Mysterious masked British rock band PRESIDENT, which is rumored to be fronted by Charlie Simpson of the pop-punk act BUSTED and the post-hardcore outfit FIGHTSTAR, continues to exist at the intersection of heavy music, electronic experimentation, and cinematic atmosphere. Launching in 2025 and operating under the cloak of minimalism and anonymity, PRESIDENT has been cultivating intrigue with each single and live performance. Refusing to conform to the traditional structures of genre or identity, PRESIDENT prioritizes intent over image.

Today, PRESIDENT has unveiled the lyric video for new single "Mercy", which arrives at the close of the band's massive U.S. tour supporting BAD OMENS. "Mercy" is all about perfectly executed dynamics — mixing memorable melodies and heavier-than-granite riffs with gritty breakdowns. The result is another unforgettable anthem.

About the song, PRESIDENT says: "Throughout history, religion has been tied to profound division and loss. This song is a reflection on that reality, and a way for me to come to terms with what it means on a human level."

"Mercy" follows PRESIDENT's previous single "Angel Wings", which arrived in February. The song was tipped by Rock Sound as "a blend of bubbling synths, spine-tingling melodies and crushing riffs," while Revolver declared that the song "refined their mix of modern metal, pop and electronic music, contorting itself from twitchy programmed beats towards a cavernously djenting boom." Vice stated that PRESIDENT's "style is deeply compelling as it's paired with a refreshingly honest approach to songwriting."

Built to exist outside the noise, PRESIDENT is building something that invites deeper investment — designed to be discovered, not sold. PRESIDENT said it best, telling Revolver in a cover feature that "the music industry has elements of fast fashion to it these days. Things just come and go. Everything's really quick. Everyone's shouting for attention and there's just so much noise, and it just becomes a fucking conveyor belt. [We] wanted to step back and not be a part of that. But if people are interested, and they want to enter into this world, we'll grab them with open arms."

PRESIDENT's debut EP, "King Of Terrors", was released in fall 2025.

Four-fifths of KING DIAMOND's classic late '80s lineup has reunited in a new band, LEX LEGION. Featuring Mikkey Dee, Andy La Rocque, Pete Blakk, and Hal Patino — alongside vocalist Nils K. Rue (PAGAN'S MIND) — the group brings together decades of experience spanning MOTÖRHEAD, SCORPIONS and, of course, KING DIAMOND.

Formed by Dee and Blakk and completed by longtime collaborators and friends, LEX LEGION is built on both legacy and longevity. What began as a long-discussed idea between close-knit musicians has evolved into a serious project, fueled by over 40 years of shared history and a renewed creative focus free from the constraints of their earlier careers.

LEX LEGION's self-titled debut arrives in June 2026 via MNRK Music Group, channeling a deliberate throwback to the band's roots while sounding fresh and immediate. Built on lean arrangements, strong melodies, and virtuoso performances, the album reflects the band's commitment to writing music on their own terms.

The first single "Sleep Eternally", out March 31, sets the tone instantly, while follow-up "Gypsy Tears" continues the momentum with a mix of atmosphere and drive. With a sound shaped by classic influences but sharpened by decades of experience, LEX LEGION aim to fill a gap in modern metal — and signal that their long-awaited arrival has been worth the wait.

LEX LEGION is a brand-new band comprised of old friends with incredible heavy metal pedigree. Comprising four-fifths of the classic late 1980s KING DIAMOND lineup infused with the jaw-dropping vocals of Nils K. Rue, LEX LEGION's eponymous debut album is a single-minded, future-facing alchemy of world-class hard rock/metal music distinguished by tasteful, lean arrangements, virtuoso musicianship, and unabated melody and harmony.

In 2026, LEX LEGION's members find themselves more musically accomplished than ever, whilst also being more comfortable with themselves and each other than ever before. As well as vocalist Rue, LEX LEGION is comprised of former KING DIAMOND guitarist Pete Blakk and bassist Hal Patino, guitarist/producer Andy La Rocque, a KING DIAMOND constant since 1985 who also played on DEATH's seminal "Individual Thought Patterns", and drummer extraordinaire Mikkey Dee, who was in MOTÖRHEAD for over two decades and has been in the SCORPIONS for 10 years. All remained close and have long discussed reuniting, with everyone knowing Rue from prior projects and his five acclaimed albums with PAGAN'S MIND. Add to this the weight of hope and expectation from KING DIAMOND fans, and it's clear that LEX LEGION's time is now.

This is music for fans of heyday IRON MAIDEN, QUEENSRŸCHE, ACCEPT and, yes, KING DIAMOND (the four LEX LEGION instrumentalists appeared together on KING DIAMOND's "Them" and "Conspiracy" albums),but with a freshness and sense of excitement that only debut albums capture. Within the first few seconds of album opener and first single "Sleep Eternally", LEX LEGION unequivocally confirm that fact.

"There's elements of everything on the album," said La Rocque. "The right tempo and the right kind of vocals, both starting out like a fist in your face!" Rue's soaring pipes and ominous harmonies are framed by Dee's unmistakable powerhouse drumming, a clutch of imaginative leads from both guitarists, and shifts of pace and tempo that will satiate KING DIAMOND fans. Second track and follow-up single "Gypsy Tears" seals the deal; eerie and rapturous, otherworldly and propulsive, evocative and a straight-up headbanger which leaves the listener in no doubt as the thunderous treasures within.

The pride LEX LEGION have in the record is fierce and unequivocal.

"This is totally unique. No one is writing this kind of music and there's a big hole for us to fill," states La Rocque. "The album is a journey and every song is like the beat of a movie. I want listeners to travel back."

"The song style is different (to KING DIAMOND) but still from the same era," mulled La Rocque from his studio in Varberg, Sweden. "The riffs are different and the arrangements are a little less progressive and a little more straightforward."

"LEX LEGION is totally written the way we thought in the '80s," says Dee. "We wrote what we wanted, and if you liked it, that was a great bonus. If you didn't like it, that was fine with us, too!"

"Lex Legion" will be released by MNRK Music Group in June 2026, with touring beginning the following year.

As Dee says, grinning, "Enjoy it or fuck off!"

"Lex Legion" track listing:

01. Sleep Eternally (3:56)
02. Gypsy Tears (3:57)
03. When The Stars Align (3:52)
04. (I Am) The Resurrected (4:27)
05. Lost Inside (3:33)
06. Darkness (4:28)
07. Saviours (4:03)
08. Life Eternal (3:25)
09. Far Away (2:58)

Photo by Patric Ullaeus

POISON drummer Rikki Rockett's long-awaited memoir, "Ghost Notes: My Life In Poison", which was written with writer duo Leif Eriksson and Martin Svensson, will finally arrive this summer via Rare Bird Books. The book's official cover was shared by Rikki earlier today (Wednesday, March 25) via social media and can be seen below.

Last July, Rikki was asked by Mike Palm of TribLive how it felt to take a look back at his life for a book. Rikki responded: "Scary. And a lot of people go, 'Do you have any regrets?' Of course I do. There's lots of things I regret. But not regret to the point where, yeah, did I learn from them. Yeah, sure. You can say all those things, but there's certain things I look back on, like, eh, why'd I do it that way? But I did and here I am, and I adjusted and moved on. It's kind of interesting to see that. The painful stuff isn't fun to look at, obviously the cancer battle and all that sort of stuff isn't fun. [Being] falsely accused of rape, that sucked. There were certain things that are not fun to live through again, but it's my story and people need to know about it. Sometimes people just brush the headlines or there's a lot of news and a lot of things that are out there all at once, and sometimes we're not paying attention. I read the Joey Kramer book, for example, from AEROSMITH, and I'm a huge, huge AEROSMITH fan, but there's been times in my life where there's other things going on and I'm not paying attention to what Joey Kramer was doing right then. Now it's nice to look back and go, wow, I missed all these things or I heard a little something about it, and now I'm seeing it and reading it and kind of digesting it again and understanding more from his perspective what really happened, that kind of stuff."

