In a new interview with Mexico's Rock111, original AC/DC frontman Dave Evans was asked why he thinks rock has taken a backseat to mainstream pop and rap music in recent years, especially in the U.S. He responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I could go into detail about it. But it's about the people who buy the records. And they're not playing it. The reason why it's not big is 'cause they're not playing it on the radio. The last rock band signed by a major label was about 20 years ago… I'm not talking about metal; I'm talking about rock and roll, rock music. There hasn't been a rock act signed for 25 years. So if people are not hearing it, how can they like it? You play it to them, they love it. But in Latin America, they're still playing rock on the radio. They're still playing rock on the radio in Latin America. So the people still love it."

Dave continued: "Rock and roll is an attitude — a real attitude, not a pretend one. Metal is a pretend attitude... They get up there with painted faces and go, 'Yeah, yeah.' And they go home to their mamas: 'Mama, what's for dinner?' But rock and roll is real."

Evans went on to say that much of the rock music recorded nowadays sounds soulless compared to the albums that were released in the 1970s and 1980s.

"A lot of music's pretty clinical — it's very clinical," he said. "You go back and listen now to bands like LED ZEPPELIN and FREE — that's when you're feeling it, man. Really feeling it. This music today, it's boring to me because there's no humanity. There's no humanity with that music… It might be clever and dexterous and [they might] play all the chords and all that sort of stuff, but there's no feel. That's the humanity, the humanity of music. And those guys that do all that [busy shredding] stuff, there's no humanity in that whatsoever. It's just a fact. Like [Carlos] Santana — he plays one note… That's the humanity in music. Not [playing a lot of notes at high speed]. That's what you're supposed to do at home so you can play melody. That's scales. That's not music. But people like watching it and think that's clever. After two or three songs, you're bored shitless. Then you wanna go home. So humanity in music is really important. The feeling, the soul, that's what music is about."

Dave recorded AC/DC's first two singles, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" and "Baby, Please Don't Go". But in October 1974, less than a year after AC/DC's first gig, Evans was out of the band. He was replaced by Bon Scott, who sang on AC/DC's first six studio albums and became a legend himself after his death in 1980.

Following his departure from AC/DC, Evans formed the wild hedonistic rock band RABBIT, Melbourne '80s rock outfit DAVE EVANS AND THUNDER DOWN UNDER, and later DAVE EVANS AND HOT COCKEREL. For the past couple of decades, he has toured as a solo act.

In May 2021, Evans released a new compilation album called "BADASS Greatest Hits". The effort contained "20 massive hits on one album," including Dave's version of "Rockin' In The Parlour", the song that originally appeared as the B-side of the "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" single.

A typical Evans show includes AC/DC songs originally recorded by him and Scott, as well as other material spanning his entire career.

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, CANDLEMASS singer Johan Längqvist (a.k.a. Johan Langquist) was asked if he will be a part of the band's upcoming one-off world-exclusive performance featuring CANDLEMASS's former vocalist Messiah Marcolin, which will take place at this year's edition of the Rock Hard Festival Greece, slated for September 12-13, 2025 in Athens, Greece. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, I'm not a part of that performance, because the Greeks, they loved CANDLEMASS from the very beginning, and we are very popular in Greece. And I think the reason is because [Messiah] has a part of their history, the music listeners in Greece. So I do respect they wanted us to do a gig with Messiah."

Johan continued: "What can I say? I wish him the best. And he was a character in the band and we've actually met two nights together, partying together. And I wish him the best. I hope they're gonna make a great show down there. Yeah, that's it."

As the godfathers of epic doom metal, CANDLEMASS defined the genre with releases such as "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" (1986) and "Nightfall" (1987). Through their evil riffs, crushing rhythmic attack and dramatic vocals, they changed the landscape of metal worldwide. Led by bassist Leif Edling, CANDLEMASS reunited with Längqvist in 2018, 32 years after the singer performed on "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus".

Längqvist originally exited CANDLEMASS after "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" and was replaced by Marcolin.

Marcolin exited CANDLEMASS for the presumably final time in 2006, one year after the release of the band's self-titled album. He was later replaced by Robert Lowe (SOLITUDE AETURNUS),who sang on the band's "King Of The Grey Islands" (2007),"Death Magic Doom" (2009) and "Psalms For The Dead" (2012) LPs. CANDLEMASS's frontman between 2012 and 2018 was Mats Levén, who previously recorded and toured with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and THERION. Seven years ago, CANDLEMASS fired Levén and rehired Längqvist.

Back in October 2022, Messiah and longtime CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman joined Canadian metallers ANVIL on stage at the Slaktkyrkan venue in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the classic ANVIL song "Metal On Metal". The event marked the first time in 16 years that the two musicians performed together.

Earlier this month, CANDLEMASS unveiled the title track of its upcoming EP, "Black Star", due out May 9 via Napalm Records. The EP impressively marks the 40th anniversary of the legendary band.

Johan's solo project JOHAN LANGQUIST THE CASTLE will release its self-titled debut album on CD and vinyl on June 27 via I Hate Records. The record was initially made available digitally without a label in 2024.

Image credit: El Expreso Del Rock

Fan-filmed video of AC/DC's April 18 concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
02. Back In Black
03. Demon Fire
04. Shot Down In Flames
05. Thunderstruck
06. Have A Drink On Me
07. Hells Bells
08. Shot In The Dark
09. Stiff Upper Lip
10. Highway To Hell
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. Sin City
13. Rock 'N' Roll Train
14. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
15. High Voltage
16. Riff Raff
17. You Shook Me All Night Long
18. Whole Lotta Rosie
19. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

20. T.N.T.
21. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

AC/DC kicked off its North American tour on April 10 at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

AC/DC — guitarist Angus Young, vocalist Brian Johnson, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and bass player Chris Chaney — is performing in 13 stadiums coast to coast this spring. This run will conclude on May 28 in Cleveland, Ohio at Huntington Bank Field. Along the way, they will play some of the most iconic and historic stadiums in the world, including Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on May 24. Support on the trek is coming from THE PRETTY RECKLESS.

AC/DC played the 24th and final concert of its "Power Up" European tour on August 17, 2024 at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.

The "Power Up" European tour marked AC/DC's first with the band's new touring lineup consisting of Johnson, Angus and Stevie Young, Laug and the latest addition to the group's touring lineup, Chaney.

The European tour was the first run of gigs since AC/DC's return to the stage at last year's Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

AC/DC's last tour took place in 2015 and 2016 and had a $180 million gross, with 2,310,061 sold tickets reported to the Pollstar box office.

Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer.

In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the "Stiff Upper Lip" tour.

In its announcement about Laug's addition to the band's Power Trip lineup, AC/DC offered no explanation for the absence of the band's longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group's comeback album, "Power Up", which came out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was replaced on the band's "Rock Or Bust" tour by Chris Slade, who had previously served as AC/DC's drummer between 1989 and 1994, playing on the album "The Razor's Edge".

Rudd, who appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 previous studio albums, toured in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

AC/DC postponed the last 10 dates of its spring 2016 North American trek after Johnson was advised to stop playing live or "risk total hearing loss." The band went on to complete the European and North American legs of its "Rock Or Bust" tour with GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist." At the time, Johnson had been AC/DC's singer for 36 years, ever since replacing the late Bon Scott in 1980 and making his debut on the classic "Back In Black" album.

To enable him to perform live with AC/DC again, the now-77-year-old Johnson worked with audio expert Stephen Ambrose, who said he could help resolve the singer's hearing problems.

Ambrose, who invented the wireless in-ear monitors that are widely used by touring artists today, claimed to have invented a new type of ear-bud that would allow Johnson to perform without causing further damage to his eardrums. After three years of experimenting and "miniaturizing" the equipment, Johnson previously said the technology could allow him to tour again.

Chaney is best known as the bassist of JANE'S ADDICTION and as a member of Alanis Morissette's touring and recording band. Chaney was also a member of TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS and CAMP FREDDY, as well as being a prolific and versatile session musician, having played with artists including Joe Cocker, Shakira, Slash and Avril Lavigne to Sara Bareilles, Gavin Degraw, Cher, SHINEDOWN and Celine Dion. Chaney is also a founding member and partner in the all-star supergroup ROYAL MACHINES along with Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION),Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY),Josh Freese (FOO FIGHTERS) and Billy Morrison (BILLY IDOL).

Bassist Cliff Williams announced his retirement at the end of AC/DC's 2015-2016 "Rock Or Bust" tour, which also saw Johnson leaving. However, Williams — and Johnson — took part in the recording sessions that resulted in "Power Up". Both of them were also part of the AC/DC lineup that performed at Power Trip.

During an October 2020 interview with Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, Cliff was asked if Johnson's departure from the road was what led to his desire to stop touring. Cliff responded: "It was before then. I spoke to Angus about it initially. I was at a point — and this is at the beginning of the 'Rock Or Bust' tour — that I just felt, for me, it was time to hang it up. I knew that I didn't wanna keep doing these two-year tours, and I didn't wanna hold them back, so I made them aware of the fact that this was gonna be my last go-round. It was a tough tour to finish. God bless Axl for coming in and helping us out, finish it up. He did a great job. And at the end of that, I was definitely — that was it for me. Done — just done. That compounded the whole thing."

