POWERRAGE, the new band featuring former EXCITER guitarist John Ricci, bassist Todd Pilon (formerly of WITCHKILLER),vocalist Jacques Bélanger (who previously sang on three EXCITER albums: "The Dark Command" [1997], "Blood Of Tyrants" [2000] and "New Testament" [2004]) and drummer Lucas Dery, has released its second single, "Dragon Man". You can now check out the official lyric video for the song below.

"Dragon Man" is taken from POWERRAGE's debut album, "Beast", which will arrive on April 24 via High Roller Records. The LP was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound and it features artwork by Mario Lopez.

In a recent interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series, Ricci stated about how POWERRAGE's formation came about: "Well, after [I left] EXCITER in 2018, I just wanted to take a break from everybody and everything, 'cause after decades of dealing with certain situations and traveling and all that kind of stuff, I just needed to get away. But I've said many times, Todd, our bass player, kind of encouraged me to speed it up a little bit and put a new band together. So, Todd and I were the first two of the lineup. And then, of course, we needed vocals. So Jacques Bélanger, who played on three EXCITER records, I called him up and asked him if he was interested, but I told him, 'It's not gonna be EXCITER number two.' I just wanted to move on and try something different, but without losing the essence of what EXCITER was or what I'm about. And he was totally into it when I contacted him. So I did tell him the vocal style was gonna be a bit different from the way he normally sings. And again, he was okay with that. The toughest thing was the drummer, trying to find the right drummer. So we did try drummers, but for one reason or another, they didn't work out. I had an ad out for a drummer, and we got a call from Lucas, who's our drummer now. And I liked his attitude on the phone, when he called me. So, to me, the attitude is 50% of if it's gonna be successful or not. So we gave him some songs. He came down to our rehearsal hall right here, and he passed the audition. So his background is not really an all-out metal drum style — that's not what his roots are — but he did adapt very, very well to what I wanted and what my vision is. And he bought a bigger drum kit — more of a heavy metal double-bass kit, and et cetera, et cetera. And then I got really deep into the songwriting."

Speaking about "Dark Wings", which was the first single from "Beast", Ricci said: "'Dark Wings', actually, was a later song that I wrote. It wasn't in the initial batch of the songs that appear on the album, so it was almost like an afterthought. But you were mentioning before that 'Dark Wings' sounds aggressive and brutal, [and] because it's partially frustration on my part after 40-plus years of trying to play in a band and be successful. And there was a lot of times where EXCITER was held back for one reason or another. So all that frustration is coming out in my new songwriting. So that's probably why that 'Dark Wings' song is right in your face. It doesn't spare anybody."

On the topic of the overall music direction of "Beast", Ricci said: "When you hear the whole album, it's in the same vein as 'Dark Wings'. The album has 50% slow, doomy-type songs, and the other 50% is very high-energy, thrashy, fast songs. So it's a nice balance. But I tried to write these songs from a very original point of view. I didn't wanna follow a formula, a heavy metal songwriting formula. I was trying to sound as original as possible because there's so much competition today than there was in the '80s… It's hard not to get lost in a heavy metal market. Concert promoters and managers and record companies have such a great choice of who they wanna sign to a deal. How are you supposed to stand out? All these great shredding guitar players and a lot of great vocalists too."

While Ricci and Bélanger were both members of EXCITER, John wanted to make one thing perfectly clear. "Well, with this band I didn't want to be another EXCITER," he said in a press release. "It was time to move on. Even though EXCITER was based around my guitar style, and it was a successful formula, I wanted to start from scratch and start all over again.

"Starting over and not depending on your past accomplishments is definitely a very difficult task but I feel confident enough I can make it happen," he continued.

It's hard to pin down, but listening to the eight songs on "Beast", you will get a large dose of very heavy, early doom/death metal, as well as some classic EXCITER and also a lot of early MERCYFUL FATE. Asked if this description makes any sense at all, Ricci said: "Yes, I agree with you about the comparisons you mentioned. Doom influence yes, EXCITER classic riffing yes, but MERCYFUL FATE influence? I would say that was not intentional. It was just the way I envisioned the vocals; it was a coincidence."

"When it was time to record the album, we decided to do it the same way as the preceding two-song demo," continued Ricci, "live off the floor in our rehearsal studio. My longtime friend/producer Manfred Leidecker and engineer George Henderson set up a mobile studio and recorded the music, but the vocals were recorded in Manfred's studio (under a more controlled environment). The album was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound.

"I wrote everything on 'Beast': music, lyrics, melodies," Ricci explained. "POWERRAGE is 100 % my musical vision. All eight songs are brand-new — no rehashed riffs from my EXCITER days."

"Beast" track listing:

01. Dark Wings
02. Cremation Damnation
03. Dragon Man
04. Haunted Hell
05. I Torture I Kill
06. The Devil Is Screaming
07. Damned And Cursed
08. The Black Mass

More than seven years ago, EXCITER bassist Allan Johnson spoke to The Metal Voice about the September 2018 departure of Ricci. The guitarist has since been replaced by Daniel Dekay, who has previously played with DIEMONDS. Asked why Ricci decided to once again exit EXCITER, Allan said: "Well, that's still somewhat of a mystery. We haven't seen or actually spoke with John since it happened. We got back from our Singapore gig, and we started some e-mail chats back and forth, and John just said he's kind of getting fed up and he wants out. Dan [Beehler, drums/vocals] and I were actually quite surprised about this. First thing I said was we've got shows next year — tentative shows; nothing concrete — a couple coming up. They start to filter in quite quicky this time of year for 2019. So John said, 'You and Dan can go ahead and do the shows without me.' And that was pretty much it. He didn't give a solid reason why. I don't know what he meant by 'fed up,' but he said he was fed up. I confirmed with him. I said, 'Are you sure about this?' And he said, 'Yeah, I'm definitely out.'"

Ricci previously left EXCITER in 1985 following the release of the band's first three classic albums — "Heavy Metal Maniac" (1983),"Violence & Force" (1984) and "Long Live the Loud" (1985).

"It's funny because the first thing I said to Dan when I contacted him [to let him know John was out] was I texted him and I said, 'Guess what — it's 1985 all over again,'" Allan said. "And he said, 'What? What?' Like, what's going on? It's funny — it's like déjà vu. [In 1985], we came back from a U.S. tour and John said, 'I'm out. That's it. I don't wanna do it anymore.' And we were, like, 'Well, we've got a Germany tour. What do you wanna do?' And he said, 'Do it without me.' So back then, we got our old guitarist, Brian McPhee, from a band that Dan and I played with before we were in EXCITER. So it was like total déjà vu. Only this time we have an opportunity to do things better than we did back in '85. And by having Dekay onboard, I think we're gonna definitely do that."

EXCITER's latest album, "Death Machine", which featured Ricci as the sole remaining original member, was released in October 2010 via Massacre Records.

Ricci, Beehler and Johnson reunited as EXCITER in 2014 and had been playing sporadic shows until John's latest departure.

Portuguese gothic metal pioneers MOONSPELL have released the first single and title track of their upcoming studio album "Far From God", offering a first glimpse into what promises to be one of the band's most defining offerings to date. "Far From God" will be released on July 3 via Napalm Records.

Born out of five years of creative searching, doubt, and ultimate rediscovery, the album marks a powerful return for the band. Far from playing it safe, MOONSPELL deliver a work that feels like a rebirth: darker, sharper, and emotionally unfiltered. Rather than bending to modern trends, the band doubles down on identity and substance, presenting a bold and beautiful statement of gothic metal in its purest form: Dark, romantic, dramatic, and unapologetically heavy.

The first single, "Far From God", sets the tone with burning intensity. A hymn to tragic vampiric love, the song revives the mystique and romantic darkness that once defined the genre, while layered keyboards subtly expand the atmosphere without softening its heaviness. Dense guitars, deep resonant vocals, and dramatic dynamic shifts evoke a timeless gothic aesthetic, restoring danger, and elegance to the narrative of the vampire.

MOONSPELL frontman Fernando Ribeiro comments on the track: "I lost my faith and hope in vampires for quite a few years. They became the clowns of Hollywood, the cheap Halloween shop customs, the old and disgraceful Princes From The East. Until the film director Robert Eggers brought us 'Nosferatu' in 2024 and I was immediately attracted back to that tragic, romantic character who Bram Stoker immortalized in his letters. I wrote 'Far From God' in just one breath and it's our first song about vampiric love in ages. I confess I felt the urge of, together with MOONSPELL, saving the face of gothic metal which became hostage of semi-tuned operatic female vocalists, simpleton and crunchy guitar riffs; and of lyrical content that would make Dracula impale himself with a stake in his bloodless heart. This song is the essence of this album, its title, its video, its soul. And you can even feel the fire of daylight burning into yours and your lover's skin."

Thematically, "Far From God" moves through Baudelairian love, existential guilt, and redemption, Christ-like resurrections and the quiet nobility of creatures of the night. Vampires, werewolves, and sacred symbolism are not escapism here, but vehicles for genuine dark emotion: Solemn, romantic, and unfiltered. The album rejects artificial gloss in favor of fantasy grounded in sincerity, rediscovering the heart of gothic metal in its most authentic form.

"To create 'Far From God', we had to wait for the muse," Ribeiro admits. "Again, she didn't fail us and revealed herself in the most mysterious and beautiful ways to us. It took us five long years of hit and miss, of despairing to the point of thinking we didn't have it anymore, and why should we at all create new music? But I'm glad we persisted. 'Far From God' is a true crusade against the decline of the style in the past few years, a darkly crafted statement that MOONSPELL is here to stay and to claim our throne. No politics, no socials, no intervention, just sickly romantic love, vampires, werewolves so we can all die of beauty, in peace and elegance. Goth bless you."

MOONSPELL's forthcoming magnum opus — produced with Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, SÓLSTAFIR, GHOST, among many others) — shines like a black diamond, luminous yet shadowed in texture and color, both musically and sonically. It reconnects with the darker spirit of MOONSPELL's classic era while sounding powerful and contemporary. "Far From God" is not nostalgia; it is a statement. A gothic metal hallelujah. MOONSPELL's 21st century "Irreligious". It's not only a powerful reminder that MOONSPELL remain a defining force in the genre they helped shape, but an album that will truly save gothic metal from boredom and predictability.

"Far From God" track listing:

01. Cross Your Heart
02. Far From God
03. Biblical
04. The Great Wolf In The Sky (feat. Alicia Nuhr/Strings)
05. Your Promise Of Light
06. For The Love Of Mortals
07. Our Freedom To Fall
08. Reconquista

The artwork was painted by Eliran Kantor and can be seen below.

On March 7, Fernando took part in a live question-and-answer session on MOONSPELL's Instagram, in which he said about the musical direction of the band's upcoming follow-up to 2021's "Hermitage": "Let's say the people that have listened to it now so far call it the 'Irreligious' [MOONSPELL's second album, which came out in 1996] of the 21st century. And why? Because we had many places to go, so we are going to a place that is more familiar to us. So, it's a gothic metal album. It's an album that doesn't have the social or quite the philosophical tones of other albums. It's a very simple album. It's very melodic. It's very atmospheric. It's very delicate and it's very emotional for us too. It was recorded in Porto [Portugal] during these past few months with Jaime Gomez Arellano, the one that worked with us on 'Hermitage'. There's going to be a lot of clean vocals, yeah. But it's also MOONSPELL. The fortunate people that have listened to it so far, people that work with us, the producer, close friends, they say it's MOONSPELL. And for us it's the best compliment."

Fernando continued: "It's very, very hard to speak about our own music, and why? Because it's an important part of our life and hopefully an important part of your life too. So the best things in life, I think, you fail to explain. It's just a question of feeling. But what we have tried to do on this album was to try to underline some characteristics of MOONSPELL, which are more bordering the romantic and more bordering the existential vibes of our band and of our music and of our life."

Regarding the songwriting process for "Far From God", Fernando said: "It was a difficult album to write. We had a lot of trial and error. I made, like, 50-something [sets of] lyrics. I had 10 album titles, and that's not very common in MOONSPELL."

Elaborating on the long gap between "Hermitage" and "Far From God", Fernando said: "In a nutshell, after 'Hermitage', you know what happened. There was the pandemic, there was a lot of stuff, picking up life, picking up the pieces, I would say, and finding out the direction. So the direction we did, it's what we do the best, I think. It's the gothic metal."

He added: "It has a bit of everything, I have to say, of the MOONSPELL nature. There are songs that are quite dark and a bit disturbing. There are songs that are very uplifting, but I think, really, it's the 'Irreligious' of the 21st century. It's an album that doesn't have anything else than gothic and metal."

On the topic of the decision to lean more into the "gothic" side of the MOONSPELL sound this time around, Fernando said: "I've been listening to a lot of gothic music, not only the old legends, like FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM or THE SISTERS OF MERCY, LOVE LIKE BLOOD or BAUHAUS, et cetera, but also the FRENCH POLICE, TWIN TRIBES, a lot of Spanish goth too. And I really got into that vibe. So, we decided to go that way. It's always hard to choose. We could make a heavier album. We could make an album in Portuguese. We could make an album industrial-like. So that's the price of the MOONSPELL freedom. I think every fan has [their] moments with our music. Some albums were not very well understood at the beginning and then they were catching up. I think 'Hermitage' still has a lot of catching up to do. So let's see how 'Far From God' gets you. I think it's really a beautiful album."

He continued: "To be honest, after this revival of gothic, with especially those bands, more electro bands, TWIN TRIBES, FRENCH POLICE, et cetera, I felt that the 'gothic metal' term was just easily abused. Because a lot of it doesn't have pain, doesn't have love, doesn't have desperation. It's just the flowers, but not the wither flowers. So it's just the stardust but not the dust. So we decided to bring this melancholy back."

As for the cover artwork of the "Far From God" album, Fernando said: "It's made by Eliran Kantor. It's a beautiful cover artwork. I loved it since the day I saw the sketch. It's not probably the cover you expected from MOONSPELL — I don't know why — but, yeah, I think it's beautiful. And if fits really the album. There'll be two or three music videos for this album."

October 26, 2024 saw MOONSPELL perform its first-ever symphonic show, dubbed "Opus Diabolicum", at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal's capital city. The band made history at this unforgettable live event, adding another magnificent chapter to both metal music made in Portugal and their very own legacy. A year later — on October 31, 2025 — this monumental event was made available to view anytime, available in DVD/Blu-ray, two-CD, black and colored vinyl and digital formats via Napalm Records.

On "Opus Diabolicum", MOONSPELL revisited its classics and its bombastic album "1755" at a one-off, exclusive show and its biggest production to date. The heavy metallic power of the dark metal pioneers met the classical magnitude of the 45-piece Orquestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa (Lisbon Sinfonietta Orchestra) — one of Portugal's finest orchestras — conducted by maestro Vasco Pearce de Azevedo.

In September 2022, MOONSPELL released a very special Blu-ray/DVD and album, a live performance of their latest studio album, "Hermitage", with "From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep" via Napalm Records.

"Hermitage" was released in February 2021 via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, PRIMORDIAL, GHOST, SÓLSTAFIR) at the Orgone Studios in the U.K.

