Rob Dukes has released his first video message since it was announced that he was returning to EXODUS as the replacement for the band's singer Steve "Zetro" Souza.

On Sunday (January 19),Dukes shared a video in which he said: "How you doing everybody? This is Rob Dukes. Yeah, I'm back. I wanted to say thanks to all the fans for all the support. I'm looking forward to going out and playing metal with the boys again, and seeing all you fans all over the world. So, yeah, man. Metal. See you soon."

When EXODUS announced Dukes's return on January 15, the band said in a statement: "EXODUS have parted ways with Steve 'Zetro' Souza. We thank Steve for his years fronting the band and all the killer music we made during that time. We wish him only the best in the future and much success with anything he does.

"And please help us welcome Rob Dukes back to EXODUS! We are beyond stoked to have Rob back ripping up the stage with us and he's looking forward to crushing everything like only he can.

"Next chapter begins, new record rolls along as planned and the beatings will continue.

"See you soon, EXODUS".

Dukes joined EXODUS in January 2005 and appeared on four of the band's studio albums — "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" (2005),"The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A" (2007),"Let There Be Blood" (2008, a re-recording of EXODUS's classic 1985 LP, "Bonded By Blood") and "Exhibit B: The Human Condition" (2010).

The thrash metal legends in June 2014 announced the departure of Dukes and the return of his predecessor, Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

Dukes addressed his then-relationship with EXODUS in a June 2022 interview with Scott Penfold of the "Loaded Radio" podcast. He said: "When EXODUS fired me, it took me about a year to not be angry about it. It was unexpected — I didn't see it coming — and it was a hard time in life. I'd just moved; I'd just gotten married. It was a heavy burden. And it took me a while. And about a year later, after Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist] called me and we spoke, they flew me up to San Francisco and I sat down with them. And we laid it out on the table. And it made it better — just to clear the wreckage of that. And I moved on with my life, and they moved on with their life. I did one show with them — I did a few songs up in San Francisco — and then I just started living my life."

Dukes went on to say that he no longer dwells on the negative circumstances surrounding his departure from EXODUS.

"[EXODUS] was definitely a part of my life, but I don't rely on it," he said. "So I just move forward. But our friendship is good, man. I went up there to see… After Tom [Hunting, EXODUS drummer] got sick [with cancer in early 2021], we were talking the entire time and I was aware of his situation. And then when the time was right, after he had done some chemo sessions and was feeling a little better, I flew up and spent a couple of days with Tom. And I saw Gary, and I went and had lunch with Lee [Altus, EXODUS guitarist].

"Look, man, we lived together for 10 years. That bond is very difficult to break," Rob explained. "Especially when the reason I got fired, it wasn't personal; it was business. I took it personally in the beginning. But this is a harsh business, man, and there's a lot of fucking snakes out there and there's a lot of weird people who want their little piece. And it's kind of what happened. It was just business. Looking back on it, it was all for the best."

Three years after he was fired from EXODUS, Dukes performed with the band during a July 2017 concert in San Francisco, California. He sang several songs with the group on the second of EXODUS's two-night stint at The Chapel in what marked the band's first headlining Bay Area club shows since late 2013.

Rob previously discussed his split with EXODUS during a December 2020 pay-per-view video conversation with Souza, recorded earlier that month at Zetro's studio in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of Souza's "Zetro's Toxic Vault" YouTube interview series. At the time, Dukes said that the seed for his exit from EXODUS was planted during the songwriting and pre-production sessions for the band's 2014 album "Blood In Blood Out". "One night, before a show, me, Lee, Tom and Jack [Gibson, drums] were sitting, and we said, 'You know, we should do this [album] different. We should do this one where we actually rehearse together and we go through the songs like a band would do 'em in the old days' — go through 'em and maybe pick apart parts, maybe make 'em better, do it that way," he said. "[I thought it was] a great plan; I agreed. I come home, fly back out a couple of weeks later and everything is done. They're doing the drums, but Jack is doing the engineering, and [longtime British producer] Andy [Sneap] is not doing the vocals. And at that time, nothing against Jack — I love Jack — but the difference was, working with Andy, I didn't have to sing the whole line all the way through over and over again. Jack wasn't able to, at this time, edit in a word if I fucked up; I had to start all over. And the dissent had started with me. I felt a lot of the songs were very repetitious.

"Now, I could have just kept my mouth shut and just went along with it if I wanted to keep my job, even though it wouldn't have mattered, because the business decisions, I think, were being made behind the scenes with Metal Maria and Chuck [Billy, TESTAMENT singer]. I, actually, in front of everyone, challenged Chuck. 'Cause Chuck was now managing the band. We're halfway through the record, and they said, 'Well, Chuck's gonna manage the band.' I go, 'You don't see that as a conflict of interest — a little bit?' And I said this to Chuck, to his face. I said, 'You're telling me, if you get an opportunity, you're not gonna have TESTAMENT [take the gig]; you're gonna give EXODUS the gig? Get the fuck outta here, dude! I wouldn't do that, so I know you're not gonna do that.' He's, like, 'I wouldn't do that.' I go, 'You're not being honest with me. You're not being honest with yourself.' And it caused, like, a thing. And everyone was mad at me, 'cause the boys don't like confrontation. And it wasn't the songs. The songs were the songs. I thought 'BTK' was killer. Dude, you did 'BTK' awesome," he said, complimenting Zetro. "There were certain things about it. I don't wanna shit on it, but some of it just seemed regurgitated. I was, like, 'This song sounds like that song,' and, 'This song sounds like this song,' and it started to weigh on me. Like I said, I could have just kept my mouth shut and just played the game and not rocked the boat, but it wasn't my nature. My nature was, 'No, man. We're better than this. We need to top ourselves over the last thing we did,' and I didn't feel like it was doing that — I felt like it was actually declining a little bit, in my eyes, from my position. But it didn't mean that I didn't give everything I had — I gave everything I had on vocals — but Jack was beating me up, because I was constantly not able to… Especially with some of the timing stuff — you've never done it before, and now you're expected to do it forever. This is the CD, man — this is forever."

Explaining why he was angry for such a long time about his dismissal from EXODUS, Dukes said: "Look, man, [I was] 47 years old [at the time]. I got married five days before. And you fucking fire me. If I was by myself, if I was just me, I would have been okay with it. I was responsible for another human being. I just moved my entire life from my comfortable New York upbringing to a place [in Arizona] where I know one person, and I don't even know him that well; I know him from touring and watching him when I was a kid. I knew Roger Miret from AGNOSTIC FRONT; it's the only guy I knew [in Arizona].

"I remember telling my wife, 'We're gonna be okay. It's fine. We're fine. I'll sell my car. And that'll get us, like, a year rent, and we'll be okay. I'll figure it out. We'll be okay.' But in my head, I was fucking terrified," he admitted. "And I felt like [the EXODUS guys] took something from me that I earned, that I deserved. But I was looking at it wrong. I didn't deserve anything. I didn't earn anything. I was grateful to be there. And I tried to do the right thing. I remember writing a statement and putting it out there. I was grateful — I was grateful for going to over a hundred countries in my lifetime, playing in front of the millions of people that I got to play over 10 years. I was grateful for every opportunity that was given to me; I was honestly grateful. But also, I was angry, and I had every right to be angry. But I wasn't able to see it for what it was until a year later — it took me a year."

Dukes said that he wishes he had been more vocal in the earlier stages of the making of "Blood In Blood Out", particularly as it relates to EXODUS's choice of producer for the sessions.

