Swedish metallers EVERGREY have parted ways with longtime guitarist Henrik Danhage.

Earlier today (Tuesday, April 7),the band released the following message via social media: "EVERGREY and Henrik have mutually decided to part ways after working together on and off for 21 years. It is now time for a new chapter for both parties. We wish each other all the best for the future and look forward to new music from both EVERGREY and Henrik. Stay tuned."

Danhage previously took a break from touring with EVERGREY last fall. Stepping in for the band's fall 2025 tour with KATATONIA was Stephen Platt of SCAR SYMMETRY.

Danhage began playing the guitar around the age of 9, inspired by the KISS 1975 live album "Alive!", which he received as a gift from his grandfather.

"I was in front of the mirror pretending I was Ace Frehley, and some of the best guitar playing I ever did was during those two years," Henrik told Charvel a few years ago.

By the time he was 12, Danhage had some chops, enough so that he was called to join a local band called PENICILLIN that had access to a rehearsal studio for two hours a week.

Eventually, Danhage got a call from EVERGREY frontman Tom S. Englund in 2001. There was a need for a new axeman, and Englund thought Danhage was the man for the job.

Danhage's first EVERGREY record, 2001's "In Search Of Truth", is generally regarded as one of the best progressive albums of all time, thanks in large part to his singular approach to riffs and rhythms.

While he took a break from EVERGREY in 2008 to focus on other projects, Danhage found his way back to the band in 2014 and was a main contributor to metal standouts "Hymns For The Broken" through 2022's "A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Treatment)".

EVERGREY will release its fifteenth album, "Architects Of A New Weave", on June 5, 2026 via Napalm Records. The LP will arrive just days before the band takes the stage as special guest to IRON MAIDEN for two shows on the British heavy metal legends' "Run For Your Lives" world tour.

"Architects Of A New Weave" was produced by Tom S. Englund and Vikram Shankar, with a mix by Adam "Nolly" Getgood.

UPDATE!

Posted by Evergrey on Tuesday, April 7, 2026

The official lyric video for "Mutilated Corpse In The Woods", the newest single from American death metal veterans SIX FEET UNDER, can be seen below. The track will appear on SIX FEET UNDER's upcoming full-length album, "Next To Die", set for release on April 24th via Metal Blade Records.

Comments SIX FEET UNDER guitarist Jack Owen: "This song started when my wife and I were in an antique store and she found an amber quartz pendant that had lines through the whole thing. I asked her what it was and she said it's a rutilated quartz. Well, that's all I needed for a title and some lyrical ideas. The chorus came easy. The verses were from a true crime show where a woman described being attacked by an assailant who tied her to a tree and slit her throat. She couldn't speak or scream. In real life she survived the attack, telling her story with a giant scar across her throat. In this song, unfortunately she did not survive... My killer buried her where she will never be found. I wrote the music from scratch around the lyrical ideas."

"Next To Die", produced by Owen and SIX FEET UNDER singer Chris Barnes and mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis of MRL Studios in Nashville, follows 2024's "Killing For Revenge". It's the third record that Barnes and Owen — both former members of CANNIBAL CORPSE — have created together since reuniting in 2017.

"Next To Die" track listing:

01. Approach Your Grave
02. Destroyed Remains
03. Mister Blood And Guts
04. Mutilated Corpse In The Woods
05. Unmistakable Smell Of Death
06. Wrath And Terror Takes Command
07. Skin Coffins
08. Mind Hell
09. Naked And Dismembered
10. Grasped From Beyond
11. Next To Die
12. Ill Wishes

"Next To Die" is a new creative high for SIX FEET UNDER, marking the band's fifteenth album since 1995's "Haunted".

"It started out as an album full of death metal songs with speed and aggression," says Owen. "Then Chris had the brilliant idea to keep half of those death metal songs and add some groovier songs in the vein of the early SIX FEET UNDER material. Chris emphasized tempo, so keeping with the beats per minute for early SFU classics, I wrote a side of tasty groove-laden music with Chris doing all the lyrics."

The creative collaborative approach sees "Next To Die" essentially broken down into two different sides, Death and Groove, resulting in an aural masterwork that satisfies SIX FEET UNDER as artists, while also offering something for every fan.

"We don't discuss lyrical themes, we each write what we're feeling," explains Barnes. "We each just write what we find interesting."

SIX FEET UNDER did highly successful U.S. tours in 2025, the band's first U.S. tour since 2013, as well as a festival appearance in Mexico City in March '25.

Owen personally feels "grateful and fortunate. Grateful that we have a label, Metal Blade, who is 110 percent behind us. Fortunate that when we go out on the road, we have countless fans who come out and support us."

Those fans have a new set of killer songs to dive into on "Next To Die", including "The Unmistakable Smell Of Death", which sees Owen owning his blast and fast riffs with dynamic pull-offs and stop sections. Lyrically, "I'm writing from the perspective of a killer who toys with a victim and unties them, allowing them to fight," says Owen. "He underestimates their ability to fight, and they get the better of the killer."

"Mutilated Corpse In The Woods" tells a tale ripped from the headlines about a victim whose brutal assailant tied her to a tree and slit her throat, while "Mister Blood And Guts" found Owen writing music after a few days of musing on the lyrics in his head.

"When I was young, local TV stations always had a show where a creepy host would show campy cult movies and dress up and tell you tidbits abouts the film," Owen says. "This continues today with a show hosted by the creepiest of hosts, Svengoolie." "Mister Blood And Guts" is about a film you might see on one of these shows, though in true SIX FEET UNDER style it's got a much more violent plot.

To bring the songs to brutal life, Barnes recorded his vocals at the legendary Criteria Recording Studios in Miami.

"I've recorded 90% of my vocals for SIX FEET UNDER there with my longtime friend and engineer Chris Carroll," says Barnes. "Criteria has a long and rich history of recording some of the most famous and important albums in the history of music. I feel very comfortable working there."

SIX FEET UNDER was initially formed as a side project for Barnes during his final years with the band that he co-founded, CANNIBAL CORPSE. It became the frontman's sole focus in 1995, coinciding with the release of their debut, "Haunted". The current tour-honed lineup of Barnes, Owen, lead guitarist Ray Suhy, bassist Jeff Hughell, and drummer Marco Pitruzzella make for a devastating unit.

Owen tracked his rhythm guitar parts with Jason Suecof at AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida. Suecof also has a guest guitar lead at the end of the song "Approach Your Grave". The rest of the musicians tracked their "Next To Die" parts at their home studios, for a remote collaboration that created a dozen cohesive tracks.

Barnes titled the record after the song "Next To Die", as it "best represents what is contained within the ideas/storylines of the lyrics of each song." The frontman urges close listening, saying, "that's the great thing about music and art and reading. It takes you on an exploration into your own imagination, and that personal experience lets you discover what you think the meaning is. Having someone tell you what it means takes away that magic," Barnes believes.

Sandy Rezalmi's cover art perfectly brings to life the journey that the LP's lyrics and music take listeners on, and SIX FEET UNDER are excited to share that gory and glorious vision with listeners everywhere.SIX FEET UNDER will return to stages this summer on a North American headlining tour. Set to begin on July 8 in Detroit and run through August 11 in Chicago, the tour features support from KATAKLYSM and WORMHOLE.

Comments Barnes: "July and August are gonna get ultra brutal on our headlining tour of North America in support of our new album 'Next To Die', with our old friends in KATAKLYSM and special guests WORMHOLE. Very psyched to get back on the road in the States, and really, really looking forward to playing Canada on this tour. I think it's our first time in Canada in decades… You do not want to miss these shows! See you all this summer!"

The North American journey will follow SIX FEET UNDER's previously announced European headlining tour this June with support from EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Swedish melodic death metal pioneers AT THE GATES have revealed a second single for their upcoming album "The Ghost Of A Future Dead", due out on April 24, 2026 via Century Media Records.

