German thrash metal pioneers, Accuser, released their 13th studio album, Rebirthless, on November 21st via MDD Records. They have unleashed an official video for album opener, "Violent Vanity", which can be viewed below.





The band states that Rebirthless perfectly realizes the band's musical vision, thanks to powerful melodies, aggressive rhythms and profound lyrics that captivate listeners and make them think. The complete tracklist can be found below. 

Sick Drummer has shared drum cam video of I Am Morbid's Pete Sandoval performing on December 8th in Brooklyn, NY on the  Devastation On The Nation Tour. Check it out below.





On Friday, November 15th at The Orpheum in Tampa, Florida, I Am Morbid headlined the inaugural Devastation On The Nation date, alongside Suffocation, UADA, Mortiferum, Fulci, and Knoll.




Fronted by David Vincent, the original Morbid Angel vocalist and bassist, I Am Morbid includes Morbid Angel’s original and legendary drummer Pete Sandoval, and guitarists Bill Hudson (Doro, Northtale) and Richie Brown (Terrorizer, ex-Trivium). Their setlist was comprised of the following 11 songs:


"Immortal Rites"
"Fall From Grace"
"Visions Fr

Souls Of Steel has shared the official music video for "No Man's Land", a track taken from the band's debut album, Songs Of Steel, released August 16, 2024 via WormHoleDeath.


"No Man's Land" is a powerful metaphor for humanity's internal and collective struggle against lies and the constraints imposed by society. It speaks of a world where people are trapped in a monotonous and deceptive existence, constantly judged while desperately seeking to break free from an invisible prison.


"We chose this track for the video because it captures our vision and essence — a combination of intense music and a narrative that invites reflection," said the band. "The lyrics and music reflect our own experiences, frustrations, and hopes, resonating with anyone who feels stuck in a metaphorical no man's land."




"The creative process was intense and highly collaborative. From the very first idea, we aimed to create a track with both emotional and sonic impact. The song's struct

Listenable Records and Monument Of Misanthropy have just joined forces though a multi-album deal.


Austria's Monument Of Misanthropy was originally founded as a solo project by singer Georg Wilfinger (ex-Miasma) in 2010. In 2012, the project evolved into a studio band with drummer Romain Goulon (ex-Necrophagist) and guitarist Jean-Pierre Battesti, releasing the demo, Bandroom Misanthropy.


The trio then decided to record and self release their debut album, Anger Mismanagement. Due to the level of awareness of the founding members, especially Romain Goulon whose band Necrophagist was on a hiatus at the time and still is, the teasers for the album found their way into the scene media attention and brutal death metal aficionados.




Having honed their frenzy and viciously blasting death metal with great dexterity, surgical precision at numerous occasions during European tours with Belphegor, Vader, Immolation, Suffocation among many others, Monument Of Misanthropy released their third and strongest studio album, Vile Postmortem Irrumatio, in 2024 . The album cover was featured in the third and final edition of the famous Aesthetics Of Sickness III - Dark Morbid Obsessions book trilogy.


Always hungry for new insane musical patterns, Monument Of Misanthropy is now ready to start working on their forthcoming audio slaughter for Listenable. Get ready for a furious dose

Lebanese prog metal band, Turbulence, are excited to share their new video for “Ternary”, taken from their latest studio album, Binary Dream, released back in March via Frontiers Music Srl.


Keyboardist Mood Yassin describes the track by saying: "'Ternary' is the closing number of a 5-track epic song, a pivotal piece in a concept album that explores the fusion of human consciousness with artificial intelligence. The song offers a profound exploration of the threefold nature of human consciousness - of mind, of heart, and of soul - conveyed with evocative lyrics and immersive instrumentation. Each section represents a unique facet of existence: the mind's search for the rational and disillusionment, the heart's struggle with pride and vulnerability, and the soul's silent, transcendent essence, expressed throughout a haunting instrumental.”


“By weaving these elements together, 'Ternary' not only reflects the complexity of the human experience through the lens of a robot awakening, but also resonates with anyone seeking harmony within themselves. It's more than a song - it's an introspective journey that challenges you to connect with your deepest self”, he adds.







Binary Dream can be ordered here.





Tracklisting:


“Static Mind”
“Theta

During an appearance on the December 9 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho weighed in on IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain's announcement over the weekend that he was retiring from playing live with the legendary heavy metal act. Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just saw Nicko in Minneapolis probably about a month ago or so. And I asked him, like, 'How are you doing?' He was having problems playing 16th notes, he said. But he's still Nicko — funniest guy, best guy. So it doesn't surprise me that he retired 'cause he told me before, 'I want the guys to go on when I'm ready to stop. And it's gonna be soon.'"

Jericho continued: "MAIDEN is so classic in that, if you think about this, they didn't give fans a chance to even think about it. They announced it on the morning. He plays his last show that night. They announced the new drummer the next day, and boom. It's, like, 'See you, guys.' It's, like, 'Whoa.' They didn't do, like, the Nicko farewell tour or anything like that. But, obviously, they've been planning it for a while. And Nicko, one of the most influential rock drummers ever, and more importantly, just a sweetheart of a guy. He's one of those guys, as you all know, no one ever says anything bad about Nicko McBrain — ever. He's just the friendliest, nicest, happiest, most encouraging guy. So, nothing but the best to him, man. And it's gonna be hard to replace Nicko McBrain. But he earned his right to step down. And he's just a classic drummer and a classic man."

Chris also addressed McBrain's statement that the drummer will remain closely connected to IRON MAIDEN and continue to be involved in "a variety of projects" with the band, while also focusing on personal ventures and his existing businesses. Asked if he thinks that it means McBrain could still play on future MAIDEN studio records, Jericho said: "It leaves the door open. And Nicko even said in his statement that he's still gonna be working on MAIDEN-related projects and he's still managed by [longtime MAIDEN managers Rod] Smallwood and Andy Taylor. So whether he plays on the album or not, I think they're leaving the door open for him. But, as you know, IRON MAIDEN songs are not easy to play, and recording a new record takes a while. So, maybe he'll play on it, but I think once you kind of step back from that daily playing or that tour life of playing, he might not wanna do it, or maybe he'll do a song or two. But I think it leaves the door open, but I wouldn't count on it anytime soon. And MAIDEN isn't doing a record anytime soon either. So…"

McBrain played his last-ever gig with MAIDEN this past weekend. The 72-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on Saturday, December 7 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. He also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the legendary rock band.

On Sunday (December 8),IRON MAIDEN announced Simon Dawson as its new touring drummer. Dawson is a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

Saturday's performance marked the the final show of IRON MAIDEN's "The Future Past" world tour, which began in May 2023.

MAIDEN will return to the road in 2025 for the "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which is scheduled to launch in May.

In January 2023, Nicko was at his home in Boca Raton when he suffered a stroke with partial paralysis.

When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August 2023, the drummer said in a statement that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over.

Four years ago, McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps. The musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

Tapped to replace Clive Burr in 1982 after touring activities for "Number Of The Beast" concluded, McBrain brought a degree of finesse and technicality that was largely missing from IRON MAIDEN's early output. Whereas Burr was often lauded for his heavy-handed, punk-oriented style, McBrain was largely the opposite, playing with a degree of dexterity and flair that helped primary songwriter Steve Harris take MAIDEN down more adventurous paths. He eventually became the third longest-tenured member of MAIDEN, behind Harris and guitarist Dave Murray.

McBrain spent his early drumming years playing for the likes of Pat Travers and French rockers TRUST, eventually falling onto the radar of Harris and MAIDEN during the group's initial European tour.

IRON MAIDEN has shared a new five-minute video tribute to the band's longtime drummer Nicko McBrain, featuring behind-the-scenes footage of his final gig with the British heavy metal legends, which took place this past weekend in São Paulo, Brazil.

The 72-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on Saturday, December 7 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. He also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the legendary rock band.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson addressed McBrain's retirement before launching into the third song, "The Writing On The Wall", of MAIDEN's set at Allianz Parque. He said: "Tonight is a very special night, as some of you, I think probably all of you, will know, because this morning we announced, Nicko announced that he was stepping back for playing live drums with IRON MAIDEN.

"For 42 years Nicko's been in this band," Bruce continued. "He was a drummer before I was a singer, he was a pilot before I was a pilot, and now he's not leaving the band, but he's just not playing live with us anymore.

"So, we have a lot more music to get to tonight, and I want the rest of the night to be a celebration of Nick, a celebration of the joy that he's brought to everybody around the world, not just here in Brazil," Dickinson added. "All right? And with that, on we go!"

In his statement announcing his retirement, McBrain said: "After much consideration, it is with both sorrow and joy, I announce my decision to take a step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle. I wish the band much success moving forward."

"What can I say? Touring with MAIDEN the last 42 years has been an incredible journey! To my devoted fan base, you made it all worthwhile and I love you!" McBrain added.

Despite the fact that he is stepping away from touring, McBrain said that he will remain closely connected to IRON MAIDEN and continue to be involved in "a variety of projects" with the band, while also focusing on personal ventures and his existing businesses.

"I look into the future with much excitement and great hope! I'll be seeing you soon, may God bless you all, and, of course, 'Up the Irons!'" he wrote.

MAIDEN's longtime manager Rod Smallwood of Phantom Music Management expressed his gratitude to McBrain, writing in a separate statement: "Thank you for being an irrepressible force behind the drum kit for MAIDEN for 42 years and my friend for even longer. I speak on behalf of all the band when I say we will miss you immensely!"

Smallwood also referenced MAIDEN's deep connection with Brazil, where they have been performing to massive crowds since appearing at the 1985 edition of the Rock In Rio festival. "To bow out of touring in front of 90,000 fans here in São Paulo over two nights is poetic," Rod continued. "Nicko is and will always be part of the MAIDEN family."

On Sunday (December 8),IRON MAIDEN announced Simon Dawson as its new touring drummer. Dawson is a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

Saturday's performance marked the the final show of IRON MAIDEN's "The Future Past" world tour, which began in May 2023.

MAIDEN will return to the road in 2025 for the "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which is scheduled to launch in May.

