In a new interview with Christian Music Guys, Michael Sweet of Christian rockers STRYPER was asked to share something that God's been doing in his life recently that would help build the podcast's viewers' and listeners' faith. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, look, I tell you, I've been going through some health issues. I think most people know that. And I'm just kind of putting everything in God's hands. And one thing that it's taught me is how to do just that. And I found that until I was diagnosed — I have thyroid cancer, so they're keeping an eye on everything, and I'm doing fine at the moment — but until I was diagnosed, I didn't really think much about my mortality or the ever after, just being honest. But then the minute you're faced with something like that, you do think about that. And it's something we all better think about, because we're all gonna face it. And what it did, in my mind, in my heart, is made me want to change my perspective and my priorities on life and try to put what's important at the top of the list and what's not important at the bottom of the list. That's easier said than done, but if you can do that, you're gonna be a lot better off by doing so. And I think that's something that — my diagnosis has helped me somewhat to do that, and I'm very happy about that. And then just losing so many people, man."

He continued: "I don't know about you guys, but it's something I've really noticed the past year is how many people have gone. Just recently, Tommy DeCarlo. I was singing with Tommy in BOSTON. He's gone. And if you had asked me a year ago if I would see that happening, I would say 'no way'. But it's reality. And not to sound morbid, but it's coming for us all. And that's why it's important to stay humble and put God first. And let God lead your path and lead your way. And wake up every morning and say a simple prayer. Go to bed every night and say a simple prayer. Start and end your days with prayer. It doesn't have to be anything long. Bring God into your day. Let him be a part of it. And if you do, you are gonna be a lot better off."

Last fall, Sweet revealed that he had been diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, the most common type of thyroid cancer. The diagnosis came less than a month after he underwent a biopsy of a nodule in the right lobe of his thyroid. He later said that he was "a prime candidate for 'active surveillance'. What that means is they're going to do an ultrasound in six months to see if there has been any change to the nodule in my right thyroid," he explained. "It is malignant, but the good news is it's self contained and surrounded by healthy tissue. It's also small enough that they feel it makes more sense to 'keep an eye on it' instead of rushing surgery at this point in time. They feel that surgery itself is more risky than the nodule itself. At least for now. So, I'll have an ultrasound in June and we'll go from there. My hopes and prayers are to see it disappear. Maybe through diet, hope and prayers, it will."

Last December, Sweet told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his papillary thyroid cancer diagnosis: "Well, I've noticed over the past 10 years some issues with my neck and my voice, a little more difficulty singing like I wanna sing. And I just wrote it off to getting older and age and whatnot. I went in and got checked and they scoped me and did an ultrasound and they discovered that I had some nodules on my thyroid on each side. And they just kept an eye on those for a number of years. And they got bigger, they got larger, and then one in particular, the one on my left side, got large enough where they wanted to biopsy it, and it came back malignant. I had surgery two years ago to have that removed. My right side, I have Hashimoto's [chronic autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland] and I had a nodule on that side, but it wasn't suspicious. They didn't think I'd have any issues with that. Having the other side removed and going on medication, well, obviously things took a different direction. There was some new calcification in that nodule and they did a biopsy and it came back malignant. So I gotta go through it again."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk to clarify if this was the same kind of operation he already underwent two years ago but just in "another part of the thyroid", Sweet said: "That's correct. Yeah, they left it in my right thyroid, with that nodule, 'cause they weren't concerned about it. Obviously things have a way of working themselves out, uh, different from what you might think and plans change, and that's what happened with me. So I've gotta go have the same surgery…"

Michael continued: "I've got all these people who — God bless them, and I appreciate it — are reaching out to me about holistic medicine and natural healing and this and that. And to be honest with you, I just wanna get it out of there. And I don't wanna mess around with it… It's papillary, slow growing. It's at a stage where I'm okay, but if I ignore it and I'm not proactive, it'll get to a point where it will eventually spread, and then I've got real issues."

Sweet also talked about the importance of early cancer detection, because it drastically improves treatment effectiveness, increases survival rates, and often allows for less invasive treatment, making it easier and cheaper to cure, catching cancers before they spread. Asked if there were any symptoms that he noticed before getting diagnosed, Michael said: "There are symptoms, and I had those symptoms. I mean, probably the biggest symptom that you will notice is a hoarseness. You can probably hear it in my throat right now. I never had a hoarseness in my throat. So I went to go get checked to see if I had any polyps on my vocal folds, and I didn't. And when you have any type of prolonged hoarseness or sore throat, and then the obvious, if you have any protrusions in your neck, when you tilt your head back, any lumps, anything you see it, don't mess with it. Go. And chances are it's not gonna be anything. I'm in the very rare minimum and few that it develops into cancer. I wanna say, I believe it's four or five percent. Well, I'm that guy. And it's happened twice. So, it's one of those things. And I'm not gonna sit here and whine about it or anything. I mean, everybody has their issues — we all do — but I think the key is being proactive. Don't put off for tomorrow what you should deal with today regarding your health. Don't do it. Colonoscopy — I was scared to death to get a colonoscopy. I don't know why. I just was. I finally got one. I waited till I was 53. Thank God there were no issues at all. I'm good, but don't wait. Go deal with it."

According to the Columbia University Department Of Surgery, papillary thyroid cancer makes up about 80% of all cases of thyroid cancer. It is also the thyroid cancer with the best prognosis and most patients can be cured if treated appropriately and early enough.

In December 2023, Sweet underwent partial thyroidectomy, the surgery to remove part of his thyroid gland. Five months later, he told Steve Mascord of White Line Fever TV about the procedure: "I had nodules a nodule in each side of my thyroid, so thyroid nodules. And one of those got larger and larger. It was biopsied and it was cancer. So they removed half of my thyroid, [the left] half. [The right] half I still have. I have a nodule there still that's cystic they're gonna keep an eye on. I had to start thyroid medication. But I had the surgery back in December — December 15th [of 2023]."

Regarding how the operation affected his singing voice, Sweet said at the time: "I could feel the pressure of the room and the space in that area with those nodules getting larger. I could feel it. And it's been like that for a few years. I've had 'em for a while, but I had to have it removed because of the cancer, and I dealt with it right away. But having the side of that thyroid removed, they had to cut through some muscles. So I can really feel it — it just feels different, it's the only way I can describe it. My vocal nerve was not damaged. I went to the best doctor in Boston who specializes in that, specifically not damaging the vocal nerve. He uses a very particular monitoring system, and he kind of wrote the book on that. And no damage to my vocal nerve — thank God. But still, it feels weird when I sing. It feels like someone kind of has their hand on my throat. It's the only way I can describe it."

STRYPER released its long-awaited Christmas album, "The Greatest Gift Of All", in November 2025 via Frontiers Music Srl.

STRYPER's latest all-original studio album, "When We Were Kings", came out in September 2024.