Listen to the song "The Dissonant Void" via your digital service provider of choice or check it out below in a video directed by longtime AT THE GATES collaborator Costin Chioreanu (Twilight 13 Media).

AT THE GATES comments: "We are proud to unveil the second track from 'The Ghost Of A Future Dead': 'The Dissonant Void'. Originally considered to be the title track — it's a powerful, melodic and to the point track with the classic AT THE GATES style sound."

The follow-up to 2021's "The Nightmare of Being", "The Ghost Of A Future Dead" marks a special tribute to AT THE GATES frontman Tomas Lindberg, who tragically passed away in September 2025.

"The Ghost Of A Future Dead" was recorded and mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden and comes with artwork created by Robert Samsonowitz.

The video for "The Dissonant Void" serves as first glimpse of a massive conceptual project featuring painting, filming, editing and production by Costin Chioreanu for a visual storyline that enhances the entire "The Ghost Of A Future Dead" album, which will be launched in full to expand the album's release sometime soon.

Chioreanu comments: "'The Dissonant Void' is the peak of the iceberg, as a whole visual universe got born out of the void written so masterfully in lyrics by Tomas and expressed magically by the band through their unique heavy metal approach. This video, together with the whole 'The Ghost Of A Future Dead' movie, represent my ultimate homage to the genius which will forever remain as Tomas Lindberg. It was a colossal task to express visually the depth and the darkness of these lyrics and music for an entire album, which also is most probably the darkest record I ever worked for."

"The Ghost Of A Future Dead" track listing (running time: 42:30)

01. The Fever Mask (03:12)
02. The Dissonant Void (02:47)
03. Det Oerhörda (03:35)
04. A Ritual Of Waste (03:35)
05. In Dark Distortion (03:50)
06. Of Interstellar Death (03:45)
07. Tomb Of Heaven (03:53)
08. Parasitical Hive (04:34)
09. The Unfathomable (04:07)
10. The Phantom Gospel (02:44)
11. Förgängligheten (02:41)
12. Black Hole Emission (03:39)

In a recent interview with Finland's Chaoszine, AT THE GATES bassist Jonas Björler reflected on the final months of Tomas's life. Jonas said: "It's like with all the cancer diseases, it's always a rollercoaster ride. It's positive news and it's bad news. And we got positive news every other week and we got negative news every other week. So it was [up and down]. So it's really unsettling… The last month, from mid-August [2025] to mid-September [2025], the situation was really bad, because he had massive infections and stuff like that, so they couldn't really treat it. So we kind of knew that it was going in the wrong direction, for sure. So, everybody in the band — except Adrian [Erlandsson, AT THE GATES drummer]; he's in U.K. — we went down to his hospital work and met him. But he was in a really, really bad shape. It was really tough."

Lindberg was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare oral cancer, in December 2023, which led to a major surgery that removed a large portion of the roof of his mouth. He had also undergone radiation treatment and had been on a path to recovery, but then doctors found traces of the cancer in early 2025. In May 2025, an undisclosed "setback" placed Tomas in long-term care.

"We entered the studio and started recording the music [for 'The Ghost Of A Future Dead'] when Tomas actually had his first surgery," Jonas recalled to Chaoszine. "And he managed to sing all the vocal demos for all the songs. So that's what we used for the album… He did good versions or good takes in a studio in Gothenburg before the surgery. So, that was done in, like, December [of 2023] or January [of 2024], and we entered the studio in February [of 2024]."

Asked if "The Ghost Of A Future Dead" is a difficult album for him to listen to now, having lost Tomas less than six months ago, Jonas said: "No, because it's kind of Tomas's legacy and stuff. So we all want it to get out now, I think, so people can hear it… I know Tomas was proud of it and wanted it to be released. So we just waited in case his situation would improve. So that's why we waited. But we could have released it one year ago. It was fully mixed in 2024, in June, it was already done, everything. So it's been there for one and a half years, all done… I heard [the songs] for so long now, [they are] feeling kind of old to me. But it's gonna be nice to hear people's reaction to it."

Asked if Tomas was "super determined" to finish his vocal tracks for "The Ghost Of A Future Dead" before he underwent his surgery, Jonas said: "Yeah, yeah, of course. It was totally done. The only thing that wasn't done when he got the terrible news, it was missing three or four songs that [weren't] recorded yet. So he just went to the studio and did it before the surgery, because he knew that was a very invasive surgery; they took half the jaw away. So he knew he couldn't sing or would have problems singing."

Jonas went on to say that Tomas was "always positive" about his chances of beating the cancer. "And we all were," he added. "That's the only chance to survive it, I think, or get through it."

Regarding what AT THE GATES fans can expect from "The Ghost Of A Future Dead", Jonas said: "I mean, [guitarist] Anders [Björler, Jonas's brother] is back [in AT THE GATES], since three years [ago]. And I think if you like 'At War With Reality', you will like the new one, I think. There's a mixture of 'Slaughter Of The Soul', 'At War With Reality' and some progressive elements of the last two. So that's what you can expect, I think."

Asked if he and his AT THE GATES bandmates had a vision of where they wanted to go musically with the new album, Jonas said: "Me and Anders just wrote half and half. We didn't have any guidelines. We just wrote it, what we felt like. We usually don't do that because it restricts you. So I don't like to do that."

As for the possibility of AT THE GATES doing shows to celebrate Tomas's life and legacy, Jonas said: "Yeah, we haven't really discussed those things because we're gonna release the album first and then we'll see. Maybe some shows to celebrate him or something, but we are not sure about anything right now."

When the first details of "The Ghost Of A Future Dead" were announced on February 20,AT THE GATES said in a statement: "We are proud to finally share some news about our eighth studio album, 'The Ghost Of A Future Dead'. The album will be released on April 24, 2026 — more than two years after it was completed in the studio.

"As you all know, Tomas Lindberg passed away last year due to complications from his cancer treatment. Over the past few years, we worked closely with Tomas, discussing and refining every detail to ensure nothing was left to chance.

"In accordance with Tomas's wishes — including the album title, sound mix, track order, artwork, and overall presentation — 'The Ghost Of A Future Dead' remains true to form. It combines the ferocious energy and hard-hitting powerful melodies that is the essence of AT THE GATES. This album is Tomas's legacy".

The album's powerful opening song "The Fever Mask" was launched as a single on February 20 and comes with a heartfelt in memory tribute video to Tomas Lindberg assembled by longtime collaborator Patric Ullaeus. Check it out below.

AT THE GATES added the following comment about "The Fever Mask": "'The Fever Mask' was one of the final songs written for the album and quickly stood out as the natural choice for both the opening track and the first single for 'The Ghost Of A Future Dead'. It perfectly captures the essence of AT THE GATES, blending raw energy, strong melody and beautiful lyrics by Tomas."

AT THE GATES lineup for "The Ghost Of A Future Dead" album:

Adrian Erlandsson - Drums
Jonas Björler - Bass
Tomas Lindberg - Vocals
Anders Björler - Guitars
Martin Larsson - Guitars

Lindberg was 52 years old at the time of his death.

In August 2025, Tomas's AT THE GATES bandmates announced that the singer was receiving "around-the-clock" care at an unspecified hospital after being diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC),a rare, slow-growing but aggressive cancer that typically develops in the salivary glands, particularly the minor salivary glands of the head and neck.

On August 15, 2025, AT THE GATES released a message from Tomas, written in March 2025, where he reflected on the previous 15 months and the reasons for the group's radio silence. In the message, Lindberg wrote: "Hello everyone. I guess some of you may have been wondering why it has been so silent on the AT THE GATES front lately. Well, in December 2023, I was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (a cancer in the mouth and palate) and have since then gone through a lot, it has been a very tough year. First there was a major surgery, where they took away a big part of the roof of the mouth. This was followed by radiation therapy for two months, and ever since it has been a long hard path towards recovery. Now, in the beginning of 2025, they have found some remains of the cancer, and it is inaccessible by surgery or radiation. So, we will see what the next step is, but probably some form of chemotherapy, to keep the cancer in check.

