The wait is almost over! The hard rock force that is Spider Rockets is set to unleash the band’s most explosive album yet, Dirty And Bad, on May 23rd via FireRock Music Group. Known for their high-energy performances and raw, unapologetic attitude, the band has crafted a record that refuses to be ignored. A fusion of blistering riffs, driving rhythms, and fearless songwriting, Dirty And Bad promises to take fans on a wild ride.

“Writing and recording is a wild, love-hate rollercoaster for me,” shares vocalist Helena Cos. “On one hand, I live for the final product—that moment when everything clicks, and the music finally comes to life. But getting there? It’s like hacking my way through a dense, sweltering jungle with my comrades in arms as we battle relentless obstacles, dodge unseen dangers, and as I wrestle with my own creative demons. Every song is a fight, every session is a test of endurance. But when we finally emerge on the other side—bruised, exhausted, victorious—I feel like we are stepping into Valhalla, where all the struggle suddenly feels worth it.”

The album’s creation was anything but conventional, with Spider Rockets recording in two distinct studios, each bringing its own energy. Four tracks came to life in the polished and expansive Soundmine Recording Studio (PA), while the remaining six tracks were forged in the raw, no-frills Frightbox Recording (NJ), adding a level of grit and intensity that defines the album’s sound.

“Spider Rockets are one of those rare finds. They are the total package—great musicians, extremely talented. Their new album, Dirty And Bad, takes you on a musical journey matched by only a few. This truly is a breakout album, with superb songwriting and electrifying performances. Each song shows how brilliant they really are as songwriters. We were excited to sign them and feel the time is now for the Spider Rockets to show the world what they are made of.” – Tom Collier, President of FireRock Music Group

For Spider Rockets, Dirty And Bad isn’t just an album, it’s a battle cry. A statement. A call to arms for rock fans everywhere. Mark your calendars for May 23rd and prepare for the ride.



Tracklisting:

Dirty And Bad
Monster Of Your Dreams
The Storm
Rock Your Ass Off
Casual Violence
Do Your Thing
Sucker
Everything To Everyone
Drive
Welcome To The Show

Fistful Of Metal magazine's Oran O'Beirne spoke to legendary SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo prior to the release of the new VENAMORIS studio album — a project that he and his wife, Paula Lombardo, created.

Below are some excerpts from the article, which can be found in the latest issue featuring cover stars MOTÖRHEAD. Issue No. 18 is now available in WH Smiths (U.K.),Barnes & Noble (Canada and USA) and online via www.fistfulofmetal.co.uk.

On the new VENAMORIS album, "To Cross Or To Burn":

Dave: "This is such a personal album, that is born and created in our home. We have full control of sounds, rhythms, atmospheric drones and textures, etc. We decide on everything and that makes it so special. The fact that these are Paula's lyrics also is kind of scary for her, as it's some very personal lyrics for her, and that can be very daunting to show the world. Making this album was a very liberating experience for both of us. I'm used to a producer breathing down my neck, or a tight deadline for some projects, but with VENAMORIS everything was on our terms."

On his approach to his long relationship with Mike Patton (MR. BUNGLE, FAITH NO MORE, FANTÔMAS) and creating new music:

Dave: "I've worked with Mike on so many projects, and he always told me to follow my instincts and not to be afraid to put out my art into the world. That made a huge impact on my confidence, and was a big part of the decision process when it came to my solo stuff. I'm also very aware that social media is a monster and as good as it can be at times, it can also destroy artists. So that's always in the back of my mind, but then that punk attitude kicks in and I just don't give a fuck of what anyone thinks."