"The truth was that my part in it, had I been honest from the beginning and I had said — 'cause there were times when I didn't wanna rock the boat — 'We are making fucking mistakes. And if you guys all wanna go to this next level that you all talk about, then let's put our fucking money where our mouth is and change it the way we're doing it,'" he said. "You've done it this way all this time and you've always gotten what you got. But if you change the game… Nothing against Andy, but if we bring in Colin Richardson, bring in fucking Zeuss [Chris Harris], bring in somebody [from] outside the game who had his own ideas of looking at things and maybe corral some of the chaotic stuff that was going on. And maybe go, 'You know what? The song does sound like that song. Maybe we should fucking take this riff…' Let producers do what they do… I thought it would have been awesome for somebody like Colin Richardson or Zeuss to come in and take Gary Holt [EXODUS guitarist and main songwriter] and sit him down and go, 'This is awesome. But we can make this better. Let's try this and try that.' And that's what the plan originally was."

Looking back on how his split with EXODUS went down, Rob said during the "Zetro's Toxic Vault" chat that he was "glad that everything worked out the way it did. And I was glad that Gary called me a year later and I spoke with him," he said. "And he was legitimately sorry; I knew he was. And he said, 'I want you to come to San Francisco.' And then I was, like, 'Well, how does Zet feel?' And he goes, 'It was Zet's idea.'"

Dukes also addressed the speculation that his substandard vocals on an early version of "Blood In Blood Out" were proof that he wasn't sufficiently inspired to deliver the goods on the album. "That assumption has been said to me a bunch of times," he said. "Even Lee has said, he goes, 'Your heart wasn't in it.' And my ego, which I don't have a big ego — it's not like I'm an egotistical dick — but I can tell you that when I was on the microphone, I was giving my best, I was giving all I had. What I felt inside was that the songs weren't as good. To me, they felt rushed. I felt some of the lyrics felt rushed.

"Me and Gary look at music very differently, and I think that's why we kind of worked," he continued. "Gary will write the lyrics before he writes the music, and he fits it in, where I write the music, write the melody and then fill in the words to the melody.

"It's hard to say it without sounding like a dick, but it was very… I remember singing one song and going, 'Dude, this is that other song.' And then, hearing the lead, going, 'That's the lead from that other song.' And I think that alone, trying to take my ego out of it, maybe my heart wasn't it. I wish that it was.

"At the moment, I knew I was giving all I could, but the factors against me was I didn't think the material was as strong as what we had already done," Dukes added. "I wanted it to be better. It's like setting bar for yourself and then not giving at least that measure. And then I thought that, as much as I love Jack, he wasn't Andy Sneap. And working with Andy, there was something to working with Andy that pulls it out of me.

"I remember talking to [Rob] Halford about it, 'cause [Andy recorded] Halford with PRIEST. He made me do fucking 10 fucking takes of each line. When you do 10 takes of each line, and then he fucking pieces them together. And then you get back something and you're, like, 'Wow, that's the way I sang that, huh? Cool.' No, it wasn't. It was the way Andy put it together. And then, all of a sudden, now you have a template. 'Well, now I'm gonna do that live, 'cause that's better.' 'Cause Andy knew what the fuck he was doing. But now you're just leaving it to me raw. And I thought not having Andy there for the vocals made me mad — not mad; it just made me a little disheartened, I guess. Because working for two albums with Andy, I knew what to expect. No matter what template I was given, I knew that Andy was gonna make me do it the right way. And when we were doing it, it wasn't that."

Dukes still resides in Arizona, where he works as a mechanic specializing in car restoration.

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Respected Danish vocalist and guitarist Mike Tramp has completed work on "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. III". As was the case with "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. I" and "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II", the upcoming album once again sees Tramp re-imagining select cuts from his former band WHITE LION.

Tramp confirmed the completion of "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. III" in a new interview with Australia's Heavy. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): 'We've just basically finished recording 'Vol. III' to end the ['Songs Of White Lion'] trilogy. So, it is going to be a completion. So almost every WHITE LION song has a new, updated version."

Asked how he has managed to keep his voice in shape after all these years, Tramp, who turned 64 earlier in the month, said:  "You know what? Obviously, you will recognize that it's the same singer, but it was very important for me that the growth of Mike Tramp through all the albums that I've done and the touring and the traveling became… Let's say, in reality, [WHITE LION] had not broken up. There would have been a natural progression. [Guitarist] Vito Bratta and myself, which, of course, were the foundation of WHTIE LION, the songwriters, already knew that when we recording 'Mane Attraction', our fourth album, our last album. If you go back, you will already see that we were making the first step towards prog rock, where we wanted the band to go. We were going much more towards bands like JOURNEY, KANSAS or STYX and whatever bands would have come. We wanted the band to be a band of music and little by little, the hair would become less important. So, with my albums that have gone on, my voice has naturally just changed bit by bit a year. So when I reintroduced the WHITE LION songs, I definitely cannot sing them in the same key. So once we refurbished them and once we found the new key to the songs, I also went out there now with the knowledge of knowing that I wrote those songs 40 years ago. I wanted to sort of say, 'I'm gonna sing them a little different.'"

Asked why it was important for him to recreate those songs, Mike said: "Yeah, without any disrespect to myself and the band that I started, I personally cannot stand listening to the versions from that time. I was in a completely different place. So, for me to play these songs again, I had to find something that felt new and fresh, even though it was the same thing. So by singing these songs again and changing the keys of the songs, it's almost like they became fatter and fuller and not so gung-ho. We were so fast and singing so high and flying in the air. Now I'm going up to the mic stand and I'm fully in control. I used to run out on stage with WHITE LION and started screaming at the audience, and the band would look at me, 'He's gonna collapse in 10 seconds.' [Now I'm] going out fully confident and saying, 'We're gonna play these songs now for the sake of music.'"

When "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II" was first announced last year, Tramp said in a statement: "Would Leonardo Da Vinci have re-painted 'Mona Lisa', if he had gotten a second chance? That we will never know, but I can say for sure, that I am beyond thrilled to have gotten a second chance to re-record and sing the songs I wrote between 1983 - 1990. Today I have such a better understanding of how I want to express the songs in my voice than I had when I was in my 20s, it's just a fact, and I've grabbed the chance. 'Songs Of White Lion' is a whole new chapter. [As a] matter of fact, it is current."

Tramp spent most of 2024 touring the U.S. and Europe with his band MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION, which doesn't included any other members of the original WHITE LION group.

In 2023, Tramp was asked in an interview about the possibility of WHITE LION reforming for a tour. He said: "When we broke up in '91, we always knew we would never go back together. And a lot of people always talk about reunions. WHITE LION reuniting would not be a better WHITE LION than WHITE LION was, so I'm out there performing the songs, not trying to recreate WHITE LION."

Asked if he has ever thought of calling his solo band WHITE LION and touring with new members, Mike replied: "I can't call it WHITE LION." Pressed about whether he would call his band WHITE LION if he could, Mike said: "I tried, and it cost me money. [Laughs] I think that the audience now is understanding that I'm just keeping the songs alive, and I'm able to perform it in a different way. I'm able to show the image that I'm not coming out there and doing a show but I'm gonna take them through like a greatest hits. I like to tell stories about what the songs are. You can't always do that on a festival when you have one hour, but that is my goal, that I will keep the songs alive. And I think that all the fans and the music fans know who Mike Tramp is and it doesn't need to be called WHITE LION. But it's called 'Songs Of White Lion'."

Back in 2019, Tramp revealed in an interview that he had apologized to guitarist Vito Bratta for trying to resurrect his former band without his onetime songwriting partner and bandmate.

The Danish-born singer hasn't played with Bratta since WHITE LION performed its last concert in Boston in September 1991.

In the 34 years since WHITE LION broke up, Bratta's public profile has been virtually nonexistent, while Tramp has remained active, recording and touring as a solo artist and with the bands FREAK OF NATURE, THE ROCK 'N' ROLL CIRCUZ and, more recently, BAND OF BROTHERS. Tramp also attempted to revive WHITE LION with the 2008 album "Return Of The Pride", featuring new members. Two years later, Tramp ceded ownership of the name WHITE LION to Bratta in an out-of-court settlement.

Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Tramp said that he and Vito are once again on speaking terms following his ill-fated attempt to bring back WHITE LION a decade and a half ago.

"I have, over the past couple of years, been the one out there basically both admitting and apologizing that the only thing that I never planned to do in my career and wanted to do was go back and rehash a version of WHITE LION that had nothing to do with WHITE LION, nothing to do with the guys that played in the band," Mike said. "Mike Tramp's heart was not in it. It was just a moment of weakness, not believing enough in my solo albums. [You listen to] some guys saying, 'Hey, if you put a new WHITE LION together, you can play festivals and get much more money.' And then you fall for that and you engage in it and you go out there, and then you realize it's not what you wanna do. And then, of course, Vito did not want the name WHITE LION to be used without him being in the band. And it actually took a couple of years for me to really understand how much it meant to Vito. And when Vito one day told me in one of these conversations… First of all, he told me, 'Mike, I'm not against you. I just don't wanna turn YouTube on and see the title 'WHITE LION live in so and so,' and somebody doing 'When The Children Cry' solo and it's not me. WHITE LION was you and me, it was our band, we wrote the songs. That is the memories I want for the rest of my life.' And when he told me that, I had tears in my eyes and I totally understood it, because I had also gotten to that point that when we closed WHITE LION, we felt that this is where we wanted to stop it. There was something, going into the '90s, that didn't agree with the things we were looking at, and we wanted to somehow end it on a higher level than something that would not represent us in the future. But it just took many years to really understand it."

Asked if he understands why Vito doesn't want to play music professionally anymore, Mike said: "Yes, I do, because there are actually times when I also don't feel like doing it anymore. When all the magic around us, the stuff that made us fall in love with rock and roll — first of all, our heroes, then the industry, then the touring stuff — when all of that was really exposed that it was a two-faced kind of thing, that the people we thought loved us — and I'm not talking about the fans; I'm talking about the people that made money from us, and stuff like that — turned their back on us and stabbed us in the back, it really ripped us apart. And maybe it's just that I came from a different background than Vito, that I maybe was a little bit stronger or just of a different nature that I just fought back, but Vito just said, 'I just don't wanna deal with this.' And I understand now — I understand it from every conversation that I have with him."

Tramp also once again closed the door on a possible WHITE LION reunion, saying: "I can't be Mike Tramp 1988. I can't sing like that, and I'm not going up on stage and doing a half-assed job, which most of the bands out there are doing."

Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, WHITE LION released its debut album, "Fight To Survive", in 1985. The band had its breakthrough with the double-platinum-selling "Pride" album, which produced two Top 10 hits: "Wait" and "When The Children Cry". The band continued its success with the third album, "Big Game", which achieved gold status.

By the time WHITE LION released its final album, 1991's "Mane Attraction", alternative rock was in the ascendancy, leading to a swift decline of the so-called "hair metal" scene in terms of sales, popularity, radio play, and most importantly, relevance.

Mike released "Songs Of White Lion", in April 2023 via Frontiers Music Srl. "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II" followed in August 2024.

Veteran British rockers DEF LEPPARD played their first concert of 2025 last night (Saturday, January 18) at Feria Estatal De León in León, Mexico. As was the case with the band's October 14, 2024 private show in Nashville (as part of the Daimler Truck Customer Appreciation Event),guitarist Vivian Campbell was unable to join his bandmates at the León gig and was replaced by John Zocco, who is Phil Collen's guitar tech.

Prior to launching into the song "Foolin'", which was the fourth song of DEF LEPPARD's set in León, DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott told the crowd that Campbell had to miss the performance because "he's just recovering from some treatment for his cancer." Joe added: "Please say hello to the guy that's standing in for tonight, Mr. John Zocco."

The setlist for the León concert was as follows:

01. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
02. Rocket
03. Let's Get Rocked
04. Foolin'
05. Armageddon It
06. Animal
07. Love Bites
08. Just Like '73
09. Let It Go
10. Die Hard The Hunter
11. Two Steps Behind
12. This Guitar
13. Bringin' On The Heartbreak
14. Switch 625
15. Rock Of Ages
16. Photograph

Encore:

17. Hysteria
18. Pour Some Sugar On Me

Encore 2:

19. Wasted

TRIXTER's Steve Brown subbed for Campbell at several shows in 2014 and 2015 while the DEF LEPPARD guitarist received treatment in his fight against Hodgkin's lymphoma. Brown's first appearance with DEF LEPPARD took place in September 2014 during the pregame show for the first of three NFL International Series outings.

During a November 2023 appearance on the "Lymphoma Voices" podcast, Campbell offered an update on his battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma, with which he was diagnosed in 2013. The now-62-year-old musician said in part: "I'm still dealing with the lymphoma. It's sort of like — it's an American expression — whac-a-mole. You beat something back and then it pops up somewhere else. But it's been a pretty consistent battle, but it hasn't been too difficult for me. I deal with it fine. I've been able to live my life. I've been able to continue touring. For the bulk of those 10 years, I actually was doing immunotherapy. Starting in June of 2015, I started taking a drug called pembrolizumab. I did that as part of a clinical trial. We discussed a few options. And I'd heard about this immunotherapy, and it was a very nascent treatment and I was really pushing for doing it. I remember at the time my doctors wanted me to do radiation and maybe a combination of radiation and chemo. And I just thought, 'Well, let's just try this immunotherapy thing. Let's see if this works.' So I managed to get on the trial. I'm happy to say that it worked well for me. So from June of 2015 until essentially the end of 2022, I was able to, just about once a month, go in and do an infusion of pembrolizumab and just go about my life, and it was very, very easy for me to do. Honestly, the hardest part was scheduling with all my travel. There were very, very subtle, very benign side effects. For me, I tolerated the treatment very, very well. And that was working great. But it sort of lost its efficacy a year, year and a half ago. And we could tell in the scans. I would do scans every three to four months just as a matter of protocol anyway to see what was happening. And my oncologist now had been telling me for essentially the last two years that the pembrolizumab was not being as effective as it once was and that we were gonna have to consider different treatments. So anyway, in November of [2022], we did a combination of pembrolizumab with three chemo drugs. You have to forgive me 'cause I cannot remember the names of the chemo drugs. But anyway, so I did a course of treatment, six cycles of that combination therapy of the three chemo drugs and the pembrolizumab. Unfortunately, it didn't put me into remission; we fell a little bit short of that. So I just recently, at the end of July [of 2023], started doing six cycles of a combination therapy of a chemo drug called brentuximab and an immunotherapy drug called nivolumab. I'm halfway through that. I've done cycle three. I do cycle four early next week. So far, so good. I had to go and get this stunning haircut yesterday because the brentuximab does have hair loss as a side effect. So I could start telling in the last couple of weeks, every time I touched my hair, it was coming out. So, I'm a little bit more proactive by going and cutting it super, super short."

Asked if he has gotten used to his much shorter haircut, Vivian said: "10 years ago, when I first started doing the ABVD chemo, that's when my hair first fell out. And so that was difficult. It was mostly difficult for me because I'd had long hair my entire adult life. I literally started growing my hair long when I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it's just gotten longer and longer. And it becomes part of your identity when it's around for so long, especially as a guitar player. And to be honest, it was a comforting thing to me because it gave me something to hide behind when I was on stage. I am naturally a very shy person and I identify with being a musician. I don't identify very much with being a performer, even though, if I'm being honest with myself, that's really kind of what we do in DEF LEPPARD. Yeah, we're musicians and we're songwriters, we write songs and we make records and we record music, but when we go on tour, we're performers, and that's part of it. And my hair gave me something to hide behind. It was a big part of my identity for so much of my life. So it was difficult letting go of it the first time again.'