Sweet's new album, "The Master Plan", his most personal and spiritually resonant solo LP yet, was made available on April 3, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In a new interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, drummer/vocalist Gil Moore of legendary Canadian rockers TRIUMPH spoke about the band's upcoming first tour in more than 30 years. The North American run of shows will celebrate the band's 50th anniversary, and feature support from APRIL WINE. The 2026 trek will kick off with two shows in Florida in early April, followed by series of dates in Canada, beginning April 22 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and running through a May 8 show in Calgary, Alberta. From there, the band will hit the U.S. starting May 13 in Rosemont, Illinois, and wrapping up June 6 in Boston. In all, 10 Canadian and 17 American cities are included on the tour.

For the 2026 tour, TRIUMPH's classic lineup consisting of Moore, Mike Levine (bass, keyboards),and Rik Emmett (guitar, vocals) will be joined by guitarist Phil X, drummer and keyboardist Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns. Phil X, whose real name is Theofilos Xenidis, is a member of BON JOVI and a former member of TRIUMPH, while Fitz and Kerns are both members of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

Speaking about TRIUMPH's latest additions, Gil said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I can't say enough about Todd and Brent and Phil. I mean, they're the three best guys [for the job]; I'll stake my life on that. They're not just fantastic musicians, but they are just fantastic people. You couldn't meet anyone nicer than those three guys. And so Rik and I feel like we've got this brotherhood that's just come out of thin air almost. And, of course, we're really hoping Mike's gonna be with us as much as he can and actually get to experience those guys the way Rik and I have. We'll get our fingers crossed there."

On the topic of how the TRIUMPH rehearsals for the upcoming tour have gone so far, Gil said: "It's just jelled really, really well. I mean, we've been rehearsing at Metalworks [Gil's studio in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto], actually in our sound and lighting company there, in the warehouse, one of the warehouses. And, yeah, we just kind of wrapped it up today, and we're gonna come down and rehearse in Orlando. And after we play the two Florida shows — the first two Florida shows — we're gonna go back up to Northern Ontario. We're gonna rehearse a couple times up there, and then the tour starts in Canada. But we're getting in quite a bit of rehearsal. I mean, a lot of it's gonna be now with the production, with the lights and the sound and all that sort of stuff."

Asked how much of a difference the "full-production" rehearsals will make on the performance compared to how TRIUMPH has been rehearsing so far, Gil said: "We rehearsed some at the recording studio, in one of our recording studios at Metalworks, so that's very much a smallish feeling. When we move down to the warehouse, it's a bit more like a stage because it's big, but it's still a warehouse; it's not a real stage. So the next move, once you get into a venue and you actually have a P.A. system in front of you instead of just monitors, the sound, all of a sudden, has a much greater dynamic to it. And getting under lights makes a huge difference, because right now we play a song in rehearsal and it ends and we all stare at each other and there's fluorescent lights on in the warehouse. You finish a song in an arena or in a big theater, and hopefully there's an audience there that are all excited. And as you see, the lights are flashing and everything, so all the lines and tigers are ready to roll, once we get all production rolling. So, it's a big difference."

Earlier this month, Rik spoke to Dr. Music about what made him change his mind after previously saying that he would never tour with TRIUMPH again. Rik said: "There's a thing about fear. Like, what are you afraid of? And it's more a question of a challenge that you go, okay, well, let's just see what happens. Let's not be so afraid of tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or next week or the next month. Let's just kind of do it and see what happens. So let's ride the bus. Let's see what it's like. Let's try to play shows back to back and let's see what it's like. And I think that adventurism, that sense of trying to take something on… And, of course, I'm human. I'm afraid of things. And we're gonna find out that I have limitations; that's for sure. But part of it is to be 72 years of age and have an opportunity like this kind of drop in my lap and go, 'Okay, am I gonna be afraid of opportunity or am I gonna embrace it?' Am I gonna say, 'Climb the hill, see what's over on the other side. Let's go for it.' … There's moments where I go, 'Have I bitten off more than I can chew?' But then I go, 'Well, just chew and find out.' So it's more a question of sort of being in the moment and trying to just keep going in the moment. So that's what's happening."

Emmett also talked about the status of Levine, who revealed in December that he has "a problem" with his hand that "precludes" him "from being able to really play well." Rik said: "Rehearsals start next Monday [March 16]. I don't think Mike is gonna be able to join us. His health is such that… I mean, there's an open spot for him if he wants it, if he can claim it. But his health has not been… We're supposed to go to a [Toronto Maple] Leafs game tonight and do the in-between periods, 'Hey, how you doing?' It's TRIUMPH night at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. So Gil and I are going, and Mike can't make it. That's a kind of an indicator that, well, that's probably not gonna happen."

This past February, Emmett told Mike Hsu of the 100 FM The Pike radio station about the fact that he previously said he would never tour with TRIUMPH again:  "What's happening here is that everybody that I do interviews with goes, 'Hey, Rik, you're such a lying hypocrite.' I'm human. But things sort of accumulated to the point where it's almost like hands got behind me and pushed me out onto the stage, into the spotlight again. And it's more the songs than anything else. They got used for hockey playoffs and baseball world series. And then Round Hill [Records] made the [TRIUMPH] tribute album and that made a bunch of noise. And [on that LP] there were all these guys like Slash [of GUNS N' ROSES] and [HEART's] Nancy Wilson, and they're all singing my songs and playing guitar. And it was, like, 'Woah.' And it's the songs. People are saying, 'Yeah, 'Fight The Good Fight', 'Never Surrender', 'Hold On', 'Magic Power'. Come on, let's go. We wanna see this happen live. We wanna have a communion with you guys.' And we went, 'Oh, man. Okay. Well, let's see if we can organize it in a way that'll make it good.'"

Addressing TRIUMPH's expanded touring lineup, Rik said: "Now I got Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz, and they both toured with Alice Cooper and Slash, and Phil X, who routinely goes out on the road with BON JOVI. He replaced me in TRIUMPH in the first place. So it's not like we don't have a large safety net. But we are gonna be able to make this thing happen in a way that I'm gonna feel, like, 'No, we're doing justice to that catalog. These songs are still happening in a good way.' And I do have a personal trainer now in order to try and get me into shape for all of this."

After Hsu noted that Moore had previously talked about creating "a mixed reality platform" to bring TRIUMPH's music back to the stage, and asked whether any of that will be incorporated into the upcoming tour, Rik said: "Well, that's a great question. And you're right — it started in Gil's head, and it was, like, 'How can I make this happen if I don't have the bodies?' And then he got the bodies. And then the bodies went in and started having rehearsals. And the more that I rehearse with him, I say, 'Gil, this sounds like we should just be a rock band and we should just get out there and bring it. So there's going to be a marriage between… I mean, there's no way you can't in this day and age — digital technology, light systems and screens that you can have things happen. I mean, I saw a clip of the other day and it was like THE EAGLES playing at the Sphere [in Las Vegas], and the films things that can happen behind the band playing, they're unbelievable, the level of stuff that can happen. So I think now an audience expects, 'Well, there should be some of this, right? Where is that stuff? I need some of that.' And Gil's head is very much into that stuff. But I think it's fair to say that in its heyday, TRIUMPH was really more about just going out there and kicking ass, and it was a big system and, yes, there was pyro and, yes, there were lasers and there's probably gonna be all that stuff too. But to be honest, I think it's more about just getting out there and kicking ass."

