In a new interview with Poland's Strefa Music Art, NAPALM DEATH frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway was asked if he has ever felt "bored" of being in the band, more than three and a half decades after he joined the British grindcore pioneers. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think everybody goes through that at points, but it's how long that feeling lasts. Because if you're bored, if you, if you know within yourself you're bored for a period that lasts for, say, a few months, then you really should consider whether it's right to do it anymore. Because I personally believe when kids come in paying money to see shows, whatever the art form music is, it should be 100%, nothing less. Because people, it's not easy for people in any times — I know it's particularly difficult right now, but any time it's difficult, [because] there's only so much people have to spend. So if they come and they give you their money, basically, you should give 'em a hundred percent — no less. It's important. So if you not getting that feeling anymore, you have to question whether you should be doing it anymore. And I think also from a recording point, making albums, if you say to yourself, 'I've run out of ideas. I'm not stimulated enough to do this anymore. I'm not inspired enough to do this anymore,' you have to question whether you really should try even doing it, because nobody needs 50% of an art form — I personally don't think."

Circling back to whether he has ever personally felt "bored" of being in NAPALM DEATH, Barney said: "I did go through feelings of that, but it was very, very small periods of time. And it was other things that were affecting me, so I could go, 'Yeah, okay, well, I'm not having such a great couple of months. That's why I feel dispirited.' But after that, I was okay. If it comes to a point in a few years or whenever that I go, 'I'm not feeling great on stage anymore. I don't feel as if I have anything new to often creatively, musically,' then no more for me. Finish."

Earlier this month it was announced that NAPALM DEATH and THE MELVINS have joined forces for "Savage Imperial Death March", due on April 10 via Ipecac Recordings. The effort is described in a press release as "a true collaboration — not a split, but a new album featuring members of both bands." The album shares its name with the two bands' "Savage Imperial Death March" tours from 2016 and 2025, but marks their first full-length studio collaboration under the moniker.

"Savage Imperial Death March" was recorded at THE MELVINS' Los Angeles studio, with THE MELVINS' Buzz Osborne (vocals/guitar) and Dale Crover (drums) joined by NAPALM DEATH's Greenway (vocals),Shane Embury (bass) and John Cooke (guitar).

Embury and Cooke recently entered Parlour Studios in Kettering, U.K. with NAPALM DEATH's longtime producer Russ Russell (DIMMU BORGIR, AT THE GATES, AMORPHIS) to begin recording demos for the band's seventeenth studio album.

In February 2022, NAPALM DEATH released a new mini-album, "Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes", via Century Media Records.

"Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" was a partner recording to "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", concluding matters through vital, tumultuous grindcore and shockwave ambience.

The eight-song "Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" came with a total playing time of 29 minutes and was made available as a limited CD digipak, vinyl as well as in the digital album format.

"Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism" was released in September 2020 via Century Media Records. The band's sixteenth studio LP was recorded with Russell and featured artwork by Frode Sylthe.

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

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

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and his solo band, GENE SIMMONS BAND, performed two KISS songs written by Ace Frehley for the first time ever during their concert Friday night (February 20) at L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The band — consisting of Gene on bass and vocals, Jason Walker on guitar and vocals, Brian Tichy on drums and vocals and Brent Woods on guitar — played "Strange Ways" and "Rocket Ride" as part of the 14-song set, which marked GENE SIMMONS BAND's first show of 2026.

"Strange Ways" was sung by KISS drummer Peter Criss on the band's 1974 album "Hotter Than Hell".

A previously unreleased recording of Simmons playing "Strange Ways" during a July 20, 1975 rehearsal in Davenport, Iowa was included on last year's 50th-anniversary super deluxe edition of "Alive!", KISS's breakthrough double live album.

Ace previously said about "Strange Ways": "I love 'Strange Ways'. I just came up with the riff. It was one of those inspired, heavy tunes. I didn't feel comfortable as a singer at that point.

"Gene and Paul [Stanley, KISS guitarist/vocalist] are very intimidating people," he continued. "A lot of the time they tend to make people feel inadequate. It took me a while to get over my feeling of inadequacy. I didn't think I was as good a singer as I am. It took me a while to come out of my shell.

"Whenever I wrote songs in the early days, I'd always ask Peter to sing so he would get some of the spotlight," Frehley added. "I wasn't that secure with myself as a singer around Gene, Paul and Peter. They were all confident lead singers, and even though I knew I could sing, they didn't encourage it, so, I just kind of laid back.

"'Strange Ways' was never performed live by KISS," Ace noted. "I had forgotten just how heavy it was. One of my favorite guitar solos is the one on 'Strange Ways'. It was done in one take. I just closed my eyes and that's what came out. Usually, I record in the control room, but for that solo I went out and stood in front of the amp and got that wild feedback bend at the beginning. It sounded like a dinosaur."

Peter said about "Strange Ways": "Ace wrote it and I sang it. It was really different for me, really heavy and new. I'd never sung anything like it. It wasn't exactly R&B. It was a great challenge to me and I loved it."

"Rocket Ride", written by Frehley and KISS associate Sean Delaney, was originally included on the band's "Alive II" album.

Ace later said that he and Delaney initially wrote "Rocket Ride" with the intention of including it on his solo album. But it ended up on "Alive II" instead.

"That's the first time I was satisfied with my vocal projection," Ace explained in the "Behind The Mask" book. "More than that, 'Rocket Ride' was the song that really gave me confidence that I could sing and really project a song."

GENE SIMMONS BAND's setlist for the L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles concert was as follows:

01. Deuce (KISS song)
02. Shout It Out Loud (KISS song)
03. War Machine (KISS song)
04. I (KISS song)
05. Domino (KISS song)
06. Parasite (KISS song)
07. Strange Ways (KISS song) (first time played live by Gene Simmons)
08. Charisma (KISS song)
09. Rocket Ride (KISS song) (first time played live by Gene Simmons)
10. Cold Gin (KISS song)
11. Guitar & Drum Solo
12. I Love It Loud (KISS song)
13. Calling Dr. Love (KISS song)
14. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll (KISS song)
15. Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS song)

Last December, Gene said that he was sorry for suggesting that Ace's death may have been caused by "bad decisions".

Simmons made headlines after he alleged that Frehley's "lifestyle" contributed to a fall at the guitarist's New Jersey home, which ultimately caused his October 16, 2025 death at age 74. A couple of days later, Gene apologized, writing on X: "On reflection, I was wrong for using the words I used. I humbly apologize. My hand to God I didn't intend to hurt Ace or his legacy but upon rereading my words, I see how it hurt everyone. Again, I apologize. I've always loved Ace. Always."

The founding KISS guitarist died of blunt-trauma injuries to his head due to a fall, the Morris County Medical Examiner confirmed in a report obtained. The manner of death was ruled an accident.

According to the report, a CT scan of Frehley's head revealed multiple contusions, bone fractures to the back of his skull, hemorrhages, and a subdural hematoma (the type of bleeding that occurs in a person's brain after a head injury). Additional bruises were found on the musician's hip, thigh, and abdomen. The report also noted that Frehley had suffered a stroke.

A separate toxicology report on Frehley's blood at the time of his death has not yet been released.

Frehley, whose real name was Paul Daniel Frehley, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey. He reportedly died nearly two weeks after a second fall at his home, which led to him being placed on life support after a brain bleed. The musician's family made the heartbreaking decision to take him off the ventilator.

Ace co-founded KISS with Paul, Gene and Peter in New York City in 1973. Frehley appeared on KISS's first nine albums, and returned for the band's 1998 reunion album, "Psycho Circus", only to leave again. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the rest of KISS's original lineup in 2014.

Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of KISS's first "farewell tour." Since his departure, guitarist Tommy Thayer had assumed the role of the Spaceman.

Frehley had a rocky relationship with Simmons and Stanley whom he blamed for exacerbating his abuse of drugs and alcohol because they allegedly minimized his contributions to KISS.

In 2019, Simmons told Guitar World that Frehley and Criss had exited KISS three times, in part because they "weren't carrying their load" and weren't dependable onstage. In response, Frehley called Simmons and Stanley "control freaks, untrustworthy and… too difficult to work with."


🎸 The wait is over! Grab your Gene Simmons tickets now before they’re gone — this is one night you don’t wanna miss! 🔥
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Posted by L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles on Friday, October 24, 2025

In a new interview with Argentina's UnDinamo - La Última Radio De Rock, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith was asked for his opinion on the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) as a compositional tool. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, I don't like it. I don't like it. I mean, people seem to be craving more reward with less effort. I think part of the enjoyment and the fun is the journey of getting there and the process and the struggle. It makes you feel good when you get it. If someone just gives you something, it's all finished and done. And I think from our point of view, the albums that Richie [Kotzen] and I do [under the SMITH/KOTZEN banner] are pretty organic. There's no loads of overdubs. It's just two guitars [and our] voices. A few overdubs, of course, [but we] try to keep it organic, keep the human feel."