On what led him to working with other bands in the late '80s:

Dave: "Way back in '89, after touring month after month with SLAYER, I was feeling a little frustrated after doing the same old thing day after day. It became so repetitive and I really had an overwhelming urge to do something different. Something that really challenged my ability. I wanted to branch out and work with other musicians, so in the early '90s, I started working with TESTAMENT and FANTÔMAS. I felt that I was a little bit of a chameleon, where I could just adapt to so many different styles of music and work with a varied range of guitar players and tempos — especially with FANTÔMAS. The dynamics change so fast with FANTÔMAS, so I had to adapt very quickly to the arrangements, and I'm so thankful that Mike saw my ability to do just that. It was a lot of fun working together back then, and still is today. I'm eternally grateful to him for inviting me along for this wild ride — not to mention introducing me to John Zorn [jazz-metal composer]. That was really the moment for me that changed so much. This was what I was really hungry for when I think back to that frustrated feeling in '89."

"To Cross Or To Burn" came out on February 28 via Ipecac Recordings.

While Dave drafted the blueprint that would define thrash metal drumming, he's also applied his finesse to solo percussion (2023's "Rites Of Percussion"),hip-hop and classical music, as well as boundary-pushing recordings and performances with everyone from John Zorn's ensembles to punk icons MISFITS and MR. BUNGLE.

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Photo credit: Hannah Verbeuren

Our new Official Motörhead issue is available at London's only true Heavy Metal VINYL / C.D RECORD SHOP- Raven Records...

Posted by Fistful Of Metal Mag on Friday, March 7, 2025

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor played what he said was his first acoustic solo show in over three years on Saturday, March 22 at the HorrorHound Weekend convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fan-filmed video of his performance can be seen below.

Taylor's solo album of covers and B-sides from the "CMF2" album sessions, titled "CMF2B… Or Not 2B", was released digitally in May 2024. The effort was previously made available on April 20, 2024 via BMG as part of last year's Record Store Day.

Corey spent much of the last half of 2023 touring in support of his sophomore solo album, "CMF2", which was released in September of that year. Taylor's first album for BMG and the first on his own label imprint, Decibel Cooper Recordings, was produced by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, AMON AMARTH),who also helmed STONE SOUR's 2017 LP "Hydrograd" as well as 2020's "CMFT".

Taylor began tracking the follow-up to 2020's "CMFT" LP in early January 2023 at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with Ruston. Joining Corey in the studio was the rest of his solo band — bassist Eliot Lorango, drummer Dustin Robert, along with guitarists Christian Martucci and Zach Throne.

"CMFT" featured the No. 1 Billboard mainstream rock single "Black Eyes Blue" and streaming sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat. Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie). The LP hit No. 6 on Billboard's U.S. Top Rock Albums chart.

Back in January 2024, Taylor canceled his previously scheduled North American solo tour, citing struggles with his mental health. He later told Alternative Press that he hit "a real dark point" early last year and that he needed to make some changes to the way he worked for his well-being, including touring. He told the magazine: "I found that my pursuit of work and all things ego was killing me. And nearly killed me. So I've reinvested my life to the point [where] I'm only going to work so much. I'll never be gone from home for more than two and a half weeks. I'm putting importance back on the things I really value. That is the greatest gift I could give myself and my family."



I will be performing at HorrorHound Weekend this Saturday night, opening up for Corey Taylor!

Posted by Little Punk People on Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Keyboardist Derek Sherinian was recently named “Best Keyboardist” in Japan’s BURRN! Magazine 2024 Readers Poll (an award he also received previously, in 2020, 2022, and 2023). Derek was also voted “Greatest Keyboardist Of The 21st Century” and #8 “Greatest Of All Time” by MusicRadar.com, and also was ranked #9 “Greatest of All Time” in PROG Magazine.

Sherinian has distinguished himself by his versatility, and aggressive “guitaristic” approach to his signature keyboard style.

MusicRadar.com declared, “His virtuoso playing has seen him dubbed the keyboard-playing version of Eddie Van Halen.” David Coverdale claims that, “Derek plays the Hammond organ like the son of Jon Lord.” Glenn Hughes has called Sherinian, “The best living rock keyboardist.”