During an October 2024 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", the now-64-year-old Rikki, whose real name is Richard Allan Ream, said about why he decided to name his book "Ghost Notes": "The first chunk of our career, like [early POISON albums] 'Look What The Cat Dragged In' [1986], 'Open Up And Say... Ahh!' [1988], all those records, even most of 'Flesh & Blood' [1990], the way they were producing records at that time, they did not want drummers playing ghost notes, if you know what ghost notes are… It's kind of like a lighter tap on the snare drum, for example, the kind of the notes in between the notes that are not fully pronounced, I guess would be the best way to explain it in layman's terms. And so a lot of times it gives it that little bit of swing groove to it. And producers did not want that in the early 80s — they just wanted straight drums, almost machine-like and heavy and loud and detuned snare drums and all that kind of stuff. And it wasn't really until 'Flesh & Blood', but even more 'Native Tongue' [1993] where I was able to really play the way I wanted to play. I think a lot of other drummers dealt with that. I know I talked to various drummers about their frustration back then. So I decided to name it. I finally was able to play however I wanted. And all those little notes between the notes are my kind of what I'm talking about in my life. Instead of just the highlights that you always hear about, you know, 'POISON did this' or 'Rikki Rockett did this' or 'Rikki got arrested for this' or whatever, these are like all the stuff in between. So those are the ghost notes between all the big things that you've heard about. So I kind of made a little connection there, and that's why I named it that."

Asked if "Ghost Notes" is "kind of like a semi-autobiography, but more focused on things that people wouldn't know" about him, Rikki said: "Yes. Or more in depth. A lot of the things are more in depth. You've heard some of these stories about POISON, but you never really dig that much deeper or maybe they just haven't been reported much more than what you've heard on the surface, for example. And so I talk about a lot of those kinds of things."

He continued: "Everything [that you hear about the 1980s glam rock scene is] always focused on the Sunset Strip. And that was only a couple years of our life, honestly. What's more interesting is our years in the tri-state area and Pennsylvania and all the crap we went through trying to play gigs and trying to find our space, and that stuff, to me, is more cinematic, if you will, than, 'Oh, yeah, they played the Troubadour and the Strip and they hung up flyers. I mean, we've all heard those stories. But it's the other stuff, like trying to hold jobs down and renting VFW halls and renting vans and trying to scrape enough money to get to the next gig and all that stuff. That was really the meat of our struggle, I think. Not that being on the Strip wasn't interesting, but I feel like when you talk about the Strip, you're just lumping every band together that was our contemporaries. But, really, we kind of came, fought, got our deal and got out even sort of before that. I mean, the Strip continued to explode after we were off the Strip."

Rikki is the co-founder and drummer for the band POISON, which exploded into the highly competitive Los Angeles music scene in the 1980s, making a name for themselves in the clubs on the Sunset Strip.

POISON has sold over 50 million records worldwide, releasing eight studio albums, four live albums, and four compilations. The band has charted 10 singles on the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including six Top 10 singles and one Hot 100 number-one smash hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".

Relentless from the ground up and forged in the hellfires of the Pennsylvania and Los Angeles club scenes, POISON smashed its way up as an independent band who bet on itself. Selling over three million copies of an independent album which included the big hits "Talk Dirty To Me", "I Won't Forget You", "Cry Tough", "I Want Action" and the underground smash "Look What The Cat Dragged In", they were soon picked up by Capitol Records and beat the sophomore jinx by releasing the aforementioned No. 1 smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". Written out of emotion by singer/songwriter and frontman Bret Michaels, the song blasted into the charts remaining a top the pop, rock and country genres for threee months consecutively. The album "Open Up And Say...Ahh!" sold eight million copies out of the gate and spawned other hit singles "Fallen Angel", "Nothin' But A Good Time" and "Your Mama Don't Dance". Followed up by the multi-platinum album "Flesh & Blood", POISON again lit up the charts with several more smash hit singles, including "Unskinny Bop" and "Something To Believe In".

POISON's reunited original lineup — Rockett, Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall and guitarist C.C. DeVille — completed "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS in 2022. The trek was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rockett was declared cancer free more in 2016 after undergoing an experimental treatment. He was diagnosed with oral cancer back in 2015.

In April 2022, Rockett married his longtime girlfriend TC Smith at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.

Rikki was previously married to singer/songwriter Melanie Martel. They share joint custody of their two kids — son Jude Aaron Rockett and daughter Lucy Sky Rockett.

In October 2024, Rikki announced the launch of a new band called THE ROCKETT MAFIA.

Quick pump for my book:

From the suburbs of Pennsylvania to the neon blaze of Los Angeles, Rikki Rockett’s life has...

Posted by Rockett Mafia on Wednesday, March 25, 2026

American heavy metal icons ARMORED SAINT will release their new full-length album, "Emotion Factory Reset", on May 22 via Metal Blade Records.

"Emotion Factory Reset", ARMORED SAINT's ninth studio album since 1984's "March Of The Saint", is a resurrection of sorts, a tearing down and a rebuilding in eleven songs of diverse musicality and lyrical themes. Produced, as were the previous four albums, by bassist Joey Vera and mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR),the record finds the quintet challenging themselves. Songs like "Close To The Bone", "Hit A Moonshot" and "Every Man-Any Man" have ARMORED SAINT honoring their past as one of the most respected and recognizable bands in heavy music while making forward-thinking music rooted in the present.

"Each ARMORED SAINT record, to me, is like a new skin for the band, a different chapter. I don't think we've ever repeated ourselves," says Vera. "Every album has been pretty different from the previous one, a snapshot in time. In 2026, 'Emotion Factory Reset' is where our heads are at."

"When we start coming up with songs, I always say we can do whatever we want," notes singer John Bush. "Use all our influences through the years, diverse music that we listen to and love, and let that seep in and bring something new out of us. It leads to something more adventurous."

Bush, one of music's most respected vocalists, operates from a place of passion and presence in the studio and on stage. In fact, about 85% of his vocals from the last three ARMORED SAINT records are taken from the demo sessions, capturing the raw power. While Vera is a granular and detailed writer, like Bush, the bassist says, "I try not to overthink and be right where I'm at that time. I really don't look over my shoulder much, like, 'what did I do in the past? What's going on in the next lane?' Once the ball starts rolling, I just sit back and let it happen."

The collaborative nature of "Emotion Factory Reset" led to the album title, a phrase from guitarist Phil Sandoval. "To me, 'Emotion Factory Reset' means to reset yourself back to clarity. Take a pause and breathe before you respond or react. You can't control outside events, but you can control your mind," the guitarist says. "How you interpret things is what hurts you, not the event itself."

His brother, drummer Gonzo notes, "the world is going through a technological upswing/awakening. I look at our planet as the factory and in the most positive way we need to realign, reimagine, reset for our better selves."

In advance of the record's release, today the band presents the first single and album opener "Close To The Bone". Comments Bush, "The first track on the record sounds like vintage ARMORED SAINT. Yet vintage that comes out in 2026! How did we do that? The title of the record, 'Emotion Factory Reset' appears as the first line of the bridge. Killer riffs, awesome rhythms and attacking vocals gets this train rolling. The title implies the human response to withdraw and keep things to yourself instead of being confrontational; Something I believe we all struggle with as humans. Do you just say, 'aww, whatever man,' or do you say, 'hey, fuck you!' Depends on the moment I guess."