Emmett added: "I think the largest aspect of things is also curiosity, that fans from way back are coming to say, 'Can he still hit the high notes? Is he gonna wear those spandex pants?' And so you have to sort of, not cater to it, but I think it's important that you take that into consideration as you're figuring out how you're gonna make it happen."

Last December, Emmett was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" how Phil, Brent and Todd will be involved in "filling out the sound" and "filling in" where Rik, Gil and Mike are no longer able to reproduce the original material, Emmett said: "That's an ongoing thing. And every day I sit down with the script and I look at the tunes and I think about it. And the big thing is, first of all, they're incredibly skilled and talented and experienced musicians in their own right. And they deserve to end up feeling like they're as much a part of this as Gil and Mike and I are. I want them to feel that sense of sort of ownership and pride in what's going on, because — and this goes back to the songs again and the way that we present them, those songs have a life of their own. But I think this hunger that everybody is understanding is out there now for TRIUMPH to come back and play these songs, I think that hunger will be sustained by those guys, even if we get old and infirm and we can't necessarily do it. I think the songs are still gonna be there, and if those younger guys wanna start carrying a bigger workload, I think they could in."

Referencing the fact that Phil X, Fitz and Kerns previously played with Gil and Rik on June 6, 2025 at the Rogers Festival At The Final, a free outdoor concert in the ICE District ahead of Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Emmett continued: "In the short term, I'm gonna tell you this: I know that they can all sing fantastic. And there was a moment in Edmonton, and it actually made it on social media, where Gil and I and those three guys, in the trailer, we were just singing 'Lay It On The Line' background vocals to warm up. And I thought, 'Okay.' This was a great moment — it was one of my favorite moments in that experience out there — and I thought that should be part of the show. We should have moments where the band should cut out in 'Lay It On The Line' and we should just sing the harmonies. And we can do that in 'Fight The Good Fight'. We can do that in songs that we never did it originally. It's like another arrow in my quiver, it's another tool. I go, 'Okay.' There's things I wanna try and take advantage of. And they're all incredibly skilled. Fitzy can play keyboard parts, and Todd is as good a guitar player as he is a bass player. There's so many playing cards that are on the table now, I go, 'Oh…' Those people that are only listening on radio, I'm rubbing my hands in glee. That's what's happening. This is gonna be a really fun thing to get to play with over the next little while. And then those weeks that Gil was talking about, those dress rehearsals and stuff, man, I think there's gonna be an opportunity to build some things. And never mind the [stage] production that Gil's talking about and where this whole thing started, just musically, artistically, there's gonna be something here that's gonna be quite something."

Regarding how Fitz and Kerns were chosen to take part in the TRIUMPH 2026 tour, Gil said: "When I convinced Phil that this was something [that was gonna happen] — and at first I think he thought, 'Oh, this is fanciful. It's not gonna happen.' And then he realized, 'No, no, it's serious. It's gonna happen.' So when it came to filling the other spots in and stuff, and he said, like, 'Who do you want me to get?' And he was kind of going through this, this, this and this. And I said, 'It's really simple. We've gotta find some people that have great hearts.' All these guys we're talking about, they're really good players, but we want people that are gonna be good in the dressing room. So we wanna get good people. And immediately he goes right to Todd and Brent. And he says, 'That settles it. I got the guys.' And it's because of how they are as people, in addition to all their talent. They're very, very talented, as Rik said, tremendously talented people, but it's who they are. That's why they were picked. And Phil picked them."

Noting that Phil X already replaced Rik in TRIUMPH once before, host Eddie Trunk asked Emmett if he was "worried" that he would have to take a step back and give the spotlight to the younger musician on the upcoming tour. "No, no, no. The total opposite," Rik said. "If somebody had said, 'Well, it's just gonna be the original three guys,' I would've been far more reluctant than when they came to me and said, 'And guess who else we've got?' And in my mind I'm thinking, 'Phil X.' I definitely wanna give this guy so much rope that he hangs himself, because he's such an incredible player and he's a different kind of a player than I am. Tahat whole world of sort of the Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads — he's got a virtuosity that it's not a part of my playing at all. But he has all this experience. He's been out on the road with BON JOVI and that. And I think, well, I think maybe he's gonna get an opportunity to stretch himself a little bit more and maybe have a little bit more leeway.

"TRIUMPH is a band that doesn't really have a musical leader," Emmett explained. "Gil's kind of the leader in certain ways. When we first started in the early days, Mike was kind of the guy that was the producer in the studio and was a leader in that respect. But I think all of these guys that we've got, and Phil in particular, they have leadership capability in certain ways, and I want Phil's star to shine. I'm happy to kind of take a backseat, move back upstage a little bit and let him have some room."

Formed in Mississauga in 1975, TRIUMPH rose from playing high school auditoriums and rock 'n' roll bars to selling out iconic arenas, from Toronto's famed Maple Leaf Gardens to Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. Their virtuosic musicianship, soaring vocals, and dazzling, high-production live shows helped define an era of arena rock. Blending hard rock power with progressive ambition, TRIUMPH has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and earned multiple gold and platinum certifications, building a global following through headline tours and landmark festival performances, including the 1983 US Festival before 500,000 fans. With hits like "Lay It on The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" — combined with pioneering stage productions featuring pyrotechnics, laser lighting, and theatrical flair — TRIUMPH became arena rock legends, securing a permanent place in Canadian and international rock history.

The band's return to the road follows a defining year honoring TRIUMPH's impact across generations. In June 2025, the band was celebrated with "Magic Power: All-Star Tribute To Triumph" (Round Hill Records, June 6, 2025),a 15-track tribute album featuring rock luminaries such as Phil X, Sebastian Bach, Slash, Nancy Wilson, Joey Belladonna, Dee Snider, Lawrence Gowan, Deen Castronovo, Alex Lifeson, Jeff Keith, Mickey Thomas and produced by the world-renowned Mike Clink (GUNS N' ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE, WHITESNAKE).

Further solidifying their celebrated status, TRIUMPH was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame in October, a prestigious honor recognizing their enduring influence, masterful songwriting, and contributions to Canada's cultural legacy. This induction adds to their long list of accolades, which includes membership in the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame (2007),the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame (2008),and Canada's Walk Of Fame (2019).

Regarding why now was the right time for TRIUMPH to reunite for a tour, Rik told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station in a separate interview: "I think we all had to sort of bow to the ambition and desire of Gil Moore, who wanted to get the rock and roll machine back up on the road so that he could mount some sort of show thing that only he can imagine. And that Mike and I just go, 'Oh, God, what are we getting ourselves into?'"

Asked by Meltdown if it's correct to say that Gil was "the mastermind behind all the TRIUMPH stagecraft" back in the day, Moore replied: "I'll take one for the team for that, yeah. I always felt better behind the scenes, to be honest. I always liked the technology and the big spectacle and all that. But I think we tried to use the stage in a way that we really enhanced the music. And what I see now in a lot of tours, I'm seeing a lot of flashing, kind of gratuitous flotsam and jetsam of effects and stuff. And that's not the intent here. What we're really trying to do is tell the story of TRIUMPH from the early days to the present and really trace the interest that our fans have had that's gone on for years and now decades to become what they tell us, so how they own the songs, how they have been impacted by the lyrics. And we've noticed that in that feedback that it's all about kind of the positivity in some of our songs, the uplifting messages within the 'never surrender' and the 'hold on to your dreams' kind of content that was in the lyrics. So hopefully the show will add another dimension to that, I'll say, and not just be a bunch of flashing nonsense. It's gonna be something that's very, very well crafted. I've been working on it for about six years with our back-in-the-day lighting director Paul Dexter, who's really a kind of a genius in this area. So we're gonna try to bring that to the stage and really have a show that people will never forget. That's what we're trying to do."