In 2020, MOONSPELL parted ways with original drummer Miguel "Mike" Gaspar and replaced him with Hugo Ribeiro (no relation to Fernando Ribeiro).

MOONSPELL is:

Fernando Ribeiro - Vocals
Ricardo Amorim - Guitars
Pedro Paixão - Keys
Aires Pereira - Bass
Hugo Ribeiro - Drums

Photo credit: Chantik Photography by Sonja Schuringa

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King will enter the studio in April 2026 to begin recording the follow-up album to his solo debut, "From Hell I Rise", which came out in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music. A new tour in support of the upcoming effort will launch in early 2027, according to the talent agency Independent Artist Group, which has just signed SLAYER and King's solo band for representation outside the U.S. and Canada.

In a 2025 interview with Reigning Phoenix Music's Reigning TV, King said about his plans for is second solo album:  "Well, it's vague because there's planning, there's a record company's perspective, but we have enough material for the next one already. I just started writing lyrics on it. I sent 'em to [singer Mark Osegueda]. He got the first song the other day. So, as long as I can get off my ass and get some lyrics happening, I would love to record before New Year's and then just give it to the record company and say, 'Whenever you want, there it is.' If it becomes January, February, that's fine too, because I don't think we're gonna be doing any shows. But I wanna keep these guys working because you've gotta keep the train rolling… [Mark] likes the lyrics too." Osegueda concurred, saying: "I do. The lyrics to the new song are vicious."

Joining Kerry in his new band are Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL),guitarist Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH) and drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER).

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the now-61-year-old SLAYER guitarist. The LP was recorded in 2023 at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles.

In April 2025, King was asked by Igor Miranda of Rolling Stone Brasil if he would like to "maybe explore some different influences, like going a little more into punk rock" on the next album. Kerry said: "I don't know. I think punk was pretty well covered on ['From Hell I Rise'], from 'Everything I Hate About You' to 'Two Fists', two very different punk styles. So it wouldn't surprise me if that shows up 'cause it's part of my history. And I think, overall, my thought would be just make an extension from what 'From Hell I Rise' is, just keep doing [things the same way], see what the next 10 or 12 [songs] sound like."

King also talked about his working relationship with "From Hell I Rise" producer Josh Wilbur, who had previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others. He said: "A lot of musicians say he's like the extra person in the band; he was like member number six. And he really was. His skill at the Pro Tools rig — he's so fast. He would get on his computer, and I'm just sitting there with my guitar, trying to figure out how to play something better. And he's just doing [something on] his computer, and he's, like, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. 'How's this?' I'm, like, 'I don't even know where you are.' He's so fast and so good, I don't know what he did. He would have to show me, and I'm, like, 'Yeah, it sounds great.' But I could not follow what he was doing. His mind is going a million miles an hour, and he definitely became familiar with the songs before we recorded 'em. He came in with suggestions before the last week of rehearsals, and [I] shot most of them down, but we kept one or two. It's, like, I'm open to ideas — usually I've thought of 'em, but he had a couple that I didn't. I'm, like, 'I like that. I can't believe I didn't think of that.' So, yeah, he was very hands-on, very cool guy. I loved working with him and he loved working with us. So we're hoping the windows line up to where we're both free [to make the second album together]."

King kicked off his first-ever headlining tour on January 15, 2025 at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California. The trek, which featured MUNICIPAL WASTE as special guest and ALIEN WEAPONRY supporting, wrapped at House of Blues in Las Vegas on February 22, 2025.

King authored all the lyrics on "From Hell I Rise", mainly for logistical reasons. "I finished everything before Mark knew he had the gig," he explained. "But that's not to say he will or won't write on record two." Circumstances dictated that King sing on all "From Hell I Rise" demos. "I did scratch vocals on everything," King said, adding, "I'm not a singer. I'm a guitar player. I've got conviction when I sing, but I have no range, and I need some distortion to help me out a little bit. There was always, 'I got this if whatever we're looking for doesn't work.' Luckily, we didn't have to go that route."

In 2024, Kerry said that he knew people would compare "From Hell I Rise" to SLAYER. "I'm not afraid of that because I think it stands up to anything we've done in our history, musically, performance-wise," he said. But he was quick to add: "There will be people complaining, 'Why does it sound like SLAYER?' And 'why doesn't it sound more like SLAYER? That's just what people do."

In early May 2024, the KERRY KING band performed its first live show at Reggies in Chicago. In the days following, the band went from playing an intimate venue to performing at the huge U.S. festivals Welcome To Rockville (Florida) and Sonic Temple (Ohio).

KERRY KING launched a European tour on June 3, 2024 — King's 60th birthday – in Tilburg, The Netherlands. The trek combined headline shows in the U.K., The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain but also festival appearances such as Rock Am Ring, Hellfest, Tuska, Download, Sweden Rock Festival and many more.

The SLAYER guitarist's solo band played its first concert as the support act for LAMB OF GOD and MASTODON on July 19, 2024 at the Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas. The six-week "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour wrapped on August 31, 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Photo credit: Andrew Stuart

In a new interview with Primordial Radio, BLACK STONE CHERRY vocalist/guitarist Chris Robertson was asked if the lower attention spans of the listeners worry him as an artist creating music and then his 'art" becoming a bit more "disposable" than it used to be in the band's earlier days. Chris responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not as long as live concerts still happen. And that's why I think … those smaller venues need all the help they can get. And I obviously know that — we play 'em, and you show up to some of 'em, and some of 'em are perfectly staffed and they have all the stuff that they're supposed to, and then you turn up to some and they're struggling to get by. And it is what it is, man. You go play the same show regardless."

Chris continued: "But I think as long as there's a place for people to go see human beings playing instruments and singing songs that all the A.I. and all the speed of technology — obviously it's probably gonna be more at the forefront, but I think we'll always have that personal connection. 'Cause you can sit and talk to ChatGPT all day long, but it's not gonna cry with you. It's not gonna hug you when you need that. It's not gonna kind of get in your ass when you need it. It's just gonna respond. So as great as all that stuff is, the personal thing is so much bigger, and I think that translates to music and arts as well."

Chris went on to offer his opinion on the existence of art that is created or inspired by artificial intelligence, saying: "I'm not into it for the artistic abilities. Now, for drawing inspiration from something… Like, who doesn't like sitting on their phone and typing in a prompt: 'I wanna see a squid being ridden by a cowboy fighting off dinosaurs.' … Who doesn't love the fact that you can type a prompt like that, and in 30 seconds have an image that looks like somebody spent 10 days on it? Like, yeah, that's cool, but you can't use that because there's no creative… Yeah, you gave it the prompt, but… That's where it gets tricky for me. You know what I mean? It's, like, yeah, you created the prompt, but you didn't create the piece."

He added: "The A.I. thing is so tricky… I think just like anything, man, it's, it's all about moderation. Whether you dig A.I. or you don't, it's gonna be a part of your life at some point. Whether you even know it or not, there's probably some kind of A.I. thing working either at your job or somewhere you go, or at a restaurant or something. It's gonna be a part of your life. It's come so far now and so many people have adapted it that I don't see a way for it to go away. And I don't think it should. But I think there's definitely limits and levels we should use it for."

Back in November 2024, Chris's BLACK STONE CHERRY bandmate, guitarist Ben Wells, also weighed in on a debate about people using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to create music. Asked by TotalRock's "Louder With Ore B" radio show if he thinks A.I. is affecting his band's way of making new songs, Ben said at the time: "Not us, because… Well, I mean, I don't know; it's still somewhat early days in it. A.I. is a cool thing. It can be used in the right way. Just like anything, just like social media, used in the right way, it can be fantastic. Used in the wrong way, it does take away some of the art."

He continued: "It is scary to think that you can get on a computer and have a computer write a song for you [in a specific style] just like that… It is pretty bizarre that you can do that now. I guess I'm not surprised just to see where we are with technology. Who knows what it's gonna be like 20 years from now? But I think there could be a time where it could be scary for certain people in the industry. If A.I. is going to mix a record for a band, that's gonna take away the guy who mixes the record; that's his job. So I would hate to see that ever happen. But for us, as long as people are still out there putting pen to paper and writing music, that's always gonna be the number one thing. And at the end of the day, live music, you can't recreate that. I mean, they've tried — you can do different things, holograms and things of that nature — but human beings on stage playing for other human beings is something that I don't think you'll ever be able to replicate. I hope not anyway. I hope not."

BLACK STONE CHERRY will release a brand-new EP, "Celebrate", digitally on March 6, 2026 via Mascot Records.

The metal radio show Démentiellement Vôtre on CKRL 89.1FM has published the full video of the bass clinic by Frank Bello of ANTHRAX, which took place this past Thursday night, March 5, 2026, at the Long & McQuade musical instrument store in Quebec City, Canada. You can now watch it below.

Speaking about his musical upbringing and how he first learned to play bass, Frank said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When my dad passed, I needed heroes. I needed heroes in my life, somebody to look up to. And you know what those heroes were? [RUSH's] Geddy Lee, [IRON MAIDEN's] Steve Harris, [BLACK SABBATH's] Geezer Butler. They were my guys. I said, 'I wanna do that. How do I do that?' And I created this tunnel vision. Because the pain was so rough from that time. It was rough. So the thing that made me feel better was was music.

"Music is a great outlet," he continued. "Coming from an American right now, I can tell you this: We have a very, very ugly world right now. And from what I had when I was young was a very ugly world around me. And the outlet that made me feel better was always music. Music got me out of that, 'Everything's coming down on me. Oh, man, this is a great oasis right there. I can just go here and feel better.' And then that's what made me wanna start playing. It just made me start doing it. And so I would play — I would play nonstop. I jammed with [ANTHRAX drummer and Frank's uncle] Charlie Benante. We grew up together."

Offering advice to aspiring musicians in the audience, Bello said:  "Those of you who don't know how to start, you can go home, put your music on and just start developing your ear. What are your favorite musicians doing? 'Ah, let me develop that.' I remember I used to go to my room and learn the IRON MAIDEN album 'Killers'… I would go to my room. My room was just a normal bedroom with a bed. But when I put IRON MAIDEN 'Killers' on, I would learn each riff to the tee — every little part. So then when I got good at it and I had the confidence, I said, 'All right, now I'm gonna take it to another place. How do I get my stage thing going? How do I feel confident on stage?' What's the stage in your room, in your bedroom? The bed. The bed is your stage. All of a sudden, in my mind, I'm in Madison Square Garden. And all of a sudden I put 'Killers' on. All of a sudden, Steve Harris starts that great riff. So I'm on my bed. So I jump on my bed. Madison Square Garden — it's sold out every night. In my head, it's sold out. The crowd's going crazy in my head. I loved it. It was my world. You know what my big move off that bed was? I jumped off the riser — that was my riser — and I did a big jump. It sounds pathetic, but it works, 'cause now I use it with ANTHRAX. It does work. So what happens is the things you create in your head really brings you forward to what you can actually do in life. 'Cause I'm still a big [kid]. Look at me. I'm a big kid. My brain is four years old. It really is. I just like to have fun and enjoy life."

Last year, Frank reflected on his early days as a musician in an interview with The Music Zoo. He said at the time: " I grew up in the Bronx, New York. My heroes, my father figures were musicians, for that matter. KISS were big heroes to me. They were like superheroes to me, like comic book heroes, something I could look up to and say, 'I wanna do that.'

"Charlie Benante, drummer of ANTHRAX, we're related," Frank continued. "We grew up in the same house. We would jam — we would jam all the time. I would be playing guitar, and he's a really good guitar player also, so we'd be playing and he says, 'You're playing the bass parts on the guitar.' I automatically hear bass first before a riff — I don't know why — but I was playing the bass parts. He goes, 'You should switch.' And I did, and then [we were] locked in. And immediately it was, like, 'Ah, this is what I'm made to do. This is for me.'"

Regarding his early musical influences when it comes to his bass playing, Frank said: "Obviously, my top three [are] Geddy Lee, Geezer Butler, Steve Harris. [Also] Gene Simmons [KISS]. There's a lot. But those are my top three for playing every day."

Bello also reflected on his debut show as ANTHRAX's bassist more than four decades ago. He said: "The early days of ANTHRAX — remember, I was a tech. People don't know that out there — I was a tech before I got in the band ANTHRAX. Before the first record came out, I was a horrible tech. I could barely change a string, but I was a friend that could help them lift gear.

"My first show [with ANTHRAX] is on YouTube," he continued. "I found this — somebody sent this link to me. My first show in ANTHRAX was L'Amours [in] Brooklyn with my — I think it was a Jackson Explorer bass. My mother gave me the money — rest her soul — she gave me the money for this bass, 'cause I couldn't afford it. I had almost half — something like that — and she gave me the rest of the money to play this gig. In my face, you could see I'm shitting in my pants at the same time, 'cause this is my first show, and I'm excited as hell. You could see both of them in my face."

Back in 2019, Bello told The Sessions Panel about his biggest musical influences: "Geddy Lee, Geezer Butler, Steve Harris — who's now my friend, and Geezer is too. You know what's weird? When you become friends later on. I try not to be fanboy. It's hard, because I can be talking [normally], but I still feel like, 'This is Steve Harris I'm talking to'... I still feel like that first time I saw him live on stage, [and] the first time I heard the first IRON MAIDEN record. What that did for me... at this point, I've told him so much, and he goes, 'It's okay.' He just shuts me down. Geezer's the same way. He's a sweetheart of a man. He'll give me a look — 'Okay.' That's it — I'll just shut it down [and stop] asking too many questions. But I want to learn. I still want to learn, and I want to know what amp did he use on this record. 'Steve Harris, did you use flatwound strings on every record?'"

On the topic of how he joined ANTHRAX, Frank told The Sessions Panel: "I was the roadie/tech. I didn't really know what the hell I was doing... I was friends with them, [and] being friends with the band really helps get in there. I heard through the grapevine they were going to be auditioning bass players, so of course, I put the word in — 'Look, I play. You all know me. I'm putting it out there.' Long story short, got the audition, scared. You know what's weird? You can be friends with these guys forever. [It] doesn't matter. The audition... [Charlie Benante], I think he just held back, but he was hoping, wishing [and] pumping for me, but at the same time, he said, 'Learn the parts. Learn the parts'... I was nervous. Even though I was friends with these guys, I was hanging with them all the time, I was shaking. It just worked. After the first song, then it was like, 'Okay, it's hang-out time.' I got through the first song — I think it was 'Metal Thrashing Mad'... I got through it, and I said, 'Okay, I can do this. I don't know what's going to happen later, but I know I can do this.'"

Frank played his first show with ANTHRAX in nearly a year and a half on October 12, 2024 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

Prior to the 2024 Aftershock, Bello last played with ANTHRAX in May 2023 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In April 2024 and early May 2024, Bello sat out ANTHRAX's South American tour as well as two U.S. festival dates due to "personal reasons." Filling in on those shows was ANTHRAX founding member and original bassist Dan Lilker, marking his first appearance with the band in 40 years. Lilker, who co-wrote and played on ANTHRAX's debut album "Fistful Of Metal", was also a member of STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH with Benante and ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian.

Frank released a memoir, "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax", in October 2021 via Rare Bird. The foreword to the book was written by KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons.