Adds Vera, "Musically, this song was inspired by my love and appreciation for metal that was coming out around the time of the NWOBHM, which is right when ARMORED SAINT was formed. As always, I try to reimagine my early influences by giving them a slight modern twist."

Guitarist Jeff Duncan agrees: "I like to think that ARMORED SAINT doesn't keep making the same album over and over. 'Emotion Factory Reset' is another musical chapter for the band. When the five of us play together, we have a special chemistry and our first single 'Close To The Bone' demonstrates this perfectly; it's musically sophisticated but still retains the ARMORED SAINT signature sound."

ARMORED SAINT's video for "Close To The Bone", directed by My Good Eye: Music Visuals, can be seen below.

"Emotion Factory Reset" was recorded across several studios, including 606 Studios, Secret Hand Studios, Skullseven Studios, Constantine Studios and Bridge Recording, engineered by Oliver Roman, Bill Metoyer, Joey Vera and Jason Constantine. It features cover art by DDKing.

A special European edition of the CD digipak includes the bonus track "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)", only available digitally until now.

"Emotion Factory Reset" track listing:

01. Close To The Bone
02. Every Man-Any Man
03. Not On Your Life
04. Hit A Moonshot
05. Buckeye
06. Compromise
07. It's A Buzzkill
08. Throwing Caution To The Wind
09. Ladders And Slides
10. Bottom Feeder
11. Epilogue

ARMORED SAINT is:

John Bush - Vocals
Joey Vera - Bass
Jeff Duncan - Guitars
Gonzo Sandoval - Drums
Phil Sandoval - Guitars

Photo by Travis Shinn

In a new interview with V and Jason Clarke of the Creativity Talkin podcast, founding METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof spoke about the band's new lineup, in which he is joined by longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bass icon David Ellefson (MEGADETH),powerhouse drummer Ken Mary (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, FIFTH ANGEL, ALICE COOPER, HOUSE OF LORDS, TKO, CHASTAIN) and dynamic new vocalist Brian Allen (VICIOUS RUMORS). Regarding how the latest version of METAL CHURCH came to be, Kurdt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, after we did [2023's] 'Congregation Of Annihilation' [album], we did some touring for a while, and we did a run of Australia. And when we got back, it just kind of fell apart. People didn't like what was going on, I didn't like what was going on for different reasons. Then [drummer] Stet [Howland] quit, and it was just, like, 'You know what? I'm done.' This is no fun. And a band at our level, we don't make enough money to have to put up with not having fun. I mean, we make enough to make it worth our while and we get to do it. So having fun, enjoying what you're doing is part of the pay. But it just was, like, 'You know, this is stupid. I'm not enjoying this now. I don't need this.' So I shut the band down. And I just said, 'Look, guys, I'm shutting it down.' And that was it. And I had no intention of putting it back together again. It was, 'Nah, I'm done.' So, having said that, then a year and a half later, I get these MP3s through [my record label] Rat Pak. But I get these MP3s of someone — at the time I didn't know who it was — singing 'Start The Fire' and 'In Mourning', so it was a David Wayne song and a Mike Howe song. I didn't know who it was. And it was, like, 'Whoa. Who's this?' I'm, like, 'Well, if I ever thought to put the band back together, this guy would be a good singer.' And then it turns out it was obviously Brian Allen, who, through a mutual friend, Todd [La Torre] from QUEENSRŸCHE, a friend of his, was telling Brian, 'Go do a couple of demos and send it to 'em. Send it to the record company.' … So he sent those, and I was blown away. And it was, like, 'Yeah. Well, okay. Cool.' Well then, as things would have it, Rat Pak was working with the ELLEFSON-SOTO project [Ellefson's collaboration with Jeff Scott Soto]. And Dave [Ellefson] had extended to Joe [O'Brien] at Rat Pak that, 'Well, if Kurdt decides to put METAL CHURCH back together, I'd really be interested.' Joe told me that and I'm, like, 'Well, that wouldn't suck. That wouldn't suck.' I mean, Dave and I have known each other forever. And then [former METAL CHURCH and current SAVATAGE drummer] Jeff Plate came in and said, 'Hey, well, if you put it back together, I'll come back. If you got a new lineup, I'll come back.' And it was, like, 'Well, that was easy.' I didn't even have to do it. I didn't even want to. I didn't try. So I was, like, 'Okay, great. So I started writing some stuff, and Jeff started working with us and everything. The whole thing was, like, 'Wow, this is cool.' But then the SAVATAGE reunion really started blowing up and he couldn't stay involved. And that was great. Good for him. And I'm really happy for those guys that they're doing that. So he had to back out. But then within a couple of days I was in touch with Ken Mary. And we're both Seattle refugees. And we knew each other back in the day. [Producer] Terry Date was working on our record, and then next he was working on their on FIFTH ANGEL's first record, so we knew each other and everything. And I was talking with him, and he said he was interested. And it was, like, 'Well, there it is.' There it goes. So [people ask me], 'How did you resurrect the band?' It's, like, I didn't. It resurrected itself. 'Cause I had no intention of [putting it back together]… But it was, like, 'Wow, okay, well, that was really easy.' And having that caliber of people involved, it was, like, well, it really doesn't get much better than that. So I'm not saying no. So we just kept going, and here we are."

Elaborating on his initial reluctance to put METAL CHURCH back together, Kurdt said: "When I decided to end it, it's, like, I don't wanna be one of these bands that's going out on tour, on the 'child support' tour, where the only reason you're out there is [to pay the bills], or to go out there and the only original members is, like, the bus driver. And it's, like, I just don't wanna be that guy. But then you bring in someone from MEGADETH, Ken Mary from Alice Cooper, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM — legit people. I was really worried about the perception of it, of, again, another singer, another lineup change, again. But the fact that Brian sounds like he does definitely made it sound like old METAL CHURCH. So there was a little bit of this as far as the fans were concerned, but I had a feeling that when they found out who it was, and then heard it, I thought it would be more accepted."

Regarding his expectations for the new METAL CHURCH lineup, Kurdt said: "We've got some work to do. We've gotta get out and prove ourselves and show that we're a real band, go out and kick ass and do that. That's fine. We're up for it. It's a really good time and it's really nice to be working with people that are on the same page. I mean, we don't have to explain how the business works to anybody. Everybody's been through it now. We all know how the business has changed now. We all know that this is the way it is now. And so far we're getting along famously and everybody's excited and we're having fun and we're all happy to be doing it… I couldn't be happier about it. And I like the record and I think it came out great. And I think we're really anxious to get out and start playing live."

Last month, Kurdt told Pete Pardo and Lynne Versaci of Sea Of Tranquility about the dissolution of the METAL CHURCH lineup that recorded "Congregation Of Annihilation": "Well, about two years ago, maybe a little over two years ago now, we did a Australia run. And the shows were fine, but we got back. Things got ugly, and the whole thing was just turned into a mess. And then [there was] a whole bunch of stuff flying around. Stet didn't like the way business was going, so he left. And the other guys didn't like it either. I didn't like the way things were going at all. It just wasn't any fun anymore. And a band at our level, if you're not having any fun — that's part of the pay. And if you're not having any fun anymore… Nobody makes a lot of money anymore, so you gotta be able to afford to do what you're doing and enjoy it… So I shut the band down, I was, like, 'This isn't worth it anymore.' The record company lost interest in us; [they] didn't wanna work with us anymore. Both European and American labels, they were just, like, 'They're done.' And I'm, like, 'Okay, there's no reason to go on.' So I shut the band down. And I made a point of saying, 'Look, I'm not gonna say anything derogatory about anybody in the press or anything like that, and I hope you would do the same.' But apparently some people decided not to do that. So, that's on them, not me."