In January 2023, Nicko was at his home in Boca Raton when he suffered a stroke with partial paralysis.

When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August 2023, the drummer said in a statement that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over.

Four years ago, McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps. The musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

Tapped to replace Clive Burr in 1982 after touring activities for "Number Of The Beast" concluded, McBrain brought a degree of finesse and technicality that was largely missing from IRON MAIDEN's early output. Whereas Burr was often lauded for his heavy-handed, punk-oriented style, McBrain was largely the opposite, playing with a degree of dexterity and flair that helped primary songwriter Steve Harris take MAIDEN down more adventurous paths. He eventually became the third longest-tenured member of MAIDEN, behind Harris and guitarist Dave Murray.

McBrain spent his early drumming years playing for the likes of Pat Travers and French rockers TRUST, eventually falling onto the radar of Harris and MAIDEN during the group's initial European tour.

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford has weighed in on GOJIRA's performance at this year's Olympic Games opening ceremony.

GOJIRA performed a surprise rendition of "Ah! Ça Ira", a popular song during the French Revolution, alongside opera singer Marina Viotti as well as a number of beheaded figures representing the slain Queen Marie Antoinette.

Halford told Heavy Consequence about GOJIRA's appearance (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was surprised and shocked and thrilled and delighted to see metal on the Olympics, because I'm an Olympics fan, like most people, because it's teamwork. All of these athletes get there by their own skill and endurance and perseverance, but there's a team around them. And any winner will say, 'Yeah, if it wasn't for my coach, if it wasn't for my family, da, da, da, da, da.' So, what I mean by that is, the GOJIRA band is a family, it's a metal family, it's a metal community. So, wow, that was just such a thrill. And shoutout to the French for doing something like this. Some countries would be a little bit hesitant, but this is the beauty of France. They are such a cosmopolitan place for all arts. It's not, like, 'Oh, you can't put metal in the Olympics.' 'You say that. It's GOJIRA.' It's great. And they deserve it."

Rob added: "I'd been rooting for GOJIRA. I love that band. I've been a GOJIRA fan since day one. So, yes, again, a big thrill for that band. And I hope to bump into the guys at the [2025] Grammy Awards [where GOJIRA and PRIEST are both nominated], on the red carpet or whatever."

GOJIRA made history as the first metal band to ever perform at the Olympic Games during the opening ceremony of the 2024 summer Olympics in Paris, France on July 26. Working alongside composer Victor Le Manse, the quartet injected their signature heavy riffs and punishing rhythms into "Ah! Ça Ira!" . Joined by French-Swiss mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti and nearly 300 classical musicians, GOJIRA performed from the windows of Paris's iconic Concierge amidst a grand spectacle of pyrotechnics. The performance made international headlines and was widely regarded as one of the most talked about moments from the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Speaking exclusively to Rolling Stone following the performance, GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier commented: "We took it as an opportunity to represent the metal scene. So it was our task to really go for it and lay it down, not just be there and play a few notes to shock people. We decided to go full-on with double-kick drums, screaming, growling, epic moments, and a tempo breakdown at the end; we really wanted to show what metal is all about."

Asked by Heavy Consequence what it was like to be  the first heavy metal band to ever perform at the Olympics, GOJIRA drummer Mario Duplantier said: "It's mind-blowing actually. We are still a bit high, I feel, in the band. We are still trying to understand what really happened in terms of the impact of the ceremony and the impact in the world of metal.

"We felt like the stars were aligned because we're a French band, the ceremony was in France and two of the four guys who were the creators of this ceremony were big GOJIRA fans and they called us," Mario explained. "So, we also felt very lucky.

"There is not that many bands in France. Imagine if you have a ceremony in England, as an example, there is thousands of legendary bands. But in France, it's not really the case. You have a lot of bands who play outside of France, but the list is not that big. So, there [was] a good chance for us to be called. So we still feel very humble. It was such a great moment and a huge boost for our career."

Asked how long it was from the moment that it was mentioned to him and his GOJIRA bandmates that they would perform at the Olympics until the actual performance, Mario said: "We received the call back in November 2023, and the ceremony was in July 2024. So, a good couple of months. We had to keep it secret. We worked with the writer of the music of the ceremony, because we were not allowed to play our music. So at first we were, like, 'That's weird,' because we really thought if we could play a song, that would be amazing. But in fact, we really had to create something that fit with the theme of the revolution. So it was a big challenge, but a very fun challenge as well. And we worked together with Victor Le Manse, with the guy who writes the entire music of the entire ceremony. And, yeah, the relation was perfect — very chill. No drama, no tension, nothing. And Joe [GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier] and I, because mainly we worked — Joe and I — on this project, we had a lot of things to say and we were very free to do almost whatever we wanted, as [long] as it fit with the theme and all that. So yeah, amazing."

Regarding how his life has changed in the several months since performing at the Olympics, Mario said: "It's really subtle. Because we've been a band for 30 years and we already had a career and we were touring worldwide. But, yeah, it's a plus, it's a bonus. You go to a store and some people are, like, 'I saw you at the Olympics.' But it's not like a crazy change. Also, it's a band that played; it's not like one person. We're a band and an entity, so it's not like one of us was the main guy with a name. It's really GOJIRA performing over there, but many people don't realize I'm playing in GOJIRA, as a band also. But, no, what we can tell it's the overall respect for the band now, since we did that. And, as I said, we, we were very lucky to be able to do it and having this fucking bonus."

GOJIRA's fiery appearance at the Olympics angered some Christians online, who quickly branded it "satanic". Even the controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate accused the West of "worshipping the devil".

Posting a clip of GOJIRA's performance, Tate wrote: "Satanists control the west and they show you that they worship the devil. It's not a conspiracy theory. They literally show you. Are you blind?"

Asked by Rolling Stone about Tate's criticism that GOJIRA's performance was "satanic", Joseph said: "It's none of that. It's French history. It's French charm, you know, beheaded people, red wine, and blood all over the place — it's romantic, it's normal. There's nothing satanic. [Laughs]

"France is a country that made a separation between the state and religion during the revolution. And it's something very important, very dear to the foundation of republican France. We call it laïcité. It's when the state is not religious anymore, so therefore it's free in terms of expression and symbolism. It's all about history and facts. We don't look too close closely at symbolism in terms of religion."

Regarding whether he and his GOJIRA bandmates thought much about the responsibility of representing metal on the world stage, Joseph said: "I try not to think too much about that because it continues to blow my mind. [Laughs] The Olympic Committee could have asked literally anybody to play. I'm thinking of bands like METALLICA or AC/DC that are household names and powerhouses in our genre that we all revere and are our heroes. We never considered ourselves the biggest band in the world that would be worthy to play the Olympics or anything like that. It's so weird.

"The way I think about it is it's a challenge in 2024 to give hope to people, to show something original. People have seen everything from landing on the moon to A.I. So it was a challenge for Paris and the Committee to express something fresh, new, and original [by booking us] and also show what France is all about.

"At least for our part, the fact that metal and opera had never been seen together on TV and in front of so many people before is a statement for the country of France. It's saying, 'Hey, look. We're still pushing the boundaries in the world.' So congrats to France for putting this together."

Regarding who picked the song "Ah! Ça Ira" for GOJIRA, Joseph said: "That wasn't us at all. That was the team of young people and composers and designers that decided the whole theme. We were in the dark when it came to the whole ceremony; we were just concentrating on that picture and that moment of Marie Antoinette. We didn't know how it was going to look or how it would fit in with a whole performance. I didn't know Lady Gaga or Celine Dion were going to be there. We were in [the Olympic Committee's] confidence, and we weren't allowed to tell our people that we were going to do this. We didn't know what was going to happen at all. We just went back and forth with the composer of the Olympic ceremony, Victor Le Manse. He threw us a tempo and a guideline. And then we did our thing."

GOJIRA is considered a standard-bearer for French rock and bringing French rock to an international audience. Metal Hammer declared GOJIRA "metal's most important band" in 2016.

GOJIRA has been nominated for a Grammy Award four times — twice in 2017, for "Best Metal Performance" and "Best Rock Album" ("Magma"),once in 2022 for "Best Metal Performance" and once in 2025 for "Best Metal Performance" for "Ah! Ça Ira".

Acclaimed French metal band, Gojira, have unveiled the official music video for their Grammy-nominated single, "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)", captured during their jaw-dropping performance at the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.


“Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” is currently nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the upcoming 67th Annual Grammy Awards, marking the band’s fourth Grammy nomination to date.







Gojira made history as the first metal band ever to perform a

For the first time in their nearly 50-year musical careers, legendary guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have united to form the SATCHVAI band, with plans to ignite Europe with an electrifying summer tour.

Satriani and Vai, along with each of their respective bands, initially joined forces for their first-ever tour together, outside of the "G3" format, the past spring (2024) across select U.S. cities. They decided it was finally time to form a band together and bring that winning formula to the live stage, beginning in Europe.

Celebrating nearly five decades of musical friendship, Satriani and Vai made their first musical collaboration debut in March 2024. "The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1" highlights the unmatched synergy between these two legendary guitarists as they seamlessly trade solo sections throughout the six-minute opus. Their second collaboration is set to be released just before the European tour, adding even more anticipation for this epic run.

Satriani and Vai's musical careers have been intertwined since their very early days. Satriani served as Vai's guitar teacher during their teenage years on Long Island, New York. Their connection has continued to evolve over the years, even sharing record labels, starting at Relativity Records in the late 1980s, to both calling Sony/Epic Records home for a significant portion of the 1990s. Together, they have also frequently teamed up with a third guitarist on multiple occasions throughout the span of three decades, participating in the semi-annual "G3" tours, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Satriani says: "The SATCHVAI band tour is happening! I'm so looking forward to sharing the stage with Steve again. Every time we play together, it takes me back to when we were teenagers, eating and breathing music every second of the day, pushing, challenging, and helping each other to be the best we could be. I guess we've never stopped!"

Vai adds: "Touring with Joe is always a pleasure and an honor. He is my favorite guitarist to jam with, and now we have another opportunity to take it to the stage. I feel as though we are both at the top of our game, and the show will be a powerful celebration of the coolest instrument in the world, the electric guitar!"