Hey my friends in Québec! I’m looking forward to seeing you all at my FREE bass clinic tomorrow night at @longandmcquade...

Posted by Frank Bello on Wednesday, March 4, 2026

In a new interview with Premier Guitar, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton was asked about the music industry changes he and his bandmates have seen in the three decades since the group's inception, particularly in terms of how people consume music, but also how bands like LAMB OF GOD make money. Mark said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We do so many things. A band at this level, we do a lot of things. We play shows. We tour and play concerts. We play a bunch of different kinds of concerts. We do our own tours, we play festivals, we play in different territories. We write and record music. We sell merchandise. So all of those are different activities in different parts of the business. And then there's the business of being in the band, and then there's the music, which is really the part that — that's where the soul is. I mean, it's a business, and you gotta make money and support your family. So what we do is a lot of different things, and those things have all changed independently of one another. So touring looks different now than it did 10 years ago. And selling records or the way people consume music, that's really been the biggest change. I've been around and in the business long enough where when we first started, we sold a lot of records, physical copies — CDs, really, at the time. And now less so. And the most physical copies you sell are LPs again. And streaming is, obviously, the way people consume most of the music. So all those terms change and the business changes."

Mark continued: "I think any business you're in changes, though, really. I don't think that's necessarily specific or unique to the music industry. There's probably very few industries that haven't had to evolve and change, and you have to adapt to it. And that's definitely the case with what we do."

Asked about LAMB OF GOD's 2003 deal with major record label Epic and how that affected the band's ability to survive financially in LAMB OF GOD's early years, Mark said: "Well, we have made records early on that were on a shoestring [budget], for sure, and they sounded like they were. But that's part of the journey. And certainly signing to a major label in 2003 and releasing the first major label record in 2004 was a big, big jump in terms of the resources we had to make the record. I was already doing music full time before we signed to a major — I think, more or less. It wasn't like I signed to a major label and went into work the next day and quit my job. I was a roofer and I was kind of doing side work and stuff, just kind of hustling. But signing a contract like that and getting into the big league, so to speak, did take some pressure off of the finances and stuff. But I lived pretty humbly. And I just figured we'd be touring for a couple years and then eventually have to go back to some kind of day job, which it just didn't work out that way."

Asked if there was ever a point when the pressure was too much, whether it was from labels or fan expectations, where it was bearing down on him and the rest of LAMB OF GOD, Mark said: "The most pressure I ever felt from the point in which you're coming, from the label and that kind of thing, it wasn't from them; it was self-imposed.

"When we signed to Epic, we had just released the 'As The Palaces Burn' record," he explained. "That record came out, and I think within —I don't know the exact timeline, but I would think within five or six months we were talking actively to major labels, and there were several. So when we signed to Epic, of course they want their record: 'Let's go. Let's make a record.' And we hadn't really toured a lot on the 'As The Palaces Burn' record. And, more importantly, we were kind of creatively squeezed out. We had just put all our best stuff into this record. Then we got signed off of it, and now they want a record right away. So I remember, for me personally, feeling the pressure of, like, this is probably the most important, business-wise, creatively, moment. And I'm, like, 'I don't have any material. What am I gonna do?' So I was really, wrestling with my own kind of confidence in what I was bringing to the table. But it all worked out."

LAMB OF GOD's new album, "Into Oblivion", will be released on March 13 via Epic.

Last month the band announced a nationwide series of listening parties, with more than 140 independent record stores celebrating "Into Oblivion"'s release weekend (March 13-15). Exclusive merch, including free LAMB OF GOD swag (while supplies last),prizes, and an indie-exclusive, limited-edition Poltergeist vinyl variant of the new album will be available. A full list of participating stores can be viewed via LAMB OF GOD's social channels.

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 Morton's home studio. Singer Randy 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.

In a new interview with V and Metalhead Fred of Creativity Talkin, ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate spoke about the possibility of performing all three chapters in the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album series, including the upcoming "Operation: Mindcrime III", which he recorded with his solo band, on an upcoming tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's so difficult. I wish I could play everything I ever wrote. I really do. At least I'd like to do a concert, like a series of concerts, of just playing different stuff that I don't normally play. There's music on albums I've never played live. I would love to do that at some point. It's just time in the day. What do you do?

"Concerts are usually like around an hour and a half," he explained. "That's pretty much what audiences can withstand, really, at least for hard rock and metal shows. So, I don't know. 'Mindcrime I', for example, is 60 minutes [long]. 'Mindcrime II' is, like, 65 [minutes]. And actually, I haven't timed the third one yet to know what it is. But it's around that same [length]. It's 13 songs, so it's right around the same time, So there's no way I could play all three back to back with an audience. I'd have to split 'em up. Do I do a matinee show, like an afternoon show, and then an evening show? [Laughs] Wait a minute. That's a great idea. [Laughs] "

"Operation: Mindcrime III" will be released on May 3. The LP's first single, "Power", will be made available on Friday, March 20.

"Power" was written by Geoff and his guitarist/producer Kieran Robertson. It features vocals by Tate, drums by Rich Baur, bass by DISTURBED bassist and "Operation: Mindcrime III" co-producer John Moyer, guitar by Dario Parente and Amaury Altmayer, and synths and strings by Tate and Robertson. It was mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California.

"Operation: Mindcrime III" is once again a concept album with a storyline following Nikki, a drug addict-turned-assassin manipulated by a shadowy figure known as Dr. X. However, unlike the first two installments, "Operation: Mindcrime III" will tell the tale from the perspective of Dr. X, "how the story happened from his point of view," according to Geoff. "Which is kind of interesting, I think, because we've only heard it from Nikki's point of view, and he's been sort of this victim throughout the whole story," Tate previously explained. "And Dr. X's perspective is completely different, 'cause he's not the victim at all. So it's very aggressive."

In a recent interview with the "Let There Be Talk" podcast, hosted by rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, Tate stated about "Power": "It's a cool track. 'Power' is the first — I don't know — we call 'em singles nowadays. It's the first release on the album. And, yeah, it's a really cool song — very, very energetic, very up, and kind of says a lot in a very short time, which I like."

Regarding the writing process for "Operation: Mindcrime III", which follows 1988's "Operation: Mindcrime" and 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II", Geoff said:  "I think you use whatever sort of way you can in order to get what you want. And, for me, I sort of look at it as a story, and I write the story out first of what is happening, and then I kind of dissect it and create chapters, and those chapters turn into songs. And then I kind of work to link them all together and follow a storyline that makes sense. And then you gotta kind of factor in musically how you're gonna tie it together. Does it make sense musically and melodically to put this song before this song, before this song, before this song? 'Cause that's a big thing too, is making it flow, so it doesn't seem obtrusive and people don't have to turn the page back to find out what happened, and they're kind of following along in a chronological order."

After Delray noted that "Power" "sounds like QUEENSRŸCHE", Geoff said: "Yeah. Well, part of the whole writing process was keeping the music in the universe of 'Mindcrime', writing within that style, I guess you'd say."

As for how "Operation: Mindcrime III" was recorded, Geoff said: "There's 13 songs on the record, and it was recorded all over the world. And the beauty of modern recording is that if you have the right equipment, the quality gear, we just take it with us wherever we go. And we set up in hotel rooms backstage at shows, venues. I think one track was recorded in a church. Just wherever we have the right kind of room for the sound, we can record there. We recorded one of the songs, parts of it, in this castle in Italy. Do you remember that character Casanova? Well, he was imprisoned in this castle way back when. And the place is just an amazing ruin, of course, but it had this one room that was just incredible. It [had] big, high ceilings, open environment, big stone walls and that kind of thing. But it added a really unique sound to the song. So anyway, we just kind of took advantage of that wherever we could and wrote the album as we were touring around the world, really. And I wrote music for the album and lyrics for the album. And Kieran Robertson, my writing partner for this project, contributed so much to this record, playing guitar and also writing music and lyrics too."

Earlier this month, Tate was asked by Canada's The Metal Voice why he wanted to make another LP in the "Operation: Mindcrime" series. Tate said: "I'm interested in it. It's a subject I've always been interested in, the 'Mindcrime' saga, the story of these three characters, really: Nikki, Dr. X and Sister Mary. A fascinating triangle there of… Oh, it's an interesting relationship between all three of them. And Nikki's story has really been kind of chronicled on 'Mindcrime I' and 'Mindcrime II', and nothing has really been written about Dr. X. Like, who is he? What's he all about? Why is he the way he is? What got him to this place he's at? And I just found the subject to be interesting. And especially at the age I'm at now, where I'm probably very close to Dr. X's age, I'm looking at life differently now, and [I have] different goals, [and I have] a different reason to be, really, which I think probably happens with people as they age and get older. You've had past accomplishments, you've had things that you've done that you've really been interested, and you've followed your dreams, you followed your muse, and now you're at a different place where those wants and needs kind of change. So Dr. X is a character study, really, of where he is at and how he got to where he is."

Asked if "Operation: Mindcrime III' is "a prequel" to the first two albums or if it is a continuation of the story, Geoff said: "It's kind of a — hmm, I'd say it's in the same universe, but a different perspective. It's X's perspective. It's happening in time at the same time as 'Mindcrime I'."

On the topic of whether "Operation: Mindcrime III" is musically as heavy as the original "Operation: Mindcrime" album, Tate said: "Oh, yes. The new one is probably, I guess in the same realm. It's heavier than 'Mindcrime I'. I don't know. I'd have to go back and listen to it again, 'Mindcrime II', to see where it compared in the heaviness [laughs] scale."

As for his expectations for the "Operation: Mindcrime III" album, Tate said: "I just hope everybody can give it a spin, check it out. And especially with headphones. It's a wonderful headphone album. Absolutely. We spent a lot of time dialing all the details in that I find to be very important with the record, is it's gotta sound good on headphones. And it really sounds great with the mixing and the engineering on it. John [Moyer, DISTURBED bassist, who produced the album] did an amazing job putting it all together, and the sound, especially of the rhythm section — oh, it's phenomenal. It's really, really crunchy, punchy, big… I think it's miles above 'Mindcrime I' — absolutely. Especially the bottom end — the bass and drums, rhythm section. It's so modern, so huge. If you listen back to the 'Mindcrime I' album, it sounds like… I think it was one of the three first digital recordings made, and so it has a brittleness to it that you just don't hear anymore, 'cause the technology has gotten so much better now. The analog-to-digital converters are so much more sophisticated now. So, yeah, it sounds miles about that. I'm very happy, very happy with it."

Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant."

The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.

During QUEENSRŸCHE's 2012 legal battle with Tate over the rights to the band's name, guitarist Michael Wilton submitted a sworn declaration in which he said the idea to make "Operation: Mindcrime II" was first brought to the table by Geoff's wife and QUEENSRŸCHE's then-manager Susan Tate. "The band was hesitant and did not want to lessen the original," the guitarist claimed. "But Susan Tate and Geoff Tate hired a budget producer and took control without really any other input. Scott Rockenfield [drums], Eddie Jackson [bass] and I were squeezed out of having any input in the musical direction or business decisions, thus the project suffered. During the initial writing phase, I would show up to bring my input to the creative process only to find that the producer, the new guitar player (who were both staying with the Tates at the time),along with Geoff Tate had been up late the night before or up early that morning and had written the songs without me. I was then told my ideas were not needed as the songs were now done. I could, however, 'bring my own style' in during the recording after learning to play what they wrote for me. In frustration, I gave up on the writing process knowing that I would at least get to make changes in the studio to bring back the QUEENSRŸCHE sound into these songs that we were known for. The final straw was when they refused to let me to be a part of the final recordings and mixes. I was shut out and they had the nerve to replace some of my parts on my songs. They denied me flying to San Francisco to be a part of my band, telling me that everything was ready to go and I was not needed. Had the communication been better, and had I been aware that parts needed to be recorded or rewritten, I would have been there. It was not until years later that I even became aware of the issues during the final recording and mixing of 'Operation: Mindcrime II'. It was all under the control of Geoff and Susan Tate. Call it delusions of grandeur, but they were convinced that this was going to sell three times more than the original, and to date (six years later) this album has sold fewer than 150,000 copies. The original album sold over 500,000 copies within a year."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate's replacement, Todd La Torre, has released four albums thus far with QUEENSRŸCHE: 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance".

In a new interview with the Music Matters With Darrell Craig Harris podcast, hosted by veteran music journalist Darrell Craig Harris, LORDI founder, lead singer, songwriter, visual art designer and costume designer Mr. Lordi spoke about the 20th anniversary of the band's 2006 international breakthrough by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah". They are Finland's only winners to date and they earned more points than any other artists in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest up to that time.

Regarding his original vision for LORDI, which formed in 1992, and the group's longevity, Mr. Lordi said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I gotta tell you the secret. So I've lasted for all this time. The rest of the band has — the lineup has changed quite a few times, actually. It's like Jon Bon Jovi and BON JOVI. It's like that.

"The whole thing, LORDI — I mean, Lordi is my nickname, since the late '80s — it was given to me by my friend's mom — and it's also the name of the band and name of my alter ego," he explained. "And it's a combination of things that I love — it's melodic hard rock or heavy metal, if you will, or classic rock nowadays, I guess, it's called, the style. And with monsters. I'm a big horror and sci-fi fan and monsters and SFX [special effects] fan, so it's a combination of all these things put together through the grinder. That's what it is. To put it in a nutshell, that's what it is."

Asked to name some of the bands that he loved growing up, Mr. Lordi said: "KISS, the main influence, obviously, KISS. I wanted to be Gene Simmons. That's why I'm here today. Well, I could be still here today without Gene Simmons, but not as LORDI. Well, I mean, for sure we wouldn't be doing this little chat now without Gene Simmons and the influence of KISS. But, of course, also TWISTED SISTER, Alice Cooper, so on, so on, so on."

Mr. Lordi also talked about the evolution of LORDI's live show, having always highlighted both the band's visual style and musical power.

"Let me put it this way. I've always been a guy that I don't wanna go see a band if there's nothing worth seeing for, if you know what I mean," Mr. Lordi explained. "Any band sounds better on your stereo, from CD or vinyl or whatever you use, fucking MP3, whatever, it sounds better than live. I mean, that's just my humble opinion. You don't go to hear a band. In any language, you don't say that, 'Hey, let's go listen to a band.' You go see a band. There should be something worth seeing for. And I've never been into the bands — musically, yeah, sure — but I've never been into going to see a band when I know that there's nothing worth seeing for. So that's where — well, then again, my influences, like I said, KISS, Alice Cooper, TWISTED SISTER, W.A.S.P., all these bands, they have something worth seeing for. And that's what we're trying to do."

