During an April 11 question-and-answer session at the Indy KISS Fan Expo at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Indianapolis, Indiana, KISS frontman Paul Stanley confirmed that there will be a 2026 edition of the "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" event.

Over the years, KISS had hosted 11 branded "kruises" that have departed from Los Angeles, Miami and New Orleans, but for the twelfth installment of the event, KISS announced that the "KISS Army Storms Vegas" event would "transform" into "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" and would be Sin City's Virgin Hotels complex last November. This special KISS Army fan event, co-produced by Pophouse, Topeka and Vibee, celebrated the band's five-decade career and the 50th anniversary of the KISS Army. In addition to KISS "unmasked" performances — the band's first live appearances in two years — the weekend included appearances from QUIET RIOT, Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini performing the music of RATT, Bruce Kulick, Sebastian Bach, BLACK 'N BLUE, KUARANTINE, School Of Rock and more.

Speaking to the audience at Indy KISS Fan Expo on Saturday, Stanley stated about "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So, the funny thing with the KISS Kruise — a couple of things. When we were first approached with the idea of doing a KISS cruise, when we first heard about it, I went, 'Who is gonna go on a KISS cruise?' And we've had people from 33 countries around the world for every time we went out. So it was amazing. But the crazy part about it is that over the years everybody started doing cruises, so we can't get a ship most of the time. So last year we decided, I said, 'Well, let's do a 'KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas'.' So we did that, and it was really fun. Having the band play was amazing and seeing everybody was great. And that was the first one. We'll do it again this coming year. We'll do it in November. And as good as that one was, this one's gonna be so much better, because we learn as we're going. And this next KISS Kruise in Vegas is gonna be awesome. I mean, we can't wait to play, and we can't wait to have the bands we're gonna have and be with you again. So, pack your bags."

The first details of the 2026 edition of the "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" will be officially announced later this month.

The legendary rockers kicked off the 2025 edition of the "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" with an outdoor unplugged performance on November 14, 2025 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. At the beginning of the concert, Stanley asked fans in the audience to lift the electric candles which were handed out to everyone prior to the gig in honor of founding KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, who died in October 2025 at the age of 74. Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer also played an electric "unmasked" show the same weekend, marking the first time KISS had performed together since retiring from touring in December 2023.

Simmons told Rolling Stone in a November 2023 interview that the second Madison Square Garden "End Of The Road" concert would mark "the final KISS-in-makeup appearance."

Ace co-founded KISS with Paul, Gene and Peter Criss in New York City in 1973. Frehley appeared on KISS's first nine albums, and returned for the band's 1998 reunion album, "Psycho Circus", only to leave again. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the rest of KISS's original lineup in 2014.

Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of KISS's first "farewell tour." Since his departure, guitarist Tommy Thayer had assumed the role of the Spaceman.

In a new in-depth interview with Andy Greene of Rolling Stone, drummer Jay Weinberg opened up about his surprise firing from SLIPKNOT nearly two and a half years ago. The split happened just two days after Jay played his final show with SLIPKNOT on November 3, 2023 at the Hell & Heaven festival in Toluca, Mexico. Weinberg said: "I woke up the morning after traveling home from our last show together, and I received a phone call from the band's manager in which he informed me that the band had made a decision to not renew my contract at the end of the year. I was shocked and full of questions. I was like, 'Why? What happened?'

"It took place, to be quite honest, at the end of a year that was a very difficult year within the band," Jay continued. "That might relate to some of those preexisting tensions before I arrived at the band, sort of coming back. But I'm left with no explanation, just that 'It's a creative decision and you're no longer the drummer in SLIPKNOT.' And what he said from there was, 'We would like to release a joint statement with you tomorrow. Take the rest of the day to think about it. I'll be available to you for the rest of the day if you want to talk.'

"My world just kind of bottomed out from under me," Weinberg admitted. "This thing that I have been dedicated to with complete focus and drive and attention and love and holding on to a dream, despite the difficulties, despite all the things that happen with entering a volatile environment like that and a dark environment at that, to having nothing but questions. So I went on a walk with my wife to clear my head and process what had just happened. And then 20 minutes later, they posted their own statement online."

Asked how he felt about that, Jay said: "I mean, how would anybody feel about that? It perfectly encapsulates the confusion of that. And like I said, it came after an extraordinarily tense year for the band, things that I could only see as an outsider in relationships that are 25 years deep. It came without an explanation, [with] no reason. It was confusing then. If I'm perfectly honest, it remains confusing.

"As a newcomer, I think being caught in between those preexisting tensions, you find yourself trying to navigate that the best you can," Weinberg added. "One guy has one way he wants things done, another guy wants another way he wants things done, and amplify that by eight other people, to try to satisfy all of those things. This was my singular focus for 10 years. I applied myself in every way possible. As a newcomer, and like you mentioned, you're like, 'Are you in the band? Are you not in the band?' How do you define that after 10 years? It's not a short amount of time. But it's easy for a newcomer, for myself, to be caught in the crossfire there. Maybe I became a scapegoat for certain things."

On November 5, 2023, SLIPKNOT released a statement via social media in which it said it had "decided to make a creative decision and to part ways with Jay."

Six days later, Weinberg, who replaced Joey Jordison, SLIPKNOT's original drummer, in 2013, shared on Instagram that he "was heartbroken and blindsided to receive the phone call", "the news of which, most of you learned shortly after."

Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2013.

For the first few months after the release of 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter", the members of SLIPKNOT had declined to name the musicians who were playing drums and bass on their tour, despite the fact that their identities were revealed as Weinberg and bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella by a disgruntled former drumtech for SLIPKNOT who posted a picture of a backstage call sheet on Instagram.

".5: The Gray Chapter" went on to score a trio of Grammy nominations, including two for "Best Metal Performance" and a nomination for "Best Rock Album".

Weinberg also played on 2019's "We Are Not Your Kind" and 2022's "The End, So Far", both of which topped Billboard's rock albums chart.

In February 2024, SLIPKNOT recruited former SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande as the replacement for Jay.

Prior to joining SLIPKNOT, Jay played with AGAINST ME! and MADBALL.

In a new interview with Germany's Metal Hammer magazine, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about "The Ballad Of Judas Priest", the official documentary chronicling the 50-plus-year history of the metal pioneers. Asked about the fact that ex-PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing was interviewed for the film, despite the guitarist's previous strained relationships with his former bandmates, Rob said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that respect is still there. I think that the love and respect that we still have for each other is still there. And the fact that he's as important to JUDAS PRIEST now as he was then in telling the story, it had to be that way. It had to be that way — because he was there at the very beginning, before I even personally joined the band. So his value and the work that he created in his time with JUDAS PRIEST — the fact that we still play a lot of songs that K.K. wrote with myself and with Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] — it's really important and vital. And I think it sends a message out to the fans and to everybody else in the metal world that even though there is a separation from being included in the band, or not in the band, when we go out in today's world, that's irrelevant. The fact that we still do have this respect for each other is important."

Pressed about the possibility of a reunion between PRIEST and Downing, Halford said: "Well, I think what he said in the documentary was simple and straightforward and eloquent, that he wasn't feeling certain things.

"When you go to work with music, you really have to wanna get on that stage," Rob explained. "You can't hold anything back. You have to be there for the right reasons. If you're not up there for the right reasons, then you don't really have the right to be on that stage. You can't just be going through the motions. If you're just going there 'cause you want the check at the end of the tour, it's none of that. It's just a really potent internal feeling that makes you wanna get on that stage and give yourself with that amount of honesty and conviction to your fans. And if you're not feeling that, then you do what K.K. did."

"The Ballad Of Judas Priest" will receive its North American premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian international documentary film festival, which will present documentaries from around the world to audiences in Toronto from April 23 to May 3.

"The Ballad Of Judas Priest" received its world premiere at the 76th Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival, in February.

Co-directed by documentary filmmaker Sam Dunn and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Tom Morello in his directorial debut, "The Ballad Of Judas Priest" celebrates the legendary band's lasting impact on music and culture with their influence reaching far beyond metal.

The documentary is a production of Banger Films and directed by Sam Dunn and Tom Morello. Producers include Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. It is executive produced by Tom Morello, Rick Krim, Sheila Stepanek and Jayne Andrews. Tom Mackay, Krista Wegener and Abby Davis serve as executive producers for Sony Music Vision. Sylvia Rhone is executive producer for Epic Records. The film is presented and distributed by Sony Music Vision.

JUDAS PRIEST's current touring lineup consists of singer Rob Halford, bassist Ian Hill, guitarists Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap and drummer Scott Travis.

