Danish rock and rollers VOLBEAT have recruited their longtime touring guitarist Flemming C. Lund as a "permanent" replacement for Rob Caggiano.

Earlier today (Thursday, February 19),VOLBEAT released the following statement via social media: "We're very happy to announce that after this past year of touring and, of course, laying down some scorching solos on [VOLBEAT's latest album] 'God Of Angels Trust' we've finally 'put a ring on it' and Flemming C. Lund is officially the permanent lead guitar player in VOLBEAT.

"Aside from seeing him on the road with us this past year, you can also find Flemming playing with his other bands THE ARCANE ORDER, TEMPLE OF SCORN and of course with ASINHELL, and you may have heard him in his previous band, AUTUMN LEAVES.

"Please join us in giving Flemming a proper 'welcome aboard,' and we'll see you on the road this summer!"

In June 2023, VOLBEAT announced that it had officially parted ways with Caggiano. No reason was given for the split, but the remaining bandmembers said that they wished their "brother Rob all the best with everything he does in the future." They went on to thank Rob "for ten amazing years."

A day later, Lund commented on his decision to accept the offer to play with VOLBEAT on the band's 2023 shows, saying in a statement: "The cat's out of the bag! Sometimes unexpected things happen in life and this must be said to be one of them: I can now finally reveal that I will be playing stand-in in VOLBEAT for Rob Caggiano on lead guitar on VOLBEAT's upcoming summer tour.

"When I was asked by Michael Poulsen if I wanted to help them, I was honestly at first very overwhelmed by the request and found it very difficult to see myself in that role. But after a little time to think and talk with those closest to me, it dawned on me that it was something I could not possibly say no to.

"So this summer takes a somewhat unexpected, but obviously insanely cool turn. I will try to enjoy every moment and just take in the many experiences and impressions that will surely be an experience of a lifetime."

On June 12, 2023, Rob — who played on four of VOLBEAT's studio albums: 2013's "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", 2016's "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie", 2019's "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" and 2021's "Servant Of The Mind" — issued a statement in which he said he was "extremely proud of everything" he and how now-former bandmates "accomplished together over the last 10 years."

As for why his time with VOLBEAT had come to an end, Rob said: "Sometimes relationships simply run their course. Sometimes certain obstacles, people or circumstances get in the way of the greater good. Sometimes people change and priorities shift. Sometimes it's unavoidable. We had a very special undeniable magic together as a band. It's not something that comes around too often in this life and it's not something to be taken lightly. I certainly do not. However, while this is really a very emotional time for me I'm also extremely excited about what lies ahead in the future. Lots of exciting things happening right now. I really couldn't be more fired up!!"

THE ARCANE ORDER is a Danish extreme metal quintet which released its fourth album, "Distortions From Cosmogony", in June 2023 via Black Lion Records.

"God Of Angels Trust" arrived in June 2025 via VOLBEAT's longtime label Vertigo/Universal.

Danish thrash metal veterans ARTILLERY will release a new single, "Ghost In The Machine", on February 27 via Mighty Music. According to a press release, the track is "a sharp and timely statement on the growing presence of artificial intelligence, and the threat it represents, especially to creativity and musicianship."

"'Ghost In The Machine' is the A.I. threat we are all facing — especially us musicians right now", the band comments. "Yes, just as James Cameron predicted back in 'Terminator' in 1984".

"Ghost In The Machine" is taken from the upcoming ARTILLERY EP "Made In Hell", which will mark the next chapter in the band's long-running career and ongoing evolution (details to be revealed soon).

"Made In Hell" was mixed last October at Medley Studio in Copenhagen, Denmark with Benjamin Høyer.

Since returning in full force in 2008, ARTILLERY has released six studio albums, including the band's latest effort, 2021's "X". A live album, "Raw Live (In Copenhell)", was recorded in 2022 and made available in February 2024 via Mighty Music.

ARTILLERY's current lineup consists of guitarist and bandleader Michael Stützer alongside IRON FIRE vocalist Martin Steene, bassist Peter Thorslund, guitarist René Loua and drummer Frederik Kjelstrup Hansen.

In a March 2024 interview with ROTR, Stützer stated about Steene's 2023 addition to ARTILLERY: "He can sing in a lot of different styles. We already have a new song we're doing with him and fans are going to love it. [Previous ARTILLERY singer] Michael [Bastholm Dahl] couldn't do the U.S. tour; that's also why Martin was on board. Martin was also in IRON FIRE and FORCE OF EVIL with Michael Denner and Hank Shermann from MERCYFUL FATE. People will be really surprised with how good he'll be."

Regarding Dahl's departure from ARTILLERY, Stützer said: "Michael and me are still very close friends. He just couldn't tour so much. He didn't want us to be stuck."

Dahl made his final recording appearance with ARTILLERY on the aforementioned "Raw Live (In Copenhell)" live album.

"X" was recorded at Medley Studio with producer Søren Andersen, with whom ARTILLERY had worked with on every record since 2009's "When Death Comes".

Longtime ARTILLERY drummer Josua Madsen, who played on the band's last four albums, died in March 2023 at the age of 45 after being hit by a bus on a dark country road between Copenhagen and Roskilde, Denmark.

Back in the 1980s, ARTILLERY was one of the biggest European thrash sensations on the scene, characterized by intense, energetic riffing and unique vocals of Flemming Ronsdorf. Their debut album, "Fear Of Tomorrow" and the follow-up, "Terror Squad", have gained a legendary status, becoming some of the most thrilling thrash releases of the late '80s period. In 1999, ARTILLERY reformed and released "B.A.C.K.", produced by Andy Sneap, which was hailed immediately as a return to form.

Michael Stützer's brother, bassist/guitarist Morten Stützer, died in 2019, having played a big part in shaping ARTILLERY's songs and appearing on every album up to 2018's "The Face Of Fear".

Photo credit: John-Son

William Shatner is turning the volume up to pain-threshold max.. The legendary actor, author, and cultural icon today announces his latest album — a heavy metal extravaganza powered a veritable army of metal stars, each one personally selected and hand-picked by Shatner to help deliver a project that's equal parts thunder, theater, and fearless experimentation.

Shatner has long been attracted to music that challenges boundaries and amplifies storytelling. Over the years, his recordings have attracted a striking range of collaborators across heavy music and beyond — artists chosen for their distinct voices, fearlessness, and credibility.

Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE),Ritchie Blackmore (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW),Edgar Froese (TANGERINE DREAM),Wayne Kramer (MC5),Henry Rollins (BLACK FLAG, THE ROLLINS BAND) have all recorded with the legend. Indeed, Shatner's history of defying expectations is well documented, and his music has long lived in the space where spoken-word intensity meets cinematic atmosphere. This new album raises the stakes even higher: more artists, more distortion, more drama — and a heavier impact.

"Metal has always been a place where imagination gets loud," Shatner said. "This album is a gathering of forces — each artist bringing their fire, their precision, their chaos. I chose them because they have something to say, and because metal demands honesty."

Built around massive guitars, cinematic arrangements, and Shatner's signature vocal intensity, the record plays like a high-voltage film: sharp turns, dark humor, raw emotion, and moments of unexpected beauty. The result is an event album — designed not as a novelty, but as a statement, uniting a legion of metal's most respected musicians under one uniquely singular vision.

The catalyst for the project came with Shatner's involvement in the upcoming NUCLEAR MESSIAH album "Black Flame", voicing an intro piece created with Chris Poland, the ex-MEGADETH guitarist and a widely revered metal innovator. That collaboration didn't just set a tone — it sparked Shatner's inspiration to build a full-scale metal album with elite metal talent.

"When NUCLEAR MESSIAH came to life, something clicked," Shatner said. "It wasn't just a track — it was a doorway. It made me want to go all the way in, bring in the best metal players I could find, and create something fearless."

Adding to the momentum, metal guitar icon Zakk Wylde personally gifted Shatner a guitar, a gesture Shatner describes as unexpected and deeply motivating.

"I've spent a lifetime exploring in both reality and fiction," said Shatner. "Now I am stepping out into the unknown once again with my new project in heavy metal. I am covering BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN as well as a number of new songs written by my team. The whole project is destined for this year. I hope you will join me in the exploration."

Additional album details — including title, track list, release date, lead single, and the full roster of featured artists — will be revealed soon.

Photo by Elizabeth Shatner

In a new interview with Gastão Moreira of Brazil's Kazagastão, Alex Van Halen confirmed that there was talk of Ozzy Osbourne making an album with Alex and his brother, legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Asked if it's true that Eddie once called Ozzy, inviting him to sing in VAN HALEN, Alex said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, yeah. No. Ed and I met with Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager], because we were kind of at a loss of which direction we wanted to go. That was probably in about 2000… I'm trying to remember, because it was right before ['The Osbournes'] TV show; the next day they had that TV show. So we sat with Sharon. I mean, it was kind of an interesting evening because she's a lovely lady. I don't know what people would say about her, grousing and complain[ing], but she's a lovely lady who really had to fend for herself in a male-dominated world. We played several times with Ozzy on the bill, and she was always there to support him, to guide him, to give him comfort because most performers are not as sure of themselves as they appear to be. So we got together and the final thing we talked about was, she says, 'Okay, it sounds like a good idea. Let's do that. Let's make a record together. Only one thing. I have a meeting tomorrow with some people about a television show.' And the rest is history. That's how close it got."

Back in October 2020, Ozzy spoke about Eddie's guitar-playing skills during an episode of SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard. Ozzy said: "You think you've seen it all. Then out of the blue, somebody comes out with such a revolutionized way of playing. To watch Eddie play was, like — his hands would turn into a spider. It was remarkable. He always made it look like it was so easy."

Asked if he and Eddie ever had a chance to work together beyond just sharing the stage on various tours and festivals, Ozzy said: "No, no, no. He phoned me up one time and asked me if I wanted to sing in his band — way after Sammy [Hagar had left the band]. I think he was a bit drunk. We've all done one of them — calling at four o'clock in the morning, going, [makes unintelligible sound]."

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

The day after Eddie's death, Ozzy paid tribute to the iconic axeman, telling Rolling Stone: "The last time I spent any serious time with Eddie was on the last official BLACK SABBATH tour I did in '79, when they opened up for us. They were such good guys to be around. We had such fun. Every time I ever saw Eddie Van Halen, it was fun.

"I remember seeing Eddie do that finger-tapping thing, and that was the first time I'd ever seen anyone do that. Just when you think nobody can make guitar playing exciting, somebody like that comes out. He was one of them.

"That thing with finger-tapping in the 80s, with the hair bands, everybody was doing that finger tapping. Once you've seen the master do it, everyone else comes second. Anybody after Eddie Van Halen was in second, as far as I'm concerned."

Osbourne went on to say that the "one thing I loved about Eddie was he always had a big grin on his face, and he looked like he was enjoying every second he was up there. Whether it was showbiz bullshit or not — I don't think it was — he always looked like he was having the best time of his life up there."

Describing the late guitarist "a force to be reckoned with," Ozzy recalled one show they played with VAN HALEN in San Antonio where "they went on and blew the roof off. And we had to follow them. I mean, it was such a hard gig for us. To follow VAN HALEN, you'd go, 'Oh, fuck. No.' And after that tour, they took off."

Osbourne said that he "could sit and watch Eddie Van Halen play guitar all day. He's so entertaining as a guitar player. He made it look like it was not difficult. He made it look like it was a natural thing. Everybody else was trying to be Eddie Van Halen, but there is only one Eddie Van Halen. I thought he was brilliant. God only knows, what you have to do to get that good."

Eddie died from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

"Your Favorite Toy", the titular first single of FOO FIGHTERS' forthcoming twelfth full-length studio album, has been released.

The first new FOO FIGHTERS music of 2026, "Your Favorite Toy" is nothing short of an insidious earworm. Jagged guitar shards and sinister keyboard stabs bob and weave atop a relentless rhythmic pulse, as Dave Grohl unleashes a newfound sardonic vocal tone on infectious choruses: "Get back. Hear that, boy? Someone threw away your favorite toy for good. For good."

A perfect first taste and representation of the album of the same name, "Your Favorite Toy" sounds like nothing else in the band's monolithic discography, while instantly and unmistakably identifiable as FOO FIGHTERS.

Grohl commented: "'Your Favorite Toy' really was the key that unlocked the tone and energetic direction of the new album. We stumbled upon it after experimenting with different sounds and dynamics for over a year, and the day it took shape I knew that we had to follow its lead. It was the fuse to the powder keg of songs we wound up recording for this record. It feels new."

Preceded by last year's incendiary "Asking For A Friend", "Your Favorite Toy" will be released April 24 via Roswell Records/RCA Records. Recorded at home, the album was co-produced by FOO FIGHTERS and Oliver Roman, engineered by Oliver Roman and mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent, and consists of the following songs:

01. Caught In The Echo
02. Of All People
03. Window
04. Your Favorite Toy
05. If You Only Knew
06. Spit Shine
07. Unconditional
08. Child Actor
09. Amen, Caveman
10. Asking For A Friend

"Your Favorite Toy"'s release heralds FOO FIGHTERS' massive "Take Cover" world tour, which kicks off June 10 at Unity Arena in Oslo, following a pair of U.S. festival headlines at Welcome To Rockville and Bottlerock.

Last October, FOO FIGHTERS confirmed their first stadium tour since the massive 2023-2024 "Everything Or Nothing At All" run that sold out football and baseball fields the world over. Kicking off August 4, 2026 at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, the new tour will see FOO FIGHTERS bringing the maximum volume euphoria of the band's recent surprise U.S. club gigs and overseas outdoor / arena spectaculars to a total of 14 North American cities, concluding September 26, 2026 at Las Vegas's Allegiant Stadium. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will be direct support on all dates except September 12 in Fargo.

FOO FIGHTERS played their first concert with new drummer Ilan Rubin on September 13, 2025 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California.

The Grohl-fronted outfit announced the surprise show the day before, revealing that it would play an all-ages gig at the 900-capacity venue, marking the band's first official performance with Rubin, the former NINE INCH NAILS drummer who joined the FOO FIGHTERS earlier in 2025.

At one point, Grohl introduced Rubin from the stage. "Everybody else has said it," Dave said. "I finally get the opportunity to say, 'Ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome…' The most badass motherfucker, Ilan Rubin, is playing drums in the FOO FIGHTERS right now. It's official. You can stamp the passport."

Prior to the San Luis Obispo concert, FOO FIGHTERS had been off the road since September 2024.

FOO FIGHTERS announced Rubin as their new drummer in July 2025.

Rubin was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with NINE INCH NAILS in 2020.

Rubin stepped into the FOO FIGHTERS as the replacement for Josh Freese, who was fired from the group in May 2025. Freese, meanwhile, who was the NAILS' touring drummer from 2005 to 2008, returned to the band earlier last summer.

Two years after he was recruited to fill the vacancy left by the late Taylor Hawkins, Freese shared a statement on Instagram on May 16, 2025 in which he said the FOO FIGHTERS called him earlier that week to let him know that they had decided "to go in a different direction with their drummer." Freese added, "No reason was given."

Rubin played with NINE INCH NAILS from 2008 to 2009, and again from 2013 until his latest exit. Rubin is also a member of Tom DeLonge's band ANGELS & AIRWAVES, and has played with Danny Elfman. He also recorded solo albums under the name THE NEW REGIME.

Hawkins tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50.

Hawkins was found dead in a hotel room in Colombia, shortly before FOO FIGHTERS were due to play a festival in Bogotá. No cause of death was ever announced.

