METALLICA has added more shows to its Las Vegas residency at the Sphere.

A total of ten shows in February 2027 and March 2027 have been announced for the "Life Burns Faster" production:

February 4 & 6
February 18 & 20
February 25 & 27
March 4 & March 6
March 11 & March 13

Announced on METALLICA's social media, the new dates bring the Sphere total to 24, with the previously announced run of October 1 and October 3, October 8 and October 10, October 15 and October 17, October 22 and October 24, October 29 and October 31, November 5 and November 7, and January 28 and January 30.

Some fans have scoffed over ticket prices reportedly ranging from $700 to $3,000, with ticket industry coverage site Ticket News reporting single-night tickets in the $700 to $800 range, while VIP and multi-night packages are running from $1,000 to $2,900.

Meanwhile, Ticketmaster blamed a "targeted attack" for slow sales for tickets on Wednesday to METALLICA's Sphere residency.

"Yesterday, Ticketmaster blocked a targeted attack that tried to bypass our security systems," the company said in a statement issued earlier today. "During this period, we paused and slowed queues on certain sales to protect tickets, and some fans had difficulty accessing parts of the site. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we worked to fight these bad actors."

METALLICA also took to social media to warn of scammers after some fans expressed frustration over struggling to secure presale tickets for the "Life Burns Faster" residency dates .

"PLEASE BE AWARE of false promises, inflated prices, and fraudulent offers from scammers," the band's post read.

METALLICA urged fans to protect themselves by using official ticket partners listed in the post, including Ticketmaster, Superfan Live, Vibee and Tixr HQ.

Following months of relentless rumors and fever pitch speculation, it was announced on February 25 that METALLICA would debut its "Life Burns Faster" residency at Sphere in Las Vegas. The run will continue the "No Repeat Weekend" tradition that began with the 2023 kick-off of the band's "M72" world tour, with no songs repeated on each Thursday and Saturday throughout the course of the run.

METALLICA's standing at the vanguard of new and unique live experiences has seen the band play to millions of fans across all seven continents in every shape and size of venue imaginable. Their current "M72" world tour has played to more than four million fans from Europe and North America to the Pacific Rim and Middle East since its spring 2023 kick-off, its performances and production universally hailed as among the best of METALLICA's 40-plus years of traversing the globe.

The band's Sphere residency will see live staples and surprises spanning the METALLICA catalog enhanced by the venue's immersive technologies that will allow fans to experience the sound and fury of the band's live performance in new experiential dimensions. Whether you've seen METALLICA from the upper reaches of a stadium or arena, at an intimate club or theater gig or from the famed Snake Pit surrounded by the 360-degree "M72" stage, Sphere's technology, including the world's highest resolution LED display that wraps up, over and around the audience; Sphere Immersive Sound, which delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest; and multi-sensory 4D technology, will present a wholly unique and entirely new METALLICA experience for all who attend — including James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo.

METALLICA co-founder/drummer Lars Ulrich commented: "About 12 seconds into the opening night of Sphere with U2 back in '23, I thought, 'We have to do this. It's completely uncharted territory!' This residency gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans in a live setting. We are beyond excited to share this with the world in six months' time, and way fuckin' psyched to go next level!"

METALLICA "Life Burns Faster" at Sphere is produced by Live Nation and presented by inKind. inKind rewards diners with special offers and credit back when they use the app to pay at thousands of top-rated restaurants nationwide. inKind also provides innovative financing to participating restaurants in a way that enables new levels of sustainability and success. METALLICA fans can learn more at inKind.com.

Last August, Ulrich was asked by "The Howard Stern Show" if there was any truth to the rumor that the band was in talks for a Sphere residency in Las Vegas. Lars said: "I'm not going to confirm anything, because there's nothing to confirm. But I'm not going to deny it, because we're all such fans of this venue. All of our managers and our production people have been there and looked at it. It's something that we're considering, [but] nothing is etched in stone or green-lit. It's something that we're looking at at some point when the 2026 tour is done."

Ulrich continued: "I was there seeing U2 the first night, when they took that stage, I wanted to see it for myself before I saw it on YouTube or read about it. I was there, like everybody else that was there that night, I was completely blown away, and felt that was the beginning of another chapter in live performances.

"I'm not going to bullshit you, I would fucking love to do it, let there be no question about it," Lars added. "It's not signed, sealed and delivered, but speaking to me and asking my opinion, I would fucking love to do it."

A day later, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo also addressed the rumor that the band is in talks for a Sphere residency. Asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" how he feels about the potential for doing a residency at the Sphere and whether he has been to the venue already to check it out, Robert said: "I haven't actually been there and checked it out yet. I like that. It's a mystery to me. Because everybody I know has, and they're just, like, 'Oh my God. This is incredible.' And I love all that. I love the visual experience. We have talked about it, we've met, had meetings about it. And I'm already thinking, like, 'Imagine this, imagine that,' 'cause METALLICA's music is so visual. I mean, imagine a song like 'Orion' and what you can do with that. The possibilities are endless. So, for me, it's like a dream come true.

"We'll see what happens," he continued. "I know we're talking about it, and hopefully this is gonna happen. And the fact that Lars talked about it on '[The] Howard Stern [Show]' yesterday is a great thing. It means that it's in the works.

"We've been going through so much lately," Robert explained. "There's been so much going on that sometimes you'll have a meeting about that, and then all of a sudden something else happens, and then you're in that mode, in this mode and whatnot. But it's definitely something that we wanna do and we're excited about, and we'll just have to wait and see how and when and if we can do this… No heavy rock band has [played at the Sphere yet], and there's a lot of history with our music and I think there's potential for a lot of visual stimulation on this. And I can't wait to be a part of it. So let's see what happens."

In April 2025, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked by The Hollywood Reporter if he and his bandmates would entertain the possibility of performing at the Las Vegas Sphere, the 17,600-capacity venue which has transformed live entertainment since opening in September 2023. He responded: "Oh, heck, yeah! That's a great example of how venues are changing. That's using modern technology to the fullest, to really up the levels of production and entertainment, connected to A.I. and making it a crazy experience."

A massive, spherical venue known for its immersive entertainment experiences, including concerts and films, featuring a state-of-the-art 16K resolution wraparound screen and a powerful sound system, the Las Vegas Sphere is nestled near the Venetian Resort and Wynn Las Vegas just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The Sphere has already hosted residencies from a number of legendary rockers, including U2, PHISH, DEAD & COMPANY and THE EAGLES.

U2 opened the building with 160,000-square-foot LED screens and 4D features, playing to more 700,000 fans across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024. The shows commemorated one of U2's most successful albums, the chart-topping 1991 release "Achtung Baby", played in its entirety, along with select tracks from other U2 LPs.

The first sports event to take place was the NHL Draft with the UFC following in September 2024.

Sphere's next-generation technologies include the world's highest-resolution LED display that wraps up, over and around the audience, creating a fully immersive visual environment. The venue also features the world's most advanced concert-grade audio system, Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, which delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest.

📢 This just in… SIX MORE 2027 dates added to Life Burns Faster at Sphere in Las Vegas!

📅 NEW DATES:
February 4 &...

Posted by Metallica on Thursday, March 5, 2026

Fan-filmed video of MEGADETH's entire March 6 concert at Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada can be seen below.

Featured songs:

00:00 Tipping Point
04:25 Dread And The Fugitive Mind
08:49 Hangar 18
14:37 Skin O' My Teeth
18:16 I Don’t Care
23:02 Dystopia
29:48 Let There Be Shred
34:11 Sweating Bullets
39:19 Countdown To Extinction
43:48 Trust
49:30 À Tout Le Monde
54:17 Tornado Of Souls
59:48 Poison Was The Cure
1:03:02 Symphony Of Destruction
1:07:35 The Mechanix
1:13:10 Peace Sells
1:19:01 Holy Wars… The Punishment Due
1:27:57 Silent Scorn

MEGADETH's "Canada 2026" tour with ANTHRAX and EXODUS kicked off on February 15 in Victoria, British Columbia and concluded on March 6 in Quebec City.

MEGADETH's final studio album, "Megadeth", debuted at the top of the U.S. album chart after earning 73,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending January 29, according to Luminate. The bulk of that sum was driven by pure album sales (purchases of physical and digital copies of the album),totaling 69,000. The follow-up to "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was released via MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label.

MEGADETH also claimed the top spot in Australia (highest previous position No. 2) and Austria (highest previous position No. 8). Other top five spots included No. 2 in Finland (and No. 1 physical),Sweden (plus No. 1 physical; highest previous position No. 9),and Belgium (highest previous position: No. 6); No. 3 in both the U.K. and Germany (highest previous position No. 6); No. 4 in the Netherlands (highest previous position No. 7); and No. 5 in both Italy (highest previous position No. 15) and New Zealand (highest chart position ever).

"The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" sold 48,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked MEGADETH's eighth top 10-charting album.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown To Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

For its final album, MEGADETH once again worked with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on MEGADETH's last two LPs, the aforementioned "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and "Dystopia".

Last August, MEGADETH announced its plans to retire with a farewell album and tour.

"There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional," Mustaine explained in a social media post. "Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now."

Mustaine has since clarified that MEGADETH's farewell run of shows could last "for another three to five years".

MEGADETH was founded in 1983 after Mustaine was kicked out of METALLICA, a band he was a part of for less than a year.

MEGADETH released its debut album, "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!", in 1985.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY kicked off its 2026 North American tour Friday night (March 6) at the Mission Ballroom in Denver, Colorado. Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below (courtesy of Metal & Rock Concerts in 4K).

Featured songs:

00:00 Intro
01:09 Funeral Bell
06:10 Name In Blood
10:35 Destroy & Conquer
16:18 A Love Unreal
22:35 Heart Of Darkness
26:17 No More Tears (OZZY OSBOURNE cover, first performance since 2001)
29:50 In This River
36:17 The Blessed Hellride
40:38 Broken And Blind
44:17 Set You Free
48:46 Fire It Up
57:42 Suicide Messiah
1:03:30 Guitar Solo
1:07:20 Stillborn

A studio recording of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's version of "No More Tears" was included as a bonus track on the 1999 North American edition of the band's "Sonic Brew" album.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🚨 JUST ANNOUNCED 🚨
Black Label Society returns to CO with Zakk Sabbath & Dark Chapel March 6th, 2026 at Mission...

Posted by 94.3 KILO on Wednesday, November 12, 2025

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth was asked if the fan response to the band's fourteenth studio album, "The Screaming Of The Valkyries", which came out in March 2025 via Napalm Records, was everything he had hoped for. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. Above and beyond. 'The Screaming Of The Valkyries', it's really charted high. The fans love it. It's the next step up in our evolutionary step. The next record, which, obviously, we're writing at the moment — [we're] almost finished writing; [we're] gonna be in the studio in about three weeks — again takes that to the next level."

Dani continued: "We've had a fantastic few years. Post lockdown, obviously there's been a lot of catching up to do. This is why we've been touring a lot, why we've been very creative. Yeah, I think we're definitely walking into the right direction. The fans seem to like it, and that sort of matters."

Asked if the "old-school sounds and vibes that went into" "The Screaming Of The Valkyries" is something that will be repeated on CRADLE OF FILTH's next effort, Dani said: "Well, yeah, we've moved the goalposts in all kinds of directions. It's very hard to stipulate exactly what we're doing. And, really, to be honest, it's too early to be talking about our new album. We haven't even decided — we've got a huge amount of tracks and we haven't even decided which ones are going on the record as yet. That's up to me and the producer. Next week he's gonna come and visit my house and we're gonna siphon through everything and decide what's a keeper and what isn't, what might need development. So, yeah, again, very early to talk about it."

"The Screaming Of The Valkyries" was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England.

In 2023, CRADLE OF FILTH released its first live album in over 20 years, "Trouble And Their Double Lives", via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during the band's "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following.

Last year, six former members of CRADLE OF FILTH filed a lawsuit against Dani and the group's management. It followed allegations levelled at the vocalist by guitarist Marek "Ashok" Šmerda and keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff. The pair quit the group in August 2025 over alleged poor pay and "psychopathic" contracts.

