In a new interview with Australia's Silver Tiger Media, KK'S PRIEST vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens once again spoke about the band's decision to not do meet-and-greets on its recent tours. Addressing the fact that KK'S PRIEST has yet to make it to Australia, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We probably could have got more run on touring. I mean, the touring was so successful and the shows were so good. It's just very costly to tour nowadays.

"I think the problem with, what's gonna be hard with getting KK'S PRIEST to tour is we don't do VIP meet-and-greets, and to be honest, it's probably about impossible to do any touring nowadays without doing 'em," he continued. "And if you don't do 'em, you can't expect to tour. I know bands that have made hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars on just a meet-and-greet, which actually goes to expenses of the tour. Yngwie [Malmsteen] was just in Sydney. I heard he had about a hundred meet-and-greets, and over 200 was the cheapest meet-and-greet.

"I said to Ken [KK'S PRIEST guitarist and leader Kenneth 'K.K.' Downing], I said, 'Let's do a meet-and-greet with 10 people — that's it — after the show.' [We would charge] 200, which would be — you know, they get stuff, but they come back, 10 people. We have pizza and beer and soda and water and coffee, whatever, we have that sitting there. We all just sit around. We're right off the stage and we talk, 30 minutes or whatever, take the photo, sign stuff, eat pizza. But he's not game on it. And you just can't do it [without meet-and-greets]."

Owens added: "Bands can't afford to come to Australia unless you're doing meet-and-greets. I mean, IRON MAIDEN can. JUDAS PRIEST can. But JUDAS PRIEST does meet-and-greets and they charge four or five hundred dollars a person and they don't even meet the band half the time.

"What people realize is doing these [meet-and-greets] is how you tour. If you don't do 'em, you probably won't be able to tour. And I think that's our dilemma right now. I think that's why it might be hard to come to Australia or a lot of these places, because we don't do meet-and-greets. Which is fine — I can go tour solo — but that's how people do it nowadays."

Elaborating why Downing isn't interested in doing meet-and-greets at any of the KK'S PRIEST shows, Tim said: "Ken doesn't like 'em, and I understand that — he's old school — but I think what people have to realize is you're not going to meet Ken anyways [without meet-and-greets], so you're not going to meet him anywhere else. And you're putting it out there. People don't have to buy it. And that's why I had that idea of 10 people —that is it. And they just come right backstage and we have pizza and beer and you get a poster and laminate and I'll bring some eight-by-tens [photos] of me and whatever and a t-shirt or whatever. But I think that's the way to do it. Because, man, touring is expensive. Gosh."

Owens added: "It's funny. There's a couple things. And this is what's so great about [K.K.] and so great about this. He doesn't want to not bring the screens and not have the crew and the production we have on these small budgets that we're getting paid. He still wants to look good. 'Cause I said, 'Ken, you could just have backdrops back there.' I see bands — SAXON, all these bands, ACCEPT — with just backdrops, and they look great. It's fine. It's perfect He's, like, 'No. Nope. I gotta do the right show. It's gotta be the right show.' And I love it. I love everything he does and talks about. I love his passion. He has such passion. KK'S PRIEST is such a success and it sounds so good that he wants it all to be right. And maybe someday we will do the little meet-and-greet package so we can tour more. But with the cost of touring, I think it's gonna be pretty hard to do it without it."

Owens previously talked about KK'S PRIEST's decision to not do meet-and-greets in October in an interview with Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco Bay Area radio station 107.7 The Bone. He said at the time: "[Some] people are against paid meet-and-greets. [They believe] fans shouldn't have to pay for it. But I have a different look at it. I mean, I don't wanna do them either, cause I wanna chill. But it's their opportunity. You're offering it to them. They don't have to [buy it]. And the one I wanna do is totally different than everybody else's. Now someone's going to steal this idea; I'm going to put it out there. But I said to Ken, we do 10 people — that's it — a night. Backstage, right after we're done on stage, we have pizza, beer, sodas in the room. They walk in with us. They have some pizza. They get a poster, an eight-by-ten [photo], a signed setlist and a laminate. But sitting and having pizza and beer and taking photos, I mean, how cool is that? It's great. And it would be pretty fast."

Owens continued: "The other problem nowadays [why] people have to do [paid meet-and-greets] is to fund the tour. I mean, it's so expensive to tour nowadays. We're out here with a semi and a bus and a full crew and screens and this and a stage setup. And it's really expensive. But [K.K.'s] got that and he doesn't wanna do it, and I think it's cool, because he has that right. It's, like, 'This is it. I don't want to make the fans have to pay for it.' That's his thinking… [But the fans] wanna pay for it. They wanna do it. I mean, that's all we get — people are so pissed off that we don't do it. Oh my God. We get [that question] just nonstop: 'Are you doing meet-and-greets?'"

In December 2023, Owens told Kevin McKay of Florida's 99Rock WKSM radio station that KK'S PRIEST "usually [doesn't] do meet-and-greets. I know it's the big thing to do nowadays. And I would be all right doing meet-and-greets, but I know K.K.'s not a big fan of 'em," he said. "He likes to get in, do the show and get out."

When McKay noted that a lot of artists nowadays offer meet-and-greets as a way of making extra money on the road, Owens said: "Well, absolutely. And I'm all for that. [Laughs] Listen, I tried to talk [K.K.] into it. I said, 'Listen, we should do 'em. And we get some good money out of this and we can see the fans.' Listen, that's all I've been getting on social media is people asking, 'Is there gonna be meet-and-greets?' And I think everybody does it. I mean, it's a different era. You don't sell records like you used to and everything's so expensive and everybody takes a giant merch cut out of your merch. So it's ways to make extra money."

After McKay pointed out that a KK'S PRIEST meet-and-greet without K.K. "would kind of defeat the purpose," Owens concurred. "Yeah, we're not gonna do it like that," he said. "I think most of the people seem to want K.K. and myself to be doing them. And if I would just show up, some people would be all right, but K.K. is the [person everyone wants to meet]."

McKay then joked that "it doesn't even sound like" he can sneak backstage and eat KK'S PRIEST's food, to which Owens replied: "I imagine you can get back. I mean, we'll meet people and stuff like that. Ken and myself usually, [when] the show ends, we usually walk right out the door with our bag and go to the hotel. I do it because it's singing; I do anything I can to sing good. But yeah, we still get the people, especially people like the radio hosts and the people who [have] put time in the helping us out, we always love to say hello to all you guys."

KK'S PRIEST, which also includes guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),and German/American metal legends ACCEPT recently completed a North American tour. The massive run began on August 31 in Los Angeles, California, visiting a slew of major cities in the USA and Canada — such as Toronto, Montreal, New York and Nashville — before coming to an end in San Francisco, California on October 7.

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which featured support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and concluded on March 24, 2024 at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

KK'S PRIEST released its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon was asked about the band's decision to focus on releasing standalone singes in recent years — "All About Love" in November 2024, "Time To Rock!" in August 2022 and "Cold Blue Steel" in August 2021 — as opposed to putting out full-length albums, as he and his bandmates have done in the past. Frank said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the world has changed. I mean, it's actually gone full circle. Back in the '50s, when rock and roll was first born, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry and all of them, they would always just put out singles that they recorded live at a radio station, and it wasn't until the '70s or the late '60 that full-length, long LPs came into existence. But besides the world changing, we have changed too. We're a lot older now and we have to tour a lot to make a living. I mean, we're not rich. We never became millionaires. We still have to pay our bills, and so it makes more sense, the philosophy of going out on tour and writing a song and while that song is fresh, putting it out and enjoying it at the time, like we've been doing with 'All About Love' or those other ones."

Hannon continued: "The days of taking a year off and arguing in a studio over 10 songs that aren't gonna really get their full due… Because, really, the best way to create songs is to let them live for a while and to try 'em out at the shows and stuff, and it takes a lot of time. So, if you notice, a lot of bands, including ourselves, the albums, all 10 songs aren't as good anymore because the process of spending all that time trying to make every song great, it's just not realistic anymore. So, it works much better for us just to put all of our eggs into one song or maybe two and really make them as best as we can be and go out on the road and play 'em while they're fresh."

Circling back to TESLA's need to stay on the road to make ends meet, Frank added: "We took such a huge loss being grounded for two years [during the pandemic] that we're still barely pulling ourselves out of that hole financially. But that being said, the blessing to it is that when we focus on a song like 'All About Love' or 'Time To Rock!' and just focus on that and then go out and play it live while it's hot, it just tastes better. It's like eating a meal as soon as you get it off the stove and you put it on your plate, man — that's when it tastes good. So, for us, we can write a song and make it happen and then hit the road and play it. And I like it better, honestly."

TESLA released a new six-song EP, "All About Love", last month. The effort includes four versions of the "All About Love" title track (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of "Walk Away", a concert favorite from "Reel To Real, Vol. 1"; and another new song, "From The Heart", an instrumental track by Hannon.

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

; At Bloodstock Open Air 2024; Pro-Shot Video Streaming">
Venezuelan sludge-thrash icons, Cultura Tres, delivered a career-defining performance at the Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2024 on August 11, commanding the main stage with unmatched ferocity. Known for their raw, genre-defying sound that fuses sludge, thrash, and South American influences, the band enthralled the crowd with a crushing rendition of "Time Is Up". Towering riffs, relentless basslines, and guttural vocals filled the summer air, igniting waves of headbanging across Catton Park.


Adding to the electrifying energy was a special guest appearance by the legendary David Ellefson (former Megadeth bassist). His iconic bass grooves infused the performance with technical precision and depth, creating a seamless synergy w

In a new interview with The Underground Australia, ATREYU vocalist Brandon Saller was asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2023's "The Beautiful Dark Of Life" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've already started. We've done a handful of writing trips kind of around the world. Next year, we're doing, obviously, ShipRocked [cruise] in January. We're going to South America for the first time. We're doing 'The Curse' tour [celebrating the 21st anniversary of the band's 2004 sophomore album] in Australia. We're doing 'The Curse' tour in U.K. and Europe. So it's planning to be really busy. But a lot of 'Curse' stuff, and then I would say new music realistically maybe by the end of the year next year, but probably more so '26."

On October 18, ATREYU celebrated the 20th anniversary of "The Curse" by performing the gold-certified LP in its entirety at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California.

2002's "Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses" established ATREYU as an influential force, while "The Curse" sold more than half a million copies as the group rose to global renown. 2006's "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" and 2007's "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" both bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200, with the latter garnering a gold certification from the RIAA — a highly rare accomplishment for a 21st century rock band.

Following a hiatus post-"Congregation Of The Damned" in 2009, the musicians returned, firing on all cylinders with "Long Live" in 2015. It crashed the Top 30 of the Billboard Top 200 and earned widespread acclaim from Revolver, Loudwire, AXS and Kerrang!, who dubbed it "a hell of a return." Along the way, the boys sold out countless headline shows in addition to sharing the stage with everyone from SLIPKNOT and LINKIN PARK to Chris Cornell and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

Back in December 2014, ATREYU celebrated "The Curse"'s tenth anniversary by performing the album in its entirety at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California.

ATREYU recently released "The Pronoia Sessions", a collection of eight reimagined greatest hits and two nostalgic tribute covers. The digital release was made available on October 25 while vinyl and CDs hit streets on November 8.

'The Pronoia Sessions' deconstructs, recreates, and reshapes the Orange County, California, band's beloved anthems (and cover songs) as a haunting and hypnotic new collection. What began as an acoustic album evolved into a grand re-imagining of ATREYU classics.