"Luckily, we recorded vocals for the demos for the new album before all of this happened. The last version of the vocals, the ones that will end up on the album, were recorded in ONE day, mostly one takes, the DAY before the surgery, just to make sure we HAD the album, so to speak. So the vocals were actually recorded BEFORE the rest of the album.... a bit different, but it felt good to have it done.

"We have now decided to not wait any longer to release this new album. We had first planned to wait with the release until we knew if/when I would be able to sing again, and we were able to support the release with shows. Now when everything about the future is a bit more unsure it feels good to deliver this album. It is an album that we all are very proud of, and it's the first time in 10 years that Jonas and I have worked together with Anders writing an album's worth of music. It is a bit more of a return to the 'roots', probably best described as a mix between the two last albums we did with Anders ('Slaughter Of The Soul' and 'At War With Reality'). Hope you all will enjoy it!"

AT THE GATES released its definitive album, "Slaughter Of The Soul" — often regarded as one of the all-time greatest metal albums — on Earache in 1995, before touring the world and abruptly disbanding. Members of the band went on to play major roles in other notorious metal acts such as THE HAUNTED and CRADLE OF FILTH, before reforming in 2008, with Lindberg juggling his day job as a teacher with being a death metal frontman.

Back in October 2022, AT THE GATES announced that founding member and guitarist Anders Björler was returning to the band's lineup after a handful of years of absence.

In August 2022, AT THE GATES parted ways with its guitarist of the previous five years, Jonas Stålhammar.

Stålhammar joined the band in September 2017 as the replacement for Anders Björler, who left AT THE GATES in March of that year.

AT THE GATES' latest studio album, "The Nightmare Of Being", came out in 2021.

2018's "To Drink From The Night Itself" was the first AT THE GATES album written and recorded without Anders Björler.

Photo credit: Ester Segarra

In a new interview with Chas Byrne's Rock Show, which airs on Portsmouth, United Kingdom's Express FM radio station, LORDI leader Mr. Lordi spoke about the band's upcoming appearance at the grand final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest. The Finnish hard rockers, who won Eurovision in 2006 with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah", will perform at the event on Saturday, May 16 in Vienna, Austria. They will reportedly appear with other artists as part of the grand final interval act, which will be a "celebration" featuring a selection of "Eurovision all-stars" performing iconic songs from the contest's history, as part of the event's 70th anniversary.

Mr. Lordi said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I guess they are having us old winners there to perform, which is nice, and a nice way to celebrate our 20th anniversary of the victory too."

Asked if LORDI's 2006 Eurovision win is something that he gets tired of talking about or if he has embraced it as just part of who he is, Mr. Lordi said: "No. The Eurovision itself, I have nothing negative to say about Eurovision itself. It's a good, fun TV show — well, because let's face it, that's what it is: it's a big TV show. I guess it's the biggest TV show in Europe. That's what it is, first and foremost, for me — it is a big TV show, with a lot of viewers and a lot of attention all around Europe… Everything that we've gotten through Eurovision is all positive, but we have had some negative side effects of winning the Eurovision, but that has nothing to do with the Eurovision itself.

"Being a metal band, if you will, or a rock band or whatever you wanna call it — I would call us nowadays already a classic rock band, depending on how you wanna define the genre that we're playing — being a rock band or a hard rock band or a heavy rock band or a heavy metal band or whatever genre you wanna label us, in our genre being in Eurovision is something — or not anymore, but it used to be something that is a sure way to brush away all your credibility as an artist [laughs] in your genre," he explained. "And we didn't realize that — we really didn't realize that. So we had a few years after the victory where we were actually suffering from that because we were considered as 'that Eurovision band'. And then you realize that there were a lot of people who thought that we are a band that was only formed because of Eurovision and forEurovision, and the song was written for Eurovision. And no — none of that could be further from the truth. I mean, none of the elements in what we're doing or what we did in Eurovision was done forEurovision, if you know what I mean. It was all done organically and naturally of the art that we're doing — the song, the performance, everything — and it just happened to have a forum like Eurovision. And the backlash that we got was pretty interesting. And looking back, it was quite cruel to have that from your own camp of people, meaning the metal people, that the metal people in some countries and in some circles were the first ones to attack us, and saying that, 'Oh, LORDI's a joke.' 'Ah, they're meant for children.' Ah, it's a joke. It's not real. Ah, silly, stupid rubber monsters.' So they wouldn't take us seriously in a way. And, of course, that kind of thing, it hurts — it really hurts you as an artist. I mean, those daggers, they go deep in your heart — they really go deep. So that kind of a thing. But then, years go by, time goes by, and then all of a sudden it's not like that anymore. But there were a few years after the victory that we were suffering from that, from the backlash."

After host Chas Byrne noted that LORDI's Eurovision success paved the way for other hard rock and metal bands to enter the competition, Mr. Lordi concurred. "Yeah, I think so. I think that's fair to say," he said. "From my opinion, I guess so, yeah. But many people don't remember that almost half a decade before we went, there was already NIGHTWISH that was entering the Finnish competition." Referencing the fact that Eurovision voting features a 50/50 split between professional juries and public televoting, each contributing equally to a country's total score, Mr. Lordi added: "Yeah, NIGHTWISH tried, I think four years before us already. They tried, but they couldn't qualify from Finland, because the televote, they would've voted NIGHTWISH to be the Finnish representative, but the jury, the Finn jury gave them, like, zero points and somebody else went instead."

Asked what he thinks was the "changing point" in Finland that allowed a band like LORDI to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest, Mr. Lordi said: "Protest. For the Finns to vote us was… Because when we went through that, it was an invitational contest — I mean, a competition that year. We were invited. We didn't even have the slightest thought ever that we should go to Eurovision — that was something that we never even thought of — until we were invited for the Finnish competition. So we were, like, 'All right. Well, okay, let's go.' And we, honestly, blue-eyed and all innocent, we thought, 'Okay, we just go there for the Finnish competition. There's no way we can win the Finnish competition, but we will just get some free P.R. on national primetime TV. There's no way we can win [beat] this other artist in Finland. But, hey, our new album is coming out, so we just get some free exposure on national TV in Finland.' And, to our big surprise, the televote, we won it by a landslide from the Finns — we won it so clearly. But once again, the jury did not; the jury didn't give us really [laughs] that much value, the Finnish jury. But by that time, when we knew that, 'Okay, we're gonna go there,' we already knew that if we go to Athens, to the actual main event of Eurovision, we have a good chance of qualifying in the top five or minimum top 10, which would have been the best Finnish ranking ever. We knew that — that is just mathematics; we knew that that's probably gonna happen. But in February 2006, we were still thinking that, 'Okay, we have no way of actually winning the Finnish competition.' That is a much, much, much, much more difficult mountain to climb."