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai's 2025 "Surfing With The Hydra" tour dates:

June 13 - York, UK @ Barbican
June 14 - London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
June 17 - Glasgow, SC @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
June 18 - Wolverhampton, UK @ Civic Hall
June 19 - Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
June 21 - Clisson, FR @ Hellfest
June 22 - Paris, FR @ Palais Des Congres
June 23 - Antwerp, BE @ Lotto Arena
June 24 - Amsterdam, NL @ Amsterdam Afas
June 26 - Copenhagen, DK @ Amager Bio
June 29 - Helsinki, FI @ House of Culture
June 30 - Tampere, FI @ Tampere Hall
July 02 - Uppsala, SE @ Parksnackan
July 03 - Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
July 05 - Warsaw, PL @ Torwar
July 08 - Munich, DE @ Tollwood Festival
July 10 - Dusseldorf, DE @ Mitsubishi Electric Hall
July 11 - Frankfurt, DE @ Jahrhunderthalle
July 12 - Zurich, CH @ Volkshaus Zürich
July 13 - Milan, IT @ Comfort Festival @ Villa Casati Stampa
July 15 - Pordenone, IT @ Parco San Valentino
July 16 - Perugia, IT @ Umbria Jazz
July 17 - Bologna, IT @ Sequoie Music Park
July 18 - Saint-Julien, FR @ Guitares en Scene Festival
July 20 - Prague, CZ @ Forum Karlin
July 22 - Sofia, BG @ National Palace of Culture

Satriani has had a packed schedule having recently concluded the Sammy Hagar-led "The Best of All Worlds" tour, which was met with much fanfare and critical acclaim. Vai, meanwhile, has been playing shows across the U.S. as part of the BEAT tour following the conclusion of the Satch/Vai tour earlier this year.

For over three decades, Satriani has travelled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star "G3" guitar extravaganza. Satriani's studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. He launched his annual "G4 Experience" in 2014 bringing aspiring guitarists together for four days of workshops, mentor sessions and live performances, providing an exclusive learning platform led by him and his accomplished peers. In 2021, he introduced the "Crystal Planet" comic series, a five-part opus interweaving the realms of music and art. The tour documentary "Beyond The Supernova", directed by ZZ Satriani and currently available for streaming, offers an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse that intricately chronicles his life, illuminating the profound dedication that fuels his guitar mastery. His side project CHICKENFOOT, featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at No. 9. Satriani released his 19th studio album, "The Elephants Of Mars", in April 2022. In 2024 Satriani embarked on Sammy Hagar's "The Best Of All Worlds" tour.

Vai is a virtuoso guitarist, composer, and producer, considered by many as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. In over 40 years in the industry, Vai has sold over 15 million records, received three Grammy Awards, and recorded with music legends like Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, WHITESNAKE and many more. Vai has also toured extensively and recorded live projects with "G3" (collaborating with different touring lineups, including Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Lukather) and "Generation Axe", a supergroup Vai formed with Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi. Vai is the author of "Vaideology: Basic Music Theory For Guitar Players" (Hal Leonard),his inaugural music theory book designed to help both beginners and veteran guitar players. He toured North America in support of his most recent studio album "Inviolate" before embarking on the BEAT tour playing the music of 1980s KING CRIMSON.

In a new interview with Heavy Consequence, Rob Halford spoke about JUDAS PRIEST's plans celebrate the 35th anniversary of its classic album "Painkiller" extensively live with the "Shield Of Pain" tour in 2025. This "rare" and "unique set" will include "beloved classics" and "will be defending the metal faith in a truly memorable experience throughout Europe" next summer, according to a social media post from PRIEST.

Halford said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's still in the works, but we're gonna go and show ['Painkiller'] off. Not in its entirety. I haven't figured out yet whether we're just gonna do a clump of 'Painkiller' songs — this is the 'Painkiller' section — or we're gonna go, a 'Painkiller' song, a couple of others, a 'Painkiller' song, a couple of others. It's all in theory in my mind at the moment, but, however, I think it's gonna be a real thrill and a treat. And, again, a once-in-a-lifetime thing for the band. You'll only see the show once. You'll only see the 'Shield Of Pain' show once. So, we hope our fans will be on the rail and banging their heads to it."

Rob also reflected on PRIEST's mindset while going into the recording process for "Painkiller". He said: "The importance was we had to really go into a huddle and say, 'We really need to show off what this band's true heart and soul and spirit is about.' And I'm using that in reference to some of the previous albums and some of the previous songs. Our attitude was, 'We're gonna make the hardest, heaviest, strongest, most energized metal album we've ever done,' and we did that — we achieved it. It's full-on. It only pulls back a little bit for 'A Touch Of Evil'. The rest of it is just non-stop, non-stop, non-stop. We did it in Miraval Studios in the south of France. It was very isolated, so, unlike Ibiza [where 'Screaming For Vengeance' and 'Defenders Of The Faith', among others, were recorded], where we were going into the clubs every night, it was very, very isolated, so we really got into the work in a very, very strong way with no interference. And so the exercise of achieving all of the components to make that album as strong as we wanted it to be was a success. And, again, a band will tell you we've done everything we can. Let's see what happens. The world embraced that album."

He continued: "It's a beloved, revered metal album. A lot of our friends in different bands will say, 'If you wanna hear what a metal album is all about, put on 'Painkiller'.' And that's pretty cool. But our fans, as well, recognize that of all of the 19 albums that this band has ever made, 'Painkiller''s still very heavily under the spotlight. And here we are, 35 years next year."

PRIEST's 12th album, "Painkiller" was recorded at Miraval Studios in Brignoles, France, and was mixed at Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, the Netherlands. It was the first LP to feature drummer Scott Travis following the departure of Dave Holland.

In a 2023 interview with "The Jeremy White Show", founding JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing spoke about how the addition of then-new drummer Travis affected PRIEST's sound and songwriting on "Painkiller". He said: "I think with the addition of Scott, because we knew his capabilities from his former band, RACER X, which were a great band… After so many years, having Scott in the band with those double kicks again, it just opened doors for myself and Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] to write rhythmically and musically. And we knew that Scott could play anything that we could — as fast as we could play on guitar, we knew he could match us on the kit, which helped a lot, really, because it meant we could expand writing after so many years, really, in respect of the faster side of metal, if you like."

In 2022, Travis spoke to "Drumtalk", the video podcast by German drummer and videographer Philipp Koch, about the fact that the intro to the title track of "Painkiller" has become one of the most iconic drum intros of all time. He said: "Me personally, I always loved the drum intro of certain songs. We all know 'Rock And Roll' by LED ZEPPELIN and 'Walk This Way' by AEROSMITH, and, of course, 'Hot For Teacher', which is VAN HALEN. So, anyways, I grew up like that, always understanding that, 'Man, if ever I could come up with a signature drum intro — no guitars; just drums — and make it really impactful.' And sometimes I get emotional, now that I've been playing for so long, that I was able to come up with something."

He continued: "[I recently saw a video featuring] 'Top 15 drum intros'. And, of course, it's subjective. I don't know who made the list; I think it was some rock magazine. So, naturally, I watch it, and it had 'Where Eagles Dare' [by IRON MAIDEN], it had 'Rock And Roll', and number two was 'Painkiller'. And I was, like, 'Oh my God. Thank you so much.' And number one, which I'm happy to take a backseat, was 'Hot For Teacher' — Sir Alex Van Halen. If I'm second place to old Alex, then, man, that's fantastic. Again, that's one opinion and one little something someone made up. But nonetheless, I didn't make it, so I'm happy that people appreciate 'Painkiller' and it has become a signature JUDAS PRIEST song, which I never in a million years would have imagined that."

Back in 2020, Travis told Invisible Oranges that he wrote the "Painkiller" intro at Miraval Studios in early 1990 as producer Chris Tsangarides and engineer Patrice Roullion were testing microphone placements.

"We were set up at the studio… Studio Miraval in Nice, France," Travis recalled. "The drums are all set up and they're in a big room and then, of course, the control room is at the other end of the studio. I used to just go and warm up first thing in the morning and just work on the next song we were gonna do the next day, and just start playing it with my own headphones on. It was just a cool place — very comfortable to just go and play whatever you wanted. I knew we were gonna be working on the 'Painkiller' song and it was meant to be a fast-paced upbeat song. And I was just messing around doing the intro type stuff."

He continued: "I don't know what those notes I play with my feet [are called]… between my feet and my hands. Technically, it's four with the feet, one with the hand. So it's not a quad but I don't know, septuplet, quintuplet... Shows you how educated I am on drumming, right? [I was] just out there messing around, doing a flurry of things like that, exercises and whatnot. I had the 'Painkiller' idea in my head and they really liked what I was doing and they said, 'Hey, just do some more of that, some stuff like that.' And I just kind of whipped it up…

"As a young drummer or just as a drummer, period, I always… I don't wanna say dreamt because that sounds corny, but I always was hoping that I could come up with a signature drum intro, and I think every drummer wants that. Rarely does a drummer get to do an intro and especially one that really sticks. Given the fact that it exists now, I'm kind of blown away. It's cool."

Swedish metallers SOILWORK have released an official live video for their latest single, "Spirit Of No Return". Check it out below.

Last month, SOILWORK vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid spoke to Germany's Moshpit Passion about "Spirit Of No Return", which came out in October. The track marks a significant milestone in the band's evolution, with longtime touring guitarist Simon Johansson recently officially joining the ranks of the band.