He continued: "I was living in L.A. at the time, and I went to a theatrical wig maker when they first told me my hair was gonna fall out. They took pictures and measurements of my hair before it fell out. And they made a very, very realistic wig for me. It was very expensive and it was very realistic. And I could have transitioned to that, and people might not have noticed — other than the weight loss. I mean, I definitely was losing a lot of weight, so I was a bit more gaunt looking. But the wig thing just didn't feel right to me. And I know that it's different for everyone else. I literally wore that wig, I think, for about 12 or 13 minutes driving home after visiting the wig guy and getting fitted for this. And I pulled over. My wife was with me and. And I just took it off my head and I never put it back on since. And I decided to just go public about my cancer diagnosis'

Campbell added: "I was able to speak directly to DEF LEPPARD fans via social media and sort of tell them, 'Well, this is what's going on with me. I've had this cancer diagnosis. And my hair is gonna fall out. So you're gonna see me on tour. I'm not gonna have much hair. Don't be too shocked.' So that's sort of helped that I was able to put it out to anyone who cared or was interested before actually just going on stage as bald as a cue ball. And, and it did get to that stage, that my hair completely fell; I didn't even have eyebrows. But in a way I found the whole process somewhat cathartic, because I didn't have this mane of hair to hide behind. I had nothing to offer on stage but my talents as a musician, as a guitarist, as a singer, as a songwriter. And in a way, it was somewhat liberating for me. And I realized that it's probably easier for me than for a lot of other people, because at this time I was already in my early fifties. I don't think I would have handled that as well if I had gotten this cancer when I was 20 years old, as opposed to 50 years old, so I had a different mindset about it.

"So it is a very personal thing, "Vivian said. "But for me, I tried to look on the positive side of it. I didn't see any shame in it. There's no shame in having cancer. There's no shame in going through treatment and wearing the effects of your treatment physically, and even being in a very public position as I was, going on tour with DEF LEPPARD and playing in front of tens of thousands of people. Like I say, there was there was something kind of really liberating about it. It's not my first choice, but you kind of go with it and you own it and you make the best of it. And for me as a musician, like I said, there was something that just allowed me to go on stage and just focus on the essence of who I am as a musician and as a person and to just put it all out there."

Campbell — who before joining DEF LEPPARD in 1992 was well known for his work with DIO and WHITESNAKE — went public with his Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis in June 2013.

Vivian underwent three separate spells of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, only for his Hodgkin's lymphoma to return.

Six years ago, Campbell underwent spine surgery.

Vivian and his DEF LEPPARD bandmates were finally inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in March 2019 — 14 years after the British rockers first became eligible.

DEF LEPPARD's latest album, "Diamond Star Halos", arrived in May 2022 via UMe.

Ready to rock with you, León! See you 18 Enero at @feriadeleon. Details at https://www.facebook.com/FeriaDeLeon/

Posted by Def Leppard on Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Canadian thrashers Mutank have their next headbanging video for fans to check out for their track "Abortron" from their latest album "Think Before You Think" released this past November from Boonsdale Records.


Band members comment about the track:


Costa: “Elon Musk is jealous he didn’t invent this robot who sucks the lives out of your uterus!”




Stephen: “The lyrics for Abortron are disgusting and no one should read them.”

Germany’s greatest export Scorpions have released a live performance of the Love At First Sting classic “Bad Boys Running Wild” from France’s Hellfest 2022.





More footage from the band's Hellfest 2022 appearance can be viewed below:

In 2023, after an illustrious cult career spanning more than 20 years, German melodic black metallers, Dark Fortress, came to an end.


The Germans have made one final offering to their fans with Anthems From Beyond The Grave - Live In Europe 2023, a recording during the band's final European run, The Cosmic End Tour, in 2023. The album is out new via Century Media and official live video for "The Silver Gate", the opening track from 2008's Eidolon, has been released.


“I never thought Dark Fortress would have a live album,” says V. Santura (guitars). “The technical situation - we had multi-track recordings of two shows [Rotterdam and Bochum] - allowed for Anthems From Beyond The Grave to happen. I didn’t even listen to the recordings for months after the tour. When I finally did, I thought, ‘Holy shit!’ We sounded incredible, and I'm hardly ever happy with our shows. All of our hard work had finally fallen into place on that tour. When Century Media heard it, they said, ‘We’ve gotta release it - it’s too good not to!' If this is our end and it definitely is, then it’s a fitting end to Dark Fortress.”




Anthems From Beyond The Grave - Live In Europe 2023 can be ordered here.


Formats:


- Ltd. CD Digipak
- Gatefold black 2LP & LP-Booklet
- Digital album





Tracklisting:


CD
Intro
"CataWomb"
"The Silver Gate"
"Isa"
"Pulling At Threads"
"Crimson Tears"
"Cohorror"
"Self Mutilation"
"Chrysalis"
"Ylem"
"Insomnia"
"Evenfall"
"Baphomet"


2LP/Digital Album


Intro
"CataWomb"
"The Silver Gate"
"Isa"
"Pulling At Threads"
"Crimson Tears"
"Cohorror"
"Self Mutilation"
"Chrysalis"
"To Harvest The Artefacts Of Mockery"
"Ylem"
"Insomnia"
"Evenfall"
"Baphomet"
"Sycamore Trees" (Outro)


"The Silver Gate" (Live In 2023) video:

The ground quakes, the surface fractures, and a colossal force rises from the abyss: Gates To Hell have returned to deliver their undeniable truth - Death Comes To All. The Louisville natives charge onto the heavy music scene with their second full-length which will be released March 21 via Nuclear Blast Records. Blurring the lines between death metal, hardcore, and every brutal sound in between, Gates To Hell bring a monstrous energy to the studio and an unmatched ferocity to their live performances.


Today, the band unveil the brutal first track, "Next To Bleed". The song showcases the band’s growth as songwriters, demonstrating a refined maturity while retaining their signature aggression. The accompanying music video directed by Errick Easterday features a striking visual concept: the band encircling a tilting table, where a tortured figure lies bleeding out—a dark, visceral representation of the track’s themes. "Next To Bleed" is now available to order as a limited edition 7" red vinyl.







Gates To Hell comments, "We’ve been working real hard and we’re excited to share with you all the next chapter for Gates To Hell starting with our first single 'Next To Bleed'. This is our most diverse and well-rounded collection of songs we’ve made and we’re stoked to finally be able to release this record to the world soon.”


Nuclear Blast America's Label Manager & Head of A&R Tommy Jones comments, “The time has finally come and the Gates To Hell are opening wide. Line up and step through, for you are the ‘Next To Bleed’! I'm proud to be the gatekeeper to usher in the next era of brutality for the Louisville natives via the largest metal record label in the world, Nuclear Blast Records. Death Comes To All on March 21, 2025. You have been warned."


Stream "Next To Bleed" and purchase the limited edition 7" vinyl here. Check out the music video below.


Fueled by youthful ambition and a sharp creative focus, the band enlisted Randy LeBoeuf of Graphic Nature Audio. The partnership resulted in raw intensity with a sharpened sense of precision, elevating their sound to new heights. Their album artwork - crafted by WYRMWALK - offers a fitting representation of the blood-soaked dread and suffocating darkness that Death Comes To All unleashes.





Death Comes To All is available now for pre-order in a variety of formats including CD Jewel, LP Vinyl in purple swirl, light blue splatter (band exclusive), and purple and white swirl with black splatter (Life and Death Brigade Festival | New England Metal & Hardcore Festival exclusive) as well as a t-shirt. Head here.





Death Comes To All tracklisting:

Supertramp, in 1979, was one of the biggest bands in the world, following the release and extensive accompanying tour for the album Breakfast In America. Their complete set at the 8,000-seat Pavillon de Paris in December of that year, on the third of four sold-out nights, will be released as Live In Paris ‘79 on 3LP and 2CD.