According to Williams, he wanted to take part in the recording sessions for "Power Up" as a tribute to Angus's late brother, founding AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up".

"If 'Back In Black' has [late AC/DC singer] Bon Scott all over it, for me, 'Power Up' has got Malcolm Young," Cliff said. "This is for him. And it's the band that we played together with for 40-plus years. And I wanted to do that — I wanted to come back and do that.

"We did some rehearsals earlier [in 2020] before this darn COVID thing popped up, and we had great rehearsals," he continued. "The band was playing really well. So [they asked me], 'Do you wanna do a few shows? 'Sure'. A few shows. We were planning on doing that. Everyone goes home to their respective homes, and bang, we've been here ever since [because of the coronavirus-related shutdown]."

Cliff went on to confirm that his commitment to AC/DC was only for "a few" dates in support of "Power Up".

"For both [my mental and physical] health," he said. "I definitely have some physical issues, which I won't bore you with the details of. But, yeah, it's tough. I'm very grateful for everything. It's been fantastic. But I just don't wanna do that anymore."

Williams previously revealed that a "terrible" bout with vertigo contributed to his 2016 retirement. He also admitted the return of both Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd convinced him to rejoin the group. "It was like the old band back together," he told Rolling Stone. "It was not like starting over again, but as close to the band that's been together for 40-plus years as we can possibly make it. I didn't want to miss that."

The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust", "Power Up" was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and "Rock Or Bust".

At the April 10 Los Angeles premiere of the fully authorized Nick Menza documentary "This Was My Life: Nick Menza's Metal Memories With Megadeth And Beyond", former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke to IndiePower TV about the highlights of his time playing with the late MEGADETH drummer. Ellefson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[There were] some personal ones, like when he first got in the band. I was getting sober. [He was] taking me out. We'd go mountain biking. We'd go to his house. He'd go to Gelson's and buy his orange roughy and make fish, and that kind of stuff. So those are some personal moments that were awesome, priceless. On stage? We had great creative moments. He was funny. We made, obviously, some great music together. And we were a team back then. That lineup was a team. We all had different roles, but we were a team, and we had each other's back. If there was a problem, we would fix it. And it was great. That was a great band to be in, during that period. And honestly, once Nick had left, the dynamic started to change quickly, and then it became not that anymore. And the audience knows it too, and I think that's why the audience loves that lineup and that's why Nick will always be one of the favorite sons of heavy metal."

Regarding why a reunion of MEGADETH's "Rust In Peace" lineup, also featuring guitarist Marty Friedman, failed to materialize more than a decade ago, Ellefson said: "Well, I told Nick. I saw him one day in the drum hall at NAMM. And we had connected, and it was very cool. And then I told him, I said, 'Hey, listen. I don't know this for sure. What I'm sensing' — 'cause I was in MEGADETH at the time — I said, 'Dude, you're gonna get a call. It might not be tomorrow, it might be a year from now, but you're gonna get a call. Something's gonna kind of turn here.' And sure enough, about a year later, I think I saw him again at NAMM at an autograph show and I said, 'Dude, your number's coming up.' So I gave him an advance warning. I said, 'Get ready.'

"Now, I think, honestly, with Nick, he was a different physicality," Ellefson explained. "Drummers take the hit first — age, joints, everything about it. Everything about it. And he was just in a different place. He wasn't the Nick Menza that we knew, the 25-year-old spry 'Rust In Peace' guy. And who would be? You're 50 now. But his heart was in it. I think it was a challenge to kind of come all the way back around. And again, we tried. There was an initiative from management, 'Hey, let's put this together.' And then I was the one who really put the logistical, pragmatic brakes on it. And I just said, 'Marty's off in a whole other world. He's been on his own. Does he even wanna come back and do this again? Nick — can he do this again because of just the years that had gone past?' And so, you look at that, and you go, look, if it can't be as good as what we did with [the] 'Rust in Peace: Live' [live Blu-ray, DVD and CD] from the [Hollywood] Palladium in 2010, when I went back in the band, if it can't be that good, then why ever revisit this again? Sometimes things are better left in infamy, and as we tried it, we remained friends from it, which is great. But it just wasn't meant to be as a business plan or even as a next musical chapter for any of us."

The opportunity for MEGADETH's most celebrated lineup to regroup arose following the departures of guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover in 2014.

Menza and Friedman had met with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and Ellefson at the 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, California to discuss a reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup.

Friedman, who moved from America to Japan in 2003, opened up about his reasons for turning down the MEGADETH reunion in his autobiography, "Dreaming Japanese", which was released last December via Permuted Press. Reflecting on the "salary offer" MEGADETH's then-manager Ron Lafitte made for him to rejoin the band, Friedman wrote: "Let's just say he wasn't even in the ballpark. Hell, he wasn't even in the parking lot for the ballpark. The amount they offered was right around the first salary I got when I joined MEGADETH in 1990. If I'd had any idea they would lowball me like this, I never would have met with them in Anaheim. Had I taken that offer, I would have been paid less in a week than I made in a normal day in Japan. I was stunned and angry and told them I couldn't even consider it. I made a counteroffer, which was the bare minimum I could accept, and far less than I have received from any of the artists I've toured with in Japan.'

Referencing the fact that Lafitte floated the possibility of a MEGADETH tour with IRON MAIDEN as the first order of business after the reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup, Marty continued: "I was willing to take the financial hit because a reunion tour with MEGADETH opening for IRON MAIDEN could open doors for me again in America. And what followed could be a bigger tour than anything we had previously done. Even if they met my rate, the tour would have been a huge windfall for them. They easily could have agreed to that, and the reunion would have been on, but they said I wanted too much money."

Friedman added: "I was happy with my career in Japan, doing what I loved, making real money without the kind of drama that comes with MEGADETH. They didn't even acknowledge they had just lost their guitarist and drummer and needed me more than I needed them. When I got over my initial anger, I was puzzled and sad."

Marty previously opened up about why the MEGADETH reunion failed to materialize in Mustaine's 2020 book, "Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece", which details the making of the iconic record "Rust In Peace".

"My main thing was I'd be happy to do it, but I'm not going to take less money than I'm already making to do it," Marty said in part.

"I'd been in Japan for more than ten years cultivating a career with solid rewards. I was making money not only for myself but also for my management and staff. My manager has been with me fifteen years.

"Everything was sound and solid professionally, and when the offer came up to all of a sudden join MEGADETH again, as long as I would not be making less money, I was ready to go," he said. "But I was certainly not going to take a loss to join a band that, frankly, at that point, didn't seem like they had too much to offer musically. A couple of members of the band had recently quit, and musically I hadn't heard anything that they've done in a long time. I didn't know about how relevant they continued to be in the music business. It wasn't like MEGADETH was on the tip of people's tongues, at least not in Japan. I had reached the point where people stopped immediately connecting me to MEGADETH and were talking about the things that I had done in Japan."

According to Friedman, part of the reason he turned down the MEGADETH reunion is the fact that the group is largely seen as Mustaine's solo project, with members coming and going every couple of albums.

"Had it been more of a band situation and not such a one-man, Dave Mustaine-main-man party, I might have considered doing it for a little less," Marty said. "But, at the end of the day, MEGADETH is so much Mustaine because that's the way he engineered it. I didn't feel that kind of camaraderie, the four-man diamond, THE BEATLES, KISS, METALLICA. I felt like I would be going out there and tour and it was going to be Mustaine's big success. If I'm going to do that, I'm certainly not going to lose money to do that; I was doing great on my own in Japan."

Mustaine told Loudwire that he was put off by Friedman's financial demands when the topic of a "Rust In Peace" reunion was broached.

"Marty has a really successful career in Japan where he makes quite a lot of money," Dave said. "And this is the part where I thought it was a little weird, where he said he said that he has to pay all his team while he's gone instead of just himself. 'Cause I thought we'll pay you what you're making so that's switching horses in the middle of the river — it's no big deal unless you fall off. And then when we found out that he wanted to sell his merch, his this, his that, his this, his that, then he wanted this crazy amount of money and he wanted to fly first class everywhere. I said to our management, 'I can't deal with this.'"

In a 2016 interview with the "Eddie Trunk Podcast", Mustaine confirmed that MEGADETH didn't hold any rehearsals with Friedman while attempting a reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup.

"Marty had sent some e-mails saying, 'Oh, man, you know, the fans have this self-inflated importance of 'Rust In Peace' beyond what it really is. And I was, like, 'Huh?'" Dave said. 'So I didn't know if that was a backhand to the face of the fans or not, but he had basically said that if we were gonna do anything, it had to be better than 'Rust In Peace'. And he sent me over some links to some songs that he thought should be the direction that we were going in, and one of it was this J-Pop band with some Japanese girl singing, and I was, like, 'Uh-uh. This ain't gonna work.' More power to [Marty for being into that stuff]. Do what you want, Marty. He's a great guitar player. But I'm not gonna sing like a Japanese girl."