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.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

In his 2018 autobiography "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", Downing wrote that he told Tipton and PRIEST manager Jayne Andrews that he had "hated" them both "since 1985." Earlier this year, he explained his outburst to Classic Rock magazine: "I was angry. Glenn had formed a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko situation. I didn't like that."

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The JUDAS PRIEST members who got inducted include current members Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis, along with former members Downing, and late drummers Les Binks and Dave Holland.

At the 2022 Rock Hall, Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis were joined by Binks, Downing and Faulkner for a three-song medley performance consisting of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

In a new interview with Jimmy Kay of Canada's The Metal Voice, Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G spoke about his reluctance to be a hired gun in another band after exiting Ozzy Osbourne's group nearly a decade ago following an eight-year run with the legendary heavy metal singer.

"It was a conscious decision for me after the Ozzy gig to not join other bands. 'Cause I've had offers to audition, potentially joining much bigger bands, of course, than mine," Gus said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET),referring to his long-running band FIREWIND. "But I didn't wanna go into that situation again where you are an expendable guy, and you don't get to call the shots. I've done that a couple times in my life. And I thought, also another thing, I had to sit down and really think anything I do after Ozzy, it's probably gonna be a downgrade anyways, so if you're gonna downgrade, you might as well do it on your own terms. And I really enjoy calling my own shots.

"I'll tell you, it wasn't always easy," Gus admitted. "I almost had to prove a point again. Because I had my career pre-Ozzy with FIREWIND, and then after Ozzy, I kind of had to start from scratch again, weirdly enough. In the beginning I thought I would just pick it up wherever I left off, but it wasn't like that. I really had to go out there and play with smaller fees than before, kind of grind it in a way, and invest in it, if you like. And then it got to a point recently, after pandemic, where things started picking up again. It's been good now, man, and we're in a good position where we can look ahead a year and a half in our schedule and we know what's coming up. And I love that — I love that kind of freedom of calling the shots and having a great team that we can communicate and do great things — create our own things, basically. Create our own future and our own opportunities."

After Kay pointed out that "nothing beats" the lifestyle of traveling in limousines and flying on private jets while on tour, Gus concurred. "Yeah, but you have to really not let that get into your head," the guitarist said. "Because even when you are in that situation, and I had a good taste of that, obviously, for a number of years, you have to realize that it's not about you. You're just working there. And you have a front-row seat to all that, to that lifestyle — you can stay at the Four Seasons every night and you can fly private and all that — but it's not about you. You're working for an artist, for somebody else, or for a band, whatever that is. So, if you realize that, that this is not about you, it's about somebody else, your job there is to make that person shine. So when you do your thing, yeah, it's gonna be much smaller level and, yeah, maybe much lesser crew and maybe not as a nice car, or you don't fly private, you fly commercial, like the rest of mortals do. But I personally don't have any problems with that, man. I believe in building your own empire."

Gus will release his fifth solo album, "Steel Burner", on April 24, 2026 through Metal Department Records. The album marks his first solo release in five years and captures a powerful fusion of modern instrumental metal and carefully curated vocal collaborations. Guest singers on the LP include Doro Pesch, Dino "Jelusick" Jelusić (WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA),Matt Barlow (ICED EARTH, ASHES OF ARES) and Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, VANDENBERG, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP).

"Steel Burner" was mixed and mastered by acclaimed producer Dennis Ward (HELLOWEEN, PINK CREAM 69).

Gus joined Ozzy's band in 2009 and appeared on the BLACK SABBATH singer's eleventh studio album, "Scream".

Back in 2018, Gus told TrueMetal.it that "it was a little bit of a relief" to find out that Ozzy was getting back together with his longtime axeman Zakk Wylde in 2017, resulting in Gus's departure from Osbourne's band. "I was just kind of tired of waiting around for all these years, not hearing anything about potential tours or recording activities," Gus said. "Of course, [Ozzy] was very busy with BLACK SABBATH — I understand that — but then in between of all that, there would be all these one-off [solo Ozzy] shows popping up and I had to make myself available for that. But there was never any… I felt like there was no… I didn't see stuff coming up for the future, you know? So, as much as I loved being in that band and working with him, in a way, it was a little bit of a dead end for me, speaking personally. Of course, now he's gonna go on a big tour again and do his farewell thing, and that's great for him, but it was not a creative thing for me."

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON will release a 20th-anniversary re-recording of their debut album, "Count Your Blessings", on July 10. "Count Your Blessings | Repented" is described by the band as a "reactivation" and "recontextualization" of the 2006 LP, which included such singles as "Pray For Plagues", "Slow Dance" and "A Lot Like Vegas".

BRING ME THE HORIZON frontman Oli Sykes and guitarist Lee Malia worked on "Count Your Blessings | Repented" with mixer Buster Odeholm, resulting in an effort that is "reborn, sharper, heavier, and more vital than ever," according to the band. The song "Liquor & Lost Love" also appears under its original working title "Dragon Slaying".

BRING ME THE HORIZON will perform "Count Your Blessings" in its entirety on July 10 at Manchester, United Kingdom's B.E.C. Arena as part of Outbreak festival.

Dubbed "Outbreak Presents: Count Your Blessings | Repented", the event — co-curated between Outbreak and BRING ME THE HORIZON — will also feature Leeds post-hardcore act STATIC DRESS, who recently appeared on BRING ME THE HORIZON's "Post Human: Nex Gen" arena tour, Sheffield mathcore veterans ROLO TOMASSI, Portland metalcore five-piece DYING WISH, British metallers HERIOT, L.A. emo band CAR UNDERWATER (on their first U.K. trip),and hardcore supergroup STILL IN LOVE. The concert will "reactivate" the album rather than simply look back at it, and has been structured to feel like "a defining moment for a generation of fans — both those who were there at the beginning and those discovering it now."

"Possibly the most requested and mythologised single show of the last decade," the organizers say, the event offers "a chance to look back at [the band's] enduring influence on heavy music as the deathcore of 'Count Your Blessings' inspires an exciting new wave."

Tickets for "Outbreak Presents: Count Your Blessings | Repented" go on sale on Friday, April 17 at 10 a.m. GMT. Fans who pre-order the album will gain access to a pre-sale, which starts today (Monday, April 13).

One of the world's most influential modern rock acts, BRING ME THE HORIZON has sold over 6.6 million albums worldwide and amassed more than 9.4 billion global streams.

BRING ME THE HORIZON's "L.I.V.E. In São Paulo (Live Immersive Virtual Experiment)" concert film was screened in theaters in late March. Filmed live at São Paulo, Brazil's Allianz Parque Stadium in late 2024, it captured BRING ME THE HORIZON as the band was traveling the world in support of that year's "Post Human: Nex Gen" LP. This was their biggest headline show to date. "L.I.V.E. In São Paulo" arrived on LP and CD on April 10.

Image credit: FirstRowConcert

Count Your Blessings | Repented

full album re-record. coming 10th july 2026

UK, pre-order before 3pm bst tomorrow for...

Posted by BRING ME THE HORIZON on Monday, April 13, 2026

Outbreak Fest Presents: Count Your Blessings | Repented

played in full, for the first time ever [manchester 10th july...

Posted by BRING ME THE HORIZON on Monday, April 13, 2026

During BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward's April show on LA Radio Sessions, he played RAINBOW's "Stargazer" which featured Cozy Powell on drums. After the show, Bill discussed knowing Powell as a fellow drummer and a friend. He said  (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, Cozy Powell was somebody that I first met when we were still kids. Great drummer. Tight. Well, first of all, I was attracted to his personality. He was a nice man — very nice man. My last phone call with Cozy, actually, was about two weeks before he passed away. And I am so glad that I was able to talk to Cozy on really meaningful meaningful topics and [we had a] heartfelt conversation. I hadn't spoken to him for a while, and then, of course, two weeks later, he passed away, which was heartbreaking, of course. But when we first met, when we were still quite young, I liked his already well-defined historic… I could tell where he'd learnt [how to play]. I come from a jazz background, so [Gene] Krupa was my guy. Everybody says it was somebody else, but actually it was Krupa. But that's okay, what everybody else wants to say; they can say whatever they wanna say. But Cozy was well defined. His chops were — I think his chops were from [the BUDDY RICH] BIG BAND and were maybe from Rich. It fitted in so well. It fitted really well into rock. It's almost like his body and the way that he played was designed for that era. And he had the chops and the licks that fitted into that."

Bill continued: "He had a lot of hit records by himself as a single artist, and I don't know if you know that — where he would do a drum solo, and that would be the record, and they got into the charts. He was always available, always listening. I think he was a drummer's drummer."