ATREYU's riffs, hooks, melodies, lyrics, and passion are essential parts of a vibrant subculture's emergence across theaters, clubs, festivals, radio, and playlists. The artistic fearlessness powering landmark albums like "The Curse" and "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" is even stronger in 2024. "Becoming The Bull", one of the two gold singles released in 2007, takes on new life on "The Pronoia Sessions".

The songs reimagined on "The Pronoia Sessions" stretch back to 2004's "The Curse" ("Right Side Of The Bed") and 2006's "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" ("Ex's & Ohs", "The Theft"). Two of their biggest hits, "Warrior" and "Save Us", are reworked from 2021's "Baptize". And there are new versions of "Gone" and "Drowning" from their most recent release, 2023's "The Beautiful Dark Of Life".

In addition to their own songs, ATREYU offers dark takes on TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS' classic "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and the enduring, Chris Cornell-led AUDIOSLAVE ballad "Like A Stone".

ATREYU's unquenchable appetite for creative achievement and pursuit of a shared catharsis on stage drove them to form the band as teenagers around the turn of the millennium. It pushed them beyond their do-it-yourself beginnings to massive festival stages (including two runs on Ozzfest),sold-out headlining tours, movie and game soundtracks, and appearances alongside fellow genre standard-bearers, including LINKIN PARK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, DEFTONES, SLIPKNOT and BRING ME THE HORIZON.

A bold chapter in the band's never-ending story of determination, "Baptize" was a definitive work for a new era. Like 2018's "In Our Wake" (which produced the band's biggest song of the streaming era, "The Time Is Now"),ATREYU recorded "Baptize" with producer John Feldmann. Guests included Jacoby Shaddix (PAPA ROACH),Travis Barker (BLINK-182) and Matt Heafy (TRIVIUM). Songs like "Warrior", "Catastrophe", "Save Us" and "Underrated" are massive, standing confidently in the band's catalog.

Breaking with music industry convention, the band's ninth studio album, "The Beautiful Dark Of Life", arrived first as a series of three four-song EPs, eventually collected all together with three more tracks. The band co-headlined with MEMPHIS MAY FIRE and toured with GODSMACK around the EPs.

Saxon have released an official lyric video for "Pirates Of The Airways", featured on their latest album, Hell, Fire And Damnation. Watch the clip below


Saxon's Hell, Fire And Damnation lands at #22 on our BravePicks 2024 list. Follow the countdown here.







Saxon are also pleased to announce that Grand Slam will be joining them alongside the already announced Girlschool on the band’s upcoming Hell, Fire And Steel European tour.


Saxon’s Biff Byford says: “Great to be having Grand Slam on tour with us great band gonna be EPIC!”


The Hell, Fire and Steel European tour will not only see the band performing songs from their well received, recently released, top 20 album, Hell, Fire And Damnation, but also play the whole of their classic sophomore album Wheels of Steel (released 45 years ago next year) as well as playing other fan favourites and hits from across the band’s career.


Tickets, as well as the band's full tour itinerary, are available here.


Saxon's Hell, Fire And Damnation is a superlative British heavy metal classic. Biff Byford delivers his richest vocals in years, Nigel Glockler and Nibbs Carter on drums and bass respectively lay down the rhythmic law with bombastic power, and the guitars of Doug Scarratt and Brian Tatler are fresh and fiery, a perfect complement to each other, carrying an overall energy and fury which will have fans salivating. Musically, Saxon bring it all to the table. There's a furious tribute to actual heavy metal in the denim & leather coated super-sprint “Fire And Steel”, a wonderful nod to the NWOBHM's birth in the electric mid-pace “Pirates Of The Airwaves” and the glorious frenetic assault of the title track “Hell, Fire And Damnation”.


Produced by Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Exodus, Accept and Priest guitarist) and Biff Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering, Hell, Fire And Damnation strides the perfect line between confident, current power, and gloriously irreverent flexing of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal muscle which Saxon co-created.


Hell, Fire And Damnation is available in a variety of formats and orders can be placed here.





Hell, Fire And Damnation tracklisting:


"The Prophecy"
"Hell, Fire And Damnation"
"Madame Guillotine"
"Fire And Steel"
"There’s Something In Roswell"
"Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice"
"Pirates Of The Airwaves"
"1066"
"Witches Of Salem"
"Super Charger"


"Fire And Steel" video:





"Witches Of Salem" lyric video:

On November 1st, 1986, David Lee Roth brought his Eat 'Em And Smile Tour to the Forum in Montreal, Quebec. Fan-filmed video of the entire show, courtesy of the Shits And Giggles YouTube channel, can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"Shy Boy" (Talas)
"Tobacco Road" (John D. Loudermilk)
"Unchained" (Van Halen)
"Panama" (Van Halen)
- drum solo - 
"Oh, Pretty Woman" (Roy Orbison)
"Elephant Gun"
"Ladies' Nite in Buffalo?"
"Everybody Wants Some" (Van Halen)
"On Fire" (Van Halen)
"Bump and Grind"
Ice Cream Man" (John Brim)
"Big Trouble"
"Yankee Rose"
- bass / guitar solos -
"Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" (Van Halen)
"Goin' Crazy"




Encore:
"Jump" (Van Halen)


Encore 2:
"California Girls" (The Beach Boys)





Guitar legend Steve Vai has shared the following message via social media:


"November 25th marked the nine year anniversary of our failed attempt to reunite the Eat ‘Em And Smile band for a few songs at the Lucky Strike bowling alley in Hollywood. 


Billy Sheehan and Gregg Bissonette were invited to perform 'Yankee Rose' and 'Shy Boy' at the Lucky Strike bowling alley, located in downtown Hollywood where every Wednesday night there was a jam with some great career accomplished artists. I’ve joined a few of these jams in the past and they were always a hoot. Billy and Gregg were to perform these songs with Michael Starr (aka Ralph Saenz) from Steel Panther to sing. 


Billy gave me a call to see if I would be interested in joining and I thought it would be great. I suggested I would call Dave Roth to see if he would be interested in doing this, though I thought it was a long shot. But surprisingly, Dave was very into it.


Nobody knew Dave was going to be there. They thought it was myself, Billy, Gregg and our most wonderful keyboard player in the DLR band, Brett Tuggle (God rest his beautiful soul). And Ralph belting out Roth, which he does very well. When Dave and I arrived, the line was four people wide and stretched all the way around the building to Hollywood Blvd and beyond. There were thousands of people waiting in that line and they had already crammed 2,000 people into this little venue that held 350 people. The tiny stage had a curtain in front of it. We were all ready to go and the only thing I needed to do was play the fir

Bloodstock Open Air 2024 organizers have released the new video below, along with the following message:


"On August 9th, 2024, the legendary Swedish progressive metal band Opeth graced the stage as the highly anticipated headliners of the Bloodstock Open Air Metal Festival at Catton Park, UK. Known for their groundbreaking fusion of death metal, progressive rock, and atmospheric melodies, Opeth delivered an unforgettable night of music that thrilled metalheads from all over the world.


This video showcases their powerful live rendition of "Deliverance", a beloved masterpiece from their critically acclaimed album of the same name. The track highlights Opeth's extraordinary talent for fusing intense growls, intricate guitar harmonies, and spellbinding melodies, all executed with exceptional skill and passion. Frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt’s magnetic stage presence and the band's precision brought this iconic song to life, leaving the audience in sheer awe.




Under the starlit sky, the crowd at Bloodstock 2024 erupted into a frenzy, headbanging and chanting along to Opeth's spellbinding performance. The energy and connection between the band and their fans created an unforgettable moment that defined the festival. Whether you're a die-hard Opeth fan or discovering their genius for the first time, this performance is guaranteed to leave you breathless."





Opeth's 14th studio album, The Last Will And Testament, was officially released on November 22 via Reigning Phoenix Music / Moderbolaget and is now charting internationally.


The current positions can be found below:





The Last Will And Testament lands at #26 on BraveWords' BravePicks 2024 Top 30, currently counting down here.


Opeth's fourteenth album was written by Mikael Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (The Heard, ex-Crucified Barbara). The Last Will And Testament was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (Ghost, The Hellacopters), engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (Killing Joke, Robert Plant), and Opeth, with Boman, Åkerfeldt, and the rest of Opeth mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on The Last Will And Testament were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (Egg, Khan) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, Queen) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.


Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and Jethro Tull main man Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, Europe's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2”, while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".


The Last Will A Testament is gripping from start to finish, jaw-dropping inside and out, representing some of Opeth's finest material to date. Just as Opeth welcomed many into its distressed arms over the years, the Swedes again deliver on the promise that great music always tells a compelling story—this time with growls.


The Last Will And Testament is available worldwide via Moderbolaget / Reigning Phoenix Music. Order here.


Album cover by Travis Smith.





The Last Will And Testament tracklisting:


"§1"
"§2"
"§3"
"§4"
"§5"
"§6"
"§7"
"A Story Never Told"


"§4" lyric video:





"§3":





"§1" (Radio Edit) lyric video:

Greek heavy rock titans Nightstalker announce the release of their seventh studio album, Return From The Point Of No Return, on March 14, 2025 through Heavy Psych Sounds, with the first single and video "Uncut" streaming now.





After more than two decades of taking the underground by storm, Nightstalker return with their most colossal and bold statement yet: Return From The Point Of No Return. More than just a continuation of their career, this seventh studio album is the moment they transcend everything they have accomplished in their 30-year history.




As soon as the rip-roaring, banger-heavy fire of the anthemic opening track "Dust" sets your stereo ablaze, you're in for an epic ride. On Return From The Point Of No Return, Nightstalker's signature sound of gritty, massive blues-laden riffs and hypnotic grooves crowned by the commanding vocals of frontman Argy Galiatsatos has gone deeper, darker, and more expansive. It’s a record that speaks to the soul as much as it pounds the body, leaving you wondering how you ever l

DISTURBED singer David Draiman has weighed in on bands who rely on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

In a new interview with "The Jesea Lee Show", Draiman was asked for his opinion the use of pre-recorded tracks during live performances. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I will never, ever at any stage of my career use anything other than completely live drums, bass, guitar, and vocals. Period.

"If I ever get to the point where I can't perform the way I need to vocally, I will just quit," he continued. "I'd rather do it for real than not do it for real. I don't even know how I'd go about it. So it's simply just not an option for me."

When host Jesea Lee suggested that some bands can't be expected to bring a 40-piece orchestra with them when they go on tour to reproduce certain parts of their recordings, Draiman said: "It's kind of the difference between an athlete that performs without the steroids or whatever else is going along and then the athlete that does. I mean, so, yeah, but for me, I'm a purist. I've never used pitch correction in the studio. There's this myth that exists out there of there being pitch correction on the fly, what everybody likes to refer to as Auto-Tune, that technology of doing it live as you're singing, it doesn't exist. It's not accurate. What people have experienced, what they're dealing with is there's a lot of guys that have a track that they'll sing on top of and your front-of-house guy or your monitor engineer will pull one fader up and pull the other down and the actual pre-recorded track comes up. When it's time for the singer to speak, up comes the actual live vocal mic. Or when, all of a sudden, you start hearing a whole bunch of chorusy melody things in a chorus when nobody else is on the microphone other than just the lead singer, that kind of leads things into question.

"I think that everybody's simply trying to do and provide the best show that they possibly can," David added. "For me myself, I've told my guys, I've told everybody in our circle, if I ever get to the point where I can't do it up there the way that I need to be doing it up there, I'm gonna be the first one to pull the rug out from under myself. And if I don't, please do it for me. I don't wanna do anything to tarnish our legacy in any way."

