Following the success of the band's recent single "Dead", ATREYU returns with "Ego Death", a bruising but cathartic new track that digs into the idea of shedding who you were to become who you're meant to be. Built on crushing riffs, a surging groove, and a massive, melodic hook, the song balances the band's heaviest instincts with one of their most emotionally resonant choruses to date. As the band puts it: "Sometimes a piece of you has to die in order for you to truly live. 'Ego Death' is peace." The single arrives alongside a music video, available below.

Known for its signature blend of crushing riffs, soaring melodies, and emotionally charged lyrics, ATREYU continues to push the boundaries of metalcore while staying true to the sound that has earned the band a devoted global following.

ATREYU recently announced a spring tour supporting SEVENDUST kicking off April 20 in Indianapolis, Indiana before concluding in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 20.

Last September, ATREYU shared a striking music video for "Dead", a powerful visual companion to the group's first release in over two years.

Recorded by Matthew Pauling, "Dead" captured ATREYU's relentless energy and musical evolution, offering both longtime fans and new listeners a vivid glimpse into the next chapter of their career. The video was directed, filmed, edited and produced by Sean Stiegemeier.

ATREYU commented at the time: "'Dead' lyrically is about a very real and very dark question. It was important for us for the video to match that energy. This video may be sensitive to some but to us it was important to match the reality and the gravity of what 'Dead' is about."

After ATREYU blacked out the band's social media in September and posted the letters "R.I.P.", some fans speculated that the California metallers were breaking up. However, ATREYU later revealed that the tease was actually for "Dead".

Speaking to Germany's Rock Antenne, ATREYU bassist Marc "Porter" McKnight addressed the fan speculation, explaining: "It was kind of fucking hilarious how it got everyone so intensely. Bands do this all the time. Bands wipe their socials all the time. I mean, I guess the 'R.I.P.' thing, sure, was a little bit dramatic. And to be fair, the original marketing plan, which was by me and Brandon [Saller, ATREYU vocalist] of the band, the original things they wanted to put on the web site and wanted to say were way more dramatic. It had date ranges and stuff. And I was, like, 'That's a finality. That's too much.' Like 'R.I.P.' — the song's called 'Dead'. Sure, once it's out, they'll make that connection."

Regarding ATREYU's mindset when it came to the writing process for "Dead", Porter said: "When we wrote that song, and maybe others — I don't know; eventually we'll talk about that another time, but not today — we intentionally didn't listen to anything for the last 10 years and we wanted to get ourselves out of anything that is current. 'Cause our goal has never been to be the current, cool band. We wanna write songs that we love and we don't want to go with the same tricks that… If you listen to a lot of heavy music right now — all due respect, 'cause a lot of them are my friends — a lot of it sounds the fucking same. And we are actively trying to not do that. We did not wanna use a producer that was in the realm of it. So we used our friend Matt Pauling, who is a brilliant musician and even more brilliant producer. We actually traveled to Japan with him and rented a little Airbnb in this area called Shinjuku, which is like a quiet little village, as quiet as my little village [where I live in Germany]. And we wrote 'Dead' there."

He continued: "Sometimes, in my opinion — this is my personal opinion — we have fallen into the trap of writing predictable songs. That is based on producers we were working with. Sometimes it was intentional. You have to play the radio game, especially in America. You can't have screaming on any of that, so you have to write a certain type of song. And there are formulas that work. We have tried to, especially on 'Dead', write a song that takes you on a journey, write a song that makes you feel like it's… And, obviously, the chorus repeats three times, and there's a verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, outro, as in every fucking song that exists most times. But we tried to do it in a way that was a little more exciting than normal. And I think we achieved that."

Saller talked about the "R.I.P." marketing campaign for "Dead" during an interview with Sultans Of Slack at this past September's Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky. He said at the time: "Me and Porter kind of came up with that idea of doing that as the ['Dead'] rollout. And we thought, okay, this is a possibility that people might think we're breaking up. But we were, like, common sense would say, 'They've been a band for 27 years. They're probably not gonna break up with just a black photo and 'R.I.P.'' [But] no — it was wildfire. People were sending us stressed out, crisis-mode DMs — worldwide. We had a dude in Japan send us like DMs in Japanese and then translated in English. [It was, like], 'Please, don't let [it be true]. You can't [break up].' And we wanted to say something, but then you just can't. But it was wildfire. There was a lot that happened with that rollout that I didn't expect. But it worked. I mean, at the end of the day, it worked. People were, like, 'Man, it's fucking stupid.' It's, like, 'Well, were you talking about it?' 'Yeah'. 'Point in case.'"

