In the video below, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci talks about the recently released single "Night Terror", which is taken from the band's upcoming sixteenth studio album, "Parasomnia", due on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP marks the band's first release with drummer Mike Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings". John said: "' Night Terror' was actually the first song that we wrote when we got into the studio. So it's really reflective of what we were feeling. I think for fans, they kind of could pick up on the excitement, the energy. I think it also set the tone for the type of record it was gonna be. I mean, it's certainly heavy, has all the different elements of DREAM THEATER that we love to inject, the prog elements, riffy elements, things like that."

He continued: "It's been a blast to play live on the 40th anniversary tour. When we kick into that, it feels like a song that's been in our catalog forever. And it was also fun to write lyrics to that topic that really kind of expressed the really scary sensation that some people experience when they go through a night terror."

This past November, Petrucci told "Coffee With Ola" about "Night Terror": "There was some back and forth as to what single we should lead with, and 'Night Terror' is the first song that we wrote together. When we got together, that's what came out of us. And so, for us, yeah, maybe there are songs that are a little bit more immediate to the general fanbase, but for us, we felt it was important that the first thing that people heard is, 'Listen, this is what DREAM THEATER is. This is the first thing we wrote. This identifies all the stuff that everybody loves about the band and showcases Mike.' I always said that opening fill before the guitar riff that Mike does, that fill is like, 'I'm back.' [Laughs] 'In case you missed me.' And I think he did that in one take. It was, like, 'Yeah, that's it. That's the signature.'"

Regarding what it felt like to be writing and recording with DREAM THEATER again, Portnoy said: "To be back with these guys, it feels really special. It feels like family, really, honestly. John and me and DREAM THEATER bassist] John Myung have been playing together almost 40 years at this point. We formed the band when we were teenagers and met at college, the first month of college. So, for us, it's deeper than just being in a band together. We've been through life together. We met our wives together, our wives played in a band together, we ad our families at the same time, we've been to the funerals of each other's parents and siblings and things like that. So, we've been through all these life experiences together. It goes beyond just the music for us. All that being said, it also, at least to me, felt like no time had passed. It did not feel like 13 years. Once we started writing together, it felt so natural and so fresh. 'Night Terror' was the first thing we worked on, and it just came out so naturally. There wasn't much thought needed to go into it. It was, like, 'Okay, here we are where we just left off.'"

John chimed in: "It's tough to explain. For anybody out there who has been in bands with their friends, you almost have like an unspoken language, like somebody plays something, I know what he means when he plays it and I respond and vice versa. So it's, like, immediately the songs just developed and grew in such a natural and organic way. It was so cool."

On the topic of "Parasomnia", which DREAM THEATER previously said had a conceptual theme but not a concept album, John said: "Without giving too much of a way, because we always like to keep the mystery, but I think this has been said before, the album's called 'Parasomnia', and for those people that don't know what that is, it kind of encompasses a broad range of sleep disturbances, and that could range from snoring to some scarier things, like sleepwalking and night terrors, false awakenings and things like that that are actually really very frightening for the people that it happens to. So, much in the way that [2002's] 'Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence' had a lyrical theme to it where there were different case studies having to do with challenges of mental illness and stuff like that, 'Parasomnia' is sort of the sleep disturbance version of that, but in an entire record, as opposed to just a song."

The progressive metal legends played their first concert with Portnoy in 14 years on October 20, 2024 at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom.

The drummer co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with Petrucci and bassist John Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010. Portnoy returned to DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after being replaced by Mike Mangini, who played with DREAM THEATER across five studio albums and accompanying world tours.

London marked the kick-off concert of DREAM THEATER's 2024-2025 40th-anniversary tour. The European leg of the trek — presented as "An Evening With Dream Theater" — ran through November 24 in Amsterdam, hitting cities in numerous countries along the way.

"Parasomnia" was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returns once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.

In a new interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, legendary rocker Sammy Hagar, who is preparing for a nine-show Las Vegas residency in the spring, said that he longer wants to spend any time on the road. "I don't think I want to go on tour anymore," he said. "I hate to say that, because I don't want to piss my fans off. I'll go out and do a one-off show and do things like that, but the residency is going to give me a good extension of my career. That's what I'm hoping for."

Referencing the upcoming residency, "Best Of All Worlds Tour - The Residency", which is scheduled for April 30-May 17 at Dolby Live, the 77-year-old former VAN HALEN and MONTROSE frontman said: "With this, I don't have to travel, I don't have to unpack and pack and get on an airplane every day. You know, at my age, it hurts my shoulders to do all this. And I have to perform. I'm a performer, at the end of the day."

"I keep telling my manager, 'Don't take any tours, let me do this residency,'" Hagar added. "If I like it enough, I'll do another one. And if that's successful I'll do another one, and I can squeeze a few more years out of my career."

Last November, Hagar admitted to People magazine that retirement had "crept into my head for 10 years."

"I get insecure in between shows, in between tours, and I think, 'Gee, do I still have it? Can I really still do all that?' And I get out there, and it's like it's riding a bike or having sex," he said.

"I'm going to retire when I can't do this, when I can't sing anymore… I'm not going to have people pay the kind of money that it costs to see these concerts these days and not deliver. So that's where my retirement is. It's in the hands of the higher being."

"The Best Of All Worlds Tour - The Residency" will reunite the rock powerhouse band of Sammy, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Kenny Aronoff with a new "only in Las Vegas" setlist.

This residency will showcase Sammy's career-spanning hits, from seminal breakouts with MONTROSE, his iconic solo hits, and a deep dive into his tenure with VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT, and everything in between. Presented in partnership by Live Nation and MGM Resorts International, the residency will be custom-designed for Dolby Live, giving fans an intimate, high-energy concert experience in the 5,200-seat entertainment venue.

Tickets for the following nine dates are onsale now: April 30, 2025 and May 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17, 2025.

The Las Vegas residency follows on the heels of the chart-topping success of "The Best Of All Worlds" tour, which sold out amphitheaters and arenas across North America and Japan in 2024.

LAMB OF GOD drummer Art Cruz is celebrating the second anniversary of his getting sober.

Earlier today (Thursday, January 16),the 36-year-old musician took to his Instagram to write: "2 Years. #SOBER. I'm grateful I'm alive to share this milestone with you today. Not for me, but for anyone that is struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or life events that may lead you further down the dark bottom of a bottle. Today I pray for you, and for the ability to encourage and inspire your next step to recovery. Because it works.. if YOU work it."

A year ago, Cruz was asked by Drumeo what he would say was the "hardest part" about joining LAMB OF GOD — if it was "something technical, like learning the parts, or it was "dealing with fans who have opinions of the old band configuration." He said: "It's a combination of both. I was so confident with my playing, and not in an egotistical way. I was just very confident with where I was on my skill level. I had been touring for a long time in the trenches, man — from local bands to selling merchandise for bands to being a driver to just being the guy that 'let me help' kind of thing to playing in bands and sleeping on floors and doing all that good stuff. But it wasn't really that — it was wasn't the playing; I was confident enough with my playing. It was a challenge with the fans. It's a big deal. And that goes for anybody. You're [former METALLICA bassist] Jason Newsted, you're [ex-METALLICA bassist] Robert Trujillo; it's crazy how they went back to back to convince fans. And you don't think about that until it's a reality, and you're getting blown up on social media and you're experiencing it. And those are probably the most challenging parts. But with a band and a brotherhood that I have, they've walked me, literally — pun intended — walked me through hell and helped to see me on the other side, so I don't have to really pay attention to that stuff anymore. And I don't. I'm here to inspire. That is my only goal in this world, is to show you where I came from — my vulnerabilities, my weaknesses, and show you how I grow from that and do what I can to be in this position. And thankfully I'm in a better place than I used to be before. It was hard to get through that stuff, man. But thankfully, it's a lot easier to avoid it. Yeah, I just don't go on [social media]. It's fun."

In June 2023, Cruz was asked, as part of Jonathan Montenegro's "My 3 Questions To" series, to name his top three drummers of all time. He responded: "It's a tough one. Honestly, I always have to say my first inspiration — I just got finished, actually, watching a video of Woodstock — [Carlos] Santana. He's not a drummer. However, to me, the entire entity of Santana and his music is very percussion backed — it's very percussion. So, as a kid, that's what I first listened to, it's what I first saw, it's what I first was around my entire childhood. So that's what got me into drums. So I stuck with that. So Santana — I have to classify him as one of my favorite drummers. Weird, but it's the truth.