Reflecting on Powell's passing nearly three decades ago at the age of 50, Ward added: "It's so sad — very sad — now when I'm thinking about it. For me, I'm gonna be 78 in two months, so for me, at 78 years old, when I go back and digress and go back into the unbelievable amount of people that I've met, known and grew up with, and we all went through the same things, it's an incredible journey, but there's also a price to pay for the regrets that could have happened. And just the memories alone are often sad as well as brilliant opportunities. It's a mixed bag.

"So, yeah, Cozy was an angel," Bill concluded. "That's what Cozy Powell was."

This episode of LA Radio Sessions premieres on Saturday, April 18 at noon (Pacific Time),with "encores" on Monday, April 20 at 4 p.m., Saturday, April 25 at noon and Monday, April 27 at 4 p.m., exclusively on 99.1FM KLBP in Long Beach or worldwide at KLBP.org.

Powell died on April 5, 1998 following a car crash while driving his Saab 9000 at 104 mph (167 kmh) in bad weather on the M4 motorway near Bristol, England. According to a BBC report, Powell's blood-alcohol reading at the time of the crash was over the legal limit, he was not wearing a seatbelt, and he was talking to his girlfriend on his mobile phone. He was living at Lambourn in Berkshire at the time and had returned to the studio shortly before his death to record with FLEETWOOD MAC co-founder Peter Green. By that time, he had been the drummer on at least 66 albums with minor contributions on many other recordings. It was generally felt that Powell's death was a great loss to the world of popular music. Countless rock-based drummers have cited Cozy Powell as an influence.

Powell's resume reads like a classic rock bible: COZY POWELL'S HAMMER, THE JEFF BECK GROUP, RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, WHITESNAKE, EMERSON, LAKE & POWELL, BLACK SABBATH and many, many more.

New York hardcore band INCENDIARY DEVICE has unveiled a powerful new single, "Young At Heart", featuring a special guest guitar appearance from Bobby Hambel of BIOHAZARD. The track is the latest preview of INCENDIARY DEVICE's forthcoming full-length album, "New York City".

Driven by urgent riffs, breakneck rhythms, and anthemic energy, "Young At Heart" captures the spirit of persistence and unity that has long defined hardcore. The single serves as a standout moment on "New York City", an album that pays homage to the band's hometown while pushing their sound forward.

INCENDIARY DEVICE bass player and principal songwriter Tristan D'Graves comments: "Having Bobby play on this track means a lot to us. BIOHAZARD was and still is an incredibly important New York City band, and bringing that influence directly into our music is something special."

INCENDIARY DEVICE vocalist Drew Stone — also a filmmaker and host of "The New York Hardcore Chronicles LIVE!", continues to play an active role in preserving NYHC culture, and this video is clear evidence of that.

Reflecting on "Young At Heart", Stone explains: "The body ages, the lines on our face grow deeper, the responsibilities of adulthood try to knock us off center, but the awe of hearing BAD BRAINS, MINOR THREAT or BLACK FLAG for the first time leaves an eternal imprint. Our physical body is subjected to the ravages of time, but music is the soul — ageless. Channel that youthful rage, stay young at heart."

The "Young At Heart" release is accompanied by a music video directed by Ryan Struck of Daily Grime Media celebrating the legacy of New York hardcore culture, featuring visuals rooted in the city's history and community :

"New York City" will arrive May 1 on Demons Run Amok Entertainment in Europe and Creep Records in the U.S.

INCENDIARY DEVICE will play select dates in the spring and fall of 2026 before heading to Europe for a string of shows.

Photo credit: Rochelle Lynn Stone

Bloodstock organizers have shared the video below, along with the following message:

“Experience thrash metal legends Flotsam And Jetsam tearing up the stage at Bloodstock Open Air 2025 on August 8th, 2025! Performing on the iconic Ronnie James Dio Stage, the Phoenix, Arizona veterans delivered a powerful full set performance packed with speed, precision, and classic thrash energy. This video features one of their most legendary tracks, ‘No Place For Disgrace,’ taken from their classic 1988 album of the same name, a defining release that helped cement their place in the second wave of thrash metal.

Formed in 1981, Flotsam And Jetsam have remained a relentless force in metal for over four decades. Known for their technical musicianship and consistency, the band has released an impressive catalogue of albums, including their debut Doomsday For The Deceiver (1986) and their latest studio release I Am The Weapon (2024).

Despite an ever changing music landscape, the band continues to evolve while staying true to

their roots, delivering high energy performances and maintaining a loyal global fanbase.

Their Bloodstock 2025 appearance marked a triumphant return to the UK stage, drawing a strong crowd and showcasing why they remain one of thrash metal’s most enduring acts.

Turn it up and relive the chaos of Bloodstock with one of thrash metal’s finest!”

In a new interview with Germany's EMP, former ARCH ENEMY and THE AGONIST vocalist Alissa White-Gluz weighed in on the growing concern that A.I. (artificial intelligence) risks to hinder human capacity for creativity and originality through automation of tasks and standardized visual representations, to the point of dehumanizing and depersonalizing art. Alissa said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that A.I. is a very useful tool for science and medicine. I'm excited to see what it can do in that field. Being able to very quickly read decades of peer-reviewed studies and come up with conclusions and compare analytics, I think that that could be really helpful for finding cures for chronic disease and finding ways of helping people, and I love it for that. I don't think it's quite advanced enough to not make really bad mistakes in that field, and that means that a human would have to double-check it anyways. But I think it can be useful for that. In the same token, I think it can be useful for certain things in the arts. Like if you have writer's block, and, let's say you wanna go to a… When I have writer's block, I like to go to a museum. I like to look at paintings, for example. But let's say I'm on tour and I can't go to a museum or there's a snowstorm and I can't go. I'm just saying that, 'cause there is one right now. Or something like that. If you're, like, 'I really wanna see some dark, surrealist art right now,' I'm sure that you could put that in as a prompt and then get something cool back to look at. And then maybe by looking at that, you get an idea for a poem or something, or a song or an outfit. So I think it can be useful to sort of prompt the brain. But I think it's kind of like a back and forth of prompts — you prompt the A.I. for something, it prompts you back."

She continued: "I can tell when I'm looking at a video or a photo, and it's A.I., and when I'm listening to music and it's A.I., I can tell. I know not everybody can… I know that people who are not in this field, maybe they can't tell quite as easily or older generations who are not as accustomed to looking at a screen. So I think it's very dangerous in that sense. But that's the other thing, too, is that this is brand new. So tomorrow it might be undetectable. And already it's pretty close — it's pretty close.

"I think that the biggest danger lies in the fact that we don't have a baseline for truth anymore," Alissa added. "We don't have the ability to know what's real and what isn't. For so long we relied on our eyes to tell us what was real, or our ears, and now we don't know. So I think that that might also be what's contributing to this really thick sense of unease in the world. Everybody's polarized and at each other's throats and angry about everything, and it's honestly horrible. But I think that might be why, because we feel like we're kind of losing control here. We don't really know what we're dealing with anymore. And it's so easy for people to lose their jobs or lose their careers or be taken advantage of. And I don't wanna be nihilistic, but I kind of don't think there's any stopping it. So I think we should just prepare ourselves as best as we can."

White-Gluz recently launched a new band called BLUE MEDUSA in which she is joined by guitarists Alyssa Day (MINDSCAR, ABSENTIA) and Dani Sophia (ex-Till Lindemann). Bassist Alicia Vigil (DRAGONFORCE, VIGIL OF WAR) and drummer Delaney Jaster (STITCHED UP HEART) will also take part in BLUE MEDUSA's live shows.

White-Gluz, former vocalist of Canadian extreme metallers THE AGONIST, joined ARCH ENEMY in 2014 as the replacement for Angela Gossow. Angela, who joined ARCH ENEMY in 2000 and made her debut on the now-classic "Wages Of Sin" (2001),stepped down as frontwoman and is now focusing on management, while Alissa took her place.

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

Throughout her career, the now-40-year-old Alissa has consistently used her music as a vehicle for social change, addressing pressing issues such as environmental conservation, veganism, and the ethical treatment of animals.

ARCH ENEMY played its final show with White-Gluz at the closing concert of the band's European "Blood Dynasty" 2025 tour with AMORPHIS, ELUVEITIE and GATECREEPER on November 15, 2025 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

San Francisco Bay Area groove metal veterans SKINLAB have released a cover of "Last Breath" — the iconic track from HATEBREED's landmark 1997 album "Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire". Produced, mixed, and mastered by Ulrich Wild (PANTERA, STATIC-X, WHITE ZOMBIE, DEFTONES),the cover is not a replication — it is a full reimagining, dragged deep into SKINLAB's groove metal world and built to hit hard. It marks SKINLAB's recorded debut of the band's newest member, guitarist Angelo Miles.

