist, and element had to earn its place. The result is a distilled, focused statement — no excess, no filler."

Once you descend into the treacherous journey charted by this Norwegian serpent, Silenoz's words are immediately vindicated. Following the ominous intro "Tridentium", the opening track "Ascent" strikes like lightning across a frozen, darkened northern sky. Aggressive, vicious, and twistedly beautiful, it instantly confirms that DIMMU BORGIR have lost none of their intensity, menace, or authenticity.

And the momentum never falters. Across nearly an hour of music, "Grand Serpent Rising" maintains an iron grip: it is a majestic and powerful statement that sounds like a band possessed by the feral energy of the early '90s Norwegian black metal underground, while simultaneously wielding the compositional discipline and hard-earned wisdom forged through more than three decades of relentless creation.

"One of the biggest differences compared to 'Eonian'," Silenoz noted, "is that we scaled back the choirs and orchestration a little. Those elements are essential to DIMMU BORGIR, of course, but this time they appear only where they truly add power. And when they hit, you really feel it."

Another significant shift within DIMMU BORGIR's ominous universe occurred in 2024, when longtime guitarist Galder departed to focus on his own band, OLD MAN'S CHILD. Rather than weakening the collective, the change pulled the creative process closer to its roots.

"Fewer people in the kitchen means less compromise," Silenoz noted. "In the early days of DIMMU BORGIR, it was just me and Shagrath bouncing ideas off each other. In many ways, we've returned to that, it's very direct and productive. We tell each other straight away if an idea isn't strong enough."

Despite this, "Grand Serpent Rising" remains a full-band effort, with Daray (drums),Victor Brandt (bass),Gerlioz (keyboards) and Damage (guitars) all playing vital roles. "Although most core ideas still originate from me or Shagrath," Silenoz underlined, "they flow freely between all members. Everyone brings their own ideas to the table to make the songs stronger, and that dynamic works exceptionally well these days."

Lyrically, the album follows a clear spiritual trajectory without becoming a rigid concept record. Themes of transformation, ego dissolution, and awakening resonate throughout, drawing on esoteric traditions and alchemical self-transformation, the act of shedding the old self in pursuit of one's true potential.

"Within every human being lie dormant divine centres, the chakras, whose awakening may take countless lifetimes through natural evolution," Silenoz explained. "Yet once the soul reaches sufficient maturity, this process can be accelerated. Through disciplined self-training and deep meditation, the sacred force may rise within a single lifetime, activating each center in turn."

Renowned for his layered and immersive storytelling, the guitarist continued: "This ascending current, known since antiquity as Kundalini or the Serpent Fire, transforms the seeker, awakening godlike qualities and fulfilling the ancient promise: 'Ye shall be as gods.' As we pass temporarily through this world, we shed our skin like the serpent, again and again, striving to transcend our limitations and become something greater."

In a nod to the band's early years, a couple of new tracks also appear in Norwegian. "These songs could have been in English," Silenoz explained, "but our native language felt more appropriate for certain subjects. For example, 'Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel', the album's leading single, deals with heritage and bloodline, passing something essential on to those who come after you."

"Choosing the singles this time?" he laughed. "I honestly didn't know where to start, every song felt like it could be a leading track."

On the topic of the collaboration with Nordström, Silenoz said: "He knows us and the sound we're after. We drifted apart for a time while working with other people, but when he remixed 'Puritanical' a few years back, it reminded us just how strong our connection still was. Working with him again felt completely natural and the results couldn't be better."

From the outset, the sonic goal was crystal clear. "We wanted the album to sound like DIMMU BORGIR as a live unit," Silenoz grinned. "What you hear is what was actually played. The sound is organic and powerful, absolutely no hyper-quantized modern metal aesthetics, and no 'typewriter' kick drums."

When mixing and mastering were completed as the final autumn days grew shorter and darker, Nordström delivered a verdict Silenoz won't soon forget.

"Fredrik told us this was the best DIMMU BORGIR album he's ever worked on," he recalled. "He didn't have to say that and he's a straight shooter. When he says something like that, he genuinely means it."

Silenoz paused, then smiled. "I know it's a massive cliché to say this is our best album," he admitted. "But look at it this way: why would we even bother doing this if we didn't feel that way ourselves? When both the band and the producer feel the mission has been fully accomplished, whatever comes from the outside; fans, journalists, critics — is secondary. If people love it, great. If there's criticism, that's fine too. It doesn't affect us. We walk our own dark paths regardless."