"After that, I would have to say most definitely Mike Portnoy [DREAM THEATER]," he continued. "A huge part of my career. Good friend now — thank God. He influenced me to really think outside the box and get creative and have that Portnoy factor in my playing. And I'm sure, if you are a drummer, you can hear that in my playing.

"And then my third… That's really hard, man — top three's hard. But I will probably have to say… David Garibaldi, the drummer from TOWER OF POWER. I'm a very funky dude," Cruz added.

"Notice how not all these guys are metal, or metal at all, but those are the guys that influenced me early.

"To give you some bonus fours and fives — Dave Lombardo [SLAYER] and Chris Adler [LAMB OF GOD]. And a bonus six — Joey Jordison [SLIPKNOT]."

In a 2022 interview with Finland's Chaoszine, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton was asked if Cruz, who has been the band's drummer of the past seven years, was more involved in the songwriting process on LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "Omens", than he was on 2020's self-titled effort. He responded: "I think so. Yeah, I'd say so. Not that he wasn't involved in the first one — he was very involved in the first one — but I think his confidence was up. And I think psychologically, everyone, especially him, was ready to have a bigger impact sonically on the record and to have more personality in the drums rather than… I think on the last album, the self-titled album, he played phenomenally but he stuck very close to traditional LAMB OF GOD movements, and on this album he stretched out quite a bit."

Morton continued: "I think it's about finding a balance about staying true to the historic sound of the band and how the band has sounded; you don't wanna come in sounding radically different. But I think we're all ready, and have been ready, to allow him to grow within the context of LAMB OF GOD, and he's done that for sure."

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

Art spoke about his contributions to "Omens" — which arrived in October 2022 via Epic Records — during an appearance in June 2022 on "The Garza Podcast", hosted by SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza. "The first, self-titled one we did, it was great, man — we wrote some great songs," he said, referring to 2020's "Lamb Of God", which marked his recording debut with LAMB OF GOD. "But I was still learning their vibe. I was green to that level of… Those guys had been doing it for 28, 29 years — almost 30 years — and I'm the new guy, a young kid coming in. You have to go through the trenches in every which way. And that first album was a very secure, safe way for all of us to just, 'Here's the tunes. Let's figure it out. Learn how we work.' And this one that's coming out, 'Omens', they really let me spread my wings and they really let me play me — they let me be me.

"I'm always inspired by LAMB, and LAMB is a signature sound," he continued. "LAMB OF GOD, to me, is that sound as a unit. It's a unit — it's not one individual. It's Randy [Blythe, vocals], it's Mark [Morton, guitar], it's Willie [Adler, guitar], it's John [Campbell, bass], it's Chris. That's, to me, what LAMB OF GOD was. So I'm not far off from that. That's what inspired me to be listening to metal and shit. It's my favorite metal band of all time. So to take that inspiration and then become my own person, my own player, from WINDS OF PLAGUE to AZUSA to my first band ENTHRAL to PRONG, to finally come to this point, and this is the album. It's all of those bands, it's all of those struggles, all of those trenches, all of those challenges, all of those tours — this is the album that I was able to really… And then the last LAMB OF GOD album, that is what built me to be to this 'Omens' album, for real. And we're just getting started, man — we're so just getting started. And I'm ready. And I'm mentally in a better place to do that, and I'm ready to do it. And the band is, they're my brothers."

The band tracked "Omens" with longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH) live in the room together at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios) in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, PINK FLOYD, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others.

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SALIVA is embarking on a new chapter with the announcement of its new deluxe album "Revelation: Retold", available January 31 2025 via Judge & Jury Records. The band recently released "Time Bomb" off the upcoming record, a confrontational track rooted in the hardships of the world featuring post-grunge vocalist Peyton Parrish. Paired with a compelling performance heavy visual, "Time Bomb" can also be viewed on YouTube with a music video directed by Mason Wright.

On the upcoming record, SALIVA vocalist Bobby Amaru shares: "We received an incredible amount of support and positive feedback from critics and fans alike at radio with 'Revelation' in 2023, with the singles 'High On Me' and 'Crows' both breaking into the Top 20. That being said, while working on that album, we wrote a lot more music that resonated with its sound and theme but didn't make the final cut. 'Revelation: Retold' is exactly what the name implies — a reimagining of our 2023 release 'Revelation'. It features music from the original album alongside contributions from several guest artists and some brand-new songs."

"Revelation: Retold" track listing:

01. Time Bomb (feat. Peyton Parrish)
02. High On Me: Retold (feat. Lauren Babic)
03. Horizon (feat. Kevin Martin of CANDLEBOX)
04. Crowd Goes Wild
05. Devils World
06. Come Back Stronger
07. Die Before You Fly
08. Crows
09. How To Be Human
10. Fractures
11. Warzone
12. How To Live
13. I Belong
14. Friend In A Bottle
15. Toxic

The upcoming record will be available via Judge & Jury Records, a powerhouse record label and production company founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, SEETHER, SKILLET, OF MICE & MEN) and Neil Sanderson of THREE DAYS GRACE. The instrumentation was meticulously crafted by Benson and Sanderson at West Valley Recording Studios, Benson's studio in Woodland Hills.

On the signing to Judge & Jury Records, Benson adds: "I have known SALIVA for a while and was a fan of Bobby's vocals before he was even in the band. When we heard they were looking for a new label, I thought the band was a great fit for Judge & Jury Records. We are stoked on the result!"

SALIVA's career launched in 2001 with the release of "Every Six Seconds", a certified double platinum-selling album, containing the hits, "Click Click Boom" and 2002 Grammy-nominated "Your Disease". SALIVA's in-your-face, anthemic writing style continued with a certified gold-selling album "Back In To Your System" that contained top singles "Always", "Raise Up" and the Nikki Sixx-co-written "Rest In Pieces". Despite original vocalist Josey Scott leaving the band in 2011, the addition of Amaru brought a contemporary feel to the band, all while staying true to the band's blue collar roots. Amaru has been the SALIVA frontman for the past decade plus and was featured on the most recent releases "Rise Up", "Love Lies And Therapy", "10 Lives", "Every Twenty Years" EP and "Revelation".

Shortly before the release of the most recent album, SALIVA guitarist Wayne Swinny passed away unexpectedly. The "Come Back Stronger" video was notably filmed just days before Swinny's death, and was dedicated to the fallen guitarist. The album went on to be highly acclaimed by critics and the singles "Crows" and "High On Me" charted Top 20 on Billboard's Active Rock chart. The band continues to honor "Uncle Wayne" at every show.

With nearly three million monthly listeners and Spotify and a catalog that boasts more than one billion streams, the popularity of the music, old and new, endures.

SALIVA is Bobby Amaru (vocals),Brad Stewart (bass),Josh Kulack (guitar),Sebastian LaBar (guitar) and Sammi Jo Bishop (drums).

Photo credit: Gabriel Goulding

EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's long-running AVANTASIA project will release its tenth studio album, "Here Be Dragons", on February 28, 2025 via Napalm Records. The official lyric video for the LP's second single, "Against The Wind", featuring H.E.A.T. vocalist Kenny Leckremo, can be seen below.

Sammet comments: "'Against The Wind' is an anthemic uptempo rocket that contains lot a lot of what AVANTASIA stands for. What I especially like about the song is the combination of speed and power, along with an uplifting and elating harmonic and melodic approach. It comes over you with sheer force, but it drags you along to a better place, it gives you strength and encourages you to stay true to yourself in adverse wind and raise the middle finger to those who want to keep you from being yourself."

He continued: "Musically and vocally, it's quite a demanding tune, as you need the full toolkit of a power metal singer, but it's got some loose kind of JOURNEY feeling also in certain places that require a completely different way of feeling the song. So I was looking for a vocal partner who would have metal skills and quite a range, but also understand the background of singers like Sam Cooke or Steve Perry. And I knew that Kenny Leckremo of H.E.A.T. would be able to pull it off. In all modesty: I think we both sound amazing together here. I love this song!"

In addition to containing absolute AVANTASIA essentials such as spellbinding choirs and theatrical symphonic metal elements, "Here Be Dragons" finds Sammet surprising fans old and new with plenty of intriguing fresh soundscapes. "Here Be Dragons" gives the celebrated AVANTASIA sound that has been carefully crafted over a quarter of a century an exciting and powerful spin. The new album is the most consistent and concise piece of art that the band has ever crafted.