Referencing some bands' reliance on the use of backing tracks during live shows, Adrian added: "A.I., it just makes me shiver. And when you hear about bands canceling gigs, 'cause they've lost their laptop computer — I mean, come on."

Asked if he thinks A.I. is "a threat to younger musicians" who are looking to break into the industry today, Adrian said: "The record industry is dying on it ass because of music streaming. People aren't getting paid or can't earn any money out music. Sure, you can make an album on your computer and anyone can make an album, so it's kind of cheapened everything. There's no struggle anymore. You used to have to save the money and work to buy one hour in the studio. It was so expensive.

"Yeah, it's difficult for young bands now, difficult for young bands," Adrian continued. "I'm glad I was born when I was, because I got the best of both worlds. With MAIDEN, we can make the whole thing solvent by doing shows, but records are — it's tragic. People expect it for nothing; they want music for nothing. They don't wanna pay for it."

Adrian previously weighed in on the debate about people using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to create music last April during an interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast. Asked if he would personally ever use A.I. to compose songs, Adrian said: "No way. I don't know. I don't even wanna think about it. I mean, A.I. What was it someone was telling me the other day? Somebody, as a birthday present or as a present to his friends, he had a song written by A.I. for each one of them, using their voice. And it's just mind-boggling. It's like the beginning of the end. I mean, social media's bad enough. But this is just another level.

"I can't see it having any effect," he continued. "I mean, even digital recording and Pro Tools now has enabled anyone to make up something that — you can present something that sounds respectable, but it's all done by computers. At least I grew up old school where you had to actually play in the studio; you couldn't tune it up afterwards. So that makes you more of a craftsman. Digital recording we use because it's convenient and it saves time and it saves money.

"A.I., man, I don't know. [Laughs] I don't know," he concluded.

Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist.

"Black Light/White Noise", the second album from Adrian's SMITH/KOTZEN project, in which he is joined by guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen, was released via BMG in April 2025. The 10-track LP was recorded at The House, Los Angeles, California, produced by Richie and Adrian and mixed by Jay Ruston.

DIO RULES, the "ultimate tribute" to Ronnie James Dio featuring Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE) on vocals, Angus Clark (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, Joe Lynn Turner) on guitar, Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, MR. BIG, KIX) on drums, Winston Roye (SOUL ASYLUM) on bass and Mark Klett (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) on guitar and keyboards, performed this past Thursday, February 19 at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis, Maryland and Friday, February 20 at Mickey's Black Box in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Fan-filmed video of both concerts can be seen below. Also available is a two-minute promotional video from DIO RULES.

DIO RULES is an all-star band paying tribute to the most influential hard rock singer of all time, Ronnie James Dio, by performing the hits that cemented his legacy by RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO.

Based in Las Vegas, Freeman is an American rock vocalist and guitarist who has played for a number of bands, most notably punk rock group THE OFFSPRING and hard rock guitarist George Lynch's LYNCH MOB. Freeman is currently the frontman for the hard rock band LAST IN LINE, which features some of the reunited original members of the band DIO.

Freeman joined punk band THE OFFSPRING as a touring guitarist and backup vocalist on their 2008 tour for the album "Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace". In 2010, Freeman joined HURRICANE as the lead vocalist, performing a few shows with the band before leaving in 2013. In 2012, Freeman joined the original members of DIO as lead vocalist to form the band LAST IN LINE. LAST IN LINE has released three albums so far: 2016's "Heavy Crown", 2019's "II" and 2023's "Jericho".

Freeman has performed on several tours as the lead vocalist with George Lynch's LYNCH MOB, including a feature on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and a headline show at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California.

In 2018, Freeman started performing as the vocalist for LIES, DECEIT & TREACHERY with Jimmy D'Anda, Mick Sweda and Lonnie Vencent, all of whom were, at that time, formerly of BULLETBOYS. He also formed a band called DEVIL'S HAND with guitarist Mike Slamer, and in December of the same year, they released a self-titled album.

In 2021, Freeman filled in for FIREHOUSE lead singer C.J. Snare on some tour dates while Snare recovered from abdominal surgery.

In May 2022, Freeman joined GREAT WHITE as the band's lead singer but lasted only five months before he was replaced by Brett Carlisle.

Formed in 2012 by guitarist Vivian Campbell, drummer Vinny Appice and bassist Jimmy Bain — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — LAST IN LINE's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

Asked in a 2019 interview with Metal Talk what the fan response has been like to hearing him sing the DIO material live, Freeman said: "It's mostly positive. I have not had anybody come to me directly and say they were not okay with this. I've seen people say, 'I've met Andrew before. He's a lovely guy, but his vocals ruin this band.' And, yeah, it's okay. People are gonna have their opinions. Either you're gonna like it or you're not gonna like it. You're replacing somebody who's irreplaceable. And I think that's why we're moving and doing new records.

"When we started the band, the guys got accused of — Vivian specifically — got accused of it being a cashgrab," he continued. "And there's no money. I make money because this is not my legacy. It's not. I have nothing to do with the DIO legacy. I don't try to be a clone of this guy. There's plenty of people out there that do that, and they can have it, as far as I'm concerned."

DIO RULES: Tribute to Rainbow, Sabbath, and Dio - Our debut performances are coming up quick. Get your tix - LINK IN BIO!
Feb 19 at Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
Feb 20 at Mickey’s Black Box, Lititz, PA

Posted by Angus Clark on Monday, February 2, 2026

Went to see DIO Rules: Tribute to Rainbow, Sabbath and Dio at Rams Head On Stage last night and what a show! A brand new...

Posted by Gary Cawley on Friday, February 20, 2026

Posted by DIO Rules: Tribute to Rainbow, Sabbath and Dio on Friday, November 7, 2025

The National GUITAR Museum announced that Ritchie Blackmore, the esteemed guitar legend whose vast career spans more than 60 years, has received its annual "Lifetime Achievement" Award. Blackmore is the sixteenth recipient of the award.

Ritchie Blackmore joins previous award winners including Honeyboy Edwards, Jeff Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Liona Boyd, Jose Feliciano and B.B. King. Recipients are recognized for a lifetime of contributing to the legacy of the guitar and having a singular historical importance to the development and historical appreciation of the instrument.

HP Newquist, The National GUITAR Museum executive director, commented: "Most people know Ritchie from being the driving creative force behind two of the defining hard rock bands of all time — DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW. But before starting those bands, he had a long career as a London session musician, performing on records by numerous artists, including THE OUTLAWS. And then — after helping to define hard rock guitar in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s — he formed BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, incorporating medieval and Renaissance acoustic music into his immense repertoire."

Said Blackmore, "I'm rather thrown by the magnitude of this honorable award. I am grateful to accept this award and this recognition."

Blackmore's guitar playing has inspired countless numbers of musicians to follow in his wake, and very few guitarists can match his lifetime of achievements. His influence is pervasive amongst players in a wide variety of genres, from blues-rock and heavy metal on to neoclassical and pop rock. It is conceivable that every electric guitarist on the planet has learned how to play the riff Blackmore came up with for "Smoke On The Water".

Added Newquist: "It's difficult to find any modern guitarist who has incorporated so many diverse styles into their playing — and then fused them all into something recognizably their own over their entire career. Ritchie was one of the first electric guitarists to add classical melodicism to his playing, along with classical speed and finesse. I think that most of the early '80s guitarists who played lightning fast riffs and claimed to be learning from Bach and Mozart were, in fact, borrowing from Ritchie."

Ritchie Blackmore joins previous The National GUITAR Museum "Lifetime Achievement" award recipients:

2010: David Honeyboy Edwards
2011: Roger McGuinn
2012: B.B. King
2013: Vic Flick
2014: Buddy Guy
2015: Tony Iommi
2016: Glen Campbell
2017: Bonnie Raitt
2018: Liona Boyd
2019: Jose Feliciano
2020: Eddie Van Halen (in memoriam)
2021: Al Di Meola
2022: Jeff Beck
2023: Tommy Emmanuel
2024: Alex Lifeson
2025: Ritchie Blackmore

The National GUITAR Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. Its touring exhibitions have been featured in more than 60 museums worldwide.

In the coming year, those exhibitions will become the basis of The National GUITAR Museum and its permanent home.

The National GUITAR Museum Announces Presentation of
“Lifetime Achievement” Award to
Ritchie Blackmore

NEW YORK....

Posted by The National GUITAR Museum on Monday, February 23, 2026

IRON MAIDEN and THE BLACK CROWES are among the 2026 nominees for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame revealed the list of the following 17 "Performer" nominees Wednesday (February 25):

THE BLACK CROWES
Jeff Buckley
Mariah Carey
Phil Collins
Melissa Etheridge
Lauryn Hill
Billy Idol
INXS
IRON MAIDEN
JOY DIVISION/NEW ORDER
NEW EDITION
OASIS
Pink
Sade
Shakira
Luther Vandross
WU-TANG CLAN

The 10 nominees appearing on the ballot for the first time are Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, NEW EDITION, Pink, Shakira, Luther Vandross and WU-TANG CLAN.