"Grand Serpent Rising" track listing:

01. Tridentium
02. Ascent
03. As Seen In The Unseen
04. The Qryptfarer
05. Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel
06. Repository Of Divine Transmutation
07. Slik Minnes En Alkymist
08. Phantom Of The Nemesis
09. The Exonerated
10. Recognizant
11. At The Precipice Of Convergence
12. Shadows Of A Thousand Perceptions
13. Gjǫll

Photo credit: Stian Andersen

In a new interview with the Everblack podcast, DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Sven Atle Kopperud (a.k.a. Silenoz) spoke about the current status of INSIDIOUS DISEASE, his old-school death metal project also featuring Marc Grewe (vocals; formerly of MORGOTH) and Shane Embury (bass; also of NAPALM DEATH). He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, yeah, I've been actually busy with the recording the new INSIDIOUS album the last few weeks. So that's already done. We are just waiting for a few bits and pieces to start the mixing process of the album. So, that has also finally seen the light today. We've had the demos back and forth there as well for the last couple of — yeah, three, four years even now, three years since we did the vocal demos. So, the songs have been sitting there. We just wanted to wait for [producer] Russ [Russell], our good friend, to get healthy enough after his cancer stuff. And we wanted to do the whole production with Russ this time. Last time he only mixed the album, and this time we wanted to record everything with him in his studio. So, I'm really happy that we took the time to wait for that as well. And the result is gonna be another new slab of furiosity, I guess. Yeah, it's gonna be a good one."

INSIDIOUS DISEASE's sophomore album, "After Death", was released in October 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The recording lineup for "After Death" included Grewe, Kopperud and Embury alongside Terje "Cyrus" Andersen (guitar) and Tony Laureano (drums).

INSIDIOUS DISEASE's debut album, "Shadowcast", came out in July 2010 via Century Media Records. The limited-edition first-pressing CD included two bonus tracks ("Insomaniac" plus a blistering cover of DEATH's classic "Leprosy").

Regarding what brought him and Grewe together to form and create INSIDIOUS DISEASE, Silenoz previously said: "The lust and need for the old-school vibe and making music together with like-minded people was what brought us together in the first place. You know, always talking about doing something for the fun of it. For the most part, that never happens; it usually starts and ends with alcohol-infused drunk talk. But I launched it finally together with Jardar [Jon Øyvind Andersen; OLD MAN'S CHILD] and Tony back in '04. Then we brought Shane along shortly after that before I contacted Marc to see if he would consider doing the vocals. I've always been a huge fan of his style and I love others that is in the same vein, like Martin Van Drunen [PESTILENCE, ASPHYX], Jeff Becerra [POSSESSED], Chuck Schuldiner [DEATH], etc. those who have that 'insane' feel and honesty in the delivery. They stand out and we didn't want the typical gurgling, low-end stuff like most bands do, even if that's cool as well at times it doesn't do much when identifying a band, it has become such an important thing especially the last 10-15 years. Identity and authenticity are what's important in music. It doesn't always have to be 'groundbreaking,' 'new' or 'modern'-sounding. A good record is a good record regardless."

Regarding his collaboration with Shane, Silenoz told Sense Music Media: "Well, I've known Shane for many, many years. When we were putting INSIDIOUS together, I already had him in mind, because he's experienced when it comes to both touring and being in the studio environment, plus being a top bloke. That goes hand in hand with the idea behind this band, which is to have fun and kick back and play brutal music together, and that goes for the other guys in the band as well. And that's what we've been doing, even though it took ten years to have a second album finished."

INSIDIOUS DISEASE is:

Marc Grewe (MORGOTH) - Vocals
Sven Atle "Silenoz" Kopperud (DIMMU BORGIR) - Guitar
Terje "Cyrus" Andersen (SUSPERIA) - Guitar
Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH) - Bass
Tony Laureano (DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE) - Drums

Photo credit: Ernst Kramer

What a fabulous session of furious Death Metal with Insidious Disease - what a way to come back from hell 🤘

Posted by Russ Russell on Sunday, March 29, 2026

Norwegian black metal band IMMORTAL has completed the songwriting process for the follow-up to the "War Against All" album, which came out in May 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records.

On Sunday (April 19),IMMORTAL founder Harald "Demonaz" Nævdal shared the following update via the band's social media: "Greetings, hordes! The writing of the next IMMORTAL album is finished. The new material follows our steady path of fast riff-powered Blashyrkh metal. More news will follow!"