"Last Breath" is one of those metal anthems that hits you in the chest every time," says SKINLAB vocalist/bassist Steev Esquivel.

"We've been HATEBREED fans from day one. Our boy Brett Makowski — Buzzard — turned us on to them on our first tour. We were instantly blown away by the pure aggression and energy. 'Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire' is one of the heaviest albums to this day. I've been wanting to do 'Last Breath' for years."

In Wild's hands, SKINLAB's version of "Last Breath", which was made available via Wild's WURMgroup imprint, becomes something new without losing its soul.

"It's always a challenge to do a cover song justice," Wild explains. "You have to stay true to the original yet adapt it to your own style. It's easy to simply play the song — any cover band does that. You have to catch the vibe, but allow yourself the freedom to experiment within the boundaries of the composition. With 'Last Breath' we're taking a very raw hardcore track and pushing it into the groove metal world for which SKINLAB is known. Along with that come multi-layered vocal tracks — Steev's signature sound — and new dimensions with additional guitars and a solo."

HATEBREED's Wayne Lozinak said about SKINLAB's version of "Last Breath": "Loving this cover of 'Last Breath'! Some different sounds in there going on too, putting a cool twist on it and taking it to a new place. If you haven't heard it yet, go check it out!"

SKINLAB recently hit the road as direct support for EXHORDER on "The Tour Of Unsound Minds". The 18-date run kicked off April 2 in Morgantown, West Virginia and will wrap April 19 in Cadillac, Michigan, hitting the East Coast and Midwest.

SKINLAB is continuing to work on a brand-new full-length album — the group's first since 2019's "Venomous".

Formed in 1994, SKINLAB has been a cornerstone of the American heavy metal scene, delivering seminal albums like "Bound, Gagged And Blindfolded" (1997),"Disembody: The New Flesh" (1999) and "ReVoltingRoom" (2002) through Century Media, followed by "The Scars Between Us" (2009) and "Venomous" (2019). Known for their unrelenting live performances and a sound that blends groove, thrash, and pure aggression, SKINLAB continues to push the boundaries of heavy music.

SKINLAB has had different lineups throughout its history, with Esquivel as the only mainstay.

"Last Breath" is the first recorded music to feature Miles, and SKINLAB couldn't be more fired up about it. Esquivel says it plainly: "This will be the first music featuring Angelo. We've done a few tours together now and everything has been going great. We all get along and share the same love for the music. Very stoked to have Angelo in the band — he's a beast and one of the best humans I've ever met."

The current SKINLAB lineup is:

Steev Esquivel - Vocals, Bass
Marcos Melina - Guitar
Angelo Miles - Guitar
Fabian Vestod - Drums

In a new interview with Brazil's 92.5 Kiss FM, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine was asked what piece of advice he would give to young, up-and-coming bands looking to make their mark on the music industry. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Well, you've gotta circle yourself with the right people. If you have a band, you've gotta look at the performers in the band. Do you have someone that's in the band because he's your buddy or because he's a great fucking drummer? Or a great guitar player? Or is he my brother-in-law? 'Cause that's usually the first indication that you're not gonna make it. And then you've gotta make sure you have a good team — a good manager, a good attorney, a good business manager, which is an accountant. If you have those things, and most importantly you've got good songs, you're on your way."

Mustaine previously touched upon the importance of surrounding himself with the right musicians this past January in an interview with Clash Music. Asked if there were any musicians who were in MEGADETH that he wanted to highlight as ones that he felt hadn't gotten enough public credit for their skills or contributions, he responded: "All of them were great. When you have great musicians, the next thing that comes along is asking, 'Are they great people?' 'Do you have a great friendship?' I've never hired anyone that was a friend.

"I always say in interviews or meet-and-greets, when people ask me about what advice I'd give to new bands, I say, 'Stay in school', because you need to be smart," he continued. "I tell people you need to stay in school but also learn certain things they don't teach you, like check books and compound interest. The other thing I say is 'don't hire your friends'. Because if you have to let a person go, you're going to lose a friend too.

"I've always hired people and got into a business relationship and over time become friends with some. Then, when the work stops, it depends on where we are. Say you work in a restaurant; if someone leaves McDonald's to go work in Taco Bell, I don't think they spend a lot of time calling the guys in McDonald's to say what's up. But if you have a friendship or pre-existing friendship, it's different."

Back in 2023, Mustaine told Consequence that "there hasn't been that many" lineup changes in MEGADETH "when you think about how many some of these bands go through. A lot of popular bands will go through lineup changes and sometimes it's really bad for the band," he explained. "Other times, it's necessary. So, I try not to hold it against guys that are in bands when they have personnel issues. Sometimes, you just end up having a different perspective, and when you guys start off doing stuff, it's very much like a marriage, and you want to have the same vision — but it doesn't always stay that way. So, compared to some bands, yeah, we've had several lineup changes, but not as many as others have. And the lineup that we have right now, I think is magic."

He continued: "I can tell you at any given time, we may have had a period where there was a more popular person on drums or a more popular person on bass or a more popular person on lead guitar. But the magic that the band is operating under right now is so different."

In 2012, Mustaine addressed the reasons for MEGADETH's many lineup changes, telling AL.com: "That's the problem when you start a band. You have to pick the right guys. But things happen. … We have our lineup and everything's working, and one guy says, 'I want more money.' Or 'I want to write more songs.' The truth of the matter is that it's hard to write songs. You have your whole life to write your first album. After that, it's hard."

MEGADETH's final, self-titled album arrived in late January via Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label.

"Megadeth" debuted at the top of the U.S. album chart after earning 73,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending January 29, according to Luminate. The bulk of that sum was driven by pure album sales (purchases of physical and digital copies of the album),totaling 69,000.

MEGADETH also claimed the top spot in Australia (highest previous position No. 2) and Austria (highest previous position No. 8). Other top five spots included No. 2 in Finland (and No. 1 physical),Sweden (plus No. 1 physical; highest previous position No. 9),and Belgium (highest previous position: No. 6); No. 3 in both the U.K. and Germany (highest previous position No. 6); No. 4 in the Netherlands (highest previous position No. 7); and No. 5 in both Italy (highest previous position No. 15) and New Zealand (highest chart position ever).

For its final album, MEGADETH once again worked with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on MEGADETH's previous two LPs, 2022's "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

In a new interview with The Adventures Of Pipeman, legendary hard rock and heavy metal drummer Vinny Appice weighed in on the rise of early-onset cancers, thought to be due to changing patterns of exposure in early life. While advances in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment have led to a 33% reduction in the U.S. cancer mortality rate over the past three decades, there has been an alarming increase in the number of younger individuals developing — and dying from — cancer. After lamenting the fact that his BLACK SABBATH, DIO and HEAVEN & HELL bandmate Ronnie James Dio died of stomach cancer more than a decade and a half ago, Vinny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's an awful thing. And it's pretty popular right now, let's put it that way. Probably all the junk in the air and the food and the water and all that stuff, so who knows… The latest thing is — I don't know — I'm in California, and some days you look up at the sky and it's across, playing tic-tac-toe with the chemtrails," he added, using the term to describe the intentional release of chemicals from airplanes to control either people or the weather. "They're everywhere. I spoke to a friend in North Carolina. He goes, 'Yeah, they're here too.' And a friend in England, same thing there. So, I don't know what they're trying to do, but nobody's saying anything. Like, why are you doing this and what is it for? It used to be trying to make it rain and stuff, but it hasn't rained here [in Southern California]. [It] never rains [here]. Who knows?"

Conspiracy theorists sometimes claim, without evidence, that the white cloud-like contrails left by aircraft are chemicals or biological agents dumped on the unsuspecting public for nefarious purposes. Different motives are ascribed, from weather control to mass poisoning.

Contrails, according to scientists, are actually water from engines condensing in the cold, high altitude air, similar to how car exhaust is more visible in the winter.

The chemtrails theory has circulated since 1996, when conspiracy theorists misinterpreted a U.S. Air Force research paper about weather modification.

Last July, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a webpage with information about contrails and geoengineering.

Dustin Tingley, a public policy professor at Harvard University, described the EPA's webpages to The Hill as "rather thoughtful".

"The EPA did a responsible job of taking the concerns that people might genuinely have and providing easy-to-understand explanations," Tingley said.