"This diverse list of talented nominees recognizes the ever-evolving faces and sounds of rock and roll and its continued impact on youth culture," John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation, said in a statement.

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

Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they're eligible for induction.

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

While MAIDEN has been eligible to join the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame since 2004, the band had only been nominated twice before — in 2021 and 2023.

The Hall Of Fame previously said the IRON MAIDEN members that would get inducted include the current lineup of singer Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris and guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, along with former guitarist Dennis Stratton, ex-singer Paul Di'Anno and former drummers Nicko McBrain and Clive Burr.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

IRON MAIDEN was on the ballot for the second time in 2023, but the institution's voters snubbed them once again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Following months of relentless rumors and fever pitch speculation, it was announced today that METALLICA will debut its "Life Burns Faster" residency at Sphere in Las Vegas. The highly anticipated eight-show run will take place on October 1 and 3, 15 and 17, 22 and 24, and 29 and 31, 2026 — and will continue the "No Repeat Weekend" tradition that began with the 2023 kick-off of the band's "M72" world tour, with no songs repeated on each Thursday and Saturday throughout the course of the run.

Two-night "No Repeat Weekend" tickets and single-night tickets will go on sale March 6 at 10 a.m. PT. To register for tickets or for further information regarding pre-sales, enhanced experiences, travel packages and more, visit metallica.lnk.to/MetallicaSphere

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A global news event which saw the world's biggest rock band open the world's most state-of-the-art venue, "U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere" quickly became a pop culture moment and a must-see for music lovers everywhere. The show's stunning visuals and live music performance, combined with the venue's immersive technology elements, including the world's most advanced audio system, became an instant social media sensation as hundreds of thousands of fans shared their "U2:UV" experience across multiple platforms generating billions of impressions, making "U2:UV" a truly global phenomenon. One of the band's most ambitious creative projects to date, it saw them work once again with longtime creative collaborator and show director Willie Williams, artists including Es Devlin, John Gerrard and Marco Brambilla, and longtime partner and producer Brian Eno.

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

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

In a new interview with U.K.'s Soundsphere, acclaimed hard rock guitarist John 5 was asked how he makes himself "undeniable" when it comes to working with iconic artists like MÖTLEY CRÜE. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think when I start working with someone, it's so important to me — I mean, now I'm being so honest, it's so important to me to make that band so happy and make their fans so happy. And sometimes it's more than what the artist — sometimes I'm pushing more than what the artist wants. I just want it to be so great. And I'm not saying, like, 'Oh, look at me, look at me.' I will hold and stand back and listen, 'cause I'm not there for myself. I'm there for that band. So I will play when I'm supposed to play, but I think what's most important, not play when I'm not supposed to play. And that's why every artist that I've worked for has been good because I understand that. I understand my role. I'm not, like, 'Hey, look at me.' Not at all. That's what the solo stuff's there for. Even with MÖTLEY CRÜE, I don't play one lick extra that is not recorded on those records — except for the end of 'Wild Side', where there's no singing going on, they said, 'Okay, go a little nuts here.' But everything else, I just play exactly how it's recorded because it's so important to me and to the fans because they listened to this for 45 years, these songs, and all of a sudden someone's playing solos over it. They're, like, 'Hey, what's that? I don't recognize that or really like that. But I don't know — that's why I think I've had really good luck playing with artists, because if they say, 'Hey, do this,' then I'll do it. If they say, 'Just play it like how it is,' I'll play it like how it is. I think it's important."

Back in 2023, John 5 told Guitar World magazine that he spent "every day for months" going through MÖTLEY CRÜE's back catalog in order to learn every solo note for note.

"I wanted to play those solos exactly as they were written," he explained. "Those solos are so important to me as a fan, and they're so important to the audience. The squeals in 'Looks That Kill' or the harmonics in 'Dr. Feelgood' — these are very important to me and the world."

He continued: "It's like you're looking at some sheet music; you're looking at Mozart, and you're, like, 'Well, I'm gonna improvise over this part.' No. That's how those songs were written, how they were recorded, and how they should be performed. I wanted to give those songs respect."

John added: "I checked with the guys and said, 'I'm going to play them as they are on the records.' They said, 'Okay, well, you can have a solo.' And that's when I go completely berserk. It's kind of a perfect situation."

Earlier this month, John 5 announced a European tour for May 2026. Apart from a few shows in 2016, this is John's first-ever solo tour in these territories.

For over 30 years, John 5 has been one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet. John has shared stages and recording studios with Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Meat Loaf, Dolly Parton and more, and is now a member of MÖTLEY CRÜE.

Since 2011 John has released a dozen solo albums highlighting his unique style of playing that has been entertaining and impressing audiences around world. His latest album was the critically acclaimed "Ghost", released in October 2025.

The tour will include 12 U.K. appearances along with shows in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic.

In an October 2025 interview with Orlando Weekly, John 5 stated about the touring lifestyle: "I really love being on the road. A lot of people aren't cut out for it, but I just really, really enjoy it. It's super relaxing."

He added: "I am very health-conscious all the time but especially on the road. I try to go to bed around the same time every night because getting sleep is the most important thing you can do, eat right, and take vitamins. It's not the rock and roll answer people expect, but it's true. That's how I stay ready for 50 shows in a row."

In October 2022, it was announced that John 5 would be joining MÖTLEY CRÜE as their guitarist following Mick Mars's decision to retire from the road. John 5 continues to tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE, including an upcoming U.S. summer 2026 tour.

Slash has called John 5 "one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around," and Rob Zombie has dubbed him "a fucking shredder."

Dennis Atlas, who is currently the keyboardist for TOTO, having joined the renowned rock band in 2024 as TOTO's second keyboardist, replacing Steve Maggiora, will release his solo album titled "Principle" on May 15 via MRI. The debut single from the album is "Violent Power". The anthemic track brings each listener into a world where humanity's ability to thrive is so potent that the forces of violence are not just defeated, but instead have no bearing on existence in the first place. The song features world-renowned drummer Marco Minnemann, and Atlas on lead vocals, keys, bass, and guitar, and was co-written by Dennis Atlas and Steve Bonino.

The official music video for "Violent Power", shot and directed by TOTO frontman Joseph Williams, can be seen below.

Atlas comments: "Joe and I were at my studio going over some vocals for the upcoming TOTO tour. I showed him my rough draft for a video I had for 'Violent Power', since he had expressed interest in helping me with this kind of stuff. He completely altered what would become the world's introduction to this album, steering the imagery, lighting, and videography into a vision that supported the song. Then he even helped guide me down the right path with the editing. Once he was involved, what we came up with immediately made my rough draft look like a joke! It was night and day! I couldn't be more thankful and appreciative of his time and support. And thank you to my good friends Marco Minnemann (on drums) and Steve Bonino (co-writer of this song) for making their cameos in this video! And to Sabrina at UnicornCat Artworks for the awesome animated album cover. To me, the video now perfectly encapsulates the energy of the song 'Violent Power', ready for release as the lead single!"

Within the world of Atlas, his creative mission navigates a path that aspires to reach that place where integrity and excitement meet. His world is one where those two concepts are intrinsically tied. Integrity is met and honored in the form of honest raw authenticity. And when it comes to his presence, whether creating independently or as a member of TOTO's ensemble, it is no surprise he's become a crowd favorite with electric energy that lights up any room or stage.

Atlas states: "I love to make music that is concise and relatable, regardless of what form or length it takes; that's always my aim. There has to be deep intention in what I am saying, why, and who I am saying it to. Then every note is potent with meaning and significance. That's when I am able to carry it energetically into a sonic package that is unmistakable, memorable, and identifiable. In the form of these melodies and lyrics, it is this energy exactly that I hope people think of when they hear the name Dennis Atlas."

With this new album titled "Principle", Atlas reflects: "The spontaneous, and the hyper-critically considered (planned) both meet into one explosive container that is each of the audio files of these 11 songs. I hear months of planning and moments of levity/epiphany both bred into the fabric of what makes this album what it is. It is both exciting and deeply rooted fulfillment to listen back to these works, and to smile at the good feelings that I have associated with the contributions from everyone involved." And that list of contributors is deep, featuring performances from Steve Lukather, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, David Paich, Joseph Williams, Shannon Forrest, Warren Ham, Marco Minnemann, Steve Bonino and others. The album was mixed by Trev Lukather and mastered by Bumblefoot. The album art and logo design — the work of Sabrina Lau at UnicornCat Artworks.