Starting his pro career with Alice Cooper in 1989 on the “Trashes The World” world tour, Sherinian proceeded to tour and record with KISS, Dream Theater, Yngwie Malmsteen, Billy Idol and Whitesnake.

He has also released nine solo albums, and was the co-founder of Planet X, Sons Of Apollo, and supergroup Black Country Communion (also featuring Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, and Jason Bonham), who will be touring in Europe this summer.

For a listing of BCC tour dates and ticket links, visit here. Also, the video for “Stay Free” off Black Country Communion’s 2024 album BCC V can be viewed below.

Former Fleetwood Mac bandmates are back together in the studio. Lindsey Buckingham is working with Mick Fleetwood on his new solo record.

Carl Falk is producing Fleetwood’s new album and posted on , “Slightly unreal moment to sit with Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood to play Lindsey the album we have been working on. And to see his genuine happiness for Mick to finally do his own album and offering to play guitar and to sing on it. Can’t wait to finish this one.”

Falk would also post a picture of Lindsey with his guitar saying, “Mick and Lindsey together again, what a flawless guitar player.”

Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac in 2018 and they last appeared on record together on 2017’s Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie album.

GODSMACK played the second show of its 2025 European tour Monday night (March 24) at Hala Laminor in Bucharest, Romania. As was the case with the Sofia, Bulgaria concert two nights earlier, filling in for drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola at the gig were Will Hunt (EVANESCENCE) and Sam Bam Koltun (DOROTHY, FASTER PUSSYCAT, BUDDERSIDE),respectively.

Fan-filmed video of the Bucharest show can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the concert was as follows:

01. Surrender
02. You And I
03. When Legends Rise
04. 1000hp
05. Cryin' Like A Bitch!!
06. Speak
07. Straight Out Of Line
08. Awake
09. Keep Away
10. Voodoo
11. Batalla De Los Tambores
12. Whatever

Encore:

13. Under Your Scars
14. Bulletproof
15. I Stand Alone

The day before the Sofia gig, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna was asked by Elena Rozberg of Bulgaria's Z-Rock radio station about the current state of GODSMACK. He responded: "Well [laughs], [that's] such a tricky question to answer right now at this stage. I can tell you that there has definitely been some changes that have happened in the last few months. They are changes that we're not sure will be permanent or temporary, but everybody and everyone is in good health and in really good spirits. And the band is doing better than ever. We're [playing to] the biggest audiences ever, and the shows are just becoming more and more valuable, because, as we get older, we still appreciate coming to places like Sofia that is so far away from where we started and being able to come here and sell out a 13,000-seat arena.

"All I can tell you right now is that the band is in good health, we're in good spirits, but there's gonna be a little bit of a different visual for everybody [at the Sofia show]," he added. "Tony and Shannon have some personal things going on, and they're not with us. So we have a couple of guest musicians playing with us that are phenomenal."

Asked to elaborate on the reason for Shannon and Tony's absences from the trek, Sully said: "Hmmmm… I don't know. I don't know. I don't know if I feel safe enough talking about that yet, because I don't wanna give people the wrong impression. Right now we're still at a stage where we're trying to figure out exactly what's happening, but we're also trying to respect their privacy. So whatever Tony and Shannon have going on in their personal life, we're just trying to respect that and at the same time still come here and put on a really great show. I can tell you right now that we have a guest drummer playing with us, who's Will from EVANESCENCE. And he is such a good friend of ours and such a great musician, and we've been having so much fun with him. So that's been a real surprise. And then we have a guitar player with us named Sam Koltun, who is somebody who — he's played with several different bands and a really, really nice guy and great guitar player. So as far as the music goes and the sound, it sounds exactly like we've always sounded, which is even surprising to me."

Larkin joined GODSMACK in 2002 after cutting his teeth with WRATHCHILD (later WRATCHILD AMERICA and SOULS AT ZERO) before getting picked up by UGLY KID JOE in time for a taste of their zenith.

Tony has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for GODSMACK since the mid-1990s following the departure of Lee Richards.