Recorded on December 1 & 2, 1979, the classic lineup of members Rick Davies (singer-songwriter-keyboardist) and Roger Hodgson (singer-songwriter-guitarist-keyboardist) with John Helliwell on sax, woodwinds, vocals and keyboards and a rock-steady rhythm section of bassist Dougie Thomson and drummer Bob Siebenberg capturing Supertramp performing at the peak of their career.


Unlike the previously released 1980 Paris live album, featuring selections from earlier shows of this Paris run, the triple LP and double CD features the complete Supertramp show from the tour, compiled from recordings during the two December shows.




Having been on the road for almost ten months throughout America, Canada and Europe in support of Breakfast In America, 1979's top selling album, which sold in excess of 20 million copies, producing several hit singles and went on to win two Grammy awards. For a London based band that started in 1969 and, with a new lineup, reached stardom in 1974 with the release of its third album Crime of the Century and within five years to have now reached the very pinnacle of music success, it must have felt sweet.


Performing such Supertramp favorites as “Bloody Well Right,” “The Logical Song,” “Breakfast In America,” “Goodbye Stranger,” “Asylum,” “Even In The Quietest Moments,” “Give A Little Bit,” “Dreamer,” “Rudy,” “Take The Long Way Home,” “Fool’s Overture” and others amounted to nothing short of a celebration.


Drummer Siebenberg says, “looking back at that period, it really was the experience of a lifetime…the best of times.”


Saxophonist Helliwell notes, “those Paris shows were a definite high point for us because you could feel the audience reaction. You can actually hear the volatility in the French crowd. They sound a little mad!”





Supertramp Live In Paris ’79 tracklistings:


3LP:


Side A
"School"
"Ain't Nobody But M

Mayhem, the Norwegian pioneers responsible for invigorating a global scene alongside originators such as Venom, Celtic Frost & Bathory, formed in 1984, and with a long history of tragedy, intrigue and infamy have become truly revered legends of black metal, with a large part of their legacy established in the late 80’s & early 90’s, notably when guitarist Euronymous and bassist Necrobutcher welcomed Hellhammer on drums and Dead on vocals, to help shape a new and inspired era of darkness.


Preceding this more notorious period, Mayhem ’s formative years were spent honing a selection of tracks of pure brutality, eventually leading to 1987’s iconic Deathcrush EP release - considered the launching point for the band onto the global map. Prior to this though, came 1986’s Pure Fucking Armageddon demo, featuring the trio of Manheim, Necrobutcher and Euronymous.


Command For Blood, Command For War initially included in the recent Pure Fucking Armageddon vinyl boxset, contains two early Mayhem rehearsals from Neccrobutcher’s own archive in all of their raw glory from back in 1986, recorded on the lead up to the eventual Pure Fucking Armageddon demo sessions.




The release features early versions of tracks which would remain a staple of Mayhem’s live set throughout the years, such as "Pure Fucking Armageddon" itself, and "Carnage". The title also includes cover songs of tracks originally written and performed by genre godfathers, Venom.


Pre-order here.








The longest-running heavy metal tour in North America returns with its boldest lineup ever this year. The Decibel Magazine Tour resumes this spring with Norwegian black metal godfathers, Mayhem, headlining Decibel's 12th continental expedition of the extreme.


Tour support comes from countrymate and dungeon synth progenitor Mortiis, New York City cinematic death metal chaos wielders Imperial Triumphant and San Diego death rock night-bringers New Skeletal Faces.

In a new interview with Concrete Spew, SIX FEET UNDER vocalist Chris Barnes was asked why his band waited more than a decade to return to the road in the U.S. as part of the ongoing tour with NILE, PSYCROPTIC and EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, the first U.S. tour in 12 years, actually, for us. And, well, I guess the hiatus was due to just to being so expensive and so many things have changed. And we didn't have a booking agent in the U.S. for many years. So there was a lot of things working against us. And I felt like we should really hold off and concentrate on Europe until the tide changed. And finally, with this new album, I was able to a new booking agency in the U.S. who I'd been watching for a while, 'cause how they did things really appealed to me, the guys at TKO. And so I started talking to them, and they wanted to do something. And it just seemed like the right moment. When they kind of presented this tour with NILE as co-headlining tour, I couldn't say no. It seemed like this is the one we've been waiting for all these years. And we really needed to do something big like this to get our foot back in the door."

SIX FEET UNDER's fourteenth studio album, "Killing For Revenge", was released in May 2024 through Metal Blade Records.

"I chose the title 'Killing For Revenge' after we completed writing and noticed that all the lyrics and storylines had a common theme of revenge. Revenge by human or revenge by nature," Barnes previously said. "The album title describes the flow of the stories within the lyrics perfectly."

"Killing For Revenge" marks the second album that Barnes and guitarist Jack Owen (ex-CANNIBAL CORPSE) have created together since reuniting for 2020's "Nightmares Of The Decomposed". Owen also produced "Killing For Revenge".

"We worked well together in CANNIBAL CORPSE," recalled Barnes. "I loved him to death as a friend and a musician, so I'm really comfortable giving him the reins because I just have such great respect for him as an artist."

SIX FEET UNDER was initially formed as a side project for Barnes during his final years with the band that he co-founded, CANNIBAL CORPSE. It became the frontman's sole focus in 1995, coinciding with the release of their debut, "Haunted". Only Barnes remains from SIX FEET UNDER's original incarnation, with Chris and Jack joined in the band's current lineup by guitarist Ray Suhy, bassist Jeff Hughell and drummer Marco Pitruzzella.

While Barnes is the sole remaining member, SIX FEET UNDER is about more than he and Owen. The singer is thrilled with the current lineup, and what each member brings to the table. "Jeff and Marco have been with me for about 10 years," Barnes said. "I'm really fortunate that I have probably the best musicians in metal. If you look at it, we have the same amount of original members as CANNIBAL CORPSE. Jeff is a killer bass player. Marco's probably the best drummer out there. Jack's the greatest songwriter I've ever been involved with over the 30-plus years I've been doing music professionally. And Ray is just a phenomenal guitarist who can play everything from jazz to death metal. The lineup now is untouchable."

"Killing For Revenge", which features a guest appearance by guitarist Jason Suecof on "Neanderthal", was mixed and mastered by Chaz Najjar at Badlands Recording in Denver, Colorado. The record was released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl.

In a new interview with Ed Hack of This Day In Metal, HATEBREED frontman, popular podcaster and Milwaukee Metal Fest co-organizer Jamey Jasta was asked what he attributes his success to. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You know what? You've just gotta block out the detractors and the noise and the naysayers. And if you can't, you've gotta use it as fuel, because somebody's least favorite band is somebody else's most favorite band. And somebody's record that might not resonate now will resonate in 10, 20, 30 years. I mean, we're seeing it right now with [the reunion of Louisiana sludge metal pioneers] ACID BATH. And so they've been gone 30 years and they're gonna come back and it's gonna be massive and I'm so happy for [ACID BATH and GOATWHORE guitarist] Sammy [Duet] and all those guys. But slow and steady wins the race too. So you're never out until you're in the ground. You're never out until you're in a cell. And hopefully, if you ever do make it into a cell, then you can get out in 15 years and do it then."

Jasta continued: "Whatever it is, if it's writing a book, if it's making a film, if it's making a record or writing a poem or fucking making a recipe — I don't care what it is — you've gotta block out the people that maybe don't believe in you to do it and you've gotta find the ones that do and you've gotta keep them close and you've gotta make sure that you do right by them and that they appreciate what you do and vice versa. And then also, I think it's gotta be authentic, it's gotta be from the heart, 'cause the stuff that really resonate to people 10, 20, 30 years in is stuff that I knew in the moment was 'it'. You just know when you know. And sometimes you can bring that idea to someone else and they go, 'Nah', and they write your shit off. Or you can put your blood, sweat and tears into a record and some reviewer will listen to it once and go, 'No, this sucks,' just like I did with the last TOOL record that sounded like spa music. And that's gonna happen. But you've gotta roll with the punches and you've just gotta have faith that it will find the ears and the eyes that it needs to find.