Mr. Lordi continued: "It's getting harder and harder all the time because of all these restrictions and rules in every single country and the venues and the rock clubs and the arenas and whatever, ice rinks and shit, there's all these new rules and restrictions all the time. And the craziest thing is that the days of using pyro at a rock club, those are long gone. So then we are, 'Okay, let's use smokes. Let's try to do some effects with smokes and confetti and fake blood' and stuff like that. But even now, those are forbidden in many of the venues. You couldn't believe it. It's, like, 'Why can't I throw a confetti?' 'Oh, because of the cleaning fees. Because it gets stuck in the ventilation system, and it's a fire hazard.' 'How? Clean it up.' 'Well, we don't wanna clean it up. We have to pay overtime for cleaners.' And it's, like, 'Why can't I spray fake blood?' 'Oh, it's a cleaning issue.' Well, you have fucking 1,000 people spilling beer on the floor and the floor is so sticky and nobody has mopped the goddamn venue floor in a decade. So you mean that a few cups of fake blood would make — 'Oh, oh, that would be terrible. That would be terrible.' And shit like that. But you know what I mean? It's so stupid. And then even the smoke bombs. And now — this is the insanest part — in some venues, in some cities, in some countries, a normal smoke machine is already too much because it is considered a pyro, and it's just fog. It's vaporized fucking water. It's not smoke. Nothing's burning there, but it's considered as pyro effect. And that is so stupid. I mean, there's way too many restrictions and rules and laws now. And it's getting harder."

Mr. Lordi added: "If I look at some clips from our shows, like let's say 20 years ago, or even 15 years ago, we could do so much more than we are allowed to do today. It's just insane. And it's sad."

The members of LORDI never appear without their elaborate ghoulish skeleton and zombie masks and makeup.

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

LORDI's 19th studio album, "Limited Deadition", was released in March 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).

Recorded at IluSound Studio and Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, "Limited Deadition" was produced by Mr. Lordi, mixed by Ilkka Herkman and mastered by Pauli Saastamoinen. As always, Mr. Lordi took charge of the album's artwork and layout, channeling his passion for '80s memorabilia into every detail.

The thematic heart of "Limited Deadition" lies in Mr. Lordi's lifelong obsession with collecting, inspired by the action figures and toys of his childhood.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, drummer Tommy Clufetos spoke about what it was like to play with Ozzy Osbourne, one and off, for more than a decade, first as a member of Ozzy's solo band and then as the replacement for Bill Ward in BLACK SABBATH's touring lineup. Asked if he ever thought, while growing up in Detroit, that he would so connected to Ozzy's camp, Tommy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, in a strange idea, yes, I did think, whether it was Ozzy or somebody else, I did envision whatever's happened in my life to happen. And I envision more to happen. I didn't get into drums to play at the corner bar. Even though I played at the corner bar — I got no problem with it — but I had the biggest aspirations. I still do, and that's where my fire comes from, is I want."

He continued: "They say, "Well, you can't play in every band.' And I go, 'Why not? Why can't you? Why can't you?' I can do whatever I want, and wherever my talent leads me, I will follow. And that's what I've always done. And it's led to playing with Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH and Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper. But I always approached it the same when I was playing at home in Detroit, the same death grip of the drumsticks and going for it. That's where I got my craft. That's where I got to play for all these greats, is from playing in Detroit like it was the end, 'cause it's always the end. And that's what I'm gonna do at the Token Lounge [in Westland, Michigan when I play there in April with my band TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP]. I'm gonna play just like I was playing at the BRIT Awards [as part of the Ozzy tribute], like everybody's watching, because everybody always is watching."

Tommy added: "It's not about being a used car salesman, but it's about having a passion for what you do. And hopefully that passion ignites inside of you, and you can't help but let it out. I can't help but let it out. When I get behind my drums and I do what I do, the Motor City and playing gigs till four in the morning and lugging my gear in the snow and loading up the P.A., and bar owners screwing you on money and all these hard things and all these things that you secretly love come through the passion of what I do."

Asked if he was a RUSH fan growing up, Clufetos responded: " I wasn't. I appreciate RUSH, but I wasn't a RUSH guy. That wasn't my thing. But they do have a wonderful new female drummer [Anika Nilles], who I've seen play with Jeff Beck. I'm sure she's gonna do awesome… We have the same cymbal endorsement company, so I have met her and I saw her play and she's a phenomenal drummer. And I'm sure they're just gonna go sell out everywhere.

He added: "Like I said, I appreciate RUSH. [But] that wasn't my side of things. That wasn't where I was coming from [musically]. And you know what I found out? As I got older, everybody, they tell you, 'Oh, you gotta enjoy all types of music. You gotta be so well rounded.' And the older I get, I go, why? Why can't you just like what you like? And that's okay too. And maybe do your thing. The older I've gotten — you can appreciate other things in music and you can partake, but that doesn't mean because somebody else is a big band that you have to love it. I'm not saying I don't appreciate it, but it doesn't get my guts — like it gets somebody else's guts. You know what I mean? And they're not gonna get off on the same music that I get off on. That's the cool thing."

Circling back to RUSH, Tommy said: "So, yes, I absolutely appreciate them. They're a killer band. I did watch their documentary, and what a story. And I do have utmost respect for Neil's [Peart, late RUSH drummer] approach and his dedication and the way he spoke about his family and certain things like this that I definitely connect to that side, maybe more so than the actual… I like some of their older stuff where it was killer rock and stuff. I did like that."

TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP, where Clufetos offers his take on the rock 'n roll influences that made him one of the most sought-after drummers in the current hard rock scene, will play at the Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan on April 23.

In May 2021, TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP released its debut album, "Beat Up By Rock 'N' Roll", via Frontiers Music Srl. Eric Dover, known for singing and playing guitar with JELLYFISH, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Alice Cooper, handled lead vocals on the LP (though Tommy grabbed the mic for three tracks). Eliot Lorengo (bass),Hank Schneekluth (guitar) and Nao Nakashima (guitar) rounded out the supporting cast.

Clufetos worked with such rock icons as Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie before joining Ozzy Osbourne in 2010. That led to a spot as the drummer on BLACK SABBATH's last two world tours.

Clufetos did not play on the SABBATH reunion album, "13", a role that was filled by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk. Ozzy Osbourne told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that Clufetos was gong to play on the record until producer Rick Rubin stepped in.

During an appearance on the latest episode of Knotfest's "She's With The Band", the show hosted by Tori Kravitz aiming to amplify the voices of women on stage, backstage and in the business, BUTCHER BABIES frontwoman Heidi Shepherd spoke about what it was like becoming the sole singer of the band following the 2024 departure of Carla Harvey. Heidi said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Being a co-lead vocalist, I think that each of us had our own identities in this as well. I think that I learned so much in all the years of the give-and-take. I've run this band, this business out of my living room for the last almost 20 years. And so it kind of really was just the next step, taking all those lessons that I had learned in the past and just kind of like putting it all in. But it's been fine. And I feel comfortable. And I'm so lucky that I have my team.

"This isn't just me," Heidi explained. "[BUTCHER BABIES guitarist] Henry [Flury] has been in this band from the beginning, and my team has been here forever. My lawyer has been my lawyer for almost 17 years now. And so this is so much bigger than just two singers in a band. This is so much bigger than that. There are people that feed their families off of what we do. There are people who, their jobs are coming on tour with us and helping our show be as successful as it can be day in and day out. So when it came to moving into the shoes of just the sole lead in this, there's a responsibility to keep it going for these people. And I think that I am also grateful for them for wanting to keep going as well. So this has been a group effort. And here we are three years later, feeling good, [with a] new album coming out, and it's just, to us, the next step."

After Kravitz noted that a lot of the comments below the video for the BUTCHER BABIES song "Sincerity" — the band's first single since Harvey's departure — have been extremely positive, Heidi said: "Oh, really? I didn't read them. [Laughs] I don't read comments … but I can tell from people's reaction live that it's been a good reaction.

"The shows have been really fun," Heidi continued. "It has been so fun. There's just such a fire in this band right now. And it's not [just] me — it's our drummer, it's our bass player, it's Henry, our guitar player, our tour manager, our manager, agents, everybody. Our lawyer — our lawyer's fired up… He's been the backbone of this band from the beginning… Our whole team has just this incredible fire right now. And so I feel, when I am a little overwhelmed or I feel a little bit of doubt or anything, I have my whole team to back us up. So it's been a ride. But that roller coaster's fun."

Shepherd was also asked about how the experience of becoming the sole lead singer of the BUTCHER BABIES affected how she sees "public perception versus reality". She responded: "Well, that is actually something I had to tackle in therapy. That was the initial thing, is, 'People, are they even gonna believe in me? I've been the lead vocalist of this band for 20 years, but are they gonna think that I can still do it?' I've been doing this, but now I just do a couple extra lines, lyrics on stage — I sing a couple extra lines on stage. And that was something that I'm, like, 'What if people think that I can't do this? What if people think that, 'Oh, it's gonna be horrible,'' and blah, blah, blah. And [my therapist] told me, she's, like, 'But that's a story you're making up in your head. That's something you are making up in your head. And then you're gonna believe it.' And I'm sure that there are those people out there, and that's totally fine. I don't mind having something to prove. In fact, that's how this band became successful in the first place. So that's how I've always lived my life. I've lived my life by the 'no'. When people tell me 'no', I say, 'Actually yes.' So, doubt me. I want to feel like I've got something to prove, so that's fine. But [my therapist was], like, 'This is something that you are portraying yourself. This is something that you are telling yourself. So why don't you tell yourself that people are gonna rally for you, that people are gonna be excited for you, and that people are gonna love what you come up with next? Why don't you think that people are going to look forward to this new chapter instead of closing the book?' And I was, like, 'Oh, okay. You know what? That's how I need to think.' And granted, that's an everyday — that's a process every day. I still have to tell myself, 'I need to think this way, I need to think this way, I need to think this way.' Of course, every once in a while I'm gonna run across a shitty comment or someone's gonna say something to me, but I have to not let my day be ruined by those little things."

This past December, Carla spoke to Matt Wake of AL.com about her split with BUTCHER BABIES nearly a year and a half earlier after a decade-and-a-half run. She said: "I couldn't do a tour [in the fall of 2023] because I had a serious eye injury and they went and did a tour without me. Then it was, like, 'Well, we'll just do the band by ourselves.' When you have put your heart and soul into something for so long and you do get kind of squeezed out of it, there's a moment when you're, like, 'I can either lay down and not do anything else, or I'm not gonna let someone else tell me when I'm fucking done doing what I do.'"

In October 2024, Harvey told "The Ward Bond Show" about her exit from BUTCHER BABIES: "So there's so much that goes into being in a band, especially as you get older and your life changes, you have relationships, you have a partner. I have a stepdaughter, and the idea, all of a sudden, of being on the road 10, 12 months out of the year became just a lot to handle. And in a band there's five people, and half of those people may feel like they want to be on the road constantly all the time and then some people are, like, 'Maybe it's halftime.' So it doesn't always work out for the greater good of everybody."

Earlier this month, Heidi told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", that BUTCHER BABIES will release a new full-length album later this year, following the arrival of two new singles, "Lost In Your Touch" and "Sincerity", via Judge & Jury Records. "It is dunzo, it is finished," she said about the LP. "And we've been working on it for a while.

Judge & Jury Records is a powerhouse record label and production company founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, SEETHER, SKILLET, OF MICE & MEN) and Neil Sanderson of THREE DAYS GRACE.

The instrumentation for BUTCHER BABIES' new LP was meticulously crafted by Benson and Sanderson at West Valley Recording Studios, Benson's studio in Woodland Hills, California.

In a new interview with A Fresh Face In Hell, the podcast hosted by Jonathan Evison, MELVINS leader Buzz Osborne — who shaped the band's signature sludge-metal sound by blending early BLACK SABBATH's heavy riffing with the raw energy of BLACK FLAG, FLIPPER and punk rock — spoke about the heavy metal influence on the MELVINS' early songwriting approach. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wanted to do something that had more heavy metal in it. I've always felt like if you look at a hardcore heavy metal band, they're pissed off. Same as punk rock bands. To me, I didn't see a whole lot of difference in the attitude as far as how angry they were and things of that nature. And I always liked that stuff. I didn't stop listening to JUDAS PRIEST… Some of my favorite memories are dropping acid and going to see JUDAS PRIEST with [founding MELVINS drummer] Mike Dillard at some big concert. I mean, I was not opposed to BLACK FLAG and VAN HALEN concerts in the same week. It was fine with me. And I still don't see how it's not cut from the same thing. To me, it's heavy-duty rock music."

After Evison noted that METAL CHURCH's founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof had an early influence on Osborne, Buzz concurred. "Well, I always liked Kurdt," he said. "I never felt that he had much interest or much respect for what we were doing at all. I felt like he thought we were kind of an annoyance. I wanted to be friends with him. That wasn't gonna happen. I mean, I knew he knew a lot about music. He had a lot of records that he turned me on to, like THE VIBRATORS. I thought that was really good. And a bunch of stuff like that. He'd lived in San Francisco prior to that, and he moved back. And he really hates us now; he really hates our guts. And I think it's because I wrote… We released a record [in 2005] called 'Mangled Demos From 1983' — that's the original MELVINS lineup with Dillard — way after the fact. The record never came out [when it was originally recorded]. And I wrote liner notes about how I felt that [Kurdt] was kind of a dick. And somebody pointed that out to him. Also, at that time I was not very aware of things like this, which was he was gay. I didn't know. It didn't bother me. I mean, once I found out, it didn't bother me, but I didn't know that [at the time]. And I wrote that in there. And I think he kind of took offense to that."

Buzz continued: "I didn't say one thing about [Kurdt], whether I liked or disliked him at all, but he was constantly looking for a reason to have some kind of beef with us. I don't know. And I think it always irked him that we had any kind of a music career because he just thought we were talentless boobs. Which is, like, okay, fine, whatever. So you don't wanna be friends? Fine with me. And so I lost track of him. And then somebody had showed him this ['Mangled Demos From 1983' record with my liner notes]… I talked about how we played a show with them in Aberdeen and how they were strutting around like they were playing Madison Square Garden. It was really a rat-infested hellhole, and you don't need to act like that. I'm punk rock to the bone, as far as attitude goes, and I don't like that kind of… And I've dealt with that kind of stuff a lot since then. We've done all kinds of arena tours and stuff like that, opening for other bands, and I, to this day, cannot stand that kind of shit. I don't do it, and I don't like it when people do it. It bothers me, and it always has. So, I wrote about how kind of disappointed I was in all that, and he took offense: 'Fuck those guys.' Well, whatever."

Buzz added: "There's some people where you just know it's never gonna be right. It's never gonna end right. No matter what you do, no matter how much you kiss their ass, you're always gonna end up somehow not working out; it's not gonna work out. 'Cause it's not in them to have it work out."

Back in 2016, Kurdt spoke to the "Talk Toomey" podcast about METAL CHURCH's relationship with the bands from the early Seattle "grunge" scene like NIRVANA. Kurdt said at the time: "I know Krist [Novoselic, NIRVANA bassist]; he was kind of a friend of mine. They kind of came out to our rehearsals and stuff when we'd have party rehearsals where we started. But, for the most part, we were a big joke to them. They were the cool guys and we were the old metal guys. Even on [NIRVANA's] 'Bleach' [album], [Kurt] Cobain spelled his name like mine — Kurdt. I could never quite figure that out, but I kind of put two and two together, and they were poking fun. Like the MELVINS think I'm just obnoxious and all this stuff, 'cause they're too cool. And we're a bunch of rock stars, and they're too cool. So, you know, fuck 'em."

Kurdt added that he "never had any trouble" with NIRVANA and said that he "always liked" their music. "I thought it was great," he said. "And I liked the MELVINS, and I thought we were friends, especially Buzz and I. And then I come to find out later that we were a big joke, and I was a big joke to all these guys."