GODSMACK's spring 2025 European tour features support from P.O.D. and DROWNING POOL.

The 14-date trek will end on April 12 in Oberhausen, Germany.

GODSMACK's latest album, "Lighting Up The Sky", was released in February 2023 via BMG. The LP was co-produced by Erna and Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER).

The first single from "Lighting Up The Sky", "Surrender", which arrived in September 2022, marked the first release from GODSMACK in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

Brent Hinds played his first show since exiting MASTODON on March 21 with his band FIEND WITHOUT A FACE at 529 in Atlanta, Georgia. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

FIEND WITHOUT A FACE, which takes its name from a 1958 English B-movie, released its first single, "Black Grass", way back in 2001. In 2017 FIEND WITHOUT A FACE released the debut self-titled full-length CD featuring 13 tracks of mostly instrumental guitar music — a twangy headbanging attack of surfabilly mixed with tinges of '60s calypso and electrified bluegrass.

In a recent interview with Radical Metal, MASTODON guitarist Bill Kelliher spoke about how he and his bandmates are going about their search for a replacement for Hinds. He said: "Yeah, we haven't really decided how we're gonna go about that yet. We're just sort of taking it easy. No update. Nothing that I can really share with you at this moment."

Referencing the fact that MASTODON hired YouTuber and session musician Ben Eller to perform with the band on March 9 at "Tool Live In The Sand" festival in the Dominican Republic, Bill said: "We had Ben Eller, who's a great friend, and he filled in for this show. And we've got the COHEED [AND CAMBRIA] tour coming up. So, we'll figure it out. We've got a lot of requests and stuff like that. But it's really hard shoes to fill, obviously. Nobody plays like Brent. He's a very, extremely unique player. So it's not gonna be an easy task. We're all hopeful and we're gonna figure it out. So that's really all I have to say about it."

Regarding how MASTODON hooked up with Eller, Bill said: "I saw him playing some MASTODON stuff [in a YouTube video] and then I was, like, 'That's close, but it's not quite right.' So I started writing to him. And we became good friends just through that, 'cause he's, like, 'Oh, man, show me how to play it right so I can put it up on my YouTube.' … He's giving instructions to other people how to play stuff. So I was, like, 'You're not quite playing it right.' … I mean, he's 99 percent there. He's a great fucking player. He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met."

Since 2000, Hinds had served as lead guitarist and vocalist for MASTODON, alongside bassist/singer Troy Sanders, drummer Brann Dailor, and Kelliher.

MASTODON's lineup had remained the same for 25 years, recording eight studio albums, beginning with 2002's "Remission" until the band's latest LP, 2021's "Hushed And Grim".

Eller is a guitarist and bass player from Tennessee who has gained popularity for his awesome chops on his guitar lesson series "This Is Why You Suck At Guitar".

When MASTODON announced Brent's departure from the band on March 7, they wrote in a statement: "Friends and Fans, After 25 monumental years together, MASTODON and Brent Hinds have mutually decided to part ways.

"We're deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we've shared and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors.

"We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter of MASTODON. As we move forward, all 2025 touring plans will remain intact. We look forward to seeing you on the road."

MASTODON has had nine Billboard 200-charting albums and has been nominated for a Grammy Award six times. The band won a "Best Metal Performance" Grammy for "Sultan's Curse" in 2018.

MASTODON's latest album, "Hushed And Grim", was a double LP recorded at the band's Atlanta studio, West End Sound.

In December, MASTODON and COHEED AND CAMBRIA announced "The Infinite Arc" tour with special guests PERIPHERY. Produced by Live Nation and FPC Live, the 20-city trek kicks off on May 10 in Salem, Virginia, spanning the East Coast and Midwest before wrapping up in Waukee, Iowa on June 8.