"Somebody said to me once. It might have been Shavo [Odadjian] from SYSTEM [OF A DOWN]," Jamey added. "I forget if it was on the SLAYER tour or another tour that they did where the crowd wasn't feeling it. And it doesn't matter now, because the millions… They sold, like, five million records So, like, okay. So, yeah, so, big deal — that one show with SLAYER or one show with someone else where the crowd didn't like it, five million other people discovered them and liked it. So, they're out there. You've just gotta keep showing up. And I guess it goes back to the reps, too — just keep putting in those reps, no matter what it is."

Elaborating on his inability to relate to TOOL's music, Jamey said: "I never got into TOOL, but every year — every other year, maybe — I'll go, 'Hey, I'm gonna try to get into TOOL,' and then someone will recommend a song and then I'll go listen to the song. And a lot of times I end up liking the song. I never really go back to it, but I will hear it and I can recognize the genius in it. The playing is incredible and the production is incredible and [Maynard James Keenan's] voice is incredible. I don't have any desire to really like go back and listen to it again, but I can say, 'Wow,' in the moment, when I do go check it out. It was not too long ago on my Patreon, I was saying, 'Man, I tried to listen to some song off the last album, and it sounded like I was in a spa in Sedona, waiting to get a massage' or something. It was atmospheric and mellow and ethereal… I don't even know how to I don't even know how to describe it. It's like it was something really delicate, soft but calming. And I'm, like, I just wanna listen to [Oakland, California death metal band] NECROT and just fucking [singing] 'Drill the skull'. I'm just a caveman at heart — I just wanna hear, 'Drill the skull.' And so then I listen to NECROT and I'm thinking, 'Man, Maynard probably hates this shit.'"

Five months ago, Jasta was asked by Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne if fans can expect to hear new music from HATEBREED in 2025. He responded: "Yeah, I hope so. Yeah, we're actually free agents right now. So we're talking to everybody, seeing what the options are. And I've been doing my own label… So people said, 'Stop producing all these records and do your own damn record.' It's time, yeah."

Asked if that means that the songs are done and "ready to go," and he and his bandmates are just looking for a home for them, Jamey clarified: "I have songs, and I have lyrics, and I thought about who would produce this record. Obviously, we always love Zeuss [Chris Harris] and go with Zeuss, but we're open. You know, we're saying we're, like, we're open to everything, but we're attached to nothing. So if Rick Rubin came out of the woodwork and said, 'Hey, you wanna do something?' people would say, 'Well, that's a pretty lofty goal.' But it's been done before — a little band from nowhere ends up getting a second wind in their career. And we've seen it with so many great bands that — not that we even had too much of a valley on the last one, but it did come out during a worldwide pandemic. So it's always peaks and valleys. And right now we're just headed towards the next peak."

HATEBREED celebrated its 30th anniversary with a North American tour last fall. The trek kicked off on September 26, 2024 in Portland, Maine and concluded on October 27, 2024 in Norfolk, Virginia. Support on the tour came from CARCASS, HARMS WAY and CRYPTA.

With dozens of pit-stirring anthems across their eight catalog albums, HATEBREED celebrated three decades of ruthless breakdowns and consistently sold-out shows the world over. Over the course of their career, the band has gone from playing basements and backyards to being a featured, must-see attraction on countless festivals like Graspop Metal Meeting, Ozzfest, Warped and Download alongside massive high-profile tours.

Recently described by Forbes as "more relevant than ever in the metal and hardcore community," HATEBREED remains one of the most definitive live acts in music today and recently celebrated a milestone with their track "Looking Down The Barrel Of Today", which surpassed 75 million global streams on Spotify alone while generating over 600,000 global equivalents across all digital service providers, making it their single biggest career streaming track of the modern era. To date, HATEBREED has sold over 1.5 million albums in North America alone.

The Crew Nation global relief fund is committing $1 million to assist performing musicians, live music crew, and live music industry workers affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles. Established by Live Nation Entertainment in 2020, Crew Nation has been dedicated to delivering aid to those in the music community experiencing unforeseen hardships.

In response to the wildfires' devastation across L.A. County which are one of the largest natural disasters in U.S. history, Crew Nation has opened applications for grants up to $5,000 for individuals currently employed within the industry facing displacement expenses due to mandatory evacuation orders, damage, or loss. Those seeking support can apply for Crew Nation fund grants here.

"L.A. is home to so many who help make live music possible, and Crew Nation is continuing its core mission of helping this hardworking community through unforeseen hardship," said Michael Rapino, president and CEO, Live Nation Entertainment.

Separate from Crew Nation, Live Nation is also supporting impacted employees from its Los Angeles headquarters with direct relief through its Taking Care of Our Own program. And the company is partnering to help produce and promote FireAid, a benefit concert on Thursday, January 30, to help rebuild communities and support fire prevention efforts across Southern California.

Crew Nation was created when shows were paused during the pandemic and has helped get assistance to over 16,000 crew globally with a $10 million contribution from Live Nation, supplemented by $8 million from artists, fans, and industry partners. While live music has bounced back, the Fund continues its support, including a recent $5 million pledge through the On The Road Again program.

Anyone looking to support live music artists and crews through the L.A. wildfires can donate to Crew Nation via 501c3.

For more information on Crew Nation, go to this location.

Swedish  power metal legends, HammerFall, performed at Manning Bar in Sydney, Australia on January 18. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can bne viewed below.


Setlist:


"Avenge the Fallen"
"Heeding the Call"
"Any Means Necessary"
"Hammer of Dawn"
"Freedom"
"Renegade"
"Hammer High"
"Last Man Standing"
"Fury of the Wild"
"Chapter V: The Medley"
"Let the Hammer Fall"
"Threshold"
"Glory to the Brave"
"The End Justifies"
"(We Make) Sweden Rock"




Encore:
"Hail to the King"
"Hearts on Fire"

Autograph guitarist / founder Steve Lynch celebrated his 70th birthday on January 18th, and he took to social media to announce the May 2025 release of his autobiography, Confessions Of A Rock Guitarist. Read the announcement below in full.


"Hello everyone! Today is my 70th birthday! And I must say- I feel better than ever!
 
At this point in my life, it’s not only a time to reminisce, it’s a time to peer into the future to imagine what new adventures lie ahead… and believe me, there are many yet to come! The difference now is that I have the wisdom of 70 years to help me navigate through these new experiences.
 
As I look back, I see the tremendous changes that have occurred during my lifetime. For example: when I was born in January of 1955 there were only 48 states, and when I turned 4 in 1959, Hawaii and Alaska were added. There were 2.8 billion people in the world, and now there’s over 8 billion. I saw John F. Kennedy get assassinated and the following year watched The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. I witnessed the Viet Nam War from the beginning to end, and was almost drafted. I watched Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy get assassinated. I witnessed the Women’s Liberation Movement, the Flower Children blossom, Andy Warhol's pop culture, Allen Ginsberg’s Beat Generation. I also saw Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and the Doors perform twice, along with countless others. And when you look forward from that point you’ll see how things have changed drastically with IT and AI- which is amazing!


I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived during this era. There has never been one like it, and there will never be another quite like it. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead. I cherish this because I’m living history, as we all are. I discuss these topics in my upcoming book, Confessions Of A Rock Guitarist (May release) and share how I felt during these events and how they affected me later in life, and helped inspire me on my musical journey. 

In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, Marko Hietala was asked if he has any regrets about leaving NIGHTWISH four years ago. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Of course. I was regretting it already when I was leaving. But it was not just NIGHTWISH. I've said this quite a few times, that I actually left everything. My trouble with depression and anxiety was constant. It just wouldn't go away and had gotten worse and worse and worse during the years. And I grit my teeth and held on until I felt that — yeah, it was when COVID was over, started to be over, and they said that, 'Okay, we got these plans for the spring and then these plans for touring' and all that. And then I kind of realized, 'I don't want to go. I'm feeling too bad. And if I go on the road, it's just gonna be a stress. I'm gonna be alone."