Menza was approached by Mustaine and Ellefson to replace Drover at the end of 2014, and he started working out new tracks with the band. But the plan collapsed after he was offered a contract he described as "very unfair." A year and a half later, in May 2016, Nick died after suffering a heart attack during a concert with OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California.

In a new interview with PowerOfMetal.cl, DIAMOND HEAD's Brian Tatler spoke about what it has been like to join SAXON in early 2023 as the replacement for the latter band's founding guitarist Paul Quinn. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[It's been] brilliant. I got the call in March 2023, and so it's been just over two years. And it's been fantastic. We've done a lot of gigs — we've been to South America, we've been to the U.S. and all across Europe — and we've done the album, 2024's 'Hell, Fire And Damnation', as well, and played some huge festivals, like [France's] Hellfest. And it's going great. So, I'm really enjoying myself. It's a lovely break to get at my age. [Laughs]"

Regarding how he feels about "Hell, Fire And Damnation" nearly a year and a half after the LP's release, Brian said: "I like it. It's a great album. I'm really proud to be part of the SAXON album and to get involved in the writing. And I think it sounds great. I'd never worked with [producer] Andy Sneap before, even though I knew of him and we've done gigs in the past with [his former band] SABBAT, and I know he was in HELL. And then, of course, when he joined JUDAS PRIEST, I contacted him and congratulated him. So I do know Andy, but I'd never actually recorded with him. And I was very impressed. I thought he did a fantastic job, and I think the album sounds amazing."

Tatler went on to confirm that he was involved in the songwriting process for "Hell, Fire And Damnation". "Well, as soon as I joined, I started learning [the SAXON material] — they sent me a setlist, which I started learning, but maybe after a month or so, Biff [Byford, SAXON singer] called and said, 'We are doing a new album, so if you've got any ideas, send them over,'" he said. "And so I did just that, and he picked some that he liked, and then we worked on them together, and then eventually rehearsed with the band and earmarked the ones for the album. So, yeah, it was really flattering to be included in the writing so quickly."

Asked what is next for SAXON and whether the band is writing new music or just focusing on touring at the moment, Brian said: "Both. I'm always trying to write new material, and I make demos when I'm at home. And even when I'm on tour, I practice and warm up before a show. And if I've got a riff, I'll record it on my phone, like probably a lot of people do. And there is talk of doing another SAXON album. I think Biff mentioned it'll be next year, of course — probably end of next year. But at some point, maybe in the gaps [of touring], we'll get together and try and come up with material for the next record."

"Hell, Fire And Damnation" was produced by Sneap and Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering.

Earlier this month, Byford was asked by Gustavo Maiato if Quinn, who announced two years ago that he was stepping back from touring with the band, is still contributing to the songwriting process in SAXON or if Tatler is a "full-time" member of the band now. Biff responded: "Yeah, Brian's in the band full-time, but Paul's still sending ideas. He sent me an idea the other day for a song. It just depends how good it is, if we use it. I reject a lot of ideas until people come up with the one that I love.

"We always want to make better albums, so we're always looking for better songs, if you know what I mean," Biff explained.

As a result of Quinn's decision to step back from touring with SAXON, the band canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise. Quinn has since been replaced on the road by Tatler.

Brian has been touring with fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, drummer Nigel Glockler, bassist Tim "Nibbs" Carter and Byford since mid-2023, but continues to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".

Two months ago, Byford was asked by FaceCulture about a possible follow-up to "Hell, Fire And Damnation", which came out in January 2024 via Silver Lining Music. He said: "We're writing. I've started writing the new album, writing lyrics and titles. The boys have sent me loads of ideas already. So I'm just making a short list of what music we should use, what style we should play in, what songs are slow, fast, medium, good guitar riffs. So, yeah, we're pretty far on. We'll probably start rehearsing the new album maybe June, maybe recording in January, February. So we'll probably have a new album out in late 2026."

Reflecting on "Hell, Fire And Damnation", which marked SAXON's first release with Tatler, Biff said: "I think it's been a natural progression with our following and the fans with our music. Brian coming into the band added a little bit of a different dynamic to the music writing. So I think that was for a good thing. I think the new album, 'Hellfire', has been voted 'Album Of The Year' on quite a lot of sites and things, so obviously we struck a little bit of good scene with the album, a good flow. So hopefully the next one will be just as good, if not better… Well, it can't always be better, but let's hope. I mean, 'Hellfire' is gonna be hard to beat. That's a pretty perfect album, I think."

Avant-garde extreme metal act TRIPTYKON, the group fronted by singer/guitarist Thomas Gabriel Fischer, a.k.a. Tom Warrior (CELTIC FROST, HELLHAMMER, TRIUMPH OF DEATH),will host a series of events in London's, Camden Town to coincide with their headlining performance at the iconic Roundhouse as part of the annual Incineration Festival on Saturday, May 3. Upon request by the festival, the set will be a U.K. exclusive of CELTIC FROST's music, a gesture of reverence for what has shaped the path and a morbid recognition of the present.

Fischer comments: "CELTIC FROST's path would have been a very different — likely far more subdued — one if it hadn't been for the then largely London-based U.K. music press from the mid-1980s on. This, along with uncounted crucial musical influences in my youth, was the basis of a life-long bond between the U.K. and all of my musical endeavors. It is thus with utmost pleasure that we in TRIPTYKON will perform a very distinct CELTIC FROST-based concert at the iconic Roundhouse."

On Friday, May 2, long-overdue vinyl re-press versions of the first two TRIPTYKON albums, "Eparistera Daimones" (2010) and "Melana Chasmata" (2014),via Prowling Death Records / Century Media Records will be released. Proven to be genre-redefining, modern milestones and more than ever relevant for the extreme metal movement, the new TRIPTYKON vinyl versions will be available in their original packaging with cover art by H.R. Giger, as gatefold 2LP editions on exclusive colored 180g vinyl.

To celebrate TRIPTYKON's headlining performance at Incineration Festival and the reissue of these seminal albums, there will be a number of events taking place in Camden across the weekend to mark the occasion.

* Raven Records, London's premier heavy metal record store, will host a TRIPTYKON signing session with the band from 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 and is open to all. Advance preorders of the vinyl reissues at Raven are now live and come with an exclusive "Necromaniac Union" enamel badge, while stocks last. Preorders can be collected for the signing on the day.

* A pop-up exhibition of Tom G Warrior's death masks and related artworks will be hosted in the Lucifer Lounge at Raven Records across the weekend of the festival. This is a rare opportunity to view a selection of these unique artifacts in person. Entry is free and exclusive merchandise items will be available in store.

* The Black Heart will be hosting a special edition of their award-winning vegan menu in collaboration with TRIPTYKON over the festival weekend with a limited-edition new recipe of their renowned vegan wings. Saint Monday brewery will also provide "Triptykon – Aurorae" cold IPA on tap. A crisp and refreshing IPA that is fermented at cold temperature with Swiss lager yeast.

* Extremely limited-edition solid silver pendants of both the iconic CELTIC FROST heptagram and the TRIPTYKON inverted cross will be available to purchase during the festival from the Cult Never Dies stand inside the Electric Ballroom. This unique jewelry has been hand cast from the original molds produced by the H.R. Giger estate and are limited to five pieces of each. The respected black metal publishers will also have an exclusive CELTIC FROST t-shirt design for sale.

Photo by Roland Moeck / Arkana PhotoArt

In a new interview with Kevin McKay of Florida's 99Rock WKSM radio station, FILTER leader Richard Patrick was asked if he has commenced work on the follow-up to 2023's "The Algorithm" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, there's a brand new [FILTER] record [coming]. I was literally just singing on it when I realized my phone alarm didn't go off [to remind me about this interview]. [But] it's all good. I needed a break."

Asked if he knows what he is going to call the new FILTER album, Richard said: "Yeah, we're gonna call it 'The Antidote'."

As for a possible release date for "The Antidote", Patrick said: "I'm hoping this fall, but it might be spring next year. We're not sure."

Richard recently wrote a song called "The Gunslingers Of Redemption" and composed all the music for writer-director Brian Skiba's just-released western "Gunslingers".

Richard Patrick had previously composed soundtracks for several films, including "Dark Crimes" (2016) and "Last Rampage" (2017). He also contributed to the soundtrack for "The Last Rampage" with his brother, Robert Patrick. In addition, he has composed music for TV series like "Comedy Kitchen".

"The Algorithm" came out in August 2023 via Golden Robot Records. At the time, Richard told Detroit's WRIF radio station that FILTER fans would "like the heaviness" of the album. "I love music that makes me just wanna get up and run or drive a car really fast or something like that. But I think people, they're gonna feel like the way they did during 'The Amalgamut' or 'Title Of Record' or 'Short Bus'. It reminds me of the first three records that we did on Warner Brothers. And those are definitely some great years. So it kind of reminds me of that. 'Cause I took a real heavy hand in production — I really, really, really made sure that I was happy before anybody. For the past 10 years, I've really relied on producers and songwriters and stuff like that, which I love, I love working with them, but this year I bought a computer and I sat there and recorded everything on my own with the exception of two or maybe five songs where I asked for outside collaboration… I really did apply myself and I made sure that it sounded like old-school FILTER."