After Lee brought up the fact that bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE have denied using pre-recorded tracks for anything other than backing vocals, Draiman said: "Look, I'm not gonna throw anybody under the rug or under the bus, so to speak. I love Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist]. I love the MÖTLEY CRÜE guys. I think they've been doing an amazing job their entire career. I'm not in a position to judge how they do what they do. All I know is that they're still making fans happy and they're still throwing down. And I actually look forward to sharing the stage with them on a number of the festivals we're gonna be on over the course of the rest of this year.

"Me personally? Never in a million years," he added. "What anybody else does, that's entirely up to them and their choice, and I'm no one to judge. The only person I can judge is myself."

KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who had been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, was accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's recently completed "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

In March 2023, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

SEVENDUST vocalist Lajon Witherspoon, whose band will open for CREED in Las Vegas for two shows at the end of the year, joined Mark Tremonti on stage when the CREED guitarist performed in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 14 in support of Mark's recent releases "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" and "Christmas Classics New & Old". Mark was also joined by members of Frank Sinatra's touring band who have become the backbone musicians on both of these recordings.

Witherspoon and Tremonti performed a cover version of "This Christmas", a song by American soul musician Donny Hathaway released in 1970 by Atco Records. The track gained renewed popularity when it was included in 1991 on Atco Records' revised edition of the label's 1968 "Soul Christmas" compilation album and has since become a modern Christmas standard, with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers reporting that it was the 30th most-performed holiday song of all time.

Earlier today (Monday, December 16),Lajon shared a clip of the "This Christmas" performance and he included the following message: "Hit me I'm still Dreaming what and Amazing experience Absolute Honor to be apart of @markttremonti sings frank sinatra @takeachancecharity @ndss thanks to everyone I can't wait to do this again. Talent on that Stage & a cause so close to our Hearts".

Regarding how his participation in the concert came about, Witherspoon told the "Johnny Dare Morning Show" late last month: "Mark has been a family with us for so long. We went to dinner while [CREED] were in [Kansas City] after they went to that Chiefs game [in early November]. And as we were sitting at dinner, he looked at me and he's, like, 'Hey, man, what are you doing December so-and-so?' And I'm, like, we'll be at home getting ready for Christmas and getting ready to play with you guys. He's, like, 'You know I do that Frank Sinatra Christmas tour, like five or so shows.' I'm, like, 'Yeah.' He's, like, 'Man, would you come and sing 'This Christmas' Donny Hathaway song with me with the Frank Sinatra orchestra?' And I said, 'No.' And then [my wife] Ashley kicked me under the dinner table and said, 'Yes, he will.'"

Witherspoon went on to say that "anxiety" was the reason he initially said "no" to Tremonti's request. He explained: "I figured it out. I've turned 52 and I figured it out. I'm a little crazy, too. It's all right."

Lajon said that he had agreed to sing "This Christmas" with Mark at the Orlando date of Tremonti's five-date tour. Mark has been committed to his work with the Down syndrome community in honor of his daughter Stella and a portion of every ticket sold will be donated to the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and Mark's organization Take A Chance For Charity.

"I'm in," Lajon said. "Oh my god, man. I'm in. We're going to Florida. We're playing, I think it's like the Walt Disney Theater [at Dr. Phillips Center For Performing Arts]. I've seen the footage and stuff. I'm, like, 'What happens?' He's, like, 'Oh, we rehearse with them that day.' It's maybe four original Sinatra people that are still around, but it's this 30-piece orchestra. I'm, like, 'Where are they all hanging out at?' He's, like, 'Oh, backstage.' I'm like, 'Where?'"

Witherspoon said that he was looking forward to performing with the surviving members of Frank Sinatra's orchestra.

"I cannot wait to be on stage with these incredible artists and musicians," he said. "What an opportunity to put in the books and say I was able to do something like that. So I'm excited about that."

As for what he was planning to wear at the Orlando concert, Lajon said: "Tremonti, he wears — not like the tuxedo, like Sinatra, when he does his thing. But I told Ashley, I was, like, 'Look up antique tuxedos like Sammy Davis Jr. would wear. She's, like, 'What does that even mean?' I'm, like, 'Oh, just look it up.' And I said, 'Maybe do something traditional.' Since I'm only gonna be out there for a minute, but I thought that would be really cool and authentic to what we're gonna do.'

He added: "She's already looked at something with red on it. I like more of a loose… I want something where it's kind of opened up where you can tell they have some cocktails, did something weird in the back and they're coming out to perform… That's the look I'm going for. I don't know. But, yeah, I'm excited about it. And the family gets to come down. We're gonna actually stay with Tremonti and them. So that'll be cool."

In May 2022, Tremonti released a collection of Sinatra covers to support NDSS (National Down Syndrome Society). "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" was made available as part of a new charity initiative created by Tremonti called Take A Chance For Charity. Proceeds from the album go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Mark and his family were blessed to welcome their first daughter Stella in March 2021 — who was born with Down syndrome — and the idea for the project was born.

In an interview with Guitar Interactive at last year's Download festival in the United Kingdom, Tremonti stated about "Tremonti Sings Sinatra": "The Sinatra record was probably one of the most satisfying records I've ever done. We've raised over a million dollars with it. I've gotten to see firsthand what it does. And I actually love it. Every show is raising further money for the charity. I'm trying to get other artists to do something similar to keep on raising funds."

When "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" was first announced, Tremonti said in a statement: "For years, I've loved singing along to Frank's songs. One night, I found an old video of him performing 'The Song Is You' from 1944. It made me want to dive into his vocal approach. I was all in and I wanted to do something with it. When we found out about our daughter Stella's Down syndrome diagnosis, the stars aligned. My obsession with Sinatra had its reason. Frank Sinatra raised more than a billion dollars for charity and that is a fact I wish the public the public knew more about. Beneath his cool and calm persona, he had a big heart. Doing this charity in his name was another way the stars had aligned. I decided to do this record to raise funds for families and individuals with Down syndrome. This project is the start of a new purpose that I will have for the rest of my life."

Tremonti came together with surviving members of Frank Sinatra's orchestra, creating new takes on some of the classics and some deeper cuts from Frank's catalog. From the opening horns and piano of "I've Got You Under My Skin" to final vocal outro of "All Or Nothing At All", Tremonti showcases the signature vocal approach and exemplary musicianship that made Sinatra's work timeless. To see his vision through, Mark reached out to Sinatra's musical director Mike Smith who collected as many remaining members as possible of Frank's touring band to record the music for "Tremonti Sings Sinatra". Popular standards like "I've Got The World On A String", "My Way" and "That's Life" find new life in the hands of these incredible musicians. Tremonti — known for his guitar work that has won him countless accolades — leaves the instrument behind and just sings on the 14-track album. The artwork on the album cover is an original painting that Tremonti created especially for this project.

Tremonti's first-ever Christmas album, "Christmas Classics New & Old", was made available in October 2023. "Christmas Classics New & Old" is Mark's interpretation of nine holiday classics and one original penned song from the acclaimed songwriter himself. After the success of his interpretation of songs Frank Sinatra made famous on his album "Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra", Mark decided to partner up with the orchestra from that album to work on the holiday album.

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Get into the holiday spirit with Mark Tremonti as he brings his 17 piece big band featuring members of Frank Sinatra’s...

Posted by Tremonti on Sunday, November 17, 2024

AC/DC's Brian Johnson sang the band's classic song "Highway To Hell" with pop superstar Lady Gaga as part of Apple TV+'s surprise special "A Carpool Karaoke Christmas". The program, which is now streaming on Apple TV+ in the U.S. and Friday globally, also stars Dua Lipa and Chappell Roan.

Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa and Chappell Roan each get their own segment riding alongside Zane Lowe, the host of Apple Music's in-house interview show, as he chauffeurs them around a different city. During Gaga's ride, Lowe made a stop and Johnson got into the car, with the AC/DC singer taking the wheel as they sang "Highway To Hell" together.

At one point during her segment, Gaga revealed that she was an extra in AC/DC's "Stiff Upper Lip" video.

"You wanna hear something funny? I was in the 'Stiff Upper Lip' video," Gaga told Johnson. "I was 17 and I was an extra in the back. I was headbanging and they were, like, 'Hmmm. Don't headbang. We want it to be modern.' And I was, like, 'No. There's only one move that I can do.'"

The bit ended with car fanatic and weekend racer Johnson joking, "I don't have a license."

The Apple TV series is the spinoff based on the "Late Late Show" segment, featuring "Late Late Show" host James Corden.

AC/DC will hit the road in the United States for the first time in nine years in 2025. Support on the trek will come from THE PRETTY RECKLESS.

AC/DC's current touring lineup features Johnson, Angus Young on guitar, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and bassist Chris Chaney.

The "Power Up" tour shares its name with AC/DC's 2020 album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
A Gaga cantando Highway To Hell com o Brian Johnson do AC/DC só me deixou com ainda mais vontade de um álbum de rock dessa mulher. Esse vocal! 🤌🏾 pic.twitter.com/1sxxuiBs6O

— JAY 👹 ƎSⱯƎSIꓷ (@YOUKNOWYULUVME) December 16, 2024

Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time performing "When Christmas Comes To Town" from the 2004 Christmas movie, The Polar Express. Check it out below.





Symphonic power metal quartet, Majestica, have announced their brand new studio album, Power Train, which will see the light of day on February 7 via Nuclear Blast Records. After more than four years since their last album, the Swedes are ready to set the bar high once again with their new long player and are presenting their fans what is their strongest album to date.




Power Train is a spellbinding experience that awakens sleeping dreams with powerful riffs and epic choruses. The enchantment rises like a breath of stars, propelling listeners into the heart of a fairytale world. This is particularly evident in the album's first single. With the title track "Power Train", Majestica leaves an exciting first impression and also presents a strong music video, which you can witness below.


Tommy Johansson comments: "Get ready for explosive power metal with a ”can’t stop singing along”-chorus in the new track 'Power Train'. The video literally takes you onboard the Power Train with elements taken from the entire album."


Stream the single here, and pre-order/pre-save the new album here.


When it came to the process of recording and putting all the pieces together, the band did not change a lot compared to the last projects. Again the music was written, recorded, and produced by Majestica themselves.


"Like our previous albums this one is also produced by ourselves, and we recorded most parts in our new place Majestic Studios. For mixing we went back to Jonas Kjellgren as we have been very happy with the sound of A Christmas Carol and Metal United," says bassist Chris Davidsson.


Regarding the amazing artwork for Power Train, Chris explains: "For the artwork we teamed up with Jan Yrlund / Darkgrove design. It invites you to join this majepic ride of the Power Train, imagine standing there on the platform eagerly waiting, and you hear ”all aboard”!"

On Friday, December 13th, Machine Head streamed a new edition of Electric Happy Hour. During the two-hour long video, which can be seen in its entirety below, Robb Flynn and his mates offered up their take on the iconic Phil Collins song, "In The Air Tonight". The complete setlist - along with the banter, babble and burps - was as follows:


"Welcome And Beers Up"
"Desire To Fire"
"The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears"
"From This Day"
"Nø Gøds, Nø Masters"
"Clenching The Fists Of Dissent"
"In The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins
"Locust"
"Chøke Øn The Ashes Øf Yøur Hate"
"Old"
"End Of Heartache" - Killswitch Engage
"Ten Ton Hammer"
"Davidian"
"Nausea" [Excerpt]
"Darkness Within"







Bay Area metal titans, Machine Head, recently announced a massive North American tour alongside Swedish metal icons In Flames, Italian alt-metallers Lacuna Coil, and American metalcore maestros Unearth.