Asked if the success of the 2021 TRIUMPH documentary "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine" and the recent TRIUMPH tribute album "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph" was partly the impetus for the 2026 reunion tour, Mike said: 'The doc and the tribute record certainly were, I guess, slight impetuses, if that's a word, for us to do more things. I think the strongest impetus was the fact that that Rogers Communications, which owns the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jays and the cable networks and stuff, used 'Lay It On The Line' in a TV commercial throughout all the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was like a hit record, and people discover were rediscovering TRIUMPH, including brand new fans. And you couldn't go anywhere without somebody singing the song behind you. They'd go, 'Oh, there's a guy from TRIUMPH. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 'Lay It On The Line', man.' And so that kind of had some influence. And Live Nation started to talk to us about maybe doing something. And as far as [fellow Canadian rock legends] RUSH [reuniting for a tour] was concerned, they contemplated their return a long time ago, and we didn't even know about it while we were talking about what we were gonna do. So, we sat down and talked it out and said, 'Okay, let's toss the coin and do it.'"

Referencing the fact that TRIUMPH's reunion tour will also include Phil X, Fitz and Kerns, Emmett said: "We're not just going do this on our own, first of all. We're gonna have three other musicians join us. And I think that that's gonna make it so that it's not just the good old TRIUMPH that's trying to see if they can survive this thing. It's gonna be a new thing, and there's an energy to that that excites me and makes me wanna be involved and make it happen. I mean, Gil pretty much touched on it, that there's these folks that it was the soundtrack of their lives, and now they're bringing their kids, and there's grandkids involved in this now. So yes, we're old. I think there's going to be a level of curiosity. 'Are they gonna drop dead when they're trying to actually make this happen? Will the flash pots go off and scare them that they're just gonna keel over?' But I feel safe."

Rik continued: "We played out in Edmonton. Gil and I went out there [and played with Phil X, Brent and Todd]. Mike didn't make it, but we went out there and it felt like it was fun. And I think at the bottom of it, all of this stuff that we're talking about, the songs and the big show and all the nostalgia of the three of us getting back together, really the bottom line has to be, well, yeah, but is it gonna be fun? And I think that's something that translates to the audience. I think they get a sense of, 'Look at these guys. They're just having the time of their lives. Yes, they're very old lives. They're in their seventh decade, eighth decade of life. Wow.' But if we're not gonna have fun with that, what's the point?"

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.

In a new interview with The Pipeman, drummer Michel "Away" Langevin of Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD spoke about the multi-generational appeal of the band's music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's funny because thrash metal is more popular than ever, and the kids are trying to look like [we used to] back then, and like South America, they get crazy and all that. And we cross path with our friends from TESTAMENT and EXODUS all the time, sharing stages at festivals, and quite often we're wondering how come we're still popular — even more popular than [we used to be]. We think that is because we talked about the destruction of this planet a lot, and so it's still relevant. That's what we think."

Addressing the fact that thrash metal lyrics frequently address sociopolitical themes such as war, political corruption, environmental collapse, and inequality, blending aggressive speed with intense social critique, Away said: "It's like a recurring nightmare. We used to talk about Chernobyl and then Fukushima, and now it's like the Zaporizhzhia, nuclear plant in the Ukraine getting bombarded and all that. We talked about acid rain and now it's global warming. We could change a couple of words and it's still the same nightmare. That nightmare continues."

He continued: "For a while in the '90s I was talking about nuclear war, and the journalists were, like, 'You are so retro.' I was, like, 'No, man.' The high-tech weaponry is getting crazier by today. And now you're talking about like drones flying by themselves and deciding who they're going to kill and all that by themselves. And, of course, the nuclear war is back to the frontline. But we're still happy fellows, because what are you gonna do except we can only talk about it in our songs."

After The Pipeman noted that some people believe musicians should stick to entertaining and not expressing their political views, VOIVOD guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain said: "Well, I think it's sometimes sensitive, but I think what VOIVOD has always been doing is using science-fiction to talk about actual matters, some stuff that's happening in the reality, but indirectly. But it has its impact, the same impact. But I think true science-fiction and imagery and stories and the music, it can bring more people together. And we can see it in the crowd. And I think that's the power of music too."

VOIVOD's upcoming live album, which is due in June, was recorded during a performance with the Orchestre Symphonique De Québec, conducted by Dina Gilbert, on June 4, 2025 at Grand Théâtre de Québec in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

VOIVOD's eight-city U.S tour, which kicked off on March 20 in Houston, features support from BAT, the Richmond, Virginia metal-punk trio consisting of Ryan Waste, Nick Poulos and Chris Marshall.

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

VOIVOD's long-awaited official documentary, "We Are Connected", received its world premiere in July 2024 at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Canada.

VOIVOD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Morgöth Tales", which was released in July 2023 via Century Media, The Orchard and Sony Music.

The band's 2022 release, "Synchro Anarchy", garnered significant acclaim, winning the 2023 Juno Award for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Album" in Canada.

Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by VOIVOD, "Morgöth Tales" includes fresh studio re-recordings by the band's current lineup of nine especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band's hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song and the album's title track, "Morgöth Tales".

A new book, "Always Moving - The Strange Multiverse Of Voivod", was released in November 2025. Written by Jeff Wagner, it celebrates the extraordinary 40-plus-year career of VOIVOD and draws from exclusive interviews with band members, managers, producers, record label reps, family, peers, and musicians profoundly shaped by VOIVOD's ever-mutating sound to tell their full, fascinating story.

Photo credit: Catherine Deslauriers

The Los Angeles home Ozzy Osbourne shared with his wife and manager Sharon Osbourne, is returning to market for $17 million.

Ozzy and Sharon bought the home in 2015 for $11.85 million from Oren Koules, a film producer best known for the "Saw" franchise. Koules purchased the house in 2010 for $4.2 million and reportedly completely renovated the home's interiors.

Ozzy and Sharon originally listed the home in 2022 for $18 million. Built in 1929, the six-bedroom-and-11-bathroom Mediterranean villa-style manor, which is located in Hancock Park, includes over 10,000 square feet of living space.

When Ozzy and Sharon first put the home on the market four years ago, the couple were considering a full-time move to the United Kingdom, but later removed the property from the housing market. Sharon has now decided to sell the house, which also has an accompanying guesthouse in the grounds.

Check out pictures of the property at this location.

Sharon is reportedly splitting her time between California and the U.K., where she resides at Welders House, a Grade-II listed Georgian mansion in Buckinghamshire.

Moving trucks were reportedly recently spotted outside of the Hancock Park property after plans for Sharon to downsize were revealed.