Filth has not publicly responded to the lawsuit. However, he had previously said that he would not "let unfounded slander define this band or diminish the work we've put into it."

Former ARCH ENEMY and THE AGONIST frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz has announced the formation of a band, BLUE MEDUSA. She is joined in the group 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.

White-Gluz commented on Instagram: "The year of the snake is finally over — now it's time to shed the skin.

"Today, on International Women's Day, I'm proud to announce my new band: BLUE MEDUSA.

"After twenty years performing on the world's biggest stages, I'm entering a new creative chapter. BLUE MEDUSA is the next evolution of everything I’ve been building toward; a project where my full artistic vision can exist without limits. You'll hear blazing guitar solos, crushing riffs, brutal vocals, fast and aggressive drums, thoughtful melodies, and deeply introspective lyrics layered with meaning.

"BLUE MEDUSA features an incredible lineup of musicians:
 Alyssa Day – guitar; Dani Sophia – guitar. Joining us live on drums and bass will be two absolute powerhouses: Delaney Jaster – drums; Alicia Vigil – bass

"I chose to share this news on International Women's Day because building stronger platforms for women in heavy music is something I care deeply about.

"I've been carving my own path in this genre for a long time, and I want to help pave the road for the next generation of women who love metal as much as I do.

"Medusa turned people to stone…
I want to pave the road in sapphire.

"New music is coming soon.
First live appearances: Louder Than Life and Aftershock."

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."

Alissa also touched upon "The Room Where She Died", the recently released first single from her upcoming debut solo album. The music for "The Room Where She Died" was written by KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai, while Alissa performed, recorded and wrote all the vocals for the track. White-Gluz also came up with the script for "The Room Where She Died"'s accompanying music video, which was created by Serbian video production company iCODE Team. Asked why now is the right time for her to release her debut solo album after first signing with Napalm Records as a solo artist back in 2016, Alissa said: "The intention was always there, but I never wanted to rush something that personal or force it into the wrong moment. I knew this project needed the right headspace, focus, and creative freedom to really come alive. Now feels right because there's real momentum. I have clarity, excitement, and the space to fully commit to it, and everything is aligning creatively. I know what I want to express, I know how I want it to sound and feel, and I'm genuinely energized by the process. This album feels like a natural evolution, something I've been building toward for a long time, and that makes this moment feel both exciting and right."

White-Gluz also revealed that she was working with "two amazingly talented guitarists, Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia" on new material. "So far the music we are making together is exactly what I have always wanted," she explained. "I feel like they both have such unique playing styles that complement each other to make our collaborative work super heavy, energetic, catchy and evocative at the same time. I really couldn't be happier and more honored to be working alongside such talented and inspiring musicians. Fans will not have to wait long at all to hear and see what we have been up to."

Alissa previously talked about "The Room Where She Died" a couple of months ago in an interview with Extreme Vocal Institute 's "Behind The Screams" podcast, produced and hosted by vocal coach David Benites. Alissa said at the time: "The script for that video, I wrote it with Oliver, the guitar player who is playing with me in the song. We co-wrote that song, we co-wrote the video script, and it was a time where we were really, really inspired. I could feel that we were really in the zone together, we really had a good flow. And we actually wrote a bunch of songs together, not just this one. And we just thought, like, 'What would represent this moment of this song?'

"Honestly, whenever I'm writing songs in general, I like to envision, how is that gonna be on stage? How is that gonna be in a music video?" she explained. "'Cause I'm an MTV child, or MusiquePlus, as it's called in Quebec. But I love music videos. I love the art of telling a story visually to accompany a song. It's almost like — rather than having music be a soundtrack to a visual story, you can have a music video be an accompaniment to the song. So the visuals are highlighting the song rather than the other way around."

Circling back to the "The Room Where She Died" video shoot, Alissa added: "That day was very long, a very full day. It involved all sorts of costume changes and actors coming in and out. And I was suspended on a harness floating in the air. It was a lot, but it was so much fun and it was so satisfying because we really presented a full script of how we wanted it to go. And I actually just recently shared the script on my Patreon with my members there, just so that they could see, like, this was the goal and this is the result. And maybe [they can] get a little bit more insight into how music videos go, because music videos, I've had so many different experiences, some in my earlier career where I just walked in and I was, like, 'What's the plan?' And they were, like, 'We don't know. We're just gonna film stuff and then see where it goes.' All the way to this type where I was, like, 'I really wanna tell a story with this, so let's make sure we can.' And it's hard to tell a story in only a few minutes. So you have to be selective and edit down what you wanna show."

After Benites noted that "The Room Where She Died" features her playing the guitar, which is not something fans are accustomed to seeing from Alissa, she said:  "I've been playing guitar just to write songs, just to write the basics of songs. I am by no means a good guitar player. My instrument is vocals, for sure, but at least having the basics of guitar and piano allows me to write, it allows me to at least accompany myself enough to write. And then what I have been doing for this album, which I completely love, is collaborating with a lot of friends and a lot of other musicians that I respect and love and just seeing where it goes. Kind of like I was saying with the music video directors earlier, but just — I think in January I have, like, four or five different sessions lined up with friends, and even friends of friends that people in the industry, they're, like, 'Oh, you would work so well with her and with him.' And so I just have sessions lined up where we're just gonna jam and see if we can come up with some cool stuff. And I'm really excited to just have that be the kind of groundwork for my career moving forward, is just, like, make good music with good people and just enjoy it."

Alissa went on to say that learning to play the guitar has been a "very humbling" experience. "I will say — maybe this is a similar thing for all guitarists, but I kind of took off quite well at first, and I was, like, 'Yeah, I'm getting this,' and then plateaued so hard and I was, like, 'That's it? That's as good as I get?'" she laughed. "You have to break through that if you really, really wanna accelerate. But I think I'll leave the virtuoso guitar playing to a lot of amazing friends that I have who are already at that level, and I'll just keep mine as a tool for songwriting."

Elsewhere during the chat, White-Gluz talked about the challenges facing artists in today's music industry, saying: "That's, I think, the myth of 'making it'. You never make it. That doesn't happen. You just work, and if you're lucky, you work more, and if you're lucky, you work with good people, and if you're lucky, you can make a living off of it. But all of that's ephemeral, and you have to just sort of keep focused and keep grinding and also take care of yourself, of course. But there's no moment — there may have been in the '80s, when record sales were really a thing, where a band could break out, sell millions of copies, and then it's, like, 'You guys are all set for life. You don't have to work another day in your life.' But, of course, you do because you love music. But that's not the way it is anymore. And this industry is really tough — really, really tough. So I think that's why it's even more important for people who are making music to be making music because they love making music. That has to be the 'why'."

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.

During a March 2022 appearance on the "Vox&Hops" podcast, White-Gluz spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for her long-in-the-works debut solo album. She said: "What happened was it was announced [in September 2016] that I signed [with Napalm Records] for a solo album. All I did was sign to do one, but I think a lot of people interpreted that I had an album that I was ready to put out. So, basically, when the news came out about this solo album, the only thing that happened at that point was that I just agreed to do one. And then I was on tour for, like, three hundred days of the year up until 2020. And so now it's done, because now I've actually been home long enough to write the songs and get them done. And it's awesome and I love it."

As for the musical direction of her solo material, Alissa said: "It doesn't really sound like ARCH ENEMY, actually. It's still me, so it's gonna sound a little bit like ARCH ENEMY, but it's kind of different. I feel like it's kind of an amalgam of that really interesting place that you're at when you're a beginner musician, because although I'm not a beginner vocalist or songwriter, I am a beginner guitarist — I'm very bad at guitar. So when I'm writing songs on guitar, I have an approach that is probably totally wrong, and that's what, I think, makes it cool. It's different — it's an unorthodox approach. I mean, I can still play it, but it's not my main instrument, so when I'm writing riffs on a guitar, I'm writing like a vocalist writing riffs on a guitar. Some could argue that that's kind of how Michael [Amott, ARCH ENEMY] writes too, actually, because his riffs are so 'sing-songy.' But, yeah, so I wrote a bunch with Jeff [Loomis, now-former-ARCH ENEMY guitarist] and I wrote a bunch with a lot of other people, actually, which I don't wanna spoil and announce them all now. But there's clean singing, there's growling, of course, and other interesting vocal techniques with the note screaming and some operatic stuff. It's a heavy album. I don't know what genre to call it. It's totally self-produced in that sense. It's honest. It's exactly what I just felt like writing for this. So there's some prog elements, there's some rock and roll elements, there's a lot of metal in it, obviously. But, yeah, I'm really happy with it. So I hope that other people like it too, basically."

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.

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In a new interview with American Musical Supply, acclaimed DEEP PURPLE and THE DIXIE DREGS guitarist Steve Morse spoke about the extent to which his battle with arthritis is affecting his guitar playing. The 71-year-old musician, who revealed in 2024 that there was no cartilage in his right-hand wrist anymore after he "practiced about 10,000 notes a day for decades", was asked if there are any guitar "cheats" or techniques that make his playing easier as he gets older, Morse replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, man. This must be so frustrating, if you are a young player and you're still watching this, to hear an older guy who's taking up one of the gigs you could be having, talking about how hard it is to play. But fear not, I'm not taking anybody's place because I'm doing my own thing. But yeah, it's hard to keep playing. And the reason why I wanna keep playing is because it really is a part of me — I mean, it's a big part of me. So, yeah, the arthritis thing is huge. I've tried every treatment I can find. In fact, I've got another trip a thousand miles away to try something else. So, yeah, I changed my technique, changed my picking pattern, changed everything that I can to make it through whatever the challenge is."

Steve continued: "I thought at one point that, 'Dude, you're done.' And I thought, when I was in a kid going to see bands in Atlanta, it was a three-hour drive, a band called HYDRA came out. The bass player, his arm was cut off here. And he was playing the gig and he was getting into it, and it was great. And I remember that bass player from HYDRA. Every time I'm, I'm feeling bad about 'this hurts', 'you gotta figure out a way to play', he played a gig with a nub. And you think about Jeff Healey [being] blind and making his own technique."

Morse added: "Humans adapt. And I've learned a lot from watching things on the farm, watching the ants, for instance, or… I'm like Bill Murray with the groundhogs. The persistence of animals counts, and insects. They keep on and on and on and they find a way. But they never stop. I guess that's one of my big lessons, is don't give up while you've still got a breath."

Last October, Morse told Music Radar that he has to accommodate his physical limitations night after night while on tour with STEVE MORSE BAND. "I have had to come up with new ways of picking — several new ways — because different bones in my joint have different pain levels when I change the angle," he said. "So during the set, you'll see me change. During the show tonight, I'll be changing positions constantly."

"I have to practice those different ways of holding the pick, and the different angles, and whether to bend my arm or pick from the elbow," he explained. "It's a lot. I mean, you have to really, really, really want to play, to deal with the advance of arthritis."

Looking ahead to the future and how his condition might affect his ability to perform, Morse said: "I don't know what's going to happen. When I wake up, am I going to be able to move my hand or not? I don't know. So far, I have been able to, [and] make every gig. I think my time of doing the performance grind is closing. That window is closing. [But] my time for writing, and possibly performing with some help, with some other musicians, is very possible. I see a future, but I don't see me being a hired gun because I couldn't stand up to the level of players you can get now. And guitarists are literally dime a dozen."

Morse started his career in the mid-1970s, playing mind-melting jazz-rock with THE DIXIE DREGS, which earned him multiple Grammy nominations in the process. The following decade, he formed the STEVE MORSE BAND, grabbing an additional Grammy nod, and joined arena heavyweights KANSAS, before being recruited by rock and roll originals DEEP PURPLE in 1994. And despite being in one of the world's biggest bands, he continued to innovate in other projects, such as LIVING LOUD, ANGELFIRE and FLYING COLORS — as well as guitar supergroup G3 — showing the world just how much versatility there was in those magic fingers. He announced his departure from DEEP PURPLE in 2022, choosing to care for his wife, who passed away in 2024, by which point he had become their longest-serving guitarist.

Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST played their first concert with new singer Marina La Torraca Friday night (March 6) at WWWX in Tokyo, Japan. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Australia's Metal Mal, BATTLE BEAST bassist and founding member Eero Sipilä spoke about the recent departure of longtime BATTLE BEAST frontwoman Noora Louhimo and the addition of La Torraca.

When BATTLE BEAST announced Noora's departure in December, the band said that she was exiting the group "to focus on her solo career." The group added that it was "excited" to work with La Torraca, a Brazilian vocalist from São Paulo, best known as the powerhouse frontwoman of modern metal band PHANTOM ELITE and as a member of the symphonic metal project EXIT EDEN.

Asked by Metal Mal when he first found out that Noora was intending to leave BATTLE BEAST, Eero said: "I don't remember the exact date, but, yeah, she announced that she wanted to leave, and then we really tried to talk her over to do these shows [in Japan, Australia and China] that had been already set [and] arranged [for March 2026]. But, eventually it just didn't turn out [like that]. And here we are now. That's life, I guess."

Asked what went through his mind when Noora said she wanted to leave BATTLE BEAST, Eero said: "Well, first reaction was absolute shock, because it totally came out of the blue, completely random to me. But, yeah, after that, slowly over time, I just kind of started thinking that this band has been around before [Noora], so why couldn't it be afterwards? I've been in this band for 17 years. I'm gonna keep going. And that was the common mood. And then we just really started actively searching for new singers. And, yeah, Marina's name came on top of our list. We called her. She was interested. We flew her over to Finland. Stuff worked out. And now we have a new singer. That's how it kind of went down, in a nutshell."

Eero also talked about the fact that Marina's addition to BATTLE BEAST was arranged very quickly, without the opportunity to rehearse for a long time before she was named the band's new vocalist.

"Yeah. It is a trial by fire," he said. "Nobody knows exactly what's gonna happen, but the mood in the band is super high, motivation is high. We are now, during this week, rehearsing every single day. So we are putting all the work and the effort and the focus we can to make this tour success. And I don't have any doubts in my mind on why it wouldn't be great. The atmosphere is there, the energy is there, the music is there, so it's gonna be great. And for the fans, I think it's not gonna be kind of a stadium class — it's not like you're gonna see METALLICA, which is super polished and oiled up. This is gonna be something raw and exciting and a fresh, new energy for everyone to witness."

La Torraca began performing in her teens in local cover bands before moving into formal training, including studying musical theatre in New York.

Renowned for her versatile, commanding vocal range, Marina effortlessly transitions from dramatic, melodic passages to fierce, harsh screams. Alongside her career in metal, she has starred in professional musical theatre productions across German-speaking countries. Beyond the stage, she is also an accomplished graphic designer, vocal coach, producer, and songwriter.

When La Torraca's addition to BATTLE BEAST was announced in December, she said in a statement: "When I first saw an e-mail with both BATTLE BEAST and my name in the subject line, I honestly thought it had to be a mistake. But once I opened it, I couldn't have been happier. I'm incredibly honored to be part of this new chapter and deeply grateful for the trust and support from the band.

"Is it a little terrifying to follow in the wake of a vocal legend like Noora? You bet! Is it also very exciting? Absolutely. BATTLE BEAST is one of the hardest-working and most genuinely talented bands out there, and I'm proud to be here to help them keep growing and spreading joy. Buckle up — this is going to be fun."

In a statement announcing her departure from BATTLE BEAST, Noora said: ""For 13 years I got to grow, learn, develop and explore with BATTLE BEAST who I am as a musician and as a person. And now my heart desires more adventures, and flying with my own wings towards my dreams that I can only pursue if I give them my full attention.

"Life is full of different eras and now it is time for a new one.

"I am forever grateful and love BATTLE BEAST and our fans. This is not the end, this is a beginning of a new adventure for both of us. See you soon Little Beasts!"

Louhimo revealed in November 2023 that she had been diagnosed with a ruptured left carotid artery, causing the postponement the band's tour.

Louhimo joined BATTLE BEAST in 2012 with no previous experience as a metal vocalist but quickly acclimated herself as the replacement for Nitte Valo (a.k.a. Nitte Vänskä).

More than three years ago, Noora, who in 2021 released her debut solo album, "Eternal Wheel Of Time And Space", under the NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE banner, admitted publicly that she had been struggling with eating disorders and her weight since she was "a little child" and said that she was "still trying to find a balance." She added that she had "been depressed and anxious sometimes 'without a reason'."

BATTLE BEAST's seventh studio album, "Steelbound", came out in October 2025 via Nuclear Blast.

BATTLE BEAST's most European tour started with a bang on October 17, 2025 with the band's biggest German headline show to date at Hamburg's Inselpark Arena. The trek, with DOMINUM as the special guest and Sweden's rising power metal force MAJESTICA as the opening act, kept BATTLE BEAST on the road until mid-December 2025.

In a new interview with Nathaniel Puente of Charlotte, North Carolina's WCNC-TV, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was asked for his opinion on Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson's decision to reunite for a RUSH tour in 2026 and 2027. The run of dates — Lee and Lifeson's first official shows under the RUSH banner in 11 years — will begin at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, site of the last RUSH concert on the legendary Canadian band's "R40" anniversary tour. Joining the duo on the trek will be German drummer Anika Nilles, who toured with legendary guitarist Jeff Beck in 2022 and has been rehearsing with Lee and Lifeson in preparation for the tour, dubbed "Fifty Something", which will celebrate RUSH's music, legacy, and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart.

Bach said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think it's amazing. You only have one life — you know what I'm saying? — so why should Geddy and Alex stop? There's no reason for them to stop. Neil Peart probably wouldn't want them to stop. He, unfortunately, did not get to live as long as he should have, but life is not fair at all."

Sebastian continued: "Jeff Beck doesn't mess around. Anika, the drummer, comes from the Jeff Beck group. Jeff Beck doesn't hire crappy musicians. He hires the best musicians that are out there. So I'm figuring if she made great music with Jeff Beck, I can't wait to hear what the music she's gonna make with RUSH. They wouldn't have her in the band if she stunk."

Four days after Neil's death was announced in January 2020, Sebastian posted a YouTube video of him celebrating Peart's life while listening to RUSH music and talking rock and roll at the Record Parlour in Hollywood, California. He wrote in an accompanying message: "I'll never understand how hard it hits us all when a hero dies. Even though I never really knew the person.

"I was fortunate enough to meet Neil Peart twice in my life and will treasure those memories forever.

"When I got the news yesterday that he was no longer with us, I put on 'Permanent Waves' and wept for about two hours straight. A physical response, not of my control. I did not know what to do with the rest of the day I was so sad. So I got in the car and went to the Record Parlour and we cranked RUSH all night long. The Record Parlour knows exactly what a record store should be. Turns out this was the absolute perfect place for me last night in my mourning of the greatest drummer the world will ever know. [I] was going to go get dinner after the record store but there was no need. [Owners] Chad and Chris ordered pizza into the store and we hung out for hours talking about rock and roll. Nowhere else I would have rather been last night. Thank you to all of you at the record Parlour for being so cool and getting me home safe.

"Neil Peart.... Thank you for making the impossible seem easy. Thank you Neil for showing us all the ultimate possibilities of what music can be. Thank you for being such an important part of all our lives. It truly feels like you were a member of the family. Your music will never die in our hearts."

In a 2005 interview, Bach stated about RUSH: "Their time signatures fascinated me. I couldn't understand the tempos of songs such as 'Cygnus-X1' and 'Hemispheres'. It was music like nothing else I had ever heard. But being a young Canadian whippersnapper, I was geographically programmed to worship RUSH like the rest of my fellow Canadians."

He continued: "I was the second ever member of the 'Rush Backstage Club of Toronto', the RUSH fan club put together by their longtime photographer, Andrew MacNaughton. Andrew was the cousin of my school roommate, George Jeffries at Lakefield College School in Canada. He was the first member of Andrew's 'club' which we joined in 1981."

Bach added: "RUSH was a magical sound to me and showed me that music could be challenging and entertaining at the same time... Few musicians on the planet can boast the longevity of RUSH, especially in a band context. Rock bands are a fragile organism and RUSH's career demonstrates that there are exceptions to the 'Behind The Music' scenario of 'band makes it big, band breaks up, band reunites for Japanese tour.' Their work ethic and constant reinvention is an inspiration to each and every musician."

Peart died on January 7, 2020 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The iconic RUSH drummer was 67 years old.

Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.

In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of the Pod Scum podcast, Jay Jay French, the guitarist and manager of the legendary heavy metal band TWISTED SISTER, addressed the fact that Spotify pays artists between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream, among the lowest rates for any music streaming service. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, first of all, the artist never made a penny on bootlegging [before music streaming], and that happened like crazy. So when people talk about no one's getting paid, at least people are getting paid now. Because everybody does pay for a service — everyone does. So money does come in. Back in the old days, you were losing a fortune on bootlegs, you were losing a fortune on record labels ripping you off because there was no guarantee that whatever they were selling, you could actually prove. Now every track is logged by computer.

"There's two sides to this situation," French continued. "There really are two sides. The record industry is a criminal organization. They screw artists left, right and sideways. They always have. And so what?! Artists are gonna get screwed some way, somehow.

"Trying to figure out a way to divide that penny up so that people get paid is certainly difficult and, sure, the royalty rates need to be improved," Jay Jay added. "But the fact that artists never get paid for radio play. Let's talk about that. Terrestrial radio doesn't pay an artist a cent. There was a story in The New York Times several years ago. It was a headline. We all in the business knew that this was not a secret. It said 'Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' played seven million times on radio. Aretha Franklin's income from those seven million: zero.' Well, that's because performing rights societies, ASCAP and BMI, and the publishers colluded with Congress 70 years ago and said, 'Performing rights societies, we shouldn't pay the artists. The artists can go and tour and sell records. We're promoting them by playing it on the radio. We're helping them. We shouldn't pay them.' And so terrestrial radio has never paid a cent. And then n, on top of that, when you go to an arena to watch a hockey game, baseball game, football game, and you hear a song like [TWISTED SISTER's] 'We're Not Gonna Take It', a friend of mine goes, 'Yo, dude, Giants Stadium, 'We're Not Gonna Take It'. Ka-Ching.' I go, 'Yo, dude, 'We're Not Gonna Take It'. Zero.' ' What do you mean?' I said, 'They pay ASCAP [and] BMI fees to play a billion songs, and they don't have to pay us a penny.' The publisher gets paid. The publisher gets paid. The artist gets paid nothing. That's just the way it works. Now, SoundExchange has flipped that around, and online has flipped that around. Now all that gets logged, and now we get paid. But for the longest time, the artist never got paid — just the writer got paid. Yeah. Now, with SoundExchange, the artist gets paid, the label gets paid, and the publisher and the writer get paid zero. So that's the attempt at trying to reconcile it. And I'm not telling you anything is perfect, because nothing is perfect, and it can always be better. But just remember — in those days you made money selling records and you lost money touring. Now you make money touring and you give your music away for free, which is why tickets cost so much. Because in the old days the record sales, theoretically, were buoying the whole business and helping you out."

Back in January 2022, Jay Jay spoke to A Discussion With Dean Cramer about record labels' reputation as crooks who rip off artists at every turn. He said at the time: "Rock and roll, let me be clear, is a criminal enterprise. The record labels are criminals. It's simple as that. They're just legal criminals. So when you're in a cesspool of criminality, whether it's obvious criminality, in other words, whether it's blue-collar criminality where someone is threatening your life with a gun or it's white-collar criminality, you're dealing with criminals. So you're dealing with the sleaze, the lowlives, the lying. You don't believe any of this shit 'cause everyone lies. So you kind of have to get used to it."