Asked if he was happy with "Congregation Of Annihilation", which came out in May 2023 via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe),Kurdt said: "Yeah. Oh, yeah. It's a fine album. It's good. Yeah, it had some great moments, and it was fine. It was just a bunch of business stuff and a bunch of things like that just wasn't working for anybody, myself included. And so it was, like, 'Eh.' And then when labels and people like that aren't really [into it, I was], like, 'Okay, I don't think I wanna do this anymore either. There's no point.' So I shut the band down, and I thought it was done — again… And I keep trying to kill it. It's like the band that won't die… So, again, I had no intention of doing it anymore. I was done. I was, like, 'All right. We did that. We're not getting along. Okay, I'm done.' And then not having interest [from] the label, there was just no point. So I shut it down. I was still working with Rat Pak with PRESTO BALLET and HALL AFLAME and a couple of other things. So I still had my deals with them on my other projects. And so I was working with them. And then just out of the blue one day, Joe at Rat Pak sent me a couple of files from this guy doing METAL CHURCH songs… Well, he did 'Start The Fire' and 'Date With Poverty', I believe. And Joe just said, 'Hey, listen to these.' And I did. And it was, like, 'Is this like an unreleased track of [late METAL CHURCH singer] David Wayne?' kind of thing. When I heard 'Start The Fire', I was, like, 'Wow, who is this?' Anyway, so that turned out to be Brian Allen, who, I didn't know at the time, was a guy I knew from Portland. I didn't know him, but we knew him from Portland when he was in a JUDAS PRIEST tribute band, and we did some shows with him back over the last 10, 15 years. So I was, like, 'Wow. I had no idea.' And he did such a great job with it, I was, like, 'Well, if we ever decide to put the band back together, there's our singer,' 'cause he can do the David Wayne and Mike Howe [late METAL CHURCH singer] stuff. And so he said, 'Great. Okay. Isn't that nice?' And it was completely unsolicited. It was Todd La Torre who told Brian to send [Joe the files]. And I'm, like, 'Okay, cool. That was quite impressive, to say the least. So a little time goes by and then Rat Pak's working with ELLEFSON-SOTO. So he put out their record, and so he's in contact with Dave Ellefson and working with him. And as that comes up, Dave offered his services: 'Oh, well, if METAL CHURCH ever wants to get back together. I'd love to be involved. I'd love to play bass.' … And it was, like, 'Wait, what? Wait, Dave Ellefson would wanna… Really? Okay.' Well, then it was starting to get interesting. And soon after that, or right about the same time, Jeff Plate said, 'Well, yeah, if you ever wanna do that, yeah, I'd love to get re-involved again. Sure. That'd be great.' I'm, like, 'Okay. Again, here I am saying this is the final tour. We're not doing anything, the farewell tour or whatever.' … So long story endless, suddenly there's Brian Allen, the singer, which would be the most important part of that. Then Dave bringing a certain credibility to it. And then Jeff coming back. I was, like, 'Okay.' So I kind of started putting some songs together, songs started happening. But then the SAVATAGE thing took off, which I couldn't be happier for [Jeff] and all of those guys… So [Jeff] couldn't continue [with METAL CHURCH]. Lo and behold, Ken Mary, an old friend of ours from Seattle, who is a transplant down here as well, reaches out to me for some other complete other reason, and I'm, like, 'Are you still in FLOTSAM?' He goes, 'Yeah, yeah. But we don't work on all that much.' 'Hey, well, [I'm] kind of thinking about maybe seeing if I… I kind of started putting METAL CHURCH back together, but Jeff is really busy with the SAVATAGE reunion.' And he's, like, 'Yeah. Oh, I'd love to do that.' I'm, like, 'Okay.' So it was kind of a no-brainer at that point. So there you have it."

Kurdt went on to say that the first two songs that were released from METAL CHURCH's upcoming "Dead To Rights" album, "Brainwash Game" and "F.A.F.O.", are "getting a great response, and people seem to like" it. "But it's a really good bunch of guys [we have in the band now]," he explained. "And again, I had no intention of doing it. And so we made a record. We're really happy with the record. And so I guess we're back at it. It was kind of unplanned. It was resurrected by itself. So, yeah, I'm really happy. I'm still a little bit surprised of how it came together 'cause it wasn't on my radar. So that's basically, a very Reader's Digest, condensed version of how it happened. But that's basically it. And I know a lot of people, they want a lot of the dirt and stuff like that, and a couple of the other guys like to talk smack about what happened. Whatever. That's fine. I'm gonna keep to my promise, and if you guys wanna [talk smack], that's on you guys. That's fine. 'Cause I can't stand those Internet fights when this guy, formerly of this band, and this guy [says], 'He did this' and 'he did that'. I'm not doing that. No, I'm not doing that. If they have an issue, that's fine. They have their opinion, I have mine. But I'm not airing my stuff in public."

"Dead To Rights" will be released on April 10 via Rat Pak Records. The LP was produced by Vanderhoof and mixed and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z.

METAL CHURCH plans to hit the road extensively this year on the "Dead To Rights" tour.

Singer Marc Lopes joined METAL CHURCH in the summer of 2022 as the replacement for Howe, who tragically passed away in July 2021. Lopes's first and only studio album with METAL CHURCH was the aforementioned "Congregation Of Annihilation".

METAL CHURCH made its live debut with Lopes on June 3, 2023 at the Legions Of Metal festival at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois.

This past January, Lopes described METAL CHURCH as "a shit show" and blasted Vanderhoof over the way the band's recent lineup changes were handled. He went on to say that Kurdt had "no integrity" and accused the guitarist of displaying "cowardice" by "not confronting any of the issues, whether good or bad." He added that he had "to find out everything on the Internet" about what was actually going on with METAL CHURCH. "That was the ultimate 'fuck you'. And that does not bide well with me personally, which will be addressed in another time," he added.

Stet, an in-demand metal drummer who has also pounded the skins for W.A.S.P., BLACKFOOT and Lita Ford, briefly addressed his eight-year stint with METAL CHURCH in a social media post. He wrote in part: "After seeing recent [METAL CHURCH] interviews, Marc's statement, and Kurdt's response. There's clearly MANY things that need to be said. But in short, Marc was 100% accurate. Tho[ugh] he barely shared the tip of the iceberg of the bullshit, and he was much more kind than I'm going to be. There's truths that need to be told and facts that need to be shared. I'll be as kind as I can, but I'll be dissecting and explaining a shitshow."

Photo credit: Rick Moyer

During an appearance on the latest episode of the Mark And Me podcast, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe touched on his listening habits, revealing that he isn't a fan of streaming. "I don't stream now," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I don't use Spotify or Apple Music or any of that stuff. Well, I still buy. I listen to music on my iPhone, but I buy the album, the digital album from the iTunes store, or what I really like is [the American online music distribution platform] Bandcamp. The band gets the money [from Bandcamp]. So if the albums are available on Bandcamp, and I just want it 'to go' — I also buy vinyl, but I can't carry a record player around with me on tour — I will buy from Bandcamp as much as possible and have that and then put it in my iTunes to listen. Even with that, you can listen, you can preview stuff, like a song or two. On Bandcamp, you can listen to the whole thing, but half the time I kind of have this sort of, I guess, longing for the mystery of the old days. So I don't even preview much stuff. I listen to, like, one song."