In a separate interview with Guitar World magazine, Kelliher stated about what he and his bandmates are looking for in a replacement for Hinds: "Someone who is easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play — and can play well. Obviously, you gotta be somebody who we all get along with and can stand the true test of time. Like, living together in a little tour bus on the road for fucking days and months at a time, it's got to be someone who can do all that. And that's another variable. Like, 'Oh, this person is a great guitar player. Why don't you hire them?' It's like, 'Well, they gotta stand the test of time.' We've got to be able to sit down and have a beer with them, go out to dinner with them, you know, feel them out, and make sure they're MASTODON material. Like, can they hang, for sure, but it's got to be someone who has a unique style, and is very serious about it."

Kelliher went on to say that he doesn't know if Eller will be a permanent addition to the band.

"We do have some more shows coming up," he said. "We have a tour with COHEED AND CAMBRIA coming up in May, which, you know, we're still going to fulfil that. We're going to finish up our new record.

"I'm not sure what our future is with Ben or if we'll try a couple of other people out. Not really sure yet; it's too early to say."

Kelliher previously told Guitar World about Hinds's exit: "What can you say about the legacy of MASTODON's first 25 years with Brent? It's been a fun, wild fucking ride, that's for sure. We achieved a lot of things that I never in a million years would have imagined. There's been Grammys, touring with our heroes, like IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD and TOOL. I cherish all of that.

"Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart, and they get interested in other things," he explained. "We wish nothing but the best for Brent in chasing his dreams."

Touching upon the musical and personal chemistry between MASTODON's longtime members, Bill said: "You know, it's amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us. I mean, it's like being married to three other dudes, traveling the world, trying to stay the course, and having everybody agree. That we managed to do it this long, I feel like that's a feat in itself. You could never replace any of us because we [are the] the sum of four parts. That doesn't mean there's not someone else out there that has stuff to offer in a new direction. I think I'll just leave it there, you know? It was a hard decision we all had to make. It's just… it was just time."

All three of these bands Rule!!!

Posted by Tom Cheshire on Thursday, March 20, 2025

In a new interview with Rolling Stone UK, GHOST singer and chief songwriter Tobias Forge clarified his role as the leader of the Swedish occult rock outfit. He said: "If you want to be super pragmatic, I'm technically a solo artist. I don't have to think in terms of a group, but everybody needs to understand that my job is a group effort.

"We're a group working together, but practically, if the label is asking GHOST to make a record, they don't call a group of people — they will call me because it's my responsibility," he explained. "So, as a creator and a writer, I don't think that there is such a thing as an end until the actual end."

Back in April 2017, Forge was sued by four ex-members of GHOST who accused Tobias of cheating them out of their rightful share of the profits from the band's album releases and world tours.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the district court of Linköping, Sweden, where GHOST was originally based, claimed that Forge solely controlled the band's business affairs without input from anyone else in the group. The four musicians furthermore stated that a partnership agreement existed between them and Forge which put Tobias in charge of carrying out the company's management duties.

In a statement explaining the lawsuit, the musicians officially revealed their identities as Simon Söderberg (Alpha; member of GHOST from 2010 until 2016),Mauro Rubino (Air; member of GHOST from 2011 until 2016),Henrik Palm (Eather; member of GHOST from 2015 until 2016) and Martin Hjertstedt (Earth; member of GHOST from 2014 until 2016).

In June 2017, Forge filed an official response to the lawsuit, claiming that "no legal partnership" ever existed between him and the four musicians regarding the activities of GHOST and explaining that "none of the plaintiffs were present at the time of the" group's formation and that their sole task was to "perform" and "execute" the musical works and the image that Forge had created, produced and decided, all according to his instructions. For their efforts, he said, the musicians were paid a fixed salary.

At the end of August 2017, the four ex-GHOST members presented an answer of their own, dismissing Forge's claim that GHOST is a solo project as "not [being] in accordance with the truth."