Asked if the throwback to old-school FILTER was intentional or if it just turned out that way, Richard said: "I think it just naturally kind of went that way. 'Cause I'm not a big planner of what I'm gonna do. I don't navigate through, like, 'Oh, it's getting too much like this' or 'It's getting too much like that. Stay on target, stay with the plan.' I try and go with the flow on the record and see what it wants to be. And then when I'm done, [I] come up with the title and the visuals and everything like that."

In June 2023, Patrick told Michael Presti of the 99WNRR radio station that "The Algorithm" reminded him of FILTER's third album, 2002's "The Amalgamut". "It's kind of a little bit of a return to 'The Amalgamut'," he said. "It's so bombastic. There's so many bangers on this record. And 'The Algorithm', it's a little bit more a part of the times."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "The Algorithm", which previously had the working title "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats", Richard said: "I'm still bitching, but I'm not as outwardly bitching; I'm not taking sides as much on this record. I'm bitching and I'm talking about liars and cheaters and thieves. It's just that I'm not literally calling everybody out, like I did on the other two songs that came out [in 2020]," referencing "Murica" and "Thoughts And Prayers".

Originally conceived in 2018 as a collaboration between Patrick and fellow FILTER founding member Brian Liesegang, "The Algorithm" was given a tentative title, "ReBus", as a nod to FILTER's 1995 debut, "Short Bus", before being changed to "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats" and later to "Murica" and then back to "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats" and eventually "The Algorithm".

Photo credit: Chapman Baehler

On March 28, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen made a trip to Mexico to visit Fender's factory in Ensenada, play some tunes with his guitar tech (and occasional DEF LEPPARD fill-in guitarist) John Zocco on bass/backing vocals and Forest Robinson on drums/backing vocals, and be presented with a new guitar.

Video of the private performance in front of around a hundred Fender employees can be seen below.

Collen left school at 16 to work in a factory and as a dispatch rider. Influenced by guitar players such as Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Ronson, he soon developed a flashy, aggressive style of playing rock guitar. Phil quit his day job and he went on tour as a guitarist with the London-based post-punk glam rock band GIRL. Collen joined DEF LEPPARD in 1982 during the "Pyromania" album recording sessions, playing guitar solos on the hits "Photograph", "Foolin'" and "Rock Of Ages", among others. "Pyromania" was DEF LEPPARD's breakthrough album and turned the band into rock superstars almost overnight. They spent the summer of 1983 at No. 2 on the Billboard chart, behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller", the biggest-selling album of all time. "Pyromania" sold in excess of 10 times platinum and received a diamond award in the U.S. and Canada.

Collen has been featured in outlets ranging from Rolling Stone, People, The New York Times to Guitar World, Inc. , Iron Man and beyond. Phil is an outspoken advocate for music, music education, animal rights, health and fitness and sobriety. In addition to his duties with DEF LEPPARD, Collen continues to write, perform and produce with MANRAZE, DELTA DEEP, TESLA and others. Collen released his memoir, "Adrenalized: Life, Def Leppard, And Beyond", in fall 2015.

This past January, DEF LEPPARD released a cover of Ben E. King's 1961 classic "Stand By Me". All proceeds from the song went to FireAid, which raises money for those impacted by the fires that swept through Los Angeles in early 2025.

DEF LEPPARD's version of the song is featured in the Netflix film "Bank Of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger", which was released on January 10. The band can be seen performing the track before the credits.

DEF LEPPARD's first concert of 2025 took place on January 18 at Feria Estatal De León in León, Mexico. As was the case with the band's October 14, 2024 private show in Nashville (as part of the Daimler Truck Customer Appreciation Event),guitarist Vivian Campbell was unable to join his bandmates at the León gig due to his cancer treatment and was replaced by Zocco.

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

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

Six years ago, Campbell underwent spine surgery.

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

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

Darkthrone’s classic fifth album Panzerfaust will be reissued as a limited 30th anniversary vinyl edition including a newly restored audio master. The reissue is presented on splatter vinyl and is coming May 16.

Panzerfaust was originally released in 1995 on the Norwegian label, Moonfog (the label previously owned by Satyr of Satyricon). The album was recorded similarly to their previous release, Transilvanian Hunger, in that it was written and recorded solely by Fenriz at his home Necrohell studio, with Nocturno Culto later adding vocals.

The album was largely inspired by the works of Celtic Frost, a longtime favourite of the Darkthrone members, and also included songs in the Bathory style, a follow-on to the faster tempo of the tracks featured on Transilvanian Hunger.

Panzerfaust is also notable for including some of the most raw and primal vocals in black metal – completely well suited to the music on display and the misanthropic nature of the band at the time. With its feast of Frost-fuelled riffing, ‘Panzerfaust’ is rightly hailed one of THE classic Darkthrone black metal albums, whilst also featuring lyrics written by Varg Vikernes.

Side A
“En Vind Av Sorg”
“Triumphant Gleam”
“The Hordes Of Nebulah”

Side B
“Hans Siste Vinter”
“Beholding The Throne Of Might”
“Quintessence”
“Sno Og Granskog (Utferd)”

In a new interview with Chile's iRock.cl, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre was asked how the band's sound has changed since he joined the group 13 years ago as the replacement for QUEENSRŸCHE's original vocalist Geoff Tate. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that the band kind of got its sound back, more of the roots, the heavier kind of sound that QUEENSRYCHE was known for early on. There was a long period of time where the music got more adult contemporary and less hard rock and heavy metal and progressive and all of the different elements that QUEENSRŸCHE was kind of known for. So I think me being in the band — I mean, it could have been any other singer — has allowed these guys to completely write whatever they wanna write without it being turned down as being too heavy, for example, 'cause that had happened."

He continued: "I love the old classic stuff. We perform all the songs in the standard tunings like they were recorded, so there's nothing downtuned that changes the way they sound. I think that's helped contribute to kind of the resurgence of the band. But we just write songs, and sometimes I think, 'Oh, I wanna write a masterpiece of a song like 'Roads To Madness'' or a great song like 'Take Hold Of The Flame' or — I don't know — songs off of '[Operation:] Mindcrime', for example. But we all have a great time and the chemistry in the band is perfect. We all are super, super close. We all get along off the stage so well that it really kind of… I think that the contribution that I bring in is the jokes, the laughter, the creativity with music and art idea, artistic ideas with album covers and video concepts and that kind of thing. I don't know. That's the best way I could answer it, is I'm just one fifth of QUEENSRŸCHE. But the band is in a very healthy state."

Regarding how he sees the future of QUEENSRŸCHE, Todd said: "Oh, man. I kind of see the future as kind of what we're doing still. A lot of bands have retired, and we're still out there. There's nothing in the future that I see of the band retiring. I mean, we play about a hundred shows a year. So probably more of the same — just performing live shows, writing new songs and making new records and promoting our art that way. But, I mean, really it boils down to the live concert. That's really what we are now."

Earlier this month, Todd was asked by Brazil's Monsters Of Rock which "unexplored musical directions" he would like to see QUEENSRŸCHE go in on the band's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance" album. He said: "[We're] kind of [doing] the same thing as what we've been doing. I mean, we don't go in writing a record with a preconceived idea. We just get in a room and [go], 'Hey, show me your guitar parts. What do you have in your mind?' And we kind of all get together in a room and just see what happens in real time. So as far as unexplored musical directions… Personally, I'd love to hear more clean guitar on the next record, maybe some more spacious stuff, some more clean guitar. Orchestration is always fun to work with. It's very huge and cinematic sounding. So those are fun things to play with. Maybe some different percussion things would be interesting to play around with again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

One of the world's leading guitar string companies, D'Addario has uploaded a 2024 video interview with MEGADETH guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari in which the 38-year-old Finnish-born musician gives an inside look into his expansive influences, preferred gear and why he chooses D'Addario. Check it out below.

Regarding how he came to join MEGADETH in late 2023 as the replacement for Kiko Loureiro, Mäntysaari said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was recruited on a short notice. It all happened kind of fast. First, it was kind of unclear if I'm gonna be needed or if I'm more kind of on standby. So I had learned the setlist, but it was not a hundred percent sure if I'm gonna be playing with the band or not. And then it was only like a week before the first tour when I got the visa in my hand and it was a hundred percent that I'm gonna be there."

Reflecting on his first show with MEGADETH, which took place on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mäntysaari said: "[It was] pretty unbelievable, surreal. By that time when the first show happened, everything had been moving along so fast that I didn't really have time to sit back and think, really, what's going on. I just tried to concentrate on learning the catalog as well as I could."