He continued: "If I hear a song and — let's say for instance, the other night, my girlfriend and I, for Valentine's Day, we went to the goth prom; there was a goth prom. I painted my fingernails black and everything, wore my vampire fangs. We got all gothed up. Some friends of ours threw it — this band DEAD COOL from North Carolina threw it — and so there's us and 300 goth people there. And in between bands, over the stereo, there was a DJ, and he was playing some dark wave stuff. So I Shazamed it [using the Shazam music recognition app]. I'm, like, 'What is this? And it was just one song that I really liked, like a dance track. And I went on iTunes and bought it right there at the club — boom! And my girlfriend is, like, 'You better hope the whole record's good. You could have just bought one song.' And I'm, like, 'Eh, screw it.' Yeah, it's a mystery. And it also doesn't hurt, though, to be perfectly honest, because I am a professional musician, that the albums I buy are a tax write-off for me, 'cause it's research. [Laughs] Me, I'm [also] a bestselling author. My books I buy — tax write-off. It's part of my business."

LAMB OF GOD's tenth studio album, "Into Oblivion", came out on March 13 via Epic in the U.S. and Century Media in Europe.

In the lead-up to the LP's release, the band appeared on the covers of Metal Hammer and Kerrang!, with critics praising the album's intensity and relevance. The Associated Press featured the album in their weekly highlights, calling it "10 tracks of ferocity," while Brooklyn Vegan noted that "the band spends these 10 songs reminding the world that their reign as New Wave Of American Heavy Metal giants is far from over," and SPIN said the band is "channeling America's unraveling into a ferocious new album."

The album is available now across multiple formats, including various vinyl variants, a collectible "Into Oblivion" CD with a limited-edition companion zine featuring album art sketches, handwritten lyrics and never-before-seen studio photos.

Produced and mixed by longtime studio collaborator Josh Wilbur, "Into Oblivion" was recorded across multiple locations tied closely to the band's identity. Drums were tracked in Richmond, Virginia, with guitars and bass recorded at guitarist Mark Morton's home studio. Blythe recorded his vocals at the legendary Total Access studio in Redondo Beach, California, the birthplace of seminal punk records by BLACK FLAG, HÜSKER DÜ and DESCENDENTS.

LAMB OF GOD recently launched a spring North American tour with support from KUBLAI KHAN TX, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and SANGUISUGABOGG.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA have announced that their upcoming September 5, 2026 performance at this year's edition of the Rock In Rio festival in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil will focus only on the material written and recorded during the band's Derrick Green era. This means that none of the classic songs recorded by SEPULTURA's classic lineup, including such staples as "Roots Bloody Roots", "Territory" and "Refuse/Resist", will be played at the Rock In Rio show.

SEPULTURA's classic lineup fell apart in 1996 with the exit of the band's original frontman, Max Cavalera, after the rest of the band split with his wife, Gloria, as their manager. His brother, drummer Igor Cavalera, stuck around with the group for another 10 years before leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

Cleveland native Green went from fronting hardcore band OUTFACE in Ohio to relocating to New York and then joining SEPULTURA in 1997 and living in São Paulo, Brazil for nearly two decades. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Although SEPULTURA has maintained a diehard fanbase in all parts of the world throughout the band's three-and-a-half-decade-plus history, Max-era albums "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." were by far SEPULTURA's most commercially successful, having both been certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies.

When he was asked in a January 2020 interview with the "Scars And Guitars" podcast why he thinks SEPULTURA still gets asked about a possible reunion with Max, Derrick said: "I think for some people, it's hard for them to really move on. It's hard for people to change in general — for the fact that they're fearful of change, because of the unexpected when changing. It's hard for certain people, but that's okay. It's not where we're at musically, and thank god that we were able to move forward and not only rely on the past. I think it's natural for certain people that they gravitate to something that they've known from the past, and maybe that's just where they like to have their heads."

He continued: "I never wanted to be in that position, just because I'm an artist and, for me, it's important to really explore and to evolve, and change is actually necessary. And that's something that's happening in all of our lives, so I accept it and go with it and living within the moments that are happening now."

Derrick added: "I don't worry too much about other people and them being trapped in the past. It's just something I don't wanna be a part of or be near that. [Laughs]"

In November 2020, Green spoke in general terms about the challenges of stepping into an established and successful band, particularly when it comes to replacing someone who was a focal point in the group for nearly a decade and a half. He told "Talking Bollocks", the metal podcast hosted by ACID REIGN frontman-turned-stand-up-comedian Howard H. Smith: "Joining a band, replacing a person, especially the front person, is one of the most difficult things — switches or changes that can happen in a band. And I wasn't expecting anything to happen overnight. I knew it would take years for people to get past the actual change and start to really listen to what's happening in that moment. I felt that we had to really work on that; we had to earn that. I think the band itself had spent so many years getting to a position where they earned the level of respect that they got. So I felt the same way. We had a new combination of people in the band, and I felt that we were earning this respect again. And it's taken us to where we're at now, where now people can look back and say, 'Oh, I see it here. Oh, man. This is better. Oh, this got better.' Or some people are, like, 'This is my favorite.' And I realize everyone has their own opinions, but for me personally, I feel fantastic at the position that we're at. It's a complete battle and struggle, but it's something that I love doing. So there's no negativity drawn from that, being a battle and a struggle. It was something that was really important and needed in order to make it very real and very truthful, the music."

Earlier in 2020, SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. said that he has had "zero" contact with Max, adding that a reunion with the band's original frontman would have to happen "naturally."

Back in 2017, Igor Cavalera told The Salt Lake Tribune that he and Max "believe SEPULTURA doesn't really make sense nowadays, to do what they're doing." The drummer also downplayed the possibility of a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, saying: "Unless it's something really solid — and we haven't seen that from their part — of doing something totally professional and coming together, trying to do something like that. At the end of the day, it would be special for the fans, so it's not like a closed door, but at the same time, we have no time to spend energy with this kind of thing. So we just move forward."

Max echoed his brother's sentiments, telling The Salt Lake Tribune that he doesn't even think about his former bandmates much. "For a time — for a long time — there was a war in the press, like, 'He'll talk this, I'll talk that,'" he explained. "I got really tired of it, honestly. I'm not gonna do that anymore. So let them go their way and do their thing, and we're gonna do our thing, and I think that's the best for everybody."

While stopping short of completely ruling out a reunion of SEPULTURA's classic lineup, Max said: "Right now, we don't even need it. It's been so much of that kind of bad vibes through the years that I don't even know how that would even really work out. I think what [Igor and I] are doing is the closest thing to that, and it works great, it works like a charm. It's amazing."

SEPULTURA will release a new EP, "The Cloud Of Unknowing", on April 24 via Nuclear Blast Records. Described in a press release as "one of SEPULTURA's most diverse and emotionally resonant releases", the four-song "The Cloud Of Unknowing" EP "serves as a bittersweet farewell, showcasing the full spectrum of the band's creativity, reflecting both the ferocity and depth that have defined SEPULTURA's legacy."

SEPULTURA kicked off its farewell tour on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The sold-out show marked the band's debut performance with Greyson Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

SEPULTURA announced Eloy Casagrande's departure on February 27, 2024, explaining in a statement that he was leaving to join "another project", with Eloy later confirming that he was the new drummer of SLIPKNOT.

The news of Eloy's exit from SEPULTURA came just two months after the band announced it would celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024 by embarking on a "farewell tour" which would cover the entire globe.

In SEPULTURA's statement, the remaining bandmembers expressed their shock over Casagrande's departure, saying they were "taken by surprise" that their now-former drummer would "abandon everything related to SEPULTURA" less than a month prior to the start of the tour.

