"Wired For Chaos", a gut-wrenching documentary based on the life of one of punk rock's most notorious figures, Harley Flanagan, will arrive in theaters June 20. A new trailer for the film can be seen below.

This film is not about punk rock — it's about an extraordinary life and surviving astounding circumstances against immeasurable odds. "Wired For Chaos" touches on child stardom, trauma, child abuse and neglect, violence, depression, and the evolution of a boy into one of modern music's fiercest personalities.

Flanagan burst on to the punk music scene at the age of 11 in the late 1970s as drummer for his aunt's New York-based band THE STIMULATORS, later founding the seminal hardcore act CRO-MAGS. Flanagan tells his inconceivable story through gritty footage of NYC's downtown 1970s and '80s music scene as the backdrop, alongside stories from friends and peers like Flea, Ice-T, Henry Rollins, Michael Imperioli, members of BAD BRAINS, BEASTIE BOYS, CIRCLE JERKS, ANTHRAX and many others.

While Harley's journey as a musician is certainly explored, "Wired For Chaos" centers on the lasting effects of trauma and its integration into his present-day life. Harley Flanagan was a child prodigy musician, who raised himself in the very adult world of rock 'n' roll. He was born to a Warhol Factory "it" girl, enmeshed in the Lower East Side artist sub-culture of the late '70s and '80s, surrounded by copious amount of sex, drugs and violence (as victim and later perpetrator),simultaneously achieving punk rock legend status.

In addition to touring with his band CRO-MAGS all over the world, today Harley Flanagan is also a jiu-jitsu professor (under the tutelage of Master Renzo Gracie),devoted husband (having married a Park Avenue attorney),the father of two sons and a deeply introspective human. He confronts his past, hoping that it can bring him some peace, and pass what he's learned forward to others struggling. Though he has moved on from the violence of his youth, it is never far away as he works through his very pronounced PTSD. His primal instincts to survive remain sharp. The film is built around a vast archive of material, scenes with Harley and his friends, several intimate interviews with Harley and his wife, and abstract imagery and animation.

Harley's childhood with iconic artists (Andy Warhol, Debbie Harry, Joe Strummer, Alan Ginsburg) looks enviable on the surface, but ultimately his DNA is riddled with the trauma of abuse and sexual violence, laying the groundwork for an unstable adolescence and rocky young adulthood.

Filmmaker Rex Miller's career spans more than 25 years and has yielded two Peabody Awards, several Emmys and two Oscar shortlists. He recently directed (with Sam Pollard) the film "Citizen Ashe" (CNN Films),which won "Best Documentary" at both the 2022 Critics Choice and Grierson Awards and was nominated for a Sports Emmy for "Best Feature Documentary".

The Mirror is reporting that The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend have axed their longtime drummer, Zak Starkey. The rock legends made the decision to part company after their two shows at the Royal Albert Hall in March.

He has been The Who’s full-time drummer since their Quadrophenia Tour in 1996. A spokesperson for The Who said: “The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.”

Sources claim the decision has upset Zak. An insider said: “It’s a little acrimonious to say the least.” Sources claim there were question marks over Zak’s drumming at the March shows, which were in honour of Daltrey’s Teenage Cancer Trust charity.

The shows over two nights featured a star-studded audience including Bill Murray, Sadie Frost, Paul McKenna and Tracy-Ann Oberman. Hollywood star Murray was pictured catching up with Daltrey backstage after the gig.

While fans gave the band a standing ovation, insiders claim there were a “few issues with the drumming….and the standard wasn’t as high as everyone wanted.”

But others believe Zak has been hard done by, and disagree. A source said: “He is an extremely talented drummer and it doesn’t make any sense.”

Read the full report at mirror.co.uk.

A record and a tour. Those were drummer Jeff Plate's modest career goals once upon a time, but more than three decades after he joined SAVATAGE for their tour in support of 1994's "Handful Of Rain", he's assembled a far more impressive list of accomplishments: three legendary SAVATAGE studio albums, as well as a live record capturing the final show of the "Handful" tour; multiple gold and platinum records with sister group TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA; five albums with METAL CHURCH, with whom he played from 2006 to 2017; and hundreds of shows around the world with the three bands.

Apart from a one-off performance at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in 2015, SAVATAGE has been on extended hiatus since the completion of their world tour in support of 2001's "Poets And Madmen". Since then, TSO — which launched in the wake of the success of the "Dead Winter Dead" instrumental "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" and quickly became one of America's top concert draws — has consumed most of the group's energies. The Wacken gig hinted at a possible resurrection, but for multiple reasons – namely, the 2017 death of longtime producer and lyricist Paul O'Neill; the global pandemic in 2020; and ongoing health issues of the group's heart and soul, Jon Oliva — a proper reunion never materialized.

That changed late last year, when SAVATAGE announced their first tour in 23 years. They'll kick things off this month with gigs in Brazil, Argentina and Chile before heading to Europe this summer to play a mix of festival and headline dates. They'll do so, however, without Oliva, who hopes to rejoin the band on tour as soon as his health permits. In the meantime, he's serving as the band's musical director while the "Dead Winter Dead"-era lineup — Plate, bassist Johnny Lee Middleton, vocalist Zak Stevens and guitarists Chris Caffery and Al Pitrelli — rehearses for their upcoming shows at the former Morrisound Recording studio in Tampa, Florida, where Plate first met Oliva and O'Neill 31 years ago this month.

Plate recently spoke with BLABBERMOUTH.NET's Clay Marshall about SAVATAGE's return. An excerpt from the conversation appears below. (A previous excerpt saw Plate discuss the band's ongoing rehearsals and the prospect of performing without Oliva. Additional excerpts will follow soon. The full interview will be posted shortly.)

Blabbermouth: Turning back the clock, you and Zak were originally bandmates in the Boston-based WICKED WITCH. How'd you take the news when he told you he was leaving to join SAVATAGE?

Jeff: "There's such a funny story that leads up to all of this. Zak was living in California, going to VIT — the Vocal Institute of Technology [now Musicians Institute]. Matt Leff, the guitarist and songwriter for WICKED WITCH, was going to [sister school] GIT. Those two met out there in California. Zak, I believe, also had gone to school for hotel management and was working at a hotel out there where SAVATAGE stayed. He meets SAVATAGE in, like, '88-'89, and they talk and hit it up and probably exchange numbers. Then we flew Zak to Boston to join WICKED WITCH, because Matt kept telling me, 'I got the singer. This guy is great. We've got to get him out here,' so we did. Ironically, Zak lands at Logan Airport, we pick him up and it's like, 'Let's take this guy out to have a couple beers,' so we go to this club called The Channel, and SAVATAGE is playing. I walk in the door, and Zak is like, 'I know these guys!' It was the first and only time I ever saw them play.

"WICKED WITCH, we got our setlist together. We got our songs together. We went out and played our asses off. We played, I think, 150 shows in our first year of existence. We hit the street, and we were working hard — a lot of rehearsal, a lot of gigs — but without proper management and without somebody really leading us in a certain direction, we were kind of in a place that we needed somebody else to help us get out of [the starting block]. Then also all of a sudden, grunge came along. Everything was just kind of changing. We hit this rut, and then Jon steps out of SAVATAGE and these guys reach out to Zak. Honestly, I think we kind of ran our course, so Zak made the move. And you know what? I was happy he did. I love Zak as a singer. He's also a drummer, so he and I had a pretty cool rhythmic connection. I was sad to see Zak go because I knew we couldn't replace him, but I was also in the position where it was like, 'Well, I'm glad one of us is getting a shot.' When Zak went and joined the band, this was obviously a turning point for me in my life, and that's when I decided to leave Boston and head back to New York to rethink my life. I was never planning on quitting drums. I was like, 'I just have to rethink what I'm doing.'"

Blabbermouth: You said that 1990 was the only time you attended a SAVATAGE show, which presumably means that you never had the chance to see them with Zak.

Jeff: "I moved back home, I think, in the spring of 1993. And they played in upstate New York [that year]. It was probably about two hours away from me. I was working construction. I had to be up at, like, 6:30 in the morning or whatever. It was one of those things — 'Should I go see him, or shouldn't I?' I wish I would've, because I would've been able to at least meet Criss [Oliva, SAVATAGE's late guitarist]. That was kind of a missed opportunity — one of those things that if I could do over again, I certainly would've made the road trip."

Blabbermouth: In an unexpected twist, you reunited with Zak the following year in SAVATAGE.

Jeff: "When Criss died, Matt Leff and I were still in touch. We gave it some time, and Matt called me up and said, 'Hey, why don't you reach out to Zak and see what he's going to do? He's got his foot in the door now; maybe we can fire up WICKED WITCH again and actually make something work this time.' So, I called Zak just as a friend and said, 'Hey, how are you doing? Are you okay?' He's like, 'SAVATAGE is going to continue, and they want you to be the drummer.' I'm standing in my living room in Horseheads, New York going, 'What?' He says, 'Yep — they've listened to the [WICKED WITCH] demo tape; they've seen your picture. [I gave them] my word. These guys want you to join the band.' I was like, 'Holy shit — I wasn't expecting this!' Next thing you know, I'm in my truck driving to Florida. 31 years ago, I walked into Morrisound and met Paul and Jon. It was unbelievable just how that even came about. I spent 10 years in Boston trying to be a rock star, and now I'm back home building houses and wondering what I'm going to do, and holy crap — now it's here; now it's happening.

"Joining the band at that time, I was so excited. I had the gig I was looking for. I was reuniting with Zak, who was a friend and one of my favorite vocalists. [I thought,] 'This is great. This is what I've been busting my butt for all these years,' but I came into this group that was such an emotional wreck from losing Criss. I'm excited, but I felt so bad for these guys at the same time. Johnny couldn't even do the 'Handful Of Rain' record, let alone want to leave home and go on tour. Thank God he did, and we stuck this out. That was just an awesome experience altogether. Within months, my dream of doing a tour and recording a record became a reality, because I did this tour of America. Next thing I know, I'm in Japan recording this live record. I felt like I'd won the lottery."

Blabbermouth: Just as Zak did before you, you successfully stepped into the shoes of a founding member of the band. Did Zak give you any tips or pointers, friend to friend or musician to musician?

Jeff: "When I first came down to Florida and met everybody, I couldn't believe how upbeat and friendly and accepting Jon and Paul were. It was like, 'Hey, man! Come on into the studio! Come check out what we're doing!' It was such a difficult time for all those guys, but they had a really good head about them, and they were moving forward — but along with that, I knew that these guys were all just going through hell at the time. My approach was, 'Keep your mouth shut. Do what you do. Do it well, and you're going to be fine.' It wasn't so much Zak talking to me about how to approach this. It was evident how I needed to approach this, and if I came in there like some mouthy, arrogant jackass, who knows? The tour may not have ever happened, because they were all just like on the verge of saying, 'We can't do this.' My job was to go in there and drum. Coming in after Steve [Wacholz, SAVATAGE's original drummer], sure, I had some shoes to fill, but I knew I could do it. I just had to do what I do, do it well and be an adult — be quiet, be respectful of the situation and kind of stay out of the way."

Blabbermouth: As you noted, when the 'Handful' tour began, the band was still on shaky ground.

Jeff: "We started the tour in Fort Lauderdale. Between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, our bus broke down, or maybe the air conditioning went out. I can't remember the exact order, but all of a sudden, we were having bus trouble right out of the gate. Compound that with how difficult this is for Johnny and Jon and Zak. Then, I think our third show was Tampa — a homecoming without Criss Oliva. Here I am — I'm excited and so happy I got this gig, and people are so upset. There were tears everywhere — 'What are we doing? Why are we doing this?'

"We got on the bus in Tampa, and our next show is in Atlanta. Somewhere between Tampa and Atlanta, I'm sitting in the back lounge with Johnny drinking a beer. He looks right at me and says, 'I don't know if I can do this. This is just too hard.' By this point, Johnny and I had connected pretty well – we were pretty tight — and I was like, 'Dude, I don't know what to tell you. I can't even imagine what you're going through right now.' No sooner did we have this conversation, the transmission goes [out] — the bus just starts grinding and making all this noise. And Johnny sat there, lifted his head and looked at me and goes, 'Well, Jeff — I guess we need a new bus.' And from there on, it all just kind of clicked. It was funny, because Johnny had one foot out the door, and now the damn bus broke down. He could've easily stepped out the door and said, 'I'm going home. See you later' — but no. 'Looks like we need to get a new bus, Jeff.' It's like, 'Oh, thank God.'"

SAVATAGE will kick off its first tour since 2002 at the Monsters Of Rock festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 19.

In a new interview with PowerOfMetal.cl, former KAMELOT singer Roy Khan spoke about the recent announcement that he will take the stage on July 5, 2025 at Tokio Marine Hall in São Paulo, Brazil for a one-night-only performance celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's "The Black Halo" album. Asked why now is the right time for him to celebrate this LP, Roy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, like you said, it's 20 years ago since it came out. And 'The Black Halo' is undoubtedly possibly the most important album in my catalog. So I just felt that it was in its place to do some sort of celebration in connection with the 20th anniversary. And that's what we're doing in São Paulo on the 5th of July."

Asked what he thinks made "The Black Halo" such a "timeless" record, Roy said: "I think it was in a very important phase of the band's development, both as a group and as the members individually. The time was right. There were some new collaborations there that took place. It was the first record we recorded with SPV, so we had a good budget and we could do whatever we wanted. We could try our stuff and tear things down in studio, build them up again. We had the finances to do things properly. And I think the lyrics hit some sort of nerve that I think a lot of people can relate to. But most of all, I think it's a bunch of people that happened to align with each other and managed to make something that is really greater than the sum of them all. And 'The Black Halo' has definitely stood the test of time. I mean, the album is a classic in the genre."

Regarding his current relationship with his former bandmates in KAMELOT, Roy said: "Thomas [Youngblood, KAMELOT founder] and I, we talk on the phone now and then. We kind of have to, 'cause we still have business together that we need to deal with. I also talk to Casey [Grillo, former KAMELOT drummer] now and then. I mean, I talked to him a couple of weeks ago when he was in Norway with QUEENSRŸCHE. So, yeah, we keep in touch."

Asked if he has ever talked to Thomas about the possibility of reuniting with KAMELOT for a special concert or anything like that, Roy said: "We've been talking about it, but there's a lot of things that need to fall in place for something like that to happen. KAMELOT with the current lineup, they need to have time for Thomas to do something different. I have my schedule. But as a starting point, both Thomas and I are open to doing something at some point, I think. But who's gonna do what? Where is it gonna happen? When? Finances. Who's gonna do what? So many things need to be taken care of. The logistics are… yeah. But we'll see."

Originally released in 2005, "The Black Halo" remains a landmark in metal history, featuring iconic tracks like "March Of Mephisto", "The Haunting (Somewhere In Time)" and "When The Lights Are Down".

Adding to the excitement, "The Black Halo (20th Anniversary Edition)" has just been made available in an array of special formats, including a limited-edition wooden box set featuring splattered vinyl, a collector's chalice, a ring, a pendant in a velvet bag, a 20-page booklet, and an exclusive autographed card. Other variants include deluxe marbled vinyl, a slipmat and a digipak CD edition. This must-have collector's edition was released via Napalm Records on March 14, 2025 — exactly two decades after its original debut.

Khan is also featured as a special guest on "Here Be Dragons", the latest album from Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA. His powerful vocals grace a grand and emotional power ballad, marking another exciting chapter in his return to the scene. Sammet himself praised Khan's contribution, calling the song "one of the most moving and emotional, yet biggest ballads I have ever done."

In the summer of 2023, Roy said that a number of things contributed to his decision to leave KAMELOT nearly a decade and a half ago.

The now-55-year-old Norwegian singer announced his exit from KAMELOT in April 2011 after taking several months off to recover from a "burnout."

After his departure from KAMELOT, Khan, who is a devout Christian, joined a church in the coastal town of Moss, Norway.

In an interview with Justin Young of Monsters, Madness And Magic, Roy — whose full name is Roy Sætre Khantatat — was asked what led to his split with KAMELOT. He responded: "Everything. Too much travel. Too much work. I had my first kids. I got married and I was pretty much falling into every pit there was. And this whole character that I was creating was very different from the person that I was and wanted to be at home. And those two characters pulled farther and farther from each other and that whole thing just tore me apart. I wasn't really present when I was at home either. I'd come back from a six-week tour and just take my shoes off and sit right down on the PC and work on something, and it was not good. And I got mentally sick. That summer of 2010, I had a period of five, six weeks where I literally did not sleep. Maybe, I mean a little bit, of course, but there were so many nights that I did not sleep at all. I just wandered around the house and worrying about everything and nothing."

Asked if he became religious after his exit from KAMELOT, Roy said: "Religious? Depends on what you mean by religious, how you define that. But I've always been occupied with big questions and also spiritual things. I mean, those kind of things have always fascinated me. But there were some really weird things that happened to me in connection with me being at my lowest low ever in 2010. I mean, obviously, I was really mentally ill at that point, but we experienced things. I mean, I experienced things that other people experienced together with me, and the timing of things were really awkward. Whatever that was, it definitely made me completely change my mind on the whole issue, is there something out there that we can't see that affects us? I'm positive about that. And I still have to sit down and pinch myself in the arm and just remind myself that the things that happened happened. I mean, some of those things people surely will say are coincidence. Some will say that I just imagined it. Some people will say that — some people won't even believe. But for me, it was very, very clear. And, there's no doubt in my mind. That doesn't mean that that completely changed my life. I mean, it did, but it's not like I was a whole new being all of a sudden. I still have things that I struggle with. It's not like you go from being an arrogant, sinful bastard to being an angel. It's a process. But all those things, having those things in mind for me is definitely gradually changing me in my approach to other people, life in general and then how I look at the time that I have left on this planet."

Three years ago, Roy told Chaoszine about his split with KAMELOT: "I'm really, really extremely thankful that KAMELOT was able to continue without me, 'cause I had no intention to hurt the band. It was a very personal decision to quit the band and I simply had to. And I'm just glad that everything turned out in the end to be… They managed to go on without me, and I'm just very thankful for that, really."

Khan, who reformed his pre-KAMELOT band CONCEPTION seven years ago and released an EP, 2018's "My Dark Symphony", and a full-length album, 2020's "State Of Deception", previously reflected on the circumstances that led to him ending his long working relationship with KAMELOT during an appearance in 2021 on the "Breaking Absolutes With Peter Orullian" podcast. Roy said: "That whole thing was a cocktail of several things that just happened to climax at that point. As you all, KAMELOT was getting more and more popular, so I was away months every year — like half the year at least I was gone. I was having a family, and that right there was starting to tear me apart. And then I was living my life not very healthy — let's put it that way — and I did a lot of stupid stuff back then that… I knew in my heart that it was going down the drain."

He continued: "I remember every night when I sang [the KAMELOT song] 'Karma', I would feel that this shit is gonna knock me on the back of the head at some point. If it's gonna tomorrow, [if] it's gonna be two years from now, I don't know, but the way I live my life, that's not gonna work — it's not sustainable. And then it happened. I knew for so many years, actually, that this was gonna not work out, and then, all of a sudden, it happened. I broke down. I had a full summer where I barely slept — like six to eight weeks where I didn't sleep a whole lot of hours during those six to eight weeks, and I was going really completely crazy. And in connection with that, a lot of stuff happened."

According to Khan, leaving KAMELOT after a 13-year run weighed heavily on him at the time.

"Quitting KAMELOT was the best decision that I've ever made, and by that I don't mean that… KAMELOT was a fantastic thing in my life, and Thomas and the other guys — it had nothing to do with them; it was all me and the way I lived my life, and I just couldn't take it any longer," he explained. "And I was also overworked — I worked all the time. Even when I was home. The first thing I'd do when I got back home is I would kick my shoes off in the hallway and I'd just sit right down at the computer and start working. I was really not a good husband and I was not a good father. Lots of things weren't good about me at that point.

"Quitting KAMELOT at that point, it was easy but it was hard," he elaborated. "It was easy because I didn't really have a choice. I was really wrecked. And at the same time, it was hard because I'd been working to get to that point my whole life, basically — 20 years, at least — and finally I was there. And then I threw the towel in and said, 'Hey, guys, I'm not coming in for the next tour.' 'Okay. Well, what's wrong?' 'Well, actually, I'm not coming back at all.' And obviously, everybody… My mom was, like, 'Are you kidding me? Are you serious?' Then the guys in the band, they thought that it was gonna pass. But I knew in my heart that summer [of 2010], already in August, I knew that that's it."

KAMELOT officially announced Tommy Karevik as its new lead singer in June 2012. The Florida-based band has recorded four albums so far with the Swedish vocalist: 2012's "Silverthorn", 2015's "Haven", 2018's "The Shadow Theory" and 2023's "The Awakening".

Asked if he has listened to any of KAMELOT's recent material with Karevik, Roy told Italy's SpazioRock back in 2018: "Yes I have. I really like some of their new stuff. Sounds classical KAMELOT in my ears, and Tommy is a great singer."

Roy Khan se apresenta como “Co-Headliner” em show solo especial no Tokio Marine Hall, em São Paulo, no dia 5 de julho de...

Posted by Tramamos on Saturday, March 15, 2025

Fan-filmed video of AC/DC's entire April 14 concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas can be seen below.

Featured songs (top video):

If You Want Blood (You've Got It) 0:00
Back In Black 6:55
Demon Fire 11:26
Shot Down In Flames 15:52
Thunderstruck 20:20
Have A Drink On Me 26:35
Hells Bells 31:10
Shot In The Dark 37:12
Stiff Upper Lip 40:53
Highway To Hell 45:41
Shoot To Thrill 50:20
Sin City 56:50
Rock 'N' Roll Train 1:03:44
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 1:08:41
High Voltage 1:14:16
Riff Raff 1:21:32
You Shook Me All Night Long 1:27:49
Whole Lotta Rosie 1:32:08
Let There Be Rock 1:39:00
T.N.T. 2:03:20
For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) 2:07:37

Featured songs in second video:

01:00 If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)
06:30 Back In Black
11:05 Demon Fire
15:29 Shot Down In Flames
19:57 Thunderstruck
26:12 Have A Drink On Me
30:47 Hells Bells
36:47 Shot In The Dark
40:27 Stiff Upper Lip
45:19 Highway To Hell
49:57 Shoot To Thrill
56:27 Sin City
1:03:19 Rock 'N' Roll Train
1:08:17 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
1:13:51 High Voltage
1:21:07 Riff Raff
1:27:25 You Shook Me All Night Long
1:31:44 Whole Lotta Rosie
1:38:52 Let There Be Rock
2:02:47 T.N.T.
2:07:07 For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

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

AC/DC — guitarist Angus Young, vocalist Brian Johnson, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and bass player Chris Chaney — is performing in 13 stadiums coast to coast this spring. This run will conclude on May 28 in Cleveland, Ohio at Huntington Bank Field. Along the way, they will play some of the most iconic and historic stadiums in the world, including the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on April 18 and Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on May 24. Support on the trek is coming from THE PRETTY RECKLESS.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a new interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson confirmed that he still gets together with RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee "once a week" to hang out and occasionally play music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Geddy's my best friend. We do so much stuff together. We play tennis together. Often we drink a little too much wine together. He definitely drinks too much coffee sometimes. So I'll go over to his place, and we'll just hang around. Invariably we'll go downstairs into his studio and we'll play and for fun we play some RUSH songs — just the two of us, just jamming, really. In fact, just playing. And it's so much fun for the two of us to play. We've been writing music together for 50 years. And honestly, he's my best friend. Why wouldn't I wanna hang around with him? So that's our relationship. And the rumors fly and all of that stuff — of anything, a new album and whatever. But we just really, really enjoy each other's company. I talk to him almost every day and have forever."

Lifeson also reflected on RUSH's final tour, which ended on August 1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles, marking the band's 25th show at the venue and bringing the trek to a triumphant end. He said: "We toured for 40 years. There was nothing lacking. We got to do everything. And it's thrilling to hear that crowd, but to be honest with you, when you're walking up on that stage, you're not thinking about them. You don't even notice them. You're thinking about, 'I hope I don't play that wrong note that I played the other night. And when we get to that transition, what should I be doing?' You're thinking about work. And our nature is not — certainly with [late RUSH drummer] Neil [Peart] — was not about the celebrity of what we were doing. That's great to have it, and all of that stuff, but we were thinking about work and doing the best job we could. We felt we had a very serious responsibility. People were paying a lot of money to come see us play. We've gotta put on a good show. You're not gonna get up there and get drunk and jump around like you're some kind of rock and roll God. We didn't [do any drugs]… Well, maybe a little bit in the early days — a little pot here and there before a show… But certainly when we were headlining — no drinks. Not even a sip of beer — nothing, just to keep your faculties in place. So, we always took it very, very seriously."

He continued: "Neil was adamant that he was done. There was a time where he was thinking that maybe we could stretch it a bit, but then he had a problem with his feet and he was done. Ged and I were disappointed. We felt like we had a lot of gas in the tank still. That particular tour was great, 'cause that was a retrospective from the last tour right down to the beginning where our amps were on two little stools on stage in a gymnasium. We did the whole trip in time. And we could have done that tour for at least another 20 or 30 shows. We wanted to go to Europe desperately. We had a lot of fans there and we never got there — in the U.K. especially. So I think Ged and I were very disappointed. I'd say we were, to be honest with you, maybe a little bitter that it ended that way. But what could we do? Neil did it for 40 years. He absolutely had the toughest job in the band. And he felt like if he couldn't play a hundred percent, then he was done."

Asked if it was tough staying at home after that and not being on the road, Alex said: "At that point in my life, no, it wasn't tough being home. I had two grandkids. So it meant that I could spend more time with them, and they were growing up. It was a replacement a little bit for my kids because we were away for so much. So you adapt. You miss it. You wish you could still do it, but the more you become a homebody, the less you think about the glory of all of that stuff and that there are other things in life and there are other great things that you wanna do and other paths you wanna follow. So the transition was not that difficult, aside from the little bit of resentment we had. Then, of course, Neil discovered that he was ill. And nothing mattered after that.

"When Neil lost his daughter in '97, I didn't play guitar for a year," Lifeson recalled. "I was just so drained of any desire, I guess, to enjoy the beauty and love of music. And the same thing happened when [Neil] passed away. I didn't really wanna play, and it wasn't the same.

"I have this thing — I grieve for a year, and I try to go beyond that then and reset myself. And that's what I did with [my new project] ENVY OF NONE after [Neil] passed."

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Since Peart's death, Lifeson and Lee have not recorded any new music or performed live under the RUSH name, although both of them confirmed that several drummers reached out to them in the days after the legendary drummer's passing about the possibility of stepping in for Neil.

Lifeson made his mark on the music industry over 50 years ago, redefining the boundaries of progressive rock guitar. His signature riffing, copious use of effects processing and unorthodox chord structures befitted him the title by his RUSH bandmates as "The Musical Scientist." While the bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with RUSH, he has contributed to a body of work outside of the band as a guitarist, producer and with the release of his 1996 solo album "Victor". Lifeson ranks third overall in the Guitar World readers' poll of "100 Greatest Guitarists" and is also included in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time."

ENVY OF NONE, the band featuring Lifeson, Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH),Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, released its second album, "Stygian Wavz", on March 14 via Kscope.

In a new interview with CBS SF, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt spoke about the recent departure of the band's longtime vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza and the return of Zetro's predecessor, Rob Dukes. Asked if there was any thought of even considering a different singer with the band after parting ways with Zetro, Gary said: "You mean now? No. I don't like change, for one. I never intended to make any of these vocalist changes. Not Rob the first time, and not Steve [now]. But at 60 years old, all of us, we all demand to be happy and be surrounded by happiness. We did some amazing music with Steve back. Amazing. [EXODUS's latest LP] 'Persona Non Grata' is my second favorite album in our whole catalog. But we're moving forward."

He continued: "I didn't want to bring in a young guy. Yeah, we could have brought in some 30-year-old guy who's young and has abs and can still jump off drum risers. [Laughs] That sounds appealing, but I like familiarity. Rob keeps me laughing, and he's an amazing singer. And he's one of my best friends. So that was kind of a no-brainer. I mean, I don't know how much longer we could play this kind of ferocious stuff. Over the years, we've just gotten faster and the songs have gotten harder to play as the arthritis gets worse. So we're going to just keep going for it as long as we can."

After interviewer Dave Pehling noted that Holt wrote in his just-released memoir, "A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage To Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way", that the EXODUS members were at the best place that they had been in their whole career, Gary said: "It's one of those things. And I've got nothing but love for him. It's not like the last time he left the band, when it was on really bad terms. At 60 years old, this job gets fucking hard. And if you don't like to travel, and no longer like to be out on the road and and you want to cut the touring way back and all that, we can no longer make a living at this. We literally would have to go get day jobs. That's pretty much what happened. One guy wasn't enjoying it anymore. And none of us enjoy being away from home all the time. It sucks. My happy place is being around my family. I can speak for all of us, Steve included. But while I can — this whole age thing — while I can still tour for six weeks and crush it and go out and play seven, eight, nine shows in a row, I'm going to do it. Until I can't, and then I'll slow down. But if we start slowing down now, eventually it's just going to come to a stop."

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

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.

Regarding how he ended up back in the EXODUS fold, Rob told Mark Strigl in February: "How it happened was Lee [Altus, EXODUS guitarist] and Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist] called me, and Tom [Hunting, EXODUS drummer] called me, and they all spoke to me individually to kind of see where I was at. And then they asked me, and I said, 'Sure.'

"I'm not gonna talk about why they did what they did [as far as parting ways with Zetro] — that's on them to talk about, 'cause I have no idea," he continued. "I mean, I kind of do, but it's not my place. So, I'll let them handle that end.

"I was as surprised as you, man," Dukes admitted. "I mean, when I got the call… Me and Gary didn't speak as much, but me and Tom talk all the time. Me and Lee constantly talk about hockey and give each other shit — I'm a Rangers fan; he's a Flyers fan — so we're always in contact, especially during hockey season. And then, like I said, man, it came out of nowhere for myself too. And I took a day and decided, 'Yeah, okay, I can make it work.' 'Cause I have to put my life on hold, the life I've been building for 10 years as a car builder and a welder. But I sat down with the people I work for and the people I work with and I explained the situation and they were all, like, 'Yeah, go do it, man. You only live once.' And I was, like, 'Yeah, cool. That's exactly how I was thinking about it.' So, it all worked out, man. And everybody's stoked and happy."

Dukes previously joined EXODUS in January 2005 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).

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Rock And Roll Geek Show" podcast, which is hosted by former EXODUS bassist Michael Butler, Holt opened up about Souza's departure, saying: " People ask [why we fired Zetro] — everybody wants to know because we've chosen not to tell anybody. All I ever tell people is, marriages don't often work. And just 'cause you saw a married couple out in public that seemed happy, you don't know what's going on at home. I don't know if the wife's throwing frying pans at his head or he's fucking drunk out of his ass, fucking screaming at him and slapping the kids. You don't know. Just 'cause they go out in public and they put on a happy face.

"We've got nothing but respect for Zetro, and we've got love [for him] and I'm honored to have made some great music [with him]. But I'm also 60 years old, and the five of us need to be on the same page. And now we are."

After Butler suggested that musicians sometimes have different personalities and "people can get on your nerves sometimes", Holt clarified: "It's not even a matter of [anything] like that because we all get on each other's nerves. It's just as you get older, this job, either you still love it or it becomes incredibly difficult… For me, [it's] fucking not [difficult] at all. And so, for whatever our reasons, four guys had a reason to do what we did."

Asked if he personally called Zetro to tell the singer he was fired, Gary responded: "I don't really wanna go into all that. [Laughs] There's no hate involved. It's just the fucking marriage didn't work. Sometimes you get along with your ex. Sometimes you don't hate your ex; you just can't be married to them anymore… Sometimes the wife still likes him and he's a good father, but God, what a fucking crappy husband. Or what a bad life. But she was good with the kids and she's a member of the PTA. Who fucking knows?

"What's funny is online people are coming up with their conspiracy theories [about why Zetro was fired]," he continued. "It's like Pizzagate. It's fucking crazy. Like that it had something to do with that he just got married. Like, 'Rob Dukes got married right when he got fired, and Zetro got married [before he got fired]. Hmm. Pattern?' Dude, I've got grandkids. Like I fucking have a problem with my singer being married. Fucking stupid. I had one guy, when it happened, he got on my Instagram and he broke down his timeline of how we treat singers. Well, the first thing he said was, 'Gary Holt's just all about the money.' And if you fucking think parting ways with your singer is a fucking path to financial security, you're fucking high. What the fuck's wrong with you? And then he broke down his whole timeline. And I politely corrected his timeline for him. I don't respond to fucking people — I ain't got time for — but the guy goes, 'Band hires Paul [Baloff]. Fires Paul.' True. Paul was fired. Paul's life was a mess. In hindsight, we later became just as big a mess as he ever was. And then he said, 'Band hires singer, Steve Souza.' And he goes, 'Band fires Steve Souza.' No, we broke up [after] 'Force Of Habit'. He goes, 'Band rehires Paul Baloff. Band fires Paul Baloff.' I'm, like, 'He fucking died. We didn't fire him. He died.' And then he said, 'Band hires Steve Souza. Band fires Steve Souza.' No, he quit… In his eyes, we fired the dead guy. And I was, like, 'Just fuck off,' you know?, I politely said, 'Hey, buddy, let me correct your timeline for you.' I didn't go, 'Fuck you, dude.' I just said, 'Let me fix your timeline.'

"People are dumb," Holt added. "And I don't like to be mean to people. I've done stupid shit myself. But people fucking create whatever theories they can come up with in their little brains."

Regarding why he and his EXODUS bandmates decided to bring Dukes back to the group, Gary said: "I'm 60 years old. The idea of getting an unfamiliar person in the band would not be an option… I think we all reached out when we became apparent. And sure, I could have found some 30-year-old dude who could still jump off a drum riser and has washboard abs and is not all fat like the rest of us. But I need someone who's close to my own age. I'm too old to have to like fucking educate some young kid on music that I like."

When EXODUS announced Souza's latest departure on January 15, the band wrote in a statement: "We thank Steve for his years fronting the band and all the killer music we made during that time. We wish him only the best in the future and much success with anything he does.

"And please help us welcome Rob Dukes back to EXODUS! We are beyond stoked to have Rob back ripping up the stage with us and he's looking forward to crushing everything like only he can.

"Next chapter begins, new record rolls along as planned and the beatings will continue."

Although EXODUS rarely gets mentioned alongside the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — the aforementioned "Bonded By Blood" LP inspired the likes of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE and many others to launch their careers and is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time.

In a new interview with Igor Miranda of Brazil's Rolling Stone magazine, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked if there will be any setlist changes on the band's upcoming South American tour — which kicks off on April 16 in Brasilia, Brazil — compared to the songs he and his bandmates played last year in Europe and North America. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a good question. We're always thinking about how we can improve the setlist. It's always difficult these days because the fans, they see the setlist online, so they're expecting certain things. I think the set we have at the moment is quite a refined setlist. It covers a lot of different PRIEST material, and the dynamic of the set is really well. So it starts off well, it's a quick set, it is a fast-paced set, the dynamic works really well. So we'll see. We're gonna go into rehearsals before we come down and we'll try this set and see if we can make any changes. But the set we've got at the moment is a pretty good one, so I think it will be more or less the same as what we've been playing in Europe."

Faulkner also talked about the health of PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's 10 years ago, after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower". He was replaced by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT. Tipton occasionally joins PRIEST onstage for its encores, performing "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

Richie said: "[Glenn is] doing okay. He was out [with us] — was it last month? It was in February. We did the Grammys. So we went out to Los Angeles for the Grammys, and Glenn was there. And he is doing okay.

"Everyone knows Parkinson's is a degenerative disease, so as it gets worse, I think you can kind of keep it at a certain level, but over time it does get worse," he explained. "But he's in good spirits. He's a fighter — Glenn's a fighter, he's a warrior, and he's doing what he can to keep going. So, big respect to Glenn. And I'll tell him that the fans asked. He will appreciate that."

Asked if there are already any early plans or initial discussions about a follow-up to PRIEST's 2024 album "Invincible Shield", Faulkner said: "We talk about it all the time. It's funny — I joined on the farewell tour, as you know. So I joined on the farewell tour. That was gonna be the last world tour. But you get so excited when you're out and you're traveling and you go to different countries and seeing different people and playing these great songs, we ended up going into the studio to record 'Redeemer Of Souls'. And then we got excited over that record and we wanted to go out and play it live. And then the same thing happens. You get excited, you go in the studio again, record 'Firepower', tour, 'Invincible Shield', we're touring. So the pattern seems to be, after a tour, there usually comes an album. So we never say never because that seems to be what happens. We're still on the 'Invincible Shield' tour and we're coming down to South America, coming to Brazil. It's one of the most exciting places in the world to play. So that might fire us up for another album. But we talk about it and we never say never. It would be the 20th record, right? If there was another one, it would be number 20, which is a good number. And the pattern throughout history seems to be album, tour album, tour, album. So we'll see. But I don't know. But we'll see. [Laughs]"

In his first interview since revealing his condition in early 2018, Glenn, who turned 77 last October, told Guitar World magazine about his diagnosis: "It was upsetting, but I wasn't really shocked because I sort of thought it was Parkinson's. I probably hoped it wasn't but the doctor said it was."

Regarding being told by the doctor that he had likely already had the disease for between 10 and 15 years, Glenn said: "Hearing that I already had Parkinson's for a long time made me even more determined to fight. I could still play, so I just continued recording and touring."

About a month before the opening date of PRIEST's "Firepower" tour, Tipton realized he could not guarantee that he would be able to execute an energetic, precision performance with the band night after night and "decided that it was really going to be too much for me," he told Guitar World. "With the medication and the time zone changes and everything else, I realized it was time to retire — from touring at least. I don't ever want to compromise JUDAS PRIEST. It's too big a part of my life."

"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.

JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its classic album "Painkiller" extensively live with the "Shield Of Pain" tour. This "rare" and "unique set" will include "beloved classics" and "will be defending the metal faith in a truly memorable experience throughout Europe" this summer, according to a social media post from PRIEST.

After two consecutive new JETHRO TULL album releases in 2022 and 2023, a new studio record, "Curious Ruminant", was made available in March to much acclaim. Consisting of nine new tracks varying in length from two and half minutes to almost seventeen minutes, this is an album of mostly full band music. Amongst the musicians featured are former keyboardist Andrew Giddings and drummer James Duncan, along with the current band members David Goodier, John O'Hara, Scott Hammond and, making his recording debut with the band, guitarist Jack Clark.

Today, JETHRO TULL is pleased to release a video for "Over Jerusalem", a track they have recently started playing live on tour, animated by Studio Sparks in Portugal. Watch it now below.

JETHRO TULL leader Ian Anderson comments: "Having visited Jerusalem to perform in concert and in Israel generally many times since 1986 I, like much of the world, have felt growing distress at the political, social and cultural dilemmas facing all in the region. After the first visit or two, I decided to continue to perform there but to donate all proceeds to various local NGOs: mostly to those supporting co-education of Arabs, Jews and Christians and often with a musical bias.

"The deep and complex history of Jerusalem — brilliantly chronicled in the book 'Jerusalem: The Biography' by Simon Sebag Montifiore — would be best read by many taking the simplistic view and taking polarized sides. Montefiore refers to 'Jerusalem Syndrome', which pretty much sums up my own somewhat tortured views.

"I continue to hold a deep reverence and concern for the future of one of the most important cities of all time and its pivotal place in the current world. I say in the final line of the song, 'I'm not over Jerusalem.' Like a tragic love affair, it remains a memory which time cannot erase. Don't get me started about Moscow or Kiev..."

"Curious Ruminant" is available on several different formats, including a limited deluxe ultra clear 180g 2LP + 2CD + Blu-ray artbook and limited deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray artbook. Both of these feature the main album, alternative stereo mixes and a Blu-ray containing Dolby Atmos and 5.1 Surround Sound (once again undertaken by Bruce Soord of THE PINEAPPLE THIEF),as well as exclusive interview material. The limited deluxe vinyl artbook also includes two exclusive art-prints. The album is also available as a special edition CD digipak, gatefold 180g LP + LP booklet and as digital album (in both stereo and Dolby Atmos).

The full track listing is as follows:

01. Puppet And The Puppet Master (04:04)
02. Curious Ruminant (06:00)
03. Dunsinane Hill (04:17)
04. The Tipu House (03:31)
05. Savannah Of Paddington Green (03:13)
06. Stygian Hand (04:16)
07. Over Jerusalem (05:55)
08. Drink From The Same Well (16:42)
09. Interim Sleep (02:33)

Ian Anderson had been saying for months following the release of "RökFlöte" that he would embark on a new project in late 2023. He waited only a few weeks before the first notions began to solidify into some drafted words of intent and in May 2024, some unfinished music recorded earlier with John O'Hara, David Goodier and James Duncan became the starting point for the new songs as they took shape.

Writing the lyrics and melodies for all the newly written material came very quickly once he began in earnest during June and just seemed to slot right in to the musical feel and styles of the earlier recordings.

Anderson's writing here is often on a more personal level of lyric content than we are used to hearing. Interspersed with his usual observational descriptions are the slightly more heart-on-sleeve moments of soul-baring — albeit not on the topics more often paraded by the usual I-me lyric merchants of pop and rock.

Some of the songs are developed from unfinished instrumental demos made some years ago although this does not result in a huge stylistic divide to jump out at the listener. Apart from the signature flute solos and melodies, accordion, mandolin, acoustic and tenor guitars feature on several tracks too, so the subtle backdrop of acoustic and folk rock serves to remind of the TULL heritage of the 70s.

The band consists of:

* Ian Anderson – Flutes, vocals, acoustic guitar, tenor guitar, mandolin, odds and sods, bits and bobs
* David Goodier - Bass guitar
* John O'Hara - Piano, keyboards, accordion
* Scott Hammond – Drums
* Jack Clark – Electric guitar

The album also features:

* James Duncan - Drums, cajón, percussion
* Andrew Giddings - Piano, keyboards, accordion

From the heart of San Francisco's legendary metal scene emerges NEFARIOUS, a powerhouse band poised to leave an indelible mark on heavy metal. This all-star lineup unites some of the most seasoned and revered musicians in the genre, delivering a sound that's as punishing as it is precise — blending melody, harmony, and crushing riffs in a way that only true thrashers can.

Leading the charge is Katon W. De Pena, the electrifying frontman known for his commanding presence and raw intensity with HIRAX. His signature vocal attack sets the stage for a sonic onslaught. On guitars, the twin-axe assault is nothing short of legendary — Rick Hunolt (EXODUS, DIEHUMANE) and Doug Piercy (HEATHEN, ANVIL CHORUS) unleash a relentless barrage of riffs and searing solos that define the essence of thrash metal's golden era while pushing its boundaries forward. Anchoring the chaos with a thunderous backbone is bassist Tom Gears (BLIND ILLUSION, ANCIENT MARINER),whose low-end power drives the band's relentless groove. Behind the kit, Will "Beastman" Carroll of DEATH ANGEL delivers a percussive assault that is both ferocious and exact, ensuring that every track hits with maximum impact.

Hunolt comments: "I'm so honored to be with this amazing group of dudes. About to release some old-school thrash on you mofos. It's long overdue, and I'm confident you guys will love it as much as we do. You, our metal brothers and sisters, deserve it. See you on the road. Let's fuckin go!!!"

De Pena adds: "We're not a band. We are a gang ready to crush skulls and make eardrums bleed ... Necks will be sore ...!!"

Piercy exclaims: "Let’s get ready to rage! We are really stoked to finally be able to release this stuff and discuss it. It's been under wraps for a while. More insane videos and shows are coming soon! We hope everybody enjoys this release as much as we had fun creating it, for you all!"

NEFARIOUS's debut album, "Addicted To Power", will be released on July 18 via Relentless "Metal" Records with the collector vinyl available through Hectic/Bleeding Priest Records.

The official music video for NEFARIOUS's first single, "One Nation Enslaved", can be seen below.

The band will make its live debut at the "Addicted To Power" album-release party on Saturday, July 19 at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco.

Together, NEFARIOUS crafts a sound that is both fierce and refined — a perfect balance of aggression and musicianship that speaks to the true spirit of thrash metal. With their explosive live performances and immersive new material on the horizon, metal fans worldwide should prepare for an unstoppable force. This is unpretentious thrash metal. This is NEFARIOUS!

Shock rock legends GWAR are back to wreak havoc once again with their new multimedia release "The Return Of Gor Gor", due on July 25 via Pit Records/Z2 Comics. This multi-format assault on the senses includes brand-new studio recordings, ferocious live performances, and an exclusive 32-page comic detailing the epic return of Gor Gor, GWAR's long-lost, three-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex. This release is a collaboration between GWAR and Z2 Comics, ensuring fans get the ultimate immersive experience.

But where has Gor Gor been all these years? How do you misplace a three-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex? The answer lies in "The Return Of Gor Gor", a multi-format experience that intertwines music and graphic storytelling. "The Return Of Gor Gor" follows the tale of an orphaned T-Rex cub, lost in a depraved world that is completely alien to him. Will he become an ally of the legendary Scumdogs Of The Universe, or will their reunion unleash an apocalyptic battle? Only time will tell.

Kicking off the carnage, GWAR premieres the NSFW video for "Lot Lizard" today. Fans can also stream the track across all digital service providers (DSPs) and pre-order "The Return Of Gor Gor" now at Pit Records (where you can also get a Gor Gor plush) and Z2Comics.com.

GWAR's Blöthar The Berserker states: "'Lot Lizard' is a blistering return to GWAR as a punk metal powerhouse with a sense of humor. What could be more charming than a song about a crack-addicted cross-dressing dinosaur prostitute that shreds weiners at truck stop pickle parks? Nuttin honey. That's what. The song rocks. Listen ya mooks…"

Watch the NSFW video for "Lot Lizard" below.

"The Return Of Gor Gor" features three brand new GWAR songs mixed by Kurt Ballou (CONVERGE, GodCity Studios) and four live tracks captured at The Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia during GWAR's 2024 tour, mixed by Chris Ronan Murphy. All songs were produced by GWAR and mastered by Alan Douches. The release also includes a 32-page comic detailing Gor Gor's return, which is included with all versions. Vinyl editions boast an animated etching of Gor Gor on Side A, with a semi-translucent etched deep purple vinyl available exclusively at GWAR.net and semi-translucent etched green vinyl at Z2Comics.com. A deluxe hardback edition is also available via Z2Comics.com.

40 years ago, the intergalactic warlords of GWAR emerged from their Antarctic tomb to conquer the Earth with their barbaric blend of metal and mayhem. Over the decades, their monstrous live shows and relentless discography have solidified them as the ultimate overlords of shock rock. Now, with BälSäc, Beefcake, JiZMak and Blothar joined by the mighty shredder Grodius of the Maximus Clan, GWAR embarks on their latest quest — to reclaim their savage pet, Gor Gor, who mysteriously disappeared following the death of their former frontman, Oderus Urungus.

Blöthar comments on "The Return Of Gor Gor": "The last time I saw Gor Gor, he was just a wee fart dragon. He had crawled on the hood of my Kia Soul and was holding on for dear life while I drove to the store to buy Clamato. I bathed him in wiper fluid and used my wipers to knock him off my sweet ride. Next thing I know, he's a 20-foot tall trans-species prostitute working a pickle park. Apparently, he's all grown up and looking for revenge. This record chronicles his struggles as a young Dino-American trying to make his way in a cruel world."

"The Return Of Gor Gor" track listing:

01. The Great Circus Train Disaster
02. Tyrant King
03. Lot Lizard
04. Crack In The Egg (Live)
05. The Founding Fathers (Live)
06. America Must Be Destroyed (Live)
07. Fishfuck (Live)

GWAR will be on the road all year as part of its 40th-anniversary celebration.

About the excursion, Blöthar says: "This tour is gonna suck. Once again we will be onstage suffering through the attacks of a giant tyrant lizard just so humans can come to the gigs and get shitfaced on White Claws and show us their tits. Please, for the love of all that is holy, show us your tits."

Photo credit: Carter Louthian

In a new interview with Rolling Stone UK, Tobias Forge, who fronted a pre-GHOST death metal outfit called REPUGNANT, spoke about his appreciation for extreme metal. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I grew up in a very musical home or music-loving home, so I've always had a wide range of influence, and my taste has always been relatively voluptuous, and I like a lot of music. But as an adolescent, and when I started playing in bands and where my pop cultural sort of belonging is, is in the extreme metal community. That's where a lot of my aesthetics come from.

"I think that some people who are unaware or not interested in what metal is, and especially in the death metal and black metal world, even though they might not be interested in GHOST, I think that GHOST might come off as a little bit more exotic and strange than it actually is for someone who comes from my scene, where a lot of these aesthetic attributes and themes and visuals is very much part of the mainframe of what we're doing<" he explained.

"The community itself has undergone a quite cool — I don't know what to call it — an expansion since… Depending from where you count, but if hard rock really started with BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPELIN, and on a daily basis, new bands are being formed and on a daily basis, or at least on a weekly basis, every Friday there are new records coming out in this genre. It is a hugely non-ageist genre where you have everything from senior citizens to little kids who like heavy metal music, so it's a very friendly community. And at points, of course, when it's been sort of youth-driven, as opposed to now, but in the '80s I think it was a little bit more youth-heavy, where youth was calling the shots, or young bands were calling the shots, the adolescent vibe might have — I wouldn't say 'tainted it', because I love that stuff, but I understand from an outside point of view it might come off as a little bit too immature at points. But that's part of it. If you don't like blood, don't go to see boxing games. And if you don't like metal, don't go to a metal show, if you don't like what it means."

A little over two years ago, Tobias was asked in an interview with Loudwire if he could ever see GHOST writing and recording a death metal song. He responded: "No, I don't think so. I believe that it would be… Because I've tried to build this world where there were no obvious rules, still there's a certain… It's kind of like making a timepiece film where if it's about Vikings, you can't wear a Casio digital watch. And I think there are elements in music that just might become that sort of digital watch or a 'Transformer' toy that just comes in and just screws up the picture in a way that… I would rather entertain writing death metal with everything that comes with that… If death metal is this bubble here, GHOST can be this, and maybe there's this little passage where they can sort of meet, where there are elements from that that leak through. But playing a straight death metal beat would just feel strange, I think, in that setting."

Pressed about whether he still gets the urge to pursue death metal in some fashion, Tobias said: "All the time. I love that stuff. I listen to it a lot. I'm still obsessing over it from a collecting point of view. That's very much where my adolescent heart is. I grew up with a lot of music, but my adolescence was completely immersed and completely swamped with that impression.

"I still get the same kick out of things that I liked as a — not even a teenager; as an 11-year-, 12-year-old, when I really started listening to that and when death metal was this really dangerous animal that you can just go to this one store to find," he continued. "And I'm still sort of chasing that.

"I have my safe spot inside where all that is, and, of course, it's materialized in a lot of physical things that I'm collecting. But I still feel that sort of urge to, in some way or form, partake in it. But I don't know in what form it will materialize.

"I think that there's another conflict… Since I never really did it professionally… Or let's be real — I never did it professionally; it was very unprofessional in every way," Forge added. "That is not exactly what I wanna do. I don't wanna have sort of messed up rehearsals where we end up drinking instead and you end up coming to a show with a plastic bag and a broken pedal and you have to borrow cords from other bands and then you end up playing a really drunk show in front of 20 friends. Which is fun as fuck, but as a grown-up… It's kind of like in 'Comfortably Numb' where he sings, 'That child is gone. I can't feel that way.' I can't paraphrase what he's singing in that, but he says it in such a great way where you know it's there, but it will never feel the same. You can never be revirginized [laughs] for real. But I live on hope. So I think that there will be a time for that rockage too. But it will not necessarily be the way it was."

Forge formed REPUGNANT in 1998 and performed under the name "Mary Goore", eventually releasing a few demos and an EP before recording their lone full-length "Epitome Of Darkness" in 2002. REPUGNANT called it quits in 2004, with Dutch independent Soulseller Records releasing "Epitome Of Darkness" two years later. The album — a veritable concoction of vintage Stockholm death metal with obscure, eerie melodies — had only mild impact upon its release but appears to have preceded the current crop of death metal bands who have parlayed largely the same formula to greater underground metal notoriety.

In a 2018 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET's David E. Gehlke, Forge was asked whether his success with GHOST ever made him reflect about his time with REPUGNANT. He said: "The one thing I don't think was very evident just because of how things played out with REPUGNANT, was that, if you asked me in 1999 or 2000 or 2001, I really wanted REPUGNANT to be signed up by a Roadrunner or Nuclear Blast or a big label. I wanted to be super-professional with the band. At the time, we were very unfashionable. It was just not asked for in that sort of realm and had things been played out differently or maybe I played my cards differently, because if I look back on how I did things, it was unprofessional and I didn't really have the foresight, I guess. I had the dream, but I didn't have the foresight. We were picked up by a real label at the time and got a manager and had everyone kept their ducks in a row, I would have loved to have that band, the closest example of a band like that could be comparable is like AMON AMARTH. A real band that was out touring. I always wanted that. I really wanted to become a big band. I wanted that, but I couldn't. I don't know if we were good enough or whatever. Now, knowing a lot of the things that is required, how many stars that need to align and all the decisions you have to make, I can definitely look back on myself as a 21-year-old and quickly see why I didn't achieve that with REPUGNANT. I wasn't mature. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't there yet."

The last-known lineup of REPUGNANT included current and former members of IN SOLITUDE, TRIBULATION and WATAIN, providing a mish-mash of some of Swedish metal's most critically acclaimed bands of the last decade. Forge said that he had repaired the relationship with his former bandmates after the split but warned against the idea of a full-blown REPUGNANT reunion. "I think the band that was REPUGNANT on 'Epitome Of Darkness', I think we are now better friends than we've been over the last ten years, at least, ten, fifteen years," he said. "We had various degrees of falling out for different reasons. It just sputtered out. We've had our disagreements and whatnot, the same shit that everybody goes through. But, nowadays, we don't really have much to do with each other anymore, but we're just friends. We're all, except for one of us, we all have kids, we're all married. We're old dudes. [Laughs] I don't feel very old. We're a little bit wiser now and maybe that alone gives us a reason to not sort of resuscitate that corpse again. Just let it lie."

Swedish metallers AVATAR entered the studio this past January to begin work on their tenth album. The follow-up to 2023's "Dance Devil Dance" was once again produced by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and URIAH HEEP, among many others.

AVATAR's next LP is tentatively due later in 2025 through the band's own label Black Waltz Records, which is distributed by Thirty Tigers.

In a new interview with Vrotherhood, AVATAR vocalist Johannes Eckerström stated about the songwriting process for the band's upcoming effort (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "For me, I set a starting date around August 2023. I was thinking next album a lot. Also because of touring and life in general, there's not this huge long period of just disappearing and writing. So I kind of personally rely on having a bit more manic periods. So it was something towards the end of that summer, then a bit around December, January, that year. Then we did a lot of touring again, and a little things can happen on tour, some really important things even in the songwriting, but not a huge volume of stuff. The big volume of stuff means that you get to sit at home and work in peace and fail in peace, and succeed in peace. So, I guess the practical part of it is start early to really get the ball going and the juices flowing again in terms of writing. And it's a bit different for the other guys. I think [guitarist] Tim [Öhrström] — well, he started a bit after me, and [guitarist] Jonas [Jarlsby] really got most of his stuff together much later. But, well, at the end of the day, we all climb different paths up the mountain, but we still reach the same mountaintop."

Regarding the lyrical themes covered on the new AVATAR album, Johannes said: "I'm still kind of unpacking exactly what this album is — or not unpacking what this album is, but unpacking how to talk about what this album is. But there are certainly… Where should I even begin? Well, it seemed like dreams influenced this album way more than they have in the past, and some kind of letting something subconscious out. And with that come, to a certain degree, some kind of take on surrealism. And with the subconscious way of doing things, I feel I worry less and less over time that I have to understand a song immediately while writing it, or that I have a clear goal in my head of what it's supposed to be. Where I now have been trusting beauty, just the aesthetic of [it]… If the words, in the context of the music and everything I wanna write there, if it feels beautiful, it is probably right. So that plays in, in a way, and I think an ability to play with that and still have songs that I feel make sense and come together as a solid song that is worth recording and putting out there and have someone, 'Hey, look what I did. Share this with me now,' that is not just mumbo-jumbo nonsense, super self-indulgent. You still want all of these things, whatever process is going on together with creating the music, it still also needs to be something that communicates and articulates something. Even in cases, if it just articulates, 'I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day,' it needs to say something about something. And I think it does. But definitely daring to just let the voices in the head speak for themselves, in a way."

Johannes continued: "Some songs are way more clearly story-driven, like little ghost stories or whatever. And some songs are reflective, introspective in a way that I don't think I would've had the ability to do earlier in my life. 'Cause that's the other thing — always, always, always look for a way to feel like a beginner, find something to be excited about as a songwriter, as a creative person. 'Cause this will be our tenth album. And I don't need any justification to make music for myself. But if I'm gonna bother you with it, I feel like there has to be something about it that we didn't quite do before. If we are one of the few who are gonna get to do what we do to the level where we can feed ourselves and our families with it, where we get to travel the world, we get to do all these things, then I think that comes with a certain respect towards the people that you are trying to pull in. And also a respect for the art form, a simple respect for heavy metal and what that means to us. And letting the things, therefore, change and evolve as we change and evolve as people.

"There's something to be said about the early stages of a band's career," he added. "There's a naivety and enthusiasm and energy… A lot of bands peak early — not all of them, but a lot of bands — and I think that is mainly because those who are not able to allow their music to evolve as they evolve as people, then there's the law diminishing returns or whatever with it. But if you're honest with where you are in life and what excites you or what feels important while you write the current thing instead of thinking what used to be important, then you have a chance to do something great over and over again. So, yeah, there's a way of dealing with age, death, change on this album that goes deeper. And I also think this is an album that has way more of caring about people. In a way, there's some more romantic parts or intimate parts and not necessarily only spousal, that kind of love song-ish. There's absolutely stuff like that there, but that stuff has been there for a long time. It's just buried in the heavy metal… So, there's a lot going on with this album, but this dreamy, surreal exploration of dark places."

As for the musical direction of the upcoming AVATAR LP, Johannes said: "Musically, it's an AVATAR album. The big changes — I feel I took some huge leaps as a singer, so things start to really connect in just how to sustain the high range in a certain way of singing, while also even more challenging in another way, just not that high heavy stuff, but also going back to [someone like JUDAS PRIEST singer] Rob Halford.

"The people who are able to have a drive and energy in your mid-range, but not just when you scream your head off, that's one thing. But to say, [for example, the PRIEST song] 'Breaking The Law' — 'There I was completely wasting, out of work and down,' there's that drive to. It's the drums and the weight of the words and all that. And to do that without screaming your head off, there are moments on the album where I finally feel I did a bit of that and feel pleased with it. And I think parts of this album is more progressive than AVATAR has been before, I believe. We didn't do [something like the classic] YES [album] 'Close To The Edge' — it's not that, but it's something. Sometimes you have to stop and count a bit, and lose yourself in that a bit. So that's cool. And there's also probably stuff that [is] the most melodic that we have done, especially vocally speaking, I would say. Because the guitars have always been mainly melodic. And then we have some of the murder riffs as well, because we like that. So it's very multifaceted in a way that is hard to make sense from a band that isn'tAVATAR. But we can do it. And also I play piano, so that was fun."

Last December, AVATAR shared a brand new, re-recorded piano version of its song "Tower".

The original version of "Tower" appeared on AVATAR's beloved and critically acclaimed fifth album, "Hail The Apocalypse", which was released in 2014.

"Dance Devil Dance" was recorded in the Swedish wilderness, far away from all the perceived glamor of the big city and modern studios. Ruston returned as producer. He first worked with AVATAR when he mixed "Hail The Apocalypse", a role he reprised on "Feathers & Flesh" before taking the wheel as producer on "Avatar Country" and "Hunter Gatherer".

"Dance Devil Dance" featured a guest appearance by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM on the song "Violence No Matter What". The record also included the single "The Dirt I'm Buried In", which hit No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

Johannes formed AVATAR in 2001. The band's lineup has remained virtually the same ever since, save for guitarist Tim Öhrström, who entered the fray just over a decade later. AVATAR also includes guitarist Jonas Jarlsby, bassist Henrik Sandelin and drummer John Alfredsson.

Photo credit: Jens De Vos

More than 30 years into their storied career, Montreal death metal innovators CRYPTOPSY return with their ninth studio album, "An Insatiable Violence", set for release on June 20, 2025 via Season Of Mist.

Revered in extreme metal circles for such groundbreaking classics as 1994's "Blasphemy Made Flesh" and the 1996 magnum opus "None So Vile", CRYPTOPSY find yet another gear on "An Insatiable Violence", which further solidifies the band's place in the upper echelon of death metal. Coming out of the pandemic, the band dedicated themselves to staying on top of their game more than ever before, with the intention of consistently putting out a new record every two years. That started with 2023's acclaimed "As Gomorrah Burns" and continues 21 months later with "An Insatiable Violence".

"We had to write the majority of 'An Insatiable Violence' while on the DEATH TO ALL tour, which was something we'd never done before," vocalist Matt McGachy says. "Flo [Mounier, drums] and Chris [Donaldson, guitar] really put their hats on. It was a feat."

"Ever since COVID, our focus is clearer, a lot of work gets done faster, and we push each other to get it done," Mounier says.

In addition to featuring some of the fastest passages CRYPTOPSY has ever recorded — keen listeners will even hear the odd gravity blast from Mounier, a rarity from the virtuoso drummer — the controlled chaos of their signature sound is offset by well-timed passages that ease off the gas pedal enough to allow listeners to come up for some air. That dynamic rage on "An Insatiable Violence" in turn makes the more aggressive moments hit even harder, which is immediately noticeable on the harrowing "Until There's Nothing Left" and the chugging closing track "Malicious Needs". Olivier Pinard anchors "Fools Last Acclaim" with stunning authority (keeping pace with Mounier is an unenviable task) while Donaldson offsets gnarly, atonal riffs with melodic passages throughout the record. "It's a continuation of 'As Gomorrah Burns'," McGachy says, "We really wanted to make a groovy record, and we think we've done it."

It seems as though nothing is scarier than real life right now, and "An Insatiable Violence" is a commentary on today's society as though filtered through the transgressive, countercultural perspectives of J.G. Ballard and David Cronenberg.

"It all came to me in a dream in August 2023," elaborates McGachy. "I woke up, I took my phone, and I wrote down the title of the record. It's about a person that wakes up every day and fixes a machine. Tinkers with it, tries to make it better all day long, sweating in the sun, and then at night, they strap themself into this machine and the machine tortures them, and they love it. Then they wake up the next day and fix it again to make it more efficient, to keep harnessing it, and then just keep doing it over and over again.

While fantastically twisted, "An Insatiable Violence" mirrors our toxic relationship with social media. "We're continuously trying to feed this algorithm of the machine while it's totally tearing us apart socially and psychologically", McGachy continues. "'The Nimis Adoration' is about mukbang, these Korean people that eat too much food on the Internet. Piles and piles of food. A poor girl died on a live cam."

At the center of the album is the mind-boggling percussion skill of Mounier, arguably the most imposing Canadian drummer not named Peart, who dominates such standout tracks as "Dead Eyes Replete", "Fools Last Acclaim" and "Embrace The Nihility".

"I look at Flo as an Olympic athlete," says McGachy. "I want to push this guy to go a lot faster than CRYPTOPSY's previous releases. We have so much more to give, and I wanted just drain it all out of him while he's still at the top of his game, because he is. He's crushing."

"I mix up a lot of a physical activity, like resistance training into the drumming," Mounier says. "I recently developed new techniques that make it easier to go even faster, so I tried to push that on this album. My focus is now more on dynamics and the touch of the snare, a certain snap of the snare, a rim shot on the snare, the toms, a light touch or a hard touch. Live, I can really let go, you know, give the sound guy a hard time," he adds with a laugh.

For McGachy, who has always boasted a powerful, guttural death growl, the rigors of touring have enabled him to evolve as a vocalist, and he turns in a revelatory performance on "An Insatiable Violence". In addition to ear-scraping screams that rival George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, McGachy unleashes the deepest, filthiest death growls of his career.

"'Gomorrah' was the first album that I recorded with my full false chord scream, which is something that I'd only just touched on 'The Book Of Suffering: Tome II' in little sections," he says. "We did at least 140 shows since 'Gomorrah'. I exclusively did my false chords during all the songs that we performed on 'None So Vile' and 'Blasphemy Made Flesh'. And then, when we did go into the studio for 'An Insatiable Violence', Chris would be, like, 'Deeper, you must go deeper!'"

Another fearsome vocalist from CRYPTOPSY's lore pops back into the booth on "An Insatiable Violence". "When we were recording the vocals for 'Embrace The Nihility', Chris had the idea of ending the song with the same vocal pattern as the end of '...And Then It Passes'," McGachy remembers. "We figured if we were going to rip ourselves off, then we may as well get the real thing. We were honored that Mike DiSalvo accepted. We are all huge fans of CRYPTOPSY's DiSalvo era. His vocals on this album are an ultra Easter egg for our fans."

In addition to the effusive praise "As Gomorrah Burns" received from within the metal scene, the 2023 album achieved a first for CRYPTOPSY: earning them their first-ever Juno Award in 2024 for "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year".

"We had little to no expectations of winning" says McGachy. "We didn't even go to the ceremonies because we were on tour in Europe with ATHEIST. On the day we found out that we won, we had a crazy 18-hour drive from Derby to Germany, plus a ferry ride. But we still partied for 48 hours. Flo bought an expensive bottle of champagne".

CRYPTOPSY recognize that not every death metal band sticks around long enough to win the equivalent of a Canadian Grammy Award 30 years into their career.

The cover art for "An Insatiable Violence" was created by the late, great vocalist Martin Lacroix.

"The album artwork has got to be one of the most important things to us," the band says. "Martin Lacroix was one of our vocalists, one of our great friends and one of the nicest people that anyone could have the privilege to meet. We really wish he was here with us to share this moment. His perfect smile would say it all! Rest in peace, brother."

CRYPTOPSY 2025 is:

Christian Donaldson: Guitars
Flo Mounier: Drums, Backing Vocals
Matt McGachy: Vocals
Oli Pinard: Bass

Photo by Maciej Pieloch