Ozzy died last July of a heart attack. His death certificate filed in London also said Osbourne suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

A private funeral service for Ozzy was held on July 31, 2025 on the 250-acre grounds of the house the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife bought in 1993 in Buckinghamshire, England. Only 110 of the singer's friends and family members attended the service, including his SABBATH bandmates, Robert Trujillo (METALLICA),Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, Marilyn Manson and Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT).

The day before the private funeral, thousands of fans gathered in the streets of Birmingham to pay tribute to Ozzy. Sharon, along with their children Aimée, Kelly and Jack, joined mourners for the emotional tribute.

A little over nine months ago, Ozzy reunited with the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — for what was his final performance at the "Back To The Beginning" charity concert in their original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

At "Back To The Beginning", Ozzy played a five-song set with his solo band — consisting of guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Mike Inez, keyboardist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos — before being joined by Iommi, Butler and Ward for four classic SABBATH songs: "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "N.I.B." and "Paranoid".

Ozzy's solo set consisted of four songs from Osbourne's 1980 solo debut album "Blizzard Of Ozz" — "I Don't Know", "Mr. Crowley", "Suicide Solution" and "Crazy Train" — along with his 1991 "No More Tears" ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home".

The 76-year-old heavy metal singer sang while seated on a black throne and appeared overcome with emotion at times. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd.

In a new interview with  IMPACT Metal Channel, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked: "What's the meaning of life?" He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is always evolving and always changing. We go through these different phases. When you're young, you're just trying to figure it out. And then you kind of come to this era where you wanna make your mark.

"My kids will always be my legacy," he continued. "I mean, they really are the legacy. We talk, musically, about our songs and our legacy and everything, but, really, your family and your kids — that is the lifeblood that carries on, for real. And in the same way, our songs are part of it, because these songs and these albums are gonna live on once we're gone. These songs will live on. So, for me now, at this point in life, I am really just happy to make the music that makes people happy. 'Cause I feel like there's still more songs in me. And I'm lucky that I've got a lot of songs that I've already done, MEGADETH and otherwise, that have really connected with people. And they're gonna wanna hear those forever. And so that's why I'm here in the Netherlands right now, this week, playing [MEGADETH's entire] 'Countdown To Extinction' [album as part of my solo tour], because that's an album I did — what? — 35 years ago, 34 years ago, something like that. And here it is, getting richer as the time goes by.

"I think for me to have been given a gift to create some things, some songs and whatnot that make people of older and younger generations come together to be in a room to celebrate as one, I mean, that's a cool gift. That's a cool thing," Ellefson added.

"People ask, 'Well, when are you gonna quit?' It's, like, why would you quit? Why would you quit doing something that people wanna hear you keep doing? If physically you can't do it, then I guess you stop. But I go to great lengths, even with my broken foot, I go to great lengths to heal that, make sure I'm good, fix my toe, fix my hand, make sure I'm in good, fit condition to be able to go out and do this. So it makes it more fun for me too. And I think at some point people, they kind of wanna see their icons as they remembered them. So I know I do when I go see bands — it's, like, I see CHEAP TRICK or something. It's, like, 'Fuck! There they are, man. That's it. That's how they looked on the 'In Color' album and on 'Heaven Tonight' and 'Budokan'.' They still look the part, and, to me, that's part of what all this is about."

Ellefson's recently completed European leg of his 2026 "Bass Warrior" tour featured David and his solo band performing select cuts from his well-known catalog of MEGADETH hits, including the band's classic "Countdown To Extinction" album in its entirety, solo material and other hard rock and metal favorites which inspired him during his 40-year music career.

Ellefson's 2026 "Bass Warrior" tour featured David accompanied by guitarist and musical director Andy Martongelli (ELLEFSON-SOTO, ARTHEMIS),guitarist Walter Cianciusi, drummer Alessio Palizzi and vocalist Mattia Fiagolo.

Ellefson was originally in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play.

Mustaine reformed MEGADETH 22 years ago. Originally setting out to record a solo album, Mustaine enlisted studio musicians to play on what ultimately became MEGADETH's 2004 "The System Has Failed" comeback album, subsequently recruiting former ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough to take Ellefeson's place for the album's touring cycle.

Ellefson sued Mustaine in 2004 for $18.5 million, alleging that the MEGADETH guitarist/vocalist still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly five years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

Jon Oliva, SAVATAGE's founding vocalist and keyboardist, who has been absent from the band's recent reunion shows, has shared a new update clarifying his recent comments on his health, as well as the progress of the writing sessions for SAVATAGE's long-awaited new studio album.

In a message posted in the Savatage Legion group on Facebook, the 66-year-old Jon wrote: "I've had a lot of questions about my health issues and other things so I am going to answer as many as I can right now.

"I am considering having surgery on my spine. It's not really healing in the right way and it's incredibly painful. Especially when I try to sing, even basic walking is difficult. So I am getting a second opinion later this month but it's looking like surgery may be my only hope. I will keep you all posted as things progress.

"Now, on the good side of things. The live album 'Madness Reigns In The Gutter' will be released in Europe on June 18th. In America it will be September 16th.

"I feel that this album is a must-have for every true SAVATAGE fan. We remixed and remastered the entire show. I must say it sounds incredible. I feel it's the best live show that we ever did. Criss's [Oliva, late SAVATAGE guitarist and Jon's brother] performance was mind blowing. In fact, the entire band was on fire that night.

"Now, as for the new album, at this time it's on hold for a few reasons. Shortage of material is not one of them. There is actually a lot of new music that I have been working on and also songs that the other guys have been working on that are very strong. That's actually a good thing. As I've already told you, I am not going to rush getting this album out just to put it out there. Most likely It could be the last SAVATAGE album ever done. I feel we owe it to you fans, to Criss, to Paul [O'Neill, late TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA mastermind] and to everyone we've lost over the years to make it perfect. It will be. Please just be a little patient. As soon as it's done we will get it out to you."

Jon, who previously said that he was "absolutely" involved in SAVATAGE's 2025 comeback shows, which featured Chris Caffery and Al Pitrelli on guitar, Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Zak Stevens on vocals and Jeff Plate on drums, added: "The upcoming show we are doing in Pompeii this next tour which is scheduled for July 27 is going to be amazing. SAVATAGE will be performing with a full live orchestra. The show is going to be filmed and recorded. It will be incredible.

"I was skeptical at first. I mean, putting an orchestra to 'Power Of The Night' seemed like a pretty crazy thing to do, I must say though, it really sounds incredible. I think everybody is going to enjoy it. Al, Derrick, BJ and Tucker along with everyone else involved in putting this together have worked incredibly hard on this project,

"As I mentioned before. we are looking into the possibility of doing some U.S. shows next spring or summer I will be performing at those shows so I am very hopeful to be in good health by then. I am really looking forward to it.

"That's it for now. God bless all of you. Thank you so much for your continued support throughout the years. There's a saying that I truly believe in and it is 'IT AINT OVER UNTIL ITS OVER!'"

"Peace and love."

"Madness Reigns In The Gutter" was captured on June 29, 1990 at the Palace in Los Angeles, California during the "Gutter Ballet" tour. The effort was recorded by SAVATAGE's then-touring lineup consisting of Jon on lead vocals and piano, Criss Oliva on lead guitar, Chris Caffery on guitar, Johnny Lee Middleton on bass and Steve "Doc" Wacholz on drums.