Teemu also talked about his musical influences, saying: "Heavy metal was what inspired me to pick up the guitar — IRON MAIDEN, classics, DIO. MEGADETH as well. MEGADETH was one of the first bands that I heard when I was getting into metal. I kind of tried to go with diverse influences. I played a little bit in a punk band. Fusion guitarists are some of my favorites, like Greg Howe and Guthrie Govan and Brett Garsed. I think I have a pretty strong blues foundation: Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales. I love that stuff. And that was kind of really fun to get into at an early stage and try to kind of pick things by ear, because a lot of that is a little bit easier stuff and when you learn your 12-bar blues, then you can jam along to bunch of stuff."

He continued: "In my early twenties, I got into jazz more. I was doing the mandatory military service in Finland — I was playing in the army — and it was more of a jazz background band. That kind of forced me to learn more about that world as well, which was a lot of fun. Classical music as well. A lot of movie scores, especially exotic stuff like Chinese and Japanese movie soundtracks. So I try to keep my ears and eyes open and learn from everybody.

"Finland has a really strong metal culture, so even smaller bands are doing really well in Finland, and even internationally and have been doing so for a long time," Teemu explained. "When I was getting into metal and growing up, STRATOVARIUS, CHILDREN OF BODOM, NIGHTWISH, SONATA ARCTICA, those guys were pretty well known in the late '90s, STRATOVARIUS [having been] one of the pioneers already in the '80s. So it was really interesting to grow up in a small country and see that there's all these bands that are making it abroad as well, 'cause it was kind of encouraging in a way as well that you can make it from a small country or a small city. It's also kind of more maybe accepted culture in Finland, almost mainstream. You hear a lot of metal in the radio all day, so that's kind of nice."

Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

MEGADETH's next album, the group's first with Mäntysaari, will be released via a partnership between founder and frontman Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint and the Frontiers Label Group's new imprint BLKIIBLK.

MEGADETH is once again working with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on the band's last two albums, 2022's "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

In August 2024, Mustaine was asked by Chuck Armstrong of "Loudwire Nights" how the dynamic within MEGADETH has changed since Mäntysaari's addition to the band. Mustaine responded: "Well, we are a band again. It doesn't feel like me and some side players or some session guys. Not that it felt like that with any of the previous lineups, but that was one of the fears that I had. I feel like Kiko did us a really huge courtesy by helping us find Teemu because with Kiko needing to step down… I thought I was gonna finish my career out with Kiko, and when things came up with him, he couldn't tour anymore because he needed to be home for his kids. So I see he's touring again, which I'm happy that he's still playing. But he had to go home. And when he did, he introduced us to Teemu. And it was an even closer connection between me and Teemu than Kiko and I had. We'll [Kiko and I] always be friends, but this new relationship I have is — it harkens me back to the days when we had Marty Friedman in the band and the four of us actually felt like a band."

Mäntysaari stepped in September 2023 for Loureiro, who announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that the now-38-year-old Finnish musician would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

Earlier in August, Mustaine was asked by Kyle Meredith what Mäntysaari has brought to MEGADETH that wasn't there before. Mustaine responded: "God, he's such an amazing talent. And as far as being a human is concerned, he's a really humble guy. He's fun to be around because he's kind of — there's this 'greenness' to him, if that's a word, greenness. He makes it really fun because he's gone from being in a band that was pretty well known to being in MEGADETH. And so everything's very new for him at this level. And for us, we get to kind of enjoy ourselves, because we sometimes forget where we're at and then you see other people that, 'Wow, the bread is round and so is the meat,' that kind of shit. And it just makes him really happy, and it just reminds you of how good you have it."

Regarding how much a lineup change like that actually alters the musical DNA of the band, Dave said: "Well, it depends on who the new player is. If they're willing to learn the parts, then the songs either, they stay where they are or they get better. And a lot of times when you have a new player, like when Teemu came in, he played everything identical to the original players. So, he's been one of the best guitar players to step in and play somebody else's stuff. I don't know what his stuff's going to sound like yet, which I'm looking forward to finding out."

In a new interview with Dream Theater World, the official DREAM THEATER fan club, Mike Mangini was asked about his October 2023 departure from DREAM THEATER. Mangini, who has been with the progressive metal band for 13 years, was dismissed from DREAM THEATER in order to make way for the return of the group's original drummer, Mike Portnoy. Mangini said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it's like anything in my whole career in the past. 'Okay, this is an event. Oh, that's interesting.'

"Believe it or not, when I get asked about this, I'm, like, my statement [that I released at the time of my DREAM THEATER departure] actually says it all. And what surprised me about the statement itself is that I am typically long-winded. I typically go off on tangents. I have that speaking-with-the-hands thing that's very Mediterranean, and I can't believe it, just like in a couple of sentences or a sentence, whatever it was, it's, like, it said it all. That was it. So, I immediately was, like, 'Oh, okay. I get it.'

"No matter how many times I say it — a lot of times, people maybe in private ask me, 'Oh, what else [happened]?'" he continued. "It's, like, why would there be anything else? That's it. That makes sense."

Referencing his mindset around the time of his exit from DREAM THEATER, Mangini said: "Where I was at the time — I have a cork board and I have things in my life categorized and all the education stuff as far as my products and services, which is full of index cards and unfinished tasks. And I looked at that, and I was, like, 'Well, I know what I've gotta do right now.' And so the very next day I was up nice and early, with a cup of coffee, steaming cup of black coffee, and just looking at it, going, 'Okay, how do I do this?' And I just started going. I mean, that's what you do. That's it."

When Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER was first announced on October 25, 2023, Mangini said in a statement: "I understand DREAM THEATER's decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time. As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor. I also really enjoyed spending lots of time with the crew. And then there's the Grammy win, which was amazingly satisfying. To the fans: thank you so much for being amazing to me. I cherish the pictures I have of you all losing your minds and having fun. Finally, I really love the band, crew and management and wish them and the entire organization all the best."

This past February, Mangini launched a new band, MONOLITH, with Hernán "Motley" Rodríguez on bass and vocals, and Andy Barrow on guitar.

Mangini released his debut solo album, "Invisible Signs", in November 2023. Accompanying Mangini on the LP were Tony Dickinson on bass, Ivan Keller on guitar, Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) on lead guitar and former EVANESCENCE guitarist Jen Majura on vocals.

Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 40 years ago. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

Mangini made his name in the hard rock world in the mid-1990s when he played with EXTREME, before landing the gig with guitar legend Steve Vai in 1996. Nearly a decade later, Mangini took up a full-time teaching position at the world-renowned Berklee College Of Music.

In a recent interview with Loaded Radio, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was asked how Mangini took the news in October 2023 when LaBrie and the rest of DREAM THEATER broke it to the drummer that Portnoy was coming back. James said: "Well, he was very professional about it. [It was] very admirable of him to have been… He took it in style and class. I mean, obviously, I think it would have been upsetting — it must have been upsetting — but he took it for what it's worth and even saying things like, 'It kind of makes sense, guys. I see why this should be happening and why this would maybe inevitably be happening. It just makes sense for the band and the amount of history that you all have together. It seems natural.' So, yeah, no, he was a class guy. Classy. Yeah."

In a January 2024 interview with Chris Akin Presents…, Mangini was asked if he had any "advance notice" that Portnoy would return to DREAM THEATER in the fall of 2023 or if it was "really immediate". He responded: "Immediate. But it's like… So the fish comes up out of the water, it's immediate, but the fish was swimming for a while. Where was the fish? Whatever."

He continued: "The reason it was easy for me to deal with — very easy, actually — I was, like, 'Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Original guy back in band.' I got I got it. And I didn't have to go do through a drop-down menu; I didn't have to do it. It was just I looked at it and went, 'Okay.' And plus I don't know whether it was intuitive, instinctual [or] intellectual… but I have left so many things on the table for so many years — the publishing of more books, the classes that I wanna teach, the interaction that my own self-development comes largely from me having to teach and talk about it to people. At some point, I mean, I see the whole picture, the grid, and I know what I can't do, and that inspires me.

"But anyway, the answer to your question is, I got a call and understood the call, and said, 'Okay, let's do a joint statement,'" he explained. "And then the next day, I'm, like, 'Okay.' I'm having coffee and quite literally, at my think tank, looking at my list and going, 'How am I gonna complete this job now? I've gotta fix this or do that. I've got a lot to do.' My studio facility had construction, there was stuff that had to be fixed. I was, like, 'Let me just let all of this stuff happen and breathe and just finish these things.' So that's what my mindset was. I can't tell you anything different because that's what it was."

Asked how he managed to avoid being angry over the fact that he was being pushed out of DREAM THEATER when Portnoy wanted to come back, even though Mangini was the drummer that helped the band win its first Grammy Award, Mangini said: "Well, a) because I don't know that that's what is the full picture. I don't know that that is what happened indeed. And I don't let myself even think about it. People decide things and I respect that. It's just it is what it is."