SEPULTURA is putting together a live album commemorating its last run of shows. The band is recording 40 songs in 40 different cities for what will be a "massive compilation of our best, most energetic moments on stage," according to a statement released by SEPULTURA in December 2023.

The final North American leg of SEPULTURA's "Celebrating Life Through Death" tour will feature support from thrash legends EXODUS, hardcore heavyweights BIOHAZARD, and newcomers TRIBAL GAZE. The trek will kick off on April 29 in Montclair, New Jersey and will visit major cities across the U.S. and Canada, including Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles, before concluding on May 29 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Along the way, SEPULTURA will also perform at major festivals, including Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple.

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan will release his debut solo album, "Gargoyle Of The Garden State", on June 12 via earMUSIC. The LP, which will be made available under the BOLAN banner, was produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who previously worked on SKID ROW's 2022 album "The Gang's All Here", and it will feature guest appearances by Rachel's SKID ROW bandmates Dave "Snake" Sabo (guitar),Scotti Hill (guitar) and Rob Hammersmith (drums),along with Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR),Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME),Danko Jones, Steve Conte (NEW YORK DOLLS) and Damon Johnson (BROTHER CANE, LYNYRD SKYNYRD).

According to a press release, "Gargoyle Of The Garden State" is "a bold, deeply personal debut rooted in the grit, attitude, and storytelling spirit of his New Jersey upbringing."

The album began as a simple conversation between friends. What started casually quickly evolved into a record that would ultimately define Bolan's voice as both a songwriter and storyteller.

"'Gargoyle Of The Garden State' is not a project; it is every bit of my soul," says Bolan. "Like me, it knows when to be serious and also knows where the party is."

Musically, the album delivers hook-driven, anthemic songs that fuse punk energy with melodic sensibility, wrapped in swagger and raw edge what early listeners have already called "quintessentially New Jersey." Among its standout moments is a surprising cover of OASIS's "Rock And Roll Star", reimagined through Bolan's distinctive lens.

Expanding beyond his role as a bassist, Bolan performs the majority of instruments, shaping the record from the ground up. Drawing on influences from Britpop and glam to punk rock and new wave, the album represents a lifetime in music.

"It was incredible to work with so many of my talented friends an experience I wish everyone could have at least once," Bolan adds.

"Gargoyle Of The Garden State" will be available as CD digipak, LP gatefold, as well as digital and download.

The official music video for the LP's first single, "At War With Myself", featuring Canadian rocker Danko Jones, can be seen below.

Bolan discussed "Gargoyle Of The Garden State" during a recent appearance on the "Rockstrap" podcast hosted by rock and roll comedian Don Jamieson and radio veteran /musician Keith Roth. Rachel said: "It doesn't sound like SKID ROW. I'm doing most of the singing. I've got a few guests on there. Our buddy Steve Conte is singing a song. The first single Danko Jones is singing with me. And then there's another song that Corey Taylor sang. So there's that. Snake played a solo. Scotti played a solo. Damon Johnson played a bunch of solos. Nuno Bettencourt played a solo. Hammersmith played drums on the whole thing. It's a whole bunch of buds on there, and it's cool, man. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Nick produced it. He produced the [last] SKID ROW record, and every worth-a-shit Active Rock band that's out there, he produced. He's so great to work with because he is such a fan of music."

He continued: "When we did my solo record, I played most of the guitars, most of the singing, all the bass. I didn't do drums and I didn't do some of the solos, so most of the solos. So it was a whole different dynamic that way [from making a SKID ROW album with Nick], because he was just talking to me. So it made it go a lot quicker. Stuff didn't have to clear the committee's vote and stuff and shit like that. So it was cool, man. And to see him excited about something that I wrote again, it was awesome, man. It was a really, really fun process.

Asked if he is "doing any covers" on his solo album, Rachel said: "[I'm] doing one," apparently referencing OASIS's "Rock And Roll Star". "I'm not gonna tell you [what it is]… I did it just for the hell of it because I heard it on the radio and I was, like, 'Man, I didn't know that was them.' And so I was, like, 'It's a cool tune.' And I was, like, 'I'm gonna completely change this — not change the chord structure or lyrics or anything, but I'm gonna change the vibe of it.' So I did it, expecting the band never to be heard from again, and then they were. And I'm, like, 'Oh, okay.'"

In July 2024, Bolan married his longtime girlfriend Leila Porreca.

The 62-year-old Bolan, who was born James Richard Southworth, was previously married to Donna "Roxxi" Feldman from June 1994 until less than a decade later, when they got divorced.

A couple of years ago, Rachel moved back to his former home state of New Jersey after living in Nashville, Tennessee for about eight years. Prior to relocating to Nashville, Bolan had resided in Atlanta, Georgia for about 14 years.

SKID ROW is currently looking for a new singer following the departure of Erik Grönwall in March 2024.

Sebastian Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Photo credit: Anabel DFlux (courtesy of earMUSIC)

In a new interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner spoke about the status of the recording sessions for the remainder of the songs for the long-awaited follow-up to the band's 2012 album "Fire From The Sky". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As far as SHADOWS FALL goes, we're painstakingly trying to finish our record. We're trying to finish the latest recordings we have. We're gonna get something out this year, we know, at some point. Anyways, we're trying to finish that. The biggest hurdle has been trying to get Zeuss [longtime producer Chris Harris] locked in, because he's producing it still, he's doing all the engineering, he's doing all the tracking, but since basically he's on call with Rob Zombie, he's in Connecticut with him a lot. So it's waiting for [Zeuss] to be free so we can get the rest of this stuff done so we can finally get it finished. But Jon [SHADOWS FALL guitarist Jonathan Donais] starts touring with ANTHRAX now too, 'cause they're gonna be putting out their new record. That's a big factor right there, 'cause Jon's gonna be gone. Jon from ANTHRAX will be too busy to be Jon from SHADOWS FALL… So, as I said, we're trying to get our studio stuff finished as far as SHADS goes and hopefully get out there as soon as we can."

SHADOWS FALL recently released its first two singles in more than 12 years: "Souls Devoured", which came out in May 2025, and "In The Grey", which was made available in December 2024. Both tracks were issued via SHADOWS FALL's new record label home, MNRK Heavy.

Regarding how SHADOWS FALL's songwriting approached has changed and evolved in the years since they released new music as a band, Jason told Laughingmonkeymusic: "We just know what we do well together. Let's just say, I think the fire was under mine and Jon's asses, let's just put it that way. We were full of piss and vinegar and we had some shit to say with this record. For me, it was coming back home to my family and being able to play drums the way I wanna play them without being questioned about it."

Referencing SHADOWS FALL's upcoming album, Jason said: "I'm really excited about it. I mean, I wish it could be [released] sooner, but whenever we get something out, it's gonna be definitely well worth the wait."

On the topic of SHADOWS FALL's touring plans, Jason said: "The way it's been put to me, I'm pretty sure that we're not gonna be doing much of anything until we have a product put out. So with that thought process, if we kind of lay low, I would say that if we put something out, I would tend to think that would generally be followed with probably as much stuff as we could do to back that. SHADOWS FALL will come first over anything else that I'm doing, because that's my main thing. With Jon, SHADOWS FALL, yeah, it's his band, but it's not his main priority. His main priority is ANTHRAX, which is understandable. That's who pays him."