Asked if "Spirit Of No Return" is indicative of the musical direction of SOILWORK's next studio album, Strid said: "Well, hard to say. I mean, we decided to just approach things quite slowly this time around because we've been through a lot, as I'm sure you know. Simon joined the fold now and he's a great guy and a fantastic guitar player. He's been playing with us live for a pretty long time, but he contributed with this new song and it has a little bit of a thrashier side to it and kind of like more SOILWORK rootsy kind of feel, but also still blended with the more current elements that we're known for. So it's really hard to say exactly where we're gonna go, but I would say that the sound is gonna be slightly more metallic, whatever that means, but I also feel that we discovered so many amazing things through when we did [the 2020 EP] 'A Whisp Of The Atlantic', with 'Verkligheten' [2019] and with 'Övergivenheten' [2022], and those elements we wanna take with us. But I think there's also maybe old things that we want to revisit and bring back again. And I think this new one, it has more sort of like a metallic vibe over it, but we keep on evolving, and I never wanna fall into some kind of cliché or trying to rehash things. So I'm as curious as you are where we're gonna go. But I think this song is maybe giving you a little bit of a hint where we're going. But we always try to experiment as well. But it's too early to say if there's gonna be a full album anytime soon. I think we're approaching things slowly. We're getting close to start doing some songwriting. And it might happen on this tour. I have the guitars right here. So who knows what's gonna happen?!"

"Spirit Of No Return" showcases SOILWORK's signature blend of frenzied intensity, soaring melodies, epic arrangements, and a touch of progressive complexity — traits that have cemented their reputation over the last decades. Johansson's contribution to the songwriting channels the band's essence while bringing fresh energy to their unmistakable sound.

The "Spirit Of No Return" music video, which can be seen below, is equally captivating, featuring a stunning sequence where the iconic SOILWORK symbol is reforged, representing the band's resurgence and renewed strength. This visual narrative perfectly complements the song's theme of perseverance and transformation.

Strid previously stated about the song: "'Spirit Of No Return' is a fierce reminder of the past, but also an introduction of the new SOILWORK era, where we've taken the thrashier early days and dressed it in a new heavier suit. Lyrics are dealing with the urge of belonging and fitting in — and how it in the end can be disastrous as you abandon your true self."

In October, SOILWORK embarked on its biggest tour adventure yet, supporting IN FLAMES and ARCH ENEMY on a European arena tour.

SOILWORK's high-class creative consistency, which they have been delivering solidly throughout their career, is the virtue that probably best defines them. Founded at the end of 1995, SOILWORK released their debut album "Steelbath Suicide" in 1998, garnering a great early response. By 2001 SOILWORK had joined Nuclear Blast, and by 2003 they already had five records under their belt.

Continuing their tradition of high-quality musical output, 2022 saw their twelfth studio album "Övergivenheten", which represented the band in their growth and their current phase of life — marked by a time that probably no one on this planet will forget so quickly.

SOILWORK is:

Björn "Speed" Strid - vocals
Simon Johansson - guitars
Sven Karlsson - keyboards
Sylvain Coudret - guitars
Bastian Thusgaard - drums
Rasmus Ehrnborn – bass

When Summer Breeze first announced the line-up for the 2024 edition, a band name truly stuck out. Not your traditional heavy metal act, but one with a Celtic flavour. But indeed, an incredible heavy metal past. We are talking about the Celtic-punk phenomenon Flogging Molly. Who? Here’s some background. After “Fast” Eddie Clarke left Motörhead in 1982 during the Iron Fist tour, he joined forces with Humble Pie drum legend Jerry Shirley and a new singer from Dublin by the name of Dave King. Fastway was formed and the band’s debut album went through the roof, hitting the Top 40 in the US, which Motörhead had never done. To this day it is one of the finest debut albums in hard rock/metal history in 1983. And King’s voice led the charge with such classic as "Easy Livin’”, "Say What You Will”, "Feel Me, Touch Me (Do Anything You Want)" and the epic "We Become One”. Fastway disbanded after three albums (including 1984’s All Fired Up, 1986’s Waiting For The Roar) and the Trick Or Treat soundtrack in 1986. After the Katmandu project, King formed Flogging Molly and the rest is history. 



So when I saw that Flogging Molly was added to the Summer Breeze bill, I thought, what the hell. Let’s try and cross paths with the legendary voice of Fastway, Dave King. And the festival organizers made it happen. And he was gracious enough to talk about his present and his past. So, Fastway fans, here is an excerpt from my jaw-dropping chat:    


BraveWords: Where were you when “Fast” Eddie died? When we lost all the original Motörhead members, that was tragic.




King: "Philthy used to live with me in LA. He used to stay in my flat. But Eddie had health issues, but I didn't even know Eddie was sick. I was in the middle of a tour in Europe, like festival season, when I heard he passed away. Myself and Eddie hadn't talked in a few years you know. It was sad, but there were a lot of issues there between the two of us."


BraveWords: Were you actually a Motörhead fan when you got hired?


King: "Yeah, I mean I literally had seen Motörhead three weeks before he left."


BraveWords: Although I was too young to attend, Fast Eddie's final show with Motörhead was on the Iron Fist tour at Toronto's CNE in 1982. That's when then band imploded.


King: "He was very upset at the thing they did with Wendy O' Williams from The Plasmatics. Eddie was very upset by that. I've got a great story. I was at a pub called the Prince Of Wales in London. And a lot of people drank there. Joe Strummer drank there. So did Lemmy. They hired a friend of mine to help me out, help me adjust. They just hired him so that I'd be OK. Because it was a whole new world to me you know. I was 18 years of age and knew fuck all, and we are in the Prince Of Wales pub and my friend went over to talk to Lemmy and he asked him, 'Do you think you'll ever get back together with Eddie?' He said 'No' and he pointed at me. I was at a pinball machine and Lemmy points at me and says "Because of him." 


BraveWords: So did you get along with Lemmy at all?


King: "Lemmy was fine, Lemmy was brilliant. He was a fucking genius. He didn't give a fuck. He ruled his world. Flogging Molly toured with Motörhead a few times and he was always, always, always a really intelligent, smart man. His company was great. Him and Eddie always got on after he left Motörhead."


BraveWords: What was your fave Motörhead record then?


King: "I'm the live album guy. No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith was my album. UFO, their live album as well. I was really into live albums.  I think that's the reason Flogging Molly is a live band, I love live music."


BraveWords: Where would you want to record your live record then?


King: "Well, we have a plan."


BraveWords: Are we talking about the plan?


King: "No, I can't talk about the plan yet, but we have one in the works and obviously it's going to be very special. Hopefully it will pan out the way I feel it. Because I think it's important, for us anyway, it will be an important record. Our next album will be a live album. Especially playing these metal festivals as well. You feel that energy and you miss that. The comraderie of people, looking out into the audience, A sea of people, it's uplifting it really is."



BraveWords: Last question. Who is your rock star?


King: "Probably him. Freddie Mercury (shows me that tattoo on his finger). I'm mean there's lots. He brought a lot of joy. The first few Queen albums are just fucking mint. And he's given me one of the greatest compliments anyone has ever given me. He said he hated me. And I asked why he hated me. Because he heard me sing. On the first Fastway album. Jokingly. Cause he heard me sing. I knew the rest of the band. I'd met Brian and Roger. Brian May told me Freddie was a big fan of mine."


BraveWords: So what do you think was your peak vocal moment in Fastway?


King: "Oh fuck. I don't, maybe 'We Become One'. But 'All Fired Up' is a good one for me because I'm just SCATTIN'. Eddie Kramer who produced it said, you're not going to beat that first take."    

Stay tuned for our entire chat in the coming days. 








window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'alternating-thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails-feed',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails Feed',
target_type: 'mix'
});
















Featured Video

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King and his solo band paid tribute to former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno by playing a cover of the MAIDEN classic "Killers" during their concert on Friday (December 6) at the Good Things festival at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

Di'Anno, whose real name was Paul Andrews, passed away on October 21 at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66.

An official statement shared to Di'Anno's Facebook page on November 11 with permission from the late musician's family revealed that his cause of death was caused by a "tear in the sac around the heart."

Earlier this year, King was asked by Riff X's "Metal XS" if he had heard MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson's latest solo album, "The Mandrake Project". He responded: "[I] haven't heard Bruce's new album, but I have a friend who told me it's better than MAIDEN. [It] wouldn't surprise me. Nothing against MAIDEN, but their songs have gotten so long, man, I just can't be bothered with it. And my attention span isn't that much."

Kerry was seemingly referencing MAIDEN's latest two double-albums, 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2021's "Senjutsu", the former of which contains the song "Empire Of The Clouds" clocking in at 18 minutes, and three songs on "Senjutsu" running for over 10 minutes.

Earlier this year, King told American Musical Supply that he would possibly start including some cover songs in his band's set as the band's tour progressed. "Covers, it's in the mix," he said. "My spin on it is I want to — I wanna throw in a cover every show, once we get used to it and being out, and I wanna play stuff that people can't see or hear anymore, like say for instance, 'Ace Of Spades'. You're never gonna see MOTÖRHEAD again. So, I think that's cool to do. Or for instance, songs that bands don't play anymore, like 'Killers' from IRON MAIDEN. I don't think they're ever gonna play that again. I don't think METALLICA is ever gonna play 'Damage, Inc.' again. So I wanna do things that actually aren't just me having fun. I want it to be fun for the fans to where they see it, it's the only place they can see it."

Kerry's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", was released in May via Reigning Phoenix Music. All material for the LP was written by the 60-year-old SLAYER guitarist. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

King's solo band also includes drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER) on drums, Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH) on bass, Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) on guitar and Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) on vocals.

King and his new band will hit the road for the 28-date North American headline tour in early 2025. With MUNICIPAL WASTE as special guest and ALIEN WEAPONRY supporting, the tour is set to launch in San Francisco on January 15, 2025, and wrap at House of Blues in Las Vegas on February 22.

LINKIN PARK, SCORPIONS, KORN and MUSE will headline the 2025 installment of Hellfest, set to take place June 19-22, 2025 in Clisson, France.

Hellfest is an annual open-air festival and one of the biggest metal festivals in all of Europe.

After canceling the 2020 and 2021 installments due to the ongoing pandemic, Hellfest returned in 2022 and was held over two weekends, with seven days of performances from many of the biggest metal and hard rock acts in the world.

In 2023, Hellfest moved to a four-day format to welcome more than 200 bands on the six stages of the festival.

Hellfest, which drew 180,000 people in 2019, generally features a lineup which is 90 percent made up of international acts and 20 percent of spectators coming from abroad.

In the heart of the festival, the Hell City Square offers a walk into partner booths, a gallery of exhibitors, a huge metal market with a decoration worthy of the greatest science-fiction movies.