French previously discussed music's long history of record companies taking advantage of artists in an April 2021 interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. At the time, he said: "There's two levels of a rip-off. One is contractual rip-off, which is just — that's just the nature of the game; that's how it is, like it or not. And the other is somehow that management's really taken from you. Now, I'd say most bands don't understand the record company deals that they sign, and they don't understand how small the percentages are. I mean, THE BEATLES were making a half a penny a single and six cents an album with the royalties. I think that JACKSON 5, I think most Motown acts were making two, three, four, five cents an album.

"There are clauses all over the contract," he continued. "I do a talk on this. I said, 'How much money do you make on a million-selling record?' And this is by contract — no one's stealing from you; this is just the way the contract's written. If you look at a contract back in 1984, and let's just say, for the sake of this example, the band made a dollar a record, which is very high, but let's suppose the band got a dollar a record. And you sold a million records, and you have a platinum album on your wall. And friends go, 'Oh man, a million records. You must be really rich.' But what does that really mean? Well, in the contract, to begin with, the contract says it's 15% free goods, which means the record label is allowed to not pay you on 15% of record sales, 'cause they supposedly sent it to the press for reviews, except if you're on a million-selling record, you're not sending 150,000 albums out for review, but you can claim that you can. So, they withhold royalties on 15%, which is $150,000. So now your million is basically $850,000. On top of that, there's a breakage fee of 10%, because… Records haven't broken since Moby Dick was a minnow, but back when shellac records were made, it was in the contracts; that's another 10%. So that's 25% off the top. So right away, you're not being paid on a million [copies]; you're being paid on 750,000 [copies]. Then there's a 20% container charge to make the record or the CD, so they subtract that. So automatically 45% of the royalty-bearing records are now gone, okay? Now you're [left] with $550,000. Well, suppose you made a video. Then that gets subtracted. Suppose there's recording costs, which is another $300,000. And then there's promotion costs for the record, which is probably $100,000 if the record is successful. You're down to what? $200,000? You take the $200,000 and you send it to your business manager and your manager, they take out 20% and 5%. And maybe the band is left with $100,000, $150,000. A five-man band breaks it up, [and] it's $30,000 each before taxes. You get the mathematics here?"

French added: "Contracts were designed to make the record companies money. Now, in defense of the label, labels sign a hundred bands, [and] 95 [of them] fail, so they make their money off the 5% that succeed, and they make a lot of money. However, it is the only business in which you pay back the label and then you still don't own the product. That's the biggest problem I have with the theory of record labels. If the band wasn't charged back the cost of making the record, then I'd say, fine, okay. But if you're making me pay you back and I still don't own it... You know, Taylor Swift brought this to light to people, and people said, 'Oh, this is so terrible. Taylor doesn't own her music.' No one owns their music. This isn't new. This is the way it is. It's the way it's always been. THE BEATLES don't own their albums, and THE ROLLING STONES don't own their masters. A couple of artists do, but generally, 99% [don't]."

In addition to founding TWISTED SISTER, a world-famous heavy metal band that has sold more than 20 million records worldwide, French is one of the top entrepreneurs in rock. After taking over as manager in the 1970s, French developed TWISTED SISTER into the most heavily licensed heavy metal band in history, leading the group to perform more than 9,000 shows in forty countries.

French's two biggest hits with TWISTED SISTER, the rock anthems "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", have become two of the most licensed songs in the history of heavy metal, appearing in hundreds of TV, radio and internet commercials, movies and TV shows. French currently oversees all music licensing and all business regarding TWISTED SISTER.

In addition to his career as a musician, manager, producer and executive producer, French is a highly sought-after keynote speaker. He was also a contributing writer for business magazine Inc.com, penned a BEATLES column for Goldmine called "Now, We're Sixty Four" and wrote an audio column for Copper, an online music and high end audio magazine published through PS Audio.

Two years ago, Billy Morrison — the British guitarist, singer, and songwriter, primarily known as Billy Idol's rhythm guitar player for the past 17 years alongside lead guitarist Steve Stevens — released "The Morrison Project" via TLG | ZOID | Virgin Music Group. It marked his third solo album (and first since 2015) and produced the No. 1 Active Rock Song (Mediabase) in America: "Crack Cocaine" featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Stevens and co-written by all three artists. A deluxe edition of the album followed in 2025 and bonus track, "Gods Of Rock And Roll (Orchestral)" — another seismic collaboration with Osbourne and Stevens — landed in the Active Rock Top Ten (Mediabase).

Morrison will build on that success with his upcoming album "Hollow", out sometime in August via TLG | ZOID | Virgin Music Group. The album will launch with the March 27 release of its first single and video, "Becoming", which was written by Morrison, Sully Erna (GODSMACK) and Brett Scallions; it features Erna on lead vocals and Grammy Award winner Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME) on lead guitar.

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

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

Photo credit: Jane Stuart @JaneStuartPhotos

THE TROOPS OF DOOM, the Brazilian death/thrash metal band featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz, has announced an important lineup change for its upcoming 2026 European tour. Guitarist Marcelo Vasco is no longer a member of THE TROOPS OF DOOM. The decision was made amicably, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and admiration.

Marcelo is an excellent professional, a great human being, and a dear friend, and he will always be remembered and respected as the guitarist who helped pave the way during the first five years of THE TROOPS OF DOOM, alongside his bandmates Guedz, Alex Kafer and Alexandre Oliveira. His contribution was fundamental in shaping the band's musical identity and building its international path.

Taking over guitar duties already on the upcoming tour is renowned German musician Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik, internationally known for his work with SODOM (1986-1989 and 2018-2026) and KREATOR (1989'-1996). Blackfire's arrival marks a new chapter in the band's history, further strengthening its connection with the European scene and bringing to THE TROOPS OF DOOM the experience and intensity of one of the most respected names in the global thrash metal movement.

In 2026, THE TROOPS OF DOOM will embark on an extensive European tour, including appearances at major summer festivals as well as several side shows across the continent. At the same time, the band will begin the songwriting process for its next studio album, scheduled for release in 2027. Throughout the year, the group will also perform selected shows in Brazil, maintaining its strong connection with South American audiences.
THE TROOPS OF DOOM remains firmly committed to honoring the legacy of extreme metal while continuing to write new chapters of its story with intensity, professionalism, and respect for its roots.

THE TROOPS OF DOOM will still perform two shows in Brazil before hitting the road for their upcoming European tour, which includes appearances at some of the most iconic metal festivals in the world, such as Wacken Open Air and Headbangers Open Air in Germany, Alcatraz in Belgium and Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal, among others.

Before crossing the Atlantic, the band will perform in April at the Wacken Warm-Up Party in São Paulo, alongside KORZUS, THE MIST and KRISIUN. In May, they will take the stage at the CDM Fest in Campo do Meio/MG, sharing the lineup with bands such as ARTILLERY, VIPER, and other heavy metal forces.

During an appearance on the March 3 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach spoke about how he ended up being chosen to front TWISTED SISTER for the latter band's fall 2026 shows after iconic singer Dee Snider resigned from TWISTED SISTER due to "health challenges". Sebastian said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I have tears in my eyes right now. I am SMF Number Two. I was named that by Dee Snider. And I just have to say, I just got off the phone with Dee Snider. We talked for about 45 minutes, and we were both kind of getting teary eyed.

"I just put out a [solo] record called 'Child Within The Man', and one of my favorite all-time bands is TWISTED SISTER," Bach explained. "And the music of TWISTED SISTER makes me feel like a child within the man. This is what I was talking about on my new record, how rock and roll music, it has a life of its own. You're talking to a guy here — I used to go to school and I used to paint the TWISTED SISTER logo on the back of my jacket in liquid paper thinking that looked cool [laughs] — whiteout. [Laughs] So I am a real fan — I am a fan of this music, and that is really, number one, why I'm doing it. And also to honor the legacy of these songs. And I look at it like when Paul Rodgers came in [to sing] for QUEEN, or when [GUNS N' ROSES frontman] Axl [Rose] came in for Brian Johnson [in AC/DC]. I am a fan of TWISTED SISTER and I always have been, and I love this music. I love it. I love 'Tear it Loose'. I love 'Destroyer'. I love 'The Price'. I mean, you talk about [classic SKID ROW songs like] '18 And Life' and 'I Remember You'. Well, you know what? I locked myself in a room rehearsing to 'The Price'. And these songs are how I learned how to rock."

On the topic of how TWISTED SISTER's latest collaboration with Sebastian came about, the band's founding guitarist and manager Jay Jay French told host Eddie Trunk: "Eddie Trunk, for people who don't know it, you stand in the crossroads of our history in such an interesting way, because you brought us back from the dead once before in 2001 when we played the New York Steel show. The band had not played since 1988, and, as you know, the crisis in New York for 9-11 led you to call up and say, 'Man, if you guys could headline that benefit, that would be great.' And, of course, that benefit, the word got out the band's back together, which then led to a 17-year career of headlining festivals and brought the band back to a life and a level worldwide that we had never been before. As much as people think 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock' was the high point of our life, it didn't even come close to what happened after we came back, after 2003, especially in the European market. We wound up playing 40 countries around the world, and the acceptance was amazing. And it wouldn't have happened without Eddie Trunk. And here again, Eddie, you were at the crossroads. That's so important to me. So I want to historically just state that for a fact."

French continued: "The other thing that's fascinating is that we've known Sebastian for years. Going back, [SKID ROW] were Atlantic Records band when we were an Atlantic Records band, and in 2001, when [American music industry executive] Jason Flom was being honored in New York City, Sebastian and we wound up doing a surprise one-off gig for Jason at the Tavern On The Green. If anyone ever said when would TWISTED ever get back together, it'd be in the kitchen of Tavern On The Green restaurant in Central Park. And Sebastian came out and did that. And then shortly after that, TWISTED SISTER had a tribute album, which you remember a lot of artists played on that record. MOTÖRHEAD played on it. Well, here's the thing — Sebastian recorded 'You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll'. So if you go online and you wanna hear how great Sebastian is gonna be, just put in 'You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll' and Sebastian Bach. And that's TWISTED SISTER backing Sebastian Bach 20 years ago, which is actually mind blowing to think about the fact that you were our lead singer for a day 20 years ago, my friend. So then, of course, we played a whole bunch of other things together. We've been together, we've been connected in so many ways. We're great friends, and he's a great fan."

Jay Jay added: "But Eddie Trunk, you were on the money, because we did a secret rehearsal just to see if it was gonna be okay, if this could work or not. And you know what? Sebastian came in and just… I was skeptical. I said to myself, and [TWISTED SISTER guitarist] Eddie Ojeda and I spoke about this, and I bring Eddie Ojeda in here because Eddie and I go back to high school. And we made TWISTED SISTER what it is today. We played together and it was, like, 'Wow. Do you think we could do it? Who could do it?' And Eddie Trunk, you were dead-on right. Exactly dead-on right. Sebastian came in and just nailed it. And again, to all the skeptics out there who wanna know what it's like to have Sebastian on vocals for TWISTED, go online right now. Go to Spotify right now. Put in 'You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll' [and] Sebastian Bach, and you will hear TWISTED SISTER backing Sebastian Bach."

As for how many shows TWISTED SISTER will play with Sebastian on vocals, Jay Jay said:  "The dates that we had [originally] booked in Europe [for] this summer are gone. We're not doing those. Baz is coming in in September and we will be honoring the six shows that will be coming up on the web site. We'll show you the shows, but it's important for Sebastian Bach fans to know that all solo shows that Sebastian has booked are still in effect. I wanna make sure everybody understands that he's gonna be doing our shows with us, and he's gonna be interspersing those with his solo shows. So none of those shows are being canceled. We are just going to fulfill obligations that we had set up as we were heading into this thing towards the end of the summer. So all the summer dates that TWISTED had listed on the web site, they're gone. But I do believe that Alaska, that stayed up there, is gonna happen. And we're gonna be doing about five or six shows from that point on, and Baz will be doing his solo shows. So understand when you see the setup, it's going to be shows — I think we're doing five in the U.S. and we're doing one in Canada. And that is what we are doing so far. And then, of course, we will talk after that and see what's happening. But Baz is coming in to do these shows for us, and we really couldn't be happier, I swear."