One of Norway's first and most successful black metal acts, IMMORTAL was formed by Demonaz and Olve "Abbath" Eikemo in 1990. Reidar "Horgh" Horghagen joined the group in 1996. Twelve years ago, Abbath and the rest of the group went through a bitter breakup.

The highly publicized legal battle in 2014 over the rights to the IMMORTAL name pitted Abbath against Demonaz and Horgh, with Abbath claiming the pair abandoned IMMORTAL after they moved their gear out of the band's rehearsal space. The Norwegian court systems determined otherwise, and awarded the IMMORTAL name to Demonaz and Horgh.

According to documents uncovered by Norway's VG, a conflict arose between the two remaining IMMORTAL members seven years ago, with Demonaz registering IMMORTAL with the Norwegian Patent Office as his exclusive trademark in July 2019. The registration was approved, and he was therefore given the exclusive right to use the band name commercially. However, Horgh chose to appeal the registration, and the matter was ruled in his favor, meaning that Demonaz no longer had the exclusive right to the IMMORTAL name.

Asked in a 2023 interview with Chaoszine about the status of his legal dispute with Horgh, Demonaz said: "We have had some disputes. And there was problems already in 2014 with this. But everything is solved now. But I can't tell you the details because [there is a settlement] agreement [in place preventing us from discussing it].

"Most bands, they are, like, releasing two CDs or LPs and [they] disappear," he continued. "I've had a band for more than 30 years, so it's impossible not to lose some members or have agreements for so long time. I think every band that's lasted more than 20 years or 30 years, you will see the same… Not every marriage is a happy marriage."

Asked what his relationship was like at the time with Abbath and Horgh, Demonaz said: "It's been some time [since we've been in contact]. So that's natural, I think. They're busy with their stuff and I'm busy with my stuff. It's not like in the old days when we were meeting up very often. But for me, it's, like, there's no bitterness. I've moved on, and they've moved on."

As for Abbath's comment in 2020 to Norway's Dagbladet newspaper that he wasn't opposed to an IMMORTAL reunion, Demonaz said: "He has said a lot of things, I think. [Laughs] I think maybe he forgot to tell me. I didn't hear that from him… I just wish him very well in what he's doing."

Six years ago, Horgh told VG that he had no advance knowledge of the IMMORTAL registration made by Demonaz.

"It could never have occurred to me to register the trademark by myself, as Nævdal has done here, but I have found myself having to fight to keep the rights I have earned through a long career in this band," he said. "It is, and after all has been for many years, a large part of my livelihood."

At the time, Demonaz told VG that he disagreed with the decision, pointing out that he was "the band's only remaining original member. I am also the only one who has been on all of the band's releases," he said.

The Norwegian Patent Office ruled that the rights to the IMMORTAL name belong to the band as a whole, and not to the individual members.

"We have jointly as a band built up the trademark IMMORTAL, and it is therefore right that the trademark should be a joint ownership," Horgh said.

The drummer went on to say that he was hopeful IMMORTAL could perform live again.

"It has been my goal all the way, and I know that this is something IMMORTAL fans want and have been waiting for a long time," he said. "I hope in the long run that we can manage to put these disagreements behind us, and again look ahead as a band."

IMMORTAL's first album without Abbath, "Northern Chaos Gods", was released in July 2018 via Nuclear Blast.

Six years ago, Abbath told Dagbladet: "I got a text from Horgh saying it was great that I got sober. Harald and I haven't spoken at all. But there's no evil blood or bitterness on my part anymore. I realize that I was a part of the problem. Things are great for me now. But am I open to an IMMORTAL reunion? Yes, of course. But it has to be something special. I just wish we could sit down and have a talk about things when it all went to hell, instead of involving lawyers."

Abbath used to be married to Demonaz's sister, and they share a son, Torbjørn.

Abbath is now the frontman of his namesake band, which released its third album, "Dread Reaver", in March 2022 via Season Of Mist.

Photo credit: Leander Djønne

Greetings, hordes!
The writing of the next Immortal album is finished.
The new material follows our steady path of fast riff-powered Blashyrkh metal.
More news will follow!