Hawkins had been the FOO FIGHTERS drummer for 25 years, taking over from original drummer William Goldsmith in 1997.

FOO FIGHTERS staged two tribute concerts in honor of Hawkins. The first tribute concert took place September 3, 2022 at London's Wembley Stadium. A Los Angeles concert was held on September 27, 2022 and raised money for Musicares and Music Support charities and served as a farewell party for Hawkins's adopted hometown.

Other notable tributes to come in the months following Hawkins's death included a segment at the 2022 Grammy Awards, a drum circle in Taylor's hometown, and a live performance of the FOO FIGHTERS song "My Hero" by more than 1,000 musicians.

FOO FIGHTERS are Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, Rami Jaffee and Ilan Rubin.

Photo credit: Elizabeth Miranda

"The Antique Nerve", a new single from DEATH STAR PAPARAZZI, the band featuring former DROWNING POOL singer Jasen Moreno on vocals and bass, alongside Adam Nañez on guitar and Ian Zeuss on drums, can be streamed below.

DEATH STAR PAPARAZZI was born out of pure musical brotherhood — a bond forged by rock and roll with lifelong homies. No compromises, no bullshit. Moreno, Nañez and Zeuss never stopped creating together, even during the decade Jasen was fronting DROWNING POOL — recording three records, touring the world nonstop, and tearing up stages in front of thousands of rabid fans. Through all of it, the guys kept writing songs and digging into the treasure trove of unreleased tracks that nearly vanished into the void.

DEATH STAR PAPARAZZI is the chapter where everything comes full circle — from mosh-pit nu-metal bangers to acoustic ballads and all the raw grit in between. This season of the band carries the weight, chemistry, and sharpened instincts that only decades of writing, touring, and grinding can produce.

With another 30-plus tracks — new fire and long-lost gems — in the pipeline for 2026, the mission is simple: release the vault and finally get these songs out into the world.

Chaotic nu-metal anthems like "The Antique Nerve" to stripped-down, quiet bruisers, DEATH STAR PAPARAZZI is the sound of three brothers who still believe in the power of a killer riff and a kick-ass song.

Jasen, who joined DROWNING POOL in 2012, exited the group in early 2023, making way for the return of Ryan McCombs.

In an October 2023 interview with "The Logan Show", DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce stated about Moreno's split: "Yeah, [Jasen] was in [DROWNING POOL] for 10 years and we did three amazing records with him. And a lot of great times and great songs with Jasen. He's like a higher-register stuff, where he sings. It's still us in DROWNING POOL doing our thing. Yeah, man, especially the last record, [2022's] 'Strike A Nerve', I'm really proud of that record. That's just the way of the earth, man — music business, managers and all that fun stuff. But here we are now with Ryan, so I guess all things are meant to be, for whatever reasons."

Asked if Moreno's departure is something that C.J. and his bandmates saw coming for a while or if it was a sudden development, Pierce said: "Yeah, we felt it coming for a while. I'll let Jasen speak for himself. It's a lot of different factors involved in it, but just to sum up real quick, I think part of it, him being home — a lot of people were home during COVID with the family — he does have a big family, and I think a big part of it [was that he felt] that's where he needs to be, with family right now. So I totally understand that. And also, he got pretty — all of us got pretty burned by the music business constantly, beyond burned, and it's frustrating as well. So I think with those two factors, he was, like, 'All right. I'm not gonna do this right now.' And understandably so. But here we are, like I said, with Ryan McCombs back in the fold."

McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL in March 2023 at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.

DROWNING POOL's first new record since 2016, "Strike A Nerve", came out via T-Boy/UMe. It marked the band's third album with Moreno.

DROWNING POOL addressed Moreno's departure in a social media post on March 16, 2023, writing: "We appreciate everyone asking about Jasen. We can't speak for him but we believe he was just ready to move on to other things in life. Maybe he will make a statement. Maybe he won't. Regardless, we wish him the best."

SUNN O))) — Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson — has released a new song, "Butch's Guns". You can now stream it below.

"Butch's Guns" is taken from SUNN O)))'s upcoming self-titled tenth album, which is due on Friday, April 3 via Sub Pop.

For nearly 30 years, SUNN O))) has pushed the boundaries of heavy music, straddling the worlds of the avant-garde and rock to forge a style instantly recognizable as their own.

Now, SUNN O))) returns with its first album of new material since 2019's acclaimed "Pyroclasts". "Sunn O)))" demonstrates the duo's mastery of time and space, light and dark, and their willingness to evolve their unmistakable sound into bold new forms.

"Sunn O)))" was tracked at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington with Brad Wood (HUM, TAR, SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, Liz Phair). This location would prove crucial to the recording process.

"The vast tracking room had big windows looking out on trees," says O'Malley. "We could go hiking and be out in the woods, spend time outdoors. That became a big part of it."

"It was very inviting and very comfortable there," adds Anderson. "There was no stress, no worry about the timeline or anything like that. We just let ourselves go, and let the music come out."

SUNN O))) have long welcomed collaborators into their self-contained world, including such esteemed fellow travellers as Hungarian vocal explorer Attila Csihar, Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, Seattle-based multi-instrumentalist Steve Moore, Texan polymath Mark Deutrom, SILKWORM co-founder Tim Midyett and legendary singer-songwriter Scott Walker. For the new album, however, O'Malley and Anderson explore the still-fertile, primal territory of the duo format.

"On this album for the first time all of the instrumentation was performed by Greg and I," says O'Malley. "All of the records have our leadership and direction, of course, but this time around, it was almost like this crucible of ideas that was really at the core of what we've been doing."

Recording exclusively as a duo should not be interpreted as SUNN O))) limiting or restricting themselves. To the contrary, it has opened up new possibilities for their music.

"What's been happening with our performances over the last couple years with the two of us and no other collaborators or players has been really fresh and exciting," says Anderson. "There's been a lot of development. A lot of that was unexpected. And a lot of things that happened in the studio were really exciting and different from what we had been playing live, as well."

The six compositions on "Sunn O)))" are expansive and panoramic yet finely detailed, reflecting the arboreal setting in which they were recorded. Opener "XXANN" enters with howling feedback before crunching into what might at first seem familiar territory — until one registers the sound of water trickling beneath. "Mindrolling" likewise incorporates field recordings, as does "Glory Black", which in addition introduces piano, by turns sonorous and delicate, into the mix, lending the already formidable piece a hushed, solemn feel. The Newcastle-forged originators of black metal get a shout out in the title of "Does Anyone Hear Like Venom?" which seems to position Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon as deep listeners, attuned to their Tyneside surroundings in much the same way as SUNN O))) are to the forest enfolding Bear Creek Studios. Throughout the album, the interplay between O'Malley and Anderson attains fresh heights of telepathic intensity as they shape a music that itself breathes the bracing, earthy air of the Pacific Northwest.

"It's always developing," says Anderson. "That's a constant, and that's what sustains my interest and passion. There's a movement that's happening, whether it's forward, backwards, to the side, whatever.

That's what makes playing in this group, at least for me, different and unique and special."

In October 2025 SUNN O))) released the first fruit of a new deal with celebrated U.S. label Sub Pop in the form of a maxi 12" featuring "Eternity's Pillars", "Raise The Chalice" and "Reverential" — three monumental tracks from the same sessions that produced the new album. The alliance with Sub Pop makes perfect sense, as Anderson explains.

"We decided that we should approach Sub Pop, after I'd had some great conversations with Jonathan Poneman," he says. "So I called him up and before I could get the words out of my mouth, he said, 'We'd love to do it. Tell me what you guys need.' He was really excited and supportive."

SUNN O))) are no strangers to striking cover art — as illustrated by their collaborations with Joanne Ratcliffe for "Black One", Richard Serra for "Monoliths & Dimensions", Angela LaFont Bolliger for "Kannon" and Samantha Keely Smith for "Life Metal" and "Pyroclasts". For "Sunn O)))", they have been granted permission by the estate of the late American artist Mark Rothko to reproduce two of his paintings on the album's sleeve.

"Over a few years, I developed a correspondence with Christopher Rothko via the Rothko Foundation's Henry Mandell," explains O'Malley. "It's such an honor to be in the proximity of art on that scale, which has moved me personally so much for decades. Standing in front of a Rothko painting, you can experience landscapes, worlds and environments subjectively in the abstraction."

Liner notes for the album are provided by award-winning British writer Robert Macfarlane, famed for his works concerning landscape and the multifaceted relationship between humanity and nature. Macfarlane negotiates the peaks and valleys of the SUNN O))) sound in a poetic, philosophical manner that will be familiar to readers of "Mountains Of The Mind: A History Of A Fascination" (2003),"The Wild Places" (2007),"Underland: A Deep Time Journey" (2019) or "Is A River Alive?" (2025).

"I've been very interested in Robert's writing for a long time," says O'Malley. "He was very up for engaging with this project. And what he ended up turning in was mind-blowing. It's part of the creative process, framing our music in a certain way, visually and with language, before presenting it to the world."

SUNN O))) also worked with French artist Elodie Lesourd, whose illustration work is featured on the inner LP sleeves and accompanying album merch.

"Sunn O)))" track listing:

01. XXANN
02. Does Anyone Hear Like Venom?
03. Butch's Guns
04. Mindrolling
05. Everett Moses
06. Glory Black

Photo credit: Charles Peterson (courtesy of Sub Pop)

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Bruce Dickinson's third album "Skunkworks", BMG has released it digitally in a brand new Dolby Atmos version, alongside a Dolby Atmos version of Bruce's debut solo album, "Tattooed Millionaire".

These releases follow the critically acclaimed release last year of "More Balls To Picasso", the stunning reworking of Bruce Dickinson's second solo album. Like that record, and the Dolby Atmos version of Bruce's most recent solo album "The Mandrake Project", the new versions of "Skunkworks" and "Tattooed Millionaire" have been newly mixed by Brendan Duffey.

"Skunkworks" is an album that has grown in stature and reverence since its initial release in 1996. Originally produced by NIRVANA producer Jack Endino, it saw Bruce moving into a more experimental and alternative world than his previous solo work, and that of IRON MAIDEN. Recorded as a band project with a new group of musicians, the album not only channeled elements of grunge but also had progressive and psychedelic influences within it. While fans and critics were divided at the time of its release, it is now considered to be one of Bruce Dickinson's most intriguing and exciting bodies of work.

Bruce says of the new Dolby Atmos version of "Skunkworks": "It will blow your socks off. It's a record of which I'm immensely proud. In fact, as the years go by I grow more and more proud of everything that happened on that record. In many ways, it was a bit advanced for its time because we were bringing in all kinds of influences that other people in metal were scared of. It's very emotional and quite dark in places."

Alongside the new version of "Skunkworks", which is available now on all streaming platforms, the brand new Dolby Atmos version of "Tattooed Millionaire" has also been released. That album, Bruce's solo debut in 1990 and released while he was still in IRON MAIDEN, showcased a more straightforward hard-rock sound, produced by Chris Tsangarides. It featured four U.K. Top 40 singles including a cover of the David Bowie composition "All The Young Dudes", made famous by MOTT THE HOOPLE.

Bruce comments: "'Tattooed Millionaire' was kind of the solo album that wasn't. We had two weeks to write it so myself and Janick Gers just had fun and wrote it round his house. Chris Tsangarides did a great job on the production and now with modern technology we can beef it all up and make it BIG in Atmos world! The album sonically sounds really good."

The Dolby Atmos album track listings are as follows:

"Skunkworks"

01. Space Race
02. Back From The Edge
03. Inertia
04. Faith
05. Solar Confinement
06. Dreamstate
07. I Will Not Accept The Truth
08. Inside The Machine
09. Headswitch
10. Meltdown
11. Octavia
12. Innerspace
13. Strange Death In Paradise

"Tattooed Millionaire"

01. Son Of A Gun
02. Tattooed Millionaire
03. Born In '58
04. Hell On Wheels
05. Gypsy Road
06. Dive! Dive! Dive!
07. All The Young Dudes
08. Lickin' The Gun
09. Zulu Lulu
10. No Lies

Dickinson recently spent time at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California putting the finishing touches on the vocals for his upcoming solo album.

Bruce's next LP, which won't arrive before 2027, will be the follow-up to "The Mandrake Project", which came out in March 2024 via BMG.

Bruce and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy "Z" Ramirez recorded "The Mandrake Project" largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's previous solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

Joining the IRON MAIDEN singer on "The Mandrake Project Live" tour was his backing band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who played on Dickinson's "Rain On The Graves" single). Roy is not part of the touring lineup.

Veteran U.S. power metallers VICIOUS RUMORS have announced the departure of their longtime drummer Larry Howe.

Earlier today (Wednesday, February 18),VICIOUS RUMORS shared the following statement via social media: "Important statement: After years of disagreement on the issue, VICIOUS RUMORS will no longer be touring with long time drummer Larry Howe.

"As a band we have never agreed with Larry's personal political ambitions.

"As hard as it is to let an original member go VR can no longer tolerate being punished by association for Larry's personal opinions. They do not reflect the opinion of VICIOUS RUMORS.

"Our message is simple and clear: Unity! and celebrating heavy metal together! This message hasn't changes since VR started in 1979! We wrote songs like 'World Church' to bring people together. That's our message for VICIOUS RUMORS.

"Out of respect to VR, Larry will honor the bands commitment to the U.S. leg of 'The Devil's Asylum Tour'. Just days away from Feb 25th to March 28th.

"We want to thank Larry for all these years of commitment to the band and his incredible musicianship. We'll announce new touring drummer soon.

"Now let's get back to the heavy metal music doing the talking!

"See you VR maniacs on tour in the US and Europe soon. 75 shows starting in one week! Let's go!"

A short time later, VICIOUS RUMORS issued the following clarification: "[VICIOUS RUMORS] is about the music! Not politics! Due to Larry's extreme views that have nothing to do with VR - four shows have been canceled / so far because of this. It's not about choosing sides in VR it's about entertainment for all. When the band is penalized this severely and our live events are being canceled, for one outspoken belief a change has to be made."

Howe, who joined VICIOUS RUMORS in 1985, refers to himself as a "rock 'n' roll patriot" in his Instagram bio and adds: "God bless America, the best country ever.!"

VICIOUS RUMORS' latest album, "The Devil's Asylum", was released in August 2025 worldwide (except Japan) through SPV/Steamhammer as a CD digipak, LP version, download and stream.

VICIOUS RUMORS guitarist and leader Geoff Thorpe formed the band in 1979. He told The Press Democrat in a 2023 interview that there have been more than 40 different members in the band since its inception.

"One good thing about all of the members is that we have a very good relationship with almost all of them," Thorpe said. "When I need someone to fill in, I've got a lot of people I can call on."

VICIOUS RUMORS has released more than a dozen albums, including three LPs recorded for Atlantic Records in 1990 and 1991, which were reissued as a box set titled "Vicious Rumors: The Atlantic Years" in September 2022.

Important statement

After years of disagreement on the issue, Vicious Rumors will no longer be touring with long time...

Posted by Vicious Rumors on Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Swedish-Norwegian rap-metal pioneers CLAWFINGER have released the official music video for "Before We All Die", the title track of their new album, which came out today (Friday, February 20) via Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music.

"Before We All Die" marks CLAWFINGER's first studio album in 19 years, capturing the band's trademark fusion of sharp rap delivery, heavy grooves and biting social commentary, now more relevant than ever.