AVANTASIA's impressive success story has seen nine previous studio albums (including the 2019 offering "Moonglow" that charted at No. 1 in Germany),gold awards, hundreds of millions of streams as well as headline shows at all important metal festivals and worldwide sold-out arena tours with tens of thousands of devoted fans. AVANTASIA is not showing any signs of slowing down; soon after the release of "Here Be Dragons", the band will head out on an extensive arena tour across Europe, promising to deliver fans an immersive experience with their biggest and most epic production ever.

Sammet comments: "This new album carries the most adventurous and bold spirit my music has had in decades. And it's rather reckless, fearless, powerful, and uplifting and not introverted at all. While my previous albums allowed me to get a lot off my chest, this time I dove headfirst into the creative flood, crafting ten discrete, musical pictures, that miraculously merged into what I believe is the tightest chapter in AVANTASIA's history. I did everything exactly how I wanted it, approaching the album with unrelenting determination and a carefree attitude that was reminiscent of my early days way before the Metal Opera thing, when I felt unstoppable and let instinct just write songs. Right now I'm bursting with energy and can't wait to unleash 'Here Be Dragons' and then kick off the big tour with our new stage. We'll present the new material alongside our classics and some rarities in the most spectacular stage show AVANTASIA has ever delivered. An early Merry Christmas, everyone!"

In grand AVANTASIA tradition, the new full-length is rich in vivid storytelling and cinematic atmospheres, not to mention the highest level of musicianship. Opening track "Creepshow" is without a doubt one of the catchiest songs in their career. The energizing future hit truly welcomes the listener into the new era of AVANTASIA and will be an integral part of the band's spectacular live shows. In contrast, the incredible title track "Here Be Dragons" is a classic AVANTASIA song, and, at almost nine minutes, is by far the longest on the album. The cinematic dark soundscapes of "The Witch" captivate and support the song's storyline perfectly. Emotional, multifaceted vocal performances mesmerize on "Avalon", while the heavy metal number "Against The Wind" serves as further proof of the versatility of AVANTASIA's sound. Remaining well-balanced and cohesive, "Here Be Dragons" is undeniably AVANTASIA's most powerful album so far.

The 10-track offering was written and composed in its entirety by Tobias Sammet himself, produced and recorded by Tobias Sammet together with Sascha Paeth, mixed by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg. The stunning cover art was once again created by acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. "Here Be Dragons" marks another masterpiece in the AVANTASIA catalog, leaving both fans and critics speechless and proving the band's standing as a main force in the world of rock and metal!

"Here Be Dragons" is now available for pre-order in several exciting physical editions, with bonus albums included in select limited formats, like a 3CD hardcover artbook with 96 pages, over 160 pictures, drawings of Rodney Matthews and extensive stories to accompany the music and pictures.

"Here Be Dragons" track listing:

01. Creepshow
02. Here Be Dragons
03. The Moorland At Twilight
04. The Witch
05. Phantasmagoria
06. Bring On The Night
07. Unleash The Kraken
08. Avalon
09. Against The Wind
10. Everybody's Here Until The End

AVANTASIA's ninth album, "A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society", was released in October 2022 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was the follow-up to "Moonglow", which came out in 2019.

"A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society" was produced by Sammet with AVANTASIA guitar player Sascha Paeth. The cover artwork was created by Swedish illustrator Alexander Jansson.

Since its beginnings in 1999, AVANTASIA's past releases have featured international stars such as Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (SCORPIONS), Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (MR. BIG), SAXON's Biff Byford, TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider and many more.

Photo credit: Kevin Nixon

Swiss hard rock veterans GOTTHARD have kicked off the new year with the release of their second single, "Thunder & Lightning", from their upcoming 12-track studio album "Stereo Crush". As the world remains blanketed in snow, this new track spreads spring fever with its uplifting leads and emotionally charged storyline about love, quickly capturing the hearts of fans and heightening anticipation for the band's eagerly awaited new album.

Today, alongside the worldwide launch of pre-orders, GOTTHARD is also excited to reveal the cover artwork for "Stereo Crush", set to hit the shelves on March 21, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). The artwork, designed by Thomas Ewerhard, who has previously collaborated with the band, perfectly encapsulates the album's themes of honesty, rawness, and a broad spectrum of emotions.

GOTTHARD singer Nic Maeder comments: "Freddy [Scherer; guitars] came to my house with the musical idea for this song. We started there and came up with the structure and the vocal melodies together and recorded the demo there. I then spent quite some time figuring out lyrics. The sound of the chorus riff somehow sounded electric to me, and I was thinking of words like 'lighting,' 'thunder' etc...and then I thought of the concept of how lighting never strikes twice but in this case it does, using this as a metaphor for love. Also in French, which I'm fluent in, you can say that 'love at first sight' is like getting hit by a bolt of lighting."

After releasing two singles, there's no really doubt that GOTTHARD are more than ready for the future with "Stereo Crush". Decorated with a powerful and contemporary production, the album delivers a series of big anthems but also a few surprises which help the Swiss icons to improve their DNA fresh and to spice up the essence of their trademark sound in an exciting way.

"Stereo Crush" track listing:

01. AI & I
02. Thunder & Lightning
03. Rusty Rose
04. Burning Bridges
05. Drive My Car
06. Boom Boom
07. Life
08. Liverpool
09. Shake Shake
10. Devil In The Moonlight
11. Dig A Little Deeper
12. These Are The Days

Produced and mixed by long-time partner Charlie Bauerfeind, who's known for his work with the likes of HELLOWEEN and BLIND GUARDIAN, alongside Leoni, at Yellowhouse Studio, and mastered by Sascha "Busy" Bühren (TrueBusyness),"Stereo Crush" promises to set new standards which will additionally come to shine on the band's forthcoming touring cycle: GOTTHARD will be touring in May, accompanied by special guests Y&T, rounded off by select festival and headline dates during the course of the year.

With 16 No. 1 albums, a Diamond Award for selling over one million units in Switzerland, and multiple platinum records, including their quadruple platinum album "Homerun", and several double and triple platinum albums, GOTTHARD has an unmatched legacy of successes, rounded off by over 3.5 million units sold worldwide and more than 2,000 live performances. Their tracks like "Heaven", a platinum single, and seven top 10 singles have cemented the band in the international music scene.

Maeder, who was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and "Down Under", joined GOTTHARD in 2011.

GOTTHARD's previous vocalist, Steve Lee, was killed on October 5, 2010 in what has been described as a freak road accident in Nevada.

GOTTHARD is:

Nic Maeder - vocals
Leo Leoni - guitars
Freddy Scherer - guitars
Marc Lynn - bass
Flavio Mezzodi - drums

Photo credit: Manuel Schütz

AEROSMITH bassist Tom Hamilton's new band CLOSE ENEMIES has released the official lyric visualizer for its debut single, "Sound Of A Train". Check it out below.

Joining the 72-year-old Hamilton in the new group his bass tech Trace Foster, who plays guitar in CLOSE ENEMIES alongside Peter Stroud, who has been playing with Sheryl Crow for 25 years. CLOSE ENEMIES' drummer is Tony Brock, who had a band called THE BABYS and then played with Rod Stewart for 12 years. Fronting CLOSE ENEMIES is Chasen Hampton, a performer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a strong background in the country music scene. CLOSE ENEMIES is also working with "a great lyricist" named Gary Stier.

CLOSE ENEMIES recently signed with TLG|ROCK for management and label services.

"Sound Of A Train" is being distributed through Virgin Music Group.

Foster and Stroud recently spoke to the "Is Breakfast Included?" podcast about how the band came together almost exactly two years ago. Peter said in part: "I'm sure each of us have our own perspective. It was sort of in layers. Trace and I had already been working on another band project, trying to get something off the ground, and then just out of the blue — I think it was at the when an AEROSMITH tour had to go on a hiatus — apparently Tom and Trace had been speaking where Tom said, 'Man, I got all these songs I would love to try to do something with,' and the light bulb goes off in Trace's head, and he goes, 'I know just the guy to come up, and maybe we can get together and help you with that.' So he asked if I'd be interested in going up there and just jamming around, and I said, 'Yeah, well, I think I know just the drummer who would be into it.' And that was Tony Brock, who's a longtime buddy of mine. And we had always been trying to figure out some way to play together. And I figured that Tony and Tom might find some common ground and a good comfort zone playing-wise. So that was sort of the initial get-together."