He continued: "I never did anything to them. I always liked them. I thought they were great. I thought we were friends. But the whole NIRVANA thing, I kind of figured out later through talking with people that when they were doing their thing, 'cause they were all punky and cool, that we were the metal guys and we're stupid and we're posers and rock stars. So it was really cool not to like us — especially me, being from Aberdeen, and those guys being from Aberdeen, they were, like, 'Fuck those guys!' Oh, well."

According to Vanderhoof, not all the bands from the Seattle grunge scene were disrespectful to METAL CHURCH. "[The ALICE IN CHAINS] guys are great," he said. "Yeah, I like all those guys. Those guys have been really cool, and still cool to us and everything too. But the Grays Harbor bands — you know, the NIRVANAs and the MELVINS and all that kind of stuff — they, again, especially had something against me, apparently. So I thought we were friends, but apparently not. So… fuck those guys."

Buzz Osborne photo credit: Chris Casella / Kurdt Vanderhoof photo credit: Rick Moyer

PUDDLE OF MUDD has released the official music video for the song "Free". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Kiss The Machine", which came out in May 2025 via Pavement Entertainment.

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Wes Scantlin, the only original member still with the band.

PUDDLE OF MUDD's most recent touring lineup saw Scantlin joined by returning bassist Michael Anthony Grajewski and new members Miles Schon — son of legendary JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon — on lead guitar and Jon Smith on drums.

This past February, PUDDLE OF MUDD released the official music video for the band's latest single, "Rain", available now through LoudHit Records in partnership with Virgin Music Group.

Having sold more than seven million albums worldwide — including four million in the United States — PUDDLE OF MUDD became one of the most successful rock acts of the early 2000s. Their breakout album "Come Clean" (2001) produced the Billboard Hot 100 Top 5 smash "Blurry", along with enduring radio staples like "She Hates Me", "Control" and "Drift & Die", helping shape a generation of post-grunge rock.

Produced by Eric T. Johnson (founder of NI Music Group / LoudHit Records) and Aben Eubanks (Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter for Kelly Clarkson),"Rain" signaled a creative rebirth for the multi-platinum band. The track leans into vulnerability and restraint, channeling the emotional authenticity that made "Blurry" resonate — while delivering a contemporary sonic edge for today's rock audience.

Last November, PUDDLE OF MUDD released the official music video for its previous single, "Monsters".

"Monsters" was originally made available in October 2025 without prior announcement through Virgin Records.

In August 2025, PUDDLE OF MUDD signed a new management contract with NI Music Group. Shortly afterward, PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin entered Warner Chappell Studios in Los Angeles with NI Music Group CEO Eric T. Johnson, who co-wrote and produced the track alongside audio engineer Ethan Ray Shevin. Scantlin later confirmed that "Monsters" was written, recorded, and produced entirely during those sessions.

In a new interview with Gary Graff of Guitar Player magazine, legendary DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie Blackmore discussed the health issues which led to the cancelation of the last four shows on the six-date tour of the U.S. East Coast by BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, the renaissance-inspired rock band he formed with his wife Candice Night. Last November's concerts in Newton, New Jersey; Wilmington, Delaware; Cohoes, New York; and Tarrytown, New York were called off "due to medical reasons".

"At the moment I'm taking a bit of a rest and seeing a lot of doctors about various ailments," the 80-year-old British-born guitarist told Guitar Player. "I had a nasty vertigo attack on our last small tour that we did, and I had to cancel."

He later added: "Despite having heart and back problems, I have never had such a horrible experience as that vertigo attack on our tour. I don't wish that on my worst enemy. It started off with a virus which apparently went to my ears and upset the balance of the small crystals in the ear canals. After this, I have come to the conclusion I hate traveling. I've hated it ever since I was a child and I used to travel with my mother when we went to Bristol and Bath, where my relatives were. Every time we would leave in the coach I would throw up over the passenger in front of us. For some strange reason they didn't like that. I have hated traveling ever since. I now seem to have a phobia about being confined in a car or a van or anything that travels."

As for the possibility of him performing live again in the future, Ritchie said: "Since we live on Long Island [New York], I'm hoping we can put some shows together in small theaters where people can come and see us. That way, I wouldn't have to travel more than an hour."

Last November, just days after the BLACKMORE'S NIGHT concerts were canceled, Ritchie released a statement in which he said that he had had "a long history of lumbar and neck herniated discs. Consequently, I would have back injections before a tour to help me over the pain," he explained. "Recently, I have acquired debilitating migraines. They come and go very quickly. When I see the visual disturbance of these ocular migraines, I know they are coming.

"When we did the long drive from Pennsylvania to Newton NJ we were booked into a hotel that had a wedding party going all night in the corridors. There was no heat in the room and the sheets were still damp. Which I assume culminated in me having a severe migraine attack. I couldn't stop vomiting. The room wouldn't stop spinning and I was extremely dizzy to the point of not being able to stand. Ambulance was called. I was taken to hospital and they gave me CAT scans and other tests. They were very gracious. The doctors came to the conclusion that my official diagnosis was severe vertigo. The results of this went on for days on end. I am now following up how serious these migraines are with various doctors.

"When one tours, you have a lot of people who have to be healthy. Unfortunately, I was the one who got hit this time.

"Hope to see you all one day again when I'm healthy.

"All the best, Ritchie, a guitarist".

In a 2025 interview with the Iron City Rocks podcast, Candice, who has been married to Ritchie for 18 years but has been together with the legendary DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW guitarist for 37, discussed the health status of her husband and BLACKMORE'S NIGHT bandmate. The conversation took place while Night was promoting her new solo album, "Sea Glass". Asked about the possibility of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT returning to the road in the coming months, Candice said: "One of the things that's so great about Ritchie is he can recognize — he's very in tune with his own body, and he stays on top of everything. Thank goodness. And when he doesn't, I nag him to stay on top of it, which he hates, but at least somebody's doing it — you know, like eating well and things like that.

"There's the three main issues with him that are going on," she explained. "He has a heart issue. He had a heart attack a couple of years ago, so we stay on top of that. He's got gout, so that's difficult. It's affecting his feet really badly. And it's starting in his forefinger, so it's hurting the mobility in that, so he just had an injection for that. And his back, of course, which has always been an issue. He hasn't taken any back injections since he had the heart issue. So everything kind of is working together. So, it's hard — it is hard for him. But he's at the point now where — he's very smart when it comes to things like that."

Elaborating on what makes touring so challenging for someone like Ritchie at this point in his life, Candice said: "It's not so much the travel on a plane. Honestly, it's the aggravation before you even get into the plane and after you get into the plane and it's all the sitting of traveling. So that'll affect his back and all the rest of it. And the jet lag that stresses your heart. All of these things. Waiting on those lines when you have to get to JFK [New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport] and you have to go transatlantic, and then coming off and going back through the security lines and the customs lines and all the rest of that stuff, and all of that stuff, it really does take a toll on a human — on a healthy human, so forget about someone who's 80 years old and going through these issues… Gone are the days where you do five shows in a row, including travel. That's just way too much. For anybody, it's difficult to do that. And we don't have a tour bus and we don't have private planes. If we go someplace, I'm driving. So it's like a mini road trip, but not really because we have to just get to the place, rest that night. Hopefully it's close enough to the venue. You get to the venue, you go back, you get a good night's sleep that night. Hopefully they're not doing construction or maintenance in the hotel or the maids don't wake you up at seven o'clock in the morning. and then you move on to the next place and have a day of travel. So it's a very slowed down way of doing it. But honestly, I'd much rather take something than nothing at all."

Earlier in 2025, Candice confirmed to Eonmusic that Ritchie had a heart attack in 2023 which resulted in six stents being implanted. "He's still got his back problem that he's had, so travel is difficult for him because of all that sitting," she explained. "And standing on stage, even standing with the guitar is tricky, although I do see a lot of people even younger than him at this point in the industry, showing up in wheelchairs. I don't think he wants to be thought of like that or remembered like that. I think it's great that people still get to see those people; I would still go hear them, just to be under the same roof and hear what they sound like, but we'll see. Maybe if we can get some of these medical issues under control, maybe I can get him back on a plane, but as for right now, they actually warned him not to fly. So, who knows?"

Coronary stents are primarily used to treat coronary artery disease, a condition where plaque buildup narrows or blocks the arteries supplying blood to the heart. By inserting stents for the heart, doctors can effectively restore blood flow and alleviate symptoms.

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT plays "Renaissance music," or "medieval music," with most of the tunes featuring lyrics conjured by Night and melodies crafted by Blackmore.

Ritchie, Candice and their two children reside on Long Island, New York, near Port Jefferson.

Blackmore is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 departure.

During his time away from PURPLE, Blackmore established the neo-classical band called RAINBOW, which fused baroque music influences elements with hard rock before gradually progressing to catchy pop-style hard rock.

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of RAINBOW.

In addition to Blackmore and Night (backing vocals),the most recent incarnation of RAINBOW included singer Ronnie Romero, STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT) and backing singer Lady Lynn.

The two shows RAINBOW played in Germany in June 2016 were caught on camera to produce "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", which was released in November 2016 via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, and digital formats.

After Ritchie left DEEP PURPLE for the final time in 1993, he reformed RAINBOW for one album (1995's "Stranger In Us All") and one tour, ending things in Denmark in 1997.

Blackmore didn't join his former DEEP PURPLE bandmates at the group's 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.

Blackmore previously suggested that PURPLE's manager had blocked him from attending the Rock Hall induction ceremony, and he used that as an excuse for not attending the event.

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who inducted DEEP PURPLE into the institution, praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

In an appearance on Hate To Break It To Ya, the weekly podcast hosted by actor/comedian Jamie Kennedy, Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne was asked if it was a "surprise" for him when the legendary heavy metal singer died so soon after playing his final concert with BLACK SABBATH in July 2025. Jack responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it was a surprise, for sure. Obviously everyone knew he was sick… But, yeah, we weren't expecting it to be as quick as it was."

Jack continued: "I think he was done. 'Cause I'd left England to come home after the show. We went to the 'Back To The Beginning' gig with the family, and we all hung around England for a few weeks, and had to come back with the kids. And right before I left, I was putting him to bed, and he was, like, brushing his teeth or whatever, and he was looking at himself in the mirror, and he goes, 'I think I'm gonna cut my hair off.' I'm, like, 'Why?' And he's, like, 'I've retired. I'm not a rock star anymore.' And so I think about that, and I'm, like, yeah, he was done. He was okay with his journey."

During the same chat, Jack said that the day his father died at age 76 was just like any other.

"It was a few days after I got back that he passed, and we were… Even the morning that he passed, it was like, it wasn't anything dramatic at all," Jack said. "He was up, he was doing his thing, had some breakfast, and that was it."

Last December Sharon Osbourne revealed the final conversation she had with her husband Ozzy just before he died, less than three weeks after he played his final concert with BLACK SABBATH at the "Back To The Beginning" event.

In a new interview with Piers Morgan on his program "Piers Morgan Uncensored", Sharon described the last evening with Ozzy at their home in Buckinghamshire, England, saying: "He was up and down to the bathroom all night, and it was like 4.30 and he said, 'Wake up.' I said, 'I'm already bloody awake. You've woken me up.' And he said, 'Kiss me.' And then he said, 'Hug me tight.'"

She added: "I can't help wondering if I should have, could I have? If only I'd have told him I loved him more. If only I'd have held him tighter. And he went downstairs, worked out for 20 minutes and passed away.

"He had a heart attack," Sharon said of his final moments.

"I ran downstairs, and there he was, and they were trying to resuscitate him, and I'm, like, 'Don't — just leave him. Leave him. You can't. He's gone.' I knew instantly he'd gone. And they tried and tried, and then they took him by helicopter to the hospital and they tried, and it's, like, 'He's gone. Just leave him.'"

During the same chat, Sharon said that Ozzy knew that he was near the end of his life and that a doctor had told him if he went ahead with his planned final show, he "wouldn't get through it", but he insisted on playing the gig anyway.

In November 2025, Sharon revealed that Ozzy was fondly remembered by King Charles III in a handwritten note to the BLACK SABBATH singer's family.

"Our King, now we're talking," Sharon said on the November 12, 2025 episode of "The Osbournes" podcast. "He is an amazing person, not just because he wrote to us when Ozzy passed, but if he did it for us, you know he does it for many, many, many people."

Sharon said that she was grateful for how kind King Charles had been to Ozzy over the years.

"He's got a good heart," Sharon continued. "He didn't have to do certain things that he's done for Ozzy in the past. Ozzy's birthday. When Ozzy was sick in hospital with the motorbike accident, he reached out. He is a good, caring man with a good heart."

Ozzy's death certificate revealed that died on July 22, 2025 of a heart attack. 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, Zakk Wylde, Marilyn Manson and Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT).

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

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

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

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

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

In a new interview with Clint Switzer of On The Road To Rock, CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin confirmed that he and his bandmates are working on the follow-up to 2023's "The Long Goodbye" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, for some reason we think we should make another record. [Laughs] We have eight songs now. We're working on probably two or three to get done, and single releases this year, and then go for the full album release next year."

Martin also talked about the return of original CANDLEBOX guitarist Peter Klett and how it affected the band's sound, particularly when it comes to the live shows. He said: "It's been really just a pleasure. When he came back last year and we did, I think we did, like, 15 to 16 shows last year, maybe 20, I don't recall, it was just like old times. And I think that the thing that I forget, when I leave the touring world and I go home and I'm with my family and I'm kind of doing what I do around the house, I forget how much CANDLEBOX actually means to me. And having Pete back in the band, it's icing on the cake, really. He's such a stellar player. He's such a beautiful soul and a beautiful human being. And it really just ups the game when we get out on stage, because he brings all of that, the magic fingers that he has, right back to those songs.

"It's funny — when he plays, I sing the song exactly how it's supposed to be sung," Kevin explained. "It's just the oddest thing. With Brian [Quinn] and Island [Styles], I can go wherever I want, but there's something about how [Pete] plays that it makes me sing the song exactly how it was done on the record. It's wild."