Head Cases can enjoy a sneak peek of what is in store for the upcoming North American tour via the Machine Head single, "These Scars Won't Define Us", featuring all four bands on the tour adding vocals for a Wu-Tang Clan-level thrash collaboration.





Listen/purchase "These Scars Won't Define Us" digitally, here, and watch a lyric video below:





The 24-date trek will kick off on April 5 with a “hometown” show for Machine Head at the legendary Fox Theater then heads South into Texas before

Earlier this year, the reunited expanded classic lineup of German power metallers HELLOWEEN signed with Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) for the release of their next studio album. The band entered the studio this past summer to begin work on the follow-up to 2021's acclaimed self-titled effort, with plans to issue the LP in 2025.

HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske spoke to Australia's Metal-Roos about the progress of the new LP recording sessions, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's pretty evolved already — lots of songs. And since we've got two main singers and a half, we're kind of figuring out what sounds best and what's working for each vocalist best. So it's fun. It's always fun. It was last time [when we made 2021's 'Helloween' album]. We let Dennis Ward, who's the creative producer, so to speak — I don't know how you call it; he's helping with the creative process and whatever — often he gives suggestions. He knows both singers very well."

Kiske continued: "The band is very chaotic, so we always need someone there to organize things a little bit and stuff. So he usually does suggest something and then we try it out, and if it sounds great and feels great, cool. But sometimes it happens that I don't feel comfortable or Andi [Deris, HELLOWEEN co-vocalist] feels like I should give it a try, and then we do that. I mean, we will have a few situations where we both are going to do that, just to have an idea, what does it sound like? It's not a competition or anything like that, but there are certain things that Andi does way better, and then there are other things where I can shine. You just have to figure it out.

When the interviewer suggested that "that's the upside of having two singers" in a band, Michael concurred. "I love it. I love it," he said. "When the first idea like that [sharing lead vocals] came up, I was, like, 'Well, that's weird.' When the first thoughts of doing some kind of a reunion [came up], I thought something like — which is stupid, looking at it now — but I thought that they wanted to maybe do like a 'Keeper Of Seven Keys' tour or whatever, just with me and whatever, but you can't do that. You can't design another HELLOWEEN as a competition for the HELLOWEEN that existed the years before. So it was a great idea. And the only way to do it, it's everyone together. And now I love it, because not everything is on my shoulder. You can share everything, and especially live. If you get sick, if one [singer] gets sick, you can just swap songs over or you can just change the setlist a little. You throw out two songs of the singer who's not doing well, put two songs of the other singer in and even share... I mean, Andi and I, we communicate with eyes on stage. Sometimes, when somebody is sick, you just, on the fly, move parts over to the other person. And you can still make a good show, even though one [of the singers] is fucked. Same with Kai [Hansen, HELLOWEEN guitarist and vocalist] — Kai can be can be taking over vocal parts as well, which is a lot easier… And you don't have to sing that much either. If I would have to do a complete two-and-a-half [set], or like in 2017 we did more than three hours — I mean, we had a lot of video footage being played in the shows — but if you do that all on your own, it's kind of demanding; it really wears out. And that way it's an easy journey. I love it. I never wanna do it differently anymore."

In a separate interview with Australia's The Rockpit, Kiske stated about HELLOWEEN's upcoming LP: "We're working on it. We're right on it. We're getting this done. I will be flying to Tenerife [Spain] 3rd of January to start working on vocals [at Mi Sueño Studio, owned by Deris], trying to figure out vocal parts. Sometimes they still have to do lyrics, but then figuring out who does what and trying things out. I'm looking forward to it, because it's really cold and gray and dark here [in Germany] at the moment. So I don't mind flying over there for a couple of weeks."

Earlier this month, Deris was asked by The Metal Command how the material for HELLOWEEN's next album compares to that on "Helloween". He said: "I'd say it's much more easy listening, because there's less constructed stuff on it. It's more flowing with the wind, so to say. It's very, very positive, so I would rather say it's more happy, happy HELLOWEEN than the other album. I think it's a bit more… yeah, the flow is, for my taste, not as edgy as the last album, which was cool — I like edgy stuff — but we should have more or less some counterpart to edgy, more exhausting things. The last album, for me, was great to listen through — it was edgy, it was heavy, it was complicated here and there — but after listening to it, then I needed a pause. It was exhausting. After [listening to 'Helloween'], I needed some break, put it that way. I loved it, and I still love it, but it's demanding. I think the next album will be much more easy listening, I think much more enjoyable to sing along [to]; there are lots of parts in there. So I would rather describe it as a more happy, happy HELLOWEEN album. That would be the best description."

Andi continued: "It's hard to describe, because there are lots of speedy and heavy things on it. But when I listen through it, I feel good. I mean, that's a good sign. Not that I felt bad when I listened to the last album — that's not what I mean. It's fun. I listen to it, and it's fun. Definitely."

Regarding what he and his HELLOWEEN bandmates learned from the making of "Helloween" that they improved upon this time around, Andi said: "Yeah, I think the main keyword would be confidence. The last album, we had to get to know each other in that new setup, lineup, how to work with [each other], how to work here and blah, blah, blah, and this time we just realized, okay, actually everybody has such great ideas; just don't control each other. We don't need to actually stick in a studio for pre-production for two months because everybody did it for himself. Let's just listen to it and say, 'Wow, cool.' So this time we've been some lazy backs, actually, and just said, you know, pre-production we just do ourselves back at home, everybody in his own studio, and we just take the technique we are given. Internet is great, and you can have live sessions online, and that made life so much easier because everybody is just relieved that you [are] still at home. You still work hard, but you're at home. And as we all know, when you're at home, work doesn't hurt that much as being back in the studio again somewhere in the world, but not with your family. And nowadays you can actually have your family life, you have your eight, nine hours per day in the studio, you yourself decide when you make a break or when you go and have a meal with your lady or go down to the beach, in my case. That makes life so much easier and much more enjoyable than sitting in a fricking studio again and again and again, each and every day for two months, just for a pre-production, which you could easily do at home together. So this time, I have to say there's confidence that we earned for each other that helped a lot to make things even more easygoing. And I think that's exactly what you listen, when you go through the songs and you listen to them — you feel that easiness: 'Wow. Wow. Okay, cool.' I love it. So that's the way to go."

He then clarified: "I don't wanna say that I want to be back at home when I'm on tour. So I hate the idea of laser shows or something like that. As long as I can walk, I want to be on stage. But production-wise, I have to say I love the technique we have nowadays."

Regarding how HELLOWEEN has managed to pull off the seemingly impossible by keeping all seven members of the band happy — Kiske and Hansen along with Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble — Andi said: "I think the only thing you need to accept [is] that you are different people. I think that's the main problem we had back in the days because everybody actually expected the other to be and react and have the same opinion [as] yourself. And when you are realizing, okay, we are all different people, so you have to accept that everybody probably has a different point of view, at least a millimeter to the left or millimeter to right. And you have to sit down and actually find a compromise. If you accept that everybody is different, that's not a bad thing. You just have to accept that you yourself may fail here and there, and maybe the other one is right. And when you're getting older, you have decades of comparisons, and you realize, 'Okay, here I fucked up, there I fucked up, here I wasn't right, here I wasn't right.' You need that experience, and when you have that, you are a little bit more humble, because you know you did things wrong or you know you haven't been right back in the days here and there and blah, blah, blah. So, if you take that at a base, everything works out fine. And you just sit down with that knowledge and try to find a solution, which is good enough for all here in the room. And, yeah, that went down super the last few years, I mean, no problem at all. Even if somebody was pissed off, completely pissed off for whatever reason, again, that somebody did not react like he did back in the days, like with aggression or something like that, but in normal words and said, 'Hey, I have a little problem here. You said this and that and blah, blah, blah. And how did you mean that?' And then here comes the explanation and you go, like, 'Oh, okay, all good. Thanks.'"

Upon its release in June 2021, "Helloween" landed in the Top 10 in more than 10 countries, including Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria. The cover artwork for the LP was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the last HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as "Master Of The Rings", "Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" was utilized to record the band's new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).

"Helloween" saw the legendary German power metallers going "back to the roots," with the band recording fully analog and Löble playing the drum kit previously used by HELLOWEEN's original drummer, the late Ingo Schwichtenberg, on the legendary "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" recordings.

HELLOWEEN released a new live album, "Live At Budokan", on December 13, 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). The colossal effort immortalizes HELLOWEEN's September 16, 2023 performance at Tokyo's legendary Nippon Budokan.

"Live At Budokan" is available in a plethora of formats: 2CD-digipak and 3LP vinyl in trifold with the first print run of both coming as "deluxe edition" including embossed cover artwork, as well as Blu-ray, DVD and digital. Each version is meticulously crafted to suit the metal community's diverse tastes, ensuring every fan can relive the raw, unfiltered energy of HELLOWEEN in their preferred medium.

This release celebrates the grand finale of HELLOWEEN's epic world tour from 2022 to 2023. Spanning over 30 countries on three continents, the tour was nothing short of a triumph, drawing massive crowds and showcasing the band's undying appeal, the sold-out concert in Tokyo is the crowning glory of the cycle.

Marking the 40th anniversary of ACCEPT's iconic album "Balls To The Wall", the band's founding member and former frontman Udo Dirkschneider has reinterpreted this classic with a fresh and star-studded twist. Far from a simple remake, this project was born out of countless conversations with prominent artists across the global rock and metal scene, who frequently asked: "Are you planning anything special for the 40th anniversary of 'Balls To The Wall'?" These discussions sparked the idea to re-record the album's legendary tracks alongside a stellar lineup of guest musicians, transforming the project into a heartfelt tribute. For both Dirkschneider and the participating artists, this endeavor is more than a celebration — it's an homage to one of heavy metal's most groundbreaking albums.

The reimagined "Balls To The Wall", which is due on February 28, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music, features an impressive roster of talent, breathing new life into each track:

"Balls To The Wall - Reloaded" track listing:

01. Balls To The Wall (feat. Joakim Brodén of SABATON)
02. London Leatherboys (feat. Biff Byford of SAXON)
03. Fight It Back (feat. Mille Petrozza of KREATOR)
04. Head Over Heels (feat. Nils Molin of DYNAZTY/AMARANTHE)
05. Losing More Than You've Ever Had (feat. Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN)
06. Love Child (feat. Ylva Eriksson of BROTHERS OF METAL)
07. Turn Me On (feat. Danko Jones)
08. Losers And Winners (feat. Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER)
09. Guardian Of The Night (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens of KK's PRIEST, formerly of JUDAS PRIEST)
10. Winter Dreams (feat. Doro Pesch)

This ambitious reinterpretation not only revitalizes the original tracks but also underscores their timeless impact on the metal genre. More than a revival, this project serves as a celebration of the album's enduring legacy, enriched by the enthusiasm and contributions of some of metal's most influential voices.

Udo comments: "Re-recording 'Balls To The Wall' was a big challenge for me. The album is a milestone of my career, of course. That's why it was even more important to me to make the original songs shine in a new light without losing their initial essence. All guests have put their individual stamps on these classic tracks, and collaborating with such outstanding vocalists has moved them into a fresh and exciting dimension. The result is a powerful homage to all fans but also an invitation to the next generation to experience the songs not minorly passionate than I was when I recorded them back in the day. It's a never-ending personal journey for me — 'Balls To The Wall' will always be a part of me."