Three songs recorded at SAVATAGE's 1990 Palace concert were previously released on the "Ghost In The Ruins - A Tribute To Criss Oliva" live album, which came out in 1995: "Gutter Ballet", "When The Crowds Are Gone" and the instrumental "Post Script", the latter of which was captured during soundcheck.

Criss, one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, would have turned 63 on April 3.

Criss Oliva was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.

Three years ago, Jon suffered a T7 vertebra fracture in three places, a severe injury that had left him relying on a wheelchair. Additionally, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Ménière's disease.

SAVATAGE will embark on the "Prelude To Madness" tour of Europe this spring/summer. The tour kicks off June 3 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden, marking the band's continued triumphant return to the stage, following their successful 2025 European comeback after a nearly two-decade hiatus. ARMORED SAINT, VISION DIVINE and NEVERMORE will join SAVATAGE on select dates.

The 2026 "Prelude To Madness" tour will once again feature SAVATAGE's current lineup: vocalist Zak Stevens, guitarists Al Pitrelli and Chris Caffery, bassist Johnny Lee Middleton and drummer Jeff Plate.

SAVATAGE's journey began in Tampa, Florida, founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva. Their story is one of both triumph and tragedy, marked by groundbreaking albums including the seminal 1987 release "Hall Of The Mountain King" and the critically acclaimed 1991 rock opera "Streets", both of which continue to resonate with fans worldwide. Following the untimely death of guitarist Criss Oliva after the success of 1993's "Edge Of Thorns", the band persevered with renewed purpose, culminating in their transformative 1995 album "Dead Winter Dead".

Throughout their four-decade career, SAVATAGE have cultivated one of metal's most passionate cult followings. During their nearly 20-year hiatus from touring, devoted fans continuously campaigned for the band's return. Their electrifying reunion performance at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in 2015 captivated 80,000 fans and reaffirmed both SAVATAGE's legendary status and their audience's unwavering devotion.

Building on the momentum from their 2015 Wacken triumph, SAVATAGE made international headlines in 2025 with their first headline shows since 2002. The European dates successfully reunited multiple generations of "The Legion" — longtime devotees experiencing long-awaited performances alongside newcomers discovering the band's power for the first time.

SAVATAGE played four shows in South America in April 2025 and 10 dates in Europe in June 2025, including at France's Hellfest and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting festivals.

SAVATAGE played its first non-festival headlining concert in more than 20 years on April 21, 2025 at the Espaço Unimed in São Paulo, Brazil. The show took place two days after SAVATAGE performed at the Monsters Of Rock festival at Allianz Parque in São Paulo.

Appearing with Middleton, Caffery, Pitrelli, Plate and Stevens were SAVATAGE's two new touring keyboardists, Paulo Cuevas and Shawn McNair.

Zak joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air.

SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of guitarist Al Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.

In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Jon Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside the project's founder Paul O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.

In September 2021, Jon Oliva was arrested on the west central coast of Florida for driving under the influence as well as possession of a controlled substance. Police charged Oliva with possession of cocaine, which is a felony, and DUI, which is a misdemeanor. Oliva was reportedly arrested again in July 2023 on another cocaine possession charge.

Back in 2016, Jon announced on social media that he suffered a stroke in April of that year. At the time, he said: "It was not as serious as it could have been, but it did leave me with some physical recovery challenges often associated with strokes."

In a 2025 interview with North Coast Music Beat that has just been uploaded to YouTube, hugely influential German guitarist Uli Jon Roth was asked what advice he would give to a young player trying to find their own unique voice in today's music. Uli responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Maybe don't listen too much to other players. Get your chops in order. Yeah, that is important, but don't put too much emphasis on it.

"Nowadays there is a lot of talent out there," he continued. "However, I find the journey at the moment is maybe a little bit too much in pursuit of technical brilliance, and the personal sound and personal touch and expression is wanting. Too many players start sounding like typewriters, I would say. And I'm not saying that derogatorily — there are amazing people around, but I would [say], for a young player who wants to be different and stand out, do the opposite. Don't play all the fast notes. Play the notes that go straight to the heart and not too many — not too many notes. I've done that in the past. I still do sometimes, but the older I get, the more I aim for just the most meaningful notes. And so it doesn't matter how fast you can hold a speech to someone; it matters what you're actually saying… [They speak really fast] and then when you listen closely, they're not saying anything. It doesn't mean anything. It's just empty gobbledygook, as we would say in England. Empty hogwash — I like that word. Poppycock. Yeah, these are all English terms.

"So, no. For a young player, do it differently from everybody else," Uli added. "Just go for your own voice and yes, do learn the craft. Become a really good craftsman. You should know music, not just the scales and arpeggios. Understand the harmonies, understand the rhythms, and understand music from deep within and connect with it on the deepest level you possibly can. And then get inspired. And then the rest will come."

Last year, Uli spoke to Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast about his pioneering role in the neoclassical metal genre. His unique style, incorporating classical techniques and exotic scales, has inspired numerous guitarists, and his time with the SCORPIONS significantly shaped the band's sound. Uli said: "I'm not a metal guy. When I was in the SCORPIONS and the name heavy metal barely existed, we were considered, if you want to classify it, as a melodic hard rock band. So metal, the name, came afterwards, and then it became something which is actually not my cup of tea. Most metal, for me, is just a little bit too hardcore, a little bit too distorted and, for me, maybe a bit two-dimensional. And what I mean by that is the lack of dynamics.

"I come from a time, like in the '60s when I first started, in the '70s, where even loud bands played with a lot of dynamics," Uli explained. "People like LED ZEPPELIN, [Jimi] Hendrix, CREAM, they were loud on stage with the amplifiers, but they were actually very dynamical in it. The guitars, the drums, everything was dynamical. Now, in heavy metal that gradually went away and everything went to 11 all the time — the guitar constantly hyper distorted, every drum beat fortissimo — and for me, it's very often more like a cacophony. So I'm not a fan. There are some metal things that are excellent and great — absolutely — but on the whole, it's not something I like to listen to. It's not my world."

Asked how it feels to know that he and fellow German guitarist Michael Schenker were so hugely influential in shaping the heavy metal guitar style that is popular today, Uli responded: "I don't really think along these lines. For me, I know that we had a strong influence on particularly guitar players, but some people have said, 'Yeah, these two guys are the architects of rock,' which is, I think, an exaggeration, because we were standing on the shoulders of other people. Michael was listening to maybe LED ZEPPELIN, Rory Gallagher, MOUNTAIN and I was listening to [Eric] Clapton, Hendrix and some other bands. And that's where we learned our craft. And then, of course, we were like the next generation. We put our own stamp on it. And it was a time of discovery — the early '70s sort of field was wide open; it was completely wide open. And there weren't that many explorers around, I found. There were a few, and they pushed it forward. In Holland, in the Netherlands, you had Jan Akkerman. He was an explorer, and he was amazing, and his guitar playing — he was way ahead of the game of most of the other players. In England you had Ritchie Blackmore [DEEP PURPLE]. Then you had Brian May [QUEEN] in England slightly later. All these people were pushing it forward in their own way, and most of them were in England, most of the great guitar players, which is very strange, but I counted it once; there were at least 12 of them. Some of them may be not as well known, but there was [PINK FLOYD's David] Gilmour, there was Allan Holdsworth. There was Gary Moore; of course, he was Irish. There was Hank Marvin, who started it all. There was [THE BEATLES'] George Harrison. Amazing what he did on the electric guitar and the sitar. And I probably forgot quite a few here, but they were all English and British or Irish. And the rest of Europe had a lot of guitar players, but not many of them made it into quote-unquote writing history as such, or rock history. You can count them on one hand, whereas in England it was like a nest. You had all these people. Yeah, Jimmy Page also. Of course, Jeff Beck. I forget Jeff Beck. Hello. Big mistake. He was definitely one of the all-time greats."