Earlier today (Monday, December 9),the Hellfest organizers released the following message: "Hellbangers, the wait is finally over — the lineup for Hellfest's 18th edition has been unveiled!

"This year, 184 bands and artists will storm the six stages of Hellfest, with one last very special guest yet to be announced. Among them, 106 will make their debut in Clisson, a testament to how alive and dynamic the 'extreme music' scene remains.

"We're thrilled to welcome LINKIN PARK back to Hellfest for only the second time in the festival's history, celebrating their remarkable comeback. Alongside them, hard rock legends SCORPIONS and nu-metal pioneers KORN will take the stage, setting the tone for an unforgettable weekend. And for the first time ever, British powerhouse MUSE will grace Clisson with their stadium-filling rock, a bold choice that's sure to win over even the doubters.

"On Friday, Mainstage 2 will shine a spotlight on women in music, with a lineup featuring female-led or all-female bands like WITHIN TEMPTATION, HEILUNG, EPICA, SPIRITBOX, KITTIE, FUTURE PALACE, Amira Elfeky, Charlotte Wessels, and SUN. With more than 42 bands including female musicians, this year's Hellfest promises to champion diversity like never before.

"This edition also highlights the rise of a new generation of headliners, the emergence of groundbreaking phenomena, legendary reunions, all while paying tribute to the pioneers of the genre who continue to uphold the legacy of our music.
Discover the full lineup and start planning your Hellfest experience — we'll see you in 193 days at CLISSON ROCK CITY!"

Thursday, June 19:

Mainstage 1:

KORN
TILL LINDEMANN
AIRBOURNE
APOCALYPTICA
SKINDRED

Mainstage 2:

ELECTRIC CALLBOY
ULTRA VOMIT
IMMINENCE
KIM DRACULA
SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET

Warzone stage:

HELLACOPTERS
TURBONEGRO
SOFT PLAY
STREET DOGS
TEEN MORTGAGE

Valley stage:

ORANGE GOBLIN
MONKEY3
CHAT PILE
SLOMOSA
TAR POND

Altar stage:

JINJER
WHITECHAPEL
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY
MENTAL CRUELTY
WALKWAYS

Temple stage:

ALCEST
SUNN 0)))
IHSAHN
THY CATAFALQUE
WHITE WARD

Friday, June 20

Mainstage 1:

MUSE
THE HU
THE CULT
THE WARNING
LAST TRAIN
VOWWS
CACHEMIRE

Mainstage 2:

WITHIN TEMPTATION
HEILUNG
EPICA
SPIRITBOX
KITTIE
FUTURE PALACE
AMIRA ELFEKY
CHARLOTTE WESSELS
SUN

Warzone stage:

SEX PISTOLS (with Frank Carter)
THE DAMNED
LES GARCONS BOUCHERS
REAL MCKENZIES
LEFTOVER CRACK
LION'S LAW
MIKE MCCOLGAN AND THE BOMB SQUAD
CHUBBY AND THE GANG
BETON ARME

Valley stage:

RUSSIAN CIRCLES
PENTAGRAM
MASTERS OF REALITY
DOPETHRONE
ARABROT
SANDRIDER
DIRTY SOUND MAGNET
CASTLE RAT
WORMSAND

Altar stage:

EXODUS
SACRED REICH
TANKARD
3 INCHES OF BLOOD
NERVOSA
BURNING WITCHES
NIGHT ETERNAL
HEXECUTOR
FURIES

Temple stage:

IN EXTREMO
WIND ROSE
TROLLFEST
SOWULO
MÅNEGARM
LUC ARBOGAST
SKILTRON
PERCHTA
MORGARTEN

Saturday, June 21:

Mainstage 1:

SCORPIONS
JOE SATRIANI + STEVE VAI
BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION
MYLES KENNEDY
TREMONTI
SOUTHERN RIVER BAND
AUDREY HORNE
LUCIE SUE

Mainstage 2:

JUDAS PRIEST
DREAM THEATER
SAVATAGE
PEYTON PARRISH
BEYOND THE BLACK
FREAK KITCHEN
ROSS THE BOSS
MAJESTICA
ADX

Warzone:

TURNSTILE
DEFEATER
TERROR
STICK TO YOUR GUNS
NASTY
CHISEL
SPY
PEST CONTROL
LAST HOUNDS

Valley stage:

HAVE A NICE LIFE
WINDHAND
MY SLEEPING KARMA
CONAN
STONED JESUS
MARS RED SKY
MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN
HOWARD

Altar stage:

LEPROUS
HAKEN
VOLA
THE OCEAN
VULTURE INDUSTRIES
PERSEFONE
URNE
SYK
VESTIGE

Temple stage:

BLOOD FIRE DEATH (a tribute to Quorthon and the music of BATHORY)
ABBATH
DEAFHEAVEN
GRIMA
SPECTRAL WOUND
AGRICULTURE
TRYGLAV
WITCH CLUB SATAN
LUNAR TOMBFIELDS

Sunday, June 22:

Mainstage 1:

LINKIN PARK
CYPRESS HILL
REFUSED
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
DEAD POET SOCIETY
BLACKGOLD
ASHEN
BASTARDANE

Mainstage 2:

FALLING IN REVERSE
A DAY TO REMEMBER
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
LORNA SHORE
POPPY
NOVELISTS
BLOOD COMMAND
CHAINSAW MOTEL

Warzone stage:

KNOCKED LOOSE
WALLS OF JERICHO
GORILLA BISCUITS
GUILT TRIP
GOOD RIDDANCE
PAIN OF TRUTH
GOUGE AWAY
CALCINE

Valley stage:

JERRY CANTRELL
HEALTH
KYLESA
THOU
PRAYERS
FAETOOTH
CROWS
BLACK BILE

Altar stage:

DETHKLOK
UNLEASHED
CATTLE DECAPITATION
GUTALAX
SIGNS OF THE SWARM
UNE MISERE
GUINEAPIG
TSAR

Temple stage:

EISBRECHER
KOVENANT
PRIEST
SHAARGHOT
UNTO OTHERS
ALUK TODOLO
CEMETARY GIRLZ
GRAVEKVLT

🩸 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦 🩸

Hellbangers, the wait is finally over—the lineup for Hellfest's 18th edition has been unveiled!

This...

Posted by Hellfest Open Air Festival on Monday, December 9, 2024

“Welcome Year Zero!,” says Super7, announcing the addition of Ghost’s Papa Emeritus II to their new 7” scale deluxe figure world.


This articulated figure is inspired by the charismatic frontman’s onstage guise in the Infestissumam album era, features intricate sculpt and premium paint detailing, includes a soft goods robe and staff accessory with Grucifix detail, and comes packaged on a die cut card back. Available and shipping now from Super7.com.







Ghost recently announced their 2025 world tour. Details can be found here. Watch a video trailer below.





Tour dates:


April
15 - AO Arena - Manchester, United Kingdom
16 - OVO Hydro - Glasgow, United Kingdom
19 - The O2 - London, United Kingdom
20 - Utilita Arena Birmingham - Birmingham, United Kingdom
22 - Sportpaleis - Antwerpen, Belgium
23 - Festhalle - Frankfurt, Germany
2 - Olympiahalle - München, Germany
26 - LDLC Arena - Lyon, France
27 - Zénith de Toulouse - Toulouse, France
29 - MEO Arena - Lisboa, Portugal
30 - Palacio Vistalegre - Madrid, Spain


May
3 - Hallenstadion - Zürich, Switzerland
4 - Forum - Assago, Italy
7 - Uber Arena - Berlin, Germany
8 - Ziggo Dome - Amsterdam, Netherlands
10 - Atlas Arena - Łódź, Poland
11 - O2 Arena - Prague, Czech Republic
13 - Accorhotels Arena - Paris, France
14 - Rudolf Weber-ARENA - Oberhausen, Germany
15 - ZAG Arena - Hannover, Germany
17 - Royal Arena - Copenhagen, Denmark
20 - Tampereen monitoimiareena - Tampere, Finland
22 - Saab Arena - Linköping, Sweden
23 - Göransson Arena AB - Sandviken, Sweden
24 - Oslo Spektrum Arena - Oslo, Norway


July
9 - CFG Bank Arena - Baltimore, MD
11 - State Farm Arena - Atlanta, GA
12 - Amalie Arena - Tampa, FL
13 - Kaseya Center - Miami, FL
15 - Lenovo Center - Raleigh, NC
17 - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse - Cleveland, OH
8 - PPG Paints Arena - Pittsburgh, PA
19 - Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA
21 - TD Garden - Boston, MA
22 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
24 - Little Caesars Arena - Detroit, MI
25 - KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, KY
26 - Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their "Mandylion" album, the lineup of Dutch rockers THE GATHERING that recorded the LP — including singer Anneke Van Giersbergen — will reunite for two exclusive shows at Doornroosje in Nijmegen, the Netherlands on Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30, 2025. Fans can expect to hear all "Mandylion" tracks as well as more songs from the band's Anneke era.

THE GATHERING says: "After so many years, we are very excited to celebrate this anniversary together, an album that still means so much to us."

The lineup for the Nijmegen concerts will consist of the following musicians:

* Anneke Van Giersbergen - vocals
* Hugo Prinsen Geerligs - bass
* Frank Boeijen - keyboards, backing vocals
* Hans Rutten - drums
* René Rutten - guitar
* Jelmer Wiersma - guitar

Ticket sale starts Friday, December 13 at 10:00 CET via the Doornroosje web site.

In November 2014, THE GATHERING celebrated its 25th anniversary with a one-time special show at Doornroosje in Nijmegen. All past and present members of THE GATHERING — from 1989 until 2014 — appeared on stage and performed in this unique show together.

Van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released several albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project.

In 2005, Century Media celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Mandylion" by releasing a special deluxe edition of the album. The double-CD set featured new artwork, a 16-page booklet with song-by-song liner notes from the band and never-before-seen photos from the album's recording sessions. CD2 contained the first demo recordings THE GATHERING did with Van Giersbergen in June 1994 and early 1995. "Solar Glider" was a previously unreleased instrumental while "Third Chance" appeared two years later in a different version on the "Nighttime Birds" album.