Atlas grew up in Santa Clarita, California, right next to one of the biggest and best rollercoaster amusement parks in the world, with a loving family (mom, dad, and big brother) who taught him everything he carried with him tied to loving life. Like many, he and his brother started a band in their early teens. He was influenced by bands including STYX and QUEEN who unapologetically took any stylistic approach to music that authentically excited them, and put it across in a way that millions or billions of the public could sing along to and also dig deeper. He was encouraged as a young man to be creative, and shares, "I never wavered or remember wanting anything else than to be a rock star." As he reflects on the past, he recalls, "I'm glad I had a lot of the failures and successes I had before the TOTO call came along. There was so much I learned about preparedness, attitude, and simply the context (perspective) of what choices are out there. I also experienced being at home with no gigs and no money, simply working deeper on my own craft, or even having a temporary loss of motivation, then having to find and discover what excites/excited me again. All of this played a huge part in deeply respecting and truly cherishing the situations I do get the privilege of being involved in, and especially the position I have now."

Atlas is as well-grounded a young man walking planet Earth as there is. He concludes, "I am so indescribably lucky to have a team and band around me that is not only so great and so legendary, but so supportive of me and what I do. I've heard of musicians getting fired from a gig for mentioning their solo material in an interview. Yet, here I am with a whole group of bandmates that all wanted to play on my album. It's a dream I couldn't have even dreamed up. So here we go into dreams of as many rollercoasters (and other cool experiences) as we can possibly ride together through the power of this music!"

Photo courtesy of Steve Karas / SKH Music

During an appearance on the latest episode of Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello spoke about the band's long-awaited new studio album, which is tentatively due in May in North America via Megaforce and in Europe through Nuclear Blast. The mixing sessions, as well as some of the recording sessions, for the LP took place at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California. ANTHRAX once again worked with producer Jay Ruston, who previously helmed 2016's "For All Kings" and 2011's "Worship Music" albums.

Asked when exactly the new ANTHRAX LP will be released, Frank said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Later this year. Very psyched. As fans, as we are, we are very psyched about this record. Later this year, it'll be coming out. I think the way they do this now, the new cycle, is they put a single out and then they put another single out, and then the record comes out. I'm leaving it to the powers that be to do all that stuff. And we have new management, new agent, all that stuff. So, there's a great plan going ahead. And you're gonna be seeing us a lot."

Bello also talked about ANTHRAX's setlist for the band's recently launched Canadian tour with MEGADETH and EXODUS. He said: "You know what? It's hard. And we were just talking about this. You have this catalog of these records, and then you literally — I mean, we asked fans on the web site, 'What do you wanna hear?' We can throw them in once in a while and stuff, but if you don't play 'Caught In A Mosh', 'Indians', even 'Got The Time', believe me, you hear it. And I don't wanna make anybody unhappy that's coming to see a show. So what I try to do is, we'll try to bring in different songs and say, 'Well, why don't we just stick this [in there], maybe play it once in a while and get that song out here, put that one in for tonight?' And it makes it more lively. And we're trying. But the great thing about it — it's a great problem to have, when you have this catalog and that people wanna hear all these songs, which is awesome. 'Cause we don't wanna upset people, but at the same time, you also have to give people what they want. I get it. The hits, whatever they're called, you have to play them sometimes. But we like to mix it up. So, we have different songs for this cycle, for this tour. And we'll see what happens."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a recent interview with Thomann's Guitars & Basses, Bello stated about the band's next LP: "I think it's been almost 10 years since the last ANTHRAX record, which is insane. We all are very, very hungry, 'cause we're in mixing right now. The new ANTHRAX record, I'm proud to say, I'm very psyched about this… The parts are all done. Everything's locked in. And to hear what they're gonna sound like for when people hear it, as a fan of the band, it's, like, 'Fuck yeah!' You get hungry and you're ready and you know you have the goods. So we're pretty psyched."

Elaborating on the enthusiasm he and his ANTHRAX bandmates feel about releasing a new album more than 40 years into the group's career, Frank said: "You know what it is, man? I think you never stop being a fan. Never stop being a fan, because that's where the gut is. It comes from your gut, and you are hungry. I'm an ANTHRAX fan, so I wanna hear the best of the best. What do we have? When you hear a bad riff, it's out. Something's gotta work and it's gotta be good enough for us. That's why we know if it's good enough for us, everybody will like it. And that's the way we've always worked."

Bello also talked in more detail about the ANTHRAX songwriting process, explaining: "It's all [about exchanging] demos at this point. It's all digital stuff, so we send each other stuff. Charlie's in Chicago, Scott's in L.A., I'm in New York. So imagine traveling like that. The three of us get together after we have a collection that we think are strong enough, and we'll bat them down and really put 'em together and make sure they work."

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

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

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

During an appearance on the February 21 episode of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, GHOST leader Tobias Forge addressed his recent revelation that the band currently has "nothing else planned" beyond the ongoing "Skeletour", which supports GHOST's latest album, 2025's "Skeletá". Asked what life looks like for him outside of GHOST and whether he has hobbies that he falls into when he is not working or he has places he likes to go and spend more time, Forge said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "All the above. Yeah. One, I have my family. Duh. Of course, everybody knows that. I've had two kids waiting at home with my wife for 15 years, and maybe that says something about me that it wasn't a pushing enough factor during those years. Believe me, I felt bad, but I've definitely come to a point where not only do I need — I feel physically and mentally I need to be home, simply because they're 17; they're not gonna be around for an eon. And then the most acute factor here is the fact… Imagine you being a house builder, and you draw up houses, great ideas, but you're also doing the permits and you're also doing the tiles and you're building everything and you're sewing up all that [shit] and putting it all together. I don't simply have an idea. And I'm out of tiles. I'm out of wood. I just don't have it. So the only way for me to come up with a new idea and get some new inspiration is to just step away. It is as simple as that. But it doesn't mean that I'm not doing anything. I have two film projects that I'm working on. Just before I left for tour, I was recording another album with another thing. So I have tons of stuff lined up for me [for] the coming years. And also hobbies that I have put aside a little, just because for the last 15 years GHOST has obviously been force majeure. Luckily, my family has been very supportive of that. They know that in order to sort of make this happen, I need to do this. And over the years I've been very worried about momentum and just keeping it going because I have so many ideas and I don't wanna lose speed. And I just came to a point where I'm, like, I'm actually fine if the momentum is not there. It's cool. I'm good. I feel good about that. If I lose it, okay."

Asked if his kids "actually get the scope of what" he is doing as an internationally successful recording and touring musician, Tobias said" "Of course. They're 17. Of course they know what I'm doing. Of course they're aware of… And we are very connected. We're very good friends. We speak about anything. And they're very aware of my thought processes and where I am, how I feel about things. And they're big enough and vocalizing enough to be able to explain. And we can have a conversation about how they felt as kids, me being away a lot. But now they're the ones sort of pushing me, like, 'Yeah, it's only three weeks left,' whereas in the past it was always, like, when I was gonna be away for seven weeks or nine weeks, it was hard for them to fathom, of course, what that timeframe is. And there were a lot of moments where you had to sort of sneak out before they woke up and have one screaming child on the balcony, sort of, when you jump into the car. And that was not easy. But when you're driven by a conviction, and I was convinced, and I am still convinced, that I did the right thing, of course. And luckily, now there's no resentment that I know of me having done that. But now they're the ones who are reasonable, and, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's do that when you come home.' Which is really encouraging, but that again is just… Well, again, it just happened to coincide with where I am mentally in life. It just feels like a good time to sort of, like, 'All right. When I come back, we'll start this new chapter, this new reality.'"

Late last month, Forge was asked by Adam Wallis of Canada's Global News if there are any plans for GHOST to record a new EP, considering that the band has released a new EP after almost every full-length album since the group's early days. Forge responded: "No. As of right now, there is no EP coming. Besides the [ongoing North American leg of the 'Skeletour'] tour that we're doing now, we have nothing else planned. So the future is right now very open. Creatively, I have a lot to do. I'm actually recording currently, but it's not a covers EP and it's not a new GHOST record. So, I actually do not know exactly what and when anything will happen. And that's a good thing, because for 15 years now we've been going at it nonstop, where cycles have basically just sort of been stitched together. Every time we've ended an album cycle, I've walked off stage knowing that Monday morning I will be in the studio and our next show is there. So it has been that sort of sort cyclical nonstop thinking ahead, thinking forward, expand, expand, expand, expand, for a long time, and I've come to a point where I'm just, like… I still have ideas, I still have dreams, I still have things that I think we have not achieved — definitely the wish list is still there — but that's gonna be at some other point."