Trace added: "I had this other band, and I thought we're riding around in a van, doing shows and not making any money. And I'm, like, if I'm gonna do this, I need to up my game, because at our age to be driving around in a van, not to make any money… So I called Peter. Why not? Why not start there? I just thought we could add him to the band I was already in. And then we did it. And it started to work really well. And then, of course, like every other band that you've been in in your life, somebody does something wrong and they're out of the band. Me and Peter were, like, 'This isn't worth it. Let's just wait.' And then, like he said, we started putting this other project together, 'cause we did all kinds of writing and we got the guy from Atlanta, Gary Stier, that was in my original band in Atlanta. I started writing with him, and then I brought Peter in. Peter knows Gary, of course. So the band that I was in in Atlanta all knew Peter, but I didn't so that's the weird thing. And then it just kind of went from there. Everybody's schedule didn't always jibe, and we just tried to make it work, and then we were in Las Vegas with AEROSMITH and I literally went, 'Man, we really gotta do something.' And then I just looked at Tom, and it was one of those moments where you go, 'This is the guy. He's asking for some help,' and this and that. I just walked up and I said, 'Hey…' I didn't ask him. I basically told Tom, I said, 'Hey, we're gonna come to Boston and work on your songs.' And he was, like, 'Well, let me think about that.' And then like an hour later, he was, like, 'I think that's a really good idea.' So that's how it started. And once Tom and Tony played together, it was pretty much a given."

Peter continued: "That was a great five days. I loved it, too, where Trace suggested to Tom, 'Hey, why don't we come up for a couple days, two or three days?', and he goes, 'How about five?' First he was, like, 'Well, let me think about it.' He was like, 'How about five? You guys wanna move up here?' I was, like, 'Man, there you go. I said, 'That's a reflection of somebody who knows hard work right there.'"

When the TLG|ROCK deal was first announced in December, Hamilton said in a statement: "We're really excited to be working with TLG/Virgin on the release of the CLOSE ENEMIES record! They're genuinely as excited about putting it out as we are! Can't wait to see what happens!"

Brock added: "TLG/Virgin are the perfect match for CLOSE ENEMIES as we are both SUPERGROUPS! Can't wait to see the results!!"

Foster said: "After spending a year on the writing and recording of this record, we were not going to sign with just anyone to put it out. Once we spoke with Dennis Sanders and his team at TLG/Virgin, we knew we had an ally with the same vision."

Hampton stated: "Honored to join forces with history! TLG/Virgin/Universal Music Group are all proven visionaries and a perfect fit for this band of brothers. We are excited to get this music heard and be a part of this new family."

Stroud said: "We could not ask for a better partner with Denny and The Label Group. His experience across all fronts of the industry is a perfect fit for CLOSE ENEMIES. And I always prefer flying Virgin! It's an honor to be playing with these musical brothers and now working with the ultimate team."

Denny Sanders, CEO of TLG|ROCK, stated: "My good friend Andy Gallagher of the band OVERHAUL sent me the music. I absolutely loved it, then to find out who's in the band, well that was just icing on the cake. We are all thrilled here at TLG to be working with CLOSE ENEMIES."

CLOSE ENEMIES made its live debut on October 11, 2024 at Eastside Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.

In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Tom said about CLOSE ENEMIES' debut gig: "I was a little bit nervous, you know. But that feeling, it energizes you. It doesn't hold you back. It makes you want to dive in deeper and deeper."

In an interview with AARP, Tom described Hampton as "a gifted singer who really made the songs come to life."

"When I joined, these guys had worked up a bunch of great songs, and I was able to contribute something I had," the bassist continued. "Hopefully, when the time comes, we'll work up some others I've had in my pocket for a while. All of these guys are great musicians, and it's an honor and a challenge to be part of it all. I'm looking forward to seeing how people like it. I think they'll be pleasantly amazed."

The members of AEROSMITH made the announcement that they were retiring from touring on August 2, 2024 — nearly one year after singer Steven Tyler fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.

The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.

Photo credit: Eduardo Andrade

Don Airey, the master behind the keys for some of rock's most iconic albums, has announced his latest studio album, "Pushed To The Edge", set to be released on March 28 via earMUSIC. The new song "Tell Me" is now available for streaming and as an instant gratification track with all download pre-orders of the album.

As one of the most recorded keyboardists of all time, with over 300 albums featuring his unmistakable sound, Don Airey's skills have been valued by nearly every rock 'n' roll superstar. The list includes legendary artists and bands such as Ozzy Osbourne, RAINBOW, WHITESNAKE, JUDAS PRIEST, Gary Moore, Brian May, JETHRO TULL, BLACK SABBATH, and, of course, DEEP PURPLE, the band Airey has been a full-time member of for over 20 years. After last year's success, when DEEP PURPLE secured their fourth consecutive No. 1 album with "=1" and a subsequent global tour, Airey kicks off 2025 with the same energy in his solo work.

Joining Airey on the new album is an all-star lineup featuring Carl Sentance (NAZARETH) and Mitchell Emms ("The Voice UK") on vocals, DEEP PURPLE guitarist Simon McBride, drummer Jon Finnigan, and bassist Dave Marks. Produced in the finest hard rock tradition, "Pushed To The Edge" is a raw gem — crafted without tricks or shortcuts, staying true to the pure musicianship of world-class artists.

"Pushed To The Edge" track listing:

01. Tell Me
02. The Keep On Running
03. Moon Rising
04. Rock The Melody
05. Flame In The Water
06. Out Of Focus
07. Power Of Change
08. Girl From Highland Park
09. Godz Of War
10. Edge If Reality
11. Finnigan's Awake

Last September, Airey told Roppongi Rocks' Stefan Nilsson about his plans to release a new solo album: "Well, I've always kept the solo… I had my own band. That's how we found Simon, 'cause Simon became part of my band, and a very big part of it. We started writing together, and it was a very good partnership. And I always had it in my head, 'If Steve [Morse, former DEEP PURPLE guitarist] decides to leave PURPLE, we won't have to look very far for someone.'"

He continued: "But we've got an album in the can that we did before lockdown. We did most of it before lockdown and we finished it after lockdown, put the vocals on after lockdown. And that's in the can with earMUSIC. And I think that's gonna come out at the end of March."

Asked if the upcoming album will feature Simon on guitar, Don replied: "Yeah, yeah, but it's under my name. It's like a solo album, but, really, it's just my band playing it. I think it's gonna be called 'Pushed To The Edge'."

Photo credit: Franz Schepers

In a new interview with Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada's 104.9 The Wolf radio station, BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's upcoming album, "I Beat Loneliness". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We start mixing tomorrow. Tomorrow is day one of the mix. And we already have, I think, two or three of the songs mixed and mastered. We did those first to just make everyone feel comfortable that we weren't doing a progressive jazz album and that we're making good music. So we presented three to the label to kind of be given the chance to finish them off and do the other nine songs.

"I'm so thrilled about the record," he continued. "It's successful to me because I'm really proud of it. And I think that people who like the band will be really, really into it and we might get some new fans as well. But it's good to feel fulfilled by when you make a record, and not, like, 'Oh, man. I should've done this, should've done that.' I think it's really good. I haven't figured out the order yet, but we'll get there."

Earlier in the month, Gavin told iHeartRadio's JD Lewis about the "I Beat Loneliness" title: "Well, it's one of those weird titles. It's an infinite title because you can never beat loneliness; you can just only beat it temporarily.

"I feel that the connection with the band and the power that we have, from talking to a lot of people that see us, is people can kind of connect with the music and connect with the words and make their own narratives about it," he continued. "But we've created this blueprint for people through the years.

"More and more mental health has been sort of brought to the discussion kind of around us all at the moment — people are talking about people's wellness a lot. And I've always been into that human-condition thing since the beginning of BUSH — it's like music of complaints and hopes and sort of disappointments and aspirations and all that stuff. So it's just like living.

"A lot of people are struggling so much that it's just such an ironic title, I thought," Rossdale added. "It's one of those things, when I thought of it and it just came, I was, like, 'Oh my god, it's a precious phrase.' And I just like that idea of that sense of bravado that you've beaten loneliness, because we all suffer from melancholia or whatever, and I think that's a healthy thing because it makes you reflective and sort of appreciative of the good times. And I'm not a negative person — I'm really positive — so I just think that you have to go through this sort of like storm clouds to get to the good bits. And so the title just stuck with me."