Demonaz

Posted by Immortal on Sunday, April 19, 2026

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame legends FOREIGNER have released "Feels Like The First Time", the first single from their forthcoming album "In The Eye Of The Storm", the official soundtrack to the band's landmark 50th-anniversary concert film captured at Ellis Island and Brooklyn's DUMBO House. April 17 is also opening night of FOREIGNER's highly anticipated new musical "Feels Like The First Time - The Foreigner Musical", at the Little Theater on Long Island University's Post campus, where it will play 11 performances.

The single marks the first release from "In The Eye Of The Storm", out July 17 via Sun Records/Virgin Records and launches a year of celebrations commemorating FOREIGNER's 50th anniversary. The accompanying video for "Feels Like The First Time" features exclusive footage from the forthcoming film.

The new recording of "Feels Like The First Time" celebrates five decades of FOREIGNER vocal excellence, featuring performances from three generations of the band's legendary frontmen — original voice Lou Gramm, twenty-year veteran vocalist Kelly Hansen and lead singer Luis Maldonado. Together, the track captures the evolution of the band's sound across fifty years while honoring the voices that define one of rock's most enduring catalogues.

Filmed on a closed set in the shadow of the Statue Of Liberty, the Ellis Island concert forms the centerpiece of the upcoming feature film, produced by Vertigo Live Productions, which will arrive in theaters worldwide in summer 2026. The historic performance almost never happened. As the band prepared to take the stage, torrential rain, thunder and lightning rolled across New York Harbor, threatening to halt the production entirely. The band pushed forward and delivered the performance, turning what nearly became a force-majeure shutdown into one of the most electrifying concert moments of their fifty-year career.

To coincide with the single release, the band will also launch special limited-edition anniversary merchandise collections, celebrating fifty years of one of rock's most iconic catalogues.

Last May, FOREIGNER lead singer Kelly Hansen announced during the band's performance on the season finale of NBC singing competition "The Voice", that he would be leaving the group at the end of the legendary rockers' summer 2025 tour. In a moving segment that aired nationally, Hansen introduced FOREIGNER guitarist Luis Maldonado as his official successor — a moment that symbolized both an end and a bold new beginning for the powerhouse group.

Before Luis joined FOREIGNER, he was best known as the guitarist for TRAIN and for his work with Lisa Marie Presley.

FOREIGNER replaced original singer Lou Gramm with Hansen in 2005. Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

Known for their explosive live shows and era-defining anthems, FOREIGNER have sold over 80 million albums worldwide, cementing their place as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Their catalogue includes timeless hits like "Hot Blooded", "Juke Box Hero", "Waiting For A Girl Like You", "Cold As Ice", "Urgent", "Feels Like The First Time" and the global No. 1 hit "I Want To Know What Love Is".

Photo credit: Krishta Abruzzini

Dark Horse Prophet (DHP) have released their new single “Confessions” via TLG|ZOID, distributed by Virgin Music Group.

Heavy. Atmospheric. Unrelenting. DHP occupies the space where alternative metal sharpens its edge into something undeniably modern: massive low-end, dual-guitar precision, and a vocal presence that fills arenas and club floors alike. Music built on weight, melody, and the kind of groove that locks a crowd in place and does not let go.

“Confessions” is the lead single from Dark Horse Prophet. It is an alternative metal track built around emotional weight, the things left unsaid, and the moment before you say them out loud.

The song is intended for listeners who carry something heavy. It was written to articulate what most people cannot put into words. The music video deepens that intent with visual treatment of every line.

In addition to the release, Dark Horse Prophet have been confirmed for Milwaukee Metal Fest 2026, marking the band’s largest domestic festival slot to date.

“Confessions” is available now on all major streaming platforms.


Dark Horse Prophet is a Los Angeles alternative metal force built on equal parts weight and atmosphere. Thunderous riffs, commanding vocals, and the kind of groove that does not let go. Their sound lives at the collision point of modern metal’s precision and alternative metal’s emotional depth: punishing, melodic,
and completely uncompromising.


With coast-to-coast US tours, back-to-back European runs supporting Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, and support slots alongside Ill Nino across Mexico and the UK, DHP has proven themselves on some of the most demanding stages in heavy music. Every night is a full-commitment performance. Every release pushes the boundary further.
Dark Horse Prophet is not chasing the heavy-music conversation. They are leading it.

The band also holds seven major gear endorsements, including Dean Guitars, ddrum, Yamaha, and Line 6, further cementing their presence as a rising force in the alternative metal world.