The four ex-members, known previously only as Nameless Ghouls, claimed that between the years of 2010 and 2016, Forge never told them that he viewed GHOST as a one-man business and solo project. "To the contrary, Tobias Forge has always emphasized that it was a collaboration that everyone was involved in and would share in the profit of once the business became profitable," they wrote. "The first time Tobias Forge, through the band's management, mentioned that he saw them as hired musicians rather than full-fledged members of GHOST was in the context of a contract proposal presented in April 2016." This proposal was later rejected.

The trial in Linköping District Court lasted for six days, and on October 17, 2018, a 108-page decision was released dismissing the case. The four former GHOST members were also ordered to pay Forge's legal fees, which at the time were said to amount to approximately $146,000.

Forge was previously asked in a 2017 interview with CBS Philadelphia if he considered GHOST a solo project or a band. He replied: "I actually refer to it as the earlier of the two options. Even though I've never wanted it that way, but at the end of the day, that is what it is. So I think it speaks clear for itself. I mean, I started it in 2006, and no one that was ever in the band in 2016 was even on the first record. Call it solo, if you want to, but I call it a project."

Forge, who previously did all the band's interviews as a Nameless Ghoul, dismissed the entire lineup at the end of 2016 and brought in a fresh group of players. He explained: "I have been in the band since I started the band. I started writing songs for it in 2006. Nowadays there's a handful of very new members, yeah. But there has been about 10 to 15 people now going in and out of the band, so there's been a lot of rotation."

He added: "People have a tendency to want to feel that they're very important for something, and if it's not crucial that they're there, there will also be a little bit of a friction there."

GHOST's new album, "Skeletá", will arrive on April 25 via Loma Vista Recordings. The LP's first single, "Satanized", was made available earlier in the month.

The "Satanized" music video introduces the new character who will be fronting GHOST for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua.

GHOST's sixth psalm, "Skeletá", is its most unflinchingly introspective work to date. Where previous GHOST albums dealt largely with chronicling and/or observing outward facing subject matter — such as "Impera"'s meditations on the rise and fall of empires and its predecessor "Prequelle"'s evocations of the ravages of era-defining plagues — "Skeletá"'s lyrics render the distinct individual emotional vistas of each of its 10 songs in one-on-one fashion, at times as if in a dialogue with oneself in a mirror. The end result is a singular collection of timeless, universal sentiments, all filtered through a prism of a uniquely personal point of view.

GHOST has also launched an interactive element dubbed The Satanizer, a first-of-its-kind music video experience for fans who wish to be "Satanized." Developed in partnership with Jason Zada (Elf Yourself),The Satanizer will morph its users into characters featured in the song's melodramatic video. With a quick upload of your photo, The Satanizer will send out a personalized music video clip featuring the participant, who can in turn share via social media that they too have been "Satanized."

Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle". In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the character who fronted the act for its "Impera" (2022) album phase.

As previously reported, GHOST will embark on a world tour in 2025. The European leg of the trek will kick off on April 15 in Manchester, United Kingdom and conclude on May 24 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour will launch on July 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and wrap up on August 16 in Houston, Texas.

The physical home video of GHOST's worldwide Top 10 box office smash feature film debut "Rite Here Rite Now" was made available on December 6, 2024.

While appearing on the "Torg & Elliott Show" to discuss the release of his band ENVY OF NONE's second album, Alex Lifeson was asked if he ever gets sick of answering questions about RUSH. He responded: "I get it. It's okay. We toured for 40 years. There are very few bands that have had that kind of longevity. And we went out at a period where we were kind of at a peak. So I can understand all the interest or hopes for something.

"The world is a crazy place right now," he continued. "Everything changes every day right now. And I'm so happy and satisfied with what I'm doing with ENVY OF NONE, and I'm working on a number of other projects, on a documentary and things like that. So I'm super active. I've come out of this short retirement into activity beyond what I ever expected. So, who knows what the future holds?"

Circling back to whether or not he gets tired of answering questions about RUSH, Alex added: "I understand it. RUSH fans dream about it. So I get it. And I don't have a problem with it."

RUSH's final tour concluded in August 2015 in Los Angeles.