In a recent interview with Seb Di Gatto of The Metal Gods Meltdown, CLAWFINGER frontman Zak Tell was asked why it took him and his bandmates 19 years to release the follow-up to 2007's "Life Will Kill You". Tell said: "Well, what happened… What didn't happen? Life. When we did our last tour of 2007, at the very tail end of 2007, we already knew that we were running out of money, which happens to people all the time. The thing is, we made a living off CLAWFINGER from '93 onwards. Up until 2007, the beginning of 2008, we actually made a living off CLAWFINGER, so that was our main source of income. And we could spend our days in a studio, writing songs and mucking about. Once we came to 2008, we no longer had that luxury anymore and we had to do what everyone has to do in the end and that is find jobs. And there's nothing unique about that. The reality was we had to find jobs. All of a sudden you're stuck in a nine-to-five, Monday to Friday. We also had kids, most of us."

Zak continued: "We'd released seven albums. We'd done the recording, touring guinea pig wheel thing for quite a few years. We kept on playing festivals for a few years after 2008, and then gradually it all just sort of crumbled, I guess. And I don't know — I guess we were disillusioned and it just felt like maybe CLAWFINGER had run its course. And I think we convinced ourselves that was the case. So in 2013, we split up. And in reality, we only spent one year not doing anything. And then we got an offer from a festival in Switzerland that paid well. MOTÖRHEAD and a bunch of other bands were playing. And we were, like, 'Why not? What's stopping us from doing a one-off gig or a couple of gigs here and there?' And then once we did that gig, we remembered how fun it was. And then other offers started coming in, and then the snowball slowly started rolling again. And then all of a sudden it was the 25th anniversary of [CLAWFINGER's debut album, 1993's] 'Deaf Dumb Blind', and our manager said, 'Maybe you should do a tour on that.' And we were, like, 'Yeah, why not?' Another year passes by. We do a few more festivals that summer. Our manager calls to have a meeting with us, and he's coming over to Stockholm, and he says, 'Guys, if I rent a hotel apartment, would you consider writing a new song?' And we were, like, 'Yeah. We could always give it a go. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't.' And within 24 hours, we had a new song, 'Save Our Souls'. Not necessarily the best song we've ever written and recorded, but it came easy, and we had fun. And then we did some more festivals, and then we recorded another song a couple of years later, 'Tear You Down'. And that's when it started feeling like it was back to what CLAWFINGER sound like. Then we got some more festivals, and we started playing a few more festivals than we did the summer before that. And then we wrote another song, 'cause I found a beat that Jocke made that I thought was good and we released 'Environmental Patients'. And then we started getting more and more festivals. Last summer we did 14 festivals all around Europe. But at some point, and this would've been 2022, maybe, early '23, we had a Zoom meeting with our manager, and he was, like, 'Guys, I know that you've sort of been getting back into the groove of things, and I know that you have, like, six, seven songs that you've written.' So he was, like, 'Would you consider writing maybe three more and we could release an album before we all die?' And that is literally where the [new album] title came from."

Elaborating on the lyrical inspiration for "Before We All Die" and some of the songs on the album, Zak said: "Part of it is just a joke because we're old farts, and we're not gonna live forever, so we'd better hurry up and release a new album. And, of course, it's also about the fact that we are ruining the one earth we have — we are literally tearing it apart. And when I looked at the lyrics, a lot of the lyrics I had were about how fucking dumb we are… So the title started off as a joke, but it also fit very well with the songs we had. And the cover was designed to fit with the title. And, yeah, so we wrote a few more songs, and the last song we wrote was the song that became [the title track] 'Before We All Die'. 'Cause I asked the other guys, 'Shouldn't we have a song that's called the same thing as the album title?' That would mean that we had 12 songs in total, which sounds better than 11. And also it's a pretty cool name for a song. And then we wrote that song and that was the last song before we had a finished album. We actually wrote and recorded that this summer. So that's the freshest song of the bunch."

Asked if CLAWFINGER has already started writing music for the follow-up to "Before We All Die", Zak said: "We are not that structured. There have been people asking if there will be a new album and if it will take 19 years as well. It feels like we've sort of fallen in love with writing and playing again. I mean, we never fell out of love with it completely, but there were some years where it felt more like work. And it feels like we're back in a good place now. I would like to imagine there will be a new album. Whether or not that will be in two years, five years, a year and a half, I know not, but I don't think it will take 19 years, if there is one."

CLAWFINGER are considered pioneers of European rap-metal. Formed in Stockholm in the early 1990s, the Swedish-Norwegian band made an explosive debut with "Deaf Dumb Blind" (1993),blending aggressive guitar riffs with politically charged lyrics and rap vocals. The album sold over 600,000 copies worldwide — more than 250,000 in Germany alone — and won a Swedish Grammis award in the hard rock/metal category.

CLAWFINGER's follow-up, "Use Your Brain" (1995) continued their success with chart placements across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden. Over the years, they released seven studio albums, including "A Whole Lot Of Nothing", "Zeros & Heroes", "Hate Yourself With Style" and "Life Will Kill You", selling over 1.5 million records worldwide.

Known for their direct, riff-driven sound and strong political stance, CLAWFINGER address topics such as racism, political delusion, drug policy, environmental destruction, and social inequality. In the 1990s, they toured intensively with acts like ALICE IN CHAINS, MEGADETH and FAITH NO MORE and appeared at major festivals including Rock Am Ring, Roskilde and Monsters Of Rock in South America.

After a brief hiatus, the band returned in 2014 and has since released new singles like "Save Our Souls" (2017) and "Environmental Patients" (2022]) In 2025, CLAWFINGER signed a new label deal with Perception.

In July 2025, CLAWFINGER released the official Rune Foss-directed music video for "Scum". The track, which was mixed by Jocke Skog at the Sunmountain Facilities and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street, is a clear jab at U.S. president Donald Trump, with such lyrics as "a bad taste in my mouth, a sore sight for my eyes a foul stench in the air, a nasty vibe in the house a bad excuse for a man, a dark time for the earth" and "another pussy to grab, yes that's what you said, a small cock in your pants, no brain in your head".

Tell said in a statement: "'Scum' is a raw, loud, and brutally honest punk rap anthem that goes straight for the throat. It's aimed at the kind of guy who's selfish, sexist, full of himself and somehow still talking. With sharp lyrics and a beat that hits like a punch, 'Scum' says what we're all thinking about that one guy we all wish would just vanish from the face of the earth. It's angry and it's dark. If you've ever wanted to spit in someone's face but lacked the upper-body strength or social permission, this song's for you."

Six years ago, Tell expressed his disdain for Trump while speaking to Germany's Metalogy about the enduring lyrical themes covered on the band's debut album, "Deaf Dumb Blind", which came out more than 30 years ago. He said: "I wish I could say that things have changed [since that record has released]. I guess a couple of things did that too. But if you look at what's going on in the world and how we behave as human beings, I think we haven't made much progress. And it looks like there is a Trump for every Greta [Thunberg] — that's just an example because it's just so much on the news. For every person who wants to improve the world, there is an idiot who wants to turn everything back. It kind of feels like it happens every time. I already thought that maybe this is simply human nature; the constant back-and-forth and colliding. I'm really not sure if things have gotten better. I wish I could say that they were. But I don't think they are. So I think that the 'Deaf Dumb Blind' message is still up to date and that it has stands the test of time quite well. Of course, it's difficult to be objective with something that is a big part of me."

In March 2022, CLAWFINGER released the official music video for its previous single, "Environmental Patients". The track marked the first new music from CLAWFINGER in more than two years.

Prior to the arrival of "Environmental Patients", CLAWFINGER released a single called "Tear You Down" in September 2019 and "Save Our Souls" in 2017. "Save Our Souls" was made available four years after CLAWFINGER announced it was calling it quits.

During the break from the studio, the members of CLAWFINGER were reportedly taking care of their families while performing sporadic reunion shows, mostly at European festivals. "CLAWFINGER no longer is our main job," the band explained at the time. "We all have other jobs and families to love."

CLAWFINGER is:

Zak Tell - vocals
Jocke Skog - guitar, keyboards
Bård Torstensen - guitars
André Skaug - bass
Micke Dahlén - drums

Photo credit: Peter Bjöns

American/Italian hard rock veterans HARDLINE, led by vocalist Johnny Gioeli (also frontman of the AXEL RUDI PELL band),will release a new studio album, "Shout", on April 17, 2026 via Steamhammer/SPV.

It's impossible to tell the full story of "Shout" without mentioning HARDLINE's 1992 classic "Double Eclipse". After all, that was the moment when this exceptional hard rock act's unique artistic DNA was created, its first draft already almost perfect. Since then, HARDLINE has brought out six more studio albums, each one of them considered to be a highlight of the genre.

"Shout" sees the band featuring Gioeli and his Italian teammates, keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio (VANDEN PLAS, JORN),guitarist Luca Princiotta, bassist Anna Portalupi and drummer Marco Di Salvia, take up where their 1992 masterpiece left off.

Gioeli comments: "Our current album features our typical choruses and the classic songwriting style of 'Double Eclipse', supported by a contemporary production and state-of-the-art sound. The album gives you that feeling you get when you roll down your car window and turn up the radio on full blast."

He adds: "This band doesn't want to reinvent its music. HARDLINE is HARDLINE, and our fans know what to expect from us!"

The debut single "Rise Up" is the first representative of the new album, a perfect foretaste of the album which spews the historical, current and future melodic consistency of HARDLINE. You can watch the accompanying music video below.

"Shout" track listing:

01. Shout
02. Rise Up
03. It Owns You
04. When You Came Into My Life
05. Mother Love
06. Rise Above No Fear
07. Candy Love
08. I'm Leaning On It
09. Welcome To The Thunder
10. Glow

HARDLINE live 2026:

April 17 - DE-Osnabrück - Hydepark
April 18 - NL-Zoetermeer - Poppodium Boerderij
April 19 - NL-Sneek - Het Bolwerk
April 21 - BE-Kortrijk - DVG Club
April 22 - DE-Essen - Turock
April 24 - DE-Kaiserslautern - Kammgarn
April 25 - FR-Lyon - Rock N Eat
April 26 - FR-Marseille - Le Cherrydon
April 28 - CH-Zürich - Komplex 457
April 29 - DE-Bensheim - Musiktheater Rex
April 30 - DE-Munich - Backstage Halle
May 01 - SK-Bratislava - Randal Club
May 02 - HU-Budapest - Analog Music Hall
May 03 - PL-Kraków - Klub Zaścianek
May 05 - DE-Berlin - Hole 44
May 06 - DE-Hamburg - Knust
May 08 - DE-Cologne - Gebäude 9
May 09 - DE-Aschaffenburg - Colos-Saal
July 25 - SE-Malmö - Malmö Melodic Festival
August 01 - DE-Wacken - Wacken Open Air
August 08 - ES-Villena - Leyendas Del Rock
November 06 - DE-Lichtenfels - Paunchy Cats
November 07 - DE-Stuttgart - Im Wizemann
November 08 - CH-Pratteln - Z7
November 11 - DE-Augsburg - Spectrum
November 12 - AT-Wörgl - Komma
November 14 - CZ-Zlin - Masters Of Rock Cafe
November 17 - DE-Braunschweig - KuFa
November 18 - DE-Lübeck - Rider's Cafe
November 20 - SE-Uppsala - Katalin
November 21 - SE-Trollhättan - Stagebox N3
November 22 - NO-Oslo - Herr Nilsen

Photo by Frank Kollbrunner (from left to right: Luca Princiotta [guitar], Alessandro Del Vecchio [keyboards], Johnny Gioeli [vocals], Anna Portalupi [bass], Marco Di Salvia [drums])

Steve Perry has shot down rumors that he will rejoin JOURNEY on the band's upcoming "Final Frontier" tour.

In an interview published by Ultimate Classic Rock on Thursday (February 19),JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain claimed that JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon had been talking with Perry about the possibility of the singer making a guest appearance on the band's upcoming tour. "Neal already asked," Cain explained, "and he says [Perry's] thinking about it. I hope he comes out. It's never too late. We've got 100 shows, so he's welcome at any one of them. ...He didn't say no — leave it at that."

Just a few hours later, Perry shared a message on his social media stating: "To all my friends - I've been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly. While I'm always grateful for the love people still have for JOURNEY, the rumors about me rejoining the band are simply not true, and I want to gently put them to rest.

"I completely understand why people would hope for that. The music we created together means a great deal to me too. But I'm continuing to explore new creative work and really enjoy working on new music that reflects where I am today.

"Thank you for your continued support throughout the years. Your loyalty has never gone unnoticed, and I am forever humbly grateful.

"Sincerely, Steve Perry".

Perry reunited with JOURNEY for the first time in years as they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2017. The iconic singer appeared onstage with his former bandmates as they each gave speeches, but did not perform with the group later in the event.

Perry's final full concert with JOURNEY took place in early 1987. He later rejoined his bandmates for a brief performance in 1991 to honor late concert promoter Bill Graham. He also appeared with JOURNEY when they received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2005.

Back in October 2018, Perry told Rolling Stone that he couldn't imagine working with Schon in any capacity again or even re-establishing their friendship.

The singer made his comments in response to Neal's frequent public calls for a renewed collaboration.

"I'm not sure that's possible without stirring up hopes of a reunion," Perry said. "Please listen to me. I left the band 31 fucking years ago, my friend. You can still love someone, but not want to work with them. And if they only love you because they want to work with you, that doesn't feel good to me."

Last year Perry shocked fans with the reimagined version of the legendary power ballad "Faithfully" by JOURNEY, a powerful duet with celebrated singer, songwriter, and guitarist Willie Nelson.

JOURNEY will kick off the "Final Frontier" tour on February 28 in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Cain recently announced that he will leave the band at the conclusion of the "Final Frontier" tour, which is expected to last a couple of years.

Photo credit: David Zonshine (courtesy of The Syndicate)

To all my friends -

I've been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly. While I'm always...

Posted by Steve Perry on Thursday, February 19, 2026

AUGUST BURNS RED — Jake Luhrs (vocals),JB Brubaker (guitar),Brent Rambler (guitar),Dustin Davidson (bass) and Matt Grenier (drums) — need no introduction. For over two decades, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based act has been crafting its own unique brand of metalcore that has established AUGUST BURNS RED as one of the foremost acts in the genre. Their career milestones speak for themselves: multiple placements in the top 10 on the Billboard 200; tours with everyone from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE to A DAY TO REMEMBER; an accumulation of 600 million streams. However, the band — nominated for "Best Metal Performance" Grammy in 2016 for the song "Identity" and again for "Invisible Enemy" in 2018 — have never stopped pushing the limits of their sound. Which brings us to today — the release of the new single "Behemoth", along with their triumphant return to Fearless Records.

"Behemoth" is, well, exactly what its title suggests. It's massive in every way — from the Herculean breakdowns to the battering ram percussion to the battle cry choruses that demand singing along! But ABR also prove that being heavy AF doesn't always mean fast and loud. They drop a quiet moment amidst the maelstrom and as they close out the song, and it's those moments that illustrate just how ferocious they are.

There's a reason ABR are one of the most enduring and beloved bands in the metalcore scene. They're as consistent as ever, yet always evolving.

"'Behemoth' is a song that probably went through more revisions and changes than any song we've ever written," says Brubaker. "While frustrating at times, the conversations and re-writes were worth the effort as we collectively feel very proud of how this song turned out. I believe it's one of the heaviest and most raw songs we've ever delivered."

"Lyrically, 'Behemoth' speaks about the realization of past pains living through present actions in life," states Luhrs. "With the determination to face this reality, a process of healing and breaking old ways leads to a rebirth. It's about cutting the ties to your past, giving it no space to live in the present, and inevitably, changing the course of your life."

ABR will hit the road on a co-headline run with THE AMITY AFFLICTION this spring.

Photo credit: Paxton Powell

The official visualizer for "Distant Early Warning (2025 Terry Brown Mix)" from RUSH's "Grace Under Pressure: Super Deluxe Edition" can be seen below. The new audio mix was completed by Terry Brown with illustration by Hugh Syme.

UMe/Mercury and Anthem Records label groups continue the comprehensive RUSH albums expanded reissue series with the arrival of new Super Deluxe Editions of the band's 1984 release "Grace Under Pressure", an album that saw the trio shifting gears to construct eight technology-driven tracks that were forward driving compositions from their previous works. "Grace Under Pressure: Super Deluxe Edition" will be available on March 13 in five distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition 4-CD + Blu-ray, (2) Super Deluxe Edition 5-LP + Blu-ray, (3) Super Deluxe Digital Edition, (4) Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, and (5) "Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live In Toronto 1984" at video DSPs. They can all be pre-ordered here.

"Grace Under Pressure", RUSH's tenth studio album, was originally released in April 1984, and it features some key sonic-template modifications resulting from the band's decision to further evolve its sound by enlisting a new producer after a successful decade of working with Terry Brown behind the board. The eight songs comprising "Grace Under Pressure" build from where September 1982's "Signals" left off by fully embracing the tech and temper of the times while still remaining true to the band's knack for blending progressive roots with radio-welcome song arrangements. "Grace Under Pressure" was co-produced by RUSH with Peter Henderson and engineered by Paul Northfield with assistance from Frank Opolko and Robert Di Giola. It was the fourth in a series of RUSH recording sessions ultimately held at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec. RUSH's instinctive recording process at Le Studio had been DNA-infused during sessions held there for the aforementioned "Signals", in addition to February 1981's "Moving Pictures" and January 1980's "Permanent Waves".

"Our songwriting had taken us to a different musical place," says RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, "an expansion of our soundscape with a range of new technologies, not just keyboards and samples, but electronic drums too, while getting to know the new dude behind the console with a very different working style."

"Distant Early Warning", the lead-off track on "Grace Under Pressure", announces the clear directional shift. "Afterimage" is a heartfelt reflection on the unexpected passing of someone close to the band that leads right into the confines of "Red Sector A", a chilling tale of incarceration, intimidation, and uncertainty. Side A closes out with the inner-reflective "The Enemy Within", subtitled "Part One of Fear." (The "Fear" trilogy was presented in reverse order, with Part Two, "The Weapon", appearing on "Signals", and Part Three, "Witch Hunt", debuting on "Moving Pictures".)

Side B commences with the humanoid escape drama that is "The Body Electric", while "Kid Gloves" acts as stay-tough sequel of sorts to the sound of its "Signals" antecedent "The Analog Kid", and the skittery "Red Lenses" captures mile-a-minute thoughts of anxiety, all propelled by a loping low-end riff. The album closes with the widening gyre of "Between The Wheels", a track that became a latter-day concert favorite during RUSH's final "R40" tour.

The limited-edition version of the Super Deluxe Edition includes four CDs, one Blu-ray, and a 52-page hardcover book. CD1 features the album's original 1984 stereo mix newly remastered from the original analog stereo master tapes by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios. Although "Grace Under Pressure" was the first RUSH studio album not produced by Terry Brown after a decade long healthy working relationship, CD2 now features Brown's brand-new stereo mix of the album, as created from the original studio album's analog multitracks. To get the ball rolling, Brown reached out directly to surviving bandmembers Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee. Regarding his involvement, Brown confirmed that he "suggested it to Alex and Ged by saying to them, 'Let me do a couple of tunes. If you love it, we can move forward.' As it turned out, they did love it." Brown's goals for his remix were quite pure. "I had to give the guys something they would be excited about," the producer continued, "so I went for a little more detail, different reverbs, and a larger footprint, all while maintaining the integrity of the original record."

CD3 and CD4 present the first-ever complete setlist of the show RUSH performed on September 21, 1984, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, which was also newly mixed from the original multitrack audio masters and has now been retitled "Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live In Toronto 1984".

The Blu-ray features the above concert on video newly edited and newly remastered in HD with the audio soundtrack offered in 48kHz/24-bit Dolby Atmos, 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo options, all newly mixed by Terry Brown. Its previous incarnation as 1986's "Grace Under Pressure Tour" concert home video and CD was somewhat incomplete, and this new full concert experience features 37 minutes of unreleased performances.

Also on the Blu-ray, the full 1984 studio album is newly mixed in 48kHz/24-bit Dolby Atmos and 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 by longtime band associate, producer/engineer Richard Chycki, from the original album's multitracks along with the newly remastered 192kHz/24-bit and 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo. Observed Chycki, "Listening to 'Grace Under Pressure' in Atmos, you can really hear RUSH's progress and development as artists, because there's much more room in the 360-degree soundfield to express it. Things that may have just gone by you in stereo now appear in separate speakers without being gimmicky. Instead, they act as micro-features for the Atmos listener to better appreciate the band's intent."

Additionally, on the Blu-ray, Terry Brown's new album remix is presented in 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo, along with the band's music videos for "Distant Early Warning", "Afterimage", "The Enemy Within" and "The Body Electric", all of which have been visually remastered in HD and presented in 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and 48kHz/24-bit PCM stereo. ("The Enemy Within" was the very first music video shown by Canadian TV channel MuchMusic, now known as Fuse, on August 31, 1984.)

The Super Deluxe Edition of "Grace Under Pressure" will also include new liner notes penned by Geddy Lee, reflecting on his memories of finding a new producer for the album and reminiscing on a recent re-listen of the album proper. Original album designer Hugh Syme re-imagines the original album cover along with creating brand-new illustrations for each of the album's eight songs and other related visual elements in the book. Exclusive bonus collectibles in the box include a custom acrylic "Grace Under Pressure" LED light-up display; a replica of the "Grace Under Pressure" tour book; a replica Maple Leaf Gardens/Toronto show concert ticket; a "Grace Under Pressure" tour total access backstage pass; "Pressure Release" a replica of the 6-page press release; three bandmember live photo lithos; and a poster from the Toronto show. All contents are housed in a premium lift-top box.

The second "Grace Under Pressure" configuration will be released in is a five-LP plus Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition, which is the analog equivalent of the four-CD edition. The LPs in the Super Deluxe Edition have been cut at Abbey Road Studios and pressed on 180-gram audiophile black vinyl at GZ Media in the Czech Republic.

Both the 4LP + Blu-ray and 5LP + Blu-ray Super Deluxe Editions will also be offered at the Rush Backstage online store with 3 exclusive bonus lithos of Hugh Syme's new illustrations.

The third "Grace Under Pressure" configuration will be the Super Deluxe Digital Edition, which is the digital equivalent to the physical Super Deluxe Edition audio tracks.

The fourth configuration, the Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent of Richard Chycki's Atmos mix of all eight tracks from the original 1984 album.

Finally, the fifth configuration is the "Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live In Toronto 1984" newly edited, mixed and visually remastered in HD concert video made available to video DSPs.

RUSH — bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist/vocalist Alex Lifeson, and the late, great drummer/lyricist Neil Peart — maintains a large and uniquely passionate worldwide fanbase that acknowledges and respects the band's singular, bold, and perpetually exploratory songcraft that combines sterling musicianship, complex compositions, and distinctive lyrical flair.

RUSH has sold more than 25 million albums in the U.S. alone, with worldwide sales estimated at 45 million (and counting),and has been awarded 24 gold, 14 platinum, and three multi-platinum album distinctions. RUSH has received seven Grammy nominations, and the band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame in 1994 and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013.

German/American heavy metal pioneers ACCEPT will celebrate their 50th anniversary with an extensive European tour in late 2026, marking a major milestone in the band's extraordinary five-decade career at the forefront of heavy metal.

The newly announced dates form part of ACCEPT's 50th-anniversary tour, comprising 24 headline shows across 11 European countries.

The tour will see the band bring half a century of metal history to stages across Europe, performing for fans in major cities throughout Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann says: "It's incredible to be celebrating 50 years of ACCEPT, and taking this anniversary tour across Europe makes it even more special. The support from our fans over the decades has been overwhelming, and we can't wait to bring these shows to so many countries and celebrate this milestone together."

Special guests on the tour will be Swedish metallers DYNAZTY and U.K. up-and-comers TAILGUNNER.

Tickets will go on sale on February 27, 2026, at 10:00 CET. An exclusive Eventim presale starts on February 24, 2026, for three days.

Since joining ACCEPT in 1976 at the age of just 16, Wolf played a central role in the band. His instantly recognizable and signature guitar style not only created the ACCEPT "sound" but influenced a plethora of other highly successful bands and guitarists. Because of Wolf's unflinching dedication, ACCEPT has become one of the most significant bands in heavy metal. Not only did he lay the musical foundations for the band, he also carried it through both the highs and lows of an extraordinary 50-year career.

Alongside the anniversary tour, ACCEPT will release a special 50th-anniversary album later this year, featuring newly re-recorded classics, rare tracks and guest appearances.

ACCEPT's "Half A Century Of Metal" 2026 tour dates with DYNAZTY and TAILGUNNER:

Nov. 19 - DE - Leipzig @ Haus Auensee
Nov. 20 - DE - Lingen @ Emsland Arena
Nov. 21 - DE - Oberhausen @ Turbinenhalle
Nov. 22 - FR - Paris @ L'Olympia
Nov. 24 - DE - Balingen @ Volksbankmesse
Nov. 25 - FR - Lyon @ Transbordeur
Nov. 27 - ES - Valencia @ Auditorio
Nov. 28 - ES - Madrid @ La Cubierta
Nov. 29 - FR - Toulouse @ Bikini
Dec. 01 - CH - Zurich @ Komplex 457
Dec. 02 - IT - Milano @ Alcatraz
Dec. 04 - AT - Vienna @ Gasometer
Dec. 05 - CZ - Zlin @ Sports Hall Datart
Dec. 06 - HU - Budapest @ Barba Negra
Dec. 08 - DE - Berlin @ Uber Eats Music Hall
Dec. 09 - PL - Gliwice @ Arena Gliwice
Dec. 11 - DE - Hamburg @ Inselpark Arena
Dec. 12 - DE - Offenbach @ Stadthalle
Dec. 13 - BE - Brussels @ AB
Dec. 15 - DE - Herford @ Kulturwerk
Dec. 16 - NL - Tilburg @ O13
Dec. 18 - DE - Ulm @ Ratiopharm Arena
Dec. 19 - DE - Geiselwind @ Eventhall
Dec. 20 - DE - Munich @ Zenith

Last September, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello and MR. BIG bassist Billy Sheehan revealed that they both recorded separate guest appearances on ACCEPT's upcoming 50th-anniversary album.

In 2024, Hoffmann told Metal Journal about ACCEPT's upcoming 50th-anniversary LP: "I can't tell you anything yet, because it's way too early. I can just tell you it's gonna be a massive thing. And I don't really wanna get into it yet because I'm not really here to talk specifics about it. It's still in the planning stages. It's gonna be amazing. I think it's gonna be some really big names that are gonna be participating in that. And you'll have to wait. Sorry. It's just too early."

As for whether ACCEPT had already "selected" the guest musicians who would appear on the album, Wolf said at the time: "Yes, we have selected a lot of it. Not all of it, but we have selected a lot."

Back in April 2025, Wolf revealed to Mark Strigl, that longtime ACCEPT producer Andy Sneap would not be involved with the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary album. "He will not be on this one, because he asked for a year off from us," Wolf said. "I asked him, I begged him to produce his album, but then we found a good buddy of his. His name is Zeuss [Chris Harris]. He's producing it."

Hoffmann continued: "[Andy is] kind of part of the family now, but he's been touring so much with [JUDAS] PRIEST [as that band's touring guitarist], and he's been working so much in the studio last year. I think he did SAXON, he did PRIEST, he also did DREAM THEATER — he's done a bunch of stuff. So when I said, 'Hey, can we work this year again?' He said, 'Man, can I please have a year off?', which is understandable."

Regarding ACCEPT's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour, Wolf said: "It's gonna be a retrospective of the whole 50-year career and, of course, it's gonna feature a lot of the important stuff from the '80s and some deeper cuts. And we're gonna perform with guest singers and guest players, and it's gonna be super exciting, like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You only have one shot at a 50-year anniversary… I don't think we'll get a chance for another one."

Sneap produced ACCEPT's last six studio albums: "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017),"Too Mean To Die" (2021) and "Humanoid" (2024).

Zeuss has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, QUEENSRŸCHE, SHADOWS FALL, DEMON HUNTER, OVERKILL and REVOCATION, among many others.

In February 2025, Hoffmann told Metal Talks about ACCEPT's 50th anniversary: "Yeah, it's a funny thing. I joined this band when I was 16 and just never left. And here I am all these all these years later, coming on a 50th anniversary, which is crazy. But yeah, it's definitely something that we're very proud of. And not every band is lucky enough to be around for this long and to still be in the business and to still be touring to still have fans.

"I think ACCEPT, we're very fortunate in the way that we achieved the impossible," he continued. "We had a change of lead singers 15 years ago with Mark Tornillo, and things are better than they've ever been for us. I mean, the last few albums have been phenomenal, the touring is going great, we have sold-out shows everywhere. So, I mean, we are really, really fortunate, and I'm fully aware of that. And yeah, to mark the occasion, we're gonna have a special tour. We're gonna release a new album with — we're gonna re-record some of the old classics and some of the deeper-cut songs from back then with guest people, guest singers, guest guitar players, and we're gonna bring this out on the road in '26. So we're working on that for the next year or so.

"This is a milestone that needs to be celebrated properly, and what better [way to do it]?" Hoffmann added. "I mean, we only have one chance for a 50th anniversary. I don't think I'll get another one. With all optimism, I don't think I'll be around 50 years from now, or the fans will be, so we might as well have this opportunity and make use of it. And it's gonna be fantastic. I know it. We're gonna play some songs we've never played before, and it's gonna be great."

In November 2024, Wolf told The Adamantium Podcast about ACCEPT's upcoming 50th-anniversary album and tour: "Well, I can't tell you too much yet, because it's too early and right now we're featuring this tour [promoting ACCEPT's latest album, 'Humanoid'], so let's focus on that. But I can tell you it's gonna be a huge thing because turning 50 is a big deal."

Wolf continued: "We have always shied away from all these, I would call them little anniversaries, because, really, we could have done a [celebration of] 20 years of this album, 20 years of that album, 30 years [of some other album]. Every year is something to celebrate. I mean, when you have 15 albums or 16 or 17, something always happened 20, 30, 40 years ago. It's always a round number of years. So we could have done that for a long time. There's people who do it all the time. We always said, 'Nah, we'd much rather feature the current album and then make a new one after that and stay current.' But, man, with 50, that's where I gotta say this is the one — this is the big one. There won't be another one… And also, quite honestly, we're getting up there in age a little bit, and I'm not quite ready to retire, but you never really know. Honestly, at some point, we could all say this might be our last tour. You never really know. Somebody might get sick.

"50 is a big deal, and we're gonna really celebrate it properly," Hoffmann added. "It's gonna be a completely different show with a lot of surprises. That's all I know. So we've got a year of planning to do and then executing and stuff."

Hoffmann told Metal Journal about why he and his bandmates decided to announce that they would embark on a 50th-anniversary tour in late 2025 when they still had plenty of touring to do last year in support of their latest album, "Humanoid": "Things like that take time. People have asked me for the last two years: 'Are you gonna do an anniversary thing?' Everybody wants to know. So I finally said, 'Okay, we're gonna do it.' And it's gonna be massive, man. It's gonna be a huge surprise with all the guests that we're gonna have. And I think it's gonna be completely different from anything we've ever done before. So I think it's gonna blow people away. But that doesn't take away from this tour that we have coming up, because, first of all, it's gonna be another year or more before we even go on this next tour. So if you like the new album, 'Humanoid', and if you love ACCEPT, you've gotta see this tour, no matter what. It's gonna be definitely a highlight anyhow."

On the topic of whether there was any talk about possibly announcing a farewell tour to coincide with ACCEPT's 50th anniversary, Wolf said: "We've been doing it for a long, long time. And I honestly don't know how long I can do this. I mean, nobody knows what the future will bring, and it has crossed our mind, absolutely. So, it might be that we go off with a highlight like this and then just really say, 'Okay, this was it.' I don't know yet, to be honest."

Regarding whether former ACCEPT members Udo Dirkschneider (vocals) and Peter Baltes (bass) will be invited to take part in the 50th-anniversary tour, perhaps just in the form of a guest appearance at select shows, Wolf said: "Yeah, of course, of course. That doesn't mean they're gonna [show up]. We have to wait and see. Of course, everybody [is invited]. The door is always open for anybody to join us on this, because it's gonna be a retrospective of all the 50 years of ACCEPT, and whoever wants to participate is more than welcome. Yes, sure."

Asked if he will call Udo and Peter directly to ask them to participate in the tour or if he will wait for their call, a visibly irritated Wolf said: "Can you shut up already? You're not gonna get me to talk about it. I'm sorry, man. I know it's a nice try. Everybody wants to know these things."

Over the past five decades, ACCEPT has sold millions of albums and inspired countless musicians. Their energetic live performances and iconic albums such as "Balls To The Wall", "Restless And Wild" and "Metal Heart" have left a lasting mark on the heavy metal genre. Hoffmann's guitar style and musical vision have made the band one of the most respected on the heavy metal scene.

After a hiatus in the band's career, Wolf was introduced to New Jersey singer Mark Tornillo in 2009. The chemistry and fit between them was so remarkable, ACCEPT reformed and almost immediately rose to global success with chart-topping albums. ACCEPT continues to be celebrated for each of their new records with Mark, who is now the longest-reigning frontman of ACCEPT, placing the Hoffmann-Tornillo partnership firmly in the Metal Hall Of Fame.

For decades, ACCEPT has been recognized as a guarantee of high quality and each of their albums has reached the top of the charts, delivering energy, melodies, killer riffs and an impressively powerful stage presence for 50 years.

Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for Dirkschneider, who was the band's original lead singer. Mark can be heard on ACCEPT's last six studio albums.

Press photo credit: Robert John (courtesy of Decibel Touring)

Dave Grohl has spoken out about FOO FIGHTERS' decision last year to part ways with Josh Freese. The legendary rock drummer was fired from FOO FIGHTERS in May 2025, two years after he was recruited to fill the vacancy left by the late Taylor Hawkins.

When Freese announced he was let go from FOO FIGHTERS, he shared a statement on Instagram in which he said the FOO FIGHTERS called him earlier that week to let him know that they had decided "to go in a different direction with their drummer." Freese added, "No reason was given." Since then, former NINE INCH NAILS drummer Ilan Rubin has taken on the role of sticksman in the FOO FIGHTERS.

In a new interview with "The Zane Lowe Show" on Apple Music 1 (via NME),Grohl said that the decision to split with Freese was made while FOO FIGHTERS took a break from touring in 2024. "In those six or seven months, as a band, we talked about what to do next, a new direction, and thought, 'Okay, let's call Josh and let him know that we are going to move on with a different drummer,'" Dave said, adding that the move "didn't happen overnight."

"We called, as a band, all of us called, it wasn't just me," he continued. "Basically, we called Josh and were, like, 'Hey, man, that was awesome. That was such a blast, thank you so much, but we are going to move on and find another drummer.'"

"Since then, there's been a lot of talk about it," Grohl said, "but I think Josh said it best when he said that he didn't feel our music really resonated with him, and that's really important."

Grohl's comment is an apparent reference to an interview Freese gave to The New York Times in August 2025 in which he said about his stint with the FOO FIGHTERS: "It wasn't music that I really resonated with. I'm coming in as Dave Grohl's drummer, and the guy that's supposed to save the day after the beloved Taylor Hawkins died." He added that the pressure made him feel "like I had to be firing on all cylinders all the time."

During the Apple Music 1 interview, Grohl admitted that filling the vacancy left by the Hawkins has been extremely difficult.

"We had Taylor Hawkins as our drummer for 25 years and, beyond being an amazing drummer, he was this incredible spirit," Dave explained. "He was this incredible human being and he was our brother. He was our best friend," he said. "So, continuing after Taylor was really complicated, not just for us, but for any drummer that was going to come in to like, you know, fill his shoes. ... We always talk about him every fucking day. In everything we do we want to have that energy — we want to have that energy for Taylor."

FOO FIGHTERS revealed Freese as part of its touring lineup on May 21, 2023 during a pre-tour livestream called "Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts". Freese was unveiled as the drummer during the livestream after comedic cameos by Chad Smith of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Tommy Lee of MÖTLEY CRÜE and Danny Carey of TOOL.

After announcing that he was fired from the FOO FIGHTERS in May 2025, Freese shared a light-hearted follow-up post in which he listed 10 possible reasons he might have been dismissed from the band, including "once whistled [the FOO FIGHTERS' hit] 'My Hero' for a week solid on tour" and "never even once tried growing a beard."

Hawkins tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50.

Hawkins was found dead in a hotel room in Colombia, shortly before FOO FIGHTERS were due to play a festival in Bogotá. No cause of death was ever announced.

Hawkins had been the FOO FIGHTERS drummer for 25 years, taking over from original drummer William Goldsmith in 1997. He is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.

FOO FIGHTERS staged two tribute concerts in honor of Hawkins. The first tribute concert took place September 3, 2022 at London's Wembley Stadium. A Los Angeles concert was held on September 27, 2022 and raised money for Musicares and Music Support charities and served as a farewell party for Hawkins's adopted hometown.

Freese released his new album, "Just A Minute, Vol. 2", in November 2025 via PEARL JAM co-founder Stone Gossard's Loosegroove Records. The follow-up to his first installment, released in 2021, once again crammed 25 songs into 25 minutes, with every track landing precisely at the one-minute mark.

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Legendary vocalist and 2024 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Lou Gramm, best known as the iconic voice of FOREIGNER, has released "Long Hard Look", the powerful second single from his highly anticipated solo album "Released".

A brooding, mid-tempo rock anthem driven by muscular guitars and Gramm's unmistakable, commanding vocals, "Long Hard Look" channels the dramatic intensity and melodic sweep that defined the arena-rock era. Anchored by a gritty, introspective lyric and a towering chorus, the track proves that one of rock's most distinctive voices remains as forceful and emotionally resonant as ever.

Written by Lou Gramm and longtime collaborator and former BLACK SHEEP bandmate Bruce Turgon, "Long Hard Look" is both defiant and reflective. Over soaring lead guitar from Alex Garcia and a thunderous rhythm section featuring Tony Franklin on bass and Ben Gramm on drums, Gramm delivers one of his most impassioned performances in years. The song builds from its shadowed opening into a sweeping, chant-ready refrain, a classic Gramm moment that balances vulnerability, confidence, and melodic power.

Set to arrive on March 27, 2026 on CD (HNE Recordings / Cherry Red Records) and vinyl (Friday Music),"Released" marks the long-awaited completion of a pivotal chapter in Gramm's solo catalog. Produced by Gramm with associate producer Matthew Gramm, the album features ten original songs co-written with Turgon, originally recorded during the 1980s in the wake of his solo releases "Ready Or Not" (1987) and "Long Hard Look" (1989). Recently revisited and carefully completed, these recordings preserve the warmth, grit, and analog character of the original sessions while benefiting from a renewed clarity and sonic depth. The result bridges Gramm's celebrated solo era with the perspective and enduring vocal power that have defined him as one of rock's most influential and recognizable voices.

Lou says: "My new album 'Released' is a collection of unreleased songs that were recorded in the 1980s during the production of my three previous solo albums. These are powerful, heartfelt songs with a great vintage sound taken right from my old multitrack tapes. This new album was a long time coming and it's a real nostalgia trip. When I pulled these songs out of the vault, I knew I had to finish them for my fans around the world, so they can experience what I did when I first heard them after all these years. It means a lot to me to finally see this album released, to be taken back in time when I hear this music again, to remember working with all these great musicians, and to feel that my catalog is now complete."

Produced by Lou Gramm himself, "Released" features appearances from an outstanding cast of musicians, including Tony Franklin on bass for "Long Gone" and Vivian Campbell (DEF LEPPARD) on guitar for the opening track "Young Love", alongside longtime collaborators such as Lou's brother Ben Gramm on drums.

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Lou Gramm emerged from a highly musical family before forming BLACK SHEEP, whose two albums for Capitol Records have since become cult favorites. A pivotal meeting with Mick Jones in 1975 led to the formation of FOREIGNER the following year, launching a career that produced a run of multi-platinum albums and hit singles. FOREIGNER famously became the first band since THE BEATLES to see their first eight singles reach the U.S. Top 20.

Alongside his work with FOREIGNER, Lou enjoyed major solo success with "Ready Or Not" (1987),featuring the hit "Midnight Blue", followed by "Long Hard Look" (1989),which included "Just Between You And Me". Now, with "Released", Lou delivers his third solo studio album, completing a vital chapter in his solo catalogue while standing proudly alongside both his earlier solo work and his defining recordings with FOREIGNER.

"Released" also includes "True Blue Love (Unplugged)", the original version of which appeared on "Long Hard Look", and follows recent high-profile collaborations with FOREIGNER connected to the band's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2024.

Lou Gramm will be touring throughout 2026 in support of "Released", including solo dates and special appearances with FOREIGNER.

"Released" track listing:

01. Young Love
02. Lightning Strikes
03. Walk The Walk
04. Long Gone
05. Heart And Soul
06. Long Hard Look
07. True Blue Love (Unplugged)
08. Deeper Side of Love
09. Time Heals The Pain
10. Word Gets Around

In a recent interview with Kyle Meredith, Lou spoke about his previously announced plan to release some new solo material. He said: "I have a friend of mine who was in my solo bands. His name is Bruce Turgon, and he eventually became the bass player in FOREIGNER for about 10 years. And he and I have been friends since we were teenagers. And he plays bass. He's played with a lot of great bands and musicians over the years, and we wrote songs together back in the day. And when I got him in FOREIGNER, he was a participating songwriter too. And I think that's when FOREIGNER sounded its best, actually. And so I'm still in touch with him, and he helped me write songs for my upcoming solo album, which is being released in March."

Asked what fans can expect from his upcoming LP, Gramm said: "Well, I've been working on this album for over two years, and I have been looking through my backlog of songs that were great songs but were unfinished and didn't make it to the cut on my records and went back and finished some of them, and they're awesome songs. So I'm taking some new songs that were written and some of the older songs that deserve to be on the album. I finished 'em up, polished 'em up, and they're on the album. So it's a little conglomerate of past and present."

Back in 2019, Gramm told Kiki Classic Rock that his upcoming solo LP is based on a lot of the material from the "masters" from his solo albums. "'Cause my solo albums always had 10 songs on it, but we always recorded 12 or 13," he explained. "And the ones that didn't make the album weren't necessarily the weakest songs — a lot of 'em were very strong ideas, but they weren't quite finished. And I'm finishing them, and I'm gonna release them."

Regarding how the idea to revisit his unfinished material came about, Gramm said: "My son Matthew came up with the idea. He just asked me, 'How many songs were on the albums? And did you have any extras?' And I said, 'Always.' He said, 'Let's listen to those, polish 'em up, finish 'em, and put them out to be downloaded.' So we went back and we started listening, and there's those songs, not quite finished, that I hadn't heard in 30 years."

Lou added: "I'm so excited to release them, because, to me, they sound great."

Less than two years ago, Lou told Lee Richey about his plans to release new music: "It's song ideas and bits and pieces from my recording of my first [solo] album, second [solo] album and SHADOW KING [project]. Now, what I mean is when you put an album out and you have 10 songs, you might record 13 and pick the best 10. So then you've got three songs that you don't know what to do with. And the years go by. Or maybe they're not complete songs. Maybe you have 10 songs on your album and there's a couple songs that you started and once the album was released, you just forgot about them. So when I was looking to put out a new album, I had freshly written songs too, but I just started going through the tapes in my tape closet and listening to these things that were 25, 30 years old, and the ideas were awesome. So I started them that long ago and I finished them about two years ago."

By the time Gramm left FOREIGNER for the first time in 1990, he had already released two successful solo albums: 1987's "Ready Or Not" and 1989's "Long Hard Look". He went on to launch LOU GRAMM BAND, which released an all-Christian rock album in 2009. He followed it up with "My Baby" in 2015.

SHADOW KING was a collaboration between Gramm and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell. The group released a self-titled album in 1991 and performed live only once, at the Astoria Theatre in London, England on December 13, 1991.

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's ongoing tour features Gramm on guest vocals for some of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group's biggest hits. Gramm is sharing the stage with Luis Maldonado, who replaced longtime FOREIGNER frontman Kelly Hansen on lead vocals.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

Reconnecting with his former FOREIGNER bandmates, Lou contributed words and vocals for the new song "Turning Back The Time" to coincide with FOREIGNER's induction into the Rock And Rock Hall Of Fame in 2024, and also the unreleased "Fool If You Love Him" for the latest FOREIGNER "4" box set in 2025.

Photo: Krishta Abruzzini (courtesy of Shore Fire Media)

Award-winning fusion drummer Anika Nilles has released the official music video for her song "Fou Fou". The track is taken from Nilles's fourth album "False Truth", which came out in September 2025.

Nilles was chosen to fill in for the late Neil Peart this year as Canadian rock legends RUSH embark on their surprise "Fifty Something" reunion tour.

Germany's Nilles may not have taken up the sticks professionally until she turned 26, but she has never looked back. From world tours with Jeff Beck, to her own sold-out shows and multiple award wins, she has reached over 20 million views online for her creative and thrilling performances.

Playing with sophistication, style and a musical finesse that is rarely witnessed behind the drums, she is an inspiration to drummers around the world. Fierce and determined, she pours over her kit creating melodies through rhythmic complexities that normally sit within other sections of the band. This is no drum machine keeping the beat; this is percussive instrumentation on a whole new level.

Anika's sound is a melting pot of influences ranging from jazz, funk, rock, pop, and anything in between. Her vibrant personality as a performer is etched on her face as she explores every opportunity to build a new narrative from behind the drum riser.

In a recent interview with CBC News, Geddy Lee of RUSH spoke about the band's decision to reunite for a tour in 2026. The dates — Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson's first official shows under the RUSH banner in 11 years — will begin at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, site of the last RUSH concert on the legendary Canadian band's "R40" anniversary tour. Joining the duo on the trek will be Nilles, who toured with legendary guitarist Jeff Beck in 2022 and has been rehearsing with Lee and Lifeson in preparation for the tour, dubbed "Fifty Something".

Asked how he is feeling about the prospect of going back on the road for the first time in more than a decade, Lee said: "Well, I'm a bit overwhelmed right now, to be honest. Alex and I took a long time trying to figure out if we could actually do this ever again. And when we did finally decide, of course people were optimistic, but we really didn't expect the kind of overwhelming response our announcement has brought forth out of our fanbase. It's just been a remarkable few weeks around our homes, but very exciting — very exciting."

Regarding what it is like to playing with a new drummer, following the 2020 death of RUSH's iconic drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, Geddy said: "Well, of course it was a very difficult decision to go back on the road, and that was the main stumbling block, obviously. How do we replace the irreplaceable, so to speak? And we have been fortunate to have been introduced to the name Anika Nilles through one of my road crew — my bass tech Skully [John McIntosh], who was on tour with Jeff Beck, and she was the drummer for Jeff Beck on his last tour. And he came home from that tour raving about her. And so when we made the decision to see what it's like to play with another drummer, we contacted her, and she's just a fantastic person. And she came to Canada and we very surreptitiously snuck into a studio and worked out for about a week. And by the end of it, we were convinced that this would be a go for us. Yeah, she's just a tremendous player."

Asked if he gets a sense at all that Anika is a little intimidated by the challenge of stepping into RUSH as a replacement for such a legendary musician as Peart was, Lee said: "Oh, of course. When she first came over here [to Canada], we started playing some of the songs, trying to translate RUSH music to someone who didn't really grow up as a RUSH fan; she was not a RUSH fan. She knew, of course, of Neil's playing — every drummer knows who Neil is, or Neil was, I should say — so it was a bit of a daunting task. And we had to go through each song and explain the nuances of the song and the idiosyncratic nature of how our songs are put together. So at times she was a bit overwhelmed, but she's an incredibly hard worker. She's got great technical facility and she's just got a really positive attitude, and that's really good for Alex and I to be around right now."

Lee, a known baseball and Toronto Blue Jays superfan, who has attended nearly every home game the baseball team has played this season, was asked if occasionally hearing "the incredible roar of the home crowd" at baseball games made him think that he "misses that sound" from audiences at RUSH concerts. He responded: "Actually, no. It never answers my mind, to be frank. The one thing I miss about touring is actually the job itself and that marvelous feeling of being in the middle of a 10-minute song and you're caught up on your playing and you're trying your best and everything is working and all your bandmates are clicking. It's that adrenaline that I miss. I had kind of settled into a nice life without the roar of the crowd, and I think I adjusted pretty well to it. But, of course, I'll be very happy to hear that once again."

Geddy also talked about the physical rigors of performing and whether he will be ready to hit the road for an extensive run of shows starting in June 2026. He said: "I'm getting ready. I've been playing diligently for about a year and a half now. And it wasn't that we had planned this tour that long ago. I had just decided that after writing all these books and having the experience of doing television shows that I needed to make some music again. So I've been working out pretty regularly trying to get my fingers, these little digits, back in shape. And, of course, since we did make the decision to tour, I'm hitting the gym pretty hard, and so is Alex. But we're gonna be ready. We're working at it. We're gonna put a lot of hours into that."

RUSH will perform multiple shows in cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico, beginning June 7, 2026 at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. These special "evening with" shows will find the band playing two sets each night. Each show will feature a distinct selection of songs and RUSH will build each night's setlist from a catalogue of 35 songs including their greatest hits and fan favorites.

After Lee and Lifeson announced RUSH's initial 2026 tour dates in early October, they instantly sold out. They then doubled the tour's length due to increased demand before adding even more dates to the trek.

At the moment, the "Fifty Something" tour is scheduled to stretch into the fall and early winter, with sold-out shows in Chicago, Cleveland, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York and Toronto, as well as dates in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., to name a few.

During an invite-only gathering of 150 fans, media and dignitaries at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's Foster Theater in Cleveland, Ohio on October 5, 2025, Geddy and Alex of RUSH spoke about their decision to reunite for a tour next year. Regarding how they decided to tour as RUSH again, more than five years after iconic RUSH drummer Neil Peart's death, Alex said: "When we finished the ['R40'] tour [in 2015], it was difficult for Neil, and he'd had enough by that point. I think Ged and I still had gas in the tank and we still wanted to continue working. But it was what it was, and the further I got away from it, the more I thought, 'It's okay. We had 40 years. I'm tired of hanging around a hotel, being away from family and all of that stuff.' And I felt that way for most of the last 10 years, really. I thought we had a great legacy, and it's okay. Then this guy" — referring to Geddy — "came along and had some big ideas. And we talked and we started playing. And then I realized that I love it so much — I love playing so much. And I've continued, over these last years, doing other projects and still playing a lot. But when we sat down and started playing some of the RUSH stuff and I realized how hard it was to play these songs… When you do it every day for 40 years, it's not a big deal, really — you're used to it — but when you're away from it and you are a little more objective about the intense complexity of the music and the feel and the nuances and all the things that go into making a RUSH song and performance, to be challenged with that again was really, really exciting. And the more we started rehearsing and playing, the more I just fell in love with the idea of playing again."

Added Geddy: "It was a very difficult decision on many levels, first of all, because what it entails in terms of work, but also what had transpired. Losing a member like Neil, it was devastating and it was a very sad time, and it took time for us to even contemplate it. I mean, this is a relatively recent decision. And I would say it was kind of out of the question for the longest time because of those circumstances. And how do you replace someone who's irreplaceable? So, we would joke about it sometimes, and Al was doing other things, I was writing books and something happened in the last couple of years that brought us back to jamming in the studio. He would come over, drink my coffee, hang around, we would jam and we would laugh. And then one day — I don't know why — we started playing some RUSH songs for fun. And God, we were laughing so hard and we were enjoying it so much. And it was almost like playing those songs dispelled the dark clouds. It was not an easy decision to come to, and this is really the first time we're talking about it out loud in front of other people. So, yeah, it feels right, and we're gonna do it."

Asked how they found the right drummer to step in for Neil on the "Fifty Something" tour, Geddy said: "Well, our idea was not to try to be RUSH 2.0, just to pay homage to our music, pay homage to our lost brother and represent the songs and celebrate the songs.

"I haven't talked about this before, but… So, my bass tech Skully [John McIntosh] was working with Jeff Beck. He was on tour with him for a few years. And on the last tour he was playing with this drummer named Anika Nilles — an incredible drummer. And he would come home, he would rave about her, what a brilliant player she was and great person, and blah, blah, blah. So I kind of looked her up. And she's all over YouTube. She's fairly well known in her own world of music. And then we started talking about playing again. I said to Al, I said, 'Check her out. Maybe that's an interesting way to go.' And so one thing led to another, and when we made the decision we wanted to see if it would work, what's it like to play with another drummer — we'd had that experience, of course, at the Taylor Hawkins tributes [in September 2022]. So we know how difficult it is — no matter who the drummer is, they all have their own perception of what it's like to play a RUSH song, and they may not line up with the way we play RUSH songs. So whoever we were going to choose was going to be difficult and there's going to be like a translation. And so we very secretly brought Anika to Canada. And it wasn't an audition, 'cause at that point we weren't really sure that we were going to tour. It was all an experiment. Anyway, I'm very happy to say that she is fantastic to play with. And we've had now a number of sessions with her and we are going to go on the road with her. I think she's a remarkable story. And she's much younger than us… And I like that, that she came to RUSH music without any preconceptions. It also made it very difficult, 'cause we had to explain nuances and work on subtleties, and she had to really try to get into Neil's headspace and his feel. A lot of drummers can play Neil's drum fills, but to combine that with the feel of those songs, so that it feels the way you guys wanna hear those songs, that's work — that requires work. And so she's winning."

As for what RUSH fans can expect from the upcoming concerts, Geddy said: "I don't think we can do a three-hour show the way we did when we were in our younger years, but we're certainly gonna play over two hours. And we'll get a lot of songs in, for sure."

Lee went on to say that "it's not an accident" that he and Alex chose Los Angeles's Kia Forum — where RUSH played its last-ever show with Peart in 2015 — as the location of the first gig of the tour.

"It'll be, I think, quite an emotional moment," Geddy said. "And I have to say also a thank you to [Neil's widow] Carrie Nuttall and [daughter] Olivia Peart who have been very supportive and are supporting us for this tour, and we really appreciate that, and that makes things better. And we also plan to pay tribute to Neil at least a couple of times during the show in our own way. And that'll happen every night, we'll pay tribute to him.

"After Neil passed, COVID hit and we never really were able to do any kind of tribute to him — not a tribute concert," Lee explained. "And so this is one way that we pay homage to the music and the lyrics and the incredible drumming of our pal and partner, and at the same time celebrate the music that [the fans] have thankfully shown up for, for all these years. And we'll just endeavor to do our best to make [the fans] happy."

When the "Fifty Something" tour was announced on October 6, 2025, Carrie Nuttall-Peart and Olivia Peart said in a statement: "We are thrilled to support the 'Fifty Something' tour, celebrating a band whose music has resonated and inspired fans for generations, and to honor Neil's extraordinary legacy as both a drummer and lyricist.

"Neil's musicianship was singular. Compositions of intricacy and power that expanded what rhythm itself could express. As both drummer and lyricist, he was irreplaceable. Inimitable in his artistry, and unmatched in the depth and imagination he brought to the lyrics that inspired and moved so many, he profoundly shaped how fans connected with him and the band, giving voice and meaning to their own lives.

"As the band enters this new chapter, it promises to be truly unforgettable. We are excited to see how their new vision unfolds, and to hear this legendary music played live once again."

On October 6, 2025, fans got the news via a RUSH newsletter from a home video that announced the celebration of upcoming dates with Lee and Lifeson at Geddy's home studio.

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Since Peart's death, Lifeson and Lee have not recorded any new music or performed live under the RUSH name, although both of them confirmed that several drummers reached out to them in the days after the legendary drummer's passing about the possibility of stepping in for Neil.

In a new interview with Argentina's César Fuentes Rodríguez, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke about the band's 2022 album "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" for which he laid down the original bass tracks in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee. A year later, Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. In July 2021, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the LP. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was released in September 2020 via UMe. Just months after TESTAMENT bassist Steve DiGiorgio recorded his parts for the effort, former MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo rejoined the band in time for the summer 2021 leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year".

Asked by Rodríguez if it was "necessary" for Mustaine to erase Ellefson's bass tracks from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" and have them re-recorded by someone else, David said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was stupid. There was never any legal trouble [stemming from the explicit videos which were posted online]. There was never any — there was nothing. And I said that: this is nothing at all. Dave chose to make that decision — for whatever reason or whatever influences he had behind him that made him make that decision, that is entirely on him. His own lawyer on the phone said, 'Don't fire David. It doesn't seem necessary.' … So, for whatever reason, but it certainly wasn't from anything on my side. In fact, if anything, I felt like when someone tried to cause trouble for me, I stepped up at the handle and then I dealt with it. I don't fucking back down from it. I fucking deal with it. I don't wait or hire a publicist. No — you just fucking deal with it. You deal with your stuff and you make it right. So, again, it was, to me, unwarranted, unfair and unnecessary. But with that said, Dave made his decision about it. I haven't talked to him since. And to me, that was not a very friendly thing to do, and how it was handled afterwards, the statement that was made [by Mustaine announcing that I had been fired from MEGADETH] — not cool. Again, I watched the same kind of things happen to [other former MEGADETH members] Chris Poland, to Jeff Young, so why not me? So it seems to be a pattern, but whatever. So, no, I have not talked to Dave. Who knows if I'll ever talk to him? And it's sad, and it's too bad."

Referencing the fact that MEGADETH just launched what is being billed as the band's "farewell" tour, Ellefson continued: "I put it out there to the fans: hey, if I got the call to be part of a reunion, to celebrate with the fans, the farewell, the end, of course I would do it. Because we would do it for that very reason.

"These songs are gonna outlive us," Ellefson explained. "They are. They're gonna be around long after we're gone. So why not perform them together every chance you can? That's why I'm here [in Argentina] with [my] 'Basstory' [show]. It's why I do KINGS OF THRASH. It's why I do these things. When people ask me, METAL ALLEGIANCE, 'Hey, let's play 'Hangar 18'.' It's, like, what a treat. What an honor. You get to perform a song that has meant so much to so many people for so many years. That is a beautiful thing to have.

"But, again, Dave owns MEGADETH and he will do whatever he wants," Ellefson added. "So, again, that's why I don't fight my way out the door. It's, like, 'Bye.' Even in my statement, it's, like, 'Well, too bad for that. I wish you well.'"

Asked if he was surprised to hear that MEGADETH had recorded a version of METALLICA's "Ride The Lightning" — a song Mustaine had co-written while he was a member of METALLICA — for MEGADETH's final album, Ellefson said:  "I was — very much. Well, here's the thing… I've said this before. This was a real falling out between me and Dave. It's kind of where it started. In 2018 when he comes into the tour in Oslo, Norway, we were gonna start [touring again] that summer, he announces [to the rest of us], 'Hey, I wanna re-record the METALLICA 'No Life 'Til Leather' demo' [on which Mustaine played on while he was briefly a member of METALLICA]. I was, like, 'What?' I mean, me and Dirk [Verbeuren, MEGADETH drummer] and Kiko [Loureiro, then-MEGADETH guitarist] were definitely [taken aback]. 'What? We're supposed to be writing a new album.' And to me, MEGADETH doesn't cover METALLICA songs because — just because of the history [between Mustaine and METALLICA], number one, but because they're MEGADETH and they're METALLICA. [METALLICA are] not covering MEGADETH songs, and you don't cover their [songs]. IRON MAIDEN doesn't cover SAXON and JUDAS PRIEST. These are separate lanes, if you will. So I let it go for a while, and I was hoping it would go away. It didn't… Finally, I stood up and said, 'Dave, we are not doing that. You can't do this. Especially since they offered it to you [to have 'No Life 'Til Leather' officially released] after the 'Big Four' [shows], and you didn't get on board and they took it off the table.' I said, 'It's extremely disrespectful to those guys.' After all that they did for us, I felt, for him and for everything else, it's, like, 'Leave it alone, man. Just leave it alone.' And I love 'No Life 'Til Leather'… So that was really the beginning. Dave didn't talk to me for six months after that. He didn't talk to me for the rest of the year. And I could tell he sort of begrudgingly he invited me to participate in songwriting on what became 'The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!' Everything I wrote, he would take off — everything that I participated [in]. But, however, I did write one song. I came up something that was a nice arpeggio thing on acoustic guitar. I didn't expect that that would be the thing that he would like. And I wrote some really good stuff. There was really good stuff that could have easily gone on that album, but [this particular song was] a ballad. And so I wrote this ballad, I sang on it, I wrote the vocal lines, and Kiko played the guitar and made it sound great. And people were telling me, 'Dude, this is the best song on the album. This is amazing.' Kind of like 'Beth' on the 'Destroyer' [album from] KISS. You're, like, 'Oh, here did this come from? This is amazing.' Made 'em all millionaires. And I could tell that probably didn't go over so good either. I always felt, like, the only thing worse than writing the worst song is if you write the best stuff. So, then just a matter of circumstance and convenience, suddenly [I was fired from the band]."

Circling back to Mustaine's decision to record his own version of "Ride The Lightning", Ellefson said: "So, 'Ride The Lightning' — I wasn't gonna there when they were putting it together, but it seems to me that if that song was done [while Dave was still in the band], it would've been on [METALLICA's debut album] 'Kill 'Em All'. So to me, to whatever degree that tune was there, and I know Dave had a couple riffs — that spider chord [in the bridge], he used to play that one in the apartment, so I knew that was riff of his. I didn't sense it was in a song, but whatever. He has a whole different memory of it. It's his song, it's his moment. I'm not here to argue it. Whatever. So I just found it interesting that that would go on a final record. But whatever. It's his band. He can do whatever he wants."

David previously talked about Mustaine's desire to re-record "No Life 'Til Leather" in July 2025 during an appearance on "The David Ellefson Show". Ellefson said: "There was clashes [during the making of 'The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!'] all the way down, and for me, it started in 2018 when Dave came in to — we started a tour in Oslo, and he came in and he said he wanted to re-record the 'No Life 'Til Leather' demo. I'm, like, 'Are you kidding me? This is where we're at? After all this time? We're supposed to be writing a new album and new songs. And I was just, like, 'I am not down with that.' As fun as it would be to play those songs, 'cause that's one of my favorite METALLICA recordings, I was just, like, 'Yeah, I ain't down with that.' I'm sorry. I couldn't kiss the ring for that one. I was, like, 'I'm out.' And so I think our problem started then. So as we went into the record, he knew I wasn't willing to just fucking say, 'Yes, Dave,' and go along with shit. So eventually I'm out of the band. So it goes. Bands are what bands are, and it is what it is."

"No Life 'Til Leather" was released as a limited-edition cassette for Record Store Day in April 2015, available exclusively in independent record stores. It featured artwork copies from drummer Lars Ulrich's own personal copy of the original demo, as well as his handwriting. At the time, the band also promised that expanded editions of the demo, which had never before been commercially available, would arrive on CD, vinyl and in a collector's set.

The seven-song tape was recorded with the first lineup of the band that appeared live as METALLICA, including Ulrich, guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, lead guitarist Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney. The original recordings were paid for by High Velocity record label owner Kenny Kane, with a view of making them available as an EP in 1982.

LoMenzo originally joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with Ellefson.

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

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, will release his fifth solo album, "Steel Burner", on April 24, 2026 through Metal Department Records. The album marks his first solo release in five years and captures a powerful fusion of modern instrumental metal and carefully curated vocal collaborations.

Following an extended period of post-pandemic touring, "Steel Burner" represents a renewed creative focus on Gus G.'s solo vision. The album showcases his signature guitar style — combining technical precision, melody, and intensity — while expanding its emotional and thematic range through collaborations with some of the metal scene's most legendary and respected voices.

The album's title track, "Steel Burner", was the catalyst for the entire project. Originally commissioned for a company that manufactures industrial machines used to shape metal, Gus G. drew inspiration from a machine fittingly named Steel Burner. The track's energy became the foundation for the album's concept and ultimately its title.

While instrumental tracks highlight Gus G.'s evolution as a composer and guitarist, "Steel Burner" also features several standout vocal songs. The undisputed metal queen Doro Pesch appears on "Nothing Can Break Me", a powerful metal anthem focused on inner strength, perseverance, and resilience. "No One Has To Know", featuring Dino "Jelusick" Jelusić (WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA),delivers a modern hard rock approach while addressing the artificial lives and personas often portrayed through social media. Matt Barlow (ICED EARTH, ASHES OF ARES) brings his unmistakable intensity to "Dancing With Death", an epic metal track with a contemporary twist that explores the darker theme of addiction. Additional collaborations include Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, VANDENBERG, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP),whose work with Gus G. originated from their recent joint world tour and resulted in two tracks on the album, further shaping its collaborative direction.

On the upcoming LP, Gus G. comments: "This is my first solo album release in five years. As I've been pretty busy in the post-pandemic world with heavy touring, I always had the idea to put out another solo album at some point. This time around, I felt I wanted the best of both worlds — being able to explore guitar instrumental music, but also collaborate with singers I love and am a fan of."

"Steel Burner" was mixed and mastered by acclaimed producer Dennis Ward (HELLOWEEN, PINK CREAM 69),delivering a clear, powerful, and contemporary sound that complements both the album's instrumental complexity and vocal performances.

With his fifth solo album, Gus G. delivers a confident and forward-looking statement — an album that honors metal's roots while embracing modern themes, production, and collaboration.

The instrumental title track "Steel Burner" is now streaming on all digital platforms. You can also watch the official video below.

"Steel Burner" track listing:

01. Steel Burner
02. Nothing Can Break Me (featuring Doro Pesch)
03. Dancing With Death (featuring Matt Barlow)
04. Advent
05. What If
06. Frenemy (featuring Ronnie Romero)
07. No One Has To Know (featuring Dino "Jelusick" Jelusić)
08. Confession
09. My Premonition (featuring Ronnie Romero)
10. Closure

"Steel Burner" recording lineup:

Gus G.: All guitars, bass, keyboards, drums
Doro Pesch: Vocals on track 2
Matt Barlow: Vocals on track 3
Ronnie Romero: Vocals on tracks 6 and 8
Dino "Jelusick" Jelusić: Vocals on track 7
Andrea Arcangeli: Bass on tracks 6 and 8
Dennis Ward: Bass on track 2

Previously the tracks "My Premonition" and "Advent" have been released as digital singles.

The full album will be available for streaming from all major platforms on April 24, 2026. "Steel Burner" will also be available as a tri-fold digipak CD and on high quality gatefold-sleeve vinyl LP (several color options will be available) from Metal Department on April 24, 2026.

Gus G. tour dates 2026:

"Convergence Fest" with Ronnie Romero:

April 25 - RO - Constanza, Rock Hale
October 03 - NL - Hoogeveen, Het Podium
October 04 - NL - Uden, De Pul
October 05 - B - Verviers, spirit of 66
October 07 - F - Savigny l'Empreinte, Le Temple
October 08 - F - Angoulins La Rochelle, Crossroads
October 09 - ES - Pamplona, Totem
October 10 - ES - Seville, Customs
October 11 - ES - Santiago, Capitol
October 13 - F - La Penne sur Huveaune, Le Cherydon
October 15 - GER - München, Backstage
October 16 - GER - Bensheim, Rex
October 17 - CH - Aarburg - Musigburg
October 19 - GER - Hamburg, Knust
October 20 - GER - Berlin, Lido
October 21 - GER - Augsburg, Spectrum
October 27 - GER - Aschaffenburg, Colos Saal
October 28 - GER - Bochum, Zeche

Festivals 2026

May 24 - DE - Rock Hard Festival
July 25 - PL - Jan Bo Festival
August 22 - PL - Sound of the Ages

Gus G. solo discography:

"I Am The Fire" (2014)
"Brand New Revolution" (2015)
"Fearless" (2018)
"Quantum Leap" (2021)
"Steel Burner" (2026)

Gus joined Ozzy's band in 2009 and appeared on the BLACK SABBATH singer's eleventh studio album, "Scream".

Photo by Akis Douzlatzis

On the latest episode of EMGtv's "Five Minutes With", SEPULTURA's Andreas Kisser was asked what riff every guitarist should know how to play. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I started listening to heavy metal very early, when I already was playing acoustic classical guitar, starting to learn. But I think JUDAS PRIEST was the band that really was my first teachers.

"Every time somebody asks me to teach [them a riff] — I'm a really bad teacher; I'm a horrible teacher; I have no patience for that — but I tell them, 'Go listen to JUDAS PRIEST['s] 'British Steel' [album],'" he continued. "That's a great school. I mean, you have [songs like] 'Breaking The Law', you have 'Living After Midnight' — very simple, simple riffs, but it represents everything that metal has. It's like a heavy metal school.

"'Grinder' [another song on 'British Steel'] is the riff that I first heard on the album, and with my guitar in hands, I could reproduce [it on] my guitar," Andreas added. "[It's] very simple, but at the same time it has the rhythm part that you have the pose, and once you get into that pose, you go to the JUDAS PRIEST mode [laughs], and that's amazing. So it's very representative of heavy metal, and every guitar player should know this. It's simple, it's easy, but you have to play it yourself. Do it."

Back in 2021, Kisser shared his recollections of getting hooked on guitar, his first guitar and how he learned to play the instrument in a Jackson "First Song I Learned On Guitar" clip.

"Listening to albums is where I really trained my ear," Kisser said at the time. "I studied acoustic guitar and Brazilian music, the theory and other stuff, but with heavy music and rock and roll, listening to the albums — vinyl and cassette tapes, and really trying to learn the songs.

"The first song that I really managed to listen to an album and transpose to a guitar was 'Grinder' from JUDAS PRIEST," Andreas revealed. "That album, 'British Steel', it's a very simple album, let's say, guitar-wise. It's a great school. It's a great first step into the world of metal: 'Breaking The Law', 'Living After Midnight', 'Metal Gods' and, of course, 'Grinder'. It's very simple stuff, very simple riffing, and very effective. So I started there."

In 2022, Kisser named "British Steel" one of the albums that changed his life, telling U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine: "'British Steel' was so important because it gave me the opportunity to play JUDAS PRIEST's music. It was simple enough and, at the same time, powerful. You could feel the power behind those power chords. If you want to learn about heavy metal guitar playing, it's a great start. If you want to define heavy metal, then 'British Steel' is what it's all about. JUDAS PRIEST were never ashamed of being a metal band, like DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH were."

SEPULTURA has set "The Cloud Of Unknowing" as the title of its final EP. The VIP package for the final North American leg of the band's "Celebrating Life Through Death" tour includes, among other things, an exclusive vinyl for "The Cloud Of Unknowing" EP.

"The Cloud Of Unknowing" will contain the first SEPULTURA music with the band's current touring drummer, 23-year-old Greyson Nekrutman, who officially replaced the group's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February 2024.

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

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

In a new interview with Robby Vegas of the "All Bets Are Off" podcast, original TESLA guitarist Tommy Skeoch discussed the recent announcement that he was teaming up with TESLA bassist and founding member Brian Wheat in a new band called TERMINAL. Joining the duo in the new group are former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes and original SALIVA singer Josey Scott. Regarding how TERMINAL came together, Tommy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Brian, man, he just loves doing all kinds of shit and being with people. He's just so funny. I think him and Chris — he met Chris, and [he was] talking to Chris — I don't know the whole story — anyway, they decided they would jam together, so they were starting to write some songs. And he told Chris, 'I'll ask Tommy [to be part of it],' and Chris was, like, 'All right.' So he asked me, and I was, like, 'Fuck yeah. That sounds like that would be crazy.' … So I had to fucking say yes to that. And Brian, of course. And then the drummer's great. And then Josey, yeah. Brian mentioned some singers, and Josey, I think, is the guy that is gonna rock it. So we'll see how that goes. He hasn't laid anything down yet, so I can't say. I just know we got the music, so we're doing that and finishing it up. And that's usually how I do it anyway when I write — I do the music first and then put lyrics on it."

Elaborating on Josey's involvement with TERMINAL, Tommy said: "He seems really nice and everything. I've only talked to him over the phone, on a conference call. But Brian knows him, and he seems really nice and really into it. We'll see what he comes up with. We've got all the music down. I think he's got it now and is putting some lyrics to it and working on that. I'm going back up there on the 25th for about 10 days to just totally finish all my guitar tracks. We wrote it, we kind of threw it down. It's there, so now the drums are good, but we gotta put the real thing down. So I'm going up there on the 25th to do that."

On the topic of the TERMINAL band name, Tommy said: "We're calling it TERMINAL 'cause we're all old and terminal or something. I don't know. I don't know why we're calling it that. Actually, Chris came up with it. And it's cool to be playing with Chris, man, 'cause Chris Holmes, if anyone doesn't know, from W.A.S.P., who I was a big fan of when I was a kid… And it's just a trip playing with him, man. He's cool and just badass and just a fucking legend. And then I'm hanging with Brian again, so we're kind of having a lot of fun too lately. It's just a lot different. It's good. And then also the drummer is really good, Sal [Giancarelli]. He plays in [STAIND]. He's a great drummer… He's drumming [on the TERMINAL album], but if we ever go do any shows or anything, which we talked about, I just heard that maybe he wouldn't be able to do it or something. Then I hear, no, he's saying he wants to do it. He's gonna actually play live if we play live. But he's playing drums on the record."

This past December, Holmes told Jimmy Kay of Canada's The Metal Voice about how TERMINAL came together: "In 2022 I played on the Monsters [Of Rock] cruise, and before we played, I ran into the Brian, and I talked to him. And we were on the boat, and we became pretty close friends. You can tell if you're gonna like somebody in about 10 minutes, 20 minutes of meeting somebody. When you're around 'em, you usually can tell if they're compatible with your personality. So he's got a house in Italy by where I live in France. I live in the south of France and right by Monaco, by Nice, and he has a place down by Florence. And he said, 'Hey, come down here.' And then when I went and visited him, he was, like, 'I've been wanting to put a band together.' He has a few other projects going. He's got one called VIOLET BREED. He's got that, but he talking to me about putting a project together. I go, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.' And I gave him a few ideas of songs and whatever, and we're taking the steps and putting this project together. We've got the people together; it's just we've gotta finish the songs."

Brian chimed in: "So what happened was this: we were on the [Monsters Of Rock] boat in 2022, but I had seen Chris's documentary, the 'Mean Man' documentary, and a friend of mine said, 'You gotta watch this, this dude in W.A.S.P.,' which was Chris. I said, 'Yeah, I met that cat a long time ago.' So I watched it and I really connected to him and his story. So when he was on the boat, when we were on the boat, I said, 'I wanna meet the guy.' So I went up to him and I introduced myself to him. I said, 'Hey, man, I'm Brian from TESLA. Nice to meet you. I saw your documentary.' And we just kind of hit it off. He said, 'Hey, let's have coffee or lunch' or whatever. We were eating at the buffet, and we were talking, and I said to Chris, 'Chris, all those years you were in W.A.S.P. Why didn't you join some other band after you were out of W.A.S.P.?' And he said, 'Well, no one wanted to play you in a band with me.' So I said, 'Well, fuck, I'll play in a band with you, man.' And that's kind of what happened. And then what happened from there was we just started hanging out. And they live in France, and I have a house in Italy, and they came and visited me. And we were talking on the phone and stuff. And on paper, I went, 'Oh, this would be cool.' So I knew me and Chris could get along. So that's that. So me and Chris said [to each other], 'Well, I'll be in a band with you.' And we're just talking. Me and Tommy, before that, had reconnected after all our years in TESLA and all the shit we went through and all the shit that people who interview us say and all kinds of shit, 'cause they like to pit us against each other, and we reconnected. So I thought to myself, I said, 'Man, Chris Holmes…'"

Wheat continued: "Now, when I first heard of Chris Holmes and W.A.S.P., it was from Tom. I was into Paul McCartney and WINGS. I am a pop guy, if you wanna say pop or melodic, whatever. I'm that guy. I'm THE BEATLES guy. So I said to myself, 'Fuck, Tommy and Chris would be great together. That would be a great combination.' So I said to Chris, 'Chris, what do you think about Tommy Skeoch, the original guitar player in TESLA? He would be perfect as a second guitar player, and we'll all work together.' And he said, 'Yeah, that's cool. Would he be into it?' I said, 'Well, I don't know. I'll call him and I'll ask him.' So then I called Tommy and said, 'Hey, would you be into fucking playing with me and Chris Holmes [in the band] we [are] putting together?' He said, 'Oh, I'd love that.' So I said, 'Yeah, Chris, he'd be into that.' So that's kind of how this came together. And then it's, like, 'Well, we've gotta have a singer.' And we talked about a few different singers and stuff. And Josey was the guy that came to my mind. [He is] easy to get along with, [and from] a different generation. 'Cause Chris was before me and Tommy. His generation was pre-TESLA. TESLA and the generation after TESLA was SALIVA. So you've got Josey. So I asked, same thing, [I] called Josey. 'What do you think?' 'Yeah, cool.' I sent him a couple of early little sketch demos that me and Chris did. He went, 'Yeah, I can sing to that.' And that's what's brought us to where we are now."