Dark Horse Prophet:
Tom Isom – Lead Vocals
Edward Wisztreich – Guitar
Jonni Law – Guitar
Tony Smith – Bass
Brent Terry – Drums, Vocals

With “Blanche réalité,” post-hardcore vets IMPURE WILHELMINA offer the second glimpse into Le sanglot, their upcoming new album and first entirely in French.

“Blanche réalité” (White Reality) maps a state of persistent, low-grade alienation: a person going through the motions of daily existence, disoriented at the center of a world from which all warmth has been subtracted. The song finds its biographical root in a winter hike Impure Wilhelmina vocalist and guitarist Michael Schindl took, during which he nearly lost himself in the fog. That real, physical experience of erasure sits at the core of the song’s emotional logic, grounding an otherwise interior state in something concrete and felt.

Watch the official music video for “Blanche réalité”:


The video for “Blanche réalité” extends the song’s territory rather than illustrating it. Shot entirely on location in fog-bound natural landscapes with no band performance, the video follows a solitary figure moving through mist-consumed fields and bare woodland without ever arriving anywhere. The palette is almost entirely de-saturated, with animals functioning as the visual counterpart to the lyrics: present, unreachable, moving through the fog with a purposefulness the human figure lacks. Only in the final seconds does color return, a handful of amber leaves around water, an image that offers no clear resolution.

Le Sanglot comes out May 22, 2026 on Season of Mist. Pre-order & pre-save: https://orcd.co/iwlesanglot

Tracklist:

Électricité noire (5:01)
Cent mille plaies (3:43)
Abîme (6:26)
Larmes de joie (5:02)
Dévoreur d’étoiles (6:00)
Train mort (4:03)
Frelon ivre (4:40)
Blanche réalité (5:35)
Demain J’abandonne (4:04)
À Jamais radieuse (5:52)
Full runtime: 50:287. Frelon ivre (4:40)

Born from Geneva, Switzerland’s thriving alternative music scene, IMPURE WILHELMINA has been developing a truly unique blend of sound over the years, somewhere in between metal and progressive-tinged dark rock. The band’s distinctive style is dense, melodic and deeply melancholic, brought to life by introspective lyrics both profoundly humane and chilling, infused with raw emotion.

Impure Wilhelmina was founded in 1996 and made a name for itself in the early 2000s, with a series of iconic albums – I Can’t Believe I was Born in July (2003) and L’amour, la mort, l’enfance perdue (2005) along with several European tours. Little by little, the quartet led by guitarist and vocalist Michael Schindl won over the hearts of a now loyal fan base, who appreciate how the band turns dark themes into a universe of healing sound.

Impure Wilhelmina’s story is also one of perpetual renewal. The band’s sound has evolved from its gritty beginnings to more mature, melodic productions driven by clear magnetic vocals. Black Honey (2014), Radiation (2017) and Antidote (2021), widely appraised by critics, pushed horizons further yet for the band, signed to the label Season of Mist since 2015.

Throughout the years, Impure Wilhelmina has played hundreds of shows across Europe, performing at underground venues and large festivals alike, including opening for icons such as Gojira, Baroness, Amenra, Sólstafir and Crippled Black Phoenix.

Since 2023, the band has been working on its next album to follow Antidote. The process is enriched by the arrival of new guitarist Edouard Nicod, joining Sébastien Dutruel (bass), Mario Togni (drums) and Michael Schindl (guitar and vocals). Their new album entitled Le sanglot, set to be released by Season of Mist in 2026, will showcase the band’s next radical yet organically logical transformation: lyrics entirely in French, unleashing dimensions of sound you wouldn’t expect, with renewed creative energy.

« Rescapé de l’ancien monde, touché par la grâce »

Line-up:
Michael Schindl — Vocals, Guitar
Mario Togni — Drums
Sébastien Dutruel — Bass
Edouard Nicod — Guitar

Production Credits:
Recorded at Kitchen Studio, Geneva, Switzerland.
Produced, engineered & mixed by Yvan Bing at Kitchen Studio, except for track 9, recorded by Serge Morattel at Rec Studio.
Mastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studio, Stockholm, Sweden.

Recording Line-up:
Michael Schindl
Mario Togni
Sébastien Dutruel
Edouard Nicod

Guest Musician:
Marion Leclercq (Mütterlein) on the track 6, ‘Train Mort’.

CONSECRATION will release their highly anticipated fourth full-length album, “Exanimis”, on CD, LP and MC format on May 29, 2026, via Nuclear Winter Records.