When Byrne noted that LORDI received 292 points at the 2006 Eurovision, which, at the time, was the highest score in the contest's history, Mr. Lordi said: "That might have been a little bit of a surprise, but the winning itself was not that big of a surprise because we just calculated, because this was the first time Finland ever sent an artist that was already known outside Finland. That had never happened before. And most of the cases, in all the countries in every year, the artist that goes to represent any respective country, any country, the artist is not known outside your borders of your country. So it doesn't matter what track record you have back home, how many platinum albums you have home, because you are zero, you are nobody, nobody knows you. So we were in a very special position, going to represent Finland then, because we already been touring around Europe in the metal clubs and metal festivals and rock festivals and rock clubs for three or four years before we went. So we already had a fanbase around Europe in pretty much every country. So we knew that we will bring our own voters, the people who would not normally watch Eurovision, or at least they wouldn't admit that they're watching Eurovision, and let alone that they would vote, but that year they voted not necessarily because they would be fans of LORDI, but because they're fans of the genre. Our German record label at the time, Drakkar Records, they did an amazing campaign, they did a really good job of [promoting], to the metal clubs around Europe, that 'I vote for LORDI'. They made the stickers and the pins, and so all the metalheads, even they would not really be into LORDI as a band, but as a metalhead, for many people, it was their duty to vote for LORDI in Eurovision — as a protest. Like, 'Okay, hey, we're here, metal people. We're here.' So we already knew before we went to Athens that, 'Okay, this is pretty much something that most likely will happen. And let's just see how big are the numbers of the metalheads of Europe. And it turned out to be that, well, yeah, the biggest points ever by that time. So we brought in our own voters, in a way."

As for why no hard rock or metal artists have won the Eurovision Song Contest in the two decades since LORDI's victory, Mr. Lordi said: "That kind of thing — it's funny to think of it — that thing could only happen once. Because Finland, after that, has sent two other artists years later or a decade later. They sent THE RASMUS, which is very, very well known around Europe. They sent THE RASMUS and a song that was written by [noted pop and rock hitmaker] Desmond Child. And I don't think they even went into the top 20. So that whole thing didn't really work for them. So I think that only worked once. [Laughs]"

LORDI caused a sensation by winning the 2006 Eurovision with "Hard Rock Hallelujah", which in turn made the band's third release, "The Arockalypse", a hit throughout Europe. On the back of their Eurovision win, they scored a lucrative series of promotions including LORDI-branded cola, boiled sweets and credit cards; and played live at the MTV European Music Awards. A square was renamed in LORDI's honor in the Lapland city of Rovaniemi; a LORDI-themed postage stamp was issued in Finland and the group starred in its first film, called "Dark Floors".

With their monster-movie stage persona, LORDI seemed a most unlikely choice to represent their country in the Eurovision Song Contest. So you can imagine how many people were shocked when the group not only claimed top honors, but also earned the most points in the venerable event's history.

Back in 2017, Mr. Lordi admitted to MariskalRock that he was initially comfortable about LORDI's connection to Eurovision. "There was a time a couple of years ago — well, more than a couple — when I really, really, really hated that everybody's always asking about the goddamn Eurovision; there was a time," he said. "Nowadays I have come to terms with it. It's, like, okay, I'm actually proud that we are part of Eurovision history and I am proud that Eurovision is part of this band's history. I mean, it is a big part of our awareness. Because the awareness of the band would be so different, it would be so much smaller, without that one TV show ten years ago."

He continued: "I absolutely don't regret that — absolutely not. Because I have nothing bad to say about Eurovision itself, but the problem that we have had in the years is the people who actually don't know anything else except for the fact that we were on Eurovision. And that is a big stamp to get out of — it's like a fucking tattoo, you have a fucking tattoo on your forehead that says 'Eurovision.' And that is something that really, really, really drove me nuts some years ago; I was really struggling with that.

"I have come to terms with it — it's all right; I mean, it's cool," he said. "I am proud of it. And every May, when there's a new Eurovision, I know that my phone will start ringing and people will ask my opinions and then we get requests: 'Do you wanna come to this country's semifinals? Do you wanna come here?' And for years we said, 'No, we don't wanna. We don't want to.' But now, we're, like, 'Fuck it! Let's do it. What the hell?' I mean, c'mon, it's all fun, and it's part of our history, and the Eurovision, they really want us to come there, because, let's face it, we are one of those winners that people still remember."

In May 2023, Mr. Lordi was asked in an interview with Mulatschag TV if it was strange for him to see elderly people and 10-year-old kids in the front row at LORDI concerts following the band's appearance at Eurovision. Mr. Lordi said: "It was not that weird. Even before that, we were already a band that was touring and we had two albums out before that. And we've always been a band like, let's say KISS or Alice Cooper, for example, that we don't only gather certain age groups. Of course the diehards of any bands are in their 20s, but we've always been a band that we've always had little kids and even older people digging us. So in that sense it was no different. But since Eurovision, of course, the amount of those people, and when you see that these people have only seen that one fucking three-minute TV [performance] and that's all they know about the band, that was weird."

He continued: "I especially remember one moment in the summer of 2006, after a festival, I come down the stairs and I walk by the fence — like this barbed wire fence or something that is blocking the backstage area — and there are people waiting for autographs. And the weirdest thing is that you see these old grandmothers with their granddaughters and grandsons. And I'm dripping fucking blood — fake blood, but still I'm dripping blood — I have horns on my head, I have fucking red eyes and shit, and they're, like, 'Yeah', like they were fucking seeing Elvis or Jesus or something. And in that moment I realized that they don't see what this band is about. So that was weird. And eventually, a year or two years after that, when people only… They had some sort of a false image in their head what we were about… Of course it is the stupidity of themselves because they didn't bother to check it out. So when they came to our shows only because of that one song, so it was a long fucking 90 minutes before that song came out, when there's a lot of blood and guts and songs about anal fucking and all this shit. And they were, like, 'Why is LORDI changing all of a sudden? They should be family friendly.' Fuck that shit. We were never family friendly."

Mr. Lordi added: "When it comes to misconceptions… It's not about nationality and it's not about religion or it's not about age or sex or anything. It is like a default setting, like a false setting of a human that once you get some thought in your head, it is really difficult for you to let go of that. And when that false conception is shattered, your mind doesn't kind of understand it —'Why? What the fuck?' Because God forbid you cannot admit that you were wrong. That's how it goes."

Image credit: Damien

Jon Oliva, SAVATAGE's founding vocalist and keyboardist, who has been absent from the band's recent reunion shows, has shared a new update 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 began by referencing his late brother Criss, one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, who would have turned 63 on April 3. He wrote: "Before anything else, I want to say something that's been on my mind. This time of year is never easy for me or my family. Losing Criss… that's something you don't ever 'get over.' You just learn to carry it.

"I just want to thank all of you for continuing to honor Criss and keep his spirit and music alive," he continued. "That means more to me than I can ever put into words."

Jon also addressed his health, three years after he 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.

"I've been dealing with some serious health issues, and right now I'm looking at having surgery on my back," Jon wrote. "The truth is, as it stands, I'm in a lot of pain… and I haven't been able to sing the way I should. That's been one of the hardest things for me to face. I'm also not able to fly anymore, which has made things a lot more complicated when it comes to getting out there and doing what I love. But… and this is important… it hasn't stopped me. In fact, we've been working on ways around that."

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: "There are talks happening about putting together some U.S. dates for SAVATAGE — finding a way to make it happen that works with everything going on. We're looking at next spring or summer if everything comes together the way we hope. Nothing I can officially announce just yet, but it's being worked on, and it means a lot to me to even be able to say that."

Jon also touched upon SAVATAGE's upcoming live album, which 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.

"I also want to say thank you in advance for supporting the new live album that's coming out soon," Jon wrote. "That release means a lot to me, and I really hope you all enjoy it and feel the energy that's always been a part of what we do."

On the topic of SAVATAGE's long-in-the-works new studio album, Jon wrote: "I know it's been a long road. Probably longer than any of us ever expected. There have been delays, setbacks, and a lot going on behind the scenes — some of it musical, some of it just life throwing punches like it always does. But I want you to know something straight from me… I'm still here. And so is the music.

"There's been a lot of work happening — real work," he assured fans. "Writing, revisiting ideas, digging into that place where the songs come from… that place that's always been at the heart of everything we've done. It's not about rushing something out the door. It's about making sure that when you hear it, you feel it. The way it's supposed to be. Yeah, health stuff has slowed me down at times… not gonna lie. But it hasn't stopped me. If anything, it's made me more determined to finish what we started and bring you something that's worthy of the name and everything it stands for.