Asked for more details of his conversation with Snider, Bach said: "I said, 'I'm calling you in 10 minutes.' He goes, 'Okay.' And I called him and he goes, 'SMF Number Two.' 'Cause he's always called me that. I'm a sick motherfucker. I'm a sick motherfucking fan of TWISTED SISTER. And he's always called me Number Two. Of course, he's number one. And so I go, 'Well, I guess I really am SMF Number Two.' And then I asked him, what did the doctor say to him? And he's, like, 'No problem. I'll tell you.' He says that he has arthritis, that his knees are going out, and he has bone on bone. And the doctor said that he should not be jumping around. And he goes, 'Well, that's not an option,' 'cause he wants to do the full show moving around and stuff, and the doctor said, 'You can't do it.' So he said, 'You have my full blessing.' He goes, 'I love you.' I told him I loved him, and we were, like, teary eyed. And he told me that his family was crying when he said he couldn't do the tour. I asked him, 'Hey, you wanna come out and jam with us?' He goes, 'Yeah.' He goes, 'Yeah.' So maybe he'll be at some of these gigs on stage with us. Who knows? I don't know if that's gonna happen or not. But it's tough getting older — it's tough for everybody getting older, and I'm a lot younger. [Laughs]"

Sebastian went on to say that it was important to him to get Dee's stamp of approval before proceeding. "That's a sign of respect," he said. "I respect Dee Snider, I respect Jay Jay French, I respect Eddie Ojeda, I respect [former TWISTED SISTER members] A.J. Pero, Mark Mendoza, the whole team. And I've always been a serious fan — like, really serious. I don't just like the hits of TWISTED SISTER. I like 'Like A Knife In The Back'. I like the heavy TWISTED SISTER. And I love 'I Wanna Rock'. I love 'The Price'. 'The Price' is one of my favorite TWISTED SISTER songs. I love 'We're Not Gonna Take It'. But the album 'You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll', I would probably say, is my favorite one."

TWISTED SISTER's 2026 shows will feature Bach, French and Ojeda. Russell Pzütto, who has toured with Snider's solo projects, will replace bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza on bass. Joe Franco, who briefly played with the group in the mid-1980s, was supposed to sit behind the drum kit, stepping in for A.J. Pero, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 55. However, Franco is not available to play the fall 2026 shows and will be replaced by Joey Cassata, who played drums on Ace Frehley's final original solo album, "10,000 Volts".

Speaking to "Trunk Nation" about TWISTED SISTER's current touring lineup, Jay Jay said: "In the 53-year history of the band, we've had 20 people who've been in and out of TWISTED SISTER. We've had five singers, we've had three bass players, we've had four guitar players and we've had nine drummers. Half of them are dead. It's a very tough business to be a drummer with TWISTED SISTER. But we had an amazing history of the band, and this is just a continuation of the history. And the thing is the music always survives. They said Steve Perry could never have been replaced in JOURNEY. And he was. That Freddie Mercury could never be replaced [in QUEEN]. And he was. And guess what? Baz is gonna be an unbelievable replacement.

"So it's me, Eddie Ojeda and Baz," French continued. "Joe Franco had signed on for the summer, and he wasn't available in the fall. And so Joey Cassata is gonna be on drums filling in for Joe, but if Joe Franco can make it, he definitely will. And Russ Pzütto, who has been our bass tech and has filled in for Mark in the past, will be playing bass. So Russ has been with the organization for years and years and years. He also played on Dee's solo projects. So that's basically the lineup."

As for the possibility of more TWISTED SISTER shows with Bach beyond the fall 2026 dates, Ojeda said: "We're gonna see how it goes, and if it feels right and we're up to it, and Sebastian's up to it, we'll see what happens. I think we're gonna have a blast, and I think people are gonna really enjoy it. And then we'll take it from there. One thing at a time."

At press time TWISTED SISTER has not announced the full list of shows it plans to play with Bach outside of a September 4 stop at the Alaska State Fair.

Snider discussed the prospect of somebody stepping in for him as TWISTED SISTER's lead singer during a recent episode of the "Beardo & Weirdo" podcast, hosted by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael and comedian Craig Gass. Asked if he thought TWISTED SISTER could carry on without him, Dee said: "I  hope so. I believe there's gotta be somebody out there who can kick ass."

Asked if he had anybody in mind that he would recommend to take that role, Dee said: "All right. Okay. Back it up. Back it up. So cut back to, we're still reunited — it's, like, 2014, something like that, and we only do, like, 20 shows a year, and they're headlining festivals, whatever. And we realized that if somebody got sick or had a problem at home and they couldn't do a show, it would be a great loss since it was one of 20 shows for the year. So we said, 'Listen, let's all find a stand-in guy who will do the job in case we can't make a show.' I was trying to get someone to replace me, in case we can't make a show. I was trying to get someone to replace me, and nobody would take the job. And I called him Sebastian Bach. I was, like, dude, 'Will you be the fill-in?' And he goes, 'No way.' I'm like, 'What do you mean no way?' 'Dude, that's a thankless job. No, I'm not standing in for you. Never.' I'm, like, you're my student. You studied me. You're a great singer. You can do it. People will love it.' 'Nah, nah, no way.' So him, Michael Monroe from HANOI ROCKS. No way. I hear rumors that the band is actually trying to find someone, and I say, God bless 'em."

After Gass noted that he has heard that TWISTED SISTER was rehearsing with one of the singers that were already mentioned by Dee in his previous response, an apparent reference to Bach, Snider said: "Yeah, I know there's been rehearsals with him. And he hasn't reached out to me. I think he knows he has my blessing. And I would never begrudge anybody continuing to rock."

Snider and Bach had publicly praised each other in 2020 after they had a disagreement on social media about whether the term "hair metal" was derogatory.

"I love Sebastian Bach!" Snider wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "During the darkest period of my career, he stood tall as a Dee Snider fan when few would. I will always be grateful to him for not caring what was 'cool' at the moment and speaking our proudly for the things he loved. Thank you SMF#2!"

Bach wrote in response: "I love Dee Snider. I will always love the music he has made. No matter how much Dee sees himself as 'hair metal,' I will always see him on a much higher level than that implies. He is one of the greatest frontmen and vocalists of all time. Any corny label less than that is an insult."

Three years ago, TWISTED SISTER staged a one-off reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, French, Mendoza and drummer Mike Portnoy. Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War. TWISTED SISTER played a highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

Dee Snider photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Swedish heavy rock band SISTER SIN has released a second new single, "Drive". It is the follow-up to last month's "Suicide Hill", which marked SISTER SIN's first new music in 12 years.

"Drive" and "Suicide Hill" were recorded by SISTER SIN's current lineup of Liv Jagrell on vocals, Jimmy Hiltula on guitar, Andreas Strandh on bass, Dave Sundberg on drums and Sebastian Svedlund on rhythm guitar and was mixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios.

"Suicide Hill" is inspired by the 1988 classic movie "Maniac Cop" as well as the novel "Suicide Hill" by James Ellroy.

Although the SISTER SIN reunion was announced back in December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic delayed the band's return to the live stage until June 2022 when the group performed at Backstage Rockbar in Trollhättan, Sweden.

In a new interview with the Denim And Leather podcast, Liv stated about SISTER SIN's split more than a decade ago (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We broke up in 2015. And to be honest, it was due to too much touring. We were all very, very tired — super exhausted. I do love the touring, so I couldn't really see that I was exhausted as well, but we had two band members that couldn't take it anymore for personal reasons. So they left the band in 2015 after [the] Mayhem [festival in the U.S.] and after we had done a couple of more [gigs] — Summer Breeze and some shows — and they left the band, and it was only me and the drummer. And we kind of said that it's not gonna be SISTER SIN if we take in two new members. It didn't feel right to do that. So then we said, 'Let's end it here instead,' because it would be weird to take in two new members and then maybe it doesn't work, et cetera. So, we quit. And when I think about it, I think maybe we were a little bit doing it in a rush, 'cause we were also tired and a bit angry and frustrated, 'cause I really felt that we quit when we were in our prime. And I had still some bitterness towards that, because all I wanna do was play music and tour, but I totally understand why my bandmembers left. They were not feeling well. I could see it. They were not happy."

Regarding how she ended up launching her own project LIV SIN, Jagrell said: "For me, my whole life was living around SISTER SIN; my whole life was being the vocalist of SISTER SIN. And when that disappeared, I didn't know where to go. I didn't know what to do. I lost my whole identity. And for almost a year I was super depressed and I didn't know where to start over and how to start over. I just felt like my whole life was over. But then after a while, I was with a boyfriend, who is know my husband, who told me and got me to believe that just because SISTER SIN doesn't exist, it doesn't mean that I need to stop making music. I can still continue making music. So after almost a year, I started to believe in that thought or I started to believe in that, and I was, like, 'Okay, I wanna still make music.' And then I was, like, 'What kind of music do I wanna do?' 'Cause I've always been into heavier music, more modern metal kind of music. So I was, like, 'Okay, if I'm gonna do my own thing, I need to make music that I really wanna do.' And I started LIV SIN. And obviously the music has a little bit changed over the years, but it goes towards the heavier stuff all the time, 'cause that's more my identity, actually. I'm not very much a rock and roll girl. I'm more much a metal girl, so I started with LIV SIN, and finally I felt that I also could make music that suited my voice and I could experiment with my voice, which I really love to do. Me, the guitar players and the drummer write the music, but I write all the lyrics, I write all the melodies. So, in a way, LIV SIN is obviously more my music and more of me, 'cause I can get my creativity out and I do the music I'm more passionate about. And I still love doing the SISTER SIN stuff, because it's super cool. But [LIV SIN] is maybe more my kind of music."

After the interviewer noted that Liv is now making music and playing shows with both LIV SIN and SISTER SIN, she explained: "Obviously I'm more active with LIV SIN, because we are a band that is active and we try to release records in the cycle of two, three years, et cetera, et cetera, and play as much as we can, even though it's harder today after COVID, et cetera. But SISTER SIN, we kind of didn't talk for five years, and then we started to talk a little bit in 2019. And then we said, 'Shouldn't we do a festival summer 2020, just to end the band in the right way?' Because we felt that we didn't — as I said, we rushed when we quit the band. So we were, like, 'We do a full festival summer, and then we say a real goodbye.' And then COVID came. So there was no five-year reunion thing. Instead we did some festivals in 2022 — I think it was postponed to 2022 — and we played a little bit. And the guys were really having a good time when they were playing. So they said that maybe we should try to do some shows here and there and again. So we do a little bit, and then they made two songs and recorded. And so we are releasing two songs and a cover this spring. So it's like a small kind of EP. So, two original songs and one cover. So I'm juggling both bands."

As for SISTER SIN's future plans when it comes to performing live, Liv said: "We'll see, because the guys in SISTER SIN, they have full-time jobs and they also have families, so they can't tour like we used to. They're really, like, 'This is how we can do it.' And it's mostly some shows here and there, festivals, et cetera, weekend things. No longer tours. We try to find a way to make it work."

Jagrell announced the SISTER SIN reunion seven years ago after revealing that her post-SISTER SIN outfit LIV SIN was "taking a little bit of a break" following the departures of guitarist Chris Bertzell and bassist Tommie Winther.

SISTER SIN announced its split in November 2015, saying in a statement that the band's "relentless" touring and recording schedule took its toll and "the motivation for some members just wasn't there anymore." However, the group left the door open for a possible comeback, saying: "It is our hope that the flame will burn once again and hopefully resurrect this Swedish bastard sometime in the future. Time will tell…"

Eleven years ago, Liv told Sleaze Roxx about the end of SISTER SIN: "We toured too much and we got burned out. That's the simple answer. They just felt like they did not want to do this anymore. [In 2015], we had been out for almost four months or something so it's a lot of time away from family. It's a lot of time away from friends. And also just to survive in the business is hard, so I think we maybe worked too hard in the last years."