Brandon continued: "In this day and age, it's hard to get people's attention, unfortunately, [with] a band just being, like, 'Hey, we have a new song.' But if you're, like, 'We may or may not be breaking up,' they might listen more. And it makes sense. With a song called 'Dead', what are the options for promotion? There's only a few things we could have done here."

Saller added: "We're far from breaking up. We have at least another six months. [Laughs]"

ATREYU kicked off its most tour on November 4, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona and wrapped it on December 11 in Pomona, California. The trek marked the 21st anniversary of ATREYU's 2004 album "The Curse". A true breakthrough moment for the band, "The Curse" delivered staples like "Bleeding Mascara", "Right Side Of The Bed" and "The Crimson", which are songs that helped cement ATREYU as one of the defining forces in the mid-2000s metalcore scene.

ATREYU's riffs, hooks, melodies, and relentless energy remain a driving force in heavy music, with over a billion streams worldwide and a fanbase that keeps growing. The Southern California band recently wrapped a triumphant co-headlining U.S. run and tore through massive festivals like Download, Hellfest, Welcome To Rockville and Inkcarceration.

Since forming around the turn of the millennium, ATREYU has pushed well beyond their DIY roots — earning multiple RIAA gold records, Top 20 Billboard 200 debuts, and spots on major film and video-game soundtracks. Their latest album, "The Beautiful Dark Of Life" (2023, Spinefarm),debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums and has already racked up over 75 million streams, with singles like "Gone" and "Watch Me Burn" lighting up rock radio and flagship playlists like Spotify's "Volume" and Apple Music's "The Riff."

ATREYU is:

Brandon Saller - lead vocals
Dan Jacobs - guitar
Travis Miguel - guitar
Porter McKnight - bass/vocals

Photo credit: Sean Stiegeimeier

On the latest episode of The Vinyl Road podcast, hosted by former SHINEDOWN and current SALIVA bassist Brad Stewart and Jason Bailey, SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch spoke about the response to the recent announcement that his band would play this year's edition of Rock The Country, the country music festival launched in 2024 by headliner Kid Rock. Kid Rock will top this year's bill, along with fellow Donald Trump supporter Jason Aldean, and an undercard that includes everyone from CREED and SHINEDOWN to Gavin Adcock, Brantley Gilbert and Nelly.

When the 2026 Rock The Country lineup was announced on January 12, Ludacris's name was also on the poster. But just four days later, Rolling Stone reported that the Grammy-winning rapper's name had been removed from the lineup announcement poster, with a representative for Rock The Country confirming to Billboard that Ludacris was no longer on the festival.

Asked by "The Vinyl Road" co-host Jason Bailey if SHINEDOWN has gotten any pushback for agreeing to play this year's Rock The Country — which isn't explicitly a political event — Barry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's been tons. The knives come out when they don't like it, especially now politically. And we are an apolitical band. But the knives have come out. It's crazy. And to be honest, I had no idea, and neither did Brent [Smith, SHINEDOWN singer] — I think Zach [Myers, SHINEDOWN guitarist] maybe had a clue — I had no idea this was Kid Rock's thing. It was just, 'Hey, here's an offer. It looks like a cool lineup, and it's a mix of country and rock. Okay, we'll play it.' We took the offer and played it, and then all of a sudden we find out, 'Oh, this has got some political leaning to it.'"

Barry added: "I don't care. I'm just gonna go play a show. I really, really don't care. You can keep your politics to yourself. I have no opinion one way or the other on Kid Rock. I love his music. This is about music. Ludacris wasn't tough… I mean, it's not like he needs the money, Jeez. If he's not tough enough to stick it out, that's just silly. That's him being a coward, in my opinion."

Asked by Bailey if he and the rest of SHINEDOWN would ever turn down a festival appearance over a fellow artist's political leanings and negative feedback from some of the band's fans, Barry said: "I would hope not, but [SHINEDOWN] is a democracy. There's four of us to vote. My vote would be no, but if three of the other guys vote against it, then, again, it's a democracy. I can't change their vote. But I would hope not. 'Cause I like to stick by my grounds. And listen, I don't do politics when it comes to the business of SHINEDOWN. I have my own beliefs. I keep those to myself, and so do the other three guys. I just wanna go play a rock show with some country bands 'cause it looks like fun."