This past January, Kevin confirmed to the Stupid And Contagious Podcast that there are no plans for him and his CANDLEBOX bandmates to retire from touring anytime soon, despite the fact that they announced their "farewell" tour, "The Long Goodbye", and released what was being billed as their "final" album of the same name three years ago. He said in part: "I was done [in 2023]. We were putting out the record and we were going out with 3 DOORS DOWN, and I really wanted to focus on my family and my relationship with my wife and son more, and I was also releasing this bourbon and I wanted to focus on it. And I just kind of felt like I was done with this music business. And then the minute you say that, your value becomes tenfold. An then I was asked to go out with BUSH, and, of course, Gavin [Rossdale, BUSH frontman] and I have been friends since the '90s, and I was, like, 'I can't pass up on that.' And it was [also] with Jerry Cantrell [on the bill]. And then it kind of all kickstarted again. And my wife's, like, 'Look, you know you're not done with this.' And then Pete's, like, 'Hey, man, I'd like to come back.' So, yes, it's now — we're calling it the 'We Can't Quit You, Babe' tour. I mean, fucking RAINBOW said they were retiring. So did THE WHO, KISS…"

Regarding how touring has changed in the three decades since the release of CANDLEBOX's debut album, Kevin said: "It's a hell of a lot harder. It's a hell of a lot more expensive. Certainly with socials and social media and stuff, it's difficult because there are expectations, I think, that fans have of the bands. I mean, back in the day, CANDLEBOX was the most faceless rock and roll band out of Seattle. So it was easy to play a show and go out and watch the opening band and nobody knew who we were. Now your face is all over everything and people can reach out and say, 'Oh, my uncle's a huge fan.' And, 'I met you guys through this person' and 'You're not coming to my town. Why not?' That that kind of stuff... Everybody asks that, and it's, like, you live in a tiny little town in the middle of Iowa. Nobody goes there because it's the most difficult place to get to and it's incredibly expensive to get there. And it's not that we don't want to — we would love to. If we could afford to hit 70,000 cities in the United States in one year, we would, but the odds are stacked against you. But other than that, it's really just the expense of being a touring band. It's so financially unbalanced now. A tour bus, for example. If you're in a 2010 tour bus, let's say. That's 15 years old — a 15-year-old tour bus that probably hasn't been very well taken care of or upgraded or anything like that. It should be about $500 a day, but what you end up paying is about $1,500 a day for that bus. That doesn't include the driver, that doesn't include the fuel. So you're looking at a bus that's 15 years old that's gonna cost you $2,200 a day. The cost of hotels is $350 a night, [plus] taxes, insurance. I mean, my daily nut to tour is $22,000. That's a day what I have to pay to tour. And the merchandise isn't cheap. To print a shirt is about $12 to $15. That's why t-shirts at shows are $40 and $50 and $60 because it's like retail markup. You've gotta make a hundred percent markup. And it's not gonna get any easier as long as Trump's in office, with tariffs."

CANDLEBOX released "A Little Longer Goodbye (Tour Edition)", the digital deluxe version of the album "The Long Goodbye", on all DSPs in July 2024 via Round Hill Records. The digital release featured the 12 tracks on the record plus two bonus live songs, "Elegante" and "Cellphone Jesus" (recorded at Club Amanda in Santiago, Chile on October 27, 2023),as well as the single "Washed Up".

Martin previously discussed his decision to retire in July 2023 during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said at the time: "During COVID, I had a great awakening, being home with my wife and my son and realizing that maybe I had put far too much emphasis on the wrong syllable," he said, referencing a classic line from the 2003 Mike Myers/Gwyneth Paltrow movie "View From The Top". "My music career had become so encompassing of my time and my emotion and my energy and all this stuff that I realized that I had not given my family what they actually needed from me, which was me. And being home and being a dad and a teacher and a husband, and learning how to bake bread and realizing, 'God, man, I've missed a lot of things in my life that I enjoy,' I said, 'I need to figure out when I can wrap this up.'"

He continued: "I love music and it is a part of my life and I love playing live and I love performing and I love the fans. And that is something that I never take for granted. But I knew that I didn't love it the way I did when I started. And so I said to my wife, I said, 'I think I wanna make one last record and I wanna do it in 2023 when the 30th anniversary of the debut comes out, and then I wanna just put a nice little bow on this thing and wrap it up at the end of the year. And how do you feel about that?' And she said, 'I would love that, but only if you're ready.' And it took me from 2020 to 2022 to realize that I was."

Kevin added: "I don't ever wanna be a performer that phones it in on stage. I've been to those shows, I've seen those shows. I don't wanna do that. And I would hate to become that person. If this is my top, where I'm at, and I'm going out on it, and I'm in the best shape ever and my voice is in the best shape ever, and the music that I'm making, the shows that we're playing are fantastic, and we're having an absolute blast, then what better way to go?"

Image credit: thelanatic

In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of the Pod Scum podcast, Terrence Lee "Terry" Glaze, the original voice of PANTERA, spoke about his time with the legendary metal band prior to the arrival of Philip Anselmo. Glaze was the frontman of PANTERA during the band's early'-'80s "party metal" phase and sang on the band's first three albums. After leaving PANTERA, Glaze formed the band LORD TRACY.

Asked how he looks back on the three PANTERA albums he appeared on, "Metal Magic" (1983),"Projects In The Jungle" (1984) and "I Am The Night" (1985),Terry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, when you first start off, of course everybody's gonna look back at their first efforts and go, 'It's not as good as my more mature efforts.' But I think if you listen to that stuff, Darrell's [PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott] guitar sounds amazing from day one, and especially by the second album, 'Projects', he's fully formed. And so if you can look back past my glam singing and listen to the guitars, the rhythms, they sound very consistent to everything they ever did. Darrell's just a badass. So I'm very proud and really fortunate to be just a tiny part of the history of that whole thing. So, I think I would encourage everybody to go back and look up Darrell's playing, 'cause it's just amazing."

Reflecting on what it was like being in a band with the Abbott brothers, Dimebag and drummer Vinnie Paul, Terry said: "I always remember Vinnie Paul and the rest of those guys, they were kind of like wrestlers — 24-7, and they never came outta character. They were just big, lovable rock and roll animals. So it was a lot of fun."

He added: "Dime was a special little person. And he terrorized the crew, and no one ever got him back. I was always shocked that everybody loved Dime so much that he did some of the most crazy stuff to all the road crew and no one ever touched him. I don't really have any of those stories that I wanna share out on a microphone, but every night was an adventure with Darrell. And you're out there playing and you're learning how to rock and you're learning how to play live and you look to your left and you have a guitar player who can play literally anything. He was destroying [Eddie] Van Halen before YouTube. He was destroying Randy Rhoads before YouTube, and then adding his own flavor. How lucky was I that the first real band I ever get in, it's in a band with Darrell and Vince? It was just an amazing opportunity and I don't take it for granted."

Asked if he paid attention to PANTERA's career after he left the band and kept in contact with any of the guys, Terry said: "For sure. Before 'Vulgar [Display Of Power]' came out [in 1992], Darrell came to see LORD TRACY play in Dallas. And after the show, we went out in his limo and he played me a cassette, the rough mixes of 'Vulgar'. And he was sitting there air guitaring to 'Mouth For War'. And he was looking at me just smiling. He goes, 'VAN HALEN.' And I was, like, 'Yes.' And then the next tour, when they came to California, I went out with them for a couple days with them and saw 'em, and it was incredible."

Last June, Glaze was asked by Anthony Bryant of The Hair Metal Guru what caused him to depart PANTERA. Glaze said: "I'm not exactly sure that I remember. It was just life, just things. And you might have a disagreement on how to proceed in certain ways. But it was just basically that."

Reflecting on the last gig he played as a member of PANTERA, Glaze said: "I think we were playing in Wichita Falls maybe. And it was so weird. It was just weird. We were playing, and it was a great show. And then just 'bye'. I remember driving home by myself in my truck and just thinking, 'Wow.' There wasn't any effort by us to solve it. It was just, 'This is the way it's gonna be.' And so I took the next step."

Asked by Bryant if he could point to any specific issue that caused him to want to leave PANTERA, Glaze said: "Well, I don't know, but it wasn't musical direction. It wasn't anything like that, 'cause I loved playing in the band."

Regarding what he thought of PANTERA's heavier, more aggressive musical direction on 1990's "Cowboys From Hell" album, Terry said: "I didn't really know what the other bands were doing when [I was] in LORD TRACY. And [LORD TRACY's debut album] 'Deaf Gods [Of Babylon]' [came] out in '89. PANTERA's record [came out] around then about some time. We bumped into each other out on the road. And I was just happy that we were both getting to do what we wanted to do. And that's really when I became aware of what was going on. So that's 'Cowboys From Hell' and 'Deaf Gods'. We go back sometime after that. LORD TRACY's playing The Basement [in Dallas, Texas]. Darrell shows up, gets on stage. It was a blast. He comes out. We go out. He's got a limo, and he's got a cassette and he starts playing me tracks from the next [PANTERA] record. And he plays me 'Mouth For War', me and him in the backseat after the gig. And he's sitting there air-guitaring it, and he goes, 'VAN HALEN, right?' And that's probably my favorite song, 'Mouth For War'. But I just remember Darrell doing that, and it was so cool."

Glaze went on to say that he was happy to see his former bandmates doing well, even though they were no longer playing together. "There's plenty of room for all kinds of art," he explained. "And so thank goodness that everybody doesn't like the same thing and we all like different things and there's something for everybody. So it was great. They're out there doing it. I'm out there doing it. I feel so lucky."

During the same chat, Glaze reflected on Dimebag's 2004 death. The PANTERA guitarist was murdered while on stage at the Alrosa Villa in north Columbus, Ohio. The shooting happened in December 2004, only moments after Dimebag's then-band DAMAGEPLAN took the stage. Regarding how he found out about Darrell's passing, Terry said: "I was here [at home]. I was asleep. The phone rings. It's my best friend, Buddy Blaze. He says, 'Turn on your…' whatever. And [my reaction was one of] disbelief. A couple days later, [I went] to the funeral. Darrell's buried in the same cemetery that my grandparents and my father-in-law are buried. So I go to that cemetery all the time. My grandparents are here. My father-in-law's here. Darrell's over here. But I go to the service, and it's packed with everybody, and I'm just kind of watching it. It was me and Buddy and Tommy Bradford, the original [PANTERA] bass player. And [I was in] disbelief. I go to the celebration the night, that night, [and I see] everybody [there]. [I was still in] disbelief. The next morning or the next day, I go back and it didn't really hit me until I saw the dirt. And that's when I [felt], 'This is real.' But that's what I remember."

More than three years ago, Terry called PANTERA's current comeback a "good thing", saying that it's a great way to celebrate the music of the Texan metallers. Glaze made his comments while speaking to Eonmusic.

On meeting and forming a band with Dime and Vinnie, Terry said: "We wanted to play with the best drummer we could find, and the best drummer in our school was Vince Abbott. So we got together and jammed, and we tried to get him to play with us. The agreement was that we would take his little brother Darrell who was in middle school. We weren't really interested in a young kid in middle school, but we reluctantly agreed, thank goodness. We were lucky enough to do that."

Going on to talk about his desire to see the band's early output reissued, he said: "I think that it would be a great thing for everybody to get to hear more Darrell, and so that's where I stand with it. It would be amazing. You could do a big box with everything, and it would just be cool."

He continued: "You see them all over the planet. I bought copies of CDs that that are pressed out that are that are not legal — bootlegs — but, you know, that's the only way to get copies of all this stuff now."

When Eonmusic noted that PANTERA bassist Rex Brown had said the brothers were "dead against" any re-release of those early albums in a 2021 interview with the site, Terry countered: "As far as what the band with the brothers, how they felt, that comes up even to this day, doesn't it? So, you know, people change their minds, and business opportunities happen and what are you going to do?"

When asked about his thoughts on the recent PANTERA's current comeback tour, featuring Brown and surviving vocalist Anselmo alongside guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante, Terry said: "I just feel kind of the same way I feel about VAN HALEN; it would be difficult for me to think that that was VAN HALEN without Eddie Van Halen, and Alex is still alive. Imagine if Eddie and Alex are gone, and then it was VAN HALEN. It's just hard for us old people."

He continued: "But you know, man, more power to everybody to get to celebrate the music and get together and have fellowship. I especially think about all the young people who never got to see them, now they get to finally go out and celebrate those songs. That means so much to them and that music means so much to a lot of people around the whole planet. So more power to them to celebrate music. Anything that gets people out, live together for rock and roll, that's a good thing."

In 2021, Brown dismissed the first three PANTERA albums, telling Eonmusic it was with the addition of Anselmo that the PANTERA story really began.

"The old singer? Shit, it was going nowhere really quick," Rex said. "He just was not on the same wavelength as the three of us. The dude's never had a job in his life. I see him shootin' his mouth off in some of these magazines, and it's, like, 'Dude, you were in the band for fuckin' four years,' you know what I'm saying? 'Now you're wanting claim to fame 35 years later? Sorry, pal, you missed the boat!' So I don't want to give any credit where it's fuckin' undue, you know? Once we got Philip in the band, it developed into something else, and that was the PANTERA that we know now, and that's why we never talk about those old records."

Looking back, Brown conceded: "Hey, look, it's great to go back memory lane and all that kind of stuff, but those are the farthest things that I wake up for in the first of the morning. 'Oh, remember that one tune 'Nothing On (But The Radio)', and the singer?' No! I mean, I hate fucking songs like that, but it was a growing process, and now, because the things are out, and they've been bootleged a hundred thousand times, people consider it a part of our history. It's not. Unless Philip's singing on it, it's not PANTERA. That's the way I look at it."

When asked outright to clarify that he had absolutely no desire to ever see those records reissued, officially, Rex was emphatic; "God no, god no! The brothers were against that, and I'm against it, and that's just it. Period. It ain't coming out."

During a March 18 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen spoke about the band's upcoming fifth studio album, "Dear God", which will arrive on June 26 via Fearless Records. Asked why there was a five-year gap between 2021's "Death By Rock And Roll" and "Dear God", Taylor said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The recording of this record alone took way longer than anticipated just because of scheduling. We actually recorded it over the course of two years, which normally it would be done in — well, I don't wanna put a timeline on it, but it wouldn't take two years. So that's part of it, but also life. I take time in between albums because I have to live life in between. I have to have something to write about. I have to reflect on everything I just did with the previous record and kind of put that to bed in one way, but also see where the story's gonna take me next."

She continued: "Writing, it's something that I can't force. And that's why I always say it's kind of the most torturous process, but it's also the most rewarding. It's the thing that you kind of have to wait for inspiration to strike you and to kind of have all the pieces fall into place in your own head in order to make something that you wanna share with the world. And that takes time. Me and Ben [Phillips, THE PRETTY RECKLESS guitarist], we write everything. It's just the four of us in this band. There is no outside help or writers or forces or anything, and we're producing it now too. So it takes as long as it takes."

Asked if she has a place or a time where she can just disconnect from everything and just get away from all of it and just kind of detox from the world, Taylor said: "I try to find time. I haven't really had a break in — I'm not sure how long, but I also spent so much time… With COVID and not getting to fully tour 'Death By Rock And Roll' in the traditional sense, the way we normally would tour a record and all that, I feel like I took a long — that almost felt like a hiatus in a weird way. So I feel very good being super busy right now. And I find moments for myself in… I was raised working all the time — I started working at two years old — so I learned to find solace in my own head. And so that's not a blocked off vacation. It's not traditional like that. So I find moments — it's about finding moments with yourself. And my new obsession's crocheting, and I find it meditative. I crochet for an hour and think in silence or with music. And that's a break. [Laughs] And it works for me. So I'm cool with that."

She added: "Someone taught me to crochet on the first tour, and it's become an obsession of mine in a way that I kind of can't believe I haven't done it my whole life. I'm fully addicted to it. It's like a new meditation tactic for me. So just endless blankets — I can make endless blankets."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest single "When I Wake Up", was released earlier in the month. According to a press release, the track "leans into a punk-driven sound while staying true to what has become the band's signature: explosive guitars and Momsen's unmistakable powerhouse vocal."