"I know you've all been patient — more patient than I could ever ask for — and I don't take that lightly," he continued. "The loyalty, the messages, the stories you've shared with me over the years… that's what keeps me going. That's what makes this matter.

"So here's the truth: things are moving forward," Jon added. "Maybe not at lightning speed, but they're moving the right way. And when the time comes, you'll know. You'll hear it. And I promise you this… it's going to be something special.

"Thank you for sticking with me through all of it. The ups, the downs, and everything in between. We're not done yet… not even close," Oliva concluded.

"Stay with me."

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 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.

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 new interview with Australia's Heavy, PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix talked about how he and his bandmates aim to break the stigma around mental health issues by continuing to share his struggles with addiction, depression and suicidal thoughts. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's always been a fabric of who we are and what we sing about and what we talk about in our music. Taking the darkness and turning it into light, taking lemons and making lemonade — just a goofy saying like that really means something deep.

"Change, transformation has been a huge part of my life, creatively, personally, spiritually," he explained. "And the mental health conversation has come to the forefront in the recent years. And I think it's important that we address it. I think it's important that we find ways to heal and grow and then take what we've learned individually and pass it on to somebody that is in need of healing and growing. I think in order to keep that healing and that evolution, you have to share it. You gotta help somebody that's in need. And I think that that is the magic. It's not about just healing and growing; it's about healing and growing and helping and serving. That's where the magic is. 'Cause if you just keep it for yourself, that's not how you change the world. And I think it's an inside job in the beginning to heal and grow, but then, like I said a million times over, if you share that and you can help somebody else, it helps put things in perspective, I think.

"It's been an evolution for me in this career, and I think we're entering into this era of there's some wisdom that I've gained and I wanna share it," Jacoby concluded.

This past March, PAPA ROACH released the official Hannah Gray Hall-directed music video for the band's powerful new single, "Wake Up Calling". The track, which was made available in late January via New Noize Records/ADA, following in the footsteps of "Scars" and "Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark)" , shows the more melodic, emotionally vulnerable side of their songwriting, but still retains the intensity and honesty that have defined their career for over two decades.

"Wake Up Calling" debuted at a surprise performance in Nashville to an audience of artists and industry-folk at the Whiskey Jam on Broadway three months ago. It was produced by Colin Brittain (LINKIN PARK, ALL TIME LOW, A DAY TO REMEMBER) and explores themes of connection, self-reckoning, and emotional dependence.

PAPA ROACH are two-time Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling leaders in alternative hard rock music. PAPA ROACH are not unfamiliar with calling attention to mental health and have been doing so since the seminal release of their first hit single "Last Resort". Since then, the band has gone on to create 10 studio albums, including "Ego Trip".

In a new interview with Chris Akin of The Classic Metal Show, EXODUS singer Rob Dukes, who rejoined the band in January 2025, spoke about his return to the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal legends after an 11-year absence. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I'd say I was pretty angry for, like, I wanna say about a year [after I was fired from EXODUS in 2014]. And then I didn't wanna spend the rest of my life in resentment and anger. They reached out to me, and then a dialogue started to happen back and forth, like a year after I was fired. And then I went and hung out with them, and it was all good, man. I went on with my life and did my own thing, and it came full circle. And one day they called me and they said, 'Hey, man, what are you doing?' [Laughs] I was, like, 'Living life, man.' And then they were, like, 'Well, hey, man, would you be willing to come back?' And I said, 'Let me call you tomorrow.' And I talked about it with my family and the people I needed to talk to. And I called 'em back the next day and I said, 'Okay, man. I'm in. Let's do it.'"

Asked if there was "any weirdness" about his return to EXODUS after he and the rest of the band spent so much time apart, Rob said: "No, man. Look, man, I lived with these guys for 10 years. We know each other like brothers. And so once I stepped off the plane and showed up, it was like I was there the day before. It's, like, you have those friends where you haven't talked to 'em in six months and you call 'em and then it's just like you talked to 'em yesterday. It was just happiness. I mean, it was just cool. It was fun to be back. And it was a little nerve racking getting behind the microphone, because I wasn't doing it on the regular. I had built a whole another life. And it wasn't in music. I'd become a welder and a fabricator and was building cars and stuff. I was just being a regular guy, so to do it full time again was, 'All right, let's do it. Fuck it.'"

Dukes also talked about his contributions to EXODUS's latest album, "Goliath", which was made available in March via Napalm Records. He said: "They started sending me tracks, and then I went up to the Bay Area and got in and started listening to tracks and working with 'em and sitting down and listening to this stuff over and over again. They gave me a bunch of songs to write lyrics for. So, that was a whole another process of just mind consumption of, like, what was I gonna do? 'What am I gonna sing about? What am I gonna talk about?' But it all worked out, man. It's a fucking really great record, and I think it's the best thing I've ever done."

Dukes, who resides in Arizona, went on to discuss his longtime gig as a mechanic specializing in car restoration. He said: "As soon as I go home [from tour], I go right back into it. I got obsessed with it.

"Getting fired, I've come to realize, was like a blessing in disguise," Rob noted. "'Cause I'd always built cars and had fun and made hot rods and shit. But this was a whole new level, you know what I mean? And I have an enormous amount of money invested in tools and equipment and welders and all sorts of stuff. So, the hobby became [a full-time job], and when I wasn't doing that, I was doing it anyway. I was doing it at night, I was doing it on weekends. And now it's just like a whole another thing I do. So this time off away from EXODUS gave me a whole new purpose in my life. So it's something I would've been doing anyway. I just was somehow able to take a few welding classes, go to a few classes, work with people that were better than me and showed me stuff, and then it just kind of snowballed into, 'Shit, I'm building really cool stuff and doing cool things.' So it's an added bonus to my life that I was able to harness those skills at the same time. And then to come back and be on stage again and do this at this level."

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

In November 2015, Dukes claimed in an interview that he was "unhappy" before he was fired from EXODUS, due in part to the fact that his then-bandmates were writing music that was "regurgitated shit" with "no life to it."

Prior to his exit from EXODUS, Dukes laid down the lead vocals on the music that eventually became the band's "Blood In Blood Out" album (with Souza's vocal tracks),released in October 2014 to great critical acclaim.

Souza joined EXODUS in 1986 after previously fronting the band LEGACY (which later became TESTAMENT). He remained in the band until their hiatus in 1993, but rejoined them for two years from 2002 to 2004. Dukes had joined EXODUS in 2005 (following Souza's departure) and remained until 2014, when Souza rejoined.

EXODUS played its first concert with Dukes in nearly 11 years on April 5, 2025 at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In a new interview with VRP Rocks, hosted by U.K. radio veteran Paul Stephenson, drummer Carmine Appice discussed the possibility of new recordings related to his power trio/supergroup BLUE MURDER. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist John Sykes and released two studio albums — 1989's self-titled effort and the 1993 follow-up, "Nothin' But Trouble" — before calling it quits. Carmine, who played drums for BLUE MURDER, while Tony Franklin played bass, said: "Well, I don't know yet. I just brought the idea up to my label that does the CACTUS stuff, and I said, 'BLUE MURDER never had its due.' Everywhere I go, people love BLUE MURDER. Everywhere Tony Franklin goes, people love BLUE MURDER. All musicians love BLUE MURDER. So I said, 'What about if we do a tribute to BLUE MURDER?' Same vibe [as the recent albums of reimagined versions of CACTUS songs, 'Temple Of The Blues' and 'Temple Of Blues II']. Get Ted Nugent, get Tony, get Billy Sheehan, get maybe some different guys [to guest on it]. And they said, 'That sounds good.' I said, 'Okay, let me clear it with Tony.' 'Cause I talked to Tony one time. I said, 'Maybe we should go out, maybe do a few BLUE MURDER songs with a couple of guys just as a tribute to BLUE MURDER.' He said, 'Nah, I don't think we should do that.' But maybe this could be a different thing. But I don't know. I'm just talking through my head, or through my hat. What do they say? Talking through my hat. But the label agrees it could be interesting. I think it would be interesting."