Forge also once again talked about why GHOST's current world tour is mandating a no-phones policy. Fans entering venues for GHOST's "Skeletour" shows have to place their mobile phone into what is called a Yondr pouch. The bag is then magnetically sealed, with fans having to approach venue staff situated outside of the main auditorium if they wish for it to be unlocked. Asked if he has had any hesitations about implementing the no-phones policy at first and how he found the reception to be since then, Forge said: "I had that in the back of my head, and, of course, when we released the tour and the tickets came out on sale, we knew beforehand that there was gonna be chatter, let's put it that way. There were gonna be discussions, pushback, mixed emotions about it. And I believe — still now 50 plus shows in — that we did the exact right thing, because people that have showed up, with a few exceptions, have been overwhelmingly positive. I absolutely believe that it was the right call. But some of the things that we had to completely shun away from on this tour was festivals. The production that we're doing is big and it's heavy. It's hard to maneuver. So there were places on the planet that we simply couldn't get to. And, to me, it was very important that with these [chuckles] restrictions, that is the Yondr world where people get to actually enjoy the show and get to experience something cool, it's important that we bring the entire thing. If we can't do the whole thing, we can't mask it as the 'Skeletour'."

Forge continued: "As of right now, I only know that we're doing this tour, and after that it's a big, big, big question mark. At some point, I need to get to terms with if what I've said about the 'Skeletour' and the Yondr pouches and the restriction or the refraining from using your phones, because I think that that is the best thing that has ever happened. The shows are so enjoyable for everybody, and I love being on stage when I can actually connect with the crowd. So I don't wanna ever go back. But, as I said, then I have to value in which forums we're playing in the future."

Late last month, GHOST canceled three shows on the 2026 North American leg of "Skeletour" — January 24 in Knoxville, January 25 in Charlotte and January 26 in Greenville — due to the state of emergency issued in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The 2026 North American leg of GHOST's "Skeletour" world tour kicked off on January 21 at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida and is slated to run through February 23 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.

The European leg of GHOST's 2025 world tour kicked off on April 15, 2025 in Manchester, United Kingdom and concluded on May 24, 2025 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour launched on July 9, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland and wrapped up on August 16, 2025 in Houston, Texas.

In May 2025, GHOST's latest album, "Skeletá", landed at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 86,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the LP's first week of release. According to Billboard, 89% of that figure (77,000) consisted of traditional album sales, with vinyl purchases accounting for over 44,000 copies. Notably, "Skeletá" was the first hard rock album to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 since AC/DC's "Power Up" in 2020.

The music video for the LP's first single, "Satanized", introduced the new character who is fronting GHOST for its 2025 and 2026 touring cycles: Papa V Perpetua.

In a recent interview with Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern, FOREIGNER bassist and musical director Jeff Pilson offered an update on FOREIGNER founding guitarist's health. More than a decade ago, Jones was also diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Despite the challenges, he continued to tour with FOREIGNER, finding joy in performing for fans around the world. Three years ago, the progression of the disease made it impossible for him to take the stage — a profound loss for someone whose life has been dedicated to music.

Pilson said about Jones (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " He's good. It's just not practical for him to play live anymore. Parkinson's is a pretty debilitating physical disease, neurologically speaking. So he's in great spirits. He's got his family around him — his kids whom he adores, grandchildren he adores. So, headspace-wise, he's in a good place. I mean, of course he's disappointed he can't play. That's what he did all his life. So it's been a hard transition for him. But he is really excited about the band. I mean, the fact that he and [original FOREIGNER singer] Lou [Gramm] both now are so excited about our new singer Luis [Maldonado] and just excited for all the future possibilities. The fact that we're doing songs in Spanish now. There's so many things about the band that really excite him. It feels like a new lease on life for him as well, as well as for us. So, he's still very much there. He's still very much our leader and founder. So, yeah, he's in as good a spirit as you could imagine being if you were de debilitated from playing."

After the interviewers noted that FOREIGNER fans and Mick's bandmates have all rallied around the guitarist and offered their support, Pilson said: "He feels the love, trust me. And again, like I say, for us, especially now that Lou has become more involved of late — I mean, he did a few songs with us when we did the FOREIGNER '4' album in its entirety, which was a great show. And having Lou being more involved has been so wonderful.

"We've found some unfinished tracks from some of the earlier records," Jeff revealed. "You should have seen my face when I started finding some of this stuff. It was, like, 'Wow.' … We did one [song] that we released when we came out with a re-release of FOREIGNER '4' a few months back. And we're gonna be doing the same with the 'Head Games' album at some point soon. So, there's unreleased tracks. Lou is really excited about that, for them seeing the light of day. We've got some real good special surprises coming."

Pilson added: "Mick, from the minute he heard Luis's voice singing FOREIGNER songs, he's been real excited and he's only gotten more excited over time as he sees videos, as he sees Luis developing as a frontman. He's really excited. So knowing that the founder guys are really enthused about the band couldn't give us a better sense of direction than we do have. So, yeah, we're very thankful. And it just feels like everything is firing on all cylinders."

Asked to elaborate on some of the unfinished FOREIGNER songs from some of the earlier records which were recently unearthed, Jeff said that he wasn't ready yet to discuss it. But he did tease one of the tracks, saying: "We have a special guest that I just spoke to yesterday who said yes, it's okay to use his name, but I don't wanna do it yet. I wanna wait till it's announced.

"There's a song that was unreleased that never got a guitar solo on it, from the 'Head Games' record, and we found somebody very perfect to put a guitar solo on," Pilson explained. "I'm gonna wait until there's an announcement, but it's a friend of Mick's. So, that's partly how it all came about. But it's really exciting. But yeah, there's some cool stuff coming, let me put it that way."

A newly finished FOREIGNER song, "Fool If You Love Him", featuring Gramm on vocals and written by Jones and Gramm during the sessions for the "4" album, was included on extensive super deluxe editions of the 1981 smash multi-platinum LP, which was released last September.

"Fool If You Love Him" was initially left unfinished and shelved during the "4" recording at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Decades later, Gramm returned to the mic, writing a new verse and recording fresh vocals to bring the song back to life. Now, for the first time ever, fans can hear the finished version of a track that almost never was.

In 2024, FOREIGNER released "Turning Back The Time", an archived 1996 track featuring Gramm on vocals, as part of a new compilation of the same name.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some other health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012.

At some of FOREIGNER's recent shows, Gramm guested on some of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group's biggest hits. Gramm shared the stage with Maldonado, who replaced Hansen on lead vocals last October.

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke played a headlining concert on February 18 at the O2 Academy Islington in London, United Kingdom. Backing Gilby at the gig were drummer Troy Patrick Farrell (WHITE LION, TANTRIC) and bassist EJ Curse (SILENT RAGE). Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

In a November 2025 interview with 2LaneLife, Clarke was asked what he is most proud of as a musician. He responded: "Wow. Most proud of — that's an interesting question… When I first started… When GN'R was over, the band was gonna take a break for years, and at that point I had only been in the band for about three years and stuff. So those guys could have retired, not worked. I was, like, 'Oh, I've still gotta work a little bit.' So that's when I kind of started my solo career. I go, 'Well, I'm still in the band, but I have all these songs that I wanna do,' and stuff, and I started that. And one of my first tours I did was in South America. When GN'R played in South America, we played multiple nights of, like, 80,000 people a night. It's like Beatlemania — you can't walk out of the hotel. There's thousands of kids outside your hotel and stuff. So a year after that, I went down with my solo band and we opened for AEROSMITH. But. in all reality, the people were really there for me. Because just coming off the whole GN'R thing, we had a thousand kids outside the hotel that all had, like, 'Gilby' this and 'Gilby' that and stuff, and no AEROSMITH stuff at all. It was crazy. It was just one of those things that just doesn't happen. It was just a period in time that just happened. So, to me, that was a great moment. Like I said, playing with AEROSMITH and that was just as big as it gets… And still, to this day, when I go down there, even my shows, they're big shows and everything and the people still come out. And it's been 30 years, and they're still dedicated."

When one of the interviewers noted that Clarke must feel good about having the kind of career longevity that still allows him to tour South America and play in front of good-sized crowds, Gilby concurred. "In everybody's life, it's hills and valleys," he said. "You have some good years. I've had some bad years, but my wife's [business] was doing well. You've just gotta ride it out. And I think, to me, if you're authentic in what you do — people will buy hype and they will buy the new next big thing and stuff. But longevity — you've gotta stay authentic and you've gotta have that base of fans."

The now-63-year-old Clarke replaced Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the "Use Your Illusion" tour, and stayed with the band for three years. After exiting GUNS N' ROSES, Clarke continued as a producer and solo artist, while also playing in SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke, along with fellow GUNS N' ROSES members Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler and Matt Sorum, played three "Appetite For Destruction" songs with Myles Kennedy at the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in April 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio, although Gilby himself was not inducted as part of the group. Kennedy, who handles lead vocals in Slash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE, sang "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City", with "Use Your Illusion"-era member Sorum sitting behind the drum kit on "Brownstone" and the man he replaced in GN'R, Adler, pounding the skins for the other two songs.