Ronnie James Dio lost his life to stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, in 2010. The disease often does not cause symptoms until its later stages. Usually, by the time stomach cancer is diagnosed, the prognosis is poor.

Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner. HEAVEN & HELL released an album called "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

Vinny has recorded and co-written songs on several dozen albums and CDs, including many multi-platinum records. Vinny's drumming can also be heard on numerous movie soundtracks, including "Wayne's World 2", "Heavy Metal", "Iron Eagle" and "Bedazzled". Vinny, the author of drum instruction book "Rock Steady" and DVD "Hard Rock Drumming Techniques", has performed incredible powerhouse drum clinics around the globe. Numerous books have been written about BLACK SABBATH and DIO with the authors always mentioned Vinny's drumming style.

Photo credit: Jim Wright (courtesy of earMUSIC)

Einar Solberg of Leprous is pleased to announce his upcoming second solo album Vox Occulta, due for release on April 24. A bold, heavy and symphonic statement, the album was recorded in collaboration with the much-sought-after Norwegian Radio Orchestra.

Today, Einar is pleased to present a new track titled “Vita Fragilis”, a song created alongside the aforementioned orchestra. The video gives a glimpse behind the scenes at the orchestra recording the parts, and you can watch it now below.

Einar comments: “‘Vita Fragilis’ was done together with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. A cinematic and progressive track with no normal verse/chorus structure, and the longest stretch of harsh vocals I’ve done in a while. Curious how odd time signatures sound with a full symphonic orchestra?”



As well as the beautiful orchestration, Einar is joined by drummer Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco), violinist Chris Baum (Bent Knee), guitarist Pierre Danel (Novelists) & bassist Jed Lingat, as well as guitarists Ben Levin (ex-Bent Knee) & John Browne (Monuments). The album was mixed by Adam Noble (Nothing But Thieves, Biffy Clyro) & co-produced with David Castillo.

The album sees Solberg taking a deeply personal approach, having been an avid fan of classical music and soundtracks for more than 20 years. The lyrics are personal as well, and they make Vox Occulta something of a thematic follow-up to 16. Where Solberg’s solo debut revisited the death of his father and his past struggles with anxiety, this set is a warts’n’all portrait of himself and how he views the world in 2026.



Vox Occulta will be released as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold white/black 2LP & a very limited Gatefold transparent red 2LP, as well as digitally. Pre-order here.

Official merchandise and special collector’s boxes are available here.

Pioneering Pacific Northwest punk rock/hardcore luminary Paul Solger will release his first-ever solo album, 20 Years M.I.A., on May 8 via Loosegroove Records, the label co-founded by Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam.

The raw, blistering eleven-track set includes standouts like the LP opener, first single, and video “New American”, featuring Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses on lead vocals, as well as “My 3rd Dream”, “Surfing In Hell”, and “Mushroom Mary”, Co-produced by Solger, Gossard, and Josh Evans, the album further expands Loosegroove’s ongoing commitment to championing Seattle’s underground music scene.



“This album was a total surprise I never would have thought possible. Until 2019 I barely touched a guitar for years. I hated how they felt. Writing songs was just as vacant,” says Solger. “But when the pandemic hit I had a phone conversation with my old bandmate Robb Clark and we decided, ‘screw it, lets try once more.’ Our rules were simple. We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel, or use any old material. The goal, write some songs that were similar to the stuff that we heard as kids and excited us, like those first records by Ramones, Stooges, Dolls, etc. If we could make listeners feel a fraction of what we felt, we had succeeded. Pretty soon songs were popping in my head every day. I’d never experienced anything like it before. Fast forward to 2023 as we’re getting ready to record and Robb suddenly dies. I’m right back to being depressed again. But at some point a batch of songs were sent to Stone Gossard. He called from the road saying he got them and would get in touch after the tour. Three days later he called again, quite excited about what he’d heard and the ball started rolling again. Next thing you know Duff McKagan is onboard to contribute.”

Solger first made his mark with the band Solger, one of the earliest hardcore groups to emerge from Seattle. The band’s brief existence produced a rare self-titled 7-inch EP that has since become a sought-after collector’s item among punk crate diggers. Following that project, Solger remained active in the local scene, performing with influential Seattle punk bands such as The Fartz and later 10 Minute Warning, a group that fused hardcore roots with heavier, psychedelic influences and included musicians who would later help shape the city’s emerging alternative rock movement.

“Paul and I came up together during such an immense time in new music. He taught me so much about playing guitar and being a smooth operator. Nobody is as cool as Paul,” says McKagan. “We were colored by The Stooges, Dead Boys, Killing Joke, Motörhead, The Germs, Lou Reed, and David Bowie. Solger takes these references and has the ability to mold instant-classic songwriting on this record. He’s back!”

“From my perspective, the post-punk pathways that Paul and Duff explored during the early ’80s Seattle music scene are the foundation of what came to be known as grunge,” says Gossard. “20 Years M.I.A. embodies that collaborative hardcore punk attitude with slinky, trans-harmonic nods to The Stooges and ’60s psychedelia.”

“Now that 20 Years M.I.A. is finally coming out, I think I need to actually play these songs live to make sure it’s all real. The whole journey seems too good to be true. Things like this record just don’t happen for me. I’ve had other stuff come out, but it was all mostly subpar sound quality and nothing I felt particularly proud of. Different story with this slab of vinyl,” concludes Solger. “I hope it’s the first of many more until I can no longer do it due to old fricking age. I’m surprised I’m still here. I was probably voted one of the most likely to drop long ago, but people change (if they want to survive) and yes there are second chances in this world. Why now? I don’t know, but it’s made this chapter of my life brilliant!”



Tracklisting:

New American
Limbo A Go Go
My Third Dream
Invisible Me
Mushroom Mary
Funny Running Into You Here
Zero the Hero
Twitch
Surfing In Hell
Burn It Down
You Ain’t No Loser

Three landmark releases from Swedish melodic death metal pioneers At The Gates are set to return on May 22nd with newly remastered CD editions, bringing together a crucial era in the band’s groundbreaking early catalogue. Spanning their formative trilogy, these reissues capture the evolution of a band that helped define the Gothenburg sound and reshape extreme metal in the early 1990s.

This trio of reissues begins with their 1992 debut, The Red In The Sky Is Ours, a raw and innovative statement of intent originally released via Peaceville’s Deaf imprint. Emerging from the ashes of the band Grotesque, At The Gates introduced a uniquely intricate and brutal sound, elevated by unexpected elements such as violin arrangements. Widely regarded as a genre classic, the album’s intensity and originality – highlighted by standout tracks like “Kingdom Gone” – set the blueprint for what would follow.

Their 1993 follow-up, With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness, marked a significant progression in both ambition and execution. Recorded at the legendary Sunlight Studios and produced by Tomas Skogsberg, the album expanded the band’s sonic palette with complex melodic structures, philosophical lyricism, and subtle black metal influences. A defining release for many longtime fans, it also features a guest appearance by Matti Kärki of Dismember.



Completing the set is 1994’s Terminal Spirit Disease, the band’s third album and a pivotal moment in their artistic development. Showcasing a more streamlined and immediate songwriting approach, the album balances aggression with accessibility, paving the way for the refined direction later heard on Slaughter Of The Soul’. Its dynamic and memorable compositions further cemented At The Gates’ status as leaders of the European death metal movement.



Each of these editions is presented on Jewel Case CD with booklets faithful to the original releases, and all feature newly remastered, band-approved audio by renowmed producer Dan Swanö at Unisound Studios. Pre-orders can be placed here.

Formed in Gothenburg in 1990, At The Gates quickly rose through the ranks of the burgeoning Scandinavian death metal scene, forging a style that fused technical precision, melodic complexity, and uncompromising aggression. Across four influential studio albums before their initial split in 1996, the band established a legacy that would continue long after their reformation in 2007, both on stage and in the studio, until the recent passing of iconic vocalist Tomas Lindberg.

During a three-hour appearance on the latest episode of the Iblis Manifestations podcast, ICED EARTH founder and guitarist Jon Schaffer discussed his involvement in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. In October 2024, Schaffer was sentenced to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service in connection with his involvement in the riot. At the sentencing hearing, Jon was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial assessment. Schaffer later became one of about 1,500 people accused of crimes related to the riot who were pardoned by U.S. president Donald Trump.

Asked if there were any new things that he learned about human nature from the whole January 6 experience and its aftermath, Jon said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think the biggest thing, learning part, for me wasn't really anything new regarding human nature. And that's probably because I've been blessed to be able to travel around the world for decades and have just been able to meet amazing people from everywhere. But it was a growth process for me. It definitely was a crucible, there's no doubt about that. And I feel like it could have gone any way.