Marking a decisive step forward in songwriting, composition and artistic authority, the album channels the core elements of the band’s early sound and their unwavering love for ’90s death-doom, merging them into a more resolute, heavier sonic identity. Drawing on the glorious British tradition of the genre – from early My Dying Bride and Enchantment to Decomposed – CONSECRATION reinterpret these influences with a contemporary perspective, weaving atmospheric doom, crushing riffs and occasional sharp, impact-driven death metal passages into a cohesive, striking whole.

“Exanimis” is dark, decadent and at times mercilessly biting, balancing melancholic atmospheres with raw intensity. The record demonstrates not only a reverence for the legacy of doom and death but also the band’s relentless drive to expand their own sound, asserting CONSECRATION as a commanding presence in the modern extreme metal scene and setting a new benchmark for their evolving career.


The first single “Herald of Darkness” is streaming HERE.

Tracklist:

01. Herald of Darkness
02. Configuration of Lamentation
03. Submerged in Sand
04. Domain of Despair
05. Harvester of the Forsaken
06. The Bitterness of Grief
07. Descend into Derangement
08. Cold Grey Stone

CONSECRATION are a death-doom metal band from Norwich, UK, formed in 2010. With a relentless blend of crushing doom and old-school death metal, they craft music steeped in death, darkness and despair, steadily carving a global reputation in extreme metal.

Since their debut, “Ephemerality” (2014, UKEM Records), CONSECRATION have grown continuously, reissuing the album in 2023 through Cavernous Records with new artwork and compiling early material in 2018’s “Remembrance”. Their sophomore album, “Fragilium” (2019, Solitude Productions), earned critical acclaim and drew thousands YouTube views, signaling the band’s expanding influence.

The third album, “Cinis” (2022, Redefining Darkness Records), marked a major step forward, featuring guest vocals from Dave Ingram (Benediction) and mastering by Greg Chandler (Esoteric). The album received top reviews from Metal Forces, Distorted Sound, and Blabbermouth.net. Singles such as “The Dweller in the Tumulus” reached thousands of fans online, while live appearances—including Esoteric’s 30th Anniversary and UK Deathfest 2022—solidified their stage presence.

The 2021 EP “Reanimated” was reissued in 2025 as a hand-made limited edition that sold out in two hours, demonstrating the dedication of their growing fanbase.

Their fourth album, “Exanimis”, recorded at Priory Studios, Birmingham, will be released in spring 2026, featuring Paul Jones (Enchantment) and Rich Mumford (Malediction), with in-house artwork and mixing/mastering by Greg Chandler. CONSECRATION continue to push boundaries, evolving relentlessly and establishing themselves as a rising force in international death-doom.

For fans of: Evoken, Cruciamentum, early My Dying Bride, Decomposed

Line-up:

Daniel Bollans – Vocals
Mathew Bollans – Bass
Liam Houseago – Lead & rhythm guitar
Andy Matthews – Lead, rhythm & acoustic guitar
Jorge Figueiredo – Drums and percussion

Rock band SAOSIN has signed to Sumerian Records, joining the label's already illustrious roster including BAD OMENS, Poppy, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, and more. They have also shared their first new music in over a decade, as well as their first since the band — guitarists Beau Burchell and Phil Sgrosso, bassist Chris Sorenson and drummer Alex Rodriguez — reunited with vocalist Cove Reber. Reber, who initially joined SAOSIN in 2004, sang on the band's first two albums, including certified-gold single "You're Not Alone".

New single "Starting Over Again" marks an explosive return for SAOSIN as well as the first major contribution/collaboration with Sgrosso, who has been with the group since 2016. Sgrosso, along with Burchell, handled all production and mixing for the track, giving the band full creative control from start to finish.

Watch the music video for "Starting Over Again" below.

"'Starting Over Again' is our first new music in over a decade, and it came from the fans calling for it and us realizing the timing finally felt right. The chemistry in this lineup is undeniable, and everything just clicked," SAOSIN shares. "This song is exactly what the title says. A reset, but with more clarity, more urgency, and way more fire behind it. It feels like the start of something big for us, not a throwback, but a step forward."

Fans around the world can look forward to seeing SAOSIN live this year. The band will be on tour this month in New Zealand and Australia, followed by dates in Southeast Asia and appearances at Slam Dunk Festival in the U.K. They'll also be performing at Vans Warped Tour in Mexico City and Aftershock festival in Sacramento later this year, and they'll be setting sail from Miami with the Emo's Not Dead cruise at the top of 2027.