Back in 2019, Kerch told Cutter and Kaytie of Razor 94.7 and 104.7 that SHINEDOWN is "a full democracy." He explained: "Brent's the 51 percent, because he's gotta be the captain. Every ship has a captain… You have to have a leader, and Brent's good at it. He's driven in a way that I don't have, and he's got the gift of gab, which I can talk to you guys and talk to anybody, but when it comes to business and getting in there and getting in somebody's face, I don't have that. I'm too nice — I'm very nice."

According to Kerch, everyone in SHINEDOWN has "equal" say. "And if somebody's upset or doesn't like something, we're gonna figure it out and find a way to massage that situation to where we all agree on it," he said. "Like, we'll never do a political record, 'cause there's varying political views, so why would we bring that out there? We don't wanna alienate half or bring in a half or any of that stuff — it's not who we are as a band. Just conscious decisions like that. 'Hey, how much are we gonna spend on this show?' 'Do we need to fire this person?' We talk about it. We have meetings. And one cool thing that we always do before we kick off a tour cycle, we get in a room — the four of us — and hash it out. So we bring anything up that bothered us in the past. We sit down and have our little, like the 'METALLICA movie moment' where we just call each other out, tell each other the problems we're having, come to conclusions, and then we can start with a fresh slate. And it makes everything a lot easier."

Back in 2010, Smith addressed SHINEDOWN's attitude when it comes to politics while answering a question about his band performing for the troops in Iraq. He said: "We're not a political band, we're never going to be a political band, but one thing that we are is very upfront about and supportive of the soldiers and what they do for us. No disrespect to the rest of the world; the thing is that these are our soldiers. This is our family. You have to support them, and you shouldn't have to; you should want to. That's ultimately the way we are. We're always going to support them because they keep us safe. They've allowed us to keep our freedom."

In 2022, SHINEDOWN bassist, producer and engineer Eric Bass told Grammy.com that he and his bandmates didn't necessarily always agree in their in your sociopolitical beliefs. But, he clarified: "We never talked about it, to be honest with you. At least in the beginning, we never talked about it. At that time — and now, to a large extent — it was unimportant to me with the people in my life. I don't have to align with people on any sort of political thing to be friends with them or family or whatever. We didn't talk about it. It's like being in a marriage. If it's going to work out, you coalesce into a set of beliefs. My beliefs change on a quasi-daily basis, depending on what I read and educate myself with."

Rock The Country 2026 will take place May 1-2 in Bellville, Texas; May 29-30 in Bloomingdale, Georgia; June 27-28 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; July 10-11 in Ashland, Kentucky; July 25-26 in Anderson, South Carolina; August 8-9 in Hastings, Michigan; August 28-29 in Ocala, Florida; and September 11-12 in Hamburg, New York. SHINEDOWN is only scheduled to perform at the Anderson, South Carolina stop of Rock The Country on July 26.

After Ludacris's name was quietly pulled from the list of performing stars on the Rock The Country festival's web site, a representative for the rapper told Rolling Stone that "lines got crossed and he wasn't supposed to be on there."

Several media outlets, including Rolling Stone, reported that Ludacris received backlash for being part of the tour. Some of the rapper's fans believed that the concert tour had "political undertones of supporting President Donald Trump's MAGA movement," according to Rolling Stone.

In 2025 SHINEDOWN released four new singles: "Three Six Five", "Dance, Kid, Dance", , "Killing Fields" and "Searchlight".

The band's eighth studio album will arrive later this year.

SHINEDOWN recently announced they will be headlining the Sonic Temple festival. They'll take the main stage on Friday, May 15, 2026, marking their first time headlining the Ohio event. Their performance will anchor the festival's second night, with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, BRING ME THE HORIZON and TOOL leading the other days of the lineup.

Barry Kerch photo credit: Ryan Camp

An attorney for former MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars has blasted an arbitrator's ruling that the group was within its rights to dismiss Mars as an officer in their business affairs as well as bandmember, for cause, once he dropped out of MÖTLEY CRÜE's touring due to health issues. Moreover, the judgment declared that Mars owes his former band hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Mars's lawyer, Ed McPherson, tells Rolling Stone: "The decision is awful. It's not fair. This band has never been fair to Mick. When Mick said 'I can't tour anymore because of a hideous disease, but I can still write, perform one-offs or residencies and record,' they said, 'Sorry, Mick. It's been 43 years, but you're out. Goodbye, and we don't want to pay you anymore.' This arbitrator said it's fine. We need to figure out if we're going to challenge [the decision]. It's ridiculous. It's just a question of whether he wants to keep pursuing this. Basically, he's over MÖTLEY CRÜE."