Rossdale also talked about the importance of youth mental health, especially as it relates to his three songs Kingston, Zuma and Apollo. He said: "I think it's absolutely essential, because I think that what happened is that with COVID, one of the biggest things for kids is COVID took away all that socialization. So all those two, three years where they were meant to be sort of learning how to be with their peers, I noticed with my own kids, that was taken away from them. They didn't have that time. And so I think that's been a real struggle for people, for kids especially, to learn how to adapt, how to be social, because they haven't had the same things that maybe we had. We didn't grow up through a pandemic. And so that is what really affects me. And kids are so mean — bullying in schools, ostracization, all that stuff. Kids are mean. And the way the world is set up is really scary for that."

Gavin went on to speak about the dangers of social media and how it is not an accurate reflection of society but more like a funhouse mirror distorted by a small but vocal minority of extreme outliers.

"Social media, expectations, people feeling they're not having a fulfilled life 'cause they look at Instagram or wherever and they see people with these great lives, when we all know that those lives are kind of hollow and have their have their troubles as well," he said. "But things are portrayed that people just get lost in that sort of rat race of thinking that they've gotta try and keep up with their friends. I mean, I look at Instagram and I'm always, like, 'Man, I need to live better.' I'm just, like, 'No, no, don't fall for it. Don't fall for it. Your life is fine. You have great things going on.' So I think that's where it's really difficult for kids, the sense that they're not in the right place at the right time. They're generally [of the opinion that they're] in the wrong place at the wrong time and everyone else is having a great time. And that's super dangerous for people to think that."

Rossdale previously talked about the "I Beat Loneliness" title in a December 2024 interview with Voice Of America's (VOA) "Border Crossings". Regarding why he chose to call the new BUSH record "I Beat Loneliness", the 59-year-old musician said: "Because I think that everyone is struggling the whole time." He added: "It's funny because when I reflect on the career that I've had and the songs that I've written, they do say that most people write one song over and over, and my theme that I've always dealt with is sort of people's mental health and their feelings and kind of the landscape of the landmines of hurt that we all live through. Everybody has so much broken stuff that they just sort of put the face on, go out and deal with it. But everybody having these crazy triggers — you see that suicide rates are insane, suicides among the military, the ex-military, men three times more likely to commit suicide as women. It's just people are hurting. And so my literal simple role in life, in that sort of Japanese concept of a vocation, is really writing songs about people and about feelings. And it's funny because when I began, it wasn't like that. You could just complain in songs, but I always wanted to have this sort of sense of hope, this sense of help and support and close community and people and love and friendship and kindness. And so I've written like that.

"So 'I Beat Loneliness', it's just probably the best title I've ever written because, of course, it's self-fulfilling in its impossibility," he continued. "'Cause you can't say you beat loneliness, 'cause if you say you beat loneliness, it means that you're a really melancholic person who beat loneliness for about 20 minutes, and it's coming back the next day like a boomerang. So I just like that idea of that bravado. It's strength. It's not bravado. It's strength in the face of adversity."

2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of BUSH's six-times-platinum debut album, "Sixteen Stone".

Last summer, BUSH celebrated its 30th anniversary with an extensive North American headline tour. The "Loaded: The Greatest Hits Tour" kicked off on July 26 in Bend, Oregon and included shows at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Most of the dates were produced by Live Nation. Jerry Cantrell and CANDLEBOX were the special guests on all dates.

BUSH released "Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023" in November 2023 via Round Hill Records. The set included a new song called "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere", which was written by Gavin and produced by Rossdale and Corey Britz.

With over 24 million records sold, one billion streams and a procession of No. 1 singles, the band — comprising Rossdale, Chris Traynor (guitar),Corey Britz (bass) and Nik Hughes (drums) — stand tall as rock outliers whose imprint only widens as the years pass. "Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023" (Round Hill Records),their first-ever greatest-hits collection, provides an expansive view of their incredible legacy with 21 tracks spanning nearly 30 years — from their breakthrough hit "Everything's Zen" to the aforementioned "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere".

"Loaded" included iconic hits from each of BUSH's nine studio albums as well as "Mouth" (The Stingray Mix) from the 1997 remix album "Deconstructed" and a cover of THE BEATLES' "Come Together" that saw a very limited release in 2012.

BUSH broke up in 2002 but reformed in 2010, and has since released five albums: "The Sea of Memories" (2011),"Man On The Run" (2014),"Black And White Rainbows" (2017),"The Kingdom" (2020) and the aforementioned "The Art Of Survival".

"Black And White Rainbows" was crafted after Rossdale went through a divorce with pop star/reality TV judge Gwen Stefani in 2015.

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez (courtesy of 2b Entertainment)

Brian Wheat, the founder and bassist of the multi-platinum selling band TESLA, recently announced an exciting new musical venture with Alex Gonzato, an emerging singer/songwriter from the U.K. The duo has joined forces to create a new band called VIOLET BREED, with their second single, "10 Years Sober", now available. The official music video for the song, which was premiered by New Noise Magazine, can be seen below.

VIOLET BREED said about the track: "'10 Years Sober' dives into themes of inner peace and self-healing, offering a unique perspective on the concept of sobriety."

Alex added: "With '10 Years Sober', we wanted to write something that explores another meaning to what it is to be sober. Kind of a new direction and meaning. The overall message and intention of the song is to bring forward a feeling of inner peace and self-healing within one's mind, allowing you to be the best representation of yourself for others."

VIOLET BREED represents a powerful collaboration between Wheat, a seasoned rock icon, and Gonzato, a fresh and dynamic voice in the music industry. The pair have spent the last five years meticulously crafting an album that draws from their own life experiences, creating music that resonates with listeners of all ages. With honest and emotive lyrics, VIOLET BREED's sound blends rich rock and pop influences, promising a unique and compelling listening experience.

The debut album, which features TESLA's own guitarist Dave Rude on guitars, will showcase the musical prowess of the duo. Fans of both TESLA and Gonzato will be eager to hear the new material, as VIOLET BREED looks to make a significant impact on the global music scene.

Lead single "Awake", which came out in September 2024, gave audiences a taste of what's to come from VIOLET BREED, delivering a track that's both musically engaging and lyrically profound.

Brian and Alex are able to tap into experiences from these diverse generations, which add to the depth of the music they produce. Their passion and inspiration for music is born from a shared love for records by THE BEATLES, Paul McCartney, QUEEN and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. Influences from these bands is subtly interwoven into their music.

Over his successful forty years in the music industry, Brian has crafted an enviable music career. Performing live, author to autobiography "Son Of A Milkman" and managing the multi-platinum selling rock band TESLA, alongside side projects such as SOUL MOTOR and now VIOLET BREED, Brian has maintained an impressive consistency in the music industry over multiple decades resulting in an abundance of sellout tours across the U.S. and world.

Over the last ten years, Brian has acted as a close mentor and peer to Alex, notably being a huge influence in the studio, producing and co-writing songs. His oversight has helped refine the music Alex creates and brought priceless industry for Alex to further improve his craft. With his own individual success on active rock radio, numerous successful tours and festival appearances, and constantly performing to a demanding live schedule, Brian notices the potential of Alex's talents and commitment, and recognizes snippets of his younger self in the artist. Having displayed a unique range of vocal performances, heavily inspired by Freddie Mercury, plus a natural talent for songwriting, the opportunity to form a new band seemed inevitable.

Slayer guitar hero Kerry King and his solo band - drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer), bassist Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah), guitarist Phil Demmel (Machine Head), and vocalist Mark Osegueda (Death Angel) - launched their twenty-eight date North American tour at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, CA last night, January 15.


Capital Chaos TV has released 4K video shot at the show. Watch King and band perform "Everything I Hate About You", "At Dawn They Sleep", and "From Hell I Rise" below.


Setlist:




"Where I Reign"
"Rage"
"Trophies of the Tyrant"
"Residue"
"Two Fists"
"Idle Hands"
"Repentless" (Slayer song)
"Toxic"
"Tension"
"Everything I Hate About You"
"Disciple" (Slayer song)
"Purgatory" (Iron Maiden cover)
"Killers" (Iron Maiden cover)
"At Dawn They Sleep" (Slayer song)
"Crucifixation"
"Shrapnel"
"Raining Blood" (Slayer song)
"Black Magic" (Slayer song)
"From Hell I Rise"











Watch fan-filmed video of King and band performing the Iron Maiden songs "Purgatory" and "Killers" below:








With Municipal Waste as Special Guest and Alien Weaponry supporting, Kerry King's North American tour is set to wrap up at House of Blues in Las Vegas on February 22. Tickets can be purchased here.