In early November 2023, Mangini told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his exit from DREAM THEATER and the return of Portnoy: "All I know is the decision was made and when I heard it, all I pictured was, 'Oh, this is an original guy going back to his band. Uh, okay. All right. Let's go to the next thing.' It was nothing more. I was told. It was just nothing more than — it seemed so simple to me. And maybe intuitively it's, like, 'Oh yeah, I get it.' And that was that. That's really it… So that's really the crux of it all is it was an easy thing for me to understand. And then once the news hit and it became real, which is when it set in, because once I knew about it, I just got busy. I was, like, 'Okay, I've got all these videos to finish.'"

The 62-year-old Mangini, who joined DREAM THEATER in 2010, continued: "I'm actually doing like a lot of stuff for my [recently released solo] album. I'll do some drum playthroughs. Not to yap and yap and yap about it, but I have a lot on my cork board and my lists and things to do and things to accomplish and things to complete. There's so much there I haven't been able to do. But once it hit and it became real, it was real quick for me. I'm, like, 'Okay, I get it.'"

When host Eddie Trunk noted that everything about his exit from DREAM THEATER, from the way it was handled to the fans' response to Mike's attitude about it, was "about as good as it could be," Mangini concurred. "It is as good as it could be," Mike said. "I think people are where they need to be. It's, like, there's stuff to do, there's places to be, there's people to see, there are things to accomplish and roles to fulfill and tasks to do. And that's what it is. That's really what it is.

"How lucky am I, how fortunate am I to be just a part of that history, to have all this amazing stuff happen?" he continued. "It's positive, positive, positive.

"I know I've accomplished some things with my career, and I've had a lot of struggles and a lot of things that didn't work or whatever, but for my parents to be in their 90s, to see this happen, and I'm not talking about career stuff; I'm talking about how I've treated people and how they treat me. I mean, I think that's what I want for my kids — I wanna feel well about how they are with people and how people treat them at the end of the day. I think that's just awesome."

Another sneak preview of "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph", a Dee Snider-sung rendition of the TRIUMPH classic "Lay It On The Line", can be heard below.

Snider recalled: "The first time I heard this song, I was blown away. There's only one Rik Emmett and TRIUMPH. I'm honored to be a part of this!"

On Friday, June 6, 2025, one of the greatest and most successful Canadian rock bands of all time, TRIUMPH, will be honored with a star-studded tribute album. "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph" will arrive via Round Hill Records, featuring such renowned rockers as Dorothy, Sebastian Bach, Nancy Wilson, Joey Belladonna, Slash and Jeff Keith covering classic TRIUMPH tunes.

The 15-track album features an amazing collection of musical firepower, including drummers Kenny Aronoff and Tommy Aldridge, and guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Paul Gilbert and Nita Strauss. The project was conceived by renowned producer Mike Clink, who has produced classic recordings for GUNS N' ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE and WHITESNAKE.

"Magic Power" will be released on CD with a 12-page booklet and as a double-LP gatefold edition.

To pre-order "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph", click here.

The participants are extremely honored to salute TRIUMPH, including Phil X, who went on to say: "It is so incredible to get back to my roots with my brothers, Gil, Mike and Rik. The TRIUMPH fans will love this!"

Enthusiastically, JOURNEY drummer Deen Castronovo commented: "TRIUMPH was a huge influence. No Gil Moore, no Deen Castronovo singing behind a kit."

Furthermore, Bach said: "The music of TRIUMPH will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm super proud to pay tribute to one of my favorite bands of all time…the Rock n' Roll Machine known as TRIUMPH!"

Originally formed in 1975 and hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the trio was always proud of their Great White North roots. And seemingly ever since their inception, TRIUMPH was on the cutting edge of technology when it came to their live show, particularly lighting, sound, and effects.

Sophisticated lasers, pyrotechnics and moving lighting rigs, all computer-controlled — TRIUMPH was one of the first arena rock bands to incorporate all of these elements into their shows. TRIUMPH's headlining tours were legendary, and the band was featured on many memorable stadium/outdoor shows, including the US Festival, the World Series Of Rock, the American Rock Festival, Texxas Jam and Day On The Green, to name but a few.

And now, fans will be able to re-experience TRIUMPH classics in a whole new way via "Magic Power: All Star Tribute to Triumph".

"Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph" track listing:

* 24 Hours A Day - Sebastian Bach
* Rock & Roll Machine - Sebastian Bach
* Magic Power - Joey Belladonna
* Spellbound - Mickey Thomas
* Lay It On The Line - Dee Snider
* Somebody's Out There - Lawrence Gowan
* Never Surrender - Deen Castronovo
* Hold On - Jeff Keith
* Just One Night - Jason Scheff
* I Live For The Weekend - Dorothy & Tyler Connolly
* Fight The Good Fight - Nancy Wilson
* Follow Your Heart - Jack Blades
* Allied Forces - Phil X
* Blinding Light Show - Envy Of None
* Fight The Good Fight (Encore) - Dino Jelusick

Gil Moore (drums),Mike Levine (bass) and Rik Emmett (guitar, vocals) formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, more than three decades later.

Emmett, who quit TRIUMPH — acrimoniously, in 1988 — over music and business disputes, went on to pursue a solo career, while TRIUMPH carried on with future BON JOVI guitarist Phil X for one more album, 1992's "Edge Of Excess", before calling it a day the following year.

Emmett was estranged, both personally and professionally, from the two other members of the legendary Canadian classic rock power trio for 18 years before they repaired their relationship.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

PUDDLE OF MUDD will release a new album, "Kiss The Machine", on May 2 via Pavement Entertainment. The LP's lead single, "Beautimous", is now available now on all digital platforms and can be streamed below.

A PUDDLE OF MUDD limited "Kiss The Machine" CD/t-shirt bundle is available for pre-order that features a signed post card from frontman Wes Scantlin.

"Kiss The Machine" showcases PUDDLE OF MUDD's fearless approach to music and Scantlin's commitment to innovation.

"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this record," says Wes. "We wanted to mix and match different styles together, have fun, and just create something fresh. It's all about pushing boundaries and breaking out of the same old vibe."

"Kiss The Machine" reflects the raw energy and personal journey of Scantlin, who was fully immersed in every aspect of its creation.

"This album was a moment of clarity — me looking in the mirror," he says. "I was there night after night in the studio, learning, recording, pushing myself, and making sure every part of it felt authentic. I'm super proud of how it all came together."

"Kiss The Machine" is a testament to resilience and creative freedom.

"I just want people to feel something — to smile, and have some hope in their hearts," Scantlin shares. "Music has the power to heal, and if these songs help someone through a tough time, that means everything to me. That's what this album is all about."

"Kiss The Machine" track listing:

01. Beautimous
02. Free
03. In Love with a Dancer
04. Back Against the Wall
05. Firefly
06. Maniac
07. Baby You Da Best
08. Everything
09. Win Win Win

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band. The group into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".

PUDDLE OF MUDD's latest album, "Ubiquitous", was released in September 2023 via Pavement Entertainment.

Last month, TMZ reported that Scantlin was arrested after allegedly getting into a physical altercation with his girlfriend.

Earlier in March, Scantlin made headlines when he claimed he was "roofied" by an ex-bandmate before a disastrous PUDDLE OF MUDD gig at Daytona Bike Week.

Scantlin's latest legal problems came just eight months after he was arrested in Burbank, California for an outstanding warrant and a new charge of resisting arrest.

Wes had almost non-stop problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues, before claiming to have gotten sober in 2017. Scantlin said that he ended up going back to rehab and receiving treatment "because there's really nowhere else to go." He also credited his family and fans for giving him the strength to try to get better.

In February 2023, RadarOnline.com reported that Scantlin was arrested after he allegedly showed up at an old home he lost to foreclosure.

Prior to that, Scantlin was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in September 2017 after he attempted to board a plane with a BB gun. He pleaded no contest and was banned from LAX unless it involved traveling for work.

Less than two years earlier, in December 2015, Scantlin was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and had several previous busts that same year for driving under the influence.

Additionally, he was arrested at a Denver airport in 2015 for taking a joyride on a baggage carousel and taken into custody as far back as 2012 for an altercation with a flight attendant.

He also ended a number of PUDDLE OF MUDD shows in 2016 early with various meltdowns, including one in which he accused a fan of stealing his house.

Scantlin's latest arrest comes three and a half years after he made headlines when he walked offstage midconcert at the EPIC Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin after complaining about the venue's lights.

Photo by Bryce Cain (courtesy of Pavement Entertainment)

In anticipation of his upcoming 2025 "One Assassination Under God" tour, iconic shock rocker Marilyn Manson has released a cover of luminary musician Phil Collins's seminal song "In The Air Tonight". The single has been made available with the B-side track "As Sick As The Secrets Of (Sleep)" on a maxi single CD, which sold out in just four hours. The tracks are available for streaming everywhere now.

As previously reported, Manson will return to the stage this summer and fall for the for the second leg of a tour in support of his new album, "One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1".

"One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1" was made available last November via Nuclear Blast Records.