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

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

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

Image credit: Thomas Fingerhut

On the latest episode of the "Talk Louder" podcast, hosted by veteran music journalist "Metal Dave" Glessner and lifelong hard rock/metal vocalist Jason McMaster, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan reflected on what it was like to be one of the musicians to have auditioned for the bassist slot in METALLICA following the departure of Jason Newsted. Keenan was one of several high-profile names to have auditioned for the slot (other musicians known to have tried out for the group include former MARILYN MANSON and A PERFECT CIRCLE bassist Twiggy Ramirez, and ex-KYUSS man Scott Reeder),which eventually went to former OZZY OSBOURNE/SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bassist Robert Trujillo.

Asked if he would have been happy being the bassist in METALLICA and not being able to get his full creativity out within the confines of that band, Pepper said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, that's been asked a bunch of times. I would've been the bass player for METALLICA. And even [METALLICA frontman] James [Hetfield said], like, 'Man, I don't think you'd have made it.' [Laughs] The exciting part of that would've been the tag-team writing shit. I would've loved to bang heads with Hetfield fucking writing shit. And that was a weird thing as well."

Keenan added: "It was between me and Trujillo. And once Trujillo stepped in there, I was, like, 'Well, you know how this is gonna go.' I kept telling them, 'Well, he can't sing worth of shit,' hoping that would gimme some legs, but no."

Back in 2003, Hetfield confirmed that Keenan was one of the musicians to have auditioned for the bassist slot in METALLICA. He told U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine: "[Pepper]'s a good player and a solid guy. I had such high hopes for him. But when it came to jamming with the band, I knew that it wasn't going to work. It just didn't feel right."

In 2005, Keenan told Straight.com that his audition for METALLICA as the replacement for Newsted didn't alienate his CORROSION OF CONFORMITY bandmates. "No, no, no, no — nope," he said. "What are you gonna say to somebody about that, man? Would you tell him, 'No, don't do it.' Hey, come on!"

Keenan's METALLICA audition was filmed and included in the band's "Some Kind Of Monster" documentary.

In a separate interview with Guitar World magazine, Keenan was asked what METALLICA would've sounded like had he joined the band. Pepper said: "I think James Hetfield knows the answer to this, because he would have heard it himself when I was playing with them.

"There was one part in the movie where they made me play bass on a new song," he continued. "I guess they were trying to stump me with something I'd never heard before… 'St. Anger' or some shit like that. It was a drop-tuned song and I hit the blower knob on my bass and just blasted through. They were, like, 'What the fuck are you doing?' It sounded as heavy as lead to me, totally ripping from all the overdrive on my short-scale SG bass set to the front pickup. It was some CREAM-sounding shit... actually, it sounded more like FUDGE TUNNEL. I can still see them shaking their heads. I knew I'd lost the gig right there. [Laughs]"

Recalling some of the highlights of his METALLICA jam, Pepper said: "[Playing] 'Sad But True' was fun as shit. I loved 'Nothing Else Matters' as well, plus the older shit like 'Master Of Puppets'. But who doesn't want to play that massive mid-tempo riff from 'Sad But True'? Man, that was right up my alley."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's mammoth new double album, "Good God / Baad Man", was released on April 3 via Nuclear Blast.

Produced by Grammy Award winner Warren Riker (FUGEES, DOWN, CATHEDRAL) and featuring cover art by famed New Orleans artist Scott Guion, "Good God / Baad Man" was recorded at Blak Shak Studios in Riffissippi, USA, Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana, and BEE GEES legend Barry Gibb's home studio in Miami, Florida.

To promote "Good God / Baad Man", CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will return to stages this spring on a North American headlining tour with support provided by WHORES and CROBOT.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's latest two additions are bassist Bobby "Rock" Landgraf and drummer Nick Shabatura.

Photo by Danin Drahos

In a new interview with Lochlan Watt of the "Music Is My Life" podcast, Greg Puciato, who fronted THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN between 2001 and 2017, was asked if thinks about the band much these days still, Greg said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's hard [not to] because it's in your face all the time. It's in my face all the time. It's impossible [not to think about it]. Every single show, there's people with the shirts, every single show there's people outside that [have] a record [for me] to sign. They've got 'Ire Works', they've got 'One Of Us Is The Killer', or they're asking me about it. But I'm proud of it. I'm not, like, 'Fuck, that's not me anymore. No one talk to me about that.' I'm proud of it. It made both of our, and everyone involved, lives possible to a degree. Everything that anyone who is majorly important in that band has done since stemmed from our involvement with each other. So I look at it positively. There's not a single ounce of me that has any negativity towards it. And, yeah, I would say that every day of my life, I'm aware of it, but I'm not thinking about it, if that makes sense. Because you can't — you need to let yourself be who you are right now. I think the only way to do that is to keep looking forward. You can be aware of what happened behind you, but you don't wanna like turn around and look at it. Just kind of be aware of it. It's no different to me than high school or middle school or elementary school. You know that you went through it, it's a huge part of your development, you're proud of everything that happened during that time, or an ex or something like that, but you gotta keep going that way."

Regarding the fact that original THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN vocalist Dimitri Minakakis has reunited with guitarist Ben Weinman, the group's lone consistent member over the years, along with fellow alumni Liam Wilson (bass) and Billy Rymer (drums),for shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking 1999 debut album, "Calculating Infinity", Greg said: "'Calculating Infinity' is massively important. I bought it the day it came out. I was a fan of that band… But, yeah, Dimitri was perfect on that record. That record's got a vibe that, unlike all of our other records, it's a very isolated vibe, whereas after that, we started becoming a different band, where we had pretty much a lot of different possibilities vocally and creatively. But I think that that record is so pointed — it's such a pointed vibe — and for me it's still cool.