In 2021, Clarke addressed his non-participation in GUNS N' ROSES' reunion tour, which features three-fifths of the group's classic lineup — singer Axl Rose, Slash and McKagan — during an interview with "The SDR Show". He said: "They didn't ask me to join the band; they asked me to come out and do [a guest appearance] with the band. And it just happened to be the day that I was in Chicago with my daughter. Her band was playing Lollapalooza [in July 2016]. And I'm actually her roadie. I don't think anybody would know how to tune the guitar if I wasn't there. Just kidding. But, yeah, it was just bad timing. I just said, 'Look, I think it's a great idea. I'm up for it. I just can't do it today.' And they literally asked me that day. And I never heard back from them after I said that."

Gilby also confirmed that he only had a week to learn the entire GUNS catalog when he first joined the band three decades ago. "That's true," he said. "They told me on a Monday, that 'You have the gig,' and the next week we were flying to Boston for our first show. And I literally had a week. And remember, this is before YouTube. I was glued to their records with the headphones on, trying to learn the catalog. And the last song I learned was a song called 'Estranged', which was a really long ballad piece. And if you listen to it, it's kind of one-dimensional guitar-wise — it really just features Slash. So I was listening to it, and I really couldn't figure out what I should do in that song. So I went to Dizzy [Reed, GUNS keyboardist]. I go, 'Hey, man, can you sit down with me, and let's work on 'Estranged'.' I go, 'I just wanna kind of figure it out.' And he goes, 'Oh, well, here's the music book.' And he handed me the music book. And I went, 'There's a music book? I just spent a week learning every note by ear when I could have just grabbed the freakin' music book…' I mean, I read charts — it would have taken me an hour. I was a little pissed off that I didn't ask. They could have offered it to me."

Clarke's latest solo album, "The Gospel Truth", was released in April 2021 via Golden Robot Records.

Gilby released his solo debut, "Pawnshop Guitars", in 1994.

In November 2023, Clarke underwent surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, a repetitive stress condition that happens when a person does repeated movements with the hand and wrist.

It's not long until guitar hero Gilby Clarke comes to #O2AcademyIslington for his only UK show on Wed 18 Feb, with...

Posted by O2 Academy Islington on Wednesday, February 4, 2026

In a new interview with Anthony Bryant of The Hair Metal Guru, former WHITESNAKE and DIO and current THE DEAD DAISIES guitarist Doug Aldrich offered an update on his health, nearly a year and a half after he underwent a "very successful" surgery following a throat cancer diagnosis. Asked if he was "scared" when he got diagnosed with throat cancer, Doug said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was scared in the beginning, 'cause I was actually — we were off and I was in Texas at the Junior Olympics with my family. My daughter was running. So I'm laying in bed, I'm laying in bed with my wife and my kids are in the next bed right next to us, and I get a call from my doctor. We had been doing a little testing and poking and stuff, and I get a call from my doctor. It was, like, at night, and I'm, like, he never calls me. First of all, he never calls me, and then he never would never call me at night. And he said, 'Yeah, we got the test back and it's positive for cancer.' So, HPV 16 square cell, carcinogenic, whatever. And I was, like, 'Oh, man.' At that point you don't know how serious it is, and you're just going, like, 'I got cancer. It's confirmed now, and I got my family here and I gotta be cool because I don't wanna freak anybody out.'"

He continued: "But, yeah, it took us a while to get answers about how far it was and that it was actually the kind of a cancer that was a little bit easier to deal with. It was a little more slower growing, and the success rate, after five years of still being alive, was pretty good. I mean, you can get hit by a car every day; you never know. So, once I got the word on what to do, we found a surgeon that my wife and I liked. And he took out one tonsil on the inside, and then he took out the lymph nodes and the bump, the stuff. And then I had to do radiation. So the surgery sucked, 'cause after the surgery I couldn't do a [THE DEAD DAISIES] tour. So Reb [Beach, WHITESNAKE and WINGER guitarist] actually came and filled in. 'Cause I couldn't open my mouth. I mean, to do the surgery inside, they had to pretty much open my jaw, and they cut here and took out a bunch of stuff. And so then theoretically they cut out everything they could, and then you have to do radiation to just blast the rest, whatever little particles. So I did six weeks of that, which was — that was really a bummer, because it just kicks your ass. You're tired and your neck is basically down to just raw skin… And then eventually after two weeks, you lose your taste, your skin starts peeling off. And my wife helped me a lot to where I got through it. And I kept a good attitude. I kept trying really hard to eat, keep my weight up as good as I could, and eventually got done with the radiation and got checked and came back as a really good negative for cancer. So that's where I stand right now. I got some scans and stuff I gotta do later this month to see where we're at. But I do my best, and God willing it'll be clear."

In February 2025, Doug was asked by Ernest Skinner of Canada's Border City Rock Talk how he found out about the seriousness of his diagnosis. Doug said at the time: "Once I met with the oncologist, he said, 'Hey, this is very treatable. You're gonna be fine. It's gonna be a pain in the ass, but it's very treatable.' But prior to that — it was about two or three weeks [earlier] when I got the news that it was cancerous, it was definitely cancer — I didn't know what kind of cancer [it was] and how advanced it was. That's the scary part, because, man, I was, like… It was just a nerve-racking situation because I've got kids. I've lived a great life, I'm super blessed and lucky, and if it's my time, I'll go, but I don't wanna leave yet because I've gotta help my kids get through life a little bit."

Doug continued: "It was definitely a setback mentally. And I just had to kind of go, 'Look, I'm gonna leave it in God's hands and just whatever it is, it is, and I'll just deal with it my best I can.' And then the doctor said it was very treatable and it would be a pain in the ass. It would be a surgery and also radiation. And I thought, 'Okay, the surgery is the worst part of it,' but actually radiation is [the worst]… Fortunately, I didn't have to have chemo, so that was good. They took out my tonsil where it was, and then they took out a bunch of lymph nodes right here. And the scar is pretty good, actually."

Aldrich previously discussed his cancer battle during an appearance on the December 16, 2024 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Regarding how he got diagnosed with throat cancer, Doug said: "I never thought I would get cancer. It just never occurred to me. I've always been super healthy and — knock on wood — I never had a major anything. And one day, I think it was in May [2024], I was about to go on tour with THE DAISIES and I was shaving and I saw a little lump on my neck. And I was, like, 'Well, that looks when you're sick, you've got swollen glands or something.' It was on one side. And I thought, 'That doesn't hurt at all. My throat doesn't [hurt]. Nothing hurts.' And I went on tour, and I said, 'Hey, something like that could be a viral thing. Let it roll for a couple weeks, and if it doesn't change, then make an appointment to see your doctor.' And so I went and did the dates — it was, like, three weeks of dates or something in the U.S., I believe. And I got home and got an appointment. It took a little time. As you know, to get a doctor's appointment it takes a minute. So it was another few weeks before I got in. And immediately they looked at it in order for me to get a CT scan, [and] after reading that they were concerned there was something in there. It wasn't a major concern. Then I did a little MRI of the neck, and that's when they could measure the bump, and they realized that this was really concerning. [And they told me] I should go see an ear, nose and throat doctor. And my doctor was, like, 'Hey, it could be cancer. It could be cancerous, but it could be benign. It could be whatever. Don't worry about it yet.' But already my mind was starting to get a little bit nervous. So I go to the ear, nose and throat doctor, and he goes, 'I see it. It's on your tonsil. And if you don't mind, I'm gonna grab a piece of it with the tweezers and I'll send it in for a biopsy,' which, actually, just for those people that care about this stuff, you could go get a biopsy and it would cost you thousands of dollars or insurance or whatever. The way this guy did it was old school — he just ripped a chunk off my tonsil and sent it in and it saved me a ton of money to do that. So it came back positive for HPV 16 throat cancer. Definitely not good. So, right then you start freaking out, like, 'Oh, man. Okay, what stage is it?', whatever. And it's very difficult to get definitive answers on stuff, 'cause nobody really knows until you do all these tests and all this stuff. So there's probably three or four weeks before you find out what stage it is or whatever."

Doug continued: "So that's how it started. And then I went and started going through the process. By that time, I was doing a lot of tests and stuff. I have insurance for me and my family, and I maxed out my deductible. So that was good. But insurance is a whole another thing. Doctors' bills — you get bills; every day there's bills from this and that, and you don't know what to pay and what not to pay. It's very confusing. But anyway, that's how it started. That's how it was diagnosed. And I immediately got in with… My wife got me into a doctor at UCLA Medical Center, which is close in L.A. And then my sister's boyfriend is a plastic surgeon, and he got me in with a doctor for a second opinion from Cedar Sinai in L.A. And that's the guy I went with, a guy called Dr. Ho."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk to clarify that he "had no symptoms" beyond this little bump and that he wasn't "in pain or anything", Doug said: "Nothing. Sometimes people lose weight. I had no symptoms — nothing. It was just a bump, and it was not super noticeable, but then, of course, once you see it, you can't unsee it. And another thing that's important for people [to know] is that the most important thing you can do to protect yourself is get checked. Well, this particular cancer, it usually gets discovered by a dentist. But I don't have many problems with my teeth, and a dentist is expensive. So I would be, like, 'Look, my kids, I wanna make sure they're checked, and [they have] braces and whatever they need to do. That's what I'm gonna spend my money on.' I was, like, 'I don't need to go to the dentist. I just brush my teeth and floss. That's it.' But had I gone to the dentist, he would have seen this before it… It's called metastasizing when it switches from the actual tumor to a lymph node, and that's what my neck bump was; it was a lymph node that had gotten swollen. So a dentist would have seen that thing on my tonsil a lot sooner and it would have been much easier to deal with, or my treatment would have been much easier to deal with. But it got discovered when it was already metastasized in the lymph node and then the question was, what stage is it? How big is it? How far did it go?"

Doug added: "So the bottom line is you've gotta get diagnosed of where you're at, and you need to go to an oncologist. And I would recommend [for you to] go to a big hospital in your area and make an appointment, start making appointments with whoever you can. And that's what my wife did. She reached out to UCLA because we've used them before for kids and stuff. And so she got me that one. And the guy, he had been there a long time, had a great record, and UCLA is great and everything, but he said, 'We don't really do stages anymore. It's kind of an old thing that they did with cancer. They call it stage 1 through 4, whatever.' Basically, he goes, 'I don't know what yours is exactly. It could be 2, it could be 3, it could be 1 and a half, whatever. But you're gonna need surgery.'

"When it's in your throat, you've got all these things that are connected in there. So they're looking down your nose, looking in your throat, looking at X-rays and scans and all this stuff. And by the way, around that time too, the doctor ordered a PET scan, which is a full-on body [scan] to see if the cancer has spread to like your lungs or your liver or kidneys or whatever, and that's scary. When you start thinking, like, 'When is my appointment? Oh, it's in two weeks. It could be right now growing anywhere.' And you don't know, so you've gotta get this PET scan. But, fortunately, so far and at that time, I was all clear everywhere except for that spot. So he said, 'You've gotta operate,' and he goes, 'The good thing is I'm a great surgeon. I can do the outside part on your lymph nodes, but I can't do the inside, which is gonna be a robotic surgery. I need somebody else to do that.' And then when I met with Dr. Ho at Cedar Sinai, he was younger. He had probably had more up-to-date kind of training in terms of robotics. And he goes, 'I'm gonna do both surgeries myself.' And he was very confident."

According to Aldrich, another issue had come up during that time which affected the way he went about his surgery. He explained to "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "There's a nerve in your neck that connects your shoulder that's involved in this area. And when they do the surgery, if they clip that nerve, then you're have a real hard time lifting your arm, which wouldn't affect my guitar playing, but I wouldn't be able to lift my arm up very well. And I'm thinking not just about playing guitar, but I'm thinking about, like, shooting a basketball with my kids or something. So I asked him about it, and he goes, 'We'll do our best. I think we can save that nerve.' And he did. So first thing [they did was the] surgery, and then after surgery, they decide what kind of treatments, whether they got it all and you don't need to do anything, or if you have to have radiation, or chemo, or both. And I had to get radiation."

In late September 2024, Doug's wife Daniela "Danni" Aldrich said that his surgery, which she described as "five long hours of multiple steps", "went incredibly well", adding that "Doug pushed through like the fighter he is. Even the nurse called him a superhero for his strength and determination right after!" she wrote. "He is the strongest person I know."

Aldrich played with DIO for a short period between 2002 and 2006. He was also a member of WHITESNAKE from 2002 to 2014 before leaving to spend more time with his family. The guitarist played on two WHITESNAKE studio albums, 2008's "Good To Be Bad" and 2011's "Forevermore", and appeared on several live releases, including 2013's "Made In Japan" and "Made In Britain/The World Records".

Aldrich left WHITESNAKE 12 years ago, saying in a statement that he "had several recording and live commitments," so he "needed a more flexible schedule to conclude these before going full force as normal." He added: "Unfortunately, my schedule was not workable."

Trafalgar Releasing has announces the official title, key artwork, and North American theatrical plans for the upcoming IRON MAIDEN feature documentary, now titled "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition".

Documenting one of the most iconic journeys in music history, the film is set to hit theaters for a limited time only beginning May 7, 2026, with tickets going on sale March 18.

Directed by Malcolm Venville ("Churchill At War") and produced by Dominic Freeman ("Spirits In The Forest - A Depeche Mode Film"), the feature‑length documentary charts IRON MAIDEN's remarkable five‑decade journey.

Alongside the band, the documentary features on‑camera reflections from prominent admirers, including Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, each speaking to IRON MAIDEN's influence on music, culture and generations of fans worldwide.

The newly released key art by Albert "Akirant" Quirantes offers the first visual look at the documentary.

Formed in East London in 1975, IRON MAIDEN have grown into one of the world's most influential and enduring rock bands. Across 50 years they have released 17 studio albums, sold over 100 million records, and performed almost 2,500 concerts across 64 countries.

The documentary arrives as the band continues its two-year "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which included a triumphant homecoming performance at London Stadium a short distance from where it all began five decades ago.

A recently announced, one-of-a-kind, celebration named EddFest in historic Knebworth Park, England, on July 11 forms part of over 50 shows worldwide in 2026.

IRON MAIDEN were founded in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris and have grown to become one of the world's most celebrated bands. With a steady recording output beginning with their self-titled 1980 debut, they have released 17 studio albums, 13 live albums and 47 singles which have sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide. They have played almost 2,500 live shows across 64 countries and were carried to some of these aboard Ed Force One, a Boeing 757 and then later a 747 piloted by singer Bruce Dickinson. They have been the recipients of a Grammy Award and a Brit Award, among many other accolades, most recently joining THE ROLLING STONES and PINK FLOYD with their very own Royal Mail stamp set. Their beer, Trooper Beer, is now in its twelfth year and has sold in excess of 40 million pints and is distributed in 68 countries, including six local variants in USA, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Australia. 2025 marked the band's official 50th year and is being celebrated by a two-year world tour titled "Run For Your Lives" and a range of events and products including their first-ever official hardcover visual history book, "Infinite Dreams".

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

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

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

"This song is about standing in the storm instead of running from it," says PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin. "It's honest, it's exposed and it's real. 'Rain' feels like where I'm at now."

Rather than revisiting past formulas, PUDDLE OF MUDD focuses on reconnecting with the emotional core that first defined their sound.

"This isn't a comeback built on nostalgia," says Johnson. "It's about letting Wes be emotionally present again. 'Rain' carries the same soul and emotional weight that made 'Blurry' timeless — without trying to recreate it."

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

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

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

PUDDLE OF MUDD's latest album, "Kiss The Machine", was released in May 2025 via Pavement Entertainment.

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

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

In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo spoke about MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine's decision to include Dave's version of "Ride The Lightning", the title track of METALLICA's 1984 album for which he got a co-writing credit following his 1983 departure from the band, on the final MEGADETH album, simply titled "Megadeth". Asked what his reaction was when he heard that Dave wanted to record "Ride The Lightning" for "Megadeth", James said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was delighted. I was surprised. My eyebrows went up, but I was kind of delighted that he was gonna even go there, because there's always that subliminal undercurrent tension — you know, 'Oh, METALLICA [versus] MEGADETH.' And I always thought, like, MEGADETH, for God's sake, I always thought Dave won in a way, because he's built this giant thing all by himself. And it made a lot of sense to me logically. It seemed like if this is the last thing we're gonna do, then we should go out, end with a bang, but also kind of address the full history of this band. And that's like step one. So I thought it was great in the end. But yes, my eyebrow went up when I heard him say that. Yeah."

After Botas noted that he thinks MEGADETH is a better band than METALLICA "when it comes to riffs and solos", James said: "I can't go on board with you there. I mean, I'm a company guy — sure, I think we're better, but semantically, I don't really believe that. It's all about taste and approach, right? And I think if Dave had stayed there [in METALLICA], it would've certainly been a lot more complex, but they would've not lost any energy that they had, METALLICA. It comes down to, like, who do you like better — MOTÖRHEAD or the RAMONES? One seems silly, one seems really serious, but I love them both. You know what I mean? And it's similar kind of driving music."

Asked if he knew, before MEGADETH went into the studio to make "Megadeth", that it was going to be billed as the band's final effort, James said: "No, no, no. This came about, like, three-quarters through. We were proceeding as if we were just doing another record, and as time went by… After we finished the record was basically when Dave had this meeting with us and said, 'You know, guys, this is kind of where we're at right now. And maybe instead of going out with a whimper, maybe we go out with a big, giant victorious thing.' And I think it was probably easier to make that decision after hearing the music that we had. 'Cause if we weren't convinced with the record, who'd wanna say, 'Oh, this is our last record. Sorry, this is the best we can do.' No, we were pretty excited with it. So, it was afterward. And looking down the road, I guess with Ozzy [Osbourne] and all these bands [going away or retiring] — I mean, he had such an illustrious career. There's so many bands that come and go, and they come back and they leave and all that stuff. And Dave's not that guy. So when he said that, I heard him loud and clear. It was, like, 'No, we have to really go out the right way if we're gonna do this at all.'"