SISTER SIN's fifth studio album, "Black Lotus", was released in October 2014 via Victory.

Promotional photo by Mathias Colouri (courtesy of David Sundberg)

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, MR. BIG's fourth studio album, "Hey Man", finally makes its long-awaited debut on vinyl for Record Store Day UK and Japan 2026 (April 18),followed by a new remaster on SACD Hybrid Multi-channel and Double MQA-CD on May 8. A landmark release for the band, the album famously dominated the Japan Oricon chart for 16 weeks and remains a fan favorite for its blend of technical prowess and soulful songwriting.

"Hey Man" features some of MR. BIG's most enduring tracks, including fan favorites "Take Cover" and "Goin' Where The Wind Blows". It stands as a definitive tribute to the incredible musicianship of the band's classic lineup — Eric Martin, Pat Torpey, Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert — making this a must-have for fans and collectors.

The Double MQA-CD format features an expansive array of additional content. This includes the "I Love You Japan" demo, the first-time release of the final mixes for "Friend Of The Working Girl" and "Livin' Like A Dog", and a selection of bonus tracks such as "Tears", "Little Mistake", "Swingin' Jam" and "Shoot The Moon". Rounding out the bonus material are live versions of "Take Cover", "Goin' Where The Wind Blows" and "I Love You Japan", alongside exclusive drum-only and minus-drum mixes of "Take Cover".

The SACD Hybrid Multi-channel format features a brand-new remaster in high-resolution audio and will be released with a new 5.1 mix, housed in a premium super jewel box with a protective outer slipcase.

The 180g One-Step Pressing Deep Cyan Vinyl LP format marks the first time the album is available on vinyl for Record Store Day U.K. and Japan, and it is limited to 3,000 copies worldwide.

Note: The Hybrid SACD disc is compatible with all standard CD and SACD players.

LP track listing:

Side One

01. Trapped In Toyland
02. Take Cover
03. Jane Doe
04. Goin' Where The Wind Blows
05. The Chain

Side Two

01. Where Do I Fit In?
02. If That's What It Takes
03. Out Of The Underground
04. Dancin' Right Into The Flame
05. Mama D.

SACD track listing:

01. Trapped In Toyland
02. Take Cover
03. Jane Doe
04. Goin' Where The Wind Blows
05. The Chain
06. Where Do I Fit In?
07. If That's What It Takes
08. Out Of The Underground
09. Dancin' Right Into The Flame
10. Mama D.
11. Fool Us Today

Double MQA-CD track listing:

Disc One

01. Trapped In Toyland
02. Take Cover
03. Jane Doe
04. Goin' Where The Wind Blows
05. The Chain
06. Where Do I Fit In?
07. If That's What It Takes
08. Out Of The Underground
09. Dancin' Right Into The Flame
10. Mama D.
11. Fool Us Today

Disc Two

01. Friend Of The Working Girl
02. Livin Like A Dog
03. Tears
04. Little Mistake
05. I Love You Japan (demo version)
06. Swingin' Jam
07. Shoot The Moon
08. Take Cover (Live)
09. Goin' Where The Wind Blows (Live)
10. I Love You Japan (Live)
11. Take Cover (Drum track only)
12. Take Cover (Minus drum track)

MR. BIG played the final show of its "The BIG Finale!" tour on February 25, 2025 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. Earlier that same month, the band played three other shows: on February 14, 2025 at the Bloomverse Festival in Meghālaya, India, on February 16, 2025 at the Bloomverse Express in Bengaluru, India, and on February 22, 2025 at the Osaka Music Hall in Osaka, Japan.

MR. BIG played the last show of its "The BIG Finish" farewell tour on August 23, 2024 at the Way Too Far Rock Festival in Bistrița, Romania.

MR. BIG's tenth studio album, "Ten", was released on July 12, 2024 via Frontiers Music Srl. The LP featured 11 new original tracks written by singer Eric Martin and guitarist Paul Gilbert, along with André Pessis and Tony Fanucchi. "Ten" was produced by Jay Ruston and MR. BIG.

When MR. BIG announced "The BIG Finish" tour in 2023, the bandmembers said that it was "time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy" after drummer Pat Torpey lost his battle with Parkinson's disease in 2018. The first leg kicked off in Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August 2023, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows including Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.

MR. BIG's last-ever live album release was "The BIG Finish Live", which came out on September 6, 2024 via the Evolution Music Group.

"The BIG Finish Live" was a brand-new live album and concert film of MR. BIG's "The BIG Finish" farewell tour, where the band played their million-selling "Lean Into It" album in its entirety, plus additional MR. BIG classics.

The official music video for "Unbreakable", the latest single from SEVENDUST, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming fifteenth studio album "One", which will arrive on May 1 via Napalm Records.

Comprised of Lajon Witherspoon (vocals),Clint Lowery (guitar),John Connolly (guitar),Vince Hornsby (bass) and Morgan Rose (drums),SEVENDUST once again delivers a driving, emotionally charged anthem that blends aggression, melody, and hard-earned authenticity. "Unbreakable" showcases the band's signature balance of thunderous riffs, soaring hooks, and deeply personal lyricism — elements that have defined their career and earned them one of the most loyal fanbases in heavy music.

The "Unbreakable" music video, directed by Dan Sturgess, captures SEVENDUST's electrifying live presence during the band's recent European tour. Intercut with high-energy performance footage and behind-the-scenes moments, the video reflects the raw connection SEVENDUST shares with audiences around the world — an energy that has remained unmatched for nearly three decades.

Building on SEVENDUST's unmistakable sound while continuing to evolve, "One" proves why the Grammy Award–nominated metal icons remain a vital force nearly three decades into their career. From the driving opening riff of the title track "One" to the dreamy, atmospheric vocal outro of "Misdirection", the album takes listeners on an emotional journey that only SEVENDUST can deliver.

SEVENDUST once again worked with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida. Baskette had previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and Slash, among others.

On November 4, 2025, Lowery shared an "end-of-studio picture" on Instagram and he thanked "the killer production team" consisting of Baskette and engineers Jef Moll and Josh Saldate "for taking things to the highest level demanding perfection or our closet effort. Four records in a row and all amazing experiences," he added. "Can't wait to hear [Baskette] mix this bad boy up."

The writing sessions for the new SEVENDUST album once again took place at the farmhouse of Lajon and his wife Ashley.

The track listing for "One" is:

01. One
02. Unbreakable
03. Is This The Real You
04. Threshold
05. We Won
06. Construct
07. Bright Side
08. The Drop
09. Blood Price
10. Misdirection

Renowned as one of the most powerful live bands in modern metal, SEVENDUST is preparing to hit the road in support of "One". Their U.S. headline tour kicks off April 16 in Carterville, Illinois, and runs through May 20, concluding in Knoxville, Tennessee. ATREYU, FIRE FROM THE GODS and AMERICAN ADRENALINE will join as support. The band will also open for ALTER BRIDGE at two special U.S. dates: April 26 in Atlanta, Georgia, and May 21 in Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, SEVENDUST will appear at major festivals including Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple.

For all upcoming tour dates, ticket information, and VIP packages, visit: sevendust.com/pages/tour.

SEVENDUST served as one of the support acts for DISTURBED on the latter act's "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" in early 2025.

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

AS I LAY DYING vocalist Tim Lambesis and bassist/clean vocalist Chris Clancy spoke to Egor Erushin earlier this month at the start of the 2026 leg of their Russian tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's breakthrough album "Shadows Are Security". The U.S. metalcore veterans first launched the anniversary tour in Russia last fall, despite many Western artists continuing to steer clear of playing shows in the country amid ongoing international tensions tied to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Asked if there is a full-length album coming from AS I LAY DYING coming following last year's release of two new singles, "Echoes" and "If I Fall",  Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've got all the songs ready. We've got way more songs than we need, and we've been whittling through 'em. So we're gonna sit down while we're on the road, actually, and kind of do some more development to the songs. And when we get back [home after the tour], we're gonna really start recording it. So we were gonna start recording it in February, but we thought, well, as we're all together, we can kind of develop ideas together as a group and go from there. So it's gonna be a busy tour, for many reasons. But we've got a lot of hours when we're traveling."

Tim chimed in: "And we tried a new method here where Chris and I put down our vocal ideas first for the demo. So it's, like, the vocals are actually done before the instruments at this point. I mean, even though we had the instrumental demo, but then that way we can have a better idea of what songs work."

As for a possible timeframe for the release of the new AS I LAY DYING album, Tim said: "I will say this — as soon as we get home from this tour, it's our highest priority to focus on that. We cleared everything up so that this is entirely the focus after this."

Tim and Chris were also asked if AS I LAY DYING fans can expect to hear more of a "Shadows Are Security" vibe in some of the new songs, considering that they are spending so much time performing material from that record on this current tour. Tim said: "One of the songs I wrote early on in the process that I was sending to Chris, we gave the demo the title of 'Throwback' because it felt very much like it belonged on the 'Shadows Are Security' record. It's a little bit more maybe pushed in [a] modern [direction] because I think the genre has become more technical at the time. But it fits really well. And we say, 'Okay, we'll just have one or two that are like this, and then let's explore.' Because [Chris is] writing songs from his perspective, and I'm writing from — I'm, like, the old guy, right? So we can't expect the two of us to write exactly the same."

Chris added: "But I remember when [Tim] sent me that demo and he said, 'Oh, it might be a bit too old school.' And I hit play. And it just gave me this [feeling of] nostalgia, like, 'I haven't heard anything like this in 20 years.' It just had this whole thing — it captured you. And this makes no sense at all without hearing the song, but you didn't really think about it as a single and doing this, that and the other. It's, like, he just wrote the song as it wanted to be, and it was great."

"Echoes" and "If I Fall" marked the debut of AS I LAY DYING's new lineup, bringing together seasoned talent and fresh energy:

Tim Lambesis - Vocals
Chris Clancy - Bass, Clean Vocals
Bill Hudson - Guitar
Don Vedda - Guitar
Tim Yeung - Drums

Lambesis previously commented: "As the only primary songwriter on every AS I LAY DYING album, I'm always going to a find a path forward for this catalog of music that I'm so passionate about. But sometimes things come together even better than expected. I'm incredibly grateful for my new bandmates. In addition to being incredibly talented, they genuinely care about my well being and the band we are now all a part of."

This new formation infuses the band with renewed vitality and artistic momentum. Each member brings a unique voice and refined musicianship, helping to craft a sound that's both familiar and forward-thinking, rooted in legacy, but boldly reaching into new territory.

Over the past eight years, AS I LAY DYING has gone through a series of lineup changes that have left Lambesis as the only remaining founding member.

In late 2024, four members of AS I LAY DYING separately announced that they were leaving the band: longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso, drummer Nick Pierce, guitarist Ken Susi and bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff.

Sgrosso announced his departure from AS I LAY DYING on October 30, 2024. His exit came just six days after Pierce and Susi left the group, and 12 days after Neff said he was also leaving the band.

AS I LAY DYING's 2024 European tour, "Through Storms Ahead", which was scheduled to kick off on November 15, 2024 in Würzburg, Germany, was eventually canceled.

In January 2025, home security camera footage was leaked in which Lambesis was seen appearing to hit and kick his own dog out of frustration.

In November 2024, a series of videos were leaked that showed Lambesis having violent outbursts while around his third wife in their home. Lambesis later released a statement saying he had filed a restraining order against his wife and accusing her of subjecting him to physical and mental abuse for three years.

This past December, after Tim's third wife gave an interview in which she revisited allegations of abuse she had previously made against Lambesis, Tim issued another statement suggesting that claims against him resurface only when his career regains momentum.

"I stayed quiet about my personal life because it wasn't relevant to the work," Lambesis wrote. "I'm only speaking now because the same pattern keeps repeating. Old stories resurface only when my life and career move forward again."

He went on to say: "I'm not interested in drama or attention. The music either stands on its own or it doesn't," adding that "if anything illegal had happened in the years since, it would have been addressed through proper channels."

Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged first wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In April 2025, Susi claimed during an appearance on the "BREWtally Speaking" podcast that Lambesis used his incarceration to formulate "this almost-reality TV persona for his fanbase of him portraying himself as his man of redemption or rehabilitation."

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since guitarist Nick Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

Photo credit: Tom Flynn

DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy has confirmed that the band's April 22, 2026 concert at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile will be professionally recorded and filmed for an upcoming Blu-ray.

Last November, DREAM THEATER released "Quarantième: Live À Paris" via the band's longtime label partner Inside Out Music/Sony Music. "Quarantième: Live À Paris" documented DREAM THEATER's November 23, 2024 concert at Adidas Arena in Paris, France during the band's 40th-anniversary headlining tour of Europe, and it featured the lineup of James LaBrie (vocals),John Petrucci (guitar),John Myung (bass),Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and Mike Portnoy (drums). The effort contained a setlist that spanned the band's entire career with classics like "Metropolis Pt. 1", "Panic Attack", "Octavarium" and "Pull Me Under" represented among other fan favorites.

DREAM THEATER played its first concert with Portnoy in 14 years on October 20, 2024 at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The drummer, who co-founded DREAM THEATER, played on 10 of the band's albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010. Portnoy returned to DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after being replaced by Mike Mangini, who played with DREAM THEATER across five studio albums and accompanying world tours.

This past December, Portnoy spoke to Australia's May The Rock Be With You about DREAM THEATER's 40th-anniversary tour, which launched in late 2024. Asked if the milestone put more "pressure" on him and his bandmates or if they treated the tour as "more of a celebration", Mike said: "It's a celebration. There's no pressure. I mean, for me, it's surreal that it's been 40 years since we started this band. We were teenagers at college, Berklee College Of Music, back in 1985, and here we are 40 years later. We've been around the world dozens and dozens of times, and it's just been quite a journey and quite a trip. And if anything, it's just more surreal than anything. It's just hard to believe how quickly time has flown."

On the topic of the "discussions" which take place between him and his DREAM THEATER bandmates about putting together a setlist for the current tour, Mike said: "Well, there's not really any discussions. Those guys trust that in my lap. I've always been the guy that wrote the setlist in the band, at least in my time here, and for me, writing the setlist for this 40th-anniversary tour was actually easier than you would think. Coming back to the band after not having been in the band for over 15 years, whatever it's been, it was all a fresh, clean slate for me to work with. It wasn't like, 'Oh, I played this song a billion times over the last couple years.' I hadn't played any of these songs in so long. So for me, I was able to write with a clean slate."

DREAM THEATER kicked off its summer/fall 2025 "An Evening With Dream Theater" tour on September 5, 2025 at Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The concert saw LaBrie, Petrucci, Myung (bass),Rudess and Portnoy perform their latest, 16th studio album, "Parasomnia", in its entirety, as well as the entire seven-movement masterpiece "A Change Of Seasons", for the first time since Portnoy's return to the band in October 2023, in addition to other classics and fan favorites from DREAM THEATER's catalog. The 30-city U.S. trek ran through October 25, 2025, when it wrapped in Long Island, New York.

"Parasomnia" came out on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returned once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.

"Parasomnia" is an eight-song, 71-minute set which was recorded at DREAM THEATER's DTHQ studio on Long Island, New York. It is the follow-up to 2021's "A View From The Top Of The World", which debuted at in the top 10 of Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Rock Albums and Independent Albums charts. Six songs on "Parasomnia" are over seven minutes and the closing epic "The Shadow Man Incident" clocks in at nearly 20 minutes.

The 2025 North American leg of DREAM THEATER's 40th-anniversary tour kicked off on February 7, 2025 at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The trek was "An Evening With Dream Theater" and was the first tour of North America since Portnoy's return to the lineup. The tour concluded on March 22, 2025 in New York City.

Portnoy, Petrucci and Myung started DREAM THEATER as MAJESTY in 1985, after meeting at the Berklee College Of Music in Boston. LaBrie came on board in 1991, while Rudess joined in 1999.

Prior to Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER, the drummer and Petrucci worked together on the latter's 2020 solo album, "Terminal Velocity", and toured together. Portnoy and Petrucci also joined Rudess and bassist Tony Levin for a third studio album as LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT in 2021.

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Osbournes" podcast, which was recorded in early February, Ozzy Osbourne's manager and widow Sharon Osbourne offered more information about the long-awaited return of Ozzfest. Confirming that she is still planning to revive Ozzfest next year, Sharon said that the festival will launch at Villa Park, the home ground of the Aston Villa Football Club, in Birmingham, United Kingdom. "We wanna do two days in Aston Villa and then come to America," she explained. "And we wanna hear from everyone where we should go in America. And also we've gotta find a lot of young, new talent, because that's what [Ozzy] would want."

After Sharon and Ozzy's son Jack noted that Ozzfest will return in 2027 as a two-day event at Villa Park, followed by "two days in North America somewhere", Sharon said: "Yeah. And then see how it does. And then if people want it, we'll be there [in the] following years."

Sharon added that although Ozzfest won't be a traveling festival in 2027, there are tentative plans to take it on the road in 2028 and beyond, provided that the demand is there.

Regarding what made Ozzfest so special, Sharon said: "It was more fun. When you go to other festivals, everybody's so uptight. But that was always the thing about our festival. There was never anybody jockeying for position or thought they were better than anyone else. It was a summer camp." Sharon also added that she wants to "see Rob Halford there", apparently hinting that JUDAS PRIEST could appear at a future Ozzfest installment.

As previously reported, Sharon also talked about Ozzfest's return during a February 6 appearance at MIDEM 2026 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. " Yes, absolutely. Yeah, we're gonna do it," she said. "Well, the last one we did was 2018. It was just a month before Ozzy got sick, and that was at the Forum in L.A. And there was no plans to stop it. We were still gonna do it, but Ozzy couldn't. And Ozzy and I would talk about it, and he'd say, 'Do you think Ozzfest would work without me?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah, it's a brand. It will work without you.' And he said, 'We should do it.'"

This past January, Sharon told Billboard magazine that she had been "talking to Live Nation" about bringing Ozzfest back. "It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people," she explained. "We really started metal festivals in this country. It was [replicated but] never done with the spirit of what ours was, because ours was a place for new talent. It was like summer camp for kids."

Sharon told Billboard that she had a new vision for the next iteration of Ozzfest. "I'd like to mix up the genres," she said.

Ozzfest started 30 years ago and was the first national music festival of its kind dedicated to hard rock music.

The event has not been a traveling festival in the U.S. since 2007's "free" edition. The show morphed into a one-off event in Dallas in 2008, took 2009 off and played just six cities in 2010.

Over 17,000 concert-goers were in attendance for 2017's all-day Ozzfest, which was headlined by Ozzy, while Rob Zombie closed out the next day's Knotfest bill.

2017 was the second year Ozzy's Ozzfest had merged with SLIPKNOT's Knotfest for a two-day heavy metal juggernaut.

A special one-night-only New Year's Eve Ozzfest took place on December 31, 2018 at The Forum in Los Angeles, California and was attended by 12,465 hard rock and heavy metal fans, according to Pollstar. Ticket sales from the Live Nation-produced concert totaled $1.2 million, with tickets priced from a low of $59.50 to $179.50.

Joining headliner Ozzy Osbourne at the event were Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, KORN's Jonathan Davis (playing a solo set) and BODY COUNT. ZAKK SABBATH, the BLACK SABBATH tribute band fronted by Osbourne's guitarist Zakk Wylde, headlined a second stage outside.

Sharon previously floated the possibility of reviving Ozzfest during a January 2024 episode of "The Osbournes" podcast. When Sharon and Ozzy's daughter Kelly noted that "it always comes down to" whether the bands and managers going to be "realistic" in terms of what they want to get paid for playing the festival, Sharon concurred, and added: "It's great. That's what we wanted — everybody to do spin-offs and do their own festivals, and it's great. It's great for fans; it's brilliant. But why is it when it comes to us that everybody thinks that we are trillionaires, and so that every manager who wants their band on our festival wants one of the fucking trillions they think we've got to put on the festival?"

After Ozzy asked during the podcast about the possibility of focusing more on lesser-known acts that won't be as demanding, Sharon said: "You can do it for a baby stage, but you still need the headliners. It's always great to have the baby stage, I mean, that's what it's all about — breaking new bands. That's why we did it."

She added: "It's very hard for acts who are not known to suddenly go and be in front of 50,000 people on a main stage at a festival and understand what they're meant to do. It's very intimidating. You could have maybe five thousand people at that baby stage, and then to go from five to fifty to sixty thousand people, and it's really, really hard for baby bands. They've pay their dues anyway. That's what it's all about."

When Sharon and Ozzy's son Jack pointed out that many of the recently launched rock festivals in the United States are "basically just Ozzfest," Sharon said: "Well, it's the same bands just going around and around and around. But that's what's so good, because we started something, people have taken it, and it's still great for the genre. It's really good."

In October 2023, Sharon talked about why Ozzfest eventually stopped during an earlier episode of "The Osbournes" podcast. At the time, she said: "Yeah, it was a very weird beast because all the bands were our mates, but the managers were greedy and for some reason they thought that we were making billions on it and we weren't. We made a profit. But it was not like — we couldn't retire on it. And managers and agents wanted more and more and more, and it just wasn't cost effective anymore. We stopped, because it just wasn't cost effective."

She continued: "Years and years ago, one of the bands — it was the second Ozzfest we did, or the third — wouldn't go on stage until I agreed to give them 10,000 more dollars. And they were holding everything up, and I said, 'Of course, of course I'll give it you.'" Pressed by Jack to name the act in question, Sharon said "Glenn Danzig", to which Jack replied: "Why are you gonna protect that twat?"

Sharon went on to say that she "didn't give them the money" that they were demanding. "They went on and played, and I went, 'Fuck you. You signed a contract, your agent agreed it, and you're just gouging,'" she recalled.

Rhino recently announced "Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007-2009", a new collection focusing on the final chapter of Ronnie James Dio's celebrated tenure with members of BLACK SABBATH. Reuniting with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice under the name HEAVEN & HELL, the band returned to the stage and studio decades after their original run for an unexpected second act.

"Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007-2009" will be available March 27 as 7LP and 4CD/Blu-ray boxed sets. Both editions include an illustrated book with new liner notes by Hugh Gilmour, along with a replica tour book and poster. Order now here.

The collection marks the first time the complete "Live From Radio City Music Hall" performance appears on vinyl, and features eight tracks making their vinyl debut, including studio recordings from "The Dio Years" and select live performances. The Blu-ray expands the set with video from "Live From Radio City Music Hall" and "Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell - Live At Wacken", plus band interviews.

An HD-upscaled video of "The Mob Rules" (Live From Radio City Music Hall) from "Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007-2009" can be seen below. Captured during HEAVEN & HELL's historic 2007 reunion, this definitive live version of "The Mob Rules" showcases the relentless power and new vigor of the HEAVEN & HELL lineup. While the 1981 original signaled a darker turn for the band, this Radio City Music Hall performance elevates the track with a precise and massive sonic weight that only decades of chemistry could produce.

The set follows the band's reunion run, beginning with their triumphant 2007 New York performance, "Live From Radio City Music Hall", followed by the Top 10 studio album "The Devil You Know" in 2009, and the live album "Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell - Live at Wacken", recorded later that year on tour in Germany.

"Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007-2009" 4CD track listing:

Disc One: The Devil You Know

01. Atom And Evil
02. Fear
03. Bible Black
04. Double The Pain
05. Rock And Roll Angel
06. The Turn Of The Screw
07. Eating The Cannibals
08. Follow The Tears
09. Neverwhere
10. Breaking Into Heaven

Bonus tracks from The Dio Years

11. The Devil Cried
12. Shadow Of The Wind
13. Ear In The Wall

Disc Two: Live From Radio City Music Hall

01. E5150 / After All (The Dead)
02. The Mob Rules
03. Children Of The Sea
04. Lady Evil
05. I
06. The Sign Of The Southern Cross
07. Voodoo
08. The Devil Cried

Disc Three: Live From Radio City Music Hall

01. Computer God
02. Falling Off the Edge Of The World
03. Shadow Of The Wind
04. Die Young
05. Heaven And Hell
06. Lonely Is the Word
07. Neon Knights

Disc Four: Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell

01. Mob Rules
02. Children Of The Sea
03. I
04. Bible Black
05. Time Machine
06. Fear
07. Falling Off The Edge Of The World
08. Follow The Tears
09. Die Young
10. Heaven And Hell
11. Neon Knights

Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007–2009 7LP Track Listing

LP One: The Devil You Know

Side One

01. Atom and Evil
02. Fear
03. Bible Black

Side Two

01. Double The Pain
02. Rock And Roll Angel
03. The Turn Of The Screw
04. Eating The Cannibals

LP Two: The Devil You Know

Side One

01. Follow The Tears
02. Neverwhere
03. Breaking Into Heaven

Side Two: Bonus Tracks

01. The Devil Cried (from "The Dio Years")
02. Shadow Of The Wind (from "The Dio Years")
03. Ear In The Wall (from "The Dio Years")

LP Three: Live from Radio City Music Hall

Side One

01. E5150 / After All (The Dead)
02. The Mob Rules
03. Children Of The Sea

Side Two

01. Lady Evil
02. I
03. The Sign Of The Southern Cross

LP Four: Live from Radio City Music Hall

Side One

01. Voodoo
02. The Devil Cried

Side Two

01. Computer God
02. Falling Off The Edge Of The World
03. Shadow Of The Wind

LP Five: Live from Radio City Music Hall

Side One

01. Die Young
02. Heaven And Hell

Side Two

01. Lonely Is the Word
02. Neon Knights

LP Six: Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell

Side One

01. Mob Rules
02. Children Of The Sea
03. I

Side Two

01. Bible Black
02. Time Machine
03. Fear

LP Seven: Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell

Side One

01. Falling Off The Edge Of The World
02. Follow The Tears
03. Die Young

Side Two

01. Heaven And Hell
02. Neon Knights

Blu-Ray Video Content

Live from Radio City Music Hall

Extras:

* Heaven And Hell Road Movie
* Hail The Gods Of Metal
* Meet The Mob
* Radio City
* The Wisdom Of Dio

Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell

Extras:

30th-Anniversary Interviews

* Ronnie James Dio
* Geezer Butler
* Vinny Appice
* Tony Iommi

Ronnie James Dio Tribute (2010)

* Tony Iommi
* Vinny Appice
* Geezer Butler

Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner in 2006. HEAVEN & HELL released the aforementioned "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

Ronnie passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer was diagnosed with cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Ronnie's long-awaited autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", was released on July 2021 via Permuted Press.

In 2006, BLACK SABBATH members Dio, Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice reunited to record a trio of new songs for Rhino's "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years" before launching a greatly acclaimed world tour under their new moniker HEAVEN & HELL.

"The Devil You Know" sold 30,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release back in May 2009 to debut at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In September 2022, Iommi told Metal Talk about Dio: "It was real sad [when he died] because we were really on a roll when we'd done [the debut HEAVEN & HELL album] 'The Devil You Know' and we were touring and we were really enjoying it. And I remember talking to Ronnie when we were in Japan. We went for dinner one night. We said, 'Look, we're not gonna say we're gonna go for five years or whatever. We'll just try it and see where it goes. So we'd done the tour; we loved it and we enjoyed it. And when we were in this restaurant, I said to Ronnie, 'Do you fancy doing anything more?' And he said, 'Oh, yeah. We've gotta do another album. Let's do another album, another tour.' And that was the plan. That's what we were gonna do. And, of course, Ronnie didn't make it. But it was going so well and we had a great time being together. We loved working together. I loved working with Ronnie."

Iommi previously reflected on his time recording and touring with Dio as his bandmate in both BLACK SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL in an April 2021 interview with Rockin' Metal Revival. At the time he said: "The last tour we did with Ronnie was real precious, and we had such a great time. And we really bonded. The last generation of the period with Ronnie was really close — everybody was close. Yeah, Ronnie was such a really nice person.

"What I liked about Ronnie [is] he gave everybody time," Tony continued. "It was just remarkable. Before the show, he'd have people in his dressing room — 'cause we'd have separate dressing rooms — he'd have people in there talking away and drinking and whatever. And he never warmed up or anything; he'd never done any kind of warming-up procedure before he went on stage. And he'd walk on stage and he'd just [sound] unbelievable; his voice was spot-on. It was just amazing, really, how he could do that.

"He was a really nice, caring character. He'd call me up — even just before he passed, he was on the phone to me, calling me from the hospital.

"It was very sad, really, [when he died]," Iommi added. "But he thought a lot of everybody — he really did. And he loved his fans."

Photo credit: Chapman Baehler (courtesy of James Sherry of Division PR for Rhino)

In a new interview with the GUNS N' ROSES-centric Appetite For Distortion podcast, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani spoke about how he ended up recommending Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal for the guitarist position in GUNS N' ROSES more than 20 years ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That happened because our current producer, Eric Cadieux, and I had been working together since the very first 'G3' live album. He was the editor that was charged with pulling all those live performances together for one live DVD and CD. And he had been working on [GUNS N' ROSES'] 'Chinese Democracy' [album], I guess, eight years or something like that; that that record took forever. And so one day he calls up and he says that Axl [Rose, GUNS N' ROSES singer] is looking for the craziest guitar player ever; it was one of the things that he was demanding. And I think they already had Buckethead, and I was thinking, like, 'Who would I recommend? Who's the craziest and the best?' Who was really at the top? And I knew there was only one guy. It had to be Ron' Thal' Bumblefoot."

Joe continued: "I had met Ron in the funniest way, because I was doing an interview in Paris, and the interviewer was sort of trying to get me to make off comments about other guitar players. And he prefaced playing some of Ron's music by talking about blues and blues feeling, and do I notice blues feeling in these guitar players? And he had played a clip of Ron doing something absolutely abstract, completely freaky, which comes normally for Ron. Yeah. And I said, 'Well, I don't think there's any blues feeling in there.' And so that's what he printed, was me sort of dissing Ron. And so Ron got ahold of me somehow and said, 'Hey, how come you said that?' And so I explained the story to him, and I said, 'Why don't you come out to a gig?' I was playing somewhere in [New] Jersey at the time. And I said, 'We'll just do it on stage. We'll just show everybody where guitar playing's at today, and we'll laugh about the whole 'blues feeling' thing.' And we became really great friends, and I became a super admirer of his musicianship all around. He's just like a total freak — his musicianship is amazing, and if you play guitar, you know that most of what he does, only he can do."

Circling back to how he connected Thal with GUNS N' ROSES, Satriani added: "So anyway, Ron came to my mind, and I said, 'Eric, you have to get this guy Ron Thal into Axl's band. And tell Axl that there's no one else who can stand next to Buckethead and look even stranger and play just as good,' 'cause they're two premier guitar players.

"But my conversation with was with Ron was pretty funny, because the last thing he expected was me to call him and say, 'How would you like to audition for GUNS N' ROSES?' Because he had accepted, I think, the fact that he was just the oddest guitar player, and [he never thought] that the most accepted rock band at the moment, the new standard for straight-ahead rock was ever going to be calling him for an audition. But he did it anyway, I think as an experiment in life, just to see how much fun it would be. And he got the gig, because he was himself. And I think Axl could see right away he's a genius. And so that lasted a long time, didn't it?"

Back in 2014, Thal spoke to Glide Magazine about how he became friends with Satriani. He said: "Well, as time is going on, by this time it was the early '90s, and I was actually having real commercial releases with my music coming out on a lot of comp CDs or things like that. By the early to mid-'90s, I had a record deal on Shrapnel Records so at that point I was putting out my Ron Thal albums. I did two albums on there and then I started my own label in the late '90s just to put out my own music. So it's 2004 and we crossed paths and I ended up jamming with him at one of his shows and we'd talk every once in a while. Then he sent me an e-mail saying, 'Hey, I'm just letting you know that they were looking for someone, and I recommended you and if someone reaches out …' And a few hours later, Chris Pitman wrote me this funny e-mail and we spoke for about two months, back and forth, with management, with Caram Costanzo, the producer. Then there was a lull for about a year and a half, and then they had a tour coming up and they said, 'Hey, you still wanna do this?' And we met up in New York and we jammed for a couple of nights and hit the road."

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and appeared on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an effort which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.

Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career and other projects after spending eight years playing in GUNS.

Photo by Larry DiMarzio (courtesy of Peter Noble at Noble PR)

In a new interview with Matt Bingham of the Z93 radio station, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony spoke about the upcoming deluxe edition of "5150", the band's first album with vocalist Sammy Hagar, and Hagar's 2026 Las Vegas residency, which will take place in March and September. Asked if he is involved in putting the VAN HALEN reissues together, Michael said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, you know what? We have our longtime old engineer, Donn Landee, went in and mixed stuff. Basically, you let the record company and everybody, they got their ideas and they throw stuff at us, and then we go, 'yeah', 'no', 'yeah', 'no'. 'Oh, we love that.' 'No.' And we throw our two cents in. Because a lot of it is marketing and whatever, and I'm not good at any of that. I'm just good at knowing what I hear and see. We definitely throw our two cents in when it comes to that."

Asked if he gets nostalgic when he sees and listens to some of the old VAN HALEN material, particularly the previously unreleased recordings that maybe he hadn't heard in a long time, Anthony said: "Yes, because I don't listen to — a lot of the stuff I won't listen to. Let's say an album like 'OU812' or '5150', I haven't listened to it in a long time, and then all of a sudden you hear a couple of songs and then the next thing I know I'm going through our whole catalog, playing stuff."

Referencing Hagar's "The Best Of All Worlds" Vegas residency, Anthony continued: "Sammy hates that now, because I go, 'Hey, Sammy, why don't we play this song live?' 'Why don't we play that song live?' 'We haven't done this one or that one.' So I'm always throwing stuff at him to sing, but, obviously, I've got to pick and choose in respect to his voice. And that's how we pretty much put the set together to play, in Vegas and on the tour now, to see what he's comfortable singing so that we can go out and, and put on a great show and he can give it a hundred percent every night."

"The Best Of All Worlds" will return to Dolby Live at Park MGM for 11 performances March 11-21 and September 18-26, 2026.

The 2026 residency will reunite Hagar with the powerhouse "Best Of All Worlds" band featuring fellow Hall Of Famer Michael Anthony, 15-time Grammy nominee and guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, powerhouse drummer Kenny Aronoff, and multi-instrumentalist Rai Thistlethwayte. The high-octane "only in Las Vegas" show is celebration of Hagar's legendary catalog, including the deepest dive yet into his tenure with VAN HALEN yet. The Las Vegas residency represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this band of brothers deliver one of the most legendary hits-packed live shows of their careers.

Last October, Hagar released "Sammy Hagar & The Best Of All Worlds Band - The Residency", a 19-track live album recorded during his first Dolby Live run, via Big Machine Rock. The album captures rare deep cuts and VAN HALEN favorites.

Custom-built for Dolby Live's intimate and electric atmosphere, "The Best Of All Worlds" delivers an unfiltered connection to the music that defined a generation. With fresh setlists each night, Hagar dusts off VAN HALEN deep cuts, solo anthems, and fan favorites not heard live in decades. The residency was a critical and box office hit, with fans and media alike calling it one of the strongest rock residencies in Las Vegas history.

VAN HALEN and Anthony had not been on good terms for more than a decade before Eddie Van Halen's death, with Anthony not invited to join the reunion with singer David Lee Roth that began in 2007. The subsequent two tours and studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", featured Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen on bass.

Anthony took a pay cut and signed away all of his rights to the band name and logo in order to participate in VAN HALEN's 2004 tour, which featured Hagar.

Photo credit: Rob Shanahan