In a 2007 interview with PopMatters, Van Giersbergen stated about her decision to leave THE GATHERING and launch AGUA DE ANNIQUE: "I had been in THE GATHERING for 13 years, and I had never done anything for 13 years in my life. It's been my whole adult life, so to leave that, on one hand, was a very clear decision and a very strong feeling, and I was ready. In 13 years, things had changed in my personal and musical life. It was difficult as well, because the guys, they were like brothers, so to leave that and to change that relationship has been a long process and was probably one of the hardest things I did.

"I told them at the beginning of March, and so we really took some time to assess the situation," she continued. "Also, the guys, they wanted to see what their plans would be next. Of course they were not happy with my decision, but they are respectful and they have good spirits to continue. Of course, I put a big stamp on the sound and the look of THE GATHERING, but on the other hand I'm not the only singer in the world, so it's going to change, but it's not going to stop."

Regarding her reasons for leaving, Anneke said, "There were a lot of physical reasons, but they all came out of one big feeling in my heart that it was time to change. I was supposed to do this record besides THE GATHERING, and I was given time and it was all okay, but I like to do other small projects and work with other people a lot. I had some plans, and the feeling became stronger to develop that more seriously and also especially to be with my family a little bit more. Now, I can direct everything I do from this one agenda, and it feels very good to be the director of your own life. In a way THE GATHERING was officially a bigger band, and we were day and night constantly working with it, and it was quite intense, all the processes. So a lot of small things became one big feeling, like, 'Okay, I'm ready.'"

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mandylion, we will share the stage with Anneke van Giersbergen once again! The...

Posted by theGathering on Monday, December 9, 2024

In a new interview with The Logan Show, RIVAL SONS singer Jay Buchanan was asked if he and his bandmates are working on the follow-up to the two albums they released in 2023: "Darkfighter" and "Lightbringer". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Scott [Holiday, RIVAL SONS guitarist] and I, we're talking about it right now, about getting started on writing the next RIVAL SONS record. So we're doing that. I think Scott's working on producing a rock band, and I'm working on producing a couple of artists as well in our downtime. I'm finishing up the writing for a solo record in tandem with beginning the work on another RIVAL SONS album."

Regarding whether it is safe to say that the next RIVAL SONS record will once again be produced by Dave Cobb, Jay said: "More than likely. I mean, we've been together a really, really long time, but we've gotta talk with Dave. I think that something like that, even though we've worked together so much, everybody has to come together and feel really good. Things have to align properly. We always talk about it and see where everybody's heads are at.

"I love working with Dave," he added. "Gosh, we've recorded nine records with that man. That's a lot of time together… He's just so damn good at what he does. We love Dave, and I do. He's a good friend and an extremely talented person."

Asked if Cobb is "essentially almost like a silent member of RIVAL SONS now", having done so many albums with the band, Jay said: "Well, you could say that from a recording standpoint. When we've gone in to make records, we do 'em with Cobb, but I think that the band… We've covered so much ground, we've covered so much ground artistically and literally all over the world touring so much over the years, I think that when it comes to a certain degree of record making, he's like a fifth member that way, but it's only within that vacuum of when we're making the records. Because who the band is outside of when we're go in to make records is so much more. Our live show and the actual ethos and who the band is at its core, I think, is just so much more than what we do in the studio, because the writing takes place outside of the studio or outside of Cobb's purview, or so much of it. Dave Cobb, he'll lend a hand on inspiration and writing here and there, but I think that when we're writing, it is very much like that. But I think that the more the band has grown, I think that it's less and less so, and it's less and less so that way, because we, and I think that Cobb would agree, that him watching us grow the way that we have, like our creative approach and everything. It's wonderful to work together knowing each other so well. Cobb knows me just about as well as anybody else does. And having a shorthand of communication definitely helps out when you're in the studio. A lot of the time you'll just be thinking the same thing, and I think that that just comes from making so many records together that you can be on the same page. And then at other times be on a completely separate page because you're so close. It's like family."

In June 2021, RIVAL SONS delivered two live performances from Catalina Island, California which were originally streamed via Veeps to fans at home across the world, many of whom were still in lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, for the first time, these performances are being made available to watch on YouTube and to stream on audio platforms. Both performances are being premiered via YouTube and released in their entirety digitally. "A Pair Of Aces: Live From Santa Catalina Island (Part 1)" was released on November 22; "A Pair Of Aces: Live From Santa Catalina Island (Part 2)" will be released on December 13.

RIVAL SONS play rock 'n' roll in its purest form without apology or pretense. They simply plug in, turn up, and rip on a path of their own. Along the way, they've architected a critically acclaimed catalogue, including "Pressure & Time" (2011),"Head Down" (2012),"Great Western Valkyrie" (2014),"Hollow Bones" (2016) and "Feral Roots" (2019). The latter represented a creative and critical high watermark, scoring a pair of Grammy Award nominations in the categories of "Best Rock Album" and "Best Rock Performance" for the single "Too Bad". Elevating the band to another level, "Do Your Worst" vaulted to No. 1 at Rock Radio as their biggest hit to date, tallying north of 60 million streams and counting. Speaking to their impact, Rolling Stone attested, "RIVAL SONS have done their part to introduce new fans to rock." Beyond sharing stages with everyone from BLACK SABBATH, THE ROLLING STONES and AC/DC to GUNS N' ROSES and Lenny Kravitz, they've ignited television shows such as "The Late Late Show With James Corden". During 2021, they launched their own label Sacred Tongue Recordings distributed by Thirty Tigers and celebrated the anniversary of their debut album with live streamed performances from Catalina Island Casino.

In 2023, they continued to subvert expectations with two full-length LPs — the aforementioned "Darkfighter" and "Lightbringer". Though the genesis of these albums is intertwined, they also speak to the band's perpetual progression forward.

The band once played over 250 shows in a year, and they are regulars on the festival circuit both through Europe and North America. One of the most hard-working rock'n'roll bands out there, 2024 saw the band complete extensive European festival dates throughout the summer, and then embark on "The Two-Headed Beast" tour with CLUTCH across North America.

Photo credit: Patrik Skoglöw

In a recent interview with Taylor Guitars, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick was asked if there is a song in the band's setlist that he is tired of playing live every night. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had this conversation with [MEGADETH leader] Dave Mustaine at one point about [the classic MEGADETH song] 'Peace Sells'. And I told him, 'There's no way you actually want to [play that song every single night]' — with respect to the song; it's an epic song. But, yeah, he admitted if it were up to him, he probably wouldn't play that song. Maybe not every night, but he's gotta play that [song] every single set."

Alex continued: "I don't know if we really have anything like that. And we always rotate the songs too. So a song like 'Souls Of Black', for example, that comes in the set but it goes, too. It's not always in the set. The only one we have that's always in the set, no matter what, is 'Into The Pit', and it's so short and so fast that you don't really get tired of it."

Skolnick joined TESTAMENT in 1985 at the age of 16 and stayed with the band for eight years before leaving in 1993 and going on to study at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

In addition to playing with ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO and TESTAMENT, he has worked as a sideman with such artists as vocalist Ishtar of the French band ALABINA and Jewish folk singer Debbie Friedman. He has also guested on an album from RODRIGO Y GABRIELA.

Six years ago, the ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO — comprised of Skolnick, drummer Matt Zebroski and bassist Nathan Peck — released "Conundrum", its first album since 2011.

TESTAMENT's latest album, "Titans Of Creation", came out in April 2020 via Nuclear Blast. A follow-up effort is tentatively due in 2025.

During a recent appearance on the "Axe Lords" podcast, Alex was asked why it was important for him to show off his skills as a lead guitarist during TESTAMENT's early years, with the song "Practice What You Preach" containing a one-minute-20-second solo in what is a five-minute track. He responded: "Well, you could get away with it back then. Now, I don't think they'd let me do a solo that long. [Laughs] I still do [the long solos] live. But, yeah, part of that, for me, I felt like there was something to prove, because the area of music that we were coming from, it was kind of garage rock in some ways. There were a lot of examples of garage rock — VENOM, for example. I don't know if they're considered the first black metal band or the first death metal band… VENOM was kind of a garage band. MOTÖRHEAD, obviously — an awesome kind of garage band. The early SLAYER stuff, it was kind of raw and garage band. It was awesome. I wouldn't have it any other way. But I didn't hear anybody playing…"

He continued: "The guitar players that I liked — I was a huge fan of the virtuoso guys: Randy Rhoads, Uli John Roth, of course, Eddie Van Halen, even though, VAN HALEN was much more commercial than the music that we were doing. We all loved VAN HALEN. So I was gravitating towards those players. And there was always a rivalry between Southern California and Northern California. And we had this scene of all these fast, heavy bands, but down in Southern California, you had the glam commercial bands, and some of them — DOKKEN, RATT, a few others — had just unbelievable guitar players. I loved [RATT guitarist Warren DeMartini's] playing. Still do. I mean, those records come on, if I hear that on SiriusXM or whatever, I'm just knocked out. It really holds its own. So I was coming more from that place lead guitar-wise. I just thought, 'Okay, you know what? We need heavy, Northern California, fast, aggressive music, but that has soloing of this quality.' Nobody was doing it. So that's kind of where I was coming from at that time. Now things have changed now. Now it's okay to do that. At the time, I was also getting a lot of criticism for it. I remember people saying, 'You sound like an L.A. player. You should go join a glam band.' But now you've got ultra-heavy bands with great guitar players — too many to name. There's REVOCATION, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CHILDREN OF BODOM — may he, Alexi [Laiho], rest in peace. There's so many. It's totally okay to be a virtuosic player in heavy music, but it was not at the time."

The reunited SNOT has announced three club shows in January and February 2025, leading up to the band's appearance at the Welcome To Rockville festival in May 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

In addition to guitarists Mikey Doling and Sonny Mayo, bassist John "Tumor" Fahnestock and drummer Jamie Miller, SNOT's 2025 lineup will include an as-yet-undisclosed new singer whose identity will not be officially revealed before SNOT plays its first reunion gigs early next year.