Reigning Phoenix Music managing director Jochen Richert expresses his excitement: "This masterpiece has accompanied me for almost my entire life. When Udo first told me about his idea, my initial thought was, 'Can this really work?' But as soon as he mentioned the first guest singers, I knew it would be great. When I finally got to hear the tracks, I was blown away. My nostalgic side cautioned me, 'No, you can't like this better than the original.' But there's no use denying it, I have to admit it's at least as good as the 1983 recordings — if not better! Accordingly, it's an incredible honor to be able to contribute to this opus."

DIRKSCHNEIDER, the band featuring former ACCEPT members Dirkschneider (vocals) and Peter Baltes (bass),along with drummer Sven Dirkschneider (Udo's son) and the talented guitar duo of Andrey Smirnov and Fabian "Dee" Dammers, celebrated the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall", which was originally released in late 1983 and is the most commercially successful and best-known album by ACCEPT, by performing the LP in its entirety on a recent tour of South America.

In an interview with Eric Blair of The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show, Udo spoke about his plan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Balls To The Wall". He said: "I think next year we make a break with U.D.O., and now we start in November in South America, the 40-years anniversary of the 'Balls To The Wall' album. And that means I think we continue until the end of next year. I mean, there's already booking stuff. and it goes very well. So that means, of course, I play the whole 'Balls To The Wall' album. And I'm really looking forward to this. Also now I have Peter [Baltes, former ACCEPT bassist, playing] with me."

Asked what he loves about playing with Peter again, Udo said: "[It's] fantastic. We have a really good relationship. So when he left ACCEPT in 2018, we were working together on an album with the German army, a classic album. We were writing songs together, and that was the first time we were working together again. And then the problem came for [U.D.O.] when we had this 'Game Over' tour in Europe. The other bass player that we had at this time felt very sick. And then for me it was, like, 'Hmm, hmm. What am I doing? I need a bass player who can do everything very quick.' I was calling Peter. I asked him, 'Can you help us on this tour?' And then, I think in South America, the bass player that we had before, he said, 'Yeah, I don't wanna do it anymore. I'm out of U.D.O.' And then we were sitting there in a restaurant, and I said, 'Oh, no. We have to look for a new bass player.' And Peter said, 'Maybe I would love to join U.D.O.' So here we go. And it's good. I mean, I'm really looking forward also to work with him on the next U.D.O. album."

Nine years ago — in 2015 — Udo announced that he would embark on a special tour during which he would perform ACCEPT songs one last time under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner before closing that chapter for good. Since then, the former ACCEPT frontman has continued to play ACCEPT material at select shows, including at the September 18, 2020 U.D.O. concert in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which was released on DVD and Blu-ray.

When he first announced the original DIRKSCHNEIDER tour in 2015, Udo said that had "to make a clear break for myself — close the book and this is it. And I have the problem that people come to me and ask me to play more ACCEPT songs," he explained. "Other people ask me why I play ACCEPT songs at all, because there are [more than] fifteen U.D.O. records. I want to avoid such things and avoid the repeating questions concerning ACCEPT. I just can't stand that anymore. There is nothing more to be said. U.D.O. exists longer than ACCEPT. We have more records than ACCEPT."

While acknowledging that some ACCEPT fans want to hear the band's classic songs performed by the group's original singer, Dirkschneider explained that "you always have these comparisons [between how these songs are played by ACCEPT and U.D.O.]. I don't want this anymore either. [The current lineup of ACCEPT] also play 'Metal Heart', they play 'Balls To The Wall' and 'Princess Of The Dawn'. And then some people tell me, 'Oh, [current ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo] is doing it better than you.' And I go, 'That's fine. Enjoy yourself.' But I don't want this anymore. And to avoid all of this in the future, I said, 'We are doing this one more time.'"

Dirkschneider said that his vow to never play ACCEPT material again came with one caveat. "If the band ACCEPT dissolves one day in the near future and I am still around with U.D.O., then there is a chance that I put ACCEPT songs back in the setlist," he said. "But currently there is ACCEPT, so go see them [if you want to see those songs performed live]. They are playing these songs."

Udo previously said the original plan was for DIRKSCHNEIDER to only "a few shows," and "then [the tour] got bigger and bigger [due to demand]." But, he added, "I don't want to complain about that."

Back in 2018, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann declined to comment on Dirkschneider's decision to embark on one final tour during which the singer would perform nothing but ACCEPT songs. "I have lots of thoughts about that, but I'm not gonna share 'em with you," he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "I'd rather not comment on that, because that seems so much 'back and forth,' and I think I should stay away from it… You can draw your own conclusions all day long, but I'm not gonna get into it; it's just not worth it.

"I get asked [about Udo] so many times, and, man, it's been so many years — it's such an old story by now," Wolf continued. "We've moved on way past that, and we've had [15] brilliant years [with Mark Tornillo], we're making cool albums; I think we're doing fine. So I don't spend any time thinking about it.

"I'm very proud of the history we have together and all that, but I'm just not gonna get into the current 'he said, she said' whatever — it's not worth it," Hoffmann concluded.

Pollstar, the "Voice of Live" and trusted authority for in-depth concert and live industry data, proudly announced that Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour and COLDPLAY's "Music Of The Spheres" world tour have set new benchmarks in the global concert industry. Swift's historic achievement as the first-ever tour to gross more than $2 billion highlights her unparalleled impact, while COLDPLAY's tour solidified its place in history with over 10.3 million tickets sold — the most by any artist on a single tour. Both tours claimed the top two spots on Pollstar's Top 200 Worldwide Top Touring Artists chart, released by the premier trade publication in its Year End issue published today, with COLDPLAY also gracing the cover of this milestone edition.

In Pollstar's highly anticipated annual Year End issue, featuring the charts, in-depth industry insights, Q&As, and more, it is confirmed that Taylor Swift has made history as the first artist to achieve a $2 billion-grossing tour, with a total gross of $2,201,107,485. Swift's record-breaking 2024 gross of $1.04 billion and more than 5.2 million tickets sold across 80 shows during the reporting period, cemented the "Eras" tour as an undeniable cultural phenomenon. Notably, the tour also became the first in history to surpass the $1 billion milestone last year. With 10.05 million tickets sold across the entire tour, Swift now holds the record for the most tickets sold on any tour by a solo artist. The overall record for tickets sold on a single tour is held by COLDPLAY's "Music of the Spheres", which surpassed 10 million tickets with a total of 10.3 million.

"2024 has proven to be a historic year for the live entertainment industry, one we may never see again in our lifetimes," said Andy Gensler, Pollstar editor-in-chief. "While the industry has slowed since 2023, we still saw record-setting revenues, with the top two tours of all time running concurrently. Taylor Swift's powerhouse 'Eras' tour shattered the all-time touring record with an estimated $2.2 billion gross. Meanwhile, COLDPLAY's 'Music Of The Spheres' tour sold over 10.3 million tickets, the most by any artist in live entertainment history. The tour has also grossed over $1.3 billion to date and remains the second highest-grossing tour ever, with 48 more dates scheduled in 2025. We are honored to feature them on the cover of Pollstar's Year End Special, the largest issue in Pollstar's 42-year history. I am immensely proud of the work our team has put into creating this monumental edition."

In addition to Taylor Swift's top position, the Top 10 rankings on 2024's Top 200 Worldwide Top Touring Artists chart are COLDPLAY (No. 2),P!NK (No. 3),Luis Miguel (No. 4),Bruce Springsteen & THE E STREET BAND (No. 5),THE ROLLING STONES (No. 6),Bad Bunny (No. 7),Zach Bryan (No. 8),METALLICA (No. 9) and Madonna (No. 10). At No. 9, METALLICA grossed $179.4 million from 1.5 million tickets sold at 24 reported concerts.

The annual Pollstar rankings, which spotlight top-performing tours globally, also revealed 2024 as another banner year for the concert industry worldwide. Total grosses for the Top 100 Worldwide Top Touring Artists were up to a record-breaking $9.49 billion (2023's total was $9.2 billion).

The Top 10 of the Top 200 North America Top Touring Artists chart are THE ROLLING STONES (No. 1),Bad Bunny (No. 2),Zach Bryan (No. 3),Luke Combs (No. 4),Luis Miguel (No. 5),Kenny Chesney (No. 6),P!NK (No. 7),Madonna (No. 8),Aventura (No. 9) and Taylor Swift (No. 10).

Since its founding in 1981, Pollstar, "The Voice Of Live," has been the premier trade publication dedicated to covering the worldwide concert industry. Pollstar data is the leading resource for the touring industry encompassing box office numbers, routing, and directories. Pollstar produces a weekly magazine, publishes daily content to Pollstar.com and its "Daily Pulse" e-newsletter, and produces the world's largest gathering of live music industry professionals — Pollstar Live!

Donita Sparks, lead singer of the all-woman hard-rock band L7, who helped launch Rock For Choice, a series of benefit concerts held from 1991 to 2001 that raised funds for embattled women's health clinics, spoke to Christina Rowatt of the "Occupy The Void" podcast about the June 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion and setting off a fierce fight for reproductive rights at the state level. Regarding the mental health impact on women of Roe vs. Wade being overturned, Donita said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Yeah, I think it's really intense, and I think with this last [U.S. presidential] election, I think everybody's in shock, really. I think everybody's just, like, 'What the fuck just happened?' I don't even think we've really even processed what went down yet.

"I was disappointed that when Roe v. Wade got overturned, there weren't riots in the streets," she continued. "You know what I mean? Like, where the fuck is everybody? Especially the young women who are able to have children. It's, like, 'Whoo! You better get out there and start protecting yourselves because this is a serious, serious thing.'"

Sparks previously discussed the overturning of Roe v. Wade in a May 2023 interview with The Entertainer! Magazine. She said at the time: "When we started Rock For Choice, no bands were bringing attention to that issue, because Roe v. Wade was under attack pretty much from the time it passed (in 1973),and by that time in the 1990s it was really under attack, and they finally won and they overturned it. But I feel like we shed light. We raised a bunch of money for the Feminist Majority Foundation so that they could defend clinics and get attorneys and all kinds of stuff like that.'

She added: "I feel the baton should be picked up by some younger women and, in particular, some of these huge pop stars who the majority of their audience are young women. So, they need to step up. I know a lot of them have said things from stage, which is great, or posted something on their Instagram, but there really needs to be something bigger than that."

In November, L7 staged the inaugural "Fast And Frightening Takeover" of the Belasco theater, a dynamic night of music and entertainment in Downtown Los Angeles.

Last year, L7 completed the "In Your Space" U.S. tour, which included stops at Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals.

Formed in 1985, L7 went on indefinite hiatus in 2001. A 2015 reunion tour was followed by the documentary "L7: Pretend We're Dead" in 2016.

L7's first album in 20 years, "Scatter The Rats", was released in May 2019 via Joan Jett's Blackheart Records. At the time, Sparks told the Asbury Park Press that new music was never part of the reunion strategy. "New music was not in the plan at all," she said. "We just got together to do reunion shows, and that just really kind of took off and we wanted to keep playing shows, we really enjoyed connecting with our fans again.

"Playing rock is fun and we hadn't done it in a long time and we realized, 'Wow, this is really fun again,' so we thought, 'If we want to keep doing this, we should put out new music.' And we felt we still had stuff to say and still wanted to express ourselves with new stuff."

Originally formed in 1974, the pioneering Newcastle, U.K. heavy metal legends RAVEN have been celebrating their 50th anniversary throughout the year and to continue with their celebrations, the band offer an electric gift to their fans on February 14, 2025 with the release of their "Can't Take Away The Fire" EP.