In August 2024, Manson released two new songs, "Raise The Red Flag" and "As Sick As The Secrets Within". A third track, "Sacrilegious", followed in September 2024.

Marilyn performed "As Sick As The Secrets Within" live for the first time during his headlining concert on August 3, 2024 at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Manson returned to the stage August 2, 2024 for his first live performance since before the pandemic at the kick-off concert of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's summer arena tour. The show at Hershey, Pennsylvania's Hersheypark Stadium marked Manson's proper gig since the completion of his fall 2019 headlining tour.

Joining Manson on his latest tour was his new touring band, consisting of returning members Tyler Bates on guitar and Gil Sharone (ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) on drums, alongside the latest additions, Reba Meyers (CODE ORANGE) on guitar and Matt Montgomery (a.k.a. Piggy D.; ex-ROB ZOMBIE) on bass.

"As Sick As The Secrets Within", which was recorded and co-produced with collaborator Tyler Bates, marked Manson's first release via his new deal with Nuclear Blast Records.

The news of a partnership with Nuclear Blast came in May 2024, just weeks after rumors suggested that Manson had already completed work on a new album.

Prior to the arrival of "As Sick As The Secrets Within", Marilyn hadn't released new music since his 2020 "We Are Chaos" LP.

Manson's 30-date arena/amphitheater tour as the support act for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH wrapped up on September 19, 2024 in Houston, Texas.

Over the past four years, Manson has been embroiled in a series of court battles and has been accused by several women — most notably "Westworld" star Evan Rachel Wood — of sexual, emotional and physical abuse.

Manson, who has denied all the allegations, has countersued a number of his alleged victims and judges have dismissed several of the abuse lawsuits against him.

Before launching the tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in August, the 56-year-old musician, whose real name is Brian Warner, had been off the road since the final August 18, 2019 date on the "Twins of Evil: Hell Never Dies" joint tour with Rob Zombie.

In 2022, Marilyn confirmed he was dropped by his record label, Loma Vista Recordings, and talent agency CAA after he was accused of sexual assault.

Manson has consistently denied sexually assaulting or abusing anyone, claiming that his "intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners".

Manson's first release through Concord imprint Loma Vista was "The Pale Emperor" in 2015.

"We Are Chaos" debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart.

In a new interview with Brent Porche of Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station, DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren spoke about how they go about choosing which classic songs to cover, having previously recorded versions of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence", GENESIS's "Land Of Confusion" and TEARS FOR FEARS' "Shout", among others. Dan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When it came to 'Shout' in the beginning, we were doing that before we had the record deal too. And at the time, when you're playing the bar scene, obviously a lot of owners want you to play cover songs because that's what brings people in the door for neighborhood bars and that, so we had about half and half of originals and covers. And then we just thought we'd take on the challenge of taking a song like 'Shout'. And we liked it lyrically, we liked the message and we thought that musically we could put our stamp on it — still pay our respect to the original version, but be able to add a little bit more aggro to it and a little bit more chunk to it. And I think we've just, throughout our career, even though we don't do it for every album, but the covers we've done throughout the years, it's always just in that moment if we feel like taking on that challenge again of trying to find that song that — for me personally, I like looking for, okay, the lyrical message. If it's something that typically fits within something we would sing about and then, does it give us enough freedom musically? If it's too much of a signature riff, like [LED ZEPPELIN's] 'Stairway To Heaven' or something where, what am I gonna change that guitar part? Probably not. I'd have to take a completely different approach on it and maybe not do that. So some things I hesitate on. I wouldn't say we would never do it, but it would take a lot more thought on it. But then, for example, when we did 'The Sound Of Silence', we went completely the opposite of it. And I don't think that guitar part was really a signature guitar part. With all due respect, it was an amazing song — that's why we did it — and great lyrics, but it wasn't a signature enough guitar performance on it; it was just kind of straight through. But it gave the freedom to give a different interpretation of it. So it's just always trying to find that song that's gonna push us musically and creatively and just really take some chances."

Regarding whether there are any unreleased DISTURBED versions of other artists' songs, Dan said: "When we released a B-side album called 'The Lost Children', we did a FAITH NO MORE track ['Midlife Crisis'] that we did way back in the beginning of our career. And that one, we didn't stray far off, 'cause at the time, when we did that song, we were big FAITH NO MORE fans. But we were asked at the time — there was gonna potentially be a tribute album that was gonna come out, so it was more or less trying to stay true to its form. And we just went in the studio one day, tracked it, and then had it in our back pocket. And, obviously, that album never happened for them or whoever was putting it together, so we just released it on the B-side album. But as far as other covers, I think everything has been out there one way or another. Maybe we didn't push 'em or promote them; we just released it. So I think if people search for it, they're out there. We did the U2 song, 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', and we did the Sting one, 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You'. And we put that one out. We didn't work it as a single, but we put it out during COVID, because nobody knew what the hell was going on in the world and what what was gonna happen and we were all sitting at home for almost two years. So we released that just as a bonus track."

Asked if there are any songs on DISTURBED's bucket list that they would like to maybe cover down the line, Mike said: "We're pretty particular about making sure, like all the factors and characteristics that Dan described. So, we're always tossing ideas around, but nothing has really jumped out just yet. But we're always talking about it."

Added Dan: "Yeah. I think maybe we overthink it some of the times because that's why we we've gone years in between where we don't do anything at all, 'cause it's hard to pick that right one, because we're perfectionist and we're trying to master and we're trying to put our stamp on it and, like I said, pay respect to that original version. But anything's possible. We're open to anything. I don't care what genre of music it is. That's the thing — if we we're up for that challenge again, it's always fun to create and see what happens."

DISTURBED's latest single, "I Will Not Break", came out on February 21 via DISTURBED's own label, Mother Culture Records.

"I Will Not Break" marks DISTURBED's first new music since its acclaimed 2022 album "Divisive".

According to DISTURBED, "I Will Not Break" is "a necessary song, about becoming stronger than the forces that constantly try to tear you down." The track includes the stirring lyrics "I've had enough of feeling terrified, now I'm deciding that I won't be hiding from anyone," which encourages listeners to push back in the face of adversity.

Producer Drew Fulk, also known as WZRD BLD, who helmed "I Will Not Break", previously worked with DISTURBED on "Divisive", which was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

DISTURBED's "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" kicked off in Nampa, Idaho on February 25. Produced by Live Nation, each night features two sets of music, opening with DISTURBED playing the five times platinum "The Sickness" in full, followed by a full set of greatest hits. The first half of the tour featured support from special guests THREE DAYS GRACE, including the return of original singer Adam Gontier, and opener SEVENDUST, while the second half features special guests DAUGHTRY with opener NOTHING MORE.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

In a new interview with Scott's Bass Lessons, Rex Brown reflected on PANTERA's early years, after he joined the band in May 1982 as the group's bassist, replacing Tommy D. Bradford and adopting the alias Rex Rocker. Brown was a classmate of, and played in the high school jazz band with, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (then known as Diamond Darrell).

"The [Abbott] brothers were playing more LOVERBOY, 1981, '82 kind of stuff," Rex said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET),"[with] a little bit of VAN HALEN thrown in — a lot of VAN HALEN, a lot of DEF LEPPARD thrown in — but the pop sense was still there. We were a popular band. We were just trying to write good songs within that sense, and that's hard to do, man. So about '84, by the time [METALLICA's] 'Ride The Lightning' came out is when it all changed — this heavy riffing, that's when it all changed. Because we were so young, we kept that natural progression. You've got a band that's tight; we can all play together really good. [We] had a different singer the first three records and then found this crazy dude down in New Orleans named Philip Anselmo. He wasn't that crazy; I'm just saying. He was different because he wasn't from the same neighborhood. Everybody in this band, we basically all lived not five miles apart from each other in Texas."

Brown continued: "The coolest thing about all of this is that I played in a jazz band from the seventh to the 12th grade. And I used to be able to sight read really, really good. And Vinnie and I knew each other from we were all in junior high. We were in one of the top lab bands for the high school level in North Texas. And they had some really good teachers. And so that's where Vinnie and I were playing for that lab band. And his dad just happened to be an engineer at the only studio for miles in Texas. I think there might have been one other one. That's kind of crazy for the late '70s. But everything changed around that period. And he was a really good engineer, but it was more country. He wasn't ready for this rock from his kids. And so I think that's where we got a little angst and rebellion from in those early years, because it was fighting with the old man, just to try to get some sounds down there. He was not used to [recording that kind of music]."

Rex added: "They were the first kids with a P.A. in town. But once I got in the band, they told me, 'Well, you can't smoke and you can't drink.' And so I showed up at the first rehearsal with a six pack of Löwenbräu and a cigarette in my mouth… It was fun. We were 17, 18 years old, and we wanted to make a name for ourselves. And to make a name for yourself, you have to get out there and practice, practice, practice and learn other people's songs. My sister was 17 years older than I was, and I had all this great material to pull from — all the way from THE [ROLLING] STONES and THE BEATLES. I mean, any of THE BEATLES stuff through the '60s, it was all over. So I would just dig through those records, man, and learn how to play it. I was a guitar player first before I started playing bass. They wanted me to play the guitar in the lab band… And I was also wanting to be on the drum line 'cause of the rudiments and all that kind of stuff… I took nothing but music classes my whole seventh through 12th grade. It was all music."