He continued: "Everybody's got their own survival methods [when it comes to being on tour] — they've gotta have them and all that — so I figured, 'I cannot do it.' And at the same time, I was also already looking kind of vaguely if there would be a place where I could escape to some winter months because the darkness was making the depression and anxiety worse and all that. And then I kind of realized that 'I wanna leave everything, all the responsibilities, everything. I need to find out what's wrong with me.' So I kind of came just to Spain to get away from everything, everyone I know, except for the wife and the dog. And then I was talking to psychiatrists here in Spain, there in Finland, through video and all that. And then one of them just suggested that 'you might have ADHD [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder].' I'm, like, 'How the fuck does it relate to depression and anxiety?' 'Well, it does. Read about it.' And I did. Yep. And it's that feeling of difference that you do not match the other people's capabilities of handling their daily tasks or whatever. And I was just always lost — everything was a mess and all that. And what do you know? There it is — the ADHD. And it makes you, as a social creature, a tribal creature, that kind of a thing, the social isolation, it's a slow way to death. We know that loneliness is a killer. Well, yeah, but I kind of learned to deal with it ever since I was a kid. But it doesn't really make it necessarily easier. It had its consequences. And I was like that: 'Nothing I ever do will make anything any better. Everything is grey and worthless. And I am too.' That was the thing that had been growing on me. So, when this ADHD thing came up, then I read about it, went to the neuropsychological test and all that, and yep, I got it.

Marko went on to say that he is feeling much better now. "Yeah, because now I know," he explained. "It's a relief to know that there are things in your history and in yourself that you just cannot help. That's what you are. So a lot of kind of guilt about things that were left undone or unsaid or went went straight to hell from the things you did and said, suddenly you find out that, okay, actually, no matter how much you wish you would have acted differently, you couldn't, with the knowledge you had that time… And you can forgive yourself for the shit. And then again, you can also forgive quite a lot of other people for not understanding. So, yeah, it's a relief. You get a load off your chest."

Hietala announced his departure from NIGHTWISH in January 2021, explaining in a statement that he hadn't "been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now." He has since been replaced by bassist Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN),who made his live debut with NIGHTWISH in May 2021 at the band's two interactive experiences.

In a March 2024 interview with Brazil's Ibagenscast, Hietala was asked if he would consider taking part in a reunion of NIGHTWISH's classic lineup, either for a tour or fresh material. He responded: "Hmm, I would consider it. But I think that the organization there would have to be looked very carefully into it and some of it would have to be dismantled. Because the business side and how the people there work, they are one of the big reasons why I left."

He continued: "In all the bands that I've been [in], I found out that I'm probably the most kind of courageous person there is and therefore also I have the inner strength to be the most honest and most fair and the one who upholds the justice between the people and taking care of everyone most. And that is something that I saw, the last years, were lacking. So, these kind of things would have to be taken care of. But I mean, [NIGHTWISH] was a big part of my life and I always, always backed up the music that we did because I love to do music that is versatile and ambitious with a lot of all kinds of atmospheres of all the world, from sensitive and soft into the big and pounding metal and all that. So, musically, I have no regrets at all. I'm happy and proud to have been a part of it. But, yeah, the organizational situation and the attitudes and who talks to whom and about what, those are things that I would totally dismantle and make into a transparent situation."

In an August 2022 interview with Finland's Chaoszine, Hietala revealed that he went through a dark period in his life, which included depression, insomnia, anxiety and an ADHD diagnosis. Speaking about how he eventually came to the realization that exiting NIGHTWISH was the right thing to do, Marko said: "It was a long process. Of course, the COVID year that was there, where I had a lot of time for soul searching, it obviously gave me the last incentive that I need something else, that if I just continue with this I'm just gonna get sicker and sicker. But, of course, it's a process.

"I've been chronic depressive since 2010 [or] 2011, so I've been on a permanent medication ever since," he revealed. "Sometimes you get used to the meds [and] you will need more. We did raise [the dosage] during the years also, but it just didn't work. And now that I started to do… I had psychotherapy for over four years now, and then I also talked to psychiatrists and some doctors and did that also in Spain. Then my psychiatrist here in Finland said that I should do these ADHD neuropsychological tests, which I then did in Spain. And, okay, I got it."

Hietala reiterated that he "had been thinking about" leaving NIGHTWISH "for a while" before making the final decision. "Because I had a lot of weight. And I tend to… With the attention disorder, it tells me that when there are lots of trouble, then the disorder makes it into a real chaos," he explained. "There's a shitload of stuff coming and going and no peace anywhere. And for a year or two, I was already waking up every night at three o'clock to bad dreams and anxiety. So I'd say that the whole process probably started already with my former divorce [in 2016]. That was a very sad time when you think about your kids and your broken homes and all that. And then, when I started to get clear from that, then there were, well, all kinds of things. I don't really wanna go any deeper to what kind of things I'd gone through, but I'd gone through enough."

Acknowledging that making NIGHTWISH's 2020 studio album, "Human. :II: Nature.", was a "difficult" experience for him, Marko denied that his mental state at the time resulted in a diminished role for him on the final LP. "I think the original idea was to have that… we'll do a couple of [solo vocal appearances], or one solo for me and Troy [Donockley], and the rest Floor [Jansen], and then the harmonies; that was the idea originally for that," he said. "So I don't know if it affected. I think it was sort of as planned. But at that time I already had serious trouble with concentrating and serious trouble with a constant black cloud over my head."

In July 2022, Hietala told Finland's Iltalehti that he had not kept in touch with NIGHTWISH since his departure or followed the activities of his former band.

In May 2021, NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said that Hietala's decision to leave NIGHTWISH "came as a bit of a surprise." He told Finland's Kaaos TV: "Marko informed us in December [of 2020 that he was leaving the band]. And even though he has been very open about his state and problems during the past years, it still came as a bit of a surprise for us. So it was a really tough pill to swallow. And for a few days, I was actually quite confident that there's no coming back, that this is it. I remember talking to Emppu [Vuorinen], the guitar player, and we were, like, 'You think this is it?' 'Yeah, I think this is it.' I mean, enough is enough. So much has happened in the past. Something that broke the camel's back, as they say. Then, after some time had passed — a few days — we started to think that it's been such a ride of 25 years, with so many ups also, that this is not the way to end it."

Tuomas elaborated on NIGHTWISH's reasons for carrying on, saying: "I think we still have something to give, and that's the main point. The music is still there. We felt that there's still so much music that needs to come out from this band that, 'Okay, let's give it one more shot.' And then finding the new bass player was really easy."

He added: "It's not like we do this just because we need to do it and there's nothing else to do. On a personal level, I feel that there's still so many stories and melodies that I want to share with the world with one lineup or another, so that's why you want to continue and keep on going.

"I've said this a million times, that a lineup change is the ultimate energy vampire, and that's how it really felt and still feels."

In June 2021, Jansen spoke about Hietala's exit from the band in an episode of her "Storytime" YouTube video series. She said: "That was a very sudden surprise that, of course, was not fun at all. But we understand — I understand — it was a necessary thing for him to do. And from there, we had to think of how to continue without him, and that also, in preparations towards the virtual show, that was a huge challenge."

In December 2020, Hietala was crowned the winner of the fall 2020 season of "Masked Singer Suomi" — the Finnish edition of the popular masked singing contest. He was disguised as Tohtori — the Doctor.

Marko's new solo album, "Roses From The Deep", will be released on February 7, 2025, via Nuclear Blast.

Photo credit: Mika Toivanen (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has completed pre-production for its long-awaited follow-up to 2018's "No Cross No Crown" album.