SAOSIN have long occupied a singular space in post-hardcore that bridges melodic ambition with technical precision and an emotional intensity that has resonated across generations of fans. Formed in Orange County, California in the early 2000s, the band quickly became a defining voice of the genre, earning a devoted following through relentless touring and a string of influential releases.

Following the early success of their debut EP and the breakout momentum of their self-titled full-length, SAOSIN solidified their place in the scene with soaring vocals, intricate guitar work, and anthemic songwriting. The band's era with vocalist Cove Reber marked a commercial and creative peak, producing fan favorites including the gold-certified single "You're Not Alone". Over the years, a tight-knit lineup that includes guitarist Beau Burchell, guitarist Phil Sgrosso, bassist Chris Sorenson and drummer Alex Rodriguez has allowed the band to evolve while maintaining the core sound that first defined them.

Now, more than two decades into their career, SAOSIN enter a new chapter with renewed clarity and purpose. Reuniting with Reber and signing to Sumerian Records, the band returns with their first new music in over a decade. Their latest single, "Starting Over Again", signals not just a comeback, but a forward-looking statement that captures the chemistry of a revitalized lineup and the urgency of a band with unfinished business.

With a global touring schedule spanning Australia, Southeast Asia, the U.K. and major festival appearances, SAOSIN continue to prove that their influence hasn't faded but only grown stronger. Balancing legacy with progression, they remain a vital force in modern post-hardcore, pushing their sound forward while honoring the connection that has carried them this far.

Photo credit: Anna Lee

Acclaimed vocalist Russell Allen, best known as the powerhouse frontman of progressive metal legends SYMPHONY X, has released a deeply personal new ballad titled "Love Her Like I Do (Ava's Song)" in recognition of Autism Awareness Month. The heartfelt track offers an intimate glimpse into Allen's experience as a father raising a daughter on the autism spectrum, delivering a moving message of empathy, acceptance, and unconditional love.

"Love Her Like I Do (Ava's Song)" reflects the emotional journey of watching his daughter grow, navigate social challenges, and find her place in the world. The song blends Allen's signature vocal intensity with a tender, vulnerable performance, resulting in one of the most personal recordings of his career.

"The song was written over several years navigating the evolution of our daughter's life on the spectrum," Allen explains. "Observing her behaviors that most would consider quirky became normal to me and my family. It became increasingly difficult for her to make friends in her life, though we tried several groups and activities for her to explore. Her social anxiety would overwhelm her senses and she would just retreat into her 'world' and stim a lot."

Allen continues, "The heartbreaking moment for me was when she came home from school and asked, 'Why are the kids playing and having fun but not with me?' The fact that she was so aware of her situation was both enlightening and difficult for us, because we knew she couldn't change who she was for acceptance of her peers. But why should she? So the song became my wish — a father's wish — for my daughter to find a world full of people who would accept her and love her the way we do."

Released during Autism Awareness Month, the track aims to shine a light on the experiences of families navigating life on the spectrum while encouraging compassion and understanding. Through "Love Her Like I Do (Ava's Song)", Allen hopes to foster greater awareness and celebrate the beauty of individuality.

"Love Her Like I Do (Ava's Song)" is available now on all major streaming platforms.

Listeners interested in learning more about autism and how to support individuals and families in their communities are encouraged to explore resources from organizations such as the Autism Society Of America and Autism Speaks. These groups provide educational materials, support networks, and guidance on advocacy, inclusion, and understanding life on the autism spectrum.

Russell Allen is an American heavy metal vocalist celebrated for his powerful voice, commanding stage presence, and exceptional versatility across progressive metal, power metal, and hard rock. Born on July 19, 1971, in Long Beach, California , Allen has earned international recognition as one of the most respected and influential singers in modern metal.

Allen is best known as the longtime frontman of SYMPHONY X, which he joined in 1995. With Allen at the helm, the band achieved global acclaim through landmark albums such as "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy" (1997),"V: The New Mythology Suite" (2000),"The Odyssey" (2002) and "Paradise Lost" (2007). His commanding vocal range and emotive delivery have been central to the band's signature blend of technical precision and melodic intensity.

Beyond SYMPHONY X, Allen has showcased his versatility through numerous collaborations and side projects. He formed the melodic metal supergroup ALLEN/LANDE alongside Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande, releasing several critically acclaimed albums that highlighted his ability to balance power with melody. He also fronted the hard rock band ADRENALINE MOB, further demonstrating his adaptability across heavier and groove-oriented styles.