Rex confirmed that he and his PANTERA bandmates were turned down 28 times by every major label on the face of the Earth before they were picked up by Atco Records prior to the release of "Cowboys From Hell" in 1990.

"It was a lot hardship — it really was," Rex recalled. "I think that things happen for reasons, being at the right place at the right time, and having the perseverance to go ahead and see that for what it is, but keep… God, we were writing this incredible stuff, and the chemistry was just getting better and better. By the time we were 25 years old, we had a major label record deal.

"We pretty [knew] that we were gonna do this, but how were we gonna do it?" he added. "So we started selling all of our cassettes at the shows. We sold 46,000 copies out of the backseat of our car. And that's when somebody goes, 'Well, of course, we'd rather make the money than you guys.' But once you got your foot in the door, it wasn't time to go, 'Phew, we're rock stars.' It was time to get to work. And that was hitting every radio station… But we still had the melodic sense that was left over from the '80s in our music. And then we incorporated stuff like that. I mean, even a song like 'Fucking Hostile'. You take that song — that's a pop song. It became popular. Yeah, it did —even though it wasn't on the radio. Nobody would play it. Nobody had the balls back then to do it. Philip and I still carry that with us. Absolutely."

PANTERA and AMON AMARTH will embark on a U.S. amphitheater tour this summer. Produced by Live Nation, the journey will commence on July 15 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania and wind its way through over two dozen cities, coming to a close on September 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Featuring classic members Anselmo and Brown, alongside guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante, PANTERA's latest stretch of live dates continues the celebration of the lives of late founding members, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag. The tour follows PANTERA's spring run of stadium shows with METALLICA and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES as well as a very special U.K. performance as part of BLACK SABBATH's and Ozzy Osbourne's historic final show alongside METALLICA, SLAYER, GOJIRA, HALESTORM, ALICE IN CHAINS, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, MASTODON and more.

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin spoke about the band's current status, three and a half years after FAITH NO MORE scrapped all of its previously announced fall 2021 performances, saying singer Mike Patton was unable to perform as hoped due to mental health issues, partially exacerbated by the pandemic. Bordin said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "All I can say is, and I think I do want this to be on the record, actually — because we don't promote ourselves, we don't talk about ourselves, and that's, that's really been to our detriment. But we'd been rehearsing for six months for these dates [in September/October 2021]. We'd been rehearsing instrumentally and we incredibly sounded phenomenal. I mean, the bass player said, 'I've never heard us sound this good. This is how these songs sounded in my mind.' And we've never gotten that on album, on live, whatever. I mean, we were ready, we were prepared. And it came to pass that when the gear was in the truck, when it was rolling to Chicago, 36 hours before we were supposed to be on stage, and our guy [Mike Patton] doesn't show for the rehearsal, the one rehearsal that we're gonna do. And we go to go see him and see what's going on. 'What the hell's going on here? Our gear's rolling already to the gig.' And it was very clear that he was unable at that point to physically do it. We made the decision that, 'Look, we've gotta support our guy.' It's gonna be a shit storm canceling fucking 75 shows, but none of us wants to be the guy that breaks his back and forces him to do something that he's not in the position to be able to do. It wasn't even an argument. The only argument was, 'How the fuck did we logistically do this? Because we have to.' I mean, we did support him in our way, and whether that's perceived or not is beyond — I can't control it. So we pull these shows and just wait to see. Hopefully things are better, and try to find out what we can around the edges. But ultimately shows get started to get booked with another band," referencing Patton's sporadic appearances with his long-running avant-garde/thrash band MR. BUNGLE in the last two and a half years, "and that's continued to this day. So it's my take, my position, my statement on it is that he's gone from being unable to do the shows to clearly being unwilling to do shows with us. And that's heavy. That's a big difference. That's a big difference. And we haven't really had much dialogue on it."

Bordin continued: "It doesn't feel great to me. It honestly kind of hurts my feelings a little bit, but that's personal. That's a private thing. It's business. We were never gonna force somebody to do something that they weren't able to do. And now, as I say, it looks like it's more really about being willing to do it."

Bordin clarified that he is "grateful for what [Patton has] given to us. I mean, we're blessed to have been blessed by such a gigantic, enormous talent," he said. "And the future? I don't know. Will he be willing to do stuff or not? It's not for me to say.

"I tell my kids a lot of times, especially when they were young, it's, like, appreciate what you have and don't really trip on what you don't have," the drummer continued. "So I'm grateful for the time we had with [former FAITH NO MORE guitarist] Jim [Martin]. I'm grateful for the time we have with [former FAITH NO MORE singer] Chuck [Mosley]. I'm grateful for the time even we had with [former FAITH NO MORE member] Courtney [Love] 'cause we learned from all of it. And certainly am I grateful for the time with Mike Patton? Yeah, because my life would be very different without it. But I can't force him to do something that he, from where I'm sitting, doesn't seem to wanna do. That's all I can say. And I don't wanna be controversial. I'm not looking for a fucking headline — I'm really not. I'm just trying to tell you sort of what it looks like from here."

This past January, FAITH NO MORE bassist Bill Gould was asked by Chile's Radio Futuro what is going on with the band at the moment. He responded: "I don't know. I honestly don't know. And you don't have to believe me, but there's nothing… Right now we're in a really weird spot, a really strange spot, and I can't really tell you what's going on. I don't know myself. I get different information from people, and I'm in the band, so…"

When the interviewer suggested that Gould "calls the shots" in FAITH NO MORE, Bill replied: "Uh, not really. If I did, probably we'd be playing in Chile next week. [Laughs]"

Last October, FAITH NO MORE keyboardist Roddy Bottum said that the band was on "semi-permanent hiatus".

After FAITH NO MORE canceled its fall 2021 performances, the other members of the band issued a statement expressing their disappointment about the tour cancelation while also throwing their support behind Patton.

FAITH NO MORE, which hasn't played a concert since 2016, initially reunited for touring purposes in 2009, 12 years after issuing its previous studio set, "Album Of The Year", and followed that up with 2015's "Sol Invictus".

In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Patton revealed he developed agoraphobia and depression during lockdown, and started drinking heavily. "Because I was isolated so much, going outside was a hard thing to do," he said, "and that's a horrible thing. And the idea of doing more FAITH NO MORE shows — it was stressful. It affected me mentally. I don't know why, but the drinking just… happened."

Patton didn't return to the stage until December 2022, when MR. BUNGLE played six shows in South America.

In July 2022, Patton discussed the mental health issues which caused the cancelation of FAITH NO MORE and MR. BUNGLE's live appearances in an interview with Rolling Stone. At the time he said: "It's easy to blame it on the pandemic. But I'll be honest, man: At the beginning of the pandemic, I was like, 'This is fucking great. I can stay home and record.' I've got a home studio. So I was like, 'Yeah, what's the big deal?' And then something clicked, and I became completely isolated and almost antisocial [and] afraid of people. That sort of anxiety, or whatever you want to call it, led to other issues, which I choose not to discuss."

Asked to elaborate on the "other issues" that led to the cancelations and whether that included "substances" and "alcohol", Patton said: "It was a little bit of everything. But mostly, in my experience, it was mostly mental. I saw some therapists and all that stuff, which is the first time I ever had to do that in my life. And they basically diagnosed me as having agoraphobia; like, I was afraid of people. I got freaked out by being around people. And maybe that was because I spent two years basically indoors during Covid. I don't know. Maybe it reinforced feelings that I already had. But just knowing about it, talking about it, really helped."

Mike said that he realized he had a problem "right around the time that FAITH NO MORE was about to go back on the road. That's when I kind of lost it, and it was ugly and not cool," he said. "A few days before we were supposed to go on the road. I told the guys, 'Hey, man, I don't think I can do it.' Somehow my confidence was broken down. I didn't want to be in front of people, which is weird because I spent half of my life doing that. It was very hard to explain. And there were some broken feelings on both sides about it, but it's what I had to do. Because otherwise something really bad could have happened… It was right before our first rehearsal, and I just freaked out. I just said, 'I can't do it.' They had been rehearsing so [pauses] if I were them I'd be really pissed off at me. And they were. And they probably still are. But it's just about being true to yourself and knowing what your limits are. And I knew that if I kept pushing, it could have been some sort of disastrous result. It was just like, 'Goddamn it. Maybe I don't need to do this. Even though I agreed to do it, and it's gonna bum a lot of people out. I gotta take care of myself.' So I'm getting better at that."

As for where things stood with FAITH NO MORE as of July 2022, Patton told Rolling Stone: "Radio silence. [Laughs]. I don't know. We may reschedule stuff; we may not. I'll just leave it at that. It's a little confusing and complicated. So if we do, we do. If we don't, that's cool, too."