Asked in a new interview with The Kevin Powell Podcast how SNOT plans to announce its new vocalist, Doling said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Let him come on stage. That's it. And figure out who he is on your own. If he says his name, great. But the last thing I wanna do is go on the Internet and put his name out there, and then people go to his social media and whatnot and start scrutinizing him before he even gets on stage. Because that's what will happen. I mean, you're living in the shadow of the great Lynn Strait [SNOT's late vocalist]. So it's gonna be a rough road for him. He's gotta prove himself on stage first. And, we're giving him that comfort. 'Cause like I said, if I said his name right now, we'd have a lot of people just going right to his social media.

"But he's awesome," Doling continued. "Let me just say when he sent me his audition reels, tapes, recordings, I was blown away like I've never been blown away since [the demise of the original SNOT lineup]. And I sent it to Tumor first thing, my right arm, my bass player from SNOT. He usually doesn't like anything. He's very cynical. He's the greatest guy ever, he's my brother, but he's a cynical person at times. And he called me right away and just said, 'Holy shit balls.' That's a quote. 'Where'd you find this guy? We found our dude. We found him.' And that's how it went down. Then, of course, I sent it to Jamie and Sonny, and they both agreed he's the guy. And here he is. We got him."

SNOT disbanded in 1998 following Strait's death, putting an end to a career that generated considerable promise but only one studio album, "Get Some". The band had been writing material for its sophomore CD and had completed 10 songs at the time of Strait's tragic passing. As a memorial to Strait, SNOT eventually decided to release those tracks, with lyrics and guest vocals provided by a host of stars from the alt-metal community. The resulting album, "Strait Up", was a fitting tribute from Strait's peers and friends, featuring members of LIMP BIZKIT, KORN, SLIPKNOT, SEVENDUST, (HED) P.E., COAL CHAMBER, SUGAR RAY, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SOULFLY, and more.

SNOT in 2014 recruited Carl Bensley (VITIATE, CONSUME THE FIRE) to sing for the band following the departure of Tommy "Vext" Cummings (ex-DIVINE HERESY, BAD WOLVES).

Reflecting on SNOT's original split and 2014 comeback, Doling told The Kevin Powell Podcast: "Un-fucking-fortunately, our singer Lynn Strait, the great, mighty Lynn Strait, who I miss and love so much, he passed away in a car accident and it put a halt to SNOT. We just couldn't go on without him at that point. And so we stopped for many years. And then we kind of got back together with some friends, and it wasn't real serious — [we] just [played] some shows. I don't really wanna say their names right now, but they're cool people and they helped us out."

As for how SNOT's latest reunion is different from the band's 2014 comeback, Doling said: ""This one, it's serious. We're back-back. We got the booking agency. We got high-level shows and festivals. This is the real deal for us. We're back right now. And, yeah, that's where we are right now. And we're hungry to do it again. I'm very excited about it."

SNOT 2025 dates:

Jan. 17 - Anaheim, CA - The Parish at House Of Blues
Jan. 18 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
Feb. 08 - Santa Barbara, CA - SohO
May 15-18 - Daytona Beach, FL - Daytona International Speedway (Welcome To Rockville)

Doling previously discussed SNOT's reunion during an appearance on an episode of the "Talk Toomey" podcast. Regarding how the band's comeback happened, Mikey said: "Well, let's see. About a year ago, I was seeing the festivals that were coming in 2024, and I was noticing there were so many bands out there from our genre. You have the COAL CHAMBERs, the MUDVAYNEs and just so many bands out there killing it. And I'm sitting there thinking, 'Man, SNOT, it's time that we get on board with this.' So I talked to the dudes. We didn't even have a singer at that point. So anyway, so I reached out to the band and said, 'Hey, man, I think we should find a singer and play some festivals and have some fun.' And they were, like, 'Yeah, well, we're in if you can find us the right singer.' So, I looked around for a while. I had no luck. But I kept looking. And then I reached out to Alex Gilbert over at TKO — it's our booking agency — and I asked him, I said, 'Hey, man, I'm currently looking for a vocalist. And if I put all this work into putting SNOT back together, would you be interested in booking some shows and festivals for us?' And he said, 'I'll put the feelers out there and let's see how it goes.' So, a year went by. I didn't hear anything back. I kind of thought, 'All right. No interest.' So about three months ago, Alex called me. So I'm looking at my phone, like, 'Whoa, it's Alex from TKO.' I answered and I asked him how he's doing. And he said, 'Hey, man, I'm getting a lot of interest for SNOT. It's a lot. Everybody I talk to wants the band.' So I told him, 'Look, man, we're into it.' I didn't even let him know we didn't have a singer yet at that point. And I said, 'Let me get back to you. I'll talk to the guys.' So I instantly jumped on social media for a little something about looking for a vocalist for SNOT. And I got a lot of response. I got, like, eight videos and audio of dudes who just didn't fit. What they did is they would sing with the album, 'Get Some', and it just didn't fit. So I almost kind of gave up. And so right there at the end, before I threw the towel in on the whole thing, a friend of mine from Santa Barbara hit me up, texted me and said, 'Hey, I found the guy for SNOT.' And, I was, like, 'Yeah, sure,' in my mind thinking, 'Yeah, yeah. Right. Right.' So I jumped on the phone with him — let's say it's a girl, with her — and she said, 'I saw a guy. He has a band. And he reminded me of Lynn. It was goosebumps,' she said. And I said, 'Cool.' And Lynn is one of his favorite all-time singers. So, she put me in contact with him. And, again, I asked him, I said, 'Look, we're looking for a singer. Do me a favor. Set up a camera, microphone and sing along to 'Get Some', our album. And so about three or four days go by and then I get some videos on my phone. So I'm watching the video, and immediately it just punched me in the face how good it was. I was, like, 'Wow, this is the guy.' What he did is he set up in front of his — he has a little rehearsal spot, drums and amps, and he put 'Get Some' through his P.A. system and he wrapped the cable from the microphone around his arm and laid into it as if he was doing a show. He did, like, five songs and he was absolutely incredible, nailing it. He looks right. He's got the whole punk vibe that we're looking for. And he just nailed it, man.

"Singing like Lynn Strait is not easy, man. And he absolutely fucking rocked it, to the point where I had to sit down; I was so blown away. And so I immediately contacted Tumor, John Fahnestock, bass player for SNOT. And Tumor, [he is the] best guy in the world, but [he] hates everything. I sent it to him, and he called me right away. He was, like, 'Dude, holy shit. You found our guy.' That was the first thing he said. 'Who is it? Is this real?' I was, like, 'It's real.' So then I sent it out to the rest of the guys, Jamie and Sonny, and, and yeah, boom, it's there."

Doling added: "So, I talked to the [singer] guy, which I'm not gonna give up his name yet. I'm gonna keep that on the DL [down low] right now for a while until we start doing some shows. People can figure it out on their own. I don't want them knowing too much yet. I wanna keep it tight for now. But anyway. So then I contacted Alex at TKO and he started talking to promoters and we're just getting 'yes', 'yes', 'yes' all over the place right now. And we're gonna start doing some shows, man."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lynn died in died in a car accident in December 1998 as he attempted to drive across Highway 101 in Mussel Shoals, California. The 30-year-old singer died instantly after his 1992 Ford Tempo was broadsided by a southbound full-size pickup truck about noon. Also killed was Strait's small bulldog, SNOT's mascot Dobbs, who adorned the cover of the band's debut album, the 1997 Geffen Records release "Get Some". Strait, a Santa Barbara resident, was crossing the highway after visiting his girlfriend in the community. Lynn apparently pulled into the path of the truck, which was going about 65 mph. The impact sent Strait's car spinning into the center divider where it stopped, a California Highway Patrol officer told the Los Angeles Times at the time.

SNOT's most recent U.S. tour, during which the band performed "Get Some" in its entirety, kicked off in late November 2014 in Palm Desert, California and wrapped in late December 2014 in Pomona, California.

Cummings fronted SNOT in 2008-2009 before he and guitarist Sonny Mayo exited the group amid "strained relationships."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SNOT (R.I.P Lynn Strait) (@snotband)

Italian metallers, Labyrinth, have released "Out Of Place", the new single from their new album, In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye, set for release on January 24 via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch a music video below, and pre-order the new album here.


Vocalist Roberto Tiranti describes the new single by saying: “The song essentially talks about my/our feeling of feeling alien and out of this historical period, in which we no longer recognize the world for what it was and sometimes we struggle to recognize ourselves. Everything has changed too quickly in these last five years to the point of taking our breath away. The only safe harbour was and is music, a fixed point in our lives.”







Labyrinth express their enthusiasm about the new album: “In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye is our latest work. As the years go by, we feel increasingly free from formulas and stylistic boundaries that sometimes trap a band within a specific musical genre. With this album, we set out to achieve total freedom, allowing each of us to fully express ourselves."


“Perhaps for this reason, combined with the reality of living in increasingly dark times, this work has become our heaviest, fastest, and angriest album to date, while still making it to keep our typical melodic/melancholic touch. We are very proud of it, and today, that's what Labyrinth are”, they continue.


Labyrinth are considered as one of the leaders of the entire New Wave Of Italian Power Metal. Formed in the early 90’s, with the release of their 1998’s album Return To Heaven Denied, considered a milestone for the genre, they caught the attention of the entire European scene, gaining success and building their important career made of great albums and tours.


Together with acts like Rhapsody Of Fire, Lacuna Coil, they helped the entire Italian heavy metal scene to reach the next level globally.


Over the years the band went through difficult times and several lineup changes, taking a break from 2010 to 2017 and, in the spring of 2016, the band’s founding members Andrea Cantarelli and Olaf Thorsen received a call from Frontiers, asking them to discuss with singer Roberto Tiranti the possibility of a comeback for the band.


Now with In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye, the third album for Frontiers Records, once again they delivered the goods, turning their music heavier than in the past but keeping the speedy power metal attitude with unforgettable hooks, epic prog infused metal songs, and some great melodic numbers, resulting in a record that is going to become another milestone for the Italian metal masters.


Starting with the opener “Welcome Twilight”, with its Epic Latin choruses, through songs like “Out Of Place”, “The Right Side Of This World”, you can find the band’s typical band’s trademark, with a stellar performance and a powerful production.


Alongside the original members Roberto Tiranti (vocals), Olaf Thorsen (guitars) and Andrea Cantarelli (guitars), the lineup is completed by Oleg Smirnoff (keys), Nik Mazzucconi (bass) and Mattia Peruzzi (drums).

Former Megadeth guitarist, Kiko Loureiro, has announced a string of Brazilian tour dates in support of his new album, Theory Of Mind. Joining Loureiro for the "Theory Of The Mind Tour 2025" is special guest, former Megadeth axeman, Marty Friedman.


Says Kiko: "Big news, Brazil! I’m hitting the road with my amazing friend and guitar legend, Marty Friedman as a special guest! The Theory Of Mind tour is going to be something you’ve never seen before."


Brazil tour dates:




May
30 - Recife/PE - Clube Internacional
31 - Fortaleza/CE - Armazém


June
1 - Belém/PA - Music Park
4 - Belo Horizonte/MG - Mister Rock
6 - Rio de Janeiro/RJ - Sacadura 154
7 - São Paulo/SP - Tokio Marine Hall
8 - Curitiba/PR - Ópera de Arame

GUNS N' ROSES announced they will return to the road on a massive 2025 European and Middle East Tour, headlining stadiums and festivals throughout the summer with special guests PUBLIC ENEMY, RIVAL SONS and SEX PISTOLS featuring Frank Carter on select dates. Kicking off on May 23, the 24-date tour will see the Los Angeles legends perform in Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Lithuania and Luxembourg for the first time. The 2025 dates also see the powerhouse rock band return to familiar stages in Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Hungary and Austria. For full tour schedule see below.

GUNS N' ROSES will kick off their 2025 world tour in grand style at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a highly anticipated show presented by MDLBEAST. Renowned for revolutionizing Saudi Arabia's entertainment scene, MDLBEAST brings their unmatched expertise to the band's Riyadh debut, promising a groundbreaking musical experience. With a legacy of delivering unforgettable live events, MDLBEAST is set to raise the bar for live music in the region, making this historic performance on May 23, 2025, a night to remember.

Tickets will be available starting Tuesday, December 10 at 9 a.m. local time with the band's Nightrain presale. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning Friday, December 13 at 9 a.m. local time on gunsnroses.com.

Mastercard cardholders have special access to presale tickets in Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Sweden and Denmark. Mastercard presale starts Wednesday, December 11 at 9 a.m. local time. Plus, Preferred ticket access to some of the best tickets are available in the U.K. from Friday, December 13 at 9 a.m. local time. Check out priceless.com/music for details.

GUNS N' ROSES 2025 tour dates:

May 23 - Riyadh Kingdom Arena, Saudi Arabia
May 27 - Abu Dhabi Etihad Arena, UAE
May 30 - Shekvetili Parka, Georgia^
Jun. 02 - Istanbul Tüpraş Stadyumu, Turkey^
Jun. 06 - Coimbra Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Portugal^
Jun. 09 - Barcelona Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Spain
Jun. 12 - Florence Firenze Rocks, Italy*^
Jun. 15 - Hradec Kralove Rock For People, Czech Republic*^
Jun. 18 - Dusseldorf Merkur Spiel-Arena, Germany^
Jun. 20 - Munich Allianz Arena, Germany^
Jun. 23 - Birmingham Villa Park, UK
Jun. 26 - London Wembley Stadium, UK
Jun. 29 - Aarhus Eskelunden, Denmark+
Jul. 02 - Trondheim Granåsen Ski Centre, Norway+
Jul. 04 - Stockholm Strawberry Aren, Sweden+
Jul. 07 - Tampere Ratina Stadium, Finland+
Jul. 10 - Kaunas Darius and Girėnas Stadium, Lithuania+
Jul. 12 - Warsaw PGE Nardowy, Poland+
Jul. 15 - Budapest Puskás Aréna, Hungary+
Jul. 18 - Belgrade Ušće Park, Serbia+
Jul. 21 - Sofia Vasil Levski Stadium, Bulgaria+
Jul. 24 - Vienna Ernst Happel Stadion, Austria#
Jul. 28 - Luxembourg Open Air, Luxembourg#
Jul. 31 - Wacken Festival, Germany*

* Festival appearance
+ with PUBLIC ENEMY
^ with RIVAL SONS
# with SEX PISTOLS featuring Frank Carter

GUNS N' ROSES last performed in November 2023 at the Hell & Heaven festival in Mexico.

The band kicked off the North American leg of its 2023 world tour in August 2023 with two shows in Canada. The trek included a stop at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California where the Axl Rose-fronted outfit performed alongside fellow rock icons METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, TOOL and AC/DC.

During recent appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan confirmed that he and his bandmates have been working on fresh material. "There's definitely a desire and a plan for new music," he said. "Yeah, for sure."

Addressing the fact that GUNS N' ROSES hasn't performed live since completing a North American tour in November 2023 at the Hell & Heaven Metal Fest in Mexico, Duff said: "You can go on a tour and you can have peaks and valleys on the tour. And we never do. It's always, like, every gig is super special. Even when we extended our tour — after touring for so much, extending it for another four weeks, that can destroy a band. I've seen it happen. That's too long. You went too long. And everybody's starting to snap at each other and the crew and all that stuff. But it doesn't happen with our band or our crew. So we ended on this really highlight, which was Mexico City, this huge gig we did. And we played two nights at the Hollywood Bowl right before that. It was really special. We had THE BLACK KEYS opening at the Hollywood Bowl — a really cool, different sort of show. So I think we ended and were, like, 'Oh, man. Let's not end. Let's get back to this soon.' But I think for me, I know I had to rest — I had to rest my body. A lot of hours on stage. A lot of traveling. And I've gotta listen to my body these days. I've gotta listen. So I had to rest. I think we all need to rest. [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Slash, he'll go out and tour, like, four weeks later [with one of his projects] and do it all over again. I'm, like, 'Okay, dude. More power to you. I'm gonna go to Hawaii. I'm going to Hawaii, man.'"

GUNS N' ROSES released a four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February 2022. The effort, which was exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contained the two new songs the band released in 2021 — the title track and "Absurd" — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

The legendary hard rock outfit has not released a full-length effort since 2008's "Chinese Democracy", which included only singer Axl Rose from the band's classic lineup. McKagan and guitarist Slash reunited with Axl in 2016 and have since released several standalone singles — "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD"),"Hard Skool", "Perhaps" and "The General" — but have not made any announcements about another LP.

This past June, Duff was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he thinks GUNS N' ROSES will ever release more "newly written music" again as opposed to continuing to rework and put out previously composed songs. The GN'R bassist responded: "Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. There's new material. I don't know how we're gona put it out. I think that's a question too. Like, do you put out a record? Do you just keep putting out singles? I don't know what the right answer is there in this day and age."

If and when it happens, the new GUNS N' ROSES studio album will be the first under the GUNS banner since "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Slash, Rose and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993.

Photo courtesy of The Oriel Company

Legendary Iron Maiden drummer, Nicko McBrain, has announced that he is stepping away from touring. He played his final show with the band on December 7 at at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil.


W.A.S.P. frontman, Blackie Lawless, has shared the following via waspnation.com:


"Nicko McBrain… A great warrior just left his drum throne live for the last time. Very few in the history of percussion have left such a distinctive mark as this man. His accolades, his rewards and trophy's have been too numerous to count. But the thing I felt when I heard last night would be his last live show all but sent me into a tail spin. Yes he's admired the world over, but for me he's my friend, and I say without reservation whatsoever... I love this man. Having been part of the same management family as Maiden for the last 40 years I can tell you first hand, Maiden is Rock's answer to the mafia... once you're in, you never leave... you are family FOREVER. They are unmatched in class with a fierce dedication to one another.




"He is beyond Blessed still, and all in our family say, Godspeed young man. - Blackie Lawless





On December 7, in between performing "Stranger In A Strange Land" and "The Writing On The Wall" at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil, Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson addressed the crowd, saying "For 42 years Nicko's been in this band. He was a drummer before I was a singer, he was a pilot before I was a pilot, and now he's not leaving the band, but he's just not playing live with us anymore. So, we have a lot more music to get to tonight, and I want the rest of the night to be a celebration of Nick, a celebration of the joy that he's brought to everybody around the world, not just here in Brazil."


Check out Dickinson's speech below, as well as McBrain's final moments on stage with the band.








McBrain issued the following statement regarding his departure before the show:


"After much consideration, it is with both sorrow and joy, I announce my decision to take a step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle. Today, Sat, Dec 7th, Sao Paulo will be my final gig with Iron Maiden. I wish the band much success moving forward.


"I will, however, remain firmly part of the Iron Maiden family working on a variety of projects, my long time managers, Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor, have in mind for me. I’ll also be working on a variety of different personal projects and focusing on my existing businesses and ventures, including The British Drum Company, Nicko McBrain’s Drum One, Titanium Tart, and of course, Rock-N-Roll Ribs!


"What can I say? Touring with Maiden the last 42 years has been an incredible journey! To my devoted fan base, you made it all worthwhile and I love you! To my devoted wife, Rebecca, you made it infinitely easier and I love you! To my kids, Justin and Nicholas, thank you for understanding the absences and I love you! To my friends that are always there for me, I love you! To my bandmates, you made it a dream come true and I love you!


"I look into the future with much excitement and great hope! I’ll be seeing you soon, may God bless you all, and, of course, “Up the Irons!”


Manager Rod Smallwood on behalf of Iron Maiden:


“And we all love you too!!


"Thank you for being an irrepressible force behind the drum kit for Maiden for 42 years and my friend for even longer. I speak on behalf of all the band when I say we will miss you immensely!


"Ever since Rock in Rio in 1985 we have had a special relationship with Brazil so to bow out of touring in front of 90,000 fans here in Sao Paulo over 2 nights is poetic and you are deserving of all the accolades I am sure these marvellous fans will give you on this last show.