In addition to his work in the metal and rock scenes, Allen has captivated audiences worldwide as a vocalist with the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (TSO). Known for its elaborate live productions and symphonic rock sound, TSO has provided Allen with a platform to reach millions of fans through extensive arena tours, particularly during the holiday season. His performances with the orchestra showcase not only his vocal power but also his theatrical presence and emotional expressiveness.

Continuing to evolve artistically, Russell Allen is embarking on an exciting new chapter with the launch of a new rock-focused project. This venture marks a return to his hard rock roots, emphasizing powerful melodies, blues-infused vocals, and high-energy songwriting while retaining the intensity and passion that have defined his career.

Allen's vocal style is often compared to legendary singers such as Ronnie James Dio, characterized by its rich tone, emotional depth, and commanding presence. His lyrics frequently explore themes of mythology, philosophy, and personal struggle, contributing to the epic and narrative-driven nature of his music.

With a career spanning decades, Russell Allen continues to influence the metal and rock communities through his recordings and electrifying live performances. His dedication to his craft and unmistakable voice have solidified his status as one of the premier vocalists in the genre.

Press photo courtesy of Secret Service Publicity

On the latest episode of the Talk Louder podcast, hosted by veteran music journalist "Metal Dave" Glessner and lifelong hard rock/metal vocalist Jason McMaster, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner, who is currently promoting the upcoming second album from his ELEGANT WEAPONS side project, was asked where he sees himself "maybe in 10 years" after PRIEST has retired from touring and making studio albums. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's a great question. It's a really good question. I put ELEGANT WEAPONS together because of that, really. Because of joining a band like PRIEST on the farewell tour, it's always been in my mind that they're not gonna be around forever. I joined them 40 years in. [PRIEST guitarist] Glenn Tipton told me they're not gonna be around forever. We're all aware of where they are in their career. So it was a conscious thing for me to think, 'Well, what am I gonna do after?' And this band that I put together was part of that."

Richie continued: "I'm really fortunate that we got to the second [ELEGANT WEAPONS] album. I didn't want it to be a one-and-done COVID album. So I'm really happy that we got to the second one. And hopefully we can build up more of a personality. You know what it's like, when the band has got a sound, and you just want it to build up its own personality and its own journey. Whether it's two or three or four albums, I'll be like, stoked. But like PRIEST did, they carved their niche out of nothing, and [BLACK] SABBATH and [IRON] MAIDEN and all these bands. And just to do something similar would be great. If we could put this band together and go from one album to two album — you know what I mean? And that's kind of what I put the band together for. So, as long as I can do it, I would love to try and do it and take it as far as I can."

Faulkner added: "We all know it's tough [for bands] out there. It's expensive to tour. Costs are rising, and no one's getting paid any more money. Things are going up all the time. But I think I speak for everyone — even if everyone did this and broke even, they'd still do it because of the love for doing it. 'Cause they love to make music, and there's a drive in us that wants to make music and put it out there for people to hear. That's why we're all doing it. So, I'd love to play as long as I could, as long as my health allows, like everyone says. So we'll see if that happens."

ELEGANT WEAPONS' sophomore album, "Evolution", will be released on April 24 via Exciter Records.

The official lyric video for the LP's lead single, "Bridges Burn", can be seen below.

"Evolution" will be released digitally and on CD on April 24, with a special edition vinyl pressing to follow later in the year.

ELEGANT WEAPONS features a formidable lineup: Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST),vocalist Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG),bassist Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) and drummer Christopher Williams (ACCEPT).

"Evolution" was co-produced by Faulkner alongside Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST's touring guitarist, who also produced PRIEST's "Invincible Shield" and "Firepower" albums),with the recording spanning Nashville, Europe, and France — a truly global effort reflecting the band's international pedigree.

Exciter Records and its publishing affiliate Reach Music, recently acquired JUDAS PRIEST's landmark early albums "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings Of Destiny", making the partnership with Richie Faulkner and ELEGANT WEAPONS a natural continuation of that legacy into a new era.

ELEGANT WEAPONS made its first two festival appearances in June 2023 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and at Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium.

ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was released in May 2023 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by Sneap.

ELEGANT WEAPONS played additional shows in Europe through July 2023. The trek included performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining shows.