As one of the most successful Canadian music group in history, RUSH has performed before millions of fans around the world.

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

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

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

Lifeson made his mark on the music industry over 50 years ago, redefining the boundaries of progressive rock guitar. His signature riffing, copious use of effects processing and unorthodox chord structures befitted him the title by his RUSH bandmates as "The Musical Scientist." While the bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with RUSH, he has contributed to a body of work outside of the band as a guitarist, producer and with the release of his 1996 solo album "Victor". Lifeson ranks third overall in the Guitar World readers' poll of "100 Greatest Guitarists" and is also included in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time."

ENVY OF NONE, the band featuring Lifeson, Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH),Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, released its second album, "Stygian Wavz", on March 14 via Kscope.

In a new interview with Heavy magazine, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell spoke about the upcoming Australian tour from his band PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, in which he is joined by his sons Todd, Dane and Tyla. Asked how long it took him to be fully comfortable playing the MOTÖRHEAD songs on stage without MOTÖRHEAD leader Lemmy, who died in 2015, Phil said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, you just get on and do it. Even to this day, sometimes on stage I'll be playing and you'll have the feeling that that Lem is around or one of the other bandmembers are around. But you see the joy that people got on their faces in the crowd and you just get on and give it your best shot. But we do play them well, we do do them justice. It's never gonna be MOTÖRHEAD, obviously, without Lem, but we give it a good shot. It will be the only chance for especially younger Australians to hear some MOTÖRHEAD stuff with a bandmember playing them. We get a lot of youngsters coming to our shows anyway, if we're playing MOTÖRHEAD stuff or our own stuff. We get older MOTÖRHEAD fans bringing their young children to the shows. Basically, they're just turning them on to good live music 'cause there's so much crap about these days with the Auto-Tune voices and all that and people miming and stuff. We are the real deal, which is the way it should be."

Regarding what it has been like sharing the stage with his sons in PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, which was formed in the aftermath of MOTÖRHEAD's dissolution, Phil said: "Yeah, it's great because I spent a lot of the boys' formative years away from them when I was so busy with MOTÖRHEAD. So it's great to be able to give something back and spend time with 'em and still go around the world in a another kick-ass rock and roll band. They deserve it. They're great players. The band is as tight as hell that we have now. So, they deserve it. They deserve to tread the boards. And it is a lot of fun. Yeah. I enjoy it."

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS released their third album, "Kings Of The Asylum", in September 2023 through Nuclear Blast Records. It was PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS' first studio release to feature singer Joel Peters.

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS were always going to draw a crowd at any discerning rock or metal festival. Led by one of the genre's most respected guitarists, the band emerged onto the 2017 touring circuit powered by a huge amount of good will, a smattering of MOTÖRHEAD covers and a handful of new songs that crackled with passion and swagger. Landing themselves a prestigious support slot on GUNS N' ROSES 2017 summer stadium run, the BASTARD SONS hit the ground running.

Fast forward to 2020 and, just like everyone else, PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS had to cancel a lot of carefully laid plans when the global pandemic descended on us all. But as if to confirm their absolute dedication to blowing people's heads off with thunderous rock 'n' roll, the band refused to cancel plans to record a follow-up to their widely lauded debut. Recorded and engineered during lockdown by guitarist Todd Campbell, the second BASTARD SONS album, "We're The Bastards", was described in a press release as "bigger, better and even more raucously uplifting than its predecessor."

In October 2019, Phil Campbell released his first-ever solo record, "Old Lions Still Roar". The album, which had been in the works for more than five years, included guest appearances by Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST),Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and Alice Cooper, among others.

Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete a European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

In a new interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, SAVATAGE guitarist Chris Caffery and singer Zak Stevens spoke about the reactivated band's upcoming shows in Europe and South America. Joining Chris and Zak in SAVATAGE's current touring lineup are Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Al Pitrelli on guitar and Jeff Plate on drums. Asked if SAVATAGE has rehearsed already for the upcoming dates, Zak said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yes. We've had rehearsals already. We got the keyboard players that [are] coming along with us… We've got two keyboard players.