North American dates:


January
17 - Spokane Live Casino - Spokane, WA
18 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
19 - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR
20 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC (Canada)
22 - The Palace Theatre - Calgary, AB (Canada)
23 - Midway Music Hall - Edmonton, AB (Canada)
25 - Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg, MB (Canada)
26 - The Fillmore - Minneapolis, MN
28 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
30 - The Majestic Theater - Detroit, MI
31 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH

Following their recent signing with ROAR, Australia’s Valhalore has released a first track taken off their new studio epos entitled Beyond The Stars, which will be out on April 11, along with the reissue of their self-released debut album Voyage To Eternity.


Since their formation in 2013, Valhalore conquer the world with their unique blend of melodic death, power, and symphonic metal, infused with epic folk influences. A first album appetizer, the single "Horizon", is available for streaming/download here. Watch a video below.


The band comments: “Inspired by a particularly beautiful sunset during the Covid-19 lockdowns, 'Horizon' is a song about hope for a brighter future. It explores the feelings of isolation we all felt during this time, and watching precious moments pass us by, yet somehow still wanting to create a life that is memorable beyond our time on earth.”







Starting January 17, the band will support the Swedish heavy metal templars of HammerFall as a special guest on tour:


January
17 - Melbourne, Australia – Northcote Theatre
18 - Sydney, Australia – Manning Bar
19 - Brisbane, Australia – The Triffid


Founded by guitarist Anthony Willis and vocalist Lachlan Neate, Valhalore swiftly became an unstoppable force in the Australian metal scene. Since their inaugural live performance in late 2015, the band’s unique sound has resonated with audiences both domestically and abroad.


The year 2017 marked a pivotal moment for Valhalore with the release of their debut album, Voyage Into Eternity. The band celebrated this opus with a s

In a new interview with Rocking With Jam Man, STRYPER drummer Robert Sweet was asked if it is harder nowadays for him and his bandmates to put their Christian beliefs into a song compared to how it was when STRYPER first started out. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wouldn't say it's harder. It's something we do anyways. We've always done that, because we truly believe it. But at the same time, I'll be honest with you, it's always been hard, because it made the road really rough for us when we first came out. And [as] a matter of fact, we've had people come up and say, 'Man, if you guys didn't have the Christian thing going on, you would have probably had ten times the success. Because you're a band that everyone loves, but everyone doesn't understand the Christian thing.' So I think in certain ways it kind of hurt us, but it was worth it for us, because we believe in Jesus. We believe that the words that are put out there are altering people's lives, because we've been told that hundreds, maybe thousands, ten thousands of times, really, people hearing the music and hearing the words that really did something for them. So that's a real honor for us. So, is it tough? Yes. Is it tougher now? No, but it's always been kind of tough, but it's worth it for us."

When Jam Man opined that some people in the U.S. will try to "hate" and "cancel" those who hold religious beliefs that they don't agree with, Sweet concurred. "It's always been that way with Christianity," he said. "The world wants to pick on Christians because they feel Christians will lay back and say and do nothing and they won't stand up to them. And I think sometimes you have to realize that we have to stand up and be courageous. And I'm not necessarily patting ourselves on the back, but I will say I feel the Holy Spirit gave us the courage to go and do this because, man, unless God touches you to do it, don't do what we've done, because it is tough. But by all means, if you feel God's spirit has touched you and this is a purpose for your life, then go at it with full gusto. But it's always been hard since day one, since Jesus showed up. And the sad part of it is Jesus kind of told us it would be tough, but when we leave this world that there would be reward in heaven waiting for us. And we know the reality of Jesus, so we wanna see that touch people's lives."

Jam Man also brought up the subject of what students are legally allowed to do in public schools in relation to their Christian faith, prompting Sweet to say: "I have to be honest with you. I don't care much for the public schools. They would probably welcome people saying they were Muslims, but if you say you're a Christian, no way. And that's too bad, because this nation was built on Christianity, and we get our laws from the Ten Commandments. It's a shame, but the Bible kind of said it was gonna happen. So, I think at this point in time, you're gonna see a lot of people realizing the goodness of Jesus, but you're gonna see a lot of people backing away, going the other way. There's not a lot we're gonna be able to do about it."

Last month, Robert told Sofa King Cool Magazine that STRYPER was never fully embraced by the heavy metal and hard rock communities, largely because of the group's Christian lyrics.

"I think, and a lot of people have told us, especially in the industry, 'If you guys weren't doing this Jesus thing, and we know you mean it,' which we do, 'you guys would have sold many more millions of records,'" Robert said. "And, really, I want everyone to know that's the truth, because radio never played us. And it was a miracle we got on MTV. But still, to this day, radio has played us very, very little. But we were willing to take that hit financially. And it's been rough at times. It's been really unfair because a lot of people have come up and said, 'Hey, man, I'm not a Christian. You guys are one of the best bands I've ever heard.' And I'm, like, 'Well, great. Thank you.' We don't look at ourselves as any better than anyone else, but we had to stick with it. We had to make sure that the message of Jesus was first and foremost and front, no matter what people said. And, man, were we ever given a hard time. I am telling you, I didn't know so many people were gonna come against us back in the '80s, and even up to this day. But it's all worth it."

Asked if there were any bands that gave STRYPER a hard time for being a Christian band or maybe didn't want to take STRYPER out on tour with them because of STRYPER's lyrical messages, Robert said: "Well, nobody wanted to take us out. So we were forced to headline. No one wanted to go out with us. We wanted to open for whoever we could. That was an honor to us. We had always hoped to be able to open for so many of our heroes and bands we grew up listening to, but just back in the day, I think people had the wrong idea. They really did. And they were afraid of it. So it forced us to go headline. And it really — maybe that kind of helped our career. I don't know. I felt like maybe God was with us, saying, 'No, you're not gonna go that route. You're gonna go this route.' And it was different, because most bands don't do that. When you're starting out, you go out with bigger acts. And we've done many, many festivals, but that's been primarily, in my opinion, since we started up again in 2003. But back in the day, back in the '80s, when we were doing the really big coliseums and stuff, it was pretty much us just heading straight down the road and headlining."

Robert was also asked if it is ever frustrating for him and his STRYPER bandmates that certain other acts can go ahead and use Satanic imagery or make references to Satanism in their music and the fans are seemingly into it, even though they're not Satan worshippers, but STRYPER never seems to get the same kind of respect. The drummer replied: "Well, there are some people that aren't into it, but that's because most of the time they haven't seen us, or they haven't sat down and listened to what STRYPER is. But there are people who loveSTRYPER who aren't Christians. And I've had them come up and say, 'Hey…'.

"I remember my brother [STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet] and I spoke with a Satanist, I think it was, I wanna say France. He came out. I mean, the guy was so complimentary. He wanted to speak with Michael and I. And he came down and he said, 'You guys are the biggest white metal band in the world. Why aren't you out playing the big festival next door? Why are you playing this 3,000-seat place that's sold out? You should be over on that stage over there.' And we said, 'Well, yeah, we'd like that.' But he was so complimentary of us. And yet he was very open that he was a real-deal Satanist, but he loved STRYPER… And that's always been our hope."

He added: "I want you to know that there's a lot of great stuff that takes place in the music industry, but, in a way, it's kind of the devil's industry. And we always hoped to go into that industry and affect it in a good way. And you have to be touched by God to do it. You can't just go do that. It's not gonna work. You're gonna be miserable and it's gonna fail. And I feel sad when I see certain bands try to do it and everything is against them. But if you're gonna bring forth the message of Jesus, I really feel you need to be anointed by God to do it. And we felt it so strong. We still feel it so strong that nothing could stop us from doing it."

In April, Michael Sweet completed mixing STRYPER's new studio album with longtime collaborator Danny Bernini at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts. A tentative late summer/early fall release is expected.

Formed 41 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil", "Even The Devil Believes" and "The Final Battle".

Robert and Michael are joined in STRYPER by Oz Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bass).

STRYPER's "To Hell With The Amps: The Unplugged Tour" kicked off late last month. For the first time ever, the Christian rockers are staging a full tour where they are performing their hits and fan favorites acoustically.

Brazilian progressive metallers Maestrick have shared their new single and accompanying video “Lunar Vortex”, featuring Roy Khan, out now via Frontiers Music Srl.


After the symphonic synthwave of “Ethereal” and the prog-meets-Tim Burton vibes of “Upside Down”, Maestrick is embracing modern metal in their new single “Lunar Vortex”. Influenced by artists like Architects, Caligula's Horse and Skrillex, the track features downtuned riffs contrasting with electronic tones, clean and screamed vocals (a first for Maestrick), and brings a very special guest in Roy Khan (Conception, ex-Kamelot) in a beautiful duet with Fabio Caldeira. This is the first time Roy appears in a video that's not of his own band.







Vocalist Fábio Caldeira comments: “Roy was a big influence on how I wrote the melodies for this song, so when the opportunity to have him in the album became a reality, we knew it would work very well. He delivered an emotional and energetic performance, both vocally and in the video. We couldn't be happier with the result.”


“While I was in Brazil, last year, I hooked up with my friends from Maestrick to record “Lunar Vortex” with them. Wonderful people and awesome song. I hope everyone enjoys it!” adds Roy Khan.


Founded in São José do Rio Preto/SP by three friends, Maestrick have been active since 2006 and bring in their sound elements of rock and progressive heavy metal, Brazilian regional music, world music and classical music.


The band have released two albums in Brazil, Europe, United States and Japan, and are recognized for drinking from different artistic aspects - cinema, plastic arts, visual arts and literature – for their compositions, which results in a unique and, according to specialized critics, innovative style.


Not surprisingly, Maestrick captivates movie fans, notably those of Tim Burt

February 7, 2025 will see the Los Angeles based NWOTHM (New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal) act Saber release their much-anticipated sophomore studio album, Lost In Flames, via ROAR. Coming on CD, “Burning Orange” Marbled Vinyl, and a variety of digital formats, the album presale is available here.


In addition, the band is set to reissue their impressive debut, Without Warning on the same day. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own this limited edition on vinyl and CD through ROAR! Their stunning debut belongs in every well-sorted heavy metal record collection; preorder here.


Following the previously-released "Madam Dangerous" single and to please fans with more new material, today, the four-piece band has released a brand new track taken off Lost In Flames. "Steel Breaker" is out now on all digital streaming providers.




"‘Steel Breaker’ is the other fast track on the album. It's different from anything the band has done because it has a thrash feel to it, it's relentless!" vocalist Steven Villa comments. "The song is about one of my favorite animes ‘Berserk’. And if you know anything about the anime, yes the song is just as intense as the anime."





Lost In Flames tracklisting:


"Lost In Flames"
"Phoenix Rising"
"Madam Dangerous"
"Shattered Dreams"
"Time Tells All"
"Shadow Of You"
"On The Hunt"
"Steel Breaker"


"Steel Breaker":





"Lost In Flames"

In a new interview with U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine, Alex Lifeson once again confirmed that he has been jamming with his longtime bandmate Geddy Lee at the bassist/vocalist's house in Toronto.

"It's good to jam with friends as you get older," the guitarist said. "I need to play. Once a week I go to Ged's — it's in the calendar — keep my fingers moving, play RUSH stuff, new jams. We do record it, but I couldn't even begin to tell you where it'll go."

Lifeson also spoke about reuniting with Lee for 2022's star-studded tribute concerts — one in London, one in Los Angeles — to pay tribute to late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins. They enlisted a few drummers — TOOL's Danny Carey, Omar Hakim, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith and FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl — to join them at the gigs, the second of which took place at L.A.'s Forum, the same venue where RUSH played its final concert in August 2015.

"The energy was fantastic around that show, I know, and some days I wake up wanting to go out and tour again and some days I don't," Lifeson said. "For forty years RUSH included Neil [Peart, late RUSH drummer], and I don't think putting some new version together would have the same magic.

"After those two gigs and the months of prep Ged and I went through, I was excited by the response and to be in the dressing room again with so many fellow artists in Wembley and L.A. I respected and felt a kinship towards. But after a few weeks that wore off and it occurred to me that despite all the pain of loss, RUSH went out on a high note playing as well as ever with one of our best stage shows on 'R40'. I guess I'd rather be remembered for that legacy than returning as the top RUSH tribute band."

Last May, Lifeson told Rolling Stone that he had been "playing a lot of RUSH songs" with Lee at the bassist/vocalist's house. "We're together in a room like we've always been," the guitarist said. "That's been really good, but there's no chance that we're going to get a drummer and go back on the road as the rebirth of RUSH or something like that. And if we wanted to write new material, nobody cares about new material anymore. They just want to hear the old stuff from guys like us."

When the interviewer noted that RUSH fans "would care", Lifeson clarified: "Maybe the feeling is that it's just really about taking people back to an earlier time in their lives that they have very fond and vivid memories of, and I get it and that's great. And then you do it for the money. And that's not what we were ever about or what we would want to do. Offers come in all the time, but I don't know. I don't think that's something that we're really interested in."

Elaborating on why he is opposed to the idea of performing RUSH music with a new drummer, Lifeson said: "I just don't know if doing something like that would wreck it. Or wreck the legacy that RUSH has left. When it happened, it was disappointing for us. And then Neil got sick and all of that stuff, but our legacy is intact that we went out on a high note. That tour was great. It looked great. We played really well. We bonded even more so with our audience. I'd rather have that and the sadness of not doing it again, than doing it again and sitting on a chair on stage because I can't stand. [Laughs] I'd rather be remembered for that than something that's more current."

Alex went on to say that he and Geddy are continuing to have conversations about the possibility of performing together again. "We talk about it, but at the same time, he's my best friend and he loves me and he cares for me," he said. "He knows that I do have issues both physical and emotional with this whole idea. And he respects that we have so much respect and love for each other. I would do something like that, that he wanted to do, because I love him and I want to make him happy. But he knows that I wouldn't be happy. It's the bond that we have."

He added: "I don't think I would be happy in my heart if we were to do something like that. I really would feel like we were doing an injustice to our fans and that would be just a money grab.

"We get offers all the time, and they're pretty substantial, but I don't know. It's not enough for me. How much do you need? I'm trying to get rid of stuff. I sold the bulk of my guitars. I had some cars. I sold those. I had a house in the country that I sold. I want to be slimmer and a little tighter in, in my life with fewer anchors around my neck."

In January 2024, Lifeson didn't rule out the possibility of playing with Lee again, telling Greg Prato of Ultimate Guitar: "There's certainly a lot of interest in us doing something. I think for a lot of RUSH fans, they've been hoping for… Geddy had his book tour. I went out on a few of those dates with him. I think that's kind of sparked more interest in us working together.

"Ged's a very busy guy," Alex continued. "He's written a couple of books over the years. He has a lot of stuff that he's into. This is my studio in my apartment. I've been working on the ENVY OF NONE stuff as well as a few other projects. So I've been playing and recording for all these years.

"When he's ready, he always says, 'Come over for a coffee and we'll go down to the studio and bash around a few notes.' Yeah, call me. And so far he's been so busy, but I think maybe in the new year — or this is the new year — maybe soon we'll find the time to sit down and see what happens," Lifeson added. "Maybe nothing happens. Maybe it's not there anymore. Maybe it's gonna be amazing. I don't know. We'll see. Honestly, it's not a priority for us. We're happy in our lives. So, it's not like we need to go back to something. And that's my fear. That if we — that would be the expectation, this is like RUSH 2. But by necessity it has to be something different. And it can never be RUSH. Without Neil, it can never be RUSH. That's it. It's over. But you never know what can happen. So we'll see."

For the past couple of decades, Lifeson has been suffering from psoriatic arthritis, a chronic, autoimmune form of arthritis that causes joint inflammation and occurs with the skin condition psoriasis. During an appearance on the January 10 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", the now-71-year-old Canadian musician opened up about the severity of longtime physical ailments, saying: "I would say that's slowly getting worse, as to be expected. I have psoriatic arthritis, and I've been dealing with it for quite a while — for almost 20 years. I'm on two biologics [biologic drugs for the treatment of arthritis], so sort of like a double whammy in dealing with it. And it's been very, very effective. Despite the side effects and all of that, it's been a really effective regimen for me, and it's really helped my hands. I have times where the inflammation has its own mind, and that's when you'll see me shaking my hands [while I am playing]. But it is what it is, and I can still get by, and I'm so used to it, I don't really even think about it that much anymore. "

Lifeson also talked about the possibility of him returning to the road, either with Lee or with another project. He said: "[After] 40 years of touring, I'm not interested in touring anymore. I enjoyed it when we did it. There were lots of ups and downs. The gig is great, the show is great, and for the other 21 hours in a day, you're just waiting for those three hours. And it gets tiring, especially when you have a family and you have loved ones at home that you're estranged from for months and months and months at a time. I don't miss that aspect of it. Do I like playing in front of people? Yeah. I still like that — maybe not to the point where I have to do it. But when [Geddy and I] did the Taylor Hawkins benefits and we did the 'South Park' thing in Denver, and I do these Christmas shows with Andy Kim and lots of great musicians that I get to play with, then it's fun. I really enjoy that, and it's controlled, and it's great. To make a big deal and do a tour and get back into that thing, I don't really have an interest in that. I know Ged would like to play again and he would like to spend some time writing. But beyond that, honestly, we haven't talked about anything beyond just getting together and having a coffee and just bashing out a few notes."