"A lot of people that went through J6 have just been destroyed, and there were several suicides," Jon continued. "And even some guys that were facing misdemeanors, but they were so destroyed because of the amount of demonization that was going on in the media… I mean, they were coming out and saying it was worse than 9/11, worse than Pearl Harbor. It's, like, come on, man. Really, this is insane. This kind of rhetoric is just… Every time they do stuff like that, they minimize the actual tragedy of those events.

"I don't think I really learned anything new about human nature, just my own, that it was huge growth process," Schaffer explained. "I was still pretty pissed off when I was locked up. But it started to calm. And, of course, there was a serious level of PTSD afterwards, and I think I'm still dealing with some of that, but not in a way… I don't know, man. I really have to say the biggest thing for me that made me calm through the whole thing was my relationship with [Jesus] Christ. And I think that if I would've never had that as a kid that I may not have gone there."

Schaffer confirmed that he spent nearly two months at Indiana's Marion County Jail before he was transferred to the District Of Columbia in March 2021, when the charges were filed against him.

"I was in four different facilities for three months," Jon recalled. "It was brutal in the county jails versus the federal prison that I was in. You got your guaranteed hour of rec. You could turn off your light in your cell. But it was torturous, because in some of those places… The longest place I was at was the old Marion County Jail, which was condemned. They didn't care about it, 'cause they were building a whole new system. So the jail was absolutely disgusting. It was freezing cold, bright lights 24-7. And I was next to suicide block for about five weeks, I guess. I mean, you sort of lose track of time in there. You don't know what time it is, 'cause you don't see any sunlight at all. But that was next to suicide block. So you're having people that are screaming and multiple personalities and it's all coming into your cell. It's like being in Arkham Asylum [fictional psychiatric hospital appearing in American comic books], so massive sleep deprivation was going on. But there was one guard that came by, and he slid some literature under my cell door and he just said, 'Stay strong, brother,' and went on. And it was literature on Daniel in the lions' den from the Bible. And so I read that. And then I requested a Bible, 'cause it was really the only book that I could get. We were denied library access — or anybody in solitary in that system was denied access to the… I couldn't even get to the law library, which is a constitutional right. There were so many of our constitutional rights that were thrown out the window in the whole experience. But once I got to the prison in D.C., I was able to get some books, and my attorney, my friend Marc, he had recommended a few for me to read. And my girlfriend at the time ordered those and had 'em sent to the prison and I was able to read that. But once I started reading the Bible, 'cause it was really the only book I had in that early part of the process, I really was focusing on Jesus's words — not the rest of it so much, but just on Jesus's words. And it started to really resonate with me, but I hadn't really committed. That wasn't until probably a year after I got out. And then once I did, it was like there was this inner change that took place. It wasn't immediate — it was slow — but it started to happen. And at one point there was this overwhelming peace that came over me that — I can't explain it. I mean, it was supernatural. And as my relationship grows in that way, it's just more peace, man — more resolve, but more peace. And not anger out of the situation, or at the situation.'

Schaffer continued: "Yes, it was unjust [what happened to me], but there's been many injustices against individuals through the history of the world, like billions of them. So I'm not gonna sit back and cry myself a river over that. It doesn't make any sense. There's horribly unjust things going on right now all over the world to many different people, and I don't like that. But I also know it's outta my control. So do I drive myself into a fit of rage every time I think about all the injustices against innocents? The things that are happening to children — dude, that's where I have to catch myself, where I start to get worked up, when I think about children being abused the way that they are. That bothers me — as a father, but just as a human being. That's a no-go zone. There's a code in prison for people like that. So, even the most hardened criminals have a soft spot for children. And if you're one of those guys and you go into prison, you're gonna be dealt with. You're gonna get justice in there. So that's probably the thing that I struggle with the most, in terms of like feeling myself rise to anger, is when I hear about or see things that are happening with the children. But still, even at that, I'm way more… I don't even know if it's me that's in control of my emotions or if it's just my relationship with Christ that's allowed me to see things more clearly and to understand more of a bigger view of what's happening and the fallen nature of mankind. It's certainly made me more forgiving, man — I can tell you that. Because I think when you start to see the bigger picture of it, you understand that you also are a fallen creature and you make mistakes and it's not really fair for you to judge other people. And once you do that… I am a sinner also. I've made mistakes. I've done wrong things, and everybody has, so I'm not gonna stand up on my high horse and start coming down on everybody. I mean, the children, that's another thing. That's like a whole another level. But everything else outside of that, there's a level of forgiveness that I never had before I became a Christian. Before the change happened in my heart, I wasn't even capable of it. I'm not saying I didn't forgive people, but not like this. Not to the point where you really let everything go. And even with my parents."

Schaffer added: "There's a [American right-wing] talk show guy named Jesse Lee Peterson. He's a black guy from California. He's amazing. He's a really exceptional human being. You can just tell by the way he interviews people and stuff. And he was saying, 'You have to forgive your mother. You have to forgive your parents.' And that stayed in my head, and that came back to me several times. I'm, like, 'Well, am I really holding any grudges?' And I thought, 'You know, I think I probably am.' And I went out to my dad's gravesite, and I forgave him and I apologized for judging. But I loved my dad. My dad was the best man at my wedding. But there were some issues with my mom, even though my mom and I were close. But I called her. Fortunately, I did this before she passed away — a good while before she passed away — and I just said, 'Mom, I just wanna apologize for judging you, and I forgive you for any of the mistakes.' And it was not just words. I meant it from my heart, because finally that conviction was on my heart. It was one thing hearing Jesse Lee Peterson talk about it, but then it was almost like that inner voice was telling me, 'No, that's where it's at.' And when I did that, that was when peace came over me. That's part of the process. That's the first step with my journey with Christ in my heart. And it led to that and that voice."

Elaborating on how he personally has grown as a result of his experiences, Schaffer said: "I've been following my instincts — well, our instincts do deceive us, actually, often, but whatever the conviction on my heart was, I was following it and listening. And when I've done that, it's been a big progression, in terms of getting towards kind of a perfect peace. I'm not there, but I'm pretty close, because I don't allow things to rattle me, because I understand this… And my friend Marc helped me understand that too by recommending a book called 'The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People'. And in there there's that response — that's your power; that's your freedom. How do you respond to the things the world throws at you? Because when you're impulsive — you get into a road rage incident because of some stupid thing like the way somebody's driving. If you allow that to interrupt your peace, that could land you in prison for a really long time. So, I think it takes going through something this heavy to help you recalibrate your mind and reprioritize your thought process to be able to just take things. I don't get mad in traffic anymore. If somebody cuts me off, it's, like, 'Okay, whatever. Why am I gonna give this situation the power to interrupt my peace? I'm not going to.' And it takes a lot to do that now. Like I said, the only thing I can think of that I start to feel my blood start to boil is anytime I hear about these horrible things that have happened with the children and regarding powerful people. I mean, one thing that would happen to help many people around the western world, maybe everywhere, is powerful people need to be held accountable for their crimes. And we don't have that. That's a serious problem. And I think that if there is any desire whatsoever from the people in government to have the temperature get lowered and for people to start believing in the system again is to believe that there is a system of justice that's blind. And it doesn't matter how wealthy you are, who you're connected to, if you commit the crime, there's gonna be justice. And that's the kind of thing that I wish that would actually happen, that there would be some accountability so that people would start to feel, like, 'Okay, it's not all rigged against us, the average people.'"

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department later urged the judge to show leniency during his sentencing. Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

In April 2025, Schaffer said in an interview that the legal issues and professional setback he faced as a result of his involvement in the Capitol riot have been "the biggest gift" of his life, in part because "it is what led" him "to [Jesus] Christ."

On Thursday, April 9, legendary German guitarist and composer Uli Jon Roth performed at the Pittsburg California Theatre in Pittsburg, California as part of his North American tour dubbed "Pictures Of Destiny". Video of the concert can be seen below, courtesy of Walter Morgan.

Uli's current tour was previously described in a press release as "a mesmerizing three-hour extravaganza, including the premiere of compositions from his long-awaited 'Requiem For An Angel'."

Uli is accompanied by a full band and a string quartet, making for an ensemble of 10 talented musicians performing on stage. The music is enriched by dynamic multimedia projections, offering audiences an immersive experience at seated venues.