Earlier today (Sunday, January 19),CORROSION OF CONFORMITY bassist Bobby Landgraf took to his Instagram to share a short video from the studio and he included the following caption: "COC Pre Production finished in Gold Rica!!"

In the video, Bobby said: "We are here in Gold Rica in Central America. C.O.C., pre-production going on. There's [guitarist/vocalist] Pepper Keenan. Just caught some tasty waves out there. Warren Riker here on the mix. Here's your host, Bobby, right here. What's going on, everybody? [Drummer] Stanton Moore back in the corner… Got [guitarist] Woodroe's [Woody Weatherman] rig right here. That bass rig right here. Stanton's fat-ass Gretsch right here. And Pepper Keenan's corner right here. Tones are kickin', the record's slamming. We're really proud of what we did. It's been a hell of a week, y'all. Boom."

Last October, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recruited onetime DOWN guitarist and current PANTERA bass tech Landgraf to play bass for the band on the 2024 edition of the Headbangers Boat cruise.

In September 2024, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's founding bassist Mike Dean announced his departure from the band.

Dean revealed his decision to leave CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in a statement posted on social media. He wrote: "Recently I made a decision to step away from CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, a band started 40-odd years ago by Reed Mullin, Woody Weatherman, and myself.

"I'm extremely proud of everything we've done together, and look forward to hearing more from the band going forward.

"When I rejoined COC for the finishing touches of the 'Deliverance' album, I moved back to Raleigh, NC for an all-in creative campaign, but time, distance and side projects and life in general has changed all of that.

"Ever since Reed drifted away from the band and then passed away, it's been difficult for me to collaborate on new material with bandmates who live hundreds of miles away.

"I look forward to putting together a new Raleigh-based outlet to create new music with more alacrity and with more of an emphasis on my own ideas than in recent times. Also, I look forward to continuing to record and produce other artists.

"All the best to Woodroe, Pepper, and COC crew, and most importantly, many big thanks to the fans of all iterations of the band, who have made this real for all of these years. Salute!"

The remaining members of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY — Keenan and Weatherman — added in a separate statement: "We, Woodroe and Pepper, are in full support of Dean's future endeavors and wish him all the best in the quest. Thankful for the music made and (R)evolutionary paths created. That being said, this book of CORROSION is not finished, nor will the train stop.

"The opportunity to play music and create is something that we don't take lightly, and we will not waver. New COC recording is well underway and will be released in 2025.

"Much love and respect to all the free thinkin' beer drinkin' friends and fans worldwide, looking to making more. Without you, we are just growing deaf in a garage."

Two years ago, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY confirmed the return of Moore for its upcoming album.

Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.

In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Weatherman, Dean and Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled back in 2017. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recorded "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year at a North Carolina studio with longtime producer John Custer.

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L.A. GUNS' new album, "Leopard Skin", will be released on April 4, 2025. It will mark the first fruit of L.A. GUNS' reunion with Cleopatra Records, a label known for its diverse roster and innovative approach to music production.

In support of the LP, L.A. GUNS will be touring heavily this year.

The band states: "Come and join us on The Lucky MF'r Tour!!!"

Last July, L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns told On The Road To Rock podcast with Clint Switzer about the sound of the band's new LP: "It's different than the other records. That's the thing about L.A. GUNS, is I never know what's gonna come out. I don't know what mood I'm gonna be in or whatever, but I'm really proud of what I was able to record. And all the management and Phil [Lewis, L.A. GUNS singer] and the guys, they're freaking out, like, 'Where'd this shit come from?' So, yeah, I'm always most excited about L.A. GUNS. It's the complete playground for me. I love it."

L.A. GUNS' latest studio album, "Black Diamonds", came out in April 2023. It was the fourth studio album since the much-welcome reunion of the band's core foundation of Lewis and Guns. It followed the well-received studio albums "The Missing Peace", "The Devil You Know" and "Checkered Past", plus the live release "Made In Milan", and a covers EP "Another Xmas In Hell".

In April 2021, a settlement was reached between drummer Steve Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the L.A. GUNS name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Guns and Lewis continue to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS were allowed to perform and record under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS. Riley died in October 2023 at the age of 67.

L.A. GUNS was formed in 1983 and have sold over six million records, including 1988's "L.A. Guns" and 1990's "Cocked And Loaded", both of which were certified gold. "Cocked And Loaded" contained the hit single "The Ballad Of Jayne" that went to No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts. From the mid-'90s to the mid 2000s, L.A. GUNS continued to tour and release new music. Following their successful performance at SiriusXM's Hair Nation festival in September 2016, L.A. GUNS went into the studio to record the critically acclaimed "The Missing Peace", which was the highest-selling release for Frontiers Music Srl in 2017. Their 12th album, "The Devil You Know", was released in 2019 to the same critical acclaim. Since reuniting, Tracii and Phil continue to tour around the world with L.A. GUNS, which currently includes Johnny Martin (bass) and Ace Von Johnson (guitar).

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In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, RAVEN frontman John Gallagher talked about METALLICA opening for his band back in 1983 and 1984. The trek marked METALLICA's first-ever tour. Asked what his thoughts were about METALLICA at the time, John said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, they were good. They were energetic. They were like a gang, which is always appealing 'cause we were, obviously, like a gang. It wasn't the mentality of a one guy starting a band and putting adverts out and having a bunch of mercenaries come in. There was none of that. They were a gang. But as far as, 'Do you see them in — whatever — 10 years being the greatest thing since sliced bread?' It's, like, no, not a chance. And to be fair, the band that you could have said that with was at least a good year away because they really changed on the second record. It showed some maturity and breadth and the ability to do different things other than just [playing fast] all the way through. So, they sat, they learned and they soaked it all in and they did a whole bunch of stuff."

John continued: "They said to us on the tour, 'We love your 'All For One' album because you've broadened your sound without compromising who you are.' I was, like, 'Oh, well, I guess we did. Okay.' So they did kind of the same thing. They stretched out and did 'Fade To Black', which was, like, 'This is really cool. This is different.' Some slower-paced songs — still fast stuff, but mixed it up a bit."

He added: "We had a long conversation with James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] a couple of years ago up at METALLICA HQ [in Northern California]; we visited there. And [he was] very humble and very, 'I don't know how this all happened, but we're very grateful and humbled that it did. And we're gonna continue to do the best we can.' You can't ask for more than that."

Gallagher also spoke about what it was like for RAVEN to open for METALLICA at a November 2022 concert at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida celebrating the life, legacy, and achievements of Megaforce Records founder Jon "Jonny Z" Zazula and his wife Marsha Zazula. He said: "Yeah, that was really cool. That was for a good purpose because Jon and Marsha Zazula, who managed them and managed us, made a huge difference in both our careers. Absolutely. And it was good to recognize and celebrate that. And they were so good… And we got to hang out for a long time and talk. And it's really surprising about the level that they're at and the things they've went through that it's the same guys. That's pretty cool."

Considered part of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" movement of the early '80s, RAVEN is perhaps best remembered for its trailblazing tours in America in the early '80s that gave groups like METALLICA and ANTHRAX their first taste of the road.

RAVEN's classic albums "Rock Until You Drop", "Wiped Out" and "All For One" virtually invented both the speed metal and power metal genres, with the band consistently pushing the envelope while retaining its unique sound and attack — both in the studio and in their true element: onstage.

In a 2005 post on RAVEN's official message board, John stated about RAVEN's influence on other pioneering metal bands: "Anyone ever listen to the middle of 'Aces High' by IRON MAIDEN and compare it to part of 'Faster Than The Speed Of Light' [by RAVEN]? How about the chorus riff of METALLICA's 'No Remorse' to [RAVEN's] 'Lambs To The Slaughter'?? Makes me laugh...!"

RAVEN's new EP, "Can't Take Away The Fire", is due out February 14 via Silver Lining Music.