Appice also praised Sykes, whose death was announced in January 2025 at age 65 after a battle with cancer. He said: "He was great player. He was like a jazz guy. And then it turned into a rock band, and just the choice of scales were fantastic. And he looked great, and he had the image. And now we started him singing on BLUE MURDER. We always wanted a singer — we went through so many singers — and finally me and Tony said, 'Look, you got the deal on your voice. Why don't you sing? We'll be like the CREAM. We'll back you up.' And that's what we did. And he turned into a great singer."

Upon Sykes's firing from the most successful version of WHITESNAKE, the former TYGERS OF PAN TANG and THIN LIZZY axeman set out to create a similar sounding bluesy hard rock band. BLUE MURDER released two studio albums and one live album before breaking up in 1994. The late Ray Gillen, most famous for singing for BLACK SABBATH and BADLANDS, sang for an early version of BLUE MURDER, and the band reportedly recorded demos with him, but he didn't appear on any of the group's albums.

In a 2014 interview with Classic Rock, Sykes stated about why BLUE MURDER lasted only for two albums: "That wasn't the intention when we started. But by the time we put out our second album, 'Nothin' But Trouble', in 1993, the whole music business had changed enormously. Grunge had come in, and the sort of music we were doing was suddenly discarded. Nobody wanted to know anymore. So we split up because our time had passed. I never saw this coming when our debut, 'Blue Murder', came out in '89, but that’s the way everything worked out. BLUE MURDER was a band of its time."

Asked if BLUE MURDER was very much his band and vision, Sykes said: "I never wanted it to be just about me. I'm happiest when in a band, and share everything. Yes, I wrote all the songs. But as far as I was concerned, everyone else involved was an equal part of BLUE MURDER. I always tried to present this as a proper band, and not a solo project."

John's best-known work was when he joined WHITESNAKE and co-wrote the band's self-titled seventh studio album, released in 1987. It produced a major power ballad hit, "Is This Love", along with the No. 1 hit "Here I Go Again". The album was a major crossover hit, eventually selling over eight million copies in the U.S. alone.

Sykes announced his departure from THIN LIZZY in July 2009, explaining that "I feel it's time to get back to playing my own music."

In a new interview with Matthew Thomas of Super Cool Radio, DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce once again spoke about the band's plans to release a full-length album following the arrival of three new singles over the course of the last year and a half — "The Wrong One", which was released in February 2026, "Madness", which came out in April 2025, and "Revolution (The Final Amen)", which arrived in September 2024. "Revolution (The Final Amen)" was the first piece of music Pierce, drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton completed with singer Ryan McCombs in 13 years. Pierce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The goal and plan is to get a record out, full-length, at the end of the year. We pushed it off again, just because of the timing to get in the studio and record, because there's been so many shows. And then also the 25-year anniversary of the 'Sinner' record's [DROWNING POOL's debut album] coming [up]. We're gonna have some special limited-edition vinyls that I just ordered. I didn't know plastic was so expensive these days, but it is. But hey, it's gonna be out there. We haven't had it before. So that's coming out. So we're gonna be playing the 'Sinner' record in its entirety, which I'm looking forward to. I love that record. So it's gonna be awesome, summer going into the fall, and then we'll hopefully get the new record out by the end of the year, and keep on trucking along, man, into 2027."

Elaborating on what fans can expect to hear on the upcoming DROWNING POOL album, Pierce said: "Mike and Stevie and myself, we've been friends since high school, and we've been on that rollercoaster life together for a long time, man. And that comes through in the music.

"I don't wanna get too far into the new songs because there's a lot of stuff on the plate, and at the end we put the compilation of what all flows together for the record," he explained. "But there's a lot of deep stuff on there. There's a lot of jammers on there. You can hear the excitement of having Ryan back in the band as well. So, a lot of cool stuff on the table. We're all itching to get it done and get it out there. It's just the timing of it. We have a little bit of time off now. We have a show in InFERNo [festival]— it's right outside of Reno — on the 28th of March, and we have a little time in April, but then starting from May on, man, we're gonna be pretty busy. So I'm trying to get the stuff down now sooner than later, so it's ready to go at the end of the year."

Earlier this month, Pierce was asked by Cassius Morris how many songs DROWNING POOL has written so far for the upcoming LP and when the album might see the light of day. Pierce said: "Everything's still a fluid kind of schedule. There's plenty enough songs right now to do a whole record, of course, and just kind of honing in on the stuff that's already been done and stuff that has been done and finished and recorded already. For me, there's a few songs I've just gotta get down some guitar solos [on]. I like to take my time with that and write for the song instead of, like, 'Here comes the solo' and just this 'look at me, look at me'. Everything needs to fit and flow with it. Sometimes it happens instantly."

C.J. continued: "That's the thing with us, with DROWNING POOL as well, we're not this machine where you're just putting out songs and records. This is my life. This is what I feel. This is my art. So before we put it out and it's finished, all four of us, we have to like every part of every song because you're gonna be playing it for the rest of your life. So, we don't just throw stuff out there. And some things come fast, some things take a little bit longer. But we have plenty of material."

C.J. also talked about DROWNING POOL's touring plans for 2026 and how it might affect the release of the band's new album. He said: "June 5th will be the 25-year anniversary of [DROWNING POOL's debut] 'Sinner' record and 'Bodies', so we're gonna be doing the record in its entirety on tours coming up. And then towards the end of the year, before the end of the year, we would like to put out the new record. We're gonna have singles and releases in between still up until that happens. And then next year, it'll be a full run, another tour, with some of the new stuff included, of course, playing the 'Sinner' record."

Pierce went on to say that he is "excited" about the prospect of performing "Sinner" from beginning to end on the upcoming tour. "I love that record," he said. "I love all of our records. I know it's the most well-known one, but we play a lot of songs off of it anyway. Every setlist, every tour, we kind of [play] different [songs from 'Sinner'] here and there. But to play the whole record in its entirety, man, it's been bringing me back to that time period when we first got together in mid-'90s, late '90s, and just the flashbacks of when you first wrote that riff. It just brings you back to that moment every night when you play it."

"Sinner" was certified platinum within six weeks of its release in 2001, while the CD's first single, "Bodies", was one of the most frequently aired videos on MTV by a new band.

After the release of "Sinner", DROWNING POOL reached out to an ever-greater audience with dynamic performances at Wrestlemania XVIII and Ozzfest during the summers of 2001 and 2002. Unfortunately, their streak of success was not to last. Shortly after rousing the crowd at Ozzfest in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 3, 2002, vocalist Dave "Stage" Williams was found dead of natural causes on the tour bus.

McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL in March 2023 at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and at the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.

The longtime SOIL frontman, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, originally joined DROWNING POOL in 2005 and appeared on two of the band's studio albums, "Full Circle" (2007) and "Drowning Pool" (2010),as well as a live album, 2009's "Loudest Common Denominator". He rejoined SOIL after exiting DROWNING POOL in 2011.

McCombs is continuing to front SOIL and will carry on recording and performing with both bands.

Photo courtesy of O'Donnell Media Group

In a new interview with Robert Filipowski of Poland's Teraz Rock, John 5 was asked what it was like to join MÖTLEY CRÜE in 2022 as the replacement for the band's original guitarist Mick Mars. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've known [the guys in MÖTLEY CRÜE] for years and years and years and years. I was very close with them. Actually, I would talk to [MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] Nikki [Sixx] every day — multiple times a day. I don't think there was a day that I didn't talk to him, for years and years and years. So we were really close. And Mick was retiring, and they said, 'Would you wanna join?' And I said, 'Absolutely.' Because I want to experience as much as I can in life. I just want to experience as much as I can. And I think that is important in life, because you don't wanna miss certain opportunities."