Fans have the opportunity to witness a stunning orchestral rendition of Roth's groundbreaking piece "Sails Of Charon", alongside several new compositions and material from his acclaimed "Transcendental Sky Guitar" albums. There are also a couple of classic early SCORPIONS tracks, from Uli's "Tokyo Tapes Revisited" DVD, blending a touch of nostalgia with innovative artistry. While the show includes many beloved pieces, the spotlight shines brightly on Roth's latest compositions, marking their debut in the United States.

Uli is the legendary founding guitarist for the SCORPIONS and is one of the earliest contributors to the neoclassical metal genre. He was the guitarist on the first five SCORPIONS records, including "Taken By Force" and the first SCORPIONS live release, "Tokyo Tapes", which went gold in multiple countries and contained the songs "Sails Of Charon", "In Trance", "We'll Burn The Sky", "Fly To The Rainbow" and "All Night Long".

After exiting the SCORPIONS, Uli reformed his own band called ELECTRIC SUN which produced three critically acclaimed albums each dedicated to a specific individual. Roth then entered a new phase of creative work, composing four symphonies and two concertos, and sometimes performing with symphony orchestras throughout Europe.

In recent years, Roth has revisited the early music of his period with the SCORPIONS, which resulted in the "Scorpions Revisited" double CD and "Tokyo Tapes Revisited" DVD/Blu-ray releases.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players ever, Uli pioneered a unique style of guitar playing which — for the first time — combined complete mastery of the instrument with an intensely melodic and emotional appeal.

From his earliest days onwards, Uli has always been a bold and uncompromising musical innovator of the first order. Being the first guitar player in rock to incorporate complex melodic arpeggio sequences, Uli Jon Roth — in the eyes of many of his peers — practically reinvented modern guitar technique almost singlehandedly during his SCORPIONS tenure, but even more so during his ELECTRIC SUN days.

April is here — and the shows are getting closer! ✨

Check out the US Tour dates now!

For the first and last time ever,...

Posted by Uli Jon Roth on Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Power metal vocalist ZP Theart, the founding voice of DRAGONFORCE and former frontman of SKID ROW, is back with his high-voltage new single, "Electric Beings". Following the massive success of his recent solo debut "Dark To Light" and his 20th-anniversary reimagining of the DRAGONFORCE anthem "Through The Fire And Flames", Theart continues to push the boundaries of his sound with this latest offering.

Collaborating once again with the acclaimed Swiss producer and multi-instrumentalist Syndrone, "Electric Beings" serves as a sonic bridge between Theart's speed-metal roots and this cinematic, modern cyber-style landscape. The track showcases the "untouchable" vocal authority that has defined his career, featuring soaring high notes and a newfound grit that has only matured with two decades of metal mastery.

"Step by step, we are building something truly special for 2026," says Theart. "Working with Syndrone has opened a door to a sound I've wanted to explore for a long time, it's all really exciting and I'm looking at the future with a whole new perspective".

"Electric Beings" is available now on all major streaming platforms.

DRAGONFORCE's platinum-selling single "Through The Fire And Flames" brought the London-based Grammy-nominated extreme power metal group international acclaim and was featured as the most challenging song on "Guitar Hero III".

In March 2019, the "Through The Fire And Flames" music video reached a new milestone: it surpassed one hundred million views on YouTube — DRAGONFORCE's first music video to do so.

"Through The Fire And Flames" was the leadoff track from 2006's "Inhuman Rampage" album, which was officially certified gold in July 2017 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies.

Theart has carved out one of the most distinctive vocal paths in modern metal. He first exploded on to the scene as the founding voice of DRAGONFORCE, shaping the band's trademark blend of turbo-charged guitars and sky-high melodies. Across albums like "Valley Of The Damned", "Sonic Firestorm", "Inhuman Rampage" and "Ultra Beatdown", his vocals became the backbone of a sound that pushed the power metal group into the global spotlight and to RIAA gold and platinum certification. The era-defining anthem "Through The Fire And Flames" became a worldwide phenomenon, appearing in video games "Guitar Hero III", "Fortnite" and even the movie "Minions 4", while their single "Heroes Of Our Time" earned a Grammy nomination, cementing Theart as one of metal's most recognizable frontmen.

After his departure from DRAGONFORCE in 2010, Theart launched I AM I, exploring a more hard-rock-driven sound, and briefly joined NWBHM veterans TANK, adding his intensity to their 2015 album "Valley Of Tears".

In 2016, he surprised many by stepping into American hard rock as the new vocalist for SKID ROW. Initially touring with the band, he became their official frontman in 2017 and spent several years performing internationally, injecting fresh energy into their revered live shows. He also ventured into gaming-inspired metal, lending his voice to Riot Games' virtual band PENTAKILL as the character Karthus on their 2014 album "Smite And Ignite", proving his versatility across mediums. He also recently collaborated with YouTube sensation Stevie T on the viral hit "Isugaku Never Say Goodbye".

From speed-metal pioneer to hard-rock frontman to digital-era metal icon, Theart has spent more than two decades proving he can command any stage and any genre. His return isn't just a comeback, it's the next chapter in a legendary career built on relentless energy and intensity, a visceral force of vocal power and a presence that demands attention, ready to set the world on fire once again.

Theart, who hooked up with SKID ROW in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER),was abruptly fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and replaced by ex-H.E.A.T. frontman Erik Grönwall.

Fans can stay updated on upcoming tour dates and new music at the official ZP Theart web site.

In an interview with Brazil's Headbangers News, 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):  "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."

Loomis also talked about the possibility of fans hearing some new NEVERMORE material in the not-too-distant future, after it was recently announced that the band has signed a deal with Reigning Phoenix Music. He said: "Now we're just focusing on new music. So, we're gonna spend much of May and June and July putting the new record together. And we're hoping by the first quarter of '27 we'll have new music done and ready for people to hear, if not just a new single, at least. So that's what we're working on right now."

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 Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance offered an update on the band's current activities, four months before the launch of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's North American tour with GOOD CHARLOTTE. Zacky said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're just getting ready to start putting together some setlists and some announcements that I can't really talk about, but we definitely have some things in the works in regards to getting this tour up and running, making it exciting, doing stuff that is kind of, in typical AVENGED fashion, stuff that people don't expect. And then putting together setlists and making some more touring announcements and basically putting in a lot of work to make sure that we open up some new songs, play some stuff people haven't heard, maybe have never heard, maybe haven't heard in a while, just really listening to our fans also. We don't wanna be one of those bands that just goes up there and just plays the hits; we wanna go and make every concert an experience. And I think there's some rock bands that do a really good job of that. And we're just really working on making it the best experience. There's no phoning it in. It's not just a cut-and-paste repeat of the last tour. It's gotta be special. So when you see this particular show, it's gonna be one that says — hopefully 10, 20 years down the line, like, 'Hey, did you see that tour? Because if you didn't see that tour, you will not see that tour again.' And that's kind of something that we've always wanted to sort of bring to the table. So we're just working on that. We're just not gonna bring the same show twice."

Asked if he and his AVENGED SEVENFOLD bandmates have been in the studio working on any new material, Zacky said: "We're always writing and always trying to come up with the next idea that's gonna completely, completely just divide the entire fanbase and send Reddit and the comment sections of Instagram on fire. So we're well on our way to doing that. And I would say we are absolutely on that program right now."

Zacky also once again discussed the experimental nature of the band's latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which arrived in June 2023 via Warner. Reflecting on the mixed response to the LP, which has included a fair proportion of negative reactions, he said: "Well, that's the thing about music and the bands that we love. And what people don't understand is what they're not prepared for can be shocking. But later down the road, you realize, 'Oh, that's just what that band did.' And it takes years sometimes for people to come around to certain things. And the reason that we know it is because we've been fortunate to have this long of a career and people are, like, 'Well, 'City Of Evil''s the best album.' People are, like, 'No, the self-titled is the best album.' Or ''The Stage' is the best album.' And I'm just sitting there scratching my head and, like, well, when 'City Of Evil' came out, everyone hated it too. They're, like, 'What are you guys doing? These songs are too long. You can't mix metal and punk rock and GUNS N' ROSES style of rock and roll. And you guys have solos and dueling guitars like IRON MAIDEN. What are you guys doing?' At the time, with every album, people are so divided, and it's always been that way. And then later down the road, it's like, 'That's my favorite album.' 'That's my favorite album.' So you kind of just write what you write and you leave it up to people to love it, hate it, catch up to it later down the road. But you always do it from the heart. You give it the best best effort that you can possibly put into it. You record it exactly how you want it to be heard. You make the lyrics exactly what you want 'em to be. There's no phoning it in. We throw away 98% of everything that we write and purposely save exactly what we want to release. And for us, whether people like us or hate us, it's always what we believe quality over quantity. Because there's bands that just write songs and they have a good formula and then they just keep writing songs that sound like the same song in hopes that another one will hit and hit. And before you know it, they have a bunch of songs that are very much their sound but they never step outside the box. And for a person like me, that's when I get bored and look for the next artist that's trying to do something creative or keep me on my toes. Those are the ones that I go back to listening to for my whole life."