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

In a recent interview with Guitar World, guitarist Jason Richardson was asked if it was a "difficult decision" to exit ALL THAT REMAINS last July after a nearly seven-year run with the band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Kind of, but not, simultaneously. I don't wanna get into the weeds of it publicly, but I'm still cool with all of the guys in the band. It was mostly just a business thing. And things just were not executed like they were promised to be, from management and the people tasked with putting the [tenth ALL THAT REMAINS] record [2025's 'Antifragile'] out. I'm glad the record exists, but the fact that it's already been out almost a year and there hasn't been one show. So it's, like, there's just a lot of things on the business side in the back end that I was not happy with at all. It has nothing to do with anyone's personality or anyone in the band at all. It just wasn't, in my opinion — like, I could be doing other things than trying to make that work when it so clearly was not going to — from my perspective, at least."

Jason continued: "I still love the guys. I love the record. I loved working with [producer] Josh Wilbur, the guy who did the album. He's phenomenal. And that's probably one of the best things about that record, for me at least, is now I have a great relationship with him, and we're gonna keep working together. But I am happy all those songs are real, so there's that at least."

This past January, it was announced that former UNEARTH and AS I LAY DYING guitarist Ken Susi had officially joined ALL THAT REMAINS as Jason's replacement.

Richardson grew up in Manassas, Virginia. His father is a musician, and instruments were all over the house. He took piano lessons in the fourth grade, but gave them up. Though he could emulate what his teacher was doing on the keys, he couldn't learn — yet — to read music. In the fifth grade, he tried violin and drums. The kit became his main instrument for a time, but he wanted to learn guitar in order to be able to write songs. At 12, his father gave him a gothic black Gibson Les Paul. He practiced endlessly. Obsessed with the band DREAM THEATER and in particular the song "This Dying Soul", he began cutting lawns and doing odd jobs in order to purchase a seven-string instrument. He bought his first at 14. His inventive technique began to develop while in a local band called GALLOWS HILL (with future VEIL OF MAYA bassist Danny Hauser). Trying to promote the group, he answered a trade ad to audition for ALL SHALL PERISH, hoping he could shine a light on his own group. Instead, he won the audition and left high school in February 2009 — with three months left until graduation. He hit the road for 10 months with ALL SHALL PERISH. After touring together with BORN OF OSIRIS, Richardson filled in on a tour for guitarist Tosin Abasi (ANIMALS AS LEADERS) ,who was playing with the band at the time and had a scheduling conflict. Richardson ended up leaving ALL SHALL PERISH to begin his tenure with BORN OF OSIRIS. He remained with the group for more than two years and played on 2011's "The Discovery". Richardson then joined deathcore act CHELSEA GRIN following the departure of guitarist Michael Stafford when he was unceremoniously fired from BORN OF OSIRIS in 2011. He remained with the band until 2015, playing on the "Evolve" and "Lilith" EPs and 2014's "Ashes To Ashes" album. His departure was mutual and amicable. Almost immediately, Richardson launched a crowdfunding effort to finance his debut solo effort. He reached his goal quickly and went into the studio, playing many instruments himself and enlisting help from friends including drummer Luke Holland, vocalists Spencer Sotelo (PERIPHERY) and Lukas Magyar (VEIL OF MAYA) and guest guitarists such as Rick Graham, Jeff Loomis, Nick Johnston, Mark Holcomb (PERIPHERY) and Jacky Vincent. The album I was issued in the summer of 2016.

Richardson joined ALL THAT REMAINS on lead guitar after the tragic passing of their lead guitarist and co-founding member Oli Herbert in late 2018.

The follow-up album to his well-received first solo effort, "II", was released in the summer of 2022 and has Luke Holland on the drums again and a guest spot from POLYPHIA's Tim Henson.

Richardson has also collaborated with such artists as FALLING IN REVERSE, POLYPHIA, AUGUST BURNS RED, VEIL OF MAYA and WITHIN DESTRUCTION.

Image courtesy of Ernie Ball

In a new interview with New Breed TV, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares spoke about the band's upcoming studio album, which is tentatively due later this year via Nuclear Blast. The LP will mark FEAR FACTORY's first release with the band's latest additions, singer Milo Silvestro and drummer Pete Webber, who have been part of FEAR FACTORY's touring lineup for more than three years. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Each song will have its own detailed synopsis of what each song's about — lyrically. It's something that we kind of did on [1998's] 'Obsolete'. 'Obsolete' was more of a story. This is more of a description of each song, the intention behind it, what the lyrics mean, and it's gonna be intense. It's gonna be great. You're gonna be able to get more details that we're gonna be releasing through our web site or through Facebook or all through social medias. And, of course, you guys will be getting some of that detail as well. Because I noticed over the years, when it's just streaming stuff, you don't get all the details of the song. Sure, you get some lyrics and maybe you get some song credits, but they don't tell you the whole story behind it, the intention behind the riff or the beat or the lyrics. You don't get all that extra stuff… So you're gonna be able to get all the information of what [each song] is about. So it's gonna be killer."

Regarding the lyrical themes covered on FEAR FACTORY's upcoming LP, Dino said: "Overall, the record is gonna have one concept that it all blends together, of course. It's just not gonna necessarily be — how do I say it? — like a book. It's gonna be a narration of each song. And, of course, it's always the battle between organic and digital. Obviously we are now into the future of what we've been singing about since the '90s. Now we are 35 years later, where we are now, and that's what kind of like what we're talking about. Of course A.I. has taken over in a lot of aspects, and it's forever evolving, and it's gonna keep evolving. And we're enthusiastic about where it's gonna go, but also very cautious at the same time. To where we are in this new record is where humanity is — humanity is only left in fragments, and there's very little hope, a little chance for humanity to come back. And when it does come back, it's gonna be a new living organism that we haven't even discovered yet."

Asked if the previously released FEAR FACTORY song called "Roboticist", which was made available as an instrumental version in 2023 to promote the virtual guitar rig plugin and standalone app Toneforge Disruptor, will appear on the band's new album, Dino said: "Yes. The arrangement slightly changed — for the better, of course. 'Cause it was originally written as an instrumental, and the ending part of the song is now the middle part of the song. And it sounds amazing. So you just gotta check it out when it comes out."

Cazares also talked about the lyrical contributions of Silvestro, whose addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in February 2023.

"Well, it's definitely a huge collaborative effort between all of us, which is me and [longtime FEAR FACTORY collaborator] Damien [Rainaud], our producer," Dino explained. "Of course Milo wrote a good portion of lyrics. Of course I helped out. And we have a bass player named Ricky Bonazza, who fills in for Tony Campos. He helps a lot with the lyrics as well. So we all have collaborated lyrically on where we're going with this stuff and the whole story behind it. Milo definitely — the three years definitely helped him understand FEAR FACTORY even more and where he fits in the band."

Dino went on to say that part of the reason FEAR FACTORY has taken so long to release new music with Milo is the fact that expectations are very high for the band's first album without original vocalist Burton C. Bell.

"A lot of people are, like, 'Well, put out the record, put out the record.' We don't wanna rush," Dino explained. "We want it to be the shit, because this record, when it comes out, it's gonna be forever. So I wanna be able to live with a dope-ass record than something that's rushed because somebody wants us to put it out quickly. Although I enjoy the enthusiasm with the fans because they pester me every day. But it's a good pester, and I enjoy it. So I really appreciate that, because it really tells me that they're ready for it. It's Milo's first record, so he has to shine on this record. So we're definitely taking our time. I think lyrically and conceptually, that probably takes the longest."