After Filipowski noted that it was "big shoes to fill" when John 5 replaced Mars, the guitarist concurred. "It absolutely is," he said. "Every single band, every single band you can think of, has a different member, like not all original members. Every band. Every single band. I can't think of any from the '70s, '80s, '90s or early 2000s that have the same bandmembers. But Mick has been in the band for 40 years, and he gave a lot to the world. He gave 40 years of his life. And me and Mick, we would talk all the time too. We were really good friends, and we still are. So it was good. When they asked me to join and he was happy it was me, it was all good. It was so exciting, though, because we all love MÖTLEY CRÜE, and it was very, very exciting to be up on that stage with those guys. Even though I talked to them all the time, it was different being up on stage with them."

John 5 also talked about working with MÖTLEY CRÜE in the studio on the "Cancelled" EP, which came out in October 2024. The three-song effort contained the title track, MÖTLEY CRÜE's cover version of the BEASTIE BOYS classic "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" and "Dogs Of War", which was first made available in April 2024. All three songs were recorded in April 2023 with longtime producer Bob Rock.

"Oh, man, me and Nikki, we've written lots of songs, written and recorded lots of songs together," John 5 said. "So it was really fun. But to do it with Motley, it was exciting. It was all exciting. And those important things you store in your head and you can really, really remember. Those are things that you'll never forget. It was very special doing 'Dogs Of War' and 'Cancelled'. And I did 'The Dirt' with them, that song [for the Netflix movie of the same name]. So we did a lot of MÖTLEY songs together.

"This life has been a real dream come true, I'll tell you," John 5 added. "It's been a real dream come true. It's very odd to even sit here and talk about it, to talk about all these things that have happened, because it's such a dream."

Asked if he thinks MÖTLEY CRÜE will record a new album at some point in the not-too-distant future, John 5 said: "I don't know. I'm not sure. I don't know what the future holds, but whatever they do, I'll be there."

Back in October 2023, Mars was asked by Guitar World magazine if he was still on speaking terms with John 5. Mick said: "Well, I've never disliked John. I've always liked him and still do. He's been a really good friend of mine for a long time. So I think [MÖTLEY CRÜE] made a very, very wise choice with John."

In May 2023, John 5 said he and Mick had a "great respect for each other," and that Mars even contacted him after John 5 was officially named MÖTLEY CRÜE's new guitarist.

"Me and Mick, we talk all the time," John 5 noted during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "We exchange Christmas gifts and things like that. When I was announced as the guitar player, he was one of the very first texts I got. He said, 'You're gonna kill it.' It's good, because it's not like some stranger coming in. We have a great respect for each other."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's upcoming "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" tour will celebrate the 20th anniversary of CRÜE's groundbreaking 2005-2006 "Carnival Of Sins" tour and the 45th anniversary of the band. The 33-city Live Nation-produced trek will kick off on July 17, 2026 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania at the Pavilion at Star Lake and will feature support acts EXTREME and TESLA.

MÖTLEY CRÜE said that $1 from every ticket sold for "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" will be donated to ASAP! (After School Arts Program) through the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative to fund hands-on arts programs for young people.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's latest Las Vegas residency launched on September 12, 2025 and at Dolby Live at Park MGM and ran through October 3, 2025. The shows had initially been set for the spring of 2025 but were rescheduled after frontman Vince Neil revealed he had suffered a stroke at Christmas 2024.

In September 2025, Vince revealed that he had actually had a series of strokes before he suffered the "big one" in his sleep Christmas 2024 night, rendering him unable to get out of bed when he woke up the next day.

When MÖTLEY CRÜE originally postponed the Las Vegas residency, the band said it was because Neil needed a "medical procedure," but offered no further details.

In light of a recent copyright infringement accusation against ARCH ENEMY made by Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with MEGADETH and ANGRA, and his lawyer, ARCH ENEMY has presented what it says is "clear evidence" proving this to be a false claim. In the video below, you can see and hear the early demos in 2022 which led to becoming the latest ARCH ENEMY single "To The Last Breath".

ARCH ENEMY states: "Anyone familiar with our creative process knows that we document extensively. Demos, drafts, and iterations are part of how we build our sound, and in this case, that documentation unquestionably establishes the timeline.

ARCH ENEMY guitarist and main songwriter Michael Amott adds: "Hey Kiko, sorry to disappoint you and your lawyer, but as you can see and hear, I had the melody back in 2022 already, 2 years before you released your song. Any similarities are purely coincidental. Enjoy the video and good luck with your music, I will continue to not listen to it. Cheers!"

On March 27, Kiko shared a post on Instagram in which he suggested a similarity between "To The Last Breath" and his composition "Talking Dreams", from the album "Theory Of Mind", which came out in 2024. In the caption, Kiko wrote: "Just helping to promote the new song by @archenemyofficial... you're welcome."

In the comments below Kiko's original post, former ARCH ENEMY vocalist and the band's current manager Angela Gossow responded to Loureiro's allegation, writing: "To be honest, I'd never heard Kiko's music before. So, three notes are the same? Well, I guess that happens quite often in music. I've heard many ARCH ENEMY notes in other songs, but I would never accuse the other band of plagiarism… on the contrary, I would probably feel honored to inspire others. It's sad to read a post like this from a guitarist we all respected. What's the point of it? If you really think you have a case, get in touch and discuss it professionally, don't make a post like this. Respectfully, the management team, who are used to dealing with this type of allegation and prefer to handle things carefully."

Amott also joined the conversation, initially treating the situation as a joke between musicians: "Thanks, brother! Looks like I should pay more attention to your solo work! See you at @bangersopenair!"

Both ARCH ENEMY and Loureiro will perform at the Bangers Open Air festival later this month in São Paulo, Brazil. ARCH ENEMY is the headliner on Saturday, April 25, while Kiko will appear with ANGRA as the headliner on Sunday, April 26.

In a new interview with J.J. Caithcart of Different Stages Radio, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked about the 50th anniversary of the band's 1976 album "Sad Wings Of Destiny", which features such iconic tracks as "Victim Of Changes", "The Ripper", "Tyrant" and "Dreamer Deceiver". He said about the classic LP (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, it's massive, isn't it? Any PRIEST fan will tell you. It is the second record of their career, after 'Rocka Rolla'. [PRIEST guitarist Glenn] Tipton started coming into play on the second record. And you got behemoths like 'Victim Of Changes' and 'The Ripper', 'Island Of Domination', 'Tyrant'. I mean, they really started to solidify that sound on that record. And I think it's a really important one for the band, in terms of songwriting and sound, and for the fans as well. I think if you ask any fan, that's gonna be up there in their top five records, of PRIEST records."

Richie continued: "We're going out on the road in the summer. So we have to revisit some of those songs, obviously, to pay respects to it. So that's gonna be great."

Asked if there are any PRIEST songs that he would like to perform live that he hasn't had a chance to play with the band yet, Richie said: "Well, [PRIEST producer and touring guitarist] Andy Sneap wants to do 'Island Of Domination' from 'Sad Wings'. We've never done that one — or I haven't, rather. I've always wanted to do 'Reckless'. We did 'Reckless' in rehearsals a couple of tours back, and for some reason we didn't have enough time in the set. We had to cut some stuff out, whatever. I love 'Reckless', and hopefully I'll get to do that one day. But there's tons of them — those deep cuts. 'Pain And Pleasure'. 'Fever' — I'd love to do 'Fever'. I love 'Fever' from 'Screaming Of Vengeance'. There's loads of 'em. So, yeah, we'll see what happens, man. I'll try and get a 'Reckless' in there or 'Island Of Domination'. You never know."