Alex continued: "[Geddy] has a lot of stuff in his life. He's a very busy person. He's really enjoying this phase of being [a book] author. He's on the go, go, go, go all the time. And I'm here, and I'm playing on all these different projects. So, in a way, I've continued being that musician, and he's gone off to do other things. So, whenever he's ready, like usual, I only live five minutes away from him, like we have all our lives. I go over and hang out and we'll turn the recorder on and do some stuff, but there's no plan for a tour. There's no plan for anything. And I know rumors get started and people have their desires and lots of people would love to see us get back and play again. Well, I don't know. I don't know. Who knows? Maybe if we're together, we're messing around and we get excited… Certainly after we did those gigs, it was quite heady and very exciting. But I really love my life right now, and I don't know if I'm gonna disrupt it by being away from the things that I'm really enjoying, for any reason."

Lifeson also reflected on RUSH's final tour, which concluded in August 2015 in Los Angeles. According to Rolling Stone, the trek took the novel approach of presenting the band's music in reverse chronological order, meaning Alex and his bandmates — Lee and drummer Neil Peart — began the show with songs from their most recent albums and slowly worked back to their earliest material. As time went backwards, stagehands would swap out the backdrop to match the period they were visiting. That meant by the time they reached the encores, it looked like they were playing in the high school gyms of their youth.

"The last tour I thought was a terrific tour for RUSH," Alex said. "I thought we played really well. I thought the show was really fun. Going back in time to the beginning was a great way to celebrate the end of the band. I don't know if, at 70 years old, 10 years later, if I can play like I played back then. I haven't played that material in nine years. And if I can't play it like I played it nine years ago, then I really have no interest in doing it. I think RUSH has a strong legacy because of the way things ended. We ended on a high note, and that's the way people remember us. And I think that that also is partly the reason why so many people would love to see us back out, because that's the memory they have of us. We were dedicated to what we were doing. We practiced a lot. We were passionate. We played our hearts out. Physically, ten years later, at this stage, [after] these ten years, I don't know if we can do that. I don't know, can Ged sing like he did? Can I play guitar? Can he play bass like he did? I don't know. Unless we did a big rehearsal and tried to do all that stuff, we'll never know. But just thinking intellectually how this would work, I'm not keen on doing it, really."

Peart died on January 7, 2020, after quietly battling brain cancer for three and a half years. RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

In 2022, Geddy revealed that Neil wanted to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret prior to his death.

Lee went on to say that he and Lifeson had to be "dishonest" to fans in order to protect Peart's privacy.

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003, was asked if he ever feels isolated or that he doesn't belong in a country like Japan, which is not generally exposed to other cultures. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, it's an excellent question. And I'm definitely, definitely the minority here [in Japan]. In the majority of everything I do, I'm the only non-Japanese in the room — in the studio, in the venue you could play. I'll do a show and there's thousands of people there [and] I'm the only foreigner in the room.

"People don't really understand the ratio of what it's like in a one-race society," he continued. "I think the correct number is something like 94, 95 percent of the people in this country are all Japanese. So, that's something to be reckoned with.

"It's interesting, because America, as you know, is a complete melting pot, so the concept of everything is completely different. We could talk forever about that, but for me, my personal experiences, which, of course, I outlined a ton in ]my recently released] book ['Dreaming Japanese'], is you can never, ever, no matter how fluent you get at the language, no matter how much you get immersed in the culture, never ever have the goal or intention to belong, because that's where you're gonna get tripped up. If you feel like, 'Well, I don't belong here. All these people are different. I'm the odd man out,' then you're not suited for this kind of thing. The way to internalize it is, there's no way I'm gonna belong, but I can certainly coexist and I can certainly bring something to the party and I can certainly get something out of this.

"Belonging is extremely overrated," Friedman added. "You don't have to belong. And what's so great about belonging? If you find a place that you like to be, that's where you like to be, and that's where you like to make your contributions to whatever it is you're doing, and to receive things. But sometimes people get turned off by not belonging to something. And that's kind of a — not a mental issue, but it's kind of the wrong goal, I think.

"Belonging is way overrated, and separating people because of whatever race they are is also very overrated," Marty explained. "Because, here I'm in a one-race society, but, for example, if I'm auditioning people for a project — say, I'm putting together a band for a record label or something, which I've done several times — there's guys who suck at what they do, and there's guys who are great at what they do, and there's guys who look the part, there's guys who don't look the part, there's guys whose attitudes are great, guys whose attitudes suck, all within the same one race. Qualified people and non-qualified people, this is the same with mixed-race countries like America. So why does race even matter? I want the best person for the job. And so the longer you're in any kind of professional capacity of anything, you kind of forget that everybody's a different race that I am. I've completely forgotten. And, actually, a lot of people tell me, after working with me for years, 'I totally forgot that you're American.' They might hear me speak English. I never speak English here in Japan, except for doing stuff like this [interviews with English-speaking media outlets] and talking to my family, so occasionally, if someone will hear me on the phone speaking English, they're, like, 'Oh my God. He speaks English. I forgot you were American.' Because I've really assimilated that much. But not to be confused with belonging, because I'm still the elephant in the room, so to speak."

Back in November 2021, Friedman, was asked during the fourth event in Cardiff University's Cardiff-Japanese Lecture Series if he experiences culture shock when he returns to his former home country of America. Marty said: "When I moved to Japan, I completely was encompassed by Japanese culture. No one I worked with spoke English. No one around me spoke English. The only time I spoke English was when I was doing international promotion or international tours or international interviews. So 24/7, it was all Japanese. And when that goes on for years and years, you start to dream in Japanese. My wife's Japanese, and we speak only Japanese. So, cultural things also become a part of you, because when you live somewhere, you become a part of the culture. And the things that matter in Japan are not the things that matter in America. Or the things that matter in Europe are not the things that matter in South America. So things that matter on a day-to-day basis are different. So culture 'shock' is kind of a shocking word, so I don't really feel shocked. But I feel like I'm very blessed, because when I go to America, I'm an American, so I can feel all the great things about being American. But I've lived in Japan for almost 20 years, and before I came here, I've been in so many Japanese situations that there's a definite part of me that is really a part of the Japanese culture so I can really feel both of them.

"You should never think that you're trying to belong," he continued. "Because it doesn't matter how perfect my Japanese is — and it's not perfect — but I'm never, ever gonna be Japanese. I feel a part of me is definitely influenced by Japan very much, but if your goal is to belong in another society, I think you're gonna be let down very, very much. Because as hard as you try, Japan is a one-race society and you just look different and you're born in a different place and you have different things in you. So the goal is not belonging; the goal is to add what you have to Japan. If you're trying to belong to something like that, I think you're gonna be let down. But it's not a letdown. You only really belong to yourself. And belonging to something is overrated. So I think you'll enjoy your Japan experience a whole lot more if you celebrate your differences while understanding Japan and enjoying the great things that you're able to enjoy about Japan. And don't be let down when sometimes people are not necessarily so friendly to foreigners. This happens to every country. You just have to let it be; it's just the way it is, especially with older generations. They're, like, 'Oh, the world is changing. Now there's English in the taxicabs. Oh my God.' People fear change. But you can't let that bother you. It's never bothered me once. I'm completely fine being a gaijin [a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically non-East Asian foreigners such as white and black people]; it hasn't stopped me from anything. So culture shock, it's not really as bad as people think it is. I enjoy being in America, and I enjoy being in Japan because both things have given me a lot of great things in my life. So learning English — English is the language of the world, so that's helped me everywhere. But in Japan, it's the opposite — in Japan, Japanese is the language, so it's a must. So culture shock is not really that big of a thing."

Friedman's autobiography, "Dreaming Japanese", arrived on December 3, 2024 via Permuted Press.