Highlighting the fact that Silvestro had the freedom to put his own musical stamp on the new FEAR FACTORY album, Dino said: "Milo wrote a song. He wrote the closing track, which is really good. It's along the lines of [the epic cinematic ballad] 'Expiration Date' [from 2015's 'Genexus' album]. That's exactly how this is. I'd love to tell you the title, but I can't. It's really good. It's kind of, like, as humanity, we are gone, humans are gone. All that's left is microorganisms, and somehow… It's kind of like how they rediscovered the dinosaur, and they can extract some prehistoric blood and clone a dinosaur and bring 'em back. That's kind of where we are at the end of the record. And, yeah, it's a great song. It's great title. Milo pretty much did it all himself. '[Longtime FEAR FACTORY producer/collaborator] Rhys [Fulber] contributed some keyboards on it, so that's great. [Rhys is] definitely involved in that song heavily."

As for Milo's overall vocal approach to the new FEAR FACTORY material, Dino said: "There are elements where it's, like, okay, he sounds very similar to Burt, but there's other parts where he just sounds like it's a whole new thing, which adds a whole new freshness to the songs. I mean, we still have everything that makes FEAR FACTORY what we are — aggressive verses, screams, growls, and, of course, the big melodic choruses. We still have all that. But sometimes I do a double take and I'm, like, 'That sounds a lot like Burt.' And sometimes I'm, like, 'This is a whole new thing.' And you're gonna notice that through the whole record."

Cazares added: "[Milo] understands FEAR FACTORY and the sound. He respects the past and what me and the rest of the guys have created. He loves all that, so, of course, it's only natural for him to have a lot of those elements in him, because that's what he learned from."

Last October, the Italian-born Milo was asked by Music On 11 With Jimmy Black if he ever thought, before he joined FEAR FACTORY, that he would one day be singing the FF songs on stage with Dino and the rest of the band. He responded: "Never. Dude, the crazy thing about this whole journey is that I've always been a massive FEAR FACTORY fan — I knew every song, every lyric; it was crazy — but I have never thought or even wished that this thing could become true because, to me, it was stupid to even dream about it. It's kind of, like, you go, like, 'Oh, my favorite band is METALLICA and one day I hope that I will fill in for James Hetfield permanently.' I'm, like, [get the] fuck outta here. So, when people go, like, 'You're living a dream,' I'm, like, I'm living something that wasn't even my dream. I'm living something that is way higher than what was my expectations, which my expectations were simply just to make a living with maybe my own band or my own music, whether if it's metal, possibly metal, because it's always been like the genre that spoke to my soul the most. But I've been a musician since I was 12, 'cause of my parents, and so this is way beyond what was my expectation. So, when Dino started messaging me during the pandemic back in 2020, I was just shocked — no pun intended. And the crazy thing is that the video that I put on YouTube wasn't even meant to be in an audition. I just put a cover on YouTube because I was, like, 'Okay, I think I wanna start to be active on social media and just maybe put myself out there and just start a channel.' So the first cover that I did was a medley of 'Soul Of A New Machine' [FEAR FACTORY's debut album] songs, and, and the first guy that commented was Dino, and the rest is history."

Dino chimed in: "[Milo] really didn't know we were looking for anybody. No one really knew we were looking for anybody. I actually had put it out there that I was looking for a vocalist for [Dino's long-running side project] DIVINE HERESY and not necessarily FEAR FACTORY. So he thought that it was for DIVINE HERESY and not FEAR FACTORY at that time."

In August 2025, Dino spoke to Metalshop TV about what it has been like working with Milo. He said: "Well, it's been almost three years that we've been working with Milo Silvestro. And yeah, definitely he brings a new element to the band. He is reminiscent of what Burton sounded like back in '95, '96, maybe even '98, '99. People wanna hear those songs sang properly live, and Milo definitely delivers every night."

Earlier in August 2025, Dino talked to Neil Jones of TotalRock about the fans' reaction to Milo's addition to FEAR FACTORY, saying the vocalist was "100%" well received by the band's longtime followers. "We took him through rigorous training 'cause he was pretty much fresh off the boat," Cazares explained. "And so, everything from how he performs live on stage, how to handle the media, how to handle the criticism online. I pretty much taught him everything I knew to get through all this and to be prepared for what's to come."

Asked when he knew that he definitely made the right choice by picking Milo to front FEAR FACTORY after a split with Bell, Dino said: "Right in the rehearsal room. He was the only guy that showed up that didn't have to look at his phone for the lyrics, what he sang. I had a P.A. I played instrumentals through the P.A. And whoever was auditioning, I gave him the mic. Everybody was, like, 'Oh…' Milo was prepared. And then he was so prepared, he was saying, 'What about this song? I'm, like, 'Oh, okay.' Put another song. And then through the course of three days, he did 15 songs. And he didn't have to look at the fucking lyrics."

In a separate interview with the Mike James Rock ShowMilo spoke about what it has been like spending most of the last three years on the road with such an internationally acclaimed metal act as FEAR FACTORY. He responded: "Yeah. I'm really thankful for all the fans that are accepting with open arms this new lineup of FEAR FACTORY because it's really not an easy thing… It's a really big legacy and we're trying to honor it as much as we can."

He continued: "I'm a really meticulous, picky individual when it comes to replicating something. We're playing 'Demanufacture' in its entirety [on the current tour], so I went back to the stems of the record and even listened to vocals closely and just tried to replicate every nuance that Burt did. So, yeah, we try to make it right and we appreciate that the fans are supporting this."

Elaborating on the way he approaches singing the parts which were originally written and recorded by Bell, the Italian-born Silvestro said: "I try to sneak in some bits of my vocal personality, but not too much to change it completely. I try to sound like the original singer, because his vocal legacy of the band is such an iconic vocal sound, and you wanna nail that style. I'm still working on playing a cappella and try to nail the sound more and more and more because I think this band deserves it."

Asked if he ever has to "take stock" and realize that he is now actually the vocalist of FEAR FACTORY, a band that he had been listening to for so many years, Milo said: "All the time. I've always been a hardcore FEAR FACTORY fan, and for me, this is beyond crazy. When people are, like, 'This is a dream come true,' I go, like, 'This wasn't even supposed to be a dream.' My dreams were right here [raises his hand to his nose level] — maybe having some kind of success with my own bands. But this is just right here [raises his hand way above his head] or maybe even higher. It's so crazy to the point of fucking with your brain… [It's] so surreal that it's kind of like a drug for my brain. Like, what's going on? I mean, I love it. Also, it wasn't like most of the bands, like Dino, all these artists, they progressively went higher and higher when they were young. In my case, I spent most of my life, up until I was 32, 33, as a local musician in Rome [Italy], and then all of a sudden — boom — big stages and festivals, interviews, being known. And I'm, like, what's going on? But it's cool — don't get me wrong — but sometimes it's just, like, 'Whoa.'"

Also in early August, Cazares told Slovakia's Tomketoviny about Silvestro and Webber: "The fans are reacting great [to the new lineup]. It's been all positive reaction. Milo, obviously, he auditioned 'cause we were looking for a vocalist. We got more than 300 submissions of a videotape of… This was during COVID, so a lot of people couldn't get on a plane and come see me. So a lot of it was just done online. And so we had a lot of submissions, and it was a lot of stuff to go through. But one stood out, and that was Milo. And that was pretty much how he got the gig. When the travel ban was lifted, he was able to fly into L.A. and physically auditioned. So that worked out. And Pete — we had another drummer at the time [Mike Heller], but our drummer had some prior commitments and he couldn't make it. And then Pete filled in and we decided to keep Pete. We liked his attitude, we liked the way he played, and that's really important."

FEAR FACTORY's current lineup features Cazares, Silvestro, Webber and Tony Campos on bass.

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, featured Cazares, Heller and Bell.

In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect, apparently referring to Cazares.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY had been a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it."

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)