Faulkner also addressed the fact that April 2026 marks the 15th anniversary of his joining PRIEST as the replacement for the band's founding guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing. Richie said: "They lied to me, didn't they? They said it's a farewell tour. They lied. [Laughs] No, it's brilliant, really. I can see how it happens. They love what they do, and the fans that have put 'em there for over half a century now, they're really loyal. So you can see — you go out on the road, you go out on tour and you get fired up to do a record, and you go and do a record, get fired up to play the record live, and then the cycle repeats. So, it's amazing, really. They're still making new music, they're still touring, and I think the world's a better place for it. They're still healthy. They still love what they do. They're still killing it. I mean, Rob's [Halford, PRIEST singer] 74, 75 now; I lose track. 50 years sounds like a mistake to say. Him up there at 74, 75, it doesn't compute that someone's doing that. But there he is, at that age, doing what he does. It's an incredible thing, really, and an inspiration to all of us, really."

"The Ballad Of Judas Priest", the much-anticipated documentary about PRIEST and the legendary heavy metal band's epic journey to the top of rock and roll, will receive its North American premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian international documentary film festival, which will present documentaries from around the world to audiences in Toronto from April 23 to May 3.

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

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

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

PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than 15 years ago but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST's "Firepower" album. He was replaced by "Firepower" and "Invincible Shield" producer Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

Released in March 2024, PRIEST's latest album, "Invincible Shield", entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine".

Prior to "Invincible Shield"'s arrival, PRIEST's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel", which reached No. 4.

PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.

"Invincible Shield" was JUDAS PRIEST's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower", as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).

"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.

Press photo credit: Jeremiah Scott

In a new interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, DIRTY HONEY singer Marc LaBelle spoke about the band's plans to record new music as a follow-up to 2023's "Can't Find The Brakes" album. Regarding the lyrical inspiration for DIRTY HONEY's new material, Marc said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm sort of more pulling from lyrically about what's going on in the world. It's tough to not have that seep its way into your mind as you're writing lyrics and stuff. So, I think that's gonna be a big change coming up. And then also, yeah, continuing to evolve musically and production-wise, adding more elements in the production."

He continued: "I think you always have to be evolving. There's really one band in history that did the same thing all the time, and that's AC/DC, and they did it amazing. And they're still doing it amazing. So, I'll let them be the flag bearers for that style."

Asked if DIRTY HONEY has already started writing and recording the next LP, Marc said: "Yeah, we've been writing and recording now since, really… I mean, we finished a tour with THE STRUTS on October 4th, so we started really kicking it into… We took about a month off and started kicking it into gear, like, November, December, and now it's time to really record the record. So we're excited to get that done, hopefully here before we go down to Brazil. So hopefully it'll be done and in the can by the time we get down there [in April]."

On the topic of the musical direction of the next DIRTY HONEY album, Marc said: "We're sort of in the process of picking a producer. I think we know who we wanna go with. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I'm thinking everybody's on the same page. So that's probably gonna happen by the end of this week. And then, yeah, we have some studio time blocked out at the end of the month. So hopefully… We're gonna be figuring that out in the studio a little bit more this time around, I think. Sometimes you're a little bit limited with gear and what's in the studio that you're working with. And I think we're limitless in this situation that we're seeking out. So, yeah, we're just gonna have to see how it goes. And I'm sure it'll be great."

Reflecting on how "Can't Find The Brakes" turned out, Marc said: "I think it was a really good album for us to use as an evolutionary stepping stone. I think we tried a lot of new things. We put our first acoustic song out in 'Coming Home'. We jammed a little at the end of the record and sort of explored the musicianship of the band on a tune like 'Rebel Son'. But also 'Won't Take Me Alive' was a sort of balls-to-the-walls rock and roll tune that was also fresh and different than any of the rock singles that we'd put out before. So, it had a lot of evolution."

In February 2025, DIRTY HONEY issued "Mayhem And Revelry Live", the Los Angeles-based first live-in-concert, double-vinyl CD and digital release, and its companion four-part video documentary, recorded live throughout North America and Europe on DIRTY HONEY's 2023-24 "Can't Find The Brakes" world tour.

DIRTY HONEY made music biz history in 2019 when the band's debut single, "When I'm Gone", went all the way to No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Hard Rock charts, making DIRTY HONEY the first — and still only — totally independent, unsigned artist to achieve that. The band sold out its first two U.S. headline tours, Rolling Stone named them an "Artist You Need To Know," their self-titled, debut album was released in April 2021, and with no major label affiliation or support, entered the Current Hard Rock Album chart at No. 2. The band received rave reviews and standing ovations when they opened for THE BLACK CROWES on that band's nine-week summer 2021 "Shake Your Money Maker" U.S. amphitheater tour, and averaged $15,000 a night in t-shirt/merch sales.

DIRTY HONEY first toured Europe in summer 2022, playing support dates with RIVAL SONS, KISS and GUNS N' ROSES, plus a handful of first-time headline shows, all sold out, many of which had to be moved to larger venues due to ticket demand. In January 2023, they returned for their very first full headline tour there — 30 shows in 13 countries, all dates sold out. June/July 2023 saw them playing support shows with GUNS N' ROSES and KISS, plus major festival appearances and headline dates — 21 shows in 12 countries — with all headline dates sold out.

In April 2025, DIRTY HONEY performed the song "When I'm Gone" on an episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The track, which was originally released in 2019, is featured in "A Minecraft Movie". It plays during the first two and a half minutes of the film while Jason Momoa's character Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison is introduced.

Photo credit: Linda Eklov

In a new interview with Reckless" Rexx Ruger of the Pod Scum podcast, BUCKCHERRY guitarist Stevie Dacanay (aka Stevie D.) spoke about a possible follow-up to the band's latest effort, "Roar Like Thunder", which was released in June 2025, via Round Hill Records in North America, Sony Music in Japan and Earache Records elsewhere globally. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think if you look historically, or at least in the last 10 years, we came out with 'Warpaint', and then two years later, or two and a half years later, we came out with the 'Hellbound'. And that's our cycle — two and a half, three years [later], a new album will come out. And the touring will last a year and a half. And then the writing cycle, then recording, and then they're setting up the album. So, it's been that way since — we're pretty consistent. So at the end of this year will be the end of the touring cycle for this last album. And then we're gonna go into the studio with [songwriter and producer] Marti [Frederiksen], start writing around September, October, and then release a new record in the spring [or] summer [of 2027]."

As with 2023's "Vol. 10" and 2021's "Hellbound", "Roar Like Thunder" was recorded in Nashville at Sienna Studios and helmed by the aforementioned producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others. All 10 tracks were written by BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd, Dacanay and Frederiksen.

Following the previously announced May tour of the U.S., BUCKCHERRY recently released the second leg of its summer 2026 tour, commencing June 26 in West Fargo, North Dakota and ending July 25 in Pueblo, Colorado. These dates include a July 2 stop at the annual Milwaukee, Wisconsin festival Summerfest and a one-off Canadian date on July 12 at the Rockin' Thunder festival in Edmonton, opening for CREED.

Todd remains the only original member in BUCKCHERRY's current lineup, which also includes Dacanay (guitar, backing vocals),Billy Rowe (guitar, backing vocals),Kelly LeMieux (bass) and Francis Ruiz (drums).

Dacanay has been a defining force in BUCKCHERRY since joining the band during its 2005 revival. After BUCKCHERRY's brief hiatus in the early 2000s, the reformed lineup, led by Stevie and Josh, breathed new life into the band's hard rock roots. Stevie's guitar work helped shape BUCKCHERRY's comeback album "15", which launched hits like "Crazy Bitch" and "Sorry", and re-established the group as a mainstay in the modern rock world.

Photo credit: Tommy Sommers