Added Chris: "Johnny said it today. We're not saying names. And they asked me what the names were. I said, 'I could tell you thousand keyboard players it's not. [Laughs] But Johnny did mention that one of the guys is actually from Colombia. So not only do we have a keyboard player, we have an interpreter [for the upcoming shows in the Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries]."

Asked if the two keyboard players will also contribute vocals to SAVATAGE, Zak said: "I'm gonna handle all that stuff, but they are great vocalists, I'll tell you that. The situation vocally with the band is great right now because I'm having a great time because we've got more vocal stuff going on than we were able to do before. So now the vocal level of the band is taking a huge step forward and is the highest level ever. And Mr. Chris Caffery there is singing very well, and he's doing his part. And so we've got two great new singers who are also keyboard players, but also we've got Al, myself. Johnny's putting in a few things there. Chris is singing even more than ever. I'm loving it, man. We've got a lot of good vocal stuff going on. And so until Jon [Oliva, SAVATAGE mastermind] gets back, I'm just handling the main load of the lead vocal."

Said Chris: "There was a lot of times when the two lead vocals would sing together in parts and that's what they'll be doing with Jon. Plus when you have five-point counterpoint stuff, all those parts get harmonized. And when we had all five parts going, you never really had a chance to get the harmonies too. So we're gonna be able to mix and match harmonies moving along. And with the keyboard situation, once the keyboards started coming into play, there was always piano parts and string parts. Even with 'Prelude To Madness', it was a mixture of orchestration, and then when you got into 'Temptation Revelation', it was piano and the orchestration. And then, of course, that kept moving on as we went further into the records when things got deeper. And when we added songs like 'Chance', the vocal harmonies not only got bigger, but the amount of parts got bigger.

"Our goal is to try to be as close to the record as possible without using anything other than ourselves," Chris explained. "So we've got a really good lineup going. Of course we want Jon to be there, and I think him not being there is gonna be inspirational for him to get back into play. He's gonna be at all rehearsals. He's a big part of choosing the setlist. It was his decision to say, 'Okay,' and go play. I mean, it's still SAVATAGE."

Jon Oliva, SAVATAGE's founding vocalist and keyboardist, in 2023 suffered a T7 vertebra fracture in three places, a severe injury that has left him relying on a wheelchair. Additionally, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Ménière's disease, conditions that have further complicated his health.

Zak joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air, which marked the band's first, and only so far, appearance on stage since they went on hiatus back in 2002.

SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his exit. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.

In September 2021, Jon Oliva was arrested on the west central coast of Florida for driving under the influence as well as possession of a controlled substance. Police charged Oliva with possession of cocaine, which is a felony, and DUI, which is a misdemeanor. Oliva was reportedly arrested again in July 2023 on another cocaine possession charge.

Back in 2016, Jon announced on social media that he suffered a stroke in April of that year. At the time, he said: "It was not as serious as it could have been, but it did leave me with some physical recovery challenges often associated with strokes."

Despite his health issues, Jon said that he didn't regret the way he had lived his life. He wrote: "I lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle since I was 18. It's all I knew and I enjoyed the ride very much. But there comes a time in everyone's life where you have to step back and make some life-changing decisions... which I have."

Shortly after SAVATAGE's reunion performance at the 2015 Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, Oliva claimed that he felt better than he had in 20 years because he had "stopped drinking and eating" in preparation for the concert. He explained: "It's my voice that's freaking me out, because, even when I was in my late 20s, early 30s, doing songs like '24 Hours Ago' were always really hard to do. And, of course, I didn't realize that it was all the drugs and alcohol I was doing. But, after doing that, getting my act together and stuff, singing '24 Hours Ago', it's actually easy now. [Laughs]"

In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside Paul O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.

Jon's brother Criss, who was one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.

Photo credit: Josh Ruzansky