According to LoMenzo, "It was actually a pleasure making the record without any expectation" of knowing that it would be MEGADETH's final album. "And those are the best albums," he said. "I mean, the ones I love the best are when the band just jumps in, and everybody who's got something throws it all together and then you see what you have. And people, the consortium of musicians in the band, they sort of give and take, and you kind of get the feeling about what shape the record's taking as it goes along. So, this was a record that we had a lot of good stuff. [Current MEGADETH guitarist] Teemu [Mäntysaari], being a new member, we didn't know what to expect. And my God — the kid came through with flying colors. He just has so many great riffs and his ability to perform is just unmatched. I've really not seen anybody who's quite that fast, as far as picking things up and putting his own stamp on it."

Earlier this month, LoMenzo was asked by Terry Palamara of Loud And Proud Italy how it felt to have a No. 1 album in the U.S. with "Megadeth". He responded: "We're walking on clouds. We are so elated by the response of the fans buying the record.

"You have to realize that both Dave and I come from this career of ours making records for years and years and years, going all the way back to the '80s, '90s. And it was a real hard thing to let everybody know you had a record. And then get it out on the radio and make sure that you could promote it and make sure they knew the music was there. That meant nothing if the audience didn't really love what they were hearing. So at this point for MEGADETH, to have a No. 1, to be included with MEGADETH on this album release, for me it's a career high. I've never experienced anything quite like this."

LoMenzo added: "We've spoken to each other over the past couple of days in celebration, preparing to go for our tour to Canada, and we just cannot thank our fans enough for showing such interest in this new record, in this final record, which is really gratifying to bring the legacy of MEGADETH to this really terrific close."

Asked if Mustaine knew already early during the songwriting process that "Megadeth" would turn out to be MEGADETH's final effort, especially since a song like "The Last Note" sees Mustaine writing about touring and leaving the band behind, LoMenzo said: "You know what?! If he did, he never intimated that to us. He never shared that with us going into the record. We came off tour last year, and we had decided to an album and find a new label. Frontiers was terrific, but it was just gonna be business as usual. We tried to make a really good MEGADETH record. And we really focused on trying to find out what there was in all the albums past that kind of made them so MEGADETH-y, and tried to really focus together and really intellectually think about what made some records work better than others, some songs better than others, what fans really enjoy. We know it 'cause we play the hits every night when we get out there. So we kind of know what the parameters of that are. So we discussed that. So there was no indication. I mean, Dave was just gung-ho, 'Let's just make a great MEGADETH record.' And it wasn't until we were, like, halfway, two-thirds through that he started letting us know where he was at with it all. And you would think at one point, everybody would be, like, 'Oh, man, come on.' Teemu had just joined the band and all that. But we've seen [Dave] out there and we've seen ourselves out there. And touring is not for the faint of heart unless you're 19; [I] used to be 19. Doing it at this level and bringing the music to the masses takes a lot. And Dave's a bionic dude now. Everybody's well aware of his history. So for him to get out there and really wanna do it really speaks volumes. Giving in to the idea that maybe his hands might not be working as well in the future going forward, it really made a lot of sense to all of us, this was the time to really celebrate MEGADETH and bring this thing to its potential close. And I think Dave was a warrior. He never really gets the lyrics all going until the end of the record, to answer your first question. So, we'll go out there, record some stuff, and he'll start writing and putting stuff up and testing, and he'll send it to us and ask us our opinions. And I've done a few of these records with Dave before, and it really starts to — it's like a snowball; the lyrics get better and better. So what ended up happening in this case was when I finally heard 'The Last Note', and I really heard 'The Last Note', the last version of it, it put a lump in my throat 'cause I could really feel Dave's journey. And I didn't expect that. I didn't expect him to be that candid and honest about things. And so the follow-up was we should let the audience know that we're gonna gonna chug this thing out as long as it's possible. And if you put it into a number, I mean, yeah, a couple of touring cycles is probably what would do it."

Regarding what his personal songwriting contributions to "Megadeth" were, James said: "In my case, I do what I've done for most of my career as a bass player. Bass players are weird people, most of them, in that we don't require the spotlight. Real bass players kind of have this roundabout way of looking at things where we love to really service the music to make it as good as it can be. Okay, so the genre of metal — sure, there's the great metal bass players like Steve Harris [IRON MAIDEN], who leads the band in a way. MEGADETH's never been that. So I have to come in with that attitude and go, 'Okay, how do I support what's going on?' And any good musician would listen first and then add later. If it's not my song we're working on, and it's Dave's song or it's Teemu's song or it's Dirk's [Verbeuren, MEGADETH drummer] song, I have to listen to what's going on and decide what would elevate it and probably not just egotistically step on people's toes and do a big show-off in a space where it doesn't belong. So, I think this record is probably the most refined I've been as far as contributing to the music. Whenever we'd sit around in a circle and put things, we'd all kind of go, 'Hey, try this' or 'Try this riff.' And we'd put it down and then we'd listen to it and go, 'Well, that works better than that.' So, some of my music ended up with the other guys' music on their songs. And that's kind of the way MEGADETH works. It's this great democracy that has a fantastic traffic cop, Dave, who really knows, because he's walked this whole journey his whole life, who really knows what it's going to be in the end. And you can't be in this band without trusting that. Otherwise I think you're gonna fail the whole thing."

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

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

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

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

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

24 years after its start, TERROR still reigns as one of the most influential bands in hardcore. Now TERROR has announced its tenth full-length record, "Still Suffer", due on April 24 through Flatspot Records. Working with producer (and former guitarist) Todd Jones, the band created ten fast, aggressive, in-your-face tracks that embrace the themes that made TERROR so influential in the first place.

The LP's first single, the "Still Suffer" title track, out today, is a two-and-half-minute display of the heavy and unwavering hardcore that has made TERROR an institution in the genre. The video for "Still Suffer" was directed by Derek Rathbun and follows the chaos of TERROR's January 2026 tour in Latin America.

TERROR will head out on a U.S. tour starting February 26 with support from MONGREL, COMBUST and COLLATERAL on select dates. The band will headline LDB Fest in Louisville, Kentucky on February 28.

With the release of "Still Suffer", it's clear TERROR has no sign of letting up, continuing to succeed on their mission to deliver hardcore authentic to themselves.

In addition to Jones's production work, "Still Suffer" was rounded out with engineering and some additional production by Taylor Young at The Pit Recording Studio, mixing by Jon Markson, and mastering by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, with additional vocal engineering by Jay Zubricky at GCR Audio, and drum engineering at Studio 606 by Taylor Young and Oliver Roman. Guest vocals on the album come from Jay Peta of MINDFORCE on "Beauty In The Losses", Brody King of GOD'S HATE and Dan Seely of KING NINE on "Deconstruct It", along with HOT WATER MUSIC's Chuck Ragan providing an assertive delivery on "Fear The Panic", a song which was also co-produced by NEW FOUND GLORY's Chad Gilbert.

TERROR is Scott Vogel on vocals, Martin Stewart on guitar, Jordan Posner on guitar, Nicholas Jett on drums, and Christopher Linkovich on bass.

"Still Suffer" track listing:

01. Erase You From My World
02. Still Suffer
03. Promised Only Lies
04. Destruction Of My Soul
05. Fear The Panic (feat. Chuck Ragan
06. Death Of Hope
07. Beauty In The Losses (feat. Jay Peta
08. A Deeper Struggle
09. To Hurt The Most
10. Deconstruct It (feat. Brody King, Dan Seely)

Tour dates:

Feb. 26 - Toledo, OH - Frankie's*
Feb. 27 - Erie, PA - The Bunker*
Feb. 28 - Louisville, KY - LDB Fest
Mar. 01 - Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Theatre*
Mar. 03 - Pensacola, FL - Handlebar
Mar. 04 - Jacksonville, FL - The Albatross#
Mar. 05 - Orlando, FL - Conduit#
Mar. 06 - Miami, FL - Churchill's Pub#
Mar. 07 - Tampa, FL - S.P.O.T.#
Mar. 08 - Augusta, GA - Grantski
Mar. 09 - Greenville, SC - Radio Room^
Mar. 10 - Virginia Beach, VA - Peabody's^
Mar. 11 - Lakewood, NJ - Maggie's^
Mar. 12 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground^
Mar. 13 - Reading, PA - Reverb^
Mar. 14 - Massapequa, NY - Massapequa VFW
Mar. 15 - Providence, RI - Alchemy^

* with MONGREL
^ with COMBUST
# with COLLATERAL

Photo credit: Mark Miller