Zacky also reflected on his band's experience of sharing the stage with METALLICA on an entire U.S. tour nine years ago. He said: "We learned a ton, and it was because we're such big fans. And we learned how they treat their fans, which is how a band should treat their fans. They really care about their fans. And they put everything into their shows. They give it their best performance. They put a lot of work into it. They change setlists. They do exciting things."

Zacky continued: "Honestly, and this is gonna be controversial, but we were touring in a van. And we were driving across the country playing small shows, and it was right at the time when [2003's] 'St. Anger' came out, and that was the most divisive METALLICA album since 'Load' and since 'Reload' and since the 'Black Album'. And you look back and people were, like, 'What are they doing with the 'Black Album'?' 'What are they doing with 'Load'?' 'Where are these guys at?' And then with 'St. Anger', it was, like, 'What are they doing?' It was the craziest-sounding [album]. And then we fell in love with it. It might not be our favorite METALLICA album, but the thought behind it and the fact that it was so different and it had to be listened to, and they were just going for this thrashy raw sound using tones that weren't perfect, studio, modern-day drum samples, which they're fully able to accomplish, if they want — they can do whatever they want — they chose to go and just make this buck-wild album. And it was, like, 'If METALLICA can do that, then we can do that.' … It's still taking me a little bit longer to get into 'Lulu' [METALLICA's controversial 2011 collaborative disc with Lou Reed], but I love Lou Reed, so knowing that those guys are inspired by off-the-wall artists kind of caught me for a loop because they are such the epitome of a metal band. And then it's, like, 'Whoa. They stepped that far out of the box.' It's, like, 'Oh, these guys just love music. These guys are just fans of music.' And that's probably why they're so good at what they do, which is kind of cool."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD and GOOD CHARLOTTE will join together this summer for a North American tour. Promoted by Live Nation, the 16-city trek will kick off July 25 in Ridgedale, Missouri, with additional stops in Shakopee, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, and more before wrapping August 27 at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix, Arizona.

Last September, AVENGED SEVENFOLD postponed its fall 2025 Latin American tour due to M. Shadows's vocal injury. The band was scheduled to to kick off the tour on September 25, 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina but ended up calling off the trek after M. Shadows was diagnosed with vocal fold hematoma, a condition where a blood vessel in the vocal cord ruptures and leaks blood under the lining of the vocal cord.

"Life Is But A Dream…" reportedly sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart. AVENGED SEVENFOLD's previous LP, "The Stage", debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart in November 2016. The surprise release of "The Stage" earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in eleven years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, less than half the tally of its previous two efforts.

Last December AVENGED SEVENFOLD released a new song, "Magic". AVENGED SEVENFOLD debuted the song in a season of "Call Of Duty" Black Ops 7, and released the track fully independently, continuing the ambition of the band's current work. The band once again partnered with the world-renowned fine artist Wes Lang for the single artwork. "Magic" was the first new AVENGED SEVENFOLD release since "Life Is But A Dream…"

Zacky will release a solo album, "Dark Horse", under his real name, Zachary Baker, on April 3 via his label Vngnz Records.

LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page has released the "original home demo" version of "Ten Years Gone", a song which was later included on the band's iconic sixth album, 1975's "Physical Graffiti".

Page uploaded the video to his official YouTube channel earlier today (Sunday, March 29),writing in an accompanying message: "As a footnote to 'Physical Graffiti', I thought you might like to hear the original home demo, recorded in my studio at Plumpton Place of a piece of music that was going to surface as '10 Years Gone'.

"I presented this rough mix to the band at Headley Grange in order to do this for real. Robert Plant came up with some lyrics for my music that were extraordinary and then we arrive at the song '10 Years Gone'."

Back in March 2023, Page shared "The Seasons", a previously unreleased instrumental arrangement that eventually formed the basis for "The Rain Song" from LED ZEPPELIN's 1974 album "Houses Of The Holy".

Last September, LED ZEPPELIN celebrated the 50th anniversary of "Physical Graffiti" with the release of "Live EP" on 180-gram 12" vinyl, CD and digital formats. Also released on the same date was an updated 50th-anniversary edition of 2015's "Physical Graffiti" Deluxe Edition 3LP vinyl set featuring the Companion Audio disc, now including a new bonus replica "Physical Graffiti" promotional poster (sized 443mm x 610mm).

The new "Live EP" featured live recordings of "In My Time Of Dying" and "Trampled Under Foot" from Earl's Court, 1975, alongside "Sick Again" and "Kashmir" from Knebworth, 1979. These live performances were originally released on the 2003 "Led Zeppelin" DVD and appeared on CD, vinyl and digital formats for the very first time.

Released on February 24, 1975 in the U.S. (and four days later in the U.K.),"Physical Graffiti" immediately achieved platinum sales status and has been certified 17 times platinum. Its commercial success was equaled by its critical reception.

Generally regarded as one of the greatest double albums of all time, the original 15 tracks represent a creative tour de force that explores the band's dynamic musical range, from the driving rock of "Custard Pie" to the exotic construction of "Kashmir" and the funky groove of "Trampled Under Foot".

"Physical Graffiti" was comprised of new compositions including "Kashmir", "Sick Again", "Ten Years Gone", "The Wanton Song", "Custard Pie", "Trampled Under Foot" and "In My Time Of Dying", as well as unreleased songs from earlier album sessions: "Houses Of The Holy", "The Rover", "Black Country Woman" (from "Houses Of The Holy" sessions),"Down By The Seaside", "Boogie With Stu", "Night Flight" (from Untitled, a.k.a. "Led Zeppelin IV", sessions),and "Bron-Yr-Aur" (from "Led Zeppelin III" sessions).

Page began the initial work at his home studio in Plumpton, Sussex, England, in the summer and autumn of 1973, with the first recording sessions taking place that October at Headley Grange, using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio. Further sessions at Headley continued in January 1974. Additional overdubs were recorded at Olympic Studios, where Page completed mixing of the album in July 1974.

Page said: "We had enough material for one and a half LPs, so I figured, 'Let's put out a double and use some of the material we'd done previously but never released'. I always thought the sequencing of an album was really important and that was part of my role as the producer."

"Physical Graffiti" was not only the band's first double LP, it was also the first release on their new label, Swan Song, which launched in May 1974. The album's release was announced on November 13, 1974.

LED ZEPPELIN bassist John Paul Jones stated: "I'm a big fan of 'Physical Graffiti'. [It] was very wide ranging. It probably was a pinnacle."

Following the 10-week North American tour that ran from January through March 1975, LED ZEPPELIN played five sold-out nights at London's Earl's Court in May, 1975. Initially, three shows were announced, with another two added after the tremendous demand for tickets.

LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham previously said: "On the last night at Earl's Court we played 'Heartbreaker', 'Black Dog', and a bit from 'Out On The Tiles'. With the songs from 'Physical Graffiti' we've got such a wide range of material."

The band headlined both nights of the Knebworth festival, which took place at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, England on August 4 and 11, 1979. These were LED ZEPPELIN's first live dates since their 1977 North American tour, and their first U.K. dates since the Earl's Court 1975 shows.

In 1968, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham formed LED ZEPPELIN, one of the most influential, innovative and successful groups in modern music, having sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. The band rose from the ashes of THE YARDBIRDS when Page brought in Plant, Bonham and Jones to tour as THE NEW YARDBIRDS. In 1969, LED ZEPPELIN released its self-titled debut. It marked the beginning of a 12-year reign, during which the group was widely considered to be the biggest and most innovative rock band in the world.

LED ZEPPELIN continues to be honored for its pivotal role in music history. The band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1995, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and a year later was awarded with the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm. Founding members Jones, Page and Plant — along with Jason Bonham, the son of John Bonham — took the stage at London's O2 Arena in 2007 to headline a tribute concert for Ahmet Ertegun, a dear friend and Atlantic Records' founder. The band was honored for its lifetime contribution to American culture at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. In January of 2014, the band won their first ever Grammy Award as "Celebration Day", which captured their live performance at the Ertegun tribute concert, was named "Best Rock Album".

Photo credit: Gibson