RAVEN co-founding lead vocalist and bassist John Gallagher comments: "With the incredible reaction to our last album, 'All Hell's Breaking Loose', it spurred us to slave even harder in the songwriting salt mines. As an indication of where we are headed, we've put together for you an EP of five brand new songs (plus bonus tracks) that's simply……. BLISTERING!!! We hope you enjoy our contribution to global warming!"

"Can't Take Away The Fire" features five ferocious, no-nonsense, and full-force new songs and delivers the sort of lean, mean RAVEN-brand metal that continues to turn up the volume and land the crispest of punches. Founding Geordie brothers John Gallagher (lead vocals, bass) and Mark Gallagher (guitar, backing vocals) — aligned with the jet-propulsive power of American drummer Mike Heller — throw down their speed demon intent on "Black And Blue", roar with fresh old school perspective on "Power Hungry", hit the heavy metal mid-pace highway with "Can't Take Away The Fire" and accelerate back into hyperdrive for "Gimme A Lie". The new suite of songs wraps up with a semi-balladic, BLACK SABBATH-tinged epic "The Wreckage". Adding to the festivities are three live bonus tracks from across the band's career — "The Power", "Architect Of Fear" and "Don't Need Your Money".

Featuring artwork by All Things Rotten, "Can't Take Away The Fire" is a very limited-edition release, with only 1,000 CDs available, all of which will be numbered and signed by the band as well as coming with an exclusive 50th-anniversary RAVEN patch. The limited-edition CD will also only be available from the official RAVEN store, and once they're gone, they're gone. Pre-order now from this location. Digital pre-order will be available from January 14, 2025 via the same link.

Track listing:

01. Black And Blue
02. Power Hungry
03. Can't Take Away The Fire
04. Gimme A Lie
05. The Wreckage
06. The Power (Live In Clifton, New Jersey, 2022)
07. Architect Of Fear (Live In Erlangen, Germany, 1991)
08. Don't Need Your Money (Live In Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1984)

Considered part of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" movement of the early '80s, RAVEN is perhaps best remembered for its trailblazing tours in America in the early '80s that gave groups like METALLICA and ANTHRAX their first taste of the road.

RAVEN's classic albums "Rock Until You Drop", "Wiped Out" and "All For One" virtually invented both the speed metal and power metal genres, with the band consistently pushing the envelope while retaining its unique sound and attack — both in the studio and in their true element: onstage.

In a 2005 post on RAVEN's official message board, John Gallagher stated about RAVEN's influence on other pioneering metal bands: "Anyone ever listen to the middle of 'Aces High' by IRON MAIDEN and compare it to part of 'Faster Than The Speed Of Light' [by RAVEN]? How about the chorus riff of METALLICA's 'No Remorse' to [RAVEN's] 'Lambs To The Slaughter'?? Makes me laugh...!"

Photo by Magalie Aspeele (courtesy of Earsplit PR)

In a new interview with Australia's Wall Of Sound, SMASHING PUMPKINS frontman Billy Corgan was asked which BLACK SABBATH album he would take with him if the planet was being blown up and we were all boarding a big spaceship and he was only allowed to take one SABBATH LP with him. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'. Tony [Iommi, SABBATH guitarist] was such a pioneering guitarist and a visionary musically, and what makes him so interesting is he pioneered the idea of a riff becoming part of the song in a way that was almost atmospheric and cinematic. And I think we really all understand that now, especially those of us who love metal. But then in about '74, '75, Tony starts to take this kind of artistic turn. It's almost alternative SABBATH, if you really look at it. And I think that's why SABBATH has so much street cred with alternative musicians and even rappers and stuff like that. There's this other SABBATH. 'Cause early SABBATH is more bluesy, heavy, doomy, but somewhere in there, it starts to get really out there, and that's the SABBATH I love the most."

Corgan also talked about SABBATH's fourth album, 1972's "Vol. 4", the recording of which was plagued with problems, many due to the SABBATH bandmembers' substance abuse.

"I did ask Tony once — I'm bragging, but I got to work with Tony on his solo record — and I said to Tony, 'Why does 'Vol. 4' sound so weird?'" Billy recalled. "And he goes, 'Well, we were living up in the hills in L.A. And every day the guy with the drugs would show up.' And he said, 'We were just so high. And we were working in a house.' He said, 'I think it's just the way we were living.' 'Cause it is a very unique, strange-sounding record. It doesn't sound, really, like any other SABBATH record.

"The great thing about, obviously, one of the best bands ever — my favorite band ever — is every album is different. And even when it starts to get weird that at the end with Ozzy [Osbourne] and things start to kind of fall apart, they're still trying to kind of be a little punk and a little bit — I don't know what they were going for. There's some good stuff in there."

Back in September 2022, Corgan, considered by some to be an underrated guitarist who deserves much more credit than most of the artists that emerged from the 1990s, spoke to Kerrang! magazine about where he finds the inspiration to come up with new guitar riffs. He said: "It has to be fresh. Tony Iommi from BLACK SABBATH, he's my hero, and Tony wrote those riffs that, when you hear him, it's like a movie. In my mind, I always call it 'Cosmic Sabbath'. When I would listen to SABBATH, I felt like I was peering into the universe. That's the way it made me feel, even as a little kid. So for me, a great riff has to kind of make you feel something bigger. So if I'm not in the mood, it just feels weird. There's the thin line between cartoonish and owning the space. Bands like [JUDAS] PRIEST and SABBATH, and even ACCEPT — which the riff [of the then-new SMASHING PUMPKINS single 'Beguiled'] reminds me a little bit of — [they all have] something about fucking owning the metal. It's like, you've gotta believe it."

Corgan was a guest vocalist on the song "Black Oblivion" which appeared on Iommi's 2000 solo album, "Iommi".

"Beguiled" was the first single from SMASHING PUMPKINS' "Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts" collection.

In an interview with the "Legends: Podcast" by All Day Vinyl which was originally conducted in May 2024, former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum was asked if he had a chance to see GN'R perform since the band reunited with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, I haven't got the invite. 'Hey, come watch the band.' I'm, like, 'Eh, I don't think so.' [Laughs]"

He continued: "They invited me to come play [with them as a guest], and I declined. I didn't think it made sense to go play — what? — two songs and then do what? I mean, I play music. I play with musicians.

"So that's cool. Whatever they're doing is cool. I'm still living this vagabond dream of journeyman. I kind of like where I'm at as far as taking twists and turns…"

Referencing the fact that he is a member of ZZ TOP legend Billy Gibbons's solo band, in addition to his other music- and business-related ventures, Matt said: "Being in the realm of Billy, I'm, like, I can die and go to heaven. I always look at that, like, well, if I was doing [the GUNS N' ROSES reunion], I wouldn't be able to do this. And this wouldn't have happened. And this wouldn't have happened over here. And I wouldn't have time for my kid. So all those things in my mind are, like, 'I'm where I'm supposed to be.' And I say that. People go, 'It's bullshit. You need to be in the band.' I'm, like, well, I'll be honest in the beginning, it was a little weird. I'm, like, 'Okay, well, it's a reunion. Okay, well, make it a reunion.' But it didn't go that way. So, I'm much more at peace with it than I was in the very beginning. I'll be honest."

Sorum added: "A guy that called me and actually talked to me about it was Ringo [Starr of THE BEATLES]. And he said, 'You didn't get invited to the party.' I said, 'No, I didn't get invited to the party.' And you'll know this, being a person, if you don't get invited to a party, I mean, come on — it's gonna sting a little bit. It's like I didn't get invited to the party. [Laughs] But he told me a story about him and John [Lennon] and Paul [McCartney]. And I'm, like, 'Is he actually saying…? He's talking about John Lennon. This is crazy.' That right there said to me, the universe is on my side. I'm on the phone with Ringo talking about not being invited to the party. That shit, I'm, like, bing!"

In a separate interview with Chasta and Baby Huey of San Francisco Bay Area's 107.7 The Bone radio station, Sorum stated about his exclusion from the GUNS N' ROSES reunion: "In the beginning, it was a little weird. I was, like, I didn't even get a call [asking me to be a part of it]. But now I look at it different. I look at it like how I explained before: I'm not supposed to be there. I got a child. I got a beautiful wife. The old me, the old Matt, the old guy, if I got up there, I don't know what would happen to me. I don't know."

Sorum added that a lot of great opportunities have come his way as a result of his association with GUNS N' ROSES. "I still get a lot of accolades and I always get these weird fringe benefits — still, 30 years later," he said. "I have businesses because of it. I do other things philanthropically. I'm able to put the word out because I'm the guy from that band. 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame GUNS N' ROSES drummer has charity for kids,' it gets press because I'm the guy from that band, and played on the records and some of the songs — a lot of the songs. So, all that being said, I'm in a really good place. So. what's happening with me now is I've got a lot of businesses and philanthropic work and then I do [my all-star rock collective] KINGS OF CHAOS for fun."

Three years ago, Matt revealed in his book "Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories" that he learned of the 2016 partial reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup via the rumor mill even though he was on a South American tour with Slash and Duff McKagan when the Internet chatter first reached him. After he confronted Duff, the bassist told him: "Axl [Rose, GUNS N' ROSES frontman] wants to use his drummer [Frank Ferrer]." "Go to Axl and tell him you want me on drums," Sorum responded. "Period. Now's the time." "Oh, man," Duff replied. "I already signed the deal."

Sorum told Rolling Stone in a 2021 interview that he had gotten over the fact that he will probably never play with GUNS N' ROSES again. "I've come to terms with the fact that they're doing their own thing, and I'm doing mine," he said. "I can't say that when it went down, I was completely happy with the circumstances. At the same time, I feel really good about my time in the band."

Asked why he thinks he wasn't invited on the reunion tour, Matt said: "I think Axl is a loyal guy. He likes his band he's had for a long time. He didn't look at it that way. … If anyone in that band is loyal, it's probably him. He was like, 'I'm going to bring my guy [Frank Ferrer]. If I get Slash, that's cool. If I get Duff, that's cool too. And that's enough.' That's how it went down, and that's what they're doing."

Matt also told Rolling Stone that he was invited to appear as a guest on the GUNS N' ROSES reunion tour but that he didn't do it because there was no money involved. Asked if he would show up and do it if he was approached about it again, he said: "I guess I'd have to wait until that call comes to make that decision. I have a lot of different things going on in my life… I'm a busy guy. It's gotta be what works with my life. I feel really good about my time in the band. And I always thank GUNS N' ROSES for my legacy going forward."

GN'R's hugely successful reunion features Rose, Slash and McKagan alongside Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Sorum recorded the GUNS N' ROSES albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

Matt was among the GUNS N' ROSES members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. He, Adler, Slash and McKagan attended the ceremony, while Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home.

Sorum told The Pulse Of Radio in a 2009 interview that if the classic GUNS N' ROSES band reunited, they should perform with both him and Adler. "If it's me on drums or Steven or whatever, if it happened, it'd be great, you know," he said. "I would actually say to them, 'Hey, bring both of us back,' you know. Let me play the other stuff. We'll have two drum kits. I don't care. If 'Appetite [For Destruction]' [the band's debut] sounds better with Steven playing it, have both guys up there. They can afford it."

Back in 2018, Izzy blamed his non-involvement with the GUNS N' ROSES reunion tour on the fact that he and the other guys in the band were unable "to reach a happy middle ground through the negotiation process." He also previously claimed that he stepped away from the reunion because the band didn't want to "split the loot equally."

"Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories" came out in September 2021 via Rare Bird Books.

Photo credit: Michael Segal (courtesy of Ken Phillips Publicity Group Inc.)

The reunited classic lineup of the metal/hardcore band BIOHAZARD has entered Shorefire Recording Studios in Long Branch, New Jersey to begin recording its long-awaited new album for a 2025 release via Frontiers Label Group's new imprint BLKIIBLK.

Earlier today (Sunday, December 15),BIOHAZARD guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei shared a photo of him and his bandmates in the studio and he included the following message: "Locked down in the studio with these killerz! It's been blurry few days, endless with no daylight! Focused on closing in on a banger of a record!! #Biohazard #2025 @shorefirerecording".

Late last month, BIOHAZARD guitarist Bobby Hambel confirmed to The Brooklyn Blast Furnace podcast that he and his bandmates would enter the studio "in a couple of weeks" to begin recording their long-awaited new album.

"After playing together — what is it? — fucking year and a half, I think we're ready to lay it down, to start puking out some more fucking stuff," Bobby said. "It's happening, too. It's heavy shit, too.

"A lot of people say — they give their opinions on what they think we should do," he continued. "And they're always asking questions like, 'Is it gonna be like this album or that album?', and I can't really answer any of that. I just can answer it's coming from the same place it always came from, and I think everybody's on point. Everybody wants it. So I think it's time. We've got a lot of shit to say."

In October, BIOHAZARD drummer Danny Schuler told Pod Scum about the group's songwriting process: "It's really all over the place in BIOHAZARD. Sometimes one guy brings in a couple of songs and we kind of go with that. Sometimes somebody has an idea and we're all together in the jam room and we kind of all work through it together. It kind of happens a lot of different ways, but all four guys are very creative, some more than others, but everybody creates and brings in stuff. So there's no one writer in BIOHAZARD. There's never really been. But we all write. And now we're getting ready to record a new record and we have so much new stuff. And it's been really cool lately — a very creative environment lately to be around with everybody writing new stuff and getting psyched for a new album. It's cool right now."

Asked why he thinks right now is the best time for a new BIOHAZARD album, Danny said: "Well, I don't know if right now is the best time. I don't think in terms of, like, 'Oh, well, let's do an album out now because now's the best time.' I don't know that stuff. I don't know when's a good time to do a record. I just know when I feel inspired and I know when I'm coming up with stuff that I feel is real strong and meaningful, and lately it's been a good time for that kind of creative process. So, for me, when the ideas are flowing and everything feels real natural, real strong, that's a good time to do a record. Business-wise, I don't know when's a good time to do a record. I'm not a businessman, in that regard with the music business."

In a separate interview with France's Loud TV, BIOHAZARD bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld confirmed that he and his bandmates were "making a new album". Evan said: "I'm really excited about it. I'm writing a lot of lyrics right now, working on some music. All the guys are writing. It's exciting."

Evan previously discussed BIOHAZARD's plans for new music this past April in an interview with El Planeta Del Rock. At the time, he said: "We're working on our process on a couple of really cool songs, and when something is special enough and we are excited about it, I imagine we'll release a single before release an album, but there's a full-length album in the works. That's the mission… We wanna go into the studio and really lock ourselves down, like we used to do in the '90s, and spend some time really [making a strong album]. For us, it's not about one song, one song. Making an album is still something that we care about."

He continued: "I know it's not the popular [way of doing things]. How many people buy new albums by artists and listen to the whole album from beginning to end? Young people don't really ingest music like that so much. But BIOHAZARD is about authenticity. We do what we do, and we're gonna make the best album we can make in 2024."

The first reunion gig from Graziadei, Hambel, Schuler and Seinfeld took place on May 26, 2023 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In 2022, Graziadei said in an interview that there had been "talk" about putting BIOHAZARD back together.

The group, which is acknowledged as one of the earliest outfits to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip-hop, had been out of the public eye since Scott Roberts left the band more than eight years ago.

Roberts, who played guitar on BIOHAZARD's 2005 album "Means To An End", rejoined the group in June 2011 as the replacement for Seinfeld. Scott fronted BIOHAZARD for nearly five years before exiting the band in February 2016.

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MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn joined his former band VIO-LENCE on stage last night (Saturday, December 14) at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California to perform the songs "Kill On Command" and "World In A World". Video of his appearance can be seen below.

VIO-LENCE played at The Great American Music Hall as the support act for DEATH ANGEL, which staged its two annual Christmas concerts at the venue this weekend.

Although Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", the longtime MACHINE HEAD frontman wasn't approached about taking part in VIO-LENCE's 2018 reunion.

VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reformed soon after guitarist Phil Demmel acrimoniously left MACHINE HEAD more than five years ago.

Singer Sean Killian, who initiated VIO-LENCE's reunion several months after undergoing a successful liver transplant surgery, discussed the possibility of Flynn playing with VIO-LENCE again in a February 2022 interview with El Cuartel Del Metal. He said: "Well, at the time we got back together, that wasn't gonna happen. Robb's got a thing — MACHINE HEAD's a big band; it's a business; they're out touring; people love 'em; they do great. He and Phil, they got personality conflicts over the years. That happens when you're in such tight-knit quarters with people. I can't speak for Robb or Phil but I know that I like 'em both. I was texting Robb the other day.

"For me, I haven't experienced any of what those guys experienced together, so I can't comment on it [except to say] I like 'em both and they're both my friends," the singer continued. "I consider both of 'em my good friends.

"Would Robb play with VIO-LENCE? If it was convenient and it worked out… Obviously, he wouldn't play if Phil was playing, but if Phil was doing something else and we needed a guitar player, I don't know that Robb would say he wouldn't do it. Because we all just have a good time. And he recognizes that VIO-LENCE is a band that just goes out 'cause we love it — we like to write; we like to play live shows; we love the energy from the crowd that the music gets out of 'em.

"Would Robb play with us? I can't speak for him, but if the moment was right, I think he would wanna taste that again," Killian added.

Demmel, who isn't part of VIO-LENCE's current touring lineup, told Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast in a 2021 interview that he hadn't spoken to Flynn since he left MACHINE HEAD and added that he had no "desire or need to talk to him ever again."

Demmel left MACHINE HEAD at the end of the band's fall 2018 North American tour. He was in MACHINE HEAD for nearly 16 years, during which time he played on five of the group's studio albums: "Through The Ashes Of Empires" (2003),"The Blackening" (2007),"Unto The Locust" (2011),"Bloodstone & Diamonds" (2014) and "Catharsis" (2018).

VIO-LENCE released a new EP, "Let The World Burn", in March 2022 via Metal Blade Records.

Filling out the band's ranks on "Let The World Burn" alongside Killian and Demmel were original drummer Perry Strickland, former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson and former FEAR FACTORY bassist Christian Olde Wolbers.

Killian and Olde Wolbers are the only VIO-LENCE members from the "Let The World Burn" recording lineup who are still touring with the band. Joining them at last night's concert were drummer Nick Souza and guitarists Mario Salcedo and Pat O'Brien (EXHORDER, ex-CANNIBAL CORPSE).

"Let The World Burn" was recorded with Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios (TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS),with mixing handled by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MESHUGGAH) and Grammy Award-winning engineer Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES, PANTERA).

In a new interview with Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11, TESLA guitarist and founding member Frank Hannon spoke about the possibility of a box set from TESLA in the not-too-distant future. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That idea of a box set that has been kicked around for ages. And there's always been some kind of hang-up with the ownership of our early demo tapes. I think Warner Brothers or somebody owns it. I don't really know. That's not my department. So I think at this point, I don't think a box set is gonna happen yet. But the guy that would be to talk to you about that is [TESLA bassist] Brian Wheat. He's really into those kinds of things, and he's been fighting for years trying to make a box set happen. The good news is, though, I did dig up some old demo tapes, cassettes, of 'Hang Tough' and 'Heaven's Trail' and all the work tapes that we did for the second album [1989's 'The Great Radio Controversy']; they're outtakes. But there again, we don't know legally if we can put that stuff out."

He added: "Box sets are kind of a thing where it just shows the past. And I think we're more focused on the future."

Back in December 2020, Wheat said that there was "tons" of unreleased material from TESLA that he would like to make available to the fans. The bassist, who was promoting his autobiography, "Son Of A Milkman: My Crazy Life With Tesla", at the time told LiveSigning: "We've been trying to put out a box set for several years. But there's a question as to who has the ownership of it, whether is us or Universal. So we came close to trying to put something out for the 25th anniversary, which was gonna be a box set, and it kind of stalled. Now, when this COVID thing goes over, or whatever, we'll maybe go back to them and try to come up with a deal that's good for both parties — the band and [the label]. But yeah, there's tons of stuff. There's a whole box set, yeah. And it's one of my personal missions — I want it to come out one day."

TESLA released a new six-song EP, "All About Love", last month. The effort includes four versions of the "All About Love" title track (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of "Walk Away", a concert favorite from "Reel To Real, Vol. 1"; and another new song, "From The Heart", an instrumental track by Hannon.

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

In a new interview with Hudson and Aly from "The Hudson Show" on RadioU, John Cooper, the frontman and bassist for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, was asked to name his favorite 1980s Christian metal band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, man. Well, I'm a huge PETRA fan. And I don't think you'd call PETRA metal exactly — I call them rock — but PETRA is, to me, the all-time greatest Christian rock band. And so if I was gonna say my favorite Christian metal band… I was a big fan of a band called BARREN CROSS. I don't know how many people know who BARREN CROSS was. But BARREN CROSS was sort of IRON MAIDEN-ish, and they had an amazing vocalist. And I loved BARREN CROSS."

Cooper continued: "The truth is I just loved all of it. I mean, I loved WHITECROSS. STRYPER, of course — you have to love STRYPER. Without STRYPER, there'd be no SKILLET. There'd probably be hardly any Christian metal about STRYPER. And so I love all of that stuff. It's tough to… I was just a fan of Christian metal. And when you're a fan of Christian music, you just kind of jump there with both feet, and then you end up loving everything. So, I don't know. That's my story. DELIVERANCE. DELIVERANCE was a great Christian thrash band."

Back in September 2021, STRYPER's Michael Sweet took to his social media to pose a question for his tens of thousands of followers: "Should SKILLET & STRYPER tour together? If this post breaks records with comments and shares then I’ll take that as a yes;-) Go!"

Several other prominent hard rock musicians responded to Sweet on both Instagram and Twitter, with QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre, who is an atheist, writing: "That would be a hard no." FOZZY's Chris Jericho was more open to the idea, saying: "That would be a great tour for u guys!!!" Former SALIVA vocalist Josey Scott was equally enthusiastic, writing: "YES!!!! I grew up with SKILLET in Memphis (the singer anyway) and he's always been a very cool cat man! And they friggin' STRAIGHT UP, DROP IT OFF BRO!!!!"

Sweet's post came one day after SKILLET and STRYPER shared the stage at the Rocktember Music Festival in Hinckley, Minnesota.

In various interviews over the years, Cooper has said that he "always had faith in God" and that his mother was a "Jesus fanatic." He also claimed that he was willing to put his career on the line to take a stand for Christ.

In April 2021, Cooper told the "Undaunted.Life: A Man's Podcast" that it was perfectly fine for Christians to play rock music. "I would say that music is created not by the Devil; [it is] created by the Lord," he said. "All things were created by God. So instead of thinking that the Devil owns a genre of music, I would say capture that music and bring it back into subjection under the Lordship of Christ."