"It's so funny 'cause people expect me to have some negative [opinion of what they are doing], like, 'Fuck that.' But I wasn't on that record," he explained. "What would be goofy is if I was included in that. I don't have anything to do with that record. Why would I go out and play that record? If they're doing like a playthrough of that record, I don't need to be there just for the fuck of it. If they went out and did a 'Miss Machine' playthrough, or a 'One Of Us Is The Killer' playthrough… I mean, they, obviously that's not gonna happen, but…"

Asked if he would reunite with THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN for tour celebrating the "Miss Machine" album, which came out in 2004, Greg said: "There's something about doing that, to me, that you really gotta put a cap on it if you were to do it. I feel like it would be a concession in a way to like be, like, 'Oh, I'm no longer…' That's what I used to think. I would be, like, 'Oh, I, I need to be creatively valid now.' It doesn't really interest me, 'cause it takes a lot of your time to do that. And I have a lot of gas for doing new things. I wanna write new music. I wanna write new songs, do new things, collaborate with new people. I'm excited about music, I'm excited about art, and I'm excited about singing. You already have to drag around something you already did when you go on tour. We already were playing songs from 15 years ago when the band was still going. We were playing 'Panasonic Youth' every night, and it started to become, like, 'Fucking hell, man. How many times…?' … So you gotta step away. So when the band ended, I would've told you no way. There's no fucking way. It's gonna take too much of my time. I came outta that band just feeling like I was shot out of a rocket and like I had so much fuel for doing new shit. There was no question. I wasn't, like, 'What am I gonna do now?' I was filled with fuel."

He continued: "Now — would I do it? I wouldn't do a 'Miss Machine' playthrough, 'cause I think that's a little weird. There's no real need. They're doing a one album playthrough, because that's the only album really that there is [with Dimitri], besides the EPs and stuff. It would have to encapsulate everything from 'Miss Machine' to 'Dissociation', and it would have to have a cap on it. Because the more you start doing that — it's easy money too, and then you're, like, you start feeling, like, you're getting this money, but your life is passing. I'm 46 almost, and it's, like, what am I gonna do? Do it for a couple years, then suddenly you're 48. You can't let it take up too much of your time. You gotta just keep doing new things. And then you get hooked… There is something about it where you have to feel good about the fact that you got enough new things going that that's not your whole identity anymore, and you could still go back to it without it sucking up all your time."

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's last album was 2016's "Dissociation", which was followed by another year of touring. The band played its final three shows in 2017 at New York City's Terminal 5, with FAITH NO MORE and MR. BUNGLE frontman Mike Patton, Minakakis, and original bassist Adam Doll all making appearances.

After years of unwavering fan support, an incessant barrage of reunion appeals, and numerous reissues, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN returned in 2024, honoring the album that initiated their groundbreaking journey.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN played its first show in seven years in June 2024 at California's No Values festival. This marked the beginning of a run of select U.S. reunion shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of "Calculating Infinity".

Upon its release, "Calculating Infinity" landed on countless "Best Of The Year" lists the year it dropped including Best Metal Album of the Year by Revolver magazine. It was later listed among the Top 10 Metal Albums of All Time by Metal Injection. Loudwire has since placed the record third on their list of "25 Best Metalcore Albums Of All-Time" with writer Stephen Hill stating that "the influence of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN is present at every major rock festival in the shape of any forward-thinking, heavy band and even in the current metalcore or tech-metal production line (who have aped elements of their sound in the most piss-weak and desperate way). But the fact that these bands are here at all and able to appeal to a wider audience is in no small part due to the trail blazed by "Calculating Infinity" and its utter contempt for compromise and uniformity." In 2017 Rolling Stone called "Calculating Infinity" "one of the greatest metal albums of all time".

Photo credit: Jim Louvau

In a new interview with Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles Live!, SHADOWS FALL singer Brian Fair spoke about the status of the recording sessions for the remainder of the songs for the long-awaited follow-up to the band's 2012 album "Fire From The Sky". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're rounding the final stretch. I've still got some more work to do. But we're adding harmonies, adding backup vocals. We're getting there. We don't have any idea of release dates or any of that plans nailed down, but we are still in studio mode. We're getting a lot done, and I'm very excited about these songs."

Referencing the fact that SHADOWS FALL recently released its first two singles in more than 12 years — "Souls Devoured", which came out in May 2025, and "In The Grey", which was made available in December 2024 — via SHADOWS FALL's new record label home, MNRK Heavy, Brian said: "We dropped the two singles sort of as a tease, and we just wanna bring in everything we've ever done to this record. Since it's been so long, we're taking our time. We're trying to refine everything the best we can. And it's getting there, man. And I cannot wait to share it. But, unfortunately, we have to finish it before we can share it."

Regarding SHADOWS FALL's working relationship with MNRK Heavy, Brian said: "They've been super flexible about letting us do things the way we need to do 'em. It's such a different game now. Whereas before, you'd tour, record, tour, record, tour, record, now you can drop singles here and there. You can just get it out in different ways. It's super cool. Physical medium, outside of vinyl, isn't as big of a deal, so it's just a different age, which is something we had to kind of navigate and figure out, how do we wanna do this? But they've been a great partner so far. And I just cannot wait to finally get it done so we can share it with the world and then start playing some shows."

As for possible guest appearances on the new SHADOWS FALL album, Fair said: "There's been some ideas floating around. We've never really done guest stuff outside of when we did some covers, we've had some people hop on the covers. So it's something we talked about, 'cause we've never done it, so we're, like, 'Hey, man. We don't know how much more music we're gonna make. Let's do whatever we can. Let's have some fun with it.' So we shall see. But nothing I can share yet, 'cause it hasn't happened."

Brian also confirmed that SHADOWS FALL plans to play some shows in support of the new LP once the album has been released. He said: "Yeah, definitely. Nothing that's booked now, 'cause, like I said, we gotta get the record done. Once that's done, then we can move on to shows. And like I said, we probably will never tour the way we used to or full time, but we definitely wanna get out there and play some stuff as soon as it's done."

On July 18, 2025, prior to SHADOWS FALL's performance at the the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts as the support act for LAMB OF GOD, SHADOWS FALL members Brian Fair (vocals),Jonathan Donais (guitar),Matt Bachand (guitar),Paul Romanko (bass) and Bittner received an official proclamation from Springfield mayor Domenic J. Sarno declaring Friday, July 18, 2025 "Shadows Fall Day".

SHADOWS FALL rose up as a prominent member of the bustling Massachusetts metal and hardcore scene that also produced such bands as KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ALL THAT REMAINS and UNEARTH. Donais and Bachand got together nearly three decades ago and had the original lineup complete within a year. These members were vocalist Philip Labonte, now with ALL THAT REMAINS, Romanko and drummer David Germain. In 1997, the band released its first full-length album, "Somber Eyes To The Sky", on Bachand's own Lifeless Records. This, however, would be the only album the band would record with Labonte. Philip was replaced by Brian in 1998. Bittner joined SHADOWS FALL prior to the release of 2002's "The Art Of Balance" LP.

SHADOWS FALL's breakthrough happened when it landed a slot on Ozzfest's second stage in 2003. As a result of the band's enlarged fanbase, their next effort, "The War Within", released in 2004, entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 20 and went on to sell over 300,000 copies.

SHADOWS FALL released a statement in August 2014 in which the bandmembers explained that financial difficulties made it virtually impossible for the group to continue as a full-time concern.

In August 2015, SHADOWS FALL played a few reunion shows on the U.S. East Coast, one year after completing what was being billed at the time as the band's "final" European tour.

SHADOWS FALL's last full-length album, "Fire From The Sky", was released in May 2012 via Razor & Tie. The CD sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer