In a new interview with Hot Metal, Charlie Benante was asked about the possibility of the reformed lineup of PANTERA — featuring surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),alongside Benante (drums) and Zakk Wylde (guitar) — making new music. He said: "There was some talk — but nothing, really.

"I would love to release a live album of this lineup so we can document what we did and just have it," he added. "I think that would be a great thing."

Charlie also talked about the pushback he and the other musicians in the current iteration of PANTERA have received for using the band name for their touring project, despite the fact that original guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was murdered in 2004 and Darrell's brother, original drummer Vinnie Paul, died of heart disease in 2018. Wylde refers to the project as "PANTERA celebration" in interviews.

Benante said: "I feel I was put in this PANTERA situation for a reason and that's why I embraced it so much and that's why I love it so much, because it's something bigger than the band. And I wish people nowadays would be more caring and loving towards us all, you know? Not just musicians, but to each other. Stop being so rotten about things, because I'll tell you this much: [in] 10 years' time, a lot of this stuff is gone. So if you don't enjoy it now, that's it: it's done.

"I think in the beginning of the whole thing there were naysayers and all I would say is 'just come [to one of the shows]'," he explained. "If you like it, great. If you don't like it, okay. You never have to come again. But the thing is, the people who were coming were bringing their kids who never saw PANTERA before. This isn't the same. Dime and Vinnie are not there, but we are just playing these songs that need to be played again, and it's giving people smiles on their faces again and it's a great thing."

Asked about PANTERA's plans going forward, the 63-year-old drummer, who has been a member of ANTHRAX since 1983, said: "I don't really know. I know we have a few shows this summer and then maybe some shows next year, but that's as far as it goes."

In a July 2024 interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, Zakk was asked about Charlie's previous comment that there had been talk of the current lineup of PANTERA releasing a live album. Zakk said: "Yeah, whatever the fellas wanna do, we knock it out. Let's be real — it's a live album every night. People with their phones and everything are recording it anyway, so it doesn't [matter] to me. You go up there and you play to win every night."

Back in March 2023, only three months after he played his first show with PANTERA, Benante opened up about his participation in the band's return during an interview with Consequence. Speaking about some of the criticism he had received for his involvement with PANTERA, Charlie said: "I don't go [online] looking for [people's negative comments about it]. There's people that send me, 'Hey, did you see this?' And I'm, like, 'Why did you send me this? Why ruin my day?'

"I think the people who do these things, these comments, I don't even think they realize how much of an effect that they could have on people," he continued. "And whether or not you hate the situation, or whatever it is, why can't you find some sort of restraint? Why do you need to say this thought that you have? Can't you just hold it in and maybe be, like, 'I'll keep my thoughts to myself.' No, they've gotta tell you. I've never seen more of it in my life than I [did] in these past couple of months about just people judging."

Regarding his personal approach to playing the parts originally written and recorded by Vinnie Paul, Charlie said: "I just spent a lot of time on Vinnie's parts and more importantly the tone that Vinnie had because I wanted it to sound like PANTERA. That was my thing. And my drum configuration is different from the ANTHRAX one because I wanted to challenge myself to play those parts like he played them in that configuration, which, to me, was more important than anything. But yet people still have to find some problem in that."

According to Benante, the initial rehearsals for the PANTERA comeback tour were "an emotional thing" for Philip and Rex "too, because they hadn't played as a group, those two hadn't played together in a long time, playing PANTERA songs. Yeah, they played [together] in DOWN, but this was an emotional thing for them," Charlie said. "And I remember after the week of rehearsals that we did, saying goodbye was weird, because it was an emotional thing; we really kind of bonded, the three of us. Zakk wasn't there at the time. But for me, I knew I had done something right."

Last October, Charlie told the "Metal Sticks" podcast about how he landed the gig with PANTERA: "I was very, very close to them throughout the years and especially close to Darrell, Dimebag. And I think Philip and Rex really wanted to do something again with the legacy that that is PANTERA and just celebrate the life and the music of them. Philip called me and said, 'Would you be into doing this?' And they didn't want anyone else [to play drums]. It was always me that they wanted to do this, which I felt very honored by that. And I just jumped at it, and I'm, like, 'Yes, I wanna do this.' Because the love that goes back for me with these guys, it goes back a long, long time ago. I mean, I met Darrell and Vinnie — God, like, 1985. So we've known each other since then. And I just loved hearing that I was the only choice that they wanted for this position."

Reflecting on his live debut with PANTERA, Charlie said: "The first show we did was Mexico City. That was December of '22, I believe. Man, [I] was so nervous. And playing Mexico City, they are so passionate there… So I was very nervous. It was 52 degrees outside. We were freezing. The intro came on and started, and I'm just, like, 'Okay, this is it. Let's go.' And then once we kicked into the first song, I kind of settled down. But you know, man — the first show of a tour, you're jittery. You just don't know what to expect. And then I was so happy that I just kind of settled in and just kind of rode it out, and it was just beautiful."

Asked if he had a lot of rehearsal time with the other guys in PANTERA before they played their first show, Charlie said: "Yeah, for me, what I did, as soon as I knew I was doing it, I took, like, four songs, and every week I would approach four songs, just working on those four. Next week I would do the next four, because I just wanted to know every little nuance that Vinnie played in the songs. And a lot of times I was overplaying; I was doing way more than I should be doing. A good friend of mine, Thomas Lang, I was with Thomas and I was talking to him about it, and I'm, like, 'I feel like I'm overplaying.' And he listened and he's, like, 'Yeah, you are. You're overplaying. It's more simple than you think it is.' So that kind of put me in a different state of mind and then I just started to flow and just learned Vinnie's little nuances and just his little tricks that he would do. And that was it. Because the most important thing is I wanted it to sound like PANTERA. I didn't want it to sound like me playing PANTERA. I wanted, when people closed their eyes, [I wanted them to think], 'Oh, it sounds like PANTERA.' And that was my goal."

In December 2022, Benante, who has spent more than four decades playing in ANTHRAX, told Jonathan Montenegro's "My 3 Questions To" series about how long it took him to learn the PANTERA material that he is currently performing during the reformed band's run of shows: "I know these songs, and, of course, I've loved these songs for so many years. For me, I knew the songs, but maybe some of the songs I didn't know the little details in the songs, as far as the drum parts went. So I really started to dissect each song and approach it that way. I've seen Vinnie play these songs so many times, but sometimes when you record a song and then you start to play it live, it starts to take on a different — it becomes something different sometimes when you play it a live way. So sometimes they would even speed it up a bit. So I was trying to get these songs to a place where it's almost in the middle — somewhere like the studio version and somewhere like the live version. Because when you're playing live, the adrenaline is pumping. You're human, and we're not playing to a click or anything. So I always wanted to keep that groove going, 'cause Rex and I, we look at each other and we feel and we connect. And the connection he had with Vinnie is the same type of connection that I wanna have with him."

Benante told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about how he prepared for the PANTERA live performances: "When I talked to Philip back in — it was, like, the end of December [2021] about this, that day, I hung up the phone and I immediately started to get my head into PANTERA mode and just figure things out. Because I knew these songs, but I didn't know how to approach playing the songs, how I'm gonna do this. And the one thing I wanted to do is I just wanted to play it like Vinnie. When the fans hear it, when anybody heard it, I wanted them to be able to close their eyes and I wanted it to sound like Vinnie."

Charlie also talked about his musical chemistry with Rex, saying: "That's the thing. I didn't know how we would kind of come together and when we would make the connection. But I've gotta be honest with you, when I went down to New Orleans in September [2022] and it was just me, Rex and Philip. And after the first day, Rex and I, we had such a connection, and he said to me, he was, like, 'Dude, when I close my eyes, I feel like it's Vinnie up there.' So that made me feel so good when he said that. And Philip said the same thing too. So I was so happy about that. Because, honestly, I really did my homework. We're talking these tiny little nuances — things that maybe people wouldn't hear — I'm putting 'em in there because it's important to me to deliver it just like Vinnie would."

As for his drum setup for the PANTERA show, Benante said: "It's a totally different configuration [to what I play with ANTHRAX]. I'm playing more like Vinnie's kit, the way Vinnie played it. I wanted to play a kit like that because it gave me a bit more of a challenge. And I can't add more drums to it, because I just wanted to have the two toms in the front — floor toms — so I'm just sticking totally to the way he had it, and I wanna play it exactly like he had it and it sounds exactly how he had it too. So that's how I approach this."

Charlie went on to say that he doesn't understand all the negative comments that have been directed at him and the other members of PANTERA for trying to keep the band's legacy alive.

"This was never a reunion," he explained. "How can it be a reunion without Vinnie and Dime here? Sometimes people will send me something, and I see things online, and it's so disrespectful to both Darrell and Vinnie, and it's totally disrespectful to us too. And it's just, like, 'Man, if you don't wanna come, you don't have to come.'

"One of the first things I said to Philip on the phone, I said, 'This, to me, is more on an emotional level than any other level.' This means a lot to me personally, to go out there and represent those guys and represent the PANTERA name," he continued. "And that's all I'd ever want for me. I don't care about it financially and stuff like that; this, to me, I had to do this. I didn't wanna see anybody else playing these songs but me up there."

Reflecting on his initial conversation with Anselmo about taking part in the reformed PANTERA, Charlie said: "I was so excited about it. I said, 'Thank you for thinking of me.' And they were, like, 'There was nobody else.' And that made me feel really good. Because they knew my relationship with Darrell and they knew my relationship with Vinnie. And I loved those guys, and I love these two guys just as much."

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

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Image credit: Drumeo

Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 25 years ago, has been added to the list of members of the legendary British heavy metal band who are nominated for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2026.

On February 25, when the Rock And Roll Hall Of Hame revealed its diverse 17-strong list of acts nominated for induction in 2026, IRON MAIDEN was once again included in what marked the band's third nomination, after previously failing to get in back in 2021 and 2023.

At the time of this year's nominee announcement, Bayley's name was excluded from the list of the individual MAIDEN bandmembers who were nominated, despite the fact that he sang for IRON MAIDEN for five years and appeared on two of the group's studio albums — 1995's "The X Factor" and 1998's "Virtual XI". The MAIDEN musicians initially listed on the Rock Hall web site to potentially be inducted were singer Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, along with former guitarist Dennis Stratton, former singer Paul Di'Anno and former drummer Clive Burr.

In recent days, MAIDEN fans have noticed that a change was made on the Rock Hall web site adding Bayley's name to the list of musicians would get the nod if the band was to get inducted into the institution.

Back in March 2021, when MAIDEN was first nominated for the Rock Hall, Bayley was asked by Brazil's "Heavy Culture" what his reaction is to being excluded from the Rock Hall nomination. He responded: "Well, it's not the decision of the band. It's nothing to do with IRON MAIDEN, and it's nothing to do with IRON MAIDEN management. So it's all the people who run the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

"The most important thing to me is my friendship with the guys in IRON MAIDEN, and still being friends after so many years," he continued.

"I don't really care if I'm in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame or I'm not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame," Blaze said. "For me, I'm famous, and I don't have to be any more famous. I have wonderful fans in Brazil and Portugal and around the world, and that is enough for me, man. My fans support me and make this life possible. I live my dream because of my fans and their support — not because of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

The two MAIDEN albums Blaze appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Having been eligible for induction since 2005, IRON MAIDEN is one of the biggest bands on the planet. Since the release of their self-titled debut album, the British heavy metal legends have released a further 16 full-length studio records, and sold over 100 million copies.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

The official 2026 inductees will be announced in April, along with the "Musical Influence" and "Musical Excellence" awards, as well as the "Ahmet Ertegun Award" reserved for a prolific music industry veteran.

Nominees are being voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals.

The only metal or metal-adjacent acts to have made it into the Rock Hall so far have been BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA, AC/DC, JUDAS PRIEST, KISS, VAN HALEN, RUSH, GUNS N' ROSES, Ozzy Osbourne and DEEP PURPLE.

IRON MAIDEN finished in the fourth place in the fan vote for the 2023 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction class.

Seven years ago, Harris said that he didn't care that his band had yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame despite the fact that it had been eligible since 2004.

"I don't mind that we're not in things like that," he told Rolling Stone in an interview. "I don't think about things like that. It's very nice if people give you awards or accolades, but we didn't get into the business for that sort of thing. I'm certainly not going to lose sleep if we don't get any sort of award, not just that one, any award. I don't think we deserve to have this or that necessarily. With what we do, whatever comes of it is great. Whatever doesn't come of it is great, too."

Dickinson made headlines in 2018 when he referred to the Rock Hall as "an utter and complete load of bollocks" during a spoken-word gig in Australia, insisting that the Cleveland-based institution is "run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock and roll if it hit them in the face."

Bruce later told The Jerusalem Post that he was "so annoyed with that coverage because they took my statement out of context to make it seem like I was upset that we weren't in the Hall Of Fame.

"I'm really happy we're not there and I would never want to be there," he continued. "If we're ever inducted, I will refuse — they won't bloody be having my corpse in there.

"Rock and roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland," Bruce added. "It's a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it's dead. It's worse than horrible, it's vulgar."

Harris previously told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" that he wasn't concerned about whether IRON MAIDEN would eventually be inducted into the Rock Hall. "I don't really think about it, to be honest. I think awards are things that are nice to have when you get them, but it's not something you're really striving for — it's not what it's about it," he said. "It's never been about that. It's aways been about just trying to make good music and go out and play good live shows, and that's it, really. Hopefully people will appreciate it. It's probably nice when people give you awards — don't get me wrong; I think it's great — but it's not something that you would lose sleep over if you didn't get any.

"It's the way that I am," Harris added. "I don't know. Maybe the rest of the guys [in the band] might think differently to me, but that's the way I think. It's not that I don't care about [awards]. It's just… And it's not that they're not meaningful when you do get 'em — it's nice. But I certainly don't worry about it or anything like that. I think other people are the ones that make a bigger deal out of it than us, about whether we got one or not."

On Friday, March 27, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman performed at Tokyo Dome for the opening game of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) season.

Twelve teams across Japan's Central and Pacific Leagues took the field around the country, with the Tokyo Giants defeating last season's league champions and longtime rivals, the Hanshin Tigers, 3-1 at Tokyo Dome.

Friedman played the Japanese national anthem and ran through a medley of classic songs by METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, Ozzy Osbourne, LED ZEPPELIN, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Lenny Kravitz, THE WHITE STRIPES and AEROSMITH during the baseball teams' introduction. Check out fan-filmed video of his appearance below.

During a February 2025 appearance on The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Friedman, who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003, was asked what he would say about Japan to the people from America and other parts of the world who have never been before. He responded: "Well, I think it's the closest you can get to being on another planet and being safe and enjoying another planet. Sometimes you're in a place that is just so dangerous, you feel like you're on another planet, but Japan is the complete opposite. I believe it's the safest country in the world, considering the fact that there are full-on metropolises everywhere. I mean, Tokyo is the highest-population city in the world or something like that, and it's the safest metropolis I've ever been in. And I live straight downtown, two-minute walk to the Red Light District, which is completely safe at all hours of the night."

Marty continued: "It's an absolute must just to see something that you haven't seen before. And, I mean, the food is just out of this world, and the people are very friendly and helpful to foreigners. It's not too terribly English friendly, so I'll say that right off the bat. And I think that's what's good about it. Does everything have to be exactly the same as every other country in the world? Why fly 15 hours, or wherever you're coming from, to sit in a Starbucks and read an English menu? I don't get that at all. So Japan is not a thousand percent English friendly, but people are extremely helpful, even if they can't speak English. And I just recommend it for everybody. Music is just on a whole new plane and music is different there. 80 percent of the music that people listen to is domestic music — not American, English, Canadian, whatever. And that's gonna freak a lot of people out in a very good way. And it's exciting."

In January 2025, Friedman was asked by Canada's The Metal Voice if he ever feels isolated or that he doesn't belong in a country like Japan, which is not generally exposed to other cultures. He responded: "Oh, it's an excellent question. And I'm definitely, definitely the minority here [in Japan]. In the majority of everything I do, I'm the only non-Japanese in the room — in the studio, in the venue you could play. I'll do a show and there's thousands of people there [and] I'm the only foreigner in the room.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks: Keikou Kurosawa from Tokyo, Japan

Joe Bonamassa has announced the upcoming release of "The Spirit Of Rory Live From Cork", a powerful live album and film capturing his deeply personal tribute to Irish blues guitar legend Rory Gallagher, recorded during a series of sold-out performances in Gallagher's hometown of Cork, Ireland last summer. The album will be released Friday, June 19 via Bonamassa's own J&R Adventures.

For Bonamassa, the project was never approached as a casual homage. Gallagher's music has been part of his life since childhood, and the weight of performing it in Cork, with the blessing of Rory's family and in front of audiences who carry his legacy so personally, was something he felt immediately.

"I never had the honor to meet him, but his music and musicianship loom large in my life," Bonamassa writes in a personal foreword accompanying the release. "From my first time hearing 'Irish Tour '74', I was captivated by the sheer intensity of the man and the ferocity of his approach to the electric blues."

That impact began early. "I remember that voice and a singular guitar tone slicing through the walls of my bedroom at a very young age," Bonamassa recalls. "My father, who exposed me to so many of the great guitarists of his era, was quick to encourage me to listen to Rory and glean what I could."

What began as an invitation from the Gallagher family quickly became something much larger.

"All these many years later I was asked by Rory's family to consider performing some of his material and paying tribute to him at a venue in Cork," he writes. "The very thought frightened me. Yes, I was scared to even attempt it but at the same time so honored that his family felt that I might be up to the task." Rather than try to reinvent the material, Bonamassa focused on meeting it with the right spirit. "I felt the very best I could hope for was to approach his catalog with humility and reverence."

That humility shaped the project from the start. In 2024, Bonamassa traveled to Cork to announce the tribute with a small introductory performance for Rory's family, local friends, and members of the press. The response was immediate and emotional, and what began as a single concert soon expanded into a three-night stand. "After the announcement, one show turned into three sold-out shows," Bonamassa writes. "I felt that my reputation was on the line with the Irish, but what a response!"

By the time the band returned in 2025, the atmosphere around the performances had only intensified. "This was Rory's town, and Rory's people. We weren't going to let them down," Bonamassa says. "The crowds on those three nights were rowdy, raucous and Cork did their favorite son proud." The result is a live document that feels charged by that setting — deeply felt, high-wire, and rooted in the connection between artist, audience, and place.

Across 14 hand-picked songs, "The Spirit Of Rory Live From Cork" moves through the many sides of Gallagher's catalogue — from the blistering attack of "Walk On Hot Coals" and "Bullfrog Blues" to the emotional sweep of "A Million Miles Away", which will serve as the album's focus track upon release. Other highlights include "Tattoo'd Lady", "Bad Penny", "I Fall Apart", "Calling Card" and "Cradle Rock", each delivered with fire and conviction while honoring the shape and soul of the originals.

The release also captures several moments that carried special meaning across the Cork run, including Bonamassa's performance of "As The Crow Flies" on Gallagher's own 1930 National Triolian resonator guitar, loaned by the Cork Public Museum. It was a tangible connection to the artist whose presence still looms so large over the city and over generations of guitar players who followed him.

Additional footage, included on DVD and Blu-ray editions, expands the story with bonus material including "The Inspiration Of Rory", featuring conversations with Brian May and Slash, along with "Rory's Acoustic Guitar" and "Ballycotton - A Million Miles Away". Together, the audio and visual components offer a fuller picture of what these performances meant to Bonamassa, to Gallagher's family, and to the fans who packed the room night after night.

In the end, Bonamassa sees the album as an offering — his band's best attempt to honor a musician whose work helped shape his own.

"What you hear on these recordings is our best effort to pay tribute to Rory Gallagher, a man I never met, but admire so deeply," he writes. "His music is part of me and I'm grateful that we were able to contribute in some small way to his ongoing legacy."

CD track listing

01. Cradle Rock (Live)
02. Walk On Hot Coals (Live)
03. Tattoo'd Lady (Live)
04. I Wonder Who (Live)
05. Calling Card (Live)
06. Who's That Coming? (Live)
07. Messin' With The Kid (Live)
08. Bullfrog Blues (Live)
09. Treat Her Right (Live)
10. Bad Penny (Live)
11. I Fall Apart (Live)
12. A Million Miles Away (Live)
13. As The Crow Flies (Live)
14. Back On My Stompin' Ground (Live)

DVD / Blu-ray

01. The Spirit Of Rory (Opening Scene)
02. Cradle Rock
03. Walk On Hot Coals
04. Tattoo'd Lady
05. I Wonder Who
06. Calling Card
07. Who's That Coming?
08. Messin' With The Kid
09. Band Introductions
10. Bullfrog Blues
11. Treat Her Right
12. Bad Penny
13. I Fall Apart
14. A Million Miles Away
15. As The Crow Flies
16. Back On My Stompin' Ground
17. Ballycotton (End Credits)

DVD / Blu-ray bonus features:

* Ballycotton - A Million Miles Away
* Rory's Acoustic Guitar
* The Inspiration Of Rory (A Conversation with Brian May & Slash)

Vinyl (180 gram Red Marble Double LP)

Side A

01. Cradle Rock (Live)
02. Walk On Hot Coals (Live)
03. Tattoo'd Lady (Live)
04. I Wonder Who (Live)

Side B

05. Calling Card (Live)
06. Who's That Coming? (Live)
07. Messin' With The Kid (Live)
08. Bullfrog Blues (Live)

Side C

09. Treat Her Right (Live)
10. Bad Penny (Live)
11. I Fall Apart (Live)

Side D

12. A Million Miles Away (Live)
13. As The Crow Flies (Live)
14. Back On My Stompin' Ground (Live)

Bonamassa is one of the most celebrated performing musicians of his generation. A five-time Grammy-nominated artist and 15-time Blues Music Award nominee — with four wins — he recently notched his 30th No. 1 album on the Billboard Blues chart with "B.B. King's Blues Summit 100", extending his record for the most No. 1 albums in the chart's history. With more than 50 releases spanning studio and live recordings, he has built a far-reaching, multi-genre catalogue.

Beyond performing, Bonamassa plays a significant role in today's blues landscape as a producer and curator. Working closely with Josh Smith, he has produced albums for artists including Joanne Shaw Taylor, Marc Broussard, Larry McCray, and Jimmy Hall through his Journeyman and KTBA labels. He also curates and headlines sold-out destination events like Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea and Sound Wave Beach Weekend, while his Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation has funded hundreds of music education projects across the country.

A dedicated student of the instrument, Bonamassa is also known as one of the world's leading guitar collectors and historians, with a deep connection to the lineage of blues and rock.

In a new interview with Anthony Bryant of The Hair Metal Guru, former RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer was asked if there is any truth to rumors that the band's classic lineup was approached to support MÖTLEY CRÜE on the latter act's upcoming summer 2026 "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I heard that from people. I think I saw something Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] wrote [on social media] — I can't remember — he's going, 'Yeah, we're trying to get bands [to join us on tour]. We're going round and round and round.' And if that's not a direct, like, 'Get your shit together or fuck off' to RATT, I don't know what is. But that is a ticket that needs to happen, I think."

Bobby continued: "I don't know, man. I'm not friends with those guys anymore — for no reason other than everybody's gone different ways. But it would be insane to have MÖTLEY and RATT go out. That would be a great double bill, for sure. People would love to see that."

After Bryant noted that it "seems pretty obvious" that Blotzer wants "one more go-around to see all the RATT fans," Bobby said: "Absolutely. Yeah, man. I need it. It's closure. I wanna say goodbye to the fans [who gave us] so much for so long. I just — I wouldn't say 'celebrated', but last week was 44 years since I joined RATT, and that's when my son was born. He was one month old when I officially joined RATT March 12th of '82."

For the past year, RATT singer Stephen Pearcy and guitarist Warren DeMartini have been playing shows under the PEARCY/DEMARTINI moniker, performing the classic RATT catalog again.

Back in May 2023, Blotzer spoke to the "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" podcast about the fact that bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOURNEY had seemingly been able to put aside personal differences between their various bandmembers and continue touring, performing at arenas and stadiums around the world.

"RATT's always crushed MÖTLEY musically," Bobby said at the time. "I think they got more press — [they were associated with] movie stars, explicit sex, murders and shit… so they were always in the magazines. And you know what? They deserve what they got. I don't think they'd wanna go toe-to-toe with us, that's for sure."

In a separate May 2023 interview with Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live!, Blotzer elaborated on his comments while addressing the possibility of the classic RATT lineup reuniting to celebrate the BMG/Rhino Entertainment release of "The Atlantic Years: 1984-1991", a limited-edition box set paying tribute to RATT's massively successful period where all five of their studio albums were certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum. He said: "I did an interview three weeks ago, and I said to this question with my friend Troy Patrick Farrell — he's got some podcast as well — and he goes right in, man, and starts asking me this stuff: 'Hey, what about MÖTLEY? What about…?' I mean, it wasn't even, like, 'Hey, dude? How're you doing, man? What's happening?' I guess we do that on a regular phone call.

"But in any case, the answer to [the] question [about a possible RATT reunion] is this… Me and Stephen are on the phone all the time. [We've been] trying [to put together a RATT] reunion [for] two years now… And I just saw an interview with him. I sent him a text, I go, 'Dude, you're throwing me under the bus? What is wrong with you?' 'Cause they were asking him, 'What do you think about Bobby saying that RATT crushes MÖTLEY?' I mean, what I said on that, as the question went from Troy, he said, 'I was talking [SiriusXM radio personality] Eddie Trunk and he was telling me he thought that RATT's catalog blows MÖTLEY CRÜE's away.' And I said, 'It does, in my opinion.' And I'm sure MÖTLEY said the same shit about us. But I respect them, to a certain degree. I mean, I definitely respect their career. I mean, how can you not? So that was blown out of proportion. And then Stephen did an interview and he was, like, 'Yeah, Bob's out there trying to talk about a reunion. Good luck.' And I'm, like, 'Dude, I was just on the phone with you two days ago trying to figure out how much movement we made in the last two months.'"

Regarding the likelihood of RATT's classic lineup doing any shows in the near future, Bobby said at the time: "I want a reunion. We want a reunion… If it happens, it happens. If not… I don't need a job. I'm fine. I'd like to rock some more… But when we do it, if we get in a room, it's gonna be funny, fun — let's go. People have gotta understand how much fun we have and not how much grief we have in the band."

When Blotzer initially discussed the prospect of a classic RATT reunion with "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell", he said: "I'm always hoping that this is gonna go down for my own peace of mind and my sleep at night. The 'RATTmares' that I was having for eight years during the litigation were pretty disturbing. It's better now, 'cause it's all over, that bit of it. So now that it is over, that is where it should… Everybody should just brush it off. If we can have a war with Japan and then sell their fucking TVs 10, 15 years later, I think RATT can get up there and shake their butts, make some money, make the people happy, the kids come out, et cetera."

In April 2021, Pearcy was joined by Blotzer during the RATT singer's livestream concert from the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip.

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on 2010's "Infestation" album, and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

Addressing his legal disputes with the other members of RATT's classic lineup, Bobby told "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell" in May 2023: "It's taken the life out of me as far as the love of the game here. I'll come back with the mothership, RATT, but I'm not really set up to go, 'Hey, let's put something together, Keri Kelli and Robbie Crane,' or whomever. I went through so much in that litigation. And that wasn't the first one, because we were at it with Stephen in 2002 for two and a half years in federal court. It was intense and it was costly. And just what it cost you in your spirit and your heart and your soul, that's where it broke down for me. So right now I'm kind of retired. I know I can go out and rock and tour, but it would have to be starting with RATT, I think. That's the level I wanna do it at."

Blotzer went on to offer a "theory" as to why RATT hasn't been able to come back together for a tour when MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOURNEY have overcome their personal differences to play for their fans. He said: "My theory is you can't be a democracy in a band. It doesn't work. You've got too many people voting. You need a leader. And I think that's what MÖTLEY has with Nikki Sixx and Allen Kovac, their manager, our old manager. Those two lead the charge. Nikki has always led the charge. And you know what? They listen. And they know where the big stuff is. And they still want it. Some of us, maybe, in this band don't want it. I don't know."

Pressed about why he thinks some members of RATT are not motivated by the idea of getting a hefty paycheck and performing for thousands of adoring fans again, Bobby told "This That & The Other With Troy Patrick Farrell": "Like I said a few minutes ago, Warren has stated to somebody that, if we do this, is likely gonna be holding down the managerial position, and [Warren] said he was willing to get in and listen, which is way more than he has said… He's said nothing, really. I only hear tidbits from mutual friends that he speaks to. So I can't speak to… He just kind of sounds like he's done. I don't know if that's really where his heart is.

"See, we make good money sittin' on our asses at home," Blotzer added. "And it's been really a blessing that our royalties have grown in such a way that it's lucrative not going out. And then for the mind baggage that certain people think it's gonna entail, which history has proven that that happens, that might be the fear factor. I hope that that, if we can all get into a room and play, it would dissipate very quickly, in my opinion."

In June 2022, Pearcy told Atlantic City Weekly that RATT was supposed to do "a big summer tour" in 2022. "I initiated doing something if the [surviving] guys [from the classic lineup] would get together," he revealed. "But there is no reason for them to do it or a need for them to do it, so I decided to just go out solo. And I am better off. Some of these guys [in my solo band] have been with me 18, 20 years. So if you want to Ratt & Roll, come see my shows."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has released the official music video for "Ozzy's Song", a tribute to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist/vocalist Zakk Wylde's longtime bandmate, the iconic BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne. The clip, which was directed by Justin H. Reich of Three Thirty-three Creative, can be seen below.

"Ozzy's Song" serves as a fitting and emotional finale to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's new album, "Engines Of Demolition", which was released on March 27 via MNRK Heavy. The follow-up to 2021's "Doom Crew Inc." contains 15 tracks, including the four previously released singles, "Name In Blood", "Broken And Blind", "The Gallows" and "Lord Humungus".

In a recent interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, Zakk was asked when he wrote "Ozzy's Song" and how it came together. Zakk said: " Yeah, I had the music written 'cause we'd been writing this album for the last three and a half years, almost four years. So, we stockpiled all these songs. And I was real happy with the way the music came out. And then I figured eventually I'll finish the song. But then after we laid Ozzy to rest, when we got back home, we took a break from PANTERA celebration [touring with the reformed PANTERA]. I sat in a little library room in our house. I just put the headphones on at about one o'clock in the morning and I was looking at a book of Ozzy and I just wrote the lyrics. And that's what came out."

He continued: "My wife would always be listening to it in the truck, Barbaranne, she'd be, like, 'Babe, put on Ozzy's song again.' So that was pretty much just the working title. It's just, like, well, it's Ozzy's song. So, people would always be asking, like, 'I wonder since Zakk wrote a song for [late PANTERA guitarist] Dimebag [Darrell Abbott],' and now we sing it for [late PANTERA drummer] Vinnie [Paul Abbott] as well, 'with 'In This River', I wonder if Zakk will write a song for Ozzy on the new album.' So, it's only fitting. We just called it 'Ozzy's Song'. So that's how we ended up with 'Ozzy's Song'."

Wylde was also asked about BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's decision to perform a version of Ozzy's "No More Tears" during the band's current tour. He said: "Well, [I] ended up doing the at the BRIT Awards when [I] ended up playing with Robbie Williams and Roberto [Robert Trujillo] and Adam [Wakeman] and Tommy [Clufetos]. We ended up doing that to celebrate Ozz getting inducted for a lifetime achievement award. So I called the [BLACK LABEL SOCIETY] fellows up. I said, 'Man, we'll put that in the set when we get back home before we go out and do 'Engines Of Demolition' crusade.' So, that's what we put in there. So that's why we're playing it. A little ode to the boss."

Wylde formed BLACK LABEL SOCIETY in 1998 and has kept the band busy in between touring and recording with Ozzy Osbourne, whose backing group he first joined nearly four decades ago.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Order Of The Black" (2010) and "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican" (2014) both broke into the top five on the hard rock album charts.

Since first joining Ozzy, Zakk had played on all of the BLACK SABBATH singer's solo albums except for 2020's "Ordinary Man", including such classic efforts as "No More Tears" (1991),"Ozzmosis" (1995) and "Black Rain" (2007).

In an October 2025 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Zakk was asked if he thought Ozzy knew he would die shortly after performing at the "Back To The Beginning" concert in Birmingham, United Kingdom in early July 2025. Zakk responded: "No, I don't think so. The way I always felt, all the things that I've gone through with them, it was always — if it was a setback or anything like that — it was more of a speed bump and it was just like, 'All right, we'll fix the flat tire on the truck and then we'll just keep moving.' So, I think it was more like that, because I knew he still wanted to make records and things like that. But I was just thinking, 'Who knows, man, hopefully if this thing goes over well, then we might be able to do some other shows or do select shows throughout the year.' Like these Ozzfest-type things, just so Ozz can still keep doing gigs, but maybe not touring in the capacity of doing four shows a week or whatever."

Asked if Ozzy felt indestructible to him, Zakk said: "Yeah, totally. It's just like with THE [ROLLING] STONES, you just always think they're going to be there. I felt like that with us. Even when we were doing that show, I didn't go, 'Oh, this is the last time I'm ever going to play 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' with him or 'Crazy Train' with him' or anything. You're in the moment anyways. You're playing, so my concern was making sure he was okay. I wasn't thinking about any of that, because it's like you're playing a game. You never think it's your last Super Bowl; you're playing and you're playing to win. So, yeah, I didn't think about it, and like I said, I've always been optimistic. I would always tell him, no matter how bummed he got, 'Just keep doing therapy and keep doing everything you've got to do because what's the option? Then you just quit in the corner, and you whine about it. Or you could do something about it, with therapy and hitting the weights and doing everything you got to do.' There was no quit in him. So, that's where we were at. I never thought like, 'Oh, yeah, this was the last gig.' I didn't think after we did the show, two weeks from now, he was gonna be gone. I wasn't thinking that at all."

Zakk, who became Ozzy's guitarist in 1987 after sending the singer a demo tape, previously discussed the legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman's passing last August in an interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green. He said at the time: "It was so crazy, 'cause when we went back to the house — obviously we went home [in early July after the 'Back To The Beginning' concert], and then Barb [Zakk's wife Barbaranne] called me up [when I was on the road with PANTERA to tell me] that Ozz passed away.

"Whenever any of this stuff [about Ozzy's health issues] would always come up with us [in the past], just 'cause Ozz was just so tough and resilient, it would just be, 'Oh, it's just another bump in the road or another hurdle. We'll get through it.' So it was just always that. So you just always — not that you take anything for granted ever, but it'd be like Ozzy being Evel Knievel [American stunt performer and entertainer] — it's, like, he survives, he makes a jump, or even if he gets into an accident, we get him to the hospital, [and] he'll be fine. And then he gets out and he's all right, and then we'll do another jump. You know what I mean? So you never think, like, 'This is the end.' You're just, like, 'Ah, Ozz will be fine.' Then we'll either do another record or whatever until Ozz gets better. But truly it was just like he willed himself to hang in there long enough to knock that [final] show [at the Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom] out. 'Cause I was just saying, like, what happens if the show was [scheduled to take place] this month [in August]? He doesn't make it. That's what's crazy about the whole thing. And you just always had that sense that he's gonna be around forever, just kind of like Keith Richards and Mick Jagger and all the guys."

When podcast host Jason Green noted that Osbourne's health issues didn't keep him from making music in recent years, Zakk concurred. "Obviously until he get his health back, it was just, like, 'Ah, just keep plugging away, man,'" he said. "And either you quit or you keep conquering and climbing. And he never had any quit in them. So, yeah, it was just, like, all right, well, then in the meantime, until you can get better, well, we'll write and make records or whatever you wanna do, man. I mean, that's what I just figured. It was, like, 'Ah, I'll see Ozz on Tuesday,' and we'll start working again or whatever."

In late July 2025, Zakk spoke to Guitar World about the final text he received from Ozzy before the singer died. Wylde performed during the aforementioned "Back To The Beginning" farewell concert on July 5, 2025, and according to the guitarist, Osbourne reached out to him after the show.

"Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break," Wylde said. "I figured we'd see him later on — the next day or whatever. But no. The last text I got from Ozz was saying, 'Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn't see you.' He goes, 'Thanks for everything.' It was just us talking, saying, 'I love you, buddy.' That was it."

Wylde added that the singer was "almost like an older brother" to him. "There was almost a 20-year age gap between us," he told Guitar World. "With our relationship, there was the fun drinking — but if I ever needed advice, I could talk to him."

Wylde also told Guitar World that his priority with Osbourne's farewell show was "making sure that Ozz was okay."

Ozzy died on July 22, 2025 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate filed in London also said Osbourne suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

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

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

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:

Zakk Wylde - vocals, guitar, piano
John "JD" DeServio - bass
Jeff Fabb - drums
Dario Lorina - guitar

RUSH's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson played live with the band's new touring drummer, Anika Nilles, for the first time earlier tonight (Sunday, March 29) at the Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They opened the event with a surprise performance of "Finding My Way", the first track from RUSH's debut album, 1974's "Rush". Keyboardist Loren Gold, who will also join RUSH on its upcoming tour, rounded out the group's lineup for the Juno Awards appearance, which can be seen below.

Regarding why they chose to perform "Finding My Way", Lee told reporters afterward: "You really can't ask us what song to play. If we have to choose one song, it's almost impossible. We have so many. So we just asked management, and they said first song, first album." "Also," Lifeson quipped, "it's the only song we know how to play."

Lee and Lifeson's first official shows under the RUSH banner in 11 years will begin in June at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, site of the last RUSH concert on the legendary Canadian band's "R40" anniversary tour.

The 2026 leg of the "Fifty Something" tour, which will cover Canada, USA and Mexico, initially consisted of 22 dates, which sold out immediately, prompting the addition of more shows. The tour now totals 58 shows across 24 cities, with over half a million tickets sold for 2026.

In February, RUSH announced the addition of South America and Europe tour dates to the "Fifty Something" tour, in early 2027. The dates will be the first time the band has played in Europe since 2013 and 17 years since visiting South America.

Performing 24 shows across 13 European countries, these special "evening with" shows will find the band playing two sets each night. Each show will feature a distinct selection of songs and RUSH will build each night's setlist from a catalog of more than 40 songs, including their greatest hits and fan favorites.

Last month, Geddy told Darren Redick of U.K.'s Planet Rock about RUSH's decision to tour again: "What started this whole thing is [Alex and I] started jamming, and the jams were kind of interesting, but in the middle of it, after we sort of got tired of jamming, we said, 'Well, let's play a RUSH song.' And then it changed the subject. So we got to the point with that where it was either we're going to follow through on this or we're never gonna talk about it again, because you can caught in this thing, 'Shall we? Shall we not? Shall we? Shall we not?' And for me, it was, we're not getting any younger. If we're gonna do it, let's do it now, or let's just not do it."

Regarding how Nilles ended up joining RUSH's touring lineup, Geddy said: "My bass tech Skully [John McIntosh] — he hates when I tell this story, but he had been on tour with Jeff Beck; he worked for Jeff Beck for the last three, four tours before [Jeff] sadly passed away. And on the last tour, there was a drummer, Anika Nilles. And he came back from that tour just raving about how great she was and how nice she was. And he said, 'Well, if you ever decide to do a solo project or something with Al, think about it.' So here it was. I had done some investigation about her — I'd watched her videos and listened to her play — and she's deeply talented. And so I brought her up to Al, and he went out and did his own research on her and came back and said, 'Wow, she's great.' So we just arranged a Zoom call with her, and it went really well. And we said, 'Would you come to Canada very quietly and jam with us for a few days and play a few RUSH songs and see how that goes?' She said, 'Sure, I'd love to.' And that's how it all began. And by the end of five days, we sort of had a drummer."

Asked what the "challenges" are of putting the "Fifty Something" tour together, Alex said: "We always rehearsed a lot, and in the past we would rehearse on our own individually for maybe a month, and then we would get together and rehearse for a month, and then we'd do a couple of weeks, full-production rehearsals in a venue. So by the time you hit the stage on the first show, you're seasoned; it's like the 20th show. The difference this time around is that we're rehearsing for about a year — seriously — before the [first] show. We just really wanna be at our absolute peak by the time we start the tour in earnest."

Geddy added: "And it's a lot for Anika to take on. Even though we're rusty on some songs, they're lying in the grooves in the brain somewhere, and it comes back. But she's starting from scratch. And she's starting from scratch trying to fill the shoes of a guy whose shoes are impossible to fill. So she has her work cut out for her. But she's incredibly, deeply talented, both technically and from a musical knowledge standpoint. She's got a fantastic work ethic. She's easy to be around. She's a great person, and she's ready to take on the inevitable scrutiny of RUSH fans. And so far they've been very welcoming, they've been very warm, and she's really appreciative of that."

Geddy went on to say that the overwhelmingly positive response from RUSH fans to the tour announcement took him and Alex by surprise.

"Originally the tour we wanted to do was just going to be six or seven cities and we would thought we'd do these small residencies," Lee explained. "And when we announced it, people went crazy, and we were taken aback. Our new management was very heartened and very bullish. They thought the shows would do well, obviously, but we didn't expect them to sell out in a few days. It was insanity. And so we had not been prepared for anything beyond that. But management always thinks ahead. And we had hoped that we could come to the U.K. in the fall of 2026, but we couldn't get the dates. So we added an American leg, which is also selling incredibly well. And so finally we can organize coming over to Europe and the U.K. [in 2027].

"So it's a lot to take on," Geddy admitted. "We haven't done a tour that big in many years, so we're just gonna make sure that it is effing note perfect."

Legendary RUSH drummer Neil 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.

Drummer Charlie Benante has revealed the precise reason for ANTHRAX's latest album being delayed until September — and it's not creative.

ANTHRAX is currently on tour in Australia and in a round of interviews to promote the tour, Benante indicated the thrash titans' first album since 2016's "For All Kings" had been delayed. He told one outlet "we just had to do a couple of other things to it". But speaking to Hot Metal, Benante said the delay was directly related to ANTHRAX signing with a new management company.

"It's been pushed back because we recently changed the team, management and stuff like that," he said. "We wanted the new people coming in, the new team coming in, [to] really know what's going on, just kinda of have more of a strategic plan."

Pollstar reported earlier this month that ANTHRAX had signed with Independent Artist Group for worldwide representation.

Discussing the new ANTHRAX album's first single, which will arrive in May, Benante told Hot Metal: "It's a great song, that's all I can say. We wanted the first song to come out to basically represent ANTHRAX in 2025/2006. So it's basically a thrasher number, you know?

"There's elements of the [album] that are very abrasive," Charlie explained. "There's elements of the record that … wow, we haven't gone in this area. And a lot of it, it's a more grown-up kind of sound. I don't mean that in a way where it sounds like a LITTLE RIVER BAND or anything but it's just we're more mature now, and I think the writing shows it. It's so good. And I'm not gonna say 'it sounds like this', 'it sounds like that'. It’s just a collection of songs where each one stands up right next to the other one.

"There will be three songs that come out before the record comes out," he added. "So you will get samples of what this record is before it comes out."

ANTHRAX's new album will be relesaed in North America via Megaforce and in Europe through Nuclear Blast. The mixing sessions, as well as some of the recording sessions, for the LP took place at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California. ANTHRAX once again worked with producer Jay Ruston, who previously helmed 2016's "For All Kings" and 2011's "Worship Music" albums.

In an interview with Australia's Hear 2 Zen podcast, Benante said: "The first single and video comes out in May. The first song that we're gonna release is definitely a love letter to our fans. It's kind of, 'Man, you stuck with us for so long. This is the type of music that we play. This is the type of music that I think you love to hear from us.' So we're coming out of the gate with a fucking banger of a song. And that's how we're gonna roll out this album. This album is not what I would call for the faint of heart. There's a lot of aggressive parts to it. There's just 10, 11 songs that are just so good, and each one, after that one finishes, you get to the next one, it's, like, 'Wow, this is just as good as the last one.' And then the next one comes on, it's, like, 'Holy shit, this one…' So it's jam packed with fucking songs. You know what I mean?"

Regarding the title of the upcoming ANTHRAX LP, Charlie said: "I will tell you that the title is a very strange title [laughs], I'll tell you that. And it came to me one night. And it just kind of… Oh, man, where we are at this point in our careers, in our life, the title pretty much — it dictates where we are. And it's something that when I was thinking about this record and then this title came up, it just hit me so hard, like, 'Wow. This is so appropriate.' So we kind of went with it."

As for the cover artwork for the new ANTHRAX album, Benante said: "I'll tell you a story about the cover too. I was looking for this type of artist to do this cover that I had in my head, and I wanted something that resembled a — remember the Harry Houdini posters from back in, like, the '30s and then the Coney Island type of art? I wanted something that looked like that. And then one night I'm watching this — there's this magician, his name is David Blaine. And he's one of my favorites. He just makes my fucking head spin sometimes. Anyway, it's, like, this docuseries that I'm watching, and I'm watching the first episode, and at the end of the episode they basically summarized the whole episode with a piece of art, and when this piece of art came up on the screen, I just looked at it and I was, like, 'That's it. That's the style of art that I'm looking for.' So I went to the credits and found the artist's name, and then we contacted him and he knew ANTHRAX, and he said, 'I'd love to do it.' And he did it. Him and I talked about the cover and the concept and the style and the look and everything, and, man, he just did a fantastic job on this."

Asked how the writing process for ANTHRAX's new album was different from the way he and his bandmates approached the making of their previous releases, Benante said: "I will tell you that there's songs on this record that I don't know if I could have written these songs 15, 20 years ago. I really kind of dove down and found a new way of doing things. And some of the songs on this record, musically speaking, 'cause I handle most of the music in the band, Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist] does most of the lyrics, and Frank [Bello, ANTHRAX bassist] helps with the melodies and stuff like that. And, actually, [Frank] has one of the songs on this record — it's mostly from him, his riffs, and that's a good one too. But I would say that after the pandemic hit, like, I don't know, man. I think with a lot of us things changed, and I think we all went kind of deep, deep somewhere else. And I think that's what happened for me. I just kind of came out of the whole pandemic with a new light on things and a new life and a new way of doing things."

Benante also talked about ANTHRAX's continued working relationship with Ruston, who has also produced albums from STEEL PANTHER, URIAH HEEP, AVATAR and AMON AMARTH, among many others. Charlie said: "I would say [Jay] understands us more so than anyone else, and especially helping Joey [Belladonna, ANTHRAX singer] achieve his goals as a vocalist. He just has such a really good working relationship with Joey as well. And I think that's a very important thing, because sometimes the way we do things is not always the way other bands do it. Back in the day, we would all meet in a rehearsal place and I would bring my riff tapes with me and show everybody the riffs. Now I don't do it like that anymore. I'll just do a demo at my house and send it to everybody. And then I'll send a video of the way the riff is played and then Scott will either call me or send me a thumbs up: 'Let's work on that one.' And then we would get maybe four or five of those ideas and then we'd meet up and then we'd kind of start playing it. And that's the way it's been."

Earlier this month, Benante told Australia's Everblack podcast about ANTHRAX's touring plans in support of the upcoming LP,:  "The ANTHRAX record is a very important release to us. So we're gonna, of course, make the time to fulfill doing as many shows as we possibly could in support of this record.

"It's such a different time nowadays," he continued. "If this was 20 years ago, we'd be talking differently about how we're going to march this record out. But these days it's, like, I often said, what does a new record mean to people these days? I just feel like music has become so disposable that if I was gonna make a record, another record, and put my heart into it, I want people to anticipate, I want them to get ready to hear it. Because this record is not three or four songs deep of good songs and then the rest is shit. Every song on this record stands on its own. I mean, when one song finishes and the next one comes up, it's just, like, 'Holy shit. This one's fucking just as good as the last.'"

Also earlier in March, Ian told Andrew Slaidins of The Rockpit's "50 Shades Of Slaids" about the 10-year gap between "For All Kings" and ANTHRAX's new LP: "We weren't planning on [taking] 10 years [to release a new album]. In actual time, 'cause if you take out the time we were on tour for 'For All Kings', 'cause that record came out in '16, and we didn't finish the touring cycle till November of '19 on that album. We had already started writing at that point for a new record. And we thought we were just gonna take off for Christmas and New Year's at '19 going into '20 and then get back together in '20 and make a record. And then, of course, the world had other plans for everybody. So it wasn't until some point later in '21 that that started picking up again. Really, if you look at actual time we spent writing and recording the record, it's probably about three years, which, I think, that's pretty average these days, certainly for a band [like ours]."

Earlier this year, Bello told Long & McQuade's Dan Coniglio about ANTHRAX's upcoming album: "I'm very proud. It's so heavy. Some parts are really hard to play — really hard to play, which I'm happy to say, 'cause I like the challenge of it all. Joey's vocals — I don't understand how the guy could sing like that, but he still is killing it. And I'm very psyched.

"If you like the last two records we've come out with and the past stuff, I think everybody's gonna be happy, 'cause as fans, we're very stoked," he added. "And it's been a while, guys, so thank you for waiting. It's been 10 years [since the release of the last album]. So we made sure it's worthwhile."

This past December ANTHRAX filmed a music video for the first single from the band's upcoming LP.

Earlier in December, Benante told the "100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal" podcast about the status of the band's long-awaited follow-up to "For All Kings":  "Not because it's our record, but God, this record is so good. And I know it took a long time to make, but I think people will really be surprised and they will really grasp this and just be, like, 'Oh my God. This is worth the wait.' At least that's what I think."

Regarding ANTHRAX's working relationship with Ruston, Benante said: "I'll tell you, man, Jay's done the last few ANTHRAX records, and he's become… We talked about [legendary THE BEATLES producer] George Martin before, and Jay has become that [for us]. And him and I have been working very close on this record."

Charlie continued: "I know other bands will understand when I say this — it's, like, you could have three or four songs and it's, like, 'Okay, they're good.' Then you have seven, then you have 10, then the record starts to take shape.

"A couple of months ago, I started to listen to all of [the songs from the new ANTHRAX album] in the order that I think we're gonna put the record in, and it's, like, 'Wow, this is really good,'" Benante added. "It's the best thing when you could put them all together and it just flows. So I'm really excited about it… We pushed the envelope on this record too, so I'm happy about that."

In July 2025, Benante told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast that he had "just finished the album cover" for the upcoming ANTHRAX album "and that is fucking trippy as hell," he said. "I designed it with this artist, who is killer. You know David Blaine, the magician. He did a six-part series recently [National Geographic's 'Do Not Attempt'], and Mark [Stutzman], the artist, he did a lot of the conceptual art for it.

"It's so weird how things happen to me," Charlie continued. "It's, like, I was looking for an artist and I'm watching this David Blaine documentary, and there's this art, which is exactly what I wanted. And I contacted him, and he loved the idea and he was a fan. So it's so crazy how things just turn out that way. So I'm really happy about that."

Earlier in July, Bello told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about ANTHRAX's new album: "I can't say the title [of the album yet], but what I can say is people who have liked the last two records, and there's been a lot of you, and thank you for that, I think we took another step from that. And this isn't just a salesmanship thing. I am, as a fan, really proud of the band stepping up like this — musicianship, songwriting. Joey's vocals — I'm not even joking when I say this about Belladonna, it's one of the best singing he's done on an ANTHRAX record. I'm not even joking with that. So, we made sure the melodies, everything is right with this record. We're ready to go. It's been a long time, but I think we have the goods. I'm really proud of it, and I can't wait to play this stuff. It's gonna be a little challenging, definitely, but I'm looking forward to getting out there again."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

In a new interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, PRONG guitarist/vocalist Tommy Victor spoke about the status of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2023's "State Of Emergency" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I've just finished up a new record… It's supposed to be out in November. We're trying to get a tour around it. And we just signed a new deal with Napalm Records."

Regarding the musical and lyrical direction of the new PRONG material, Tommy said: "This record is like a real one that doesn't give a shit about what's going on today. So, we just do what we do and have a good time."

He added: "It's definitely modern in its own way, but I'm still trying to do something different, something that is different for the listener or something that is exciting, or trying to. It's hard, because there's nothing new under the sun; everything's been done."

PRONG released a new live album, "Live And Uncleansed", on March 6 via SPV/Steamhammer. Recorded over seven nights in July and August 2025, the LP sees Victor and bandmates Christopher Dean (bass) and Tyler Joseph (drums) deliver eleven powerful live songs (plus three live bonus tracks),all pure and unadulterated, authentic and honest.

Formed in 1986 by Victor and cemented into American metal legend, PRONG have never released their grip on the scene. From the '80s club basements of New York City to the MTV "Headbangers Ball" era with '90s classics "Beg To Differ", "Prove You Wrong", "Cleansing" and "Rude Awakening", to their official return in the late aughts and today, PRONG have stood their ground as household names in the metal universe, continuing to put out grippingly gritty, provocative and vital records for the next generation of heavy music fans.

PRONG's new partnership with Napalm Records was announced in June 2025. It came on the heels of the band's European headline tour celebrating 31 years of their aforementioned 1994 album "Cleansing".

"State Of Emergency" came out in October 2023 via Steamhammer/SPV. The LP was helmed by producer Steve Evetts (SEPULTURA, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and included a cover of "Working Man", originally written and recorded by the legendary RUSH.

Prior to "State Of Emergency"'s arrival, Victor stated about the LP's stylistic direction: "It's a very PRONG record. I think it's totally genre-transcending and definitely ignores what's going on out there these days."

Commenting on his artistic approach, he said: "I like all kinds of music. This record totally reflects that because it covers lots of different angles. At the same time, 'State Of Emergency' is very guitar-oriented and a typical example of my style.'"

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based band AUGUST BURNS RED — Jake Luhrs (vocals); JB Brubaker (guitar); Brent Rambler (guitar); Dustin Davidson (bass); and Matt Grenier (drums) — will release a new album, "Season Of Surrender", on June 5 via Fearless Records.

AUGUST BURNS RED needs no introduction. For over two decades, the group has been crafting its own unique brand of metalcore that has established AUGUST BURNS RED as one of the foremost acts in the genre. Their career milestones speak for themselves: multiple placements in the top 10 on the Billboard Top 200; tours with everyone from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE to A DAY TO REMEMBER; and an accumulation of 600 million streams.

However, the band — nominated for "Best Metal Performance" Grammy in 2016 for the song "Identity" and again for "Invisible Enemy" in 2018 — has never stopped pushing the limits of their sound.

And that fact has never been more prevalent than on "Season Of Surrender", which will arrive via Fearless, the label to which AUGUST BURNS RED recently returned.

AUGUST BURNS RED has also just shared the lyric video for new single "The Nameless". The track accomplishes more in under three minutes than most heavy bands do over the course of an entire album. The track boasts the band's signature complex rhythm section, alongside dark and moody guitars, with an unrelenting vocal assault. This song is AUGUST BURNS RED stripped down to the absolute core of their sound: intricate, crushing, and ferocious.

"'The Nameless' is a hard-hitting, heavy bruiser that doesn't let up for one moment," states Davidson. "It combines classic ABR elements with dark moody technical rhythms, and fast paced vocals to keep the intensity up for the full three minutes of the track. To me it showcases our roots of where we've come from, and the future path of where we're heading."

Luhrs adds, "Lyrically, 'The Nameless' is a song about not wasting your life away for the sake of acceptance and comfortability. Sometimes it takes detaching from what you've been told, or from the beliefs you are no longer aligned with, in order to face your own weaknesses. In doing so you can break free to live a life you are proud of."

"Season Of Surrender" features guest appearances from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's Mike Hranica, POLARIS's Jamie Hails, and MAKE THEM SUFFER.

"Season Of Surrender" track listing:

01. Legions (feat. Mike Hranica)
02. The Nameless
03. Behemoth
04. Den Of Thieves
05. Sonic Salvation (feat. Jamie Hails)
06. Cerebral Malfunction (feat. MAKE THEM SUFFER)
07. Tear Of The Clouds
08. Whispers Like Splinters
09. S.O.S.
10. New Horizons
11. Forged By Failure

AUGUST BURNS RED will hit the road on a co-headline run with THE AMITY AFFLICTION this spring, kicking off on April 10 in Worcester.

Photo credit: Paxton Powell

Dissonance Productions has announced the release of "Bridge To Resolution", the debut solo album by legendary NAPALM DEATH bassist and songwriter Shane Embury, to be issued on CD and vinyl on June 5.

Written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, "Bridge To Resolution" is a deeply personal work shaped by a period of reflection and upheaval in Embury's life. With touring halted, the unexpected downtime forced the NAPALM DEATH musician to confront questions about identity, family and creativity. Drawing inspiration from the psychological concept of "shadow integration" — the idea that self-discovery comes from confronting the darker parts of one's personality — the album documents a journey from despair toward resolution.

The eight tracks that make up "Bridge To Resolution" reveal a very different side of Embury's musical world. While best known for his work in extreme metal, the album draws on his long-standing love of atmospheric goth and post-punk, with influences including COCTEAU TWINS, KILLING JOKE and THE MISSION. The result is a contemplative and expansive set of songs built around Embury's use of synthesizers, guitars, bass and layered vocals.

Joining Embury on the album is Carl Stokes (ex-CANCER, GROUNDHOGS, CURRENT 93) on drums, while production duties are handled by Simon Efemey, whose credits include work with PARADISE LOST, CROWBAR and AMORPHIS. Embury performs all guitar and bass parts himself, with the music reflecting the creative burst that emerged during a time of personal struggle and introspection.

Joining NAPALM DEATH in 1987, Embury is the longest-serving member, featuring on 15 of the band's 16 albums. Despite initial bemusement from the media, NAPALM DEATH enjoyed global success, propelled by the support of John Peel. They are credited with the invention of grindcore, an extreme metal sub-genre characterized by ultra-fast songs.

In 2017 NAPALM DEATH became the first extreme metal act to play Glastonbury. They have also won Kerrang! and Metal Hammer awards.

Embury's several projects include LOCK UP, BRUJERIA, DARK SKY BURIAL and collaborations include Buzz Osborne (MELVINS),Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST),Billy Gould (FAITH NO MORE),Jello Biafra (DEAD KENNEDYS),CARDIACS and YARD ACT.

"Bridge To Resolution" track listing:

01. Spasm Prayer
02. The Dreaming Abyss
03. Bridge To Resolution
04. Thorns In Despair
05. How To Corrode Memories
06. Illusion Guillotine
07. Taurus
08. The Gift Of Shame Wrapped In Guilt

In 2023, Embury released his autobiography, "Life?… And Napalm Death", via Rocket 88, an imprint of the established British book production company Essential Works.

For Birmingham-based Embury, music is more than just a passion. It's a force that brings meaning to his life, an outlet for his creativity and a channel for his obsession. It's also given him a career as unlikely as it is groundbreaking, a testament to staying true to what you believe in, even if what you believe in sometimes seems incomprehensible or even unlistenable to others. And yet his vision has endured into a four-decade-long career, taking him around the world a hundred times, and led to some of the most seminal, iconic and important music ever to spew forth from the British underground scene.

If you know anything about Embury at all, you'll know him for his work in NAPALM DEATH. Largely misunderstood and widely mocked in their early days, NAPALM DEATH nonetheless became the benchmark for uncompromising extremity, as well as a political force for good. Dismissed by many as a ridiculous noise, NAPALM DEATH became the credible face of extreme art rock, beloved of John Peel, NME cover stars and indie music darlings. Embury's debut studio release with the band, 1988's "From Enslavement To Obliteration", remains a seminal work of raging sonic violence coupled with ultra-credible punk critiques of corrupt politics, capitalist opportunism and societal collapse. The record remains as revered today as it ever was.

Fast forward nearly 40 years and Embury has seen and done it all with NAPALM DEATH. But that is only half the story of a man propelled by creativity to make music seemingly without end, a constant flow of ideas leading to a wide variety of projects from BRUJERIA (ultra-violent Mexican drug grind),VENOMOUS CONCEPT (hardcore punk rock),DARK SKY BURIAL (experimental sci-fi-influenced ambience) and TRONOS (progressive rock),among others. His fellow collaborators include members of FAITH NO MORE, DEAD KENNEDYS, MELVINS, SICK OF IT ALL, DIMMU BORGIR and… THE WONDER STUFF.

Although music still drives him, Embury now wrestles with the responsibilities of being a husband and a father, trying to balance his time between what he loves doing, and those he loves being with. In the course of "Life?... And Napalm Death", the bassist talks openly about his struggles with mental and physical health, his battles with addiction and the bullying that affected him in his teenage years.

Image credit: Rocket 88

Rock 'n' roll legend Suzi Quatro has released the official music video for her duet with fellow Detroit native Alice Cooper on a rocking version of the MC5 classic "Kick Out The Jams". The clip, which was produced and directed by Alexander Preston, and filmed at Rustbelt Studios in Detroit, can be seen below.

Quatro's rendition of "Kick Out The Jams" appears on her new album, "Freedom", which is being released today (Friday, March 27).

Regarding how Quatro's cover of "Kick Out The Jams" came about, Suzi told Tim Caple of the Rock 'N' Blues Experience:  "[My son and 'Freedom' album producer] Richard wanted for the second cover on the album, 'Kick Out The Jams'. And sure. I'm from Detroit. Sure, I love the MC5. And I couldn't feel it. And he was insistent. He finally came to me and he said, 'Mom, 'Kick Out The Jams'. Alice.' And I went, 'Oh, now you're talking. Now I see it. Now I hear it. Two buddies from teenagers from Detroit going back to Detroit and honoring a Detroit [band]. Now I get it.' Okay. I called Alice. [He was] totally into it. Five minutes later we are in Detroit, recording it face-to-face. And his producer — although Richard produced — his producer had written out which lyrics he thought both of us should do. And I said to Alice, 'Why are you letting me do that intro, 'Kick Out The Jams, M.F.?' And he said, 'Because I'm a Christian, and I won't say that.' And I said, 'Well, then you better make it work on camera.' So I said, [belts out] 'Kick out the jams.' And he went, 'Suzi.'"

She added: "What a great truck. What a great cover."

In a recent interview with Dawn Osborne of TotalRock, Quatro stated about how she chose "Freedom" to be the first single and title of the LP: "I was going through the master mixes, and the album was gonna be called 'Choose Yourself', which was the top song for a long time. So I'm going through the mixes to approve, and this 'Freedom', it just kept coming out and smacking me in the face. And I went, 'Okay, this is the first single, this is the title of the album.' And have you ever seen and heard a picture and a song, and a title that all says exactly the same thing? Doesn't it scream it to you freedom?"

Suzi also talked about the "Freedom" album cover, saying: "Once I decided on that track for the single, I actually had a vision — [it was] so strange — a vision of this album cover and the single cover. And I couldn't get it out of my mind. So I put out little notes to all my people who photographed me for years. I said, 'Here's what I'm looking for.' And so I have a girl in Australia who's done me for — I don't know — since the '80s. And she had a photograph of me from the back with my bass on, on stage. And the art team then got together and created the image around it. And it's exactly the way I saw it in my mind's eye. And it's important."

Elaborating on the lyrical inspiration for "Freedom", Suzi said: "I'm 75. I have achieved freedom in myself, in my attitude. I've dropped my excess baggage. I don't have that anymore. I don't have anything to prove. I'm comfortable in my skin. So it's a very important personal thing. Also, in this world we live in, I say freedom — what is more precious than freedom? Nothing."

After Osborne noted that Quatro still looks "about 35, 40", Suzi concurred. "I'm 75. And you know what? I've always been lucky, to be honest, that I've always looked 10 years, at least, younger than what I am, always my whole life," she said. "So when I was first having hits in 1973, I was 23, but I looked like I was 13. That's just the way it's always been. They always told me, 'Your kind of face' — I've got a fleshy face and I've got a childish face, and I always wanted cheekbones, and I was always told, 'When you get older, you're gonna appreciate that so much because you're gonna age really, really well.' [Laughs] Okay, I appreciate it now. But I never lie about my age. I say it on stage. I'm not chasing 25. And I don't care. My secret is, I honestly don't care. I'm 75 and I don't care."

Suzi was also asked about her retirement quote, which was included in the press materials for "Freedom": "I will retire when I go on stage, shake my ass, and there is silence." She said: "Well, I gotta tell you, though. That's funny. I gave that quote when I was 35. And it was a journalist that said to me, 'Oh, when are you gonna retire?' And I went, 'What?' So I gave him that glib answer: 'When I turn my back on the audience and shake my ass, and there's silence.' That followed me my whole career. Everybody picks up on that quote. It's a good quote, but then at 65, I gave a nod to 65 and I slightly altered it: 'When I turn my back on the audience and my ass shakes by itself, then I'll stop.' And now, at 75, here's my serious quote, and I stand by this one. I won't change it. Now when I go on stage and I don't deliver to my standard… I will know it, even if the audience isn't aware, 'cause I'm a pro, so they probably wouldn't know, but I would know. And then I say, 'Okay.' But I'm nowhere near that yet. You can't get rid of me yet. [Laughs]"

Since first bursting on to the scene with her classic No. 1 hit singles "Can The Can" and "Devil Gate Drive", Quatro has sold over 55 million records worldwide and is recognized as a true rock 'n' roll legend and pioneering icon who never did "gender".She is also renowned for her acclaimed acting career, including theatre and TV series, most notably her three-season iconic role as Leather Tuscadero in "Happy Days" (for which she received second most fan mail after The Fonz).

Her extraordinary catalog of hits includes "48 Crash", "Can The Can", "Devil Gate Drive", "Daytona Demon", "The Wild One", "If You Can't Give Me Love", "She's In Love With You", "Rock Hard", and the U.S. million-seller "Stumblin' In", her duet with Chris Norman, which became a worldwide million seller again in 2024.

In 2019, she began collaborating with her son, L.R. Tuckey (producer, co-writer, guitarist),and their creative partnership now reaches its third chapter with the release of "Freedom", their third album together.

Suzi said in a statement: "It's all about getting back to who you are, and it applies universally. We all wear masks to get by in this world. For me it's all about being comfortable in your own skin, having nothing to prove to anyone, and not accepting any B.S.! This is the journey this album takes you on. Here I am, warts and all. Take it or leave it. Choose yourself…and finally FREEDOM. Which also applies to the world we live in today. A very important word, a very important attitude and very important reality… 'FREEDOM'!"

"Freedom" was produced by L.R. Tuckey and mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road Studios.

Track listing:

01. Freedom (single version)
02. Little Miss Lovely
03. Choose Yourself
04. Going Down
05. Hanging Over Me
06. Here's Ya Boots
07. Can't Let It Go
08. Nobody Held My Hand
09. Shakedown
10. Take It Or Leave It
11. Womans' Song
12. Kick Out The Jams (feat. Alice Cooper)
13. It All Comes Down To You (bonus track)

In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of the Pod Scum podcast, KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque spoke about the status of the band's forthcoming horror trilogy, part one of which is titled "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920". Asked if "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920" will still be released in 2026, Andy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I really hope so. That's our goal. We have most of the songs. I sent [King Diamond, KING DIAMOND's namesake frontman], I think, eight songs, like, four years ago, and we decided to use three of those. And we actually played one live from those songs. And as soon as he's done with this stuff — he's gotta write five songs, I believe, and he's got a lot of the stuff already written down, with the lyrics and everything. As soon as that's recorded and arranged from his side, we can put the right guitars on, the right drums, bass and everything. So I really hope it won't take very long before we can continue working on that. And if that's the case, we can start recording soon, and during the summer, [and] then we have a chance for it to be released at the very end of the year."

Regarding how he approaches playing the new KING DIAMOND material from a guitarist perspective, Andy said: "It depends. Nowadays King has usually a request for me to play the song the way he would like it to be played. So I probably play my songs a little bit different than his songs, because I know, that, for example, he [doesn't] like when I play the rhythms with like a vibrato kind of thing at the end of a riff or whatever, because that might be interacting with his vocals that comes on later. But on my songs, I just do what I feel is right to do. I mean, if it's good for the song, it's probably good. And if it doesn't fit, when he puts the vocal on, I change it. But first of all, I just write what comes out of the heart. I don't really care what other people think about the style or whatever. I just write my stuff, and it's kind of based in the '80s. I mean, standard tuning — we don't tune down with KING DIAMOND, so it's standard tuning, pretty straightforward. And, melodies [are] super essential. I think it's so important to have melodies in the songs, and create space for melodies, too, for the vocals. That's really important."

Last June, Andy told the Heavy Demons radio show about the KING DIAMOND songwriting process, Andy said: "[I] pretty much [come up with] a complete demo with a programmed drum track and some keyboards on and some rhythm guitars. And I try to make my demos as complete as possible with everything — except for the vocals, of course — but sometimes even with some solos that we can use on the album even, and the right guitar sounds, and hopefully the right keyboard sounds too. When it comes to King's stuff, he's a little more basic with a few of the things. For example, the guitars — he lets me re-record the guitars. And then I put solo on, and then Pontus [Egberg], the bass player, puts the bass on and all that stuff. So it's a little bit different, but it's quite complete anyway, from his side. You totally understand what he wants with the feel and the atmosphere of the song. And once that's done and we're okay with the arrangement and stuff, we send that out to the other members in the band so they can start recording. For example, Matt [Thompson, KING DIAMOND drummer] has his own recording studio in Dallas, where he lives. So when he gets the demo from us, he just mutes the drums, put his drums on, and sends it to me so I can fix the drums and set up a good sound on everything. Same with the bass player and also with Mike [Wead], the other guitarist — kind of the same procedure. And once the drums are done and we're okay with everything, King is doing the vocals. So that's about it. And then, of course, we can go in and change a few things too. If something needs to be added or changed — a rhythm part on the guitar or solo; whatever needs to be changed — we can do that whenever. So it's a pretty creative procedure."

Last year, La Rocque spoke to Finland's Chaoszine about the new KING DIAMOND songs "Electro Therapy" and "Spider Lilly" which were first performed during the band's fall 2024 U.S. tour. He said: "We were kind of done with these songs. That's why we decided to try to play them live and see how it works out. And that's what we did. So, for example, 'Spider Lilly' is gonna be on the album. And we play that live. And it's also released on video. So, yeah, that's how we do it. We don't have to wait for a whole album. We thought, 'We need to put out something now for the fans.'"

During the same chat, La Rocque addressed his previous comment that he wanted the next KING DIAMOND album to have a more organic sound, similar to how it was on some of the band's early efforts. Asked if he and his bandmates will have to do a lot of "tweaking" in the studio to achieve this sound, Andy said: "Not really. That's what we don't do this time around. We don't do a lot of tweaks to it. It's organic also in the way of the playing is not like copied and pasted, stuff like that. It's more relaxed play. And there might be some things you hear that are like, 'Oh, yeah…' We're gonna keep that… Because that's what we had back in the '80s too when we recorded an album. Everything wasn't perfect — more organic, and not everything triggered and sound like everyone else. But we want a more acoustic, kind of more of the acoustic drums, and stuff like that, to make it a little bit more organic. It doesn't have to be perfect everywhere. It's good, but some things might not be a hundred percent, only 99.99, you know what I'm saying? But that's also to make everything like a more loose or organic feel to it. Of course it's gonna be good. We don't release anything that we're not happy with."

In a separate interview with Fistful Of Metal magazine, King stated about the status of the long-awaited new KING DIAMOND album: "Well, for starters, the original name that we had picked was 'The Institute'. However, that has now changed to 'St Lucifer's Hospital 1920', since the start of the U.S. tour. There very well may be a track on the album called 'The Institute'… I just want to make sure that it's the best material I've ever released. Right now, we are gearing up to film the next video for the single 'Lobotomy'. Other songs that are completed are an intro track called 'Under The Surface', 'The Institute', 'The Nun', 'Faceless' and, of course, 'Spider Lilly'. There's another track, which I'm not sure is going to be on the album yet, called 'Deep In The Darkness 1920'. Andy has been working on at least five tracks, one of which has as monster chorus that we plan to record with a choir. The plan is that this album will be the first of a trilogy, and I already have all three album titles."

In December 2024, KING DIAMOND released a studio version of "Spider Lilly". It was a first-time mixing collaboration with Arthur Rizk, who also mastered the track. The music and lyrics were written by King Diamond.

The official music video for "Spider Lilly" was directed by My Good Eye Visuals. Part of the clip was filmed at the very haunted Pennhurst Asylum outside of Philadelphia on a travel day during the band's 2024 North American tour, two days before Halloween. It was only King himself and actress Jodi Cachia who could participate on that specific day, together with producer David Brodsky, Allie Woest and their crew.

KING DIAMOND performed "Spider Lilly" live for the first time at the kick-off concert of the band's 2024 North American headlining tour.

In October 2023, KING DIAMOND released a music video for the 2019 single "Masquerade Of Madness". The clip was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest of My Good Eye Visuals.

A month after KING DIAMOND released "Masquerade Of Madness" in November 2019, La Rocque told The Metal Voice that he came up with the music for the track first before passing it off to King, who "needed to arrange a few things and change just a small few things for making it work with his vocals. And then, of course, he wrote the lyrics for it," the guitarist revealed. "So we [went] a little back and forth until he felt like, 'Okay, this is cool, man. This is the right key to sing in,' and all that."

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the band's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

KING DIAMOND released a DVD/Blu-ray, "Songs For The Dead Live", in January 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The set captured 1987's seminal "Abigail" album in its entirety, twice, and in very different locales: Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015. The performances featured KING DIAMOND's current band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and Matt Thompson.

Photo by Jeremy Saffer

STANLEY SIMMONS, the collaborative project of Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons — sons of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, respectively, from KISS — has released the official Mitchell Richmond-directed music video for its second single, "Dancing While The World Is Ending". Check it out below.

Though Evan and Nick have been close since childhood — raised on the road by their fathers — the idea of collaborating musically never crossed their minds. That changed in December 2024, when an impromptu Instagram reel brought them together in front of microphones for the first time.

"We were shocked," Evan and Nick recalled. "The chemistry was instant. The way our voices locked together… it was undeniable."

What began as a casual moment quickly evolved. By February 2025, Evan and Nick tried writing together — again, just for fun — and lightning struck twice. STANLEY SIMMONS was born. The pair soon realized they had stumbled into the project each had always hoped to make: a return to something expressive and organic, driven by musicianship, storytelling and emotion.

Early bedroom demos caught the attention of legendary producer Rob Cavallo (GREEN DAY, FLEETWOOD MAC, PARAMORE, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, Dave Matthews),who immediately signed on to produce the duo's debut full-length record and stepped into the role of manager.

In a recent interview with The Drew Lane Show, Paul Stanley stated about STANLEY SIMMONS, which released its debut single, "Body Down", in December 2025:  "Nick and Evan have basically known each other their [whole] lives, but didn't really get close until the last year where they said, 'Oh, let's try singing or writing. Their album, which I've heard, is frigging phenomenal. I mean, it's as good as anything I've heard in the last three or four decades. It's that good. So it's terrific, and it's organic."

Paul also dismissed accusations which have been leveled at STANLEY SIMMONS for supposedly leveraging their famous parents to gain a head start in the music industry, saying: "The idea of nepotism — if you suck, you'll fall on your face. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking advantage of having some sort of familiarity. But ultimately, most people who trade on that fail because it's not enough. So, I think STANLEY SIMMONS, it's just fantastic and I can't wait for them to start playing live."

After host Drew Lane noted that "Body Down" "sounds like CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG" and asked Paul if Evan and Nick are "influenced by classic rock", the KISS guitarist/vocalist responded: "They're very inspired by all the greats. And I have to say that as good as 'Body Down' is, the rest of the songs leave that in the dust… Oh, the songs are just crazy good. And there's flavors of all different artists in what they do, in the same way that virtually everybody who's out there or has succeeded has elements of something else. So I don't have a problem with that. It's not imitating; it's being inspired by. So, they're great. I can't say enough about them. I've just been wowed."

As for whether Evan and Nick ask their dads for any advice regarding their music careers, Paul said: "I think they ask — I know Evan asked me my opinion of things. And I always preface it by saying, 'It's just my opinion, and you have to go with what you believe.' And he does. I said, 'I can give you my point of view.' And I think it's great that anyone asks somebody else's opinion, and uses that to their advantage, but to rely upon me to make decisions — I'm not qualified to make decisions about what [he should do]. Only he is."

STANLEY SIMMONS's music video for "Body Down" can also be seen below. The clip was directed by Kuya Allen and Shey Allen of Downhaus.

In an episode of the Caught On The Mike podcast, hosted by former Midwestern musician Michael Clark, Evan and Nick spoke about "Body Down" and their upcoming debut album. Regarding why they chose to name the project STANLEY SIMMONS, Evan said:  "It's funny when you say the obvious marketing angle, it's a really funny one for us, or to anyone who is familiar, our parents are in a band together, and it's a pretty big band and that's great and it's really cool. I think it's one of those things where online it's a very funny thing. You read these comments, and it's, like, 'You're trying to do your own thing, but then you use their names. Riding their coattails.' I'm, like, dude, it's literally our names. This is my birth name. It's our legal name."

Nick chimed in: "I didn't actually anticipate that, which is stupid. I should have. But when we talked about it, we were, like, 'Oh, we like a lot of bands that do that: CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, HALL & OATES and SIMON & GARFUNKEL. We could just be STANLEY & SIMMONS' or whatever. And so we did that conversation. And we were, like, 'Yeah, sounds good. That makes sense, with the type of music we're doing.' Yeah. And then people were, like, 'Look at them milking the fucking [KISS connection].' And we were, like, 'Oh, I guess… I didn't really think about that.'"

Evan continued: "The thing is, you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't. Because at the end of the day, there are so many talented musicians out there, and there's so much great music coming out. There's also just an ungodly amount of platforms to try and keep up with, and there's so much noise to cut through. So there's so much great stuff, and then also because everyone has a platform, everyone wants to use it and be loud, so then there's also a lot of noise. So anything that we can do to help cut through the noise and get people to listen to our music, I'm willing to do. I have no problem with that, because at the end of the day, someone will listen once out of curiosity, but they won't listen a tenth time because they're curious. They're gonna either love it and connect with it and be part of it or they won't be. And that's not something you can buy. You can get in front of people and we're very, very lucky in that way. But it's so funny reading all the comments. It's kind of, like, 'Okay, so you don't want us to use this, but then when we don't, you ask why we don't.'"

Stanley added: "To us, the reason we went with STANLEY SIMMONS is this was such an unexpected collaboration. We've been friends for a long time, but we'd never really done anything together. And when we tried writing, we were, like, 'Wow, this is something. Let's run with this.' And from the get-go it has been — I think the word 'organic' and 'authentic', both of those words get tossed around so much, but this was never trying to be a thing… And then it was, like, 'Let's write a song or two together. And maybe we'll do one or two songs together. It'll be fun.' And then we wrote the first one. It was, like, 'Well, wait. This is the best song I've ever been a part of. There's something to this.' … And that's kind of why we went with STANLEY SIMMONS, is just, 'Hey, this is who we are.' We're not trying to be the da da. It's just our names. There really isn't a thing, except the thing is that it's just us singing together and playing stuff that we like."

Regarding the collaboration's musical direction, Evan told KTLA's Andy Riesmeyer: "We grew up loving a lot of roots stuff, Americana folk, so you hear a lot of that in there. It really has nothing to do with what our dads do. I think the interesting thing is we do actually have a lot of the same influences."

Nick added: "We were excited. I never get to do just stripped down, rootsy Americana music. And so it was, like, 'Let's do it. 'Cause it would be fun.' And then people were, like, 'No, you should do this.'"

Cavallo said about the project: "The fact that it has nothing to do with the sound of KISS is the first thing that's interesting. And even the name STANLEY SIMMONS. And you realize they're kind of like the new Laurel Canyon mystical, magical. It's just got its own vibe that's very deep. So we're excited."

On the topic of what their famous parents had to say about STANLEY SIMMONS's musical output so far, Nick said: "My father is the master of the backhanded compliment. He'll be, like, 'This is much better than the last thing you showed me.' And I was, like, 'Oh, you said some nice things about that.' He goes, 'Nothing compared to this.'"

Evan added: "They're unbelievably supportive. If someone's honest with you, then when they say something's great, it's actually worthwhile, and it means something."

Nick acknowledged that STANLEY SIMMONS will likely encounter some pushback from fans, particularly criticism suggesting nepotism. "I am like every other consumer out there — I'm a little sick of the family members of people trying to insert themselves into our eyeballs," he explained. "But it doesn't really matter if one of them is actually good."

Regarding how STANLEY SIMMONS came about, Evan told told Tmrw magazine: "It was never supposed to be a project. We just wanted to sing together once. Then we heard it back and thought, 'Wait, this actually sounds special.'" Nick concurred, saying: "There's a kind of connection you can't fake. When we sing together, it feels like a third voice, something new."

As for what it's like to make music as the sons of KISS, Evan said: "People get hyped on the last names. But that doesn't get you anywhere. You can't network your way into making something that actually moves people."

In February 2025, Nick told People magazine about STANLEY SIMMONS's inception: "We've grown up together. We're essentially brothers, so we always thought we'd probably play together for fun at some point. But recently Evan picked up a guitar when we were hanging out, and we started humming some harmonies, and it was kind of an unexpected, magic moment. It all just snowballed from there."

In December 2024, Evan and Nick shared a video of them covering SIMON & GARFUNKEL's 1964 classic "The Sound Of Silence", with Nick captioning the clip, "he garfunkeled my simon till my hall got oates".

In March 2025, Gene told New York Post about Nick and Evan's musical partnership: "Both have been pals because they went to see their dads work since they were little boys. And they never thought about getting together, just strumming and humming and all that."

Referencing the aforementioned "The Sound Of Silence" video, Gene added: "[Nick] set up a camera, and Evan just started strumming his guitar. They did 'The Sound Of Silence' a few times and immediately everybody went, 'What is that?' Because you can't create that. You either have that chemistry — that sound that people react to — or not, right? Something about both Evan's voice and Nick's voice connected."

Gene continued: "The response was so overwhelming that now, even though they both have their own things, they're in the middle of writing tunes and recording their first album with a producer."

He added: "Both Paul and I are very proud."

In July 2025, Paul told Liz Svatek about Evan and Nick's collaboration: "They're just finishing an album. And it's fantastic. It really, really is. It's magical. I just got a chill because I see the two of them, and Gene and I have been together 55 years, 56 years, and started out as kids in our parents' house. And here's our boys having this fabulous, magical connection and making great music. And they're both great, great guys with really great talent, and to see them together is poignant… They've known each other their whole lives, and only in the last six months have they suddenly started playing music together. And it's clicked in a way that's incredible. I mean, it's just magical… It's kind of like the wonder of life, things that happen that are so, at least at some point in your life, beyond even your wildest dreams. Gene's and my sons are gonna be singing together and making great music, and the industry is gonna be buzzing about it. And it's not manufactured. And that's wonderful."

The new lineup of NEVERMORE has canceled its previously announced appearance at this year's ProgPower USA XXV festival, set to take place September 9-12, 2026 at Center Stage Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.

Earlier today (Friday, March 27),NEVERMORE released the following statement via social media: "A MESSAGE FOR OUR US FANS: We hear your requests for a U.S. tour loud and clear, and we want it to happen just as much as you do. The reason it hasn't yet is simple — getting the work permit for our singer is taking much longer than anticipated. We'll get it done, but unfortunately we aren't quite there yet. Sadly, it also means that we won't be able to perform at ProgPower USA this year.

"Sincere apologies to Glenn, the ProgPower USA crew and our US fans, and thanks for understanding.

"New music is forthcoming, and we'll finally be back on stages in the States performing it live in 2027. We owe it to all of you and promise we'll make it worth the wait.
"In light of all of this, we are actively booking more international shows for later this year. Announcements for those will happen soon."

The new lineup of NEVERMORE, which has already signed a record deal with Reigning Phoenix Music, consists of guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams alongside the band's latest additions, Jack Cattoi on guitar, Semir Özerkan on bass, and new vocalist Berzan Önen.

To showcase the new lineup, NEVERMORE's first live appearance will take place on April 1, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Forged in the aftermath of SANCTUARY, NEVERMORE carved out a sound defined by precision musicianship, fearless songwriting, and emotional intensity. From their self-titled debut in 1995 through landmark releases such as "Dead Heart In A Dead World" and "This Godless Endeavor", NEVERMORE built a global following and a reputation as one of modern metal's most distinctive voices.

Following the band's disbandment, Jeff released the acclaimed solo albums "Zero Order Phase" and "Plains Of Oblivion", co-founded CONQUERING DYSTOPIA and spent nearly a decade as a member of ARCH ENEMY, contributing to releases, including "Will To Power" and "Deceivers". Van remained active through projects such as ASHES OF ARES and GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS. Warrel Dane continued creating until his passing in 2017, leaving behind a body of work that continues to inspire musicians and fans worldwide.

Regarding NEVERMORE's comeback, Van said: "It's been brewing for quite a while and has just started to manifest itself into the now. So what better time is there to kick things off than now?"

He continued: "If the new music had to be described by one word, that would have to be delicious. Because it's so good it's gonna leave you hungry for more."

Jeff stated about Berzan's addition to NEVERMORE: "He really stood out strong in so many ways upon a first listen. I could really feel the emotion and passion when I heard him sing for the first time. He wasn't just going through the motions. I could tell right away that he was a fan of Warrel's singing just by the way he delivered and said certain words. I was really blown away at first watch."

The history of NEVERMORE includes an extraordinary lineage of musicians who shaped its evolution. Guitarists Pat O'Brien, Tim Calvert, Steve Smyth and Chris Broderick each left a distinct imprint on the band's catalog and live presence. Bassist Jim Sheppard played a central role in shaping the band's identity during its defining years.

NEVERMORE effectively split up in 2011 when Loomis and Williams announced their departure from the band due to personal differences with Dane and Sheppard. Warrel later described NEVERMORE in an interview as "the greatest band that alcohol ever ruined."

Dane died in in December 2017 in São Paulo, Brazil while recording his posthumously released solo studio album, "Shadow Work". The musician reportedly had a heart attack during the night and could not be revived.

According to guitarist Johnny Moraes, who played in Warrel's solo band, Dane had a history of addiction and other health issues. "His health was already very weak because of his diabetes and his problems with alcoholism," he said.

The instrumental parts for Dane's follow-up to 2008's "Praises To The War Machine" solo album were almost completed and he had begun laying down his vocals shortly before his death.

When Loomis and Williams revealed their plan to launch a "world search" for a vocalist and bassist for the reformed version of the band, Van addressed Jim's absence from the reunion, saying: "Some people think it's disrespectful not to involve Jim or inform him of our plans. But those who feel that way don't know the history of the band or the behind-the-scenes dynamics that led to this decision. While it may not have been the most ideal approach, the reality is that there hasn't been communication with Jim in years.

"We felt that sometimes, for the sake of a fresh start, it's necessary to move on from relationships that may no longer be conducive to growth or new beginnings. We made this decision with the intention of honoring the legacy of the band while moving forward in a way that felt right for us at the time. That said, we wish him good health and he is free to pursue whatever path he chooses. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say respect goes both ways, and certain things became irreconcilable over time for us… I wish the situation with Jim were different, but the past has brought us here."

Williams also denied that he and Loomis were reforming NEVERMORE as a "money grab", explaining: "Most musicians don't do this for the money. We've spent countless hours thru the years sweating, rehearsing, performing, and recording simply because we love it. This is what we chose to do in life because we've always loved it. That's what drives us, the passion for music, the connection with fans, and the creative process. If money comes from that, great but it has never been the focus, but we also have bills to pay like you."

For his part, Jeff defended the decision to reactivate NEVERMORE with new musicians, writing: "No one can replace Warrel Dane. Bottom line. With his interesting melodies and charisma onstage, he was a force that was a huge part of the band both lyrically and spiritually. With that being said, we aren't looking for a Warrel Dane clone. We are looking for someone that can carry the older NEVERMORE tunes in his vocal style, and someone who can add something new and refreshing to the next chapter of the band. Obviously, this won't be the easiest thing to do."

Loomis "amicably" left ARCH ENEMY in December 2023 and was replaced by Joey Concepcion.

Jeff, who was the main songwriter in NEVERMORE, joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, but was not involved in the writing for the latter act's two albums that he appeared on, 2017's "Will To Power" and 2022's "Deceivers".

In December 2019, Sheppard launched a project called THE DEAD HEART COLLECTIVE, featuring music and lyrics inspired by Dane. At the time, Sheppard sent his synopsis of THE DEAD HEART COLLECTIVE to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he explained his decision to start a new project as a vehicle for Warrel to "channel songs and paintings" through him.

Sheppard addressed NEVERMORE's return in a statement he released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET on January 4, 2025. He wrote at the time: "In my heart, NEVERMORE will always be Warrel, Jeff and I living in a one-room apartment, slaves to an eight-track recording machine, non-stop songwriting insanity. We were driven, we were hungry... To quote Dave Mustaine, we were ready to 'smile, eat shit and ask for more!'

"True, I've been retired. I enjoy my new life in Alaska following bears with my wife Priscila, a wildlife photographer.

"My opinion of [Loomis's and Williams's] press release [announcing the NEVERMORE comeback is] Van came across self-promoting and Jeff felt very sincere; he truly wants to capture a little piece of the magic we held.

"I'm disappointed no one reached out to me concerning the name NEVERMORE, a name that means blood, sweat and tears. With that said, I wish them the best."

Photo credit: Ola Englund

A MESSAGE FOR OUR US FANS

We hear your requests for a US tour loud and clear, and we want it to happen just as much as...

Posted by Nevermore on Friday, March 27, 2026

LED BY VULTURES, the new Los Angeles-based heavy rock band fronted by Brian Tichy, has come together over the past year to record its powerful, uncompromising, undeniable brand of heavy music. With that comes 12 songs dominated by loud guitar, massive drums, big riffs, killer grooves, aggressive vocals, and a feeling of flying through a tornado.

The recording process began as an organic, exciting, challenge for Tichy but soon became an all-consuming obsession to serve the songs and sounds with all his being and abilities. Their first single and video "Get It Right", is out now via Deko Entertainment.

Tichy explains: "'Get It Right', in all its simplicity and basic power, just seemed like the right song to release first.

"I'll always be a fan of a band driving home a heavy guitar riff! Like all the bands that have inspired me, it's a great way to get a party started!"

The "Get It Right" video is equally energetic and in your face like a hard rocking basement house party on steroids and features Tichy along with drummer Shane Hawkins (son of late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins) and bassist Brent Woods.

LED BY VULTURES is all about serving the song, the groove and the power it possesses.

Stay tuned for details on the upcoming full release, due out later this year.

Tichy is a multi-talented drummer and guitarist known for his work with legendary bands like WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER, Billy Idol and THE DEAD DAISIES.

Although Brian is best known as one of the most dynamic drummers in rock, his skills as a guitarist are equally impressive. Over the years, Tichy has toured and recorded with iconic rock acts, contributing his talents to unforgettable performances and records. His ability to switch seamlessly between drums and guitar highlights his versatility as a musician.

Tichy began playing drums at age eight and started playing guitar at age 12. His earliest influences include LED ZEPPELIN, KISS, AEROSMITH, AC/DC and VAN HALEN.

After attending Berklee College Of Music from 1986 to 1990, Tichy toured and recorded with a multitude of artists, including Billy Idol, Ozzy Osbourne, SEETHER, VELVET REVOLVER, FOREIGNER, PRIDE & GLORY, Glenn Hughes, Sass Jordan and SLASH'S SNAKEPIT.

British guitarist, singer, and songwriter Billy Morrison has released "Becoming", marking the first single from his upcoming album, "Hollow", due out sometime in August via TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. The powerhouse track was written by Morrison, Sully Erna (GODSMACK) and Brett Scallions; it features Erna on lead vocals and Grammy Award winner Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME) on lead guitar. Listen to the song below and stay tuned for the video premiere the week of April 6.

According to Morrison, "Becoming" is about "transforming out of the darkness and negativity of certain lifestyle choices and becoming a strong, positive and powerful force. For an in-depth description, you would have to ask Sully about the lyrics that he wrote."

Morrison goes on to say that "when the music to 'Becoming' was finally finished, in my mind there was only one person I could imagine singing it, and that was Sully Erna. His work with GODSMACK over the decades has just proven his voice to be one of the most powerful in rock music." "Plus he's a great guy to hang with," adds Morrison, "so fortunately for me, not only was his response 'Absolutely, I'll sing it.' We got to record it in Los Angeles together while he was here. It was a killer vibe, and when we were all at the 'Above Ground' show late last year here in L.A., it seemed only fitting for me to ask Nuno to play lead (keeping it Boston on this track!). And again, he graciously agreed, and absolutely killed it. It's been a pleasure to work with both Sully and Nuno on this song — it's the perfect collaboration to launch this new album of mine!"

"I really enjoyed working with Billy and Nuno on this track," says Erna. "It's always a bit challenging when you have three creative people that work at such high levels of production to get to the finish line, but in the end the product always speaks for itself. And this song is strong! It's a perfect example of not settling for anything less."

"When you're asked to collaborate on a song with incredible artists like Sully Erna and Billy Morrison, you'd have to say 'yes' before even hearing the song," says Bettencourt. "But man, when you DO hear the song and it's as badass as this...you forget who's on it and just do it for the love of it."

Two years ago, Morrison released "The Morrison Project" via TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. It marked his third solo album (and first since 2015) and produced the No. 1 Active Rock song (Mediabase) in America: "Crack Cocaine", featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Stevens and co-written by all three artists. A deluxe edition of the album followed in 2025 and bonus track, "Gods Of Rock And Roll (Orchestral)" — another seismic collaboration with Osbourne and Stevens — landed in the Active Rock Top Ten (Mediabase).

The upcoming "Hollow" will follow the success of 2024's "The Morrison Project" format with 12 songs, half sung by Morrison and half sung by a handful of Morrison's friends. Guests include Dexter Holland, Marilyn Manson, Chuck D, B Real, Duff McKagan, Steve Stevens, DMC and the above-mentioned Sully Erna and Nuno Bettencourt, among others. "Forgive Me", "The Tailor", "No Suspects", "Another Day", "Leave No Trace" and "Becoming" are among the songtitles.

"The last album was so much fun and such a creative experience for me that I got the band back together for a follow up record," says Billy. It's on the same label (TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group),with the same crew (Barry Pointer mixing the record, Dave Donnelly mastering and all art / photography by Jane Stuart) and I'm excited to share this body of work with the world." He adds: "The guests on this record are at the core of the collaborative spirit that I try to put in the center of these records. Every single person I worked with stepped up, brought their A game and helped me produce an album that crosses genres, features some really diverse songwriting, and yet has a truly cohesive, and powerful sound. Ultimately, I am just grateful to everyone involved for allowing me to do this again."

Morrison is a British guitarist, singer, and songwriter, widely known as Billy Idol's rhythm guitar player for the past 17 years alongside lead guitarist Steve Stevens. He is also a solo recording artist in his right having released three albums including the successful and acclaimed "The Morrison Project" in 2024 via TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. His fourth solo album, "Hollow", will arrive in August 2026, also on TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. Morrison is also a former member of THE CULT and CIRCUS DIABLO and currently also performs with the superstar cover band known as the ROYAL MACHINES. In addition, Morrison is a contemporary fine artist whose Warhol-inspired work has been shown at top galleries. He also has a regular show, "Influenced", on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard (channel 38),where he delves deep into the dynamic relationship between art and music.

Photo credit: Jane Stuart @JaneStuartPhotos

Norwegian progressive trailblazers ENSLAVED have revealed their latest creation — two unique recordings of sea shanties, made in collaboration with the Storm Weather Shanty Choir, who hail from Bergen, Norway's great sailing ship the Statsraad Lehmkuhl.

The shanties are titled "Fire Marengo" and "Anna Lovinda". "Fire Marengo" is a traditional shanty, while "Anna Lovinda" was written by the late sailor and Norwegian cultural figure Erik Bye.

ENSLAVED explained the collaboration: "ENSLAVED was formed on the western edge of Norway, where mountains fall into the sea and history is carried by wind and tide. Bergen is not simply a coastal city; it is a threshold — between land and ocean, between myth and lived experience. The sea is not scenery here. It is memory, labour, departure and return.

"Among the most powerful living symbols of this heritage is Statsraad Lehmkuhl, the great Bergen tall ship that still sails the world's oceans. Around this vessel lives and breathes the shanty tradition — songs born of rhythm, rope, salt, and collective effort. From this environment emerged Storm Weather Shanty Choir.

"Our connection to the ship began in 2014, when the Tall Ships Races concluded in Bergen. We were invited to compose and perform a commissioned piece on the deck of Statsraad Lehmkuhl. Metal echoed across the harbor that evening — a meeting of ancient wind-powered technology and modern amplified ritual. It felt less like contrast and more like continuity.

Since then, a friendship has grown — particularly with Haakon Vatle, director of the ship's foundation and one of Norway's most devoted custodians of the shanty tradition. He often remarks that sailors were the first metalheads — people who faced elemental forces daily and answered them with song. There is truth in that. Shanties were not entertainment; they were functional incantations — rhythm as survival.

"In November 2025, during the choir's 20th anniversary concert in Bergen, we joined forces on the traditional 'Fire Marengo' and the Norwegian shanty 'Anna Lovinda', written by the late sailor and cultural figure Erik Bye. The collaboration felt less like fusion and more like recognition — two expressions of the same coastal inheritance meeting at the center.

"After the performance, it was clear that this convergence should not remain ephemeral. We met again in early 2026 to record the material — not as novelty, but as continuation. Because at the centre — at mið — we find not isolation, but shared origin. Wind, rhythm, voice. The same pulse that once moved sails now moves amplifiers. The same call-and-response that coordinated labour now shapes modern ritual.

"The sea remembers. And so do we."

Never faltering, Norway's iconic ENSLAVED continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene's indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest caliber, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound.

ENSLAVED was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo "Yggdrasill" in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album "Hordanes Land" coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length "Vikingligr Veldi" arriving in the spring of 1994.

ENSLAVED is a band in stellar form — a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown's extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows ENSLAVED at their most unleashed and thought-through — a lethal combination unfurling a potential that's easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

ENSLAVED is:

Ivar Bjørnson - guitars
Grutle Kjellson - vocals
Arve "Ice Dale" Isdal - guitar
Håkon Vinje - keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy - drums

Photo credit: Marlene Grygo

Left to right in photo: Grutle Kjellson (ENSLAVED),Ivar Bjørnson (ENSLAVED),Roald Kaldestad (Storm Weather Shanty Choir),Haakon Steinar Vatle (Storm Weather Shanty Choir).

In a new interview with Qobuz, Zakk Wylde once again weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence (A.I.) algorithms and machine learning (M.L.) models. The BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman and longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "To me, it's no big deal, 'cause whoever the artist is that you love, whether it's LED ZEPPELIN or BLACK SABBATH, you'll never be able to replace what's gonna come out of Tony's [Iommi] riffs, what Geezer's [Butler] gonna write lyrically, what Bill's [Ward] gonna play, what melodies Ozzy's [Osbourne] gonna sing, because they're creating it. But I get it. I mean, if A.I., it listens to all of Ozzy's melodies and gets a feel for what Ozzy's style is, and then hears Tony's riffs and then it could hear the tendencies Bill plays, certain fills he does, and the way Geezer plays bass, and it listens to the lyrics, and it takes in the lyrics of what Geezer [writes] about — a lot about religion, about war, about things like that — and it comes up with something [new]. It'd be no different than a songwriter trying to come up with something that BLACK SABBATH would write.

"Everyone's terrified of [A.I.]," Zakk continued. "I just think you can't take away what's in the mind of Jimi Hendrix, what Jimi Hendrix is gonna write. So you can try and emulate it. All I look at it is the computer is just giving a compliment to the sound of whatever band that they're trying to [emulate], like THE EAGLES or something, that's gonna write a song that's like a 'Desperado' kind of song, or 'Hotel California'. No, it doesn't bother me, 'cause I'm still gonna buy the record from THE EAGLES."

Zakk previously offered his views on A.I. this past January during a question-and-answer session at the HMV store on Oxford Street in London, United Kingdom. He said at the time: "A.I. is fine. It would almost kind of be like if me and you were sitting around going, 'Hey, guys, can you write a song you think BLACK SABBATH would write?' So it's no different than that. But you're never gonna be able to replace what is coming out of Ozzy's mind, what's coming out of Tony Iommi's mind, what Geezer's thinking when he's gonna write lyrics, and how Bill's gonna approach the drums on a riff, what kind of drum beat he's gonna play. 'Cause when you get a record from whatever your favorite artist or your favorite band [is], you're getting a piece of them. So you can't ever replace that. It's just like saying you're gonna write A.I. PANTERA. You can't replace what was going on in Dime's [PANTERA guitarist Darrell Abbott] mind and what Vinnie's [Paul Abbott, PANTERA drummer] gonna play. PANTERA is those four guys — so it's Philip [Anselmo, PANTERA singer], Rex [Brown, PANTERA bassist], Dime and Vinnie. And that's that. I mean, that's PANTERA. So, just like any other band is… That's who it is. You can't replace what's coming out of Elton John's mind, what he wants to sit down and play on a piano and what Bernie Taupin's gonna write lyrically. That's the beauty of the human element of music."

Wylde continued: "But, I mean, A.I. is fine. It's fun, in regards, though, if it's gonna write something that sounds like what LED ZEPPELIN would write or what BLACK SABBATH would write. And it's just, like, 'Oh, wow. This came out pretty cool.' I mean, with BLACK LABEL, we always start with the ZEPPELIN-SABBATH mashup. And I think it's great. I remember when Ozzy heard it the first time, he was, like, 'Oh my god. Zakk, have you heard this thing?' I'm, like, 'Yeah, I think it's great.' It's 'Whole Lotta Love', and then you stick in Ozzy singing 'War Pigs' over the riff, and then Robert Plant comes in on the solo. I'm, like, 'Dude, this is the coolest thing ever.' So, it's having fun with it. But you're never gonna replace Ozzy coming up with that melody, Tony coming up with that music, and Geezer coming up with those lyrics. And then 'Whole Lotta Love', Jimmy Page playing that riff and then Robert Plant singing the 'Whole Lotta Love' scream over the top of it. 'Cause that's the real thing. You can never replace the real thing." He then quipped: "My wife has no problem replacing me with various other people and things, but as long as she's happy, that's all that matters."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's new album, "Engines Of Demolition", will be released on March 27 via MNRK Heavy. The follow-up to 2021's "Doom Crew Inc." contains 15 tracks, including the four previously released singles, "Name In Blood", "Broken And Blind", "The Gallows" and "Lord Humungus", as well as a tune titled "Ozzy's Song", which is a tribute to the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist/vocalist's longtime bandmate, the iconic BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne.

Wylde formed BLACK LABEL SOCIETY in 1998 and has kept the band busy in between touring and recording with Ozzy Osbourne, whose backing group he first joined nearly four decades ago.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Order Of The Black" (2010) and "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican" (2014) both broke into the Top Five on the hard rock album charts.

Since first joining Ozzy, Zakk had played on all of the BLACK SABBATH singer's solo albums except for 2020's "Ordinary Man", including such classic efforts as "No More Tears" (1991),"Ozzmosis" (1995) and "Black Rain" (2007).

After nearly three decades, SUBLIME returns with "Until The Sun Explodes", the band's first full-length album with Jakob Nowell as frontman, arriving June 12 on Atlantic Records. Featuring collaborations with H.R. of BAD BRAINS, Fletcher Dragge of PENNYWISE, G Love and more, the album stays rooted in the band's classic sound while opening a new chapter. The title track and lead single, "Until The Sun Explodes", finds Jakob Nowell honoring his late father, Bradley Nowell, and is available to stream now.

The official music video for "Until The Sun Explodes", which can be seen below, moves through various locations in Long Beach tied to the history of SUBLIME, where their presence feels embedded in the city. A timeless backyard party scene bridges multiple generations, featuring appearances by skateboard legends Christian Hosoi and Omar Hassan, representing Southern California's punk and skate culture. Bradley Nowell's influence and presence ties every band member to the moment, linking their legacy, the city and the next generation.

Jakob Nowell said: "The last SUBLIME record that will ever be made is [1996's 'Sublime']. There's no replacing history, period. 'Until The Sun Explodes' the album is an epilogue, and 'Until The Sun Explodes', the single, is the epilogue to the epilogue. It is a tribute to the expansive works of SUBLIME, it is an acknowledgment for all that my father has done for me my entire life, and most importantly it is a thank you. I love you dad, and I owe you my life."

SUBLIME drummer Bud Gaugh said: "This song is the title track of our new album and it expresses the gratitude we all feel as well as our intent for the future of our band and the music we love! 'Until The Sun Explodes' is our reality. Thank you for enjoying life with us!"

SUBLIME bassist Eric Wilson stated: "I am really excited about the album that's coming out. I think it will set the tone for the summer of 2026!"

SUBLIME will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of its groundbreaking self-titled album in 2026 with two sold-out nights at Morrison, Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre (April 17-18),a Grammy Museum exhibit titled "Sublime: Straight From Long Beach" running from March 27 to September 7, and more to be announced honoring the classic 1996 album. SUBLIME will also launch their very own touring music festival debuting May 9 at the scenic Panther Island Pavilion in Fort Worth, Texas, with additional cities, including Portland, Oregon, on June 27 and Salt Lake City, Utah on July 18. The band will also be setting sail on the Sublime Reef Madness cruise, November 15-19 from Miami, Florida to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas on Norwegian Jewel.

"Until The Sun Explodes" track listing:

01. Ensenada
02. Wizard
03. Can't Miss You
04. Backwards (feat. FIDLAR)
05. Maybe Partying Will Help Pt 1
06. Favorite Songs (feat. Skegss)
07. Personal Hell
08. F.T.R.
09. Evil Men
10. Trey's Song (feat. H.R. of BAD BRAINS)
11. Casino Taormina
12. The Problem With That Is It Makes Me Stoked
13. Gangstalker
14. Figueroa
15. Froggy
16. Come Correct (feat. G. Love)
17. What For
18. 247-369 (feat. Fletcher Dragge of PENNYWISE)
19. Maybe Partying Will Help Pt 2
20. Until The Sun Explodes
21. Thanx Again

SUBLIME, the Long Beach, California reggae-punk/alternative rock trio, was founded in 1988 by Eric Wilson, Bud Gaugh and Bradley Nowell. They released their first self-produced album, "40oz. To Freedom", in 1992 via Skunk Records. Heavy radio exposure on Southern California's KROQ (two years after its initial release) landed the band a deal with Gasoline Alley Records, an imprint of MCA. 1994's "Robbin' The Hood" revealed an experimental ethic more in keeping with the cut-and-paste dub than the well-tuned rage of the Cali punk revival. The album performed well at college radio and set the stage for the breakout success of their self-titled third album. On May 25, 1996, however, Bradley Nowell tragically passed away and the band collapsed, but Universal went ahead with the release of their eponymous album in July of 1996.

Their self-titled album went five times platinum, fueled by enduring hits like "What I Got", "Santeria" and "Wrong Way", and helped propel the band to more than 18 million RIAA-certified album sales. A new era began in late 2023 when Bradley's son, Jakob Nowell, joined original members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson onstage, leading to a full reunion and acclaimed performances at Coachella 2024.

2026 is shaping up to be the biggest year yet for SUBLIME as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking 1996 self-titled album with two special nights at Morrison, Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre (April 17-18),marking the kickoff of a year-long celebration honoring the classic 1996 album. The Grammy Museum will be honoring the self-titled album with an exhibit titled "Sublime: Straight From Long Beach" running from March 27 to September 7, and will feature artifacts including handwritten lyrics to SUBLIME hits such as "Wrong Way" and "Garden Grove", instruments and equipment used by the original SUBLIME lineup, rare live photos by Maggie St. Thomas and more.

SUBLIME will also launch its very own touring music festival debuting May 9 at the scenic Panther Island Pavilion in Fort Worth, Texas. This new event marks the beginning of a national festival series built around the timeless sound, spirit, and cultural impact of SUBLIME.

The band's highly anticipated new album "Until The Sun Explodes" is set to be released on June 12. SUBLIME recently made history with the breakout single "Ensenada", which spent eight consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, setting the record for the longest run at No. 1 on alternative radio in 2025. The forthcoming album marks an exciting new chapter for SUBLIME while honoring the legacy that has inspired fans for more than three decades.

Press photo credit: Micala Austin