On the topic of the progress of the songwriting sessions for TERMINAL's debut album, Brian said: "Tommy's just been out playing with his band BAD MARRIAGE and Chris just finished a tour of Canada and some other things. He went back to his house in France, and Chris and [his wife] Sarah flew out here [to upstate New York], and Tommy flew over here, and now the three of us had been together for six days and writing songs."

Asked about TERMINAL's musical direction, Tommy said: "[We] just kind of come in and see what we all kind of bring to it. And that's kind of what we're doing and what's happening. And it's pretty rocking, but it's got even [more melodic] elements in it and different things."

Brian chimed in: "When you asked Tommy, 'What are you looking for [when it comes to TERMINAL's sound]?', he's right. We don't know what we're looking for, because whatever the sound is of me, my poppy BEATLES thing, Tom's heavy edge, [Chris's] heavy metal stuff, you put it all together and then what Josey sings, that's gonna be the sound. I can't define what the sound's gonna be."

When Wheat announced TERMINAL's formation in September, he wrote: "We look forward to presenting you with our new brand of music." He then clarified: "No, I am not leaving TESLA. I'm just starting another new band with my old friend."

In July 2025, Wheat joined BAD MARRIAGE on stage in Webster, New York, marking the first time in nearly 20 years that Wheat and Skeoch — who is also BAD MARRIAGE lead guitarist — had performed live together. Wheat, Skeoch and the rest of BAD MARRIAGE ripped through the TESLA classics "Rock Me To The Top" and "Little Suzi".

In February 2025, Wheat brought up his current relationship with Skeoch while speaking to Ernest Skinner of Canada's Border City Rock Talk about his friendship with Holmes. He said:  "Me and Chris are gonna do a band or a project, whatever you wanna call it, together. And Tommy has agreed to do it as well. So the three of us have talked about putting together a project, band, whatever you wanna call it this day and age, but me and Chris have already started to work on some songs. And I know me and Tommy know how to write songs together 'cause we did a lot in TESLA. So the next step would be to get me and Tommy and Chris together, whether it's on a Zoom, working together like that or whatever, and write some material, and then find a singer that would be the right singer for that project.

"But, yeah, me and Chris are pretty good buddies," Brian continued. "We see each other when I'm at my house in Italy. He's there all the time. He lives in France. And I'm in Florida now for the winter. Tommy's in Florida. So we've all talked about it. So it's just when we get around to doing it. And it's just carving out a time where Chris isn't busy doing MEAN MAN, I'm not doing TESLA or VIOLET BREED, and Tommy's not doing BAD MARRIAGE.

"I'm looking forward to it, because I like Chris and I wanna work with Tommy again," Wheat added.

In February 2022, Skeoch, who left TESLA in 2006 to receive treatment for substance-abuse issues, reconnected with Wheat for the first time in more than a decade and a half aboard that year's Monsters Of Rock cruise. The charter cruise featured performances by Skeoch's then-band RESIST & BITE while Wheat was onboard showing his art.

In an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Skeoch was asked if he exited TESLA of his own accord or if he was asked to leave. Tommy said: "I was fired. I was getting fucked up and I was definitely in the wrong about a lot of stuff, and they put up with it for a long time. But at the same time, none of us were angels, and we put up with a lot of stuff from the other guys for a long time too, and they're still there. So I felt like a little scapegoated by the thing. And the other thing is they didn't want people — I guess for the benefit of my family, so it wouldn't look bad — they said, 'Tommy's just gonna spend time [with his family].' That's why nobody knows, and that's why you're asking this question. Everyone's confused on even what happened. Basically, I was fired. I was getting fucked up, and I kept fucking up, and I kept telling 'em I wouldn't, and I just couldn't stop."

Skeoch added that he accepts responsibility for the circumstances that led to his departure from TESLA. "I do, of course," he said. "But I also believe we put up with a lot of shit for a long time from almost every other guy in the band, and they're still there. So I don't know what's up with that; that's a little weird to me."

Skeoch was a founding member of TESLA and played on the Sacramento five-piece defining albums, including 1986 debut "Mechanical Resonance" and 1990's "Five Man Acoustical Jam".

Tommy, who was fired due to substance abuse issues in 1994, rejoined when TESLA reformed more than two and a half decades ago following a brief hiatus.

In a new interview with Loudwire Nights' Chuck Armstrong, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach spoke about the recent deaths of Ozzy Osbourne and Ace Frehley. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think the grief process for people is different. For me, that sadness comes in waves, or it'll hit me when I'm not expecting it. Like with Ace Frehley. I mean, I love Ozzy, but Ace is a childhood… That's like Santa Claus to me. That's like a character. Well, so is Ozzy, but, but KISS with the makeup and the costumes and the comic books and the toys, that's a whole different thing.

"I'll be listening on the airplane to the first Ace solo album, and, and a song like 'What's On Your Mind?'" he continued. "I don't know how deep cuts you go, but there's certain songs where the way he plays his guitar just melts my heart. And even 'Got To Choose' off [KISS's] 'Hotter Than Hell' [album]. His sense of melody was so beautiful and unique. The notes that he chose in those songs are just incredible.

"So I'm not walking around bawling my eyes out, because, to be honest with you, when my dad died back in 2002, I did walk around bawling my eyes up for, like, a year," Bach admitted. "And I said, 'Fuck this.' I go, 'I'm not gonna let somebody's dying take me off my game any anymore.' I cried so many tears for my own dad that I said…

"I think every one of us, we have to learn how to compartmentalize. We have to learn how to deal with something like somebody close to us dying, but we can't quit our job," Bach added. "We can't just stay in our house and cry all day. I did that when my dad died. I did. That was a long time ago… I lost my cousin last year as well, who was friends with Ace, which is weird. And we were total KISS freaks as kids, and he was only 52. And if I was really gonna think about somebody dying, I do think of him. But at the same time, part of me is mad at him for dying, 'cause he was so young. Like, fuck you. Why do you do this at your age? And that's a really ridiculous way to think, 'cause obviously he didn't wanna die. But part of me gets angry when somebody leaves me. And it's irrational. It's an irrational thought. But I think we all might go through that."

Bach and Frehley worked together on the track "Know Where You Go" for drummer Anton Fig's solo album "Figments", which came out in 2002. At the time, Bach said that recording with Ace and Anton was "a dream come true and an honor."

In October 2019, Frehley joined Bach on stage at Kruise Fest 2019 at Hilton Blue Lagoon in Miami, Florida to perform a couple of KISS classics, "Parasite" and "Deuce", as well as the Frehley track "Snow Blind".

Back in 2014, Bach spoke about Frehley while commenting on KISS's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the announcement that the original four members of KISS would not perform at the ceremony. "As a fan, I understand why people would want to see that," Sebastian said. "But as a [middle-aged] man that has worked with Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley, I understand why Gene Simmons doesn't work with Ace Frehley."

Bach added cryptically: "Ace has sides to him that maybe the fans don't see. That's all I can say."

Last August, Sebastian told Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips about Ozzy's passing: "Oh, man. I was still recuperating from the concert, the 'Back To The Beginning' [charity event which marked Osbourne's and BLACK SABBATH's final performance], [when I found out Ozzy had died]. I never pay for streaming or whatever, but I saw, the day after that concert, there was some footage on YouTube from the pro-shot [livestream of the event], and I cried watching it 'cause I love BLACK SABBATH and I love seeing them, at their age, get together and play one last time. So I watched it and I was blown away. And so I invited my friends over, 'cause I've got quite the stereo system in my living room and I said, 'Come on over. Let's watch it.' So I went on YouTube and it was gone. Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager] must have had it pulled down; it wasn't on YouTube anymore. So I said, 'eff it.' I went to the 'Back To The Beginning' web site and I bought this stream. And it was only available for one more day. So I had this packed house — well, I just had a bunch of friends over — and I had paid the money for the stream, and we watched as much as we could. And it was just so heavy watching them that I wasn't prepared for him to die. I was still recuperating from watching that concert, which was only one week or a week and a half before he left us. So the day that he died, I was not prepared. I don't think any of us were prepared, because we had just seen that concert literally days before."

Sebastian continued: "I have this thing, man, that it's probably not right that I do this, but I learned this when my dad died in 2002. I cried so much that I had no more tears left. For months, I was so hurt that my dad died at the age of 57, which is how old I am right now — knock on wood. Anyways, so we all go through that. That's life. Every one of us has to deal with that. But what I did learn is that sometimes I have to compartmentalize things in order to get through the day. And some since my dad died, sometimes now when a family member dies or one of my heroes dies, like Ozzy or Gregg Allman or Eddie Van Halen or Neil Peart, sometimes I pretend that it never happened. I know that's kind of a lousy thing. I just lost my cousin Kevin — he was 52 — from cancer, and part of me refuses to accept that. In my brain, I'm, like, 'Fuck cancer. Fuck you. I'm not gonna let myself really feel that.' Of course, I do feel it, and sometimes it hits me, but when my dad died, I had no compartmentalization. So as I get older, maybe it's cold, maybe it's not right, but sometimes I just pretend that this never happened. And I still haven't accepted that Ozzy Osbourne is dead, because a part of my childhood dies with Ozzy, and I'm not a child. [Laughs] So I'd better get used to that."

Sebastian performed covers of Ozzy's "Crazy Train" and "I Don't Know" during his July 25, 2025 concert at the Labadie Rib Fest in Bay City, Michigan. Prior to launching into "Crazy Train", which was the fourth song of his set, Sebastian told the crowd:  "You know, they called him the Prince Of Darkness, but all he did was make us all fucking happy, man. That's it.

"This show tonight is dedicated to fucking Ozzy Osbourne tonight, Bay City.

"And they said that when he died, he was surrounded by his family and his friends after doing the best concert that he ever did in his whole life.

"We all love Ozzy.

"How many people wanna go fucking crazy tonight? Let's go off the rails on the crazy train."

Bach's current touring band includes his son Paris Bach on drums, "Bruiser" Brody DeRozie on guitar, and Fede Delfino on bass.

In 2014, Sebastian said his "ultimate dream in rock 'n' roll" when he was "fired" from SKID ROW in 1996 "was to possibly some day be like Ozzy Osbourne, in that he came up with [BLACK] SABBATH and then had a successful solo career."

That same year, Bach defended Osbourne against critics, telling TV Rock Live: "Some people think, 'Oh, Ozzy, he's not a great singer.' I say, bullshit. I think Ozzy is an amazing singer, because I feel what is in his crazy fucking mind. Like, he sounds, you know… crazy."

More than a decade ago, Bach released a cover of Ozzy's "S.A.T.O." as part of an album celebrating the legacy of legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT). Blessed by the Rhoads family and including a track by Randy's brother Kelle Rhoads, the CD was made available in January 2015 at the "Randy Rhoads Remembered" show at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California.

In addition to Sebastian, Bach's version of "S.A.T.O." featured Brent Woods (SEBASTIAN BACH, VINCE NEIL) on guitar, James LoMenzo (JOHN FOGERTY, BLACK LABEL SOCEITY, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, WHITE LION) on bass, and Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER, PRIDE & GLORY) on drums.

While the world remains being a restless place, metal commando PRIMAL FEAR is among the most reliable constants in these insecure times. Supporting their 2025 success album "Domination" on stages worldwide with a second European leg kicking off in London, U.K. on March 11, the band warms up its engines with a new track called "One" today. The straight-forward anthem calls upon mankind to stand together instead of feuding each other, and was recorded during the "Domination" sessions. Combining hard-hitting riffs and the group's melodic trademark approach masterfully, the single is in no way inferior to PRIMAL FEAR's celebrated current opus!

PRIMAL FEAR bassist and producer Mat Sinner states: "'One' is a continuation of the 'Domination' atmosphere. A massive riff, true [PRIMAL FEAR] melodies, a driving groove, and Ralf's [Scheepers] characteristic vocals. It's like a teaser for the second leg of our European tour as well as our upcoming South American run. Our cover artist, Death.Milk.Designs, has created a killer video clip with a collection of awesome scenes. Enjoy listening and watching the video. We're incredibly excited for the next part of the tour!"

Since September 5, 2025, the day which has seen the official "Domination" release through Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM),PRIMAL FEAR has undisputedly shown that it belongs to the very front of the scene. On one hand, "Domination" stormed the various album charts around the globe once again with a major highlight being their fourth German Top 10 entry in a row, rounded off by a series of impressive numbers in other European countries as well as in the U.S. and Japan. On the other hand, PRIMAL FEAR fired countless songs from their rich hit arsenal — including a series of their brand new material — at the crowds during the first leg of their "Domination" European tour. Fans gathering at the packed venue have literally known the words of "Destroyer" and especially their obvious new stomping anthem "I Am The Primal Fear" from day one of the trek, making these dates a common triumph across the continent after re-completing the PRIMAL FEAR foundation and Sinner's long-awaited live return. Culminating in form of their first headline appearances in Spain in seven years, the band have renewed, if not extended their footprint on the grounds of the metal world with this 21-date run.

It's beyond debate that the metal commandos must bring their oiled machinery to other places, which they couldn't visit during the first part of their "Domination" tour. No sooner said than done. The second leg is booked and the eagle is conquering the posters of worldwide festivals continuously.

"Domination" was recorded at Dennis Ward's Kangaroo Studios (HELLOWEEN, ANGRA) in autumn 2024, produced by Mat Sinner and co-produced by Ralf Scheepers as well as Magnus Karlsson. It was completed by longtime PRIMAL FEAR mixing/mastering engineer Jacob Hansen (AMORPHIS, VOLBEAT) at his own studios in Denmark. The album artwork was designed by Death.Milk.Designs.

Going strong for nearly three decades, PRIMAL FEAR — founded and still led by Mat Sinner (bass, vocals) and Ralf Scheepers (lead vocals) — have never let down their global fanbase. Relentless and constantly pushing their limits, PRIMAL FEAR ensure that no two albums ever sound the same. After "Code Red" (2023) hit some of the highest chart positions of their career, expectations for the next release were higher than ever. Now joined by gifted guitarist Thalìa Bellazecca and former PRIMAL FEAR touring drummer André Hilgers, the quintet were more than up for the challenge. And as "Domination" makes clear, no obstacle is too great for PRIMAL FEAR's powerhouse songwriting trio — Sinner, Scheepers and guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who has rejoined the band's live lineup after several years away.

From the hard-hitting opener "The Hunter" and first single "Far Away" to the uplifting mid-tempo anthem "Tears Of Fire" and the epic ballad "Eden" — featuring a surprise guest appearance by AD INFINITUM's Melissa Bonny — "Domination" delivers on all fronts. Add in neck-breakers like "Scream" and "Crossfire", and the reflective, string-and-piano-driven closer "A Tune I Won't Forget", and it's clear: PRIMAL FEAR aren't here to reclaim the crown — they're here to prove they've never left the throne of heavy/power metal royalty.

PRIMAL FEAR 2026 is:

Ralf Scheepers - vocals
Mat Sinner - bass, vocals
Magnus Karlsson - guitars
Thalìa Bellazecca - guitars
André Hilgers - drums