Three years ago, STRYPER and SKILLET were among the artists featured in "The Jesus Music", a Lionsgate documentary that explored the ascent in the success of Christian contemporary music (CCM) and its often untold roots. The film told the story of the genre and how "the universal power of music from these artists shine through from their messages of passion, sacrifice, and redemption that inspire millions of devoted listeners," according to an official synopsis.

In a new interview with This Day In Metal, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE drummer Justin Foley spoke about the musical direction of the band's upcoming album, "This Consequence", which is due on February 21, 2025 via Metal Blade Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think, after so many years, we know what we do well and kind of stick to our strengths, but we also change and evolve and stuff that we like and stuff that we wanna do. So we try to kind of mix in little bits of stuff that we're kind of interested in with what the band is and try to make that work."

Asked which songs on "This Consequence" he is most proud of or most excited for people to hear, he said: "[First single] 'Forever Aligned' probably would be the top of the list for me. I think that song really came out great. It's a good indication of kind of what the band does when we're doing it well and we've got something that's exciting, that we're all excited about and everything. That song is kind of a good representation of what comes out of us, I think. I think that's a real good one. And there's some cool stuff. There's one song that's, like, super kind of blazing fast, almost like more death metal-y. I think it was an Adam [Dutkiewicz, guitar] demo, and he wasn't even sure if we were gonna like it, and we were all, like, 'Yeah, that's cool. Let's run with that.' I think 'The Fall Of Us' is what it ended up being called… There's a lot of blasting going on in that one. I think that that's kind of a good example of us kind of getting a little outside of what is very comfortable. I think we all like listening to blistering death metal. We don't fancy ourselves a blistering death metal band at all or people that can pull off playing blistering death metal, but if we put a little tiny bit of it somewhere, we might be able to pull it off. So I think that was a good spot for it there. Yeah, that's a good one. And there's one other one… 'Broken Glass' is the other one. That one's kind of like just sort of different. I think that's a very different song, too, and it sort of stands out. I don't know how to describe it, really. But I don't think that sounds very much like hardly anything that we've probably done before."

Regarding the fact that "This Consequence" is a shorter album than has been the case with KILLSWITCH in recent years, Justin said: "It took forever to make it. So, in that regard, yeah, [the songs] were definitely pored over. We just felt like we wanted something that was sort of really to the point and shorter. If there was anything that made it feel like there was any kind of lull in the flow of the album, we wanted to just sort of get rid of those, whether it was track list order or anything. And we just kind of thought that it was strongest as a 10-song record. It kind of had the most impact when it was that length, and that's what we went with."

On "This Consequence", the members of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE distilled the hallmarks of their signature sound into a bruising, often brutal, and at times brilliantly bright body of work.

"Making this record lit a fire under my ass and made me rethink everything," KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach previously admitted. "It had to be next level. It had to be different enough for people to really recognize we're putting forth an effort-or what's the point of doing this? There was no repeating ourselves. It was very carefully planned out and passionately written. It sounds like KILLSWITCH, yet there's also a fresh spirit to it."

This time around, the group emphasized working together face-to-face in a Massachusetts rehearsal spot. The process enabled them to apply the pressure on every element. At the collective urging of his bandmates, Jesse pored over his words like never before.

"We pushed him to do more vocal demos and were super tough on him," recalled Adam. "He was so open to feedback though, and he definitely got the lyrics right. I love it when he and I are face-to-face, and ideas are flying around. We work especially well together when we're in the heat of the moment. All of the demoing made for a better record, and there was so much communication between all of the band members."

"It felt like everyone put a ton of effort into this," bassist Mike D'Antonio added. "It's the first time since 'Alive Or Just Breathing' that we really hashed everything out together in the same room. It was a combined effort, and there are even some things you've never heard from KILLSWITCH."

Jesse culled inspiration from "hours on Thesaurus.com," reading as many books as possible, and interacting with fans on the road in between. He confessed, "I found my voice again."

"I never considered myself to be a part of mainstream society," he went on. "I've always been in the middle. To me, this record is about the consequences of our actions as humans as we engage in war, hatred, division, and falling in line with control. History repeats itself. We're going to have to answer for our actions-whether it's how we treat the earth or each other. There will be an uprising and a backlash from nature. Cause-and-effect is a driving theme. We will face a consequence."

The first single "Forever Aligned" finds the band firing on all cylinders. Jesse's growl weighs heavy on a galloping beat and dual-guitar battering ram. The barrage breaks like a wave on a chantable chorus, "It's you, I find, forever in my mind, we are aligned," giving way to a melodic bridge laced with a hummable lead line.

"When you find someone who won't give up on you, forge a friendship, or have a family member who makes you a better person, you realize what love actually is," noted the frontman. "I think true love is far beyond human comprehension. We have glimpses of it, but we'll never grasp it. When you're striving to be filled with love, it's a selfless path. It's a spiritual connection; it transcends life and death. The energy of love moves on eternally, so you're forever aligned with who you love."

"Even with all of the brutality, the hook is right up there with some of our best," smiled Mike. "We felt like it was the perfect song to introduce this chapter and show we're ready to go."

"Aftermath" illuminates the dynamics of "This Consequence". A lightly picked intro bleeds into the wail of guitar as epic drums boom. It kicks into high gear towards a hypnotic refrain, "We're reeling from the aftermath, still bleeding from the damage of the past," as Jesse declares, "This is the consequence."

"If you've ever dealt with depression, one day you wake up and have this revelation, 'I'm going to be okay. This is a new day'," he went on. "You get this injection of hope and think, 'I got through this. How do I move forward]?' 'Aftermath' is simply about finding yourself again and healing from all that you went through."

Following the face-ripping "Where It Dies" and towering catharsis of "I Believe", the vital and vitriolic "Collusion" confronts corruption at its ancient roots. Jesse laments, "It's a world in collusion."

"The powers-that-be use manipulation to control the masses," he sighed. "It goes back to even the Roman Empire. There are all of these tricky secret handshakes and backroom deals. I'd rather be pessimistic and questioning than gullible and rolling with it. Dig a little deeper and read between the lines."

Then, there's "Broken Glass". It may be one of the unabashedly and uncompromisingly heavy compositions in the KILLSWITCH catalog. It crawls along on a nail-scraping stomp anchored by a thick riff and guttural scream.

"I'm most stoked on 'Broken Glass'," said Adam. "It definitely doesn't sound like anything we've ever done before."

"It's a metaphor," revealed Jesse. "A liar's words will cut you like broken glass. I'm sure anybody who has lived through the breakdown of a family or a relationship can relate to the images of shattered windows or smashed alcohol bottles. We don't realize how deep abuse can run in our blood and affect us."

Now, "This Consequence" might just set the stage for another 25 years of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.

"This band is still just a group of friends who get together and play music — but to some of the biggest crowds we could've ever imagined," Mike left off. "Even after all of this time, there's a lot of love being thrown around."

"The goal is to make the fans happy," concluded Adam. "When you come to a show, it's about fun. I love the connection we have. If the crowd is having a good time, we're having a good time. This record is for everybody who has been with us for all of these years."

"The world is in a dark place, but we're going to get through this," grinned Jesse. "Music has always been a light in the darkness when I feel like all hope is lost. Certain albums came along at the right time and saved me. We are giving everything we have, because it's all we got. We have a chance to take KILLSWITCH to another level. That excitement is like fuel. We have everything to prove and nothing to prove, because we are right where we need to be."

"This Consequence" is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's ninth album overall, and sixth with Leach, who rejoined the band in 2012.

"This Consequence" track listing:

01. Abandon Us
02. Discordant Nation
03. Aftermath
04. Forever Aligned
05. I Believe
06. Where It Dies
07. Collusion
08. The Fall Of Us
09. Broken Glass
10. Requiem

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will embark on a headline tour in March 2025. It's their first tour of North America since late 2022. The trek will feature support from KUBLAI KHAN TX, FIT FOR A KING and FROZEN SOUL, and will kick off on March 5 in Nashville and runs through April 12 in Portland, Maine.

Former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini has shared a new clinic video along with the explanation below:


"This version of the Italy clinic contains the album track to 'Outcry' by Dream Theater, with my drums on the recording and here live. To hear just the drums, which is a tough thing in matching the album exactly lest I get flams, which you'll hear when I start. I'm hitting very lightly for the room and situation. see the sister video here."


"Outcry" is taken from Dream Theater's 2001 album, A Dramatic Turn Of Events.

24 European Tour with Kreator, and special guests Testament. On December 11th they played at Spodek in Katowice, Poland. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"A.I.R."
"Got the Time

Eonian Records is pleased to announce the signing of New York City hard rock icons, Wildstreet. Led by charismatic singer and frontman Eric Jayk, complemented with a group of first-class musicians including Wrath Starz (guitars), Kevin R. Scarf (bass), and DD Star (drums), this group unmistakably represents the pure hard rock sleaze sound of the late '80s reminiscent of Guns ’N Roses, Faster Pussycat, The Throbs, and Spread Eagle. 


 


Eonian Records has reissued their first two Wildstreet albums entitled Origins, out now. Origins includes all the tracks on Wildstreet and Wildstreet II: ...Faster ...Louder in a single double CD package. It also features the massive singles "Easy Does It" and "Raise Hell", along with previously unreleased rarities, new updated artwork and packaging with band history, lyrics, and never-before-seen photos.




 


Stephen Craig, founder of Eonian Records, comments:


 


“I have been a fan of Eric’s and Wildstreet since I purchased their 2006 self-titled album. Their blazing riffs, combined with Eric’s dirty & raspy vocals and stone hard throbbing rhythm section immediately brought me back to the era when rock n roll was about sleaze, debauchery, and fun. A very special thank-you to my friend Bob Long, owner of one of the greatest music stores in North America, Shandi’s Music & More, for bringing Eric and myself together for this very special release. It’s an honor to welcome Eric and the guys to the label. We hope to become a permanent home for Wildstreet as they are a perfect addition to the Eonian Records family.”


 





 


Tracklist:


 


Origins 1 


"Wanna Get It On" (Stadium Mix)


"Hard On You"


"For So Long"


"Soldier Of Love"


"Midnight Gypsy"


"Open Up Your Eyes"


"The Fist Of Fury"


"All The Young Dudes"


"Soldier Of Love" (Acoustic 2009)


"Bach Invention 13"


 


Origins 2 


"Shake It"


"Poison Kiss"


"Cocked & Ready"


"Hot Lixx"


"Can't Stop The Rock"


"Easy Does It"


"Wanna Get It On" (Live)


"Moonlight Sonata" (2016)


"Raise Hell" (2017 WS III)


 


About Wildstreet:


 


New York City’s Wildstreet began in 2006. They released their self-titled debut album Wildstreet in 2009, Wildstreet II …Faster …Louder! in 2011 and Easy Does It in 2012. Their massive music videos for Poison Kiss (feat: Don Jamieson) and Easy Does It quickly reached 3 million YouTube views. The band showcased at SXSW, M3 Rock Festival, Rocklahoma and performed alongside Avenged Sevenfold, Black Veil Brides, Escape the Fate, Sebastian Bach, Dorothy, Twisted Sister, Michael Monroe.


 


After a brief hiatus in 2014, the band released the single Raise Hell in 2017 and began recording their massive album III in 2018. Touring Europe for the first time in 2019 and releasing singles & music videos for Tennessee Cocaine, Three Way Ride, and Born to Be, Wildstreet signed with Golden Robot Records in 2020. The band spent the next three years on tour in the USA, Europe, and Mexico. In 2022, Wildstreet released fi