"Dear God" will also include THE PRETTY RECKLESS's chart-topping single "For I Am Death", which hit No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart last November, marking the band's fourth consecutive No. 1 and the second time the group has achieved this impressive feat.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS will bring its stage performance to fans across the world with the all-new headlining "Dear God" tour. The trek will kick off in North America, making stops in New Orleans, Dallas, and Los Angeles before wrapping in Europe. This tour follows THE PRETTY RECKLESS's two-year-long trek across the globe alongside AC/DC on the "Power Up" tour.

This upcoming marquee year follows a remarkable 12 months for THE PRETTY RECKLESS, which included an acclaimed performance at the prestigious 2026 MusiCares Person Of The Year Gala, where Taylor honored the legendary Mariah Carey alongside the FOO FIGHTERS, as well as a performance at the 2025 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame where Taylor performed with SOUNDGARDEN for their induction. Additionally, the band released their holiday EP "Taylor Momsen's Pretty Reckless Christmas", which features the revamped "Where Are You Christmas?" . The lead single hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, reigniting over two decades of global fandom and nostalgia.

On March 19, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson returned to Kino Regis in Bochnia, Poland as part of his 2026 "Bass Warrior Tour", which features Ellefson and his solo band performing select cuts from his well-known catalog of MEGADETH hits, including the band's classic "Countdown To Extinction" album in its entirety, solo material and other hard rock and metal favorites which inspired him during his 40-year music career. Video of the entire concert can be seen below.

Shortly after the concert, Ellefson took to his social media to write: "Tonight in Bochnia, Poland — what a night! Bochnia, this was our third time with you and you were absolutely incredible. Thank you for coming out and celebrating 'Countdown To Extinction' with us for a high-energy, SOLD OUT show. Every voice, every riff, every moment — unforgettable. It was also amazing to bring 'Angry Again' and '99 Ways To Die' back into the set — two killer tracks from that 1992–93 era that hit just as hard today."

Featured songs in video below:

00:00 Intro
01:30 Skin O' My Teeth
04:51 Symphony Of Destruction
09:00 Architecture Of Aggression
12:32 Foreclosure Of A Dream
17:03 Sweating Bullets
22:36 This Was My Life
27:37 Countdown To Extinction
31:56 High Speed Dirt
36:21 Psychotron
41:58 Captive Honour
46:46 Ashes In Your Mouth
54:50 NA-PIE-RDA-LAĆ SKIT
55:26 Angry Again
59:18 99 Ways to Die
1:03:19 Peace Sells (But Who's Buying?)

Bochnia Rocks! is an exceptional concert series that has been bringing world-class rock and metal stars to the Regis Cinema in Bochnia for years. Thanks to this initiative, Bochnia has become a one-of-a-kind destination on Poland's musical map, allowing fans to experience legends up close in a remarkably intimate atmosphere.

Ellefson previously stated about this year's "Bass Warrior" tour: "'Bass Warrior' has become an annual celebration with my fans across Europe. This year I'm really excited to be performing the 'Countdown To Extinction' album in its entirety on the tour. It's always been one of my favorite albums in my discography and I'm looking forward to celebrating those songs with my fans on the tour in March."

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

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

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

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

In his first book, Ellefson admitted that he became a salaried employee upon his return to MEGADETH 15 years ago. He told Metal-Rules.com in an interview: "Going from being a co-founding owner to just a sideman musician was initially why I didn't come back in 2004. I was not happy with the participations that were presented to me. In recent times, coming back, I found great joy in doing music with a lot of other people in other settings that helped me fall back in love with playing music. Now I can come back into or go into musical situations and be able to be there for a purpose and level of pay. Being a sideman absolves you from being involved in all the other stuff. At this point in my life, I would rather leave that stuff on the sidelines. Like American Express says, 'membership has its privileges,' being a sideman has its benefits. In my case, it helps retain a friendship too. In order to have a friendship, I had to give up some ownership."

During a February 2021 appearance on Mitch Joel's "Groove - The No Treble Podcast", Ellefson reflected on his legal battle with Mustaine, saying: "I firmly believe Dave and I ended up in that situation because he and I were not directly communicating. There was a new manager, a new lawyer, a new team of people, and they were all trying to impress the client, so they were just, 'Well, we're just doing whatever the boss tells us to do.' And it's, like, wait a minute — your job is to manage and counsel and direct your client, and — in my opinion — avoid litigation, avoid these things. Those people are no longer here — they've all been let go, thank God — and once most of them were let go was when Dave and I had an opportunity to come back and reconcile. And as soon as Dave and I get in a room, it's, like, 'What the hell are we fighting over? Get your guitar. Let's play. Let's jam.' And then it becomes about the music, and there it is. So when we keep it on that level, it goes well. When the business people and the lawyers and the people come in and they try to sort of put logic around it, that's when the trouble [begins].

"I've always said MEGADETH is completely illogical — there's no logic to it at all," he continued. "And there's not really supposed to be, because it's something of the heart — it's not of the head; it's of the heart. I always say the longest journey is the 15 inches from the head to the heart. To memorize it is one thing, but to know it by heart is another thing. And that's what we do as musicians — we don't just memorize it; we have to really [know] it by heart. And that's what a group is — a musical setting is about that. And, of course, there has to be some sort of business dynamic around it to kind of make it work, I guess — at least for the accountants."

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



Posted by Bochnia Rocks on Friday, February 6, 2026

Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA played their new song "The Place" live for the first time this past Friday (March 20) at the kick-off concert of the band's Australian tour at Metro City in Perth, Australia. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for SEPULTURA's Perth show was as follows:

01. Beneath The Remains
02. Inner Self
03. Desperate Cry
04. The Place (live debut)
05. Kairos
06. Propaganda
07. Attitude
08. Means To An End
09. Choke
10. Phantom Self
11. Kaiowas
12. Guardians Of Earth
13. Escape To The Void
14. Dead Embryonic Cells
15. Agony Of Defeat
16. Orgasmatron (MOTÖRHEAD cover)
17. Troops Of Doom
18. Territory
19. Refuse/Resist
20. Arise
21. Drum Solo
22. Ratamahatta
23. Roots Bloody Roots

"The Place" is taken from SEPULTURA's new EP, "The Cloud Of Unknowing" EP, which is due on April 24 via Nuclear Blast Records.

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 vocalist Derrick Green previously stated about "The Place": "This song deals with immigrants who have come to a place seeking refuge and start a new life. Once assimilated into a false sense of security and relentless propaganda, they began to act out against what they hate about themselves. The transition begins to escape from the self-hatred and the lashing out against people who believed in the same ideas. I feel the lyrics truly follow the transitions of the song. Starting with disappointment and arriving at anger."

Last year, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke about plans to release new music with the SEPULTURA's current touring drummer, 23-year-old Greyson Nekrutman, who officially replaced the group's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February 2024. He said at the time:  "We recorded four new songs with Greyson on drums. I don't think nobody knows that, but there we go. We have four new songs, and we have the intention, next year, to release an EP, just to celebrate this momentum. It's original songs that we worked [out]. It's already recorded and everything, and we're taking our time, really, to see where it's gonna be the good time to do it."

Regarding how the new SEPULTURA material came about, Andreas said: "It was very spontaneous. We had a situation that we played the 70000 Tons Of Metal [cruise in January 2025] and we stayed in Miami. 'We have this studio. We have a few ideas. Okay, let's do it.' [Laughs] And it was great. No pressure from labels, no due date… But it's great… We did it in our time with no rush… And it's great. Because of the farewell [tour] idea, we can do that as well, to plan something like that, or not plan something like that, plan as less that we can to really to challenge ourselves artistically to work something like that."

Asked if SEPULTURA's decision to embark on a two-and-a-half-year farewell tour was motivated in any way by his desire to explore other styles of music away from extreme metal, Andreas said:  "I never felt kind of locked in the SEPULTURA world to write [in a specific style]. We were always very fearless to do whatever we want. I mean, 'Nation' is a very different album, 'A-Lex', all those albums that were inspired by books and stuff. It is, I think, more of the routine of being in a band like SEPULTURA. 40 years — 40 years, man. Have you ever done something for 40 years, like your job? Think about it. [Laughs] It's an amazing achievement inside the entertainment business to have such a band for so long, and ups and downs, to have a following. Every time we were doing albums, we were playing, we had a deal with the record label, regardless of the formation, regardless of the time we were. We played for 10 people, then we were back to play big places and stuff. It's a beautiful history. It's a beautiful history of art and life. And I was kind of feeling to get in that mode of doing another album, doing another tour, it's kind of too predictable. I mean, an artist has to be not in the comfort zone. If you're there, you're fucked, because you're going to lose touch with reality. You're gonna start living in this bubble of what SEPULTURA should be. There's no 'should'. There's a new SEPULTURA every day. We can do anything we want, musically wise, because we conquered that. SEPULTURA is this. It is not thrash metal. It's not heavy metal. It's not dark metal. It's not Brazilian metal. It's SEPULTURA metal. That's why we have a name, right? [Laughs] Otherwise, why have a name? This is SEPULTURA. That's what we are — very free. We're not scared or to take risks. Art is risks. If you do something new, you're gonna take risks. There's no other way. And that's where you learn, with your mistakes or with your errors and your everything. But it's great to stop in a great momentum without fighting, without an external factor breaking up this band. It's our own terms. We chose that very peacefully, a conscious decision. We took two years talking about working out, preparing this, and now we enjoying ourselves. It's amazing. And why not? I mean, it's a privilege to have that, to have that possibility, to stop while we can or to stop in this momentum. And then the future is the future. Let's see. [Laughs]"

Kisser also once again spoke about what SEPULTURA's final concert might look like. He said: "The idea is to do it around October 2026 in São Paulo, Brazil. A big SEPUL-fest type of show, a party with bands that are important. And as a part of SEPULTURA's history, we like to invite every member that was a part of SEPULTURA, including the Cavalera brothers [Max and Igor], to be a part of the concert, to play, to jam. I mean, it's totally irrelevant to discuss the past, who is right, who is wrong. We're never gonna get to a point — we're gonna have two different views of it, and that's fine. This is irrelevant. Let's jam for the fans, to ourselves, to our families [who had] never seen us together. But not only them — Jairo [Guedz], Eloy Casagrande, Jean Patton and Roy Mayorga, musicians that were a part of SEPULTURA in very specific and important moments that kept SEPULTURA flowing and going regardless of our problems and our challenges that we had. So hopefully that will happen. They are gonna be invited. If you wanna be a part of this party, you are welcome. If not, that's fine."

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 Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

SEPULTURA announced 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.

Australia, we’re coming for you next week! 🇦🇺🔥

Time is ticking and tickets are disappearing!
Our Melbourne show just...

Posted by Sepultura on Monday, March 9, 2026

In a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current SIX FEET UNDER vocalist Chris Barnes was asked if he would be willing to perform with CANNIBAL CORPSE again if the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame started welcoming death metal acts and CANNIBAL CORPSE was being inducted. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, yeah. I've always been ready to do that. They wouldn't do that, though, because that's just how they are. I mean, they wouldn't ask me and Jack [Owen, former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current SIX FEET UNDER guitarist] to go up on stage with them at all. They wouldn't. It wouldn't happen. They would exclude us from it. And they might invite us up on stage with them, but they would never want me and Jack to play a song with them or anything like that."

Asked why he thinks that is, Chris responded: "I think it's a part of they don't like me and they also feel… Not to be boastful or conceited at all — I'm just being truthful — they feel threatened by my presence as far as a vocalist and my contribution to the band. They've always tried to marginalize that. They've always tried to ignore it, and they've always just not been very kind to me as far as that has gone, because my contribution to the band has always been a shadow to what they've tried to keep going and take on themselves. And that's what they wanted to do. That's why I was fired from the band, which I'm fine with. I've never had a problem with that. I've never been bitter about that at all. I've just stated my story and the facts that I know, and I've always said it, that the greatest blessing that's come my way has been SIX FEET UNDER and my putting this band together because it was my way out of that band, 'cause I wasn't happy being in that band at a pretty early point. SIX FEET UNDER was the best thing that ever happened to me. Getting kicked out of CANNIBAL CORPSE was really — it was awesome when that happened. And Alex [Webster, CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist] will even tell you, when he called me up to tell me that I was out of the band, I kind of laughed a little bit. I was, like, 'That's awesome. Thank you,' basically."

Asked if "creativity" was the main reason he felt unhappy in CANNIBAL CORPSE, Chris said: "No. That was nothing to do with it at all. I mean, maybe in their minds, as far as the last recording session went, because I went on tour with SIX FEET UNDER instead of finishing that album the way they were commanding me to finish it, and they knew I was not going to; I was sticking to my guns as far as those songs that I had written. And I guess I didn't see that the way they wanted me to see it, so that might've been a creative difference. But for me, the most part was I just didn't wanna be around those guys. I had never had a problem with Jack. It was Alex, Paul [Mazurkiewicz, CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer] and Rob [Barrett, CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist] that I just didn't wanna be in the same room with. So that's really why I started SIX FEET UNDER. A lot of people were, like — the party line was it was a side project. It wasn't a side project for me — never once. It was really my escape pod. I went along with the party line, but it was never that for me. It was my way out."

In a September 2023 interview with Loaded Radio, Webster was asked about whether fans have asked to see CANNIBAL CORPSE and SIX FEET UNDER touring together, especially now that SIX FEET UNDER features two former CANNIBAL members. Alex said: "People have asked [about the two bands touring together], but I think SIX FEET just doesn't really tour that much. And we probably wouldn't do it. It's, yeah, like you said, sort of everything's cool, but it's sort of like, you do your thing, we'll do our thing. And it's fine."

Back in February 2025, Chris was asked by "The Garza Podcast", hosted by SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza, if his replacement in CANNIBAL CORPSE, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, was "still blocked" from Barnes's social media. Barnes responded: "I haven't had him blocked. In fact, on Instagram, I follow him. And I don't know if he follows me, but at one point I confronted him because I saw a video on YouTube where during a live performance, he's poked at me pretty good. And I wrote him 'cause I was, like, 'Look, man, I never have said anything nasty about you at all. I don't know why you're doing this on stage about me.' And I said, 'We met and I thought everything was cool that one time. And listen, I'll give you my phone number.' … I said, 'If you wanna talk on the phone, I'll give you my phone number. We can talk it over.' And I sent him the link to the YouTube video, and magically it disappeared after that. But he never responded to me. He saw the message, 'cause it said 'seen.' But he wouldn't talk to me about it."

During "The Garza Podcast"chat, Chris admitted that he hadn't been impressed with George's execution of the CANNIBAL material which was originally written and recorded during his era with the band. Chris said: "I don't think he sings my songs very well. I don't. I think he walks through 'em. And on this [recent SIX FEET UNDER] tour, I poked back at him a little bit just because I felt like it was funny. But it was all in good humor."

Barnes added that Fisher has said some "insulting" things about him in the press, particularly as it relates to CANNIBAL CORPSE's early material.

"I saw a couple interviews with him where he said that he believed that my songs that I wrote are more his now," Chris claimed. "And that really upsets me. Because they'll never be his. He's a karaoke singer when it comes to my songs. He is. Those aren't his songs. He says they're his songs because he's sung them more times than I have. He didn't write 'em. He doesn't get publishing checks from 'em. Those are my songs. Those lyrics are from my brain. And for him to insult me that way, I take that really serious. And I think that that's so ignorant and just so — just wrong. I think it's wrong that he even signs the CDs or the album covers that he didn't perform on. I don't sign [CANNIBAL CORPSE's 1998 album] 'Gallery Of Suicide'. Why would I? I wasn't on it. So, hey, if he wants to settle it, like get in a race car on a track, see who can drive better. [Laughs] But I know he doesn't know how to drive, so I'd probably win that race too."

After Garza opined that Barnes and Fisher should get in a room and work things out, Chris said: "Listen, man, I tried to. I tried to. I've got no problem with him. Like I said, when I met him, I thought everything was cool, because we got into a room. We were at an IRON MAIDEN concert in one of the boxes. [Metal Blade Records founder Brian] Slagel kind of got us all together in the same room, and I was talking to him. I was having a good time talking about video games. I'm a 'Call Of Duty' guy; he's a 'Warcraft' guy — two different types of games."

Barnes continued: "I respect that he's been a great vocalist for the band for many years. I just don't like being poked at. I've never done anything to the guy… I have respect for him. It's just I wish people had a little more respect from that camp for me, but they have their reasons not to, so. I mean, I reached out to Alex the other day. Me and Jack thought it would be cool to have him come up when we played Portland to play bass on 'Stripped[, Raped And Strangled]' and 'Hammer [Smashed Face]'. But he passed. We knew he wasn't gonna do it, but I told him, I said, 'Those songs are so important to us all, I thought you might want to.'"

Barnes added: "I don't know what grudge they're holding against me, but they just don't like me. So, it's okay. Like I said, I'm happier, and I've been happier in SIX FEET UNDER than with those guys. I mean, those songs that I wrote with them, they are really important to me. That's why we still do a couple of 'em."

Barnes fronted CANNIBAL CORPSE from its inception in 1988 until his exit in 1995, one year after the release of the band's "The Bleeding" album.

After Barnes left CANNIBAL CORPSE, he formed SIX FEET UNDER, whose current lineup also includes another former CANNIBAL CORPSE member, the aforementioned guitarist Jack Owen.

In a Cameo video message requested by one of his fans, Barnes reflected on CANNIBAL CORPSE's "The Bleeding" (1994) album, saying: "In CANNIBAL CORPSE, with 'The Bleeding', those guys as musicians were really wanting to progress the band musically in a way. I could kind of say why — I think they were wanting to, in a way, prove themselves as well-skilled musicians. And I thought they always were, because it was always very interesting music, the arrangements and stuff in CANNIBAL CORPSE on the first three albums. But I think they wanted to really hyper focus their skills and weren't able to do that. And I just was along for the ride, man. I can write to anything. It was really challenging to me. And I really liked 'The Bleeding' too. I liked what we were doing with Bob [Rusay, former CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist]. I didn't want Bob to leave the band, and I didn't want him to be forced out of the band, and neither did Jack. So it kind of was a strange thing with that whole situation, but it did bring about a good album with 'The Bleeding'. And 'Stripped, Raped And Strangled' is probably my favorite song that I've written. And 'Hammer Smashed Face' is probably the most successful song that I've written. But something about 'Stripped, Raped And Strangled', to me, it showed something with the band that never appeared again with any of their albums after that, even 'Created To Kill'. [Editor's note: 'Created To Kill' was the original title of CANNIBAL CORPSE's 1996 album 'Vile', which was partly completed before Barnes was dismissed from the band due to creative differences.] But that is a purposeful thing. I was told by one of the members I will never write another song like that, which I thought was a big mistake. So it's a special song to me in that way, and I love that song. I'll play that song forever."

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral (courtesy of Palmer Turner Overdrive for Metal Blade Records)

In a question-and-answer session (see video below) to promote "Checkmate", the first single from her new band BLUE MEDUSA, former ARCH ENEMY and THE AGONIST vocalist Alissa White-Gluz was asked about the possibility of a full-length album from BLUE MEDUSA. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are thinking maybe it's fun to release a bunch of singles, because, I love making music videos as much as I love writing songs, and I love being able to assign a moment in time. Like March 20th is 'Checkmate' day now, and I love being able to assign a moment in time and a theme and a visual to a song because I feel like it just makes it so much stronger — for me anyways, it does. And so I'm kind of digging the idea of giving you guys a lot of singles. And then, of course, there will be an album as well. And I will keep you guys posted on all of that."

As for BLUE MEDUSA's touring plans, Alissa said: "We do have two festivals already announced, and those are in the USA: Louder Than Life and Aftershock festival, which are both festivals that I have attended in the past, and they are amazing. So if you're based in the USA and you do wanna see BLUE MEDUSA live, I can guarantee you're gonna see us at those festivals. And if you're not from the USA and you feel like doing like a vacation or something, you can always time it around that because those festivals are really, really huge and they're very cool. But you also don't have to worry, because we will absolutely be touring everywhere that I have toured in the past. We are coming to see all of you again. I can't go that long without seeing you. A lot of you know, I know you by name when I see you in the front row or at a meet-and-greet. You guys have become a part of my life in a way that is so important for making this music happen and making all of this happen. So I'm gonna see you again soon. As soon as we have anything confirmed, you will hear about it. It'll be on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Patreon. We're gonna post about it. So don't even worry. We will be back soon and be performing for you guys."

White-Gluz is joined in BLUE MEDUSA by guitarists Alyssa Day (MINDSCAR, ABSENTIA) and Dani Sophia (ex-Till Lindemann). Bassist Alicia Vigil (DRAGONFORCE, VIGIL OF WAR) and drummer Delaney Jaster (STITCHED UP HEART) will also take part in BLUE MEDUSA's live shows.

"Checkmate" was written by White-Gluz, Day and Sophia, and mixed and mastered by Kile Odell.

When "Checkmate" was first made available on March 20, White-Gluz said in a statement: "This is a song where everything just clicked.

"'Checkmate' is an extremely cathartic song for me. It was created in one of those flow states where the lyrics and melodies and rhythms just write themselves and you get the feeling that you're on to something powerful. It's probably the heaviest thing I've written in terms of lyrics, and probably the lightest of what we have cooking in terms of sound.

"I wanted to share the intensity of these feelings with fans and give them something to hold on to.

"I'm so happy to see so much support for BLUE MEDUSA already; fans can look forward to more dark, heavy, brutal and haunting music very soon."

Beyond the music, "Checkmate" also highlighted White-Gluz's expanding role as a visual storyteller. Co-directing the music video with Vicente Cordero of Industrialism Films — whom she previously collaborated with on high-ranking videos for "The Wolf You Feed" with Nita Strauss and "I Am A Machine" with Kat Von D — she brought a cinematic, detail-driven approach that elevated the track into a fully immersive experience. Built around a unique, outside-the-box concept developed by White-Gluz, the video unfolds within a game of chess, where each move carries deliberate allegory and layered symbolism.

"I know what every frame is for," joked White-Gluz. "I'll share that someday, but for now, I welcome fans to dive deeper into the meaning and develop their own interpretations. That's what makes videos and movies fun and interesting, in my opinion."

In a recent interview with Germany's Metal Hammer magazine, Alissa was asked how difficult it was for her to announce her departure from ARCH ENEMY last November after an 11-year tenure with the extreme metal titans. She responded: "It was definitely difficult but change is always a wild mix of fear and excitement. When you spend that many years with something, it becomes a huge part of your life and identity. So making that announcement wasn't something I took lightly. I had devoted an enormous amount of my creative energy to the project for more than half of my career."

She continued: "I really love music and art, I can't bear to treat it like just another day at the office. That's why I put so much extra care and intention into every lyric, performance, recording, and visual that I do. I felt a real responsibility to handle the announcement with respect for the fans, for the music, and for myself. Just getting straight to the point felt like the only way to honor my past while also stepping confidently into what comes next."

Regarding the reaction to her exit from ARCH ENEMY, Alissa said: "The fans' and industry peers' responses honestly blew me away. There was so much love, encouragement, and genuine support, more than ever before, and it felt incredibly energizing. What really stood out to me was how strongly people connected to the idea of my growth and evolution. It made me feel deeply grateful and also very motivated. It reinforced that the connection we've built is strong, and that it naturally carries forward. That is something I have always been focused on in my career: stepping outside of my comfort zone and outside of the box so that I can have artistic freedom without being typecast. That support gave me a lot of confidence and excitement about the future, because I really do believe that art and artists are meant to evolve."

White-Gluz, former vocalist of Canadian extreme metallers THE AGONIST, joined ARCH ENEMY in 2014 as the replacement for Angela Gossow. Angela, who joined ARCH ENEMY in 2000 and made her debut on the now-classic "Wages Of Sin" (2001),stepped down as frontwoman and is now focusing on management, while Alissa took her place.

ARCH ENEMY released four studio albums with White-Gluz on vocals: "War Eternal" (2014),"Will To Power" (2017),"Deceivers" (2022) and "Blood Dynasty" (2025).

Throughout her career, the now-40-year-old Alissa has consistently used her music as a vehicle for social change, addressing pressing issues such as environmental conservation, veganism, and the ethical treatment of animals.

ARCH ENEMY played its final show with White-Gluz at the closing concert of the band's European "Blood Dynasty" 2025 tour with AMORPHIS, ELUVEITIE and GATECREEPER on November 15, 2025 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

In an interview with Australia's Hear 2 Zen podcast, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke about the band's long-awaited new studio album, which is due later this year 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.

Benante said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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 if ANTHRAX will give Australian fans a preview of any of the new music when the band embarks on a four-date tour of the country later this month, Charlie said: "Wow. I think we're gonna play a little snippet of something. But I would like to expand on it a little more, maybe not play such a short little piece [as we did on the recent tour of Canada with MEGADETH and EXODUS]. Maybe play a little bit more, you know what I mean? Don't give so much of an appetizer. Let's give an appetizer and then a cocktail with it."

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 that the band's new album won't come out until September 2026. "We pushed it back a little bit," he explained. "We just had to do a couple of other things to it. And then we had to, of course, get a release date set. So it got moved to September. And that's it. It's coming out in September, but the first song and video will be out in May."

After the interviewer noted that ANTHRAX has been teasing one of the songs during its recent live shows, Charlie said: "We play a little piece of one of the songs. We played it on this Canadian run [with MEGADETH and EXODUS] that we just came back from. But I could see us kind of expanding it a bit for our friends in Australia [on the upcoming Australian tour in late March], maybe playing a little more, because, for me, it's become so hard to just contain this, because I'm so excited about it. I'm so happy about it. This record is really, really good."

Regarding ANTHRAX's touring plans in support of the upcoming LP, Benante said:  "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]."

Asked about the new song snippet ANTHRAX played during the band's recent Canadian tour with MEGADETH and EXODUS and whether fans attending ANTHRAX's four Australian shows in late March can expect to hear something new, Ian said: "Well, I am [able to tell you more about that song snippet], but I'm not going to, because, like all these things, there's a plan, there's a timeline. We've got lots of exciting shit up our sleeve. It's so hard not to talk about shit. It's so hard to not wanna just spill the beans and just fucking play the record for everybody already."

Scott continued: "I think people don't understand that. I see comments online of people [saying], 'Where's the fucking record?' How do you think we feel? We're the guys in the band. Granted, I've heard the record, of course, but who cares if I've heard it? That doesn't matter. I want everyone else to hear it. I'm so fucking excited. Eight people have heard this fucking album. So I can't wait for people to hear it. I can't wait. And I know what we have. It's like having just the most powerful weapon in the world at your disposal, but you're missing this one little thing and you can't use it. [Laughs]"

Ian added: "I can't wait for people to hear it. And I'm excited. And we will probably play a piece of something when we're down [in Australia], I'm sure. And it'll sound way better live than the little snippet you hear on YouTube through somebody's phone. And, yeah, soon enough the first song will be out."

Asked if ANTHRAX recorded any covers this time around, considering that the band had always laid down covers during previous album recording sessions, Ian said:  "We didn't record any covers, which is funny 'cause I don't think I realized that. I think at some point during the process we talked about it and I don't know why we ended up not, but until you just mentioned it, I hadn't thought about that. I remember Charlie recorded drums to [a song by] VAN HALEN. 'Romeo Delight'. I can't even remember now. [It was] so many years. I remember Charlie cut drums, 'cause we were fucking around with the VAN HALEN song, but we never finished it. The closest we came, I guess, was when we did [BLACK SABBATH's] 'Into The Void' at [Ozzy Osbourne's final concert] 'Back To The Beginning' [in July 2025]. But, of course, that's not on the record, and it's not ours to put out. I think that's gonna come out on the DVD or whatever they're doing with 'Back To The Beginning'. So people will get to hear that. But no, we don't have a cover. There are a bunch of other songs. There's one or two others that are finished that we held, and there's one or two that are close that still needed some work. So over the next couple years, it might be cool. We could have some other new shit come out over the next few years while we're on tour too."

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."

Asked about ANTHRAX's creative process, particularly as it relates to the upcoming album, Frank said: "We had to get over the COVID thing, like everybody else. We couldn't be one of those bands that were doing it over video, 'cause the latency, number one… Say we were jamming on something, it would come out a half a second later. It's, like, 'Oh,' and you lose the vibe. So we would just send files to each other and stuff like that. And then we got together when it was safe to get together, when they told us it was safe. So the three of us — Charlie, Scott and I — got together, as we've done all our lives, and started exchanging ideas. And from the files we've had, [we went through it and said], 'What's good? Is that good? Does that work here? Back and forth. And then you go home again and see what works. Then we start putting melodies to it, and then we put lyrics… It's really like making a cake. It really is that. So it starts with the foundation of the three of us getting the music together. Music [comes first] and then melodies, usually. Scott and I usually go back and forth with that a lot. Charlie comes up with a lot of great music ideas, but we all came out with a lot of music ideas in this. And then the melodies. Scott and I would work on that a lot. And it's an open thing. Everybody can come in with ideas. That's the idea. And then the lyrics would come on top. And to get it through us, to make sure, as fans, and we've been doing this for a while — we cut out a lot of stuff: 'No'. 'Yes'. 'No'. 'Yes'. 'Cause you want the best, like everything else. Like mom and my grandmother said, it's gotta be the best. Work ethic. Editing is really tough, and it's hard. Sometimes you lose parts that you love, but if it's not good for the song. It's all about the song, man. At the end of the day, that's all we're about. It's about the song. And still to this day. Period."

After Coniglio noted that you can't be "married too hard to your ideas", Frank concurred. "I'm still brokenhearted," he said. "And it's true. I think every songwriter will tell you that. Especially when you're in a band, when you're just not writing the stuff by yourself. When you're collaborating, you have to be open and get ready for that. If that's not working, you can't force feed it in, 'cause it's gonna screw up the song and not make it as potent as it can be. You gotta say, 'All right, I gotta get rid of that ego thing and [be, like], 'Okay. You're right.' And learn to say 'you're right' and 'I agree'. And then when you really feel strongly about something, you gotta remember that other side of it and you gotta really fight your way through. And sometimes that works too. So it's a balance."

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".

Photo credit: Ignacio Galvez (courtesy of HER PR)