Earlier this week, MÖTLEY CRÜE said that it won "a decisive victory" against Mars, resulting in "a final arbitration award that rejects every claim Mars made against the band and orders him to pay damages back to the group." According to a press release issued by MÖTLEY CRÜE's attorney, Sasha Frid of Miller Barondess, LLP, "the arbitrator's ruling not only vindicates the band contractually and financially but also dismantles the public narrative Mars promoted in interviews with major outlets."

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. Only six months later, however, he filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

According to Frid, the arbitrator, the Honorable Patrick Walsh (Ret.),ruled entirely in favor of MÖTLEY CRÜE, confirming that Mars forfeited any right to touring revenue when he chose to stop touring — a rule Mars himself reportedly demanded and wrote into the band's governing agreement in 2008. That amendment explicitly provides that any member who stops touring does not share in touring income.

Despite that agreement, Mars later demanded to continue receiving 25% of touring revenue in perpetuity while no longer performing. The arbitrator flatly rejected that position. The final award also upheld the band's decision to terminate Mars as an officer and director for legal cause and ordered him to repay more than $750,000 in unrecouped tour advances. After accounting for the value of Mars's shares, the final award results in a net judgment in favor of MÖTLEY CRÜE.

But the case carries broader significance beyond band business disputes.

While the arbitration was pending, Mars launched a public media campaign accusing the band of not playing live — claims he repeated under oath. Most notably, he asserted that Nikki Sixx's bass and Tommy Lee's drums were pre-recorded, striking at the core of the band's professional credibility.

Those accusations collapsed under scrutiny. Faced with extensive live performance recordings — and testimony from his own retained expert, a New York University professor specializing in music technology — Mars was forced to admit under oath that his statements were false. His expert confirmed that the band performed live, and Mars formally recanted his prior claims during sworn testimony.

Frid commented: "This dispute was about protecting the integrity and legacy of one of the most successful bands in rock history. With the arbitrator rejecting every claim and enforcing the parties' agreements as written, the band has been fully vindicated — legally, financially, and factually."

Last September, Sixx told the Los Angeles Times about Mars's exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE: "[Mick] came to us and said, health-wise, he couldn't fulfill his contract, and we let him out of the deal. Then he sued us because he just said that he can't tour. We were like, 'Well, if you can't tour, you can't tour.' I will probably come to that too someday."

Sixx also addressed Mars's allegation in his lawsuit that the guitarist was the only bandmember to play 100 percent live on MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2022 The Stadium Tour", claiming Nikki "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour."

"Anything we enhance the shows with, we actually played," Sixx told the Los Angeles Times. "If there are background vocals with my background vocals, and we have background singers to make it sound more like the record. That does not mean we're not singing."

Frid wrote in a statement to the Los Angeles Times at the time: "The fact of the matter is that MÖTLEY always plays live. Even Mars's expert witness in the litigation, who Mars hired and who reviewed hours of footage, agreed and said that the band played live while performing. He disputed Mars's own claims."

Sixx went on to call Mars's accusations a "crazy betrayal", adding: "Saying he played in a band that didn't play, it's a betrayal to the band who saved his life. People say things like, 'Well, if you guys are really playing, then I need isolated tracks from band rehearsal.' … It's ludicrous."

In response to Mars's lawsuit, CRÜE's manager of more than three decades, Allen Kovac, told Variety in a 2023 interview that Mars was coming out with a list of allegations "to gain leverage in a smear campaign on MÖTLEY. He's attacked the band, and he's done it in a slanderous way, with false accusations and misrepresenting the facts to the fans. Mick is not the victim. The victims are MÖTLEY CRÜE and the brand, which Mick is so prideful of." But, he added, "What's upsetting to me is not Mick, but his representatives, who have guided Mick to say and do harmful things to the brand he cares about so much, MÖTLEY CRÜE. He has a degenerative disease and people are taking advantage of him. It's called elder abuse."

Kovac continued: "Mick's representatives have no idea what they've created, but I've stopped the band from speaking about this, so they're not gonna turn the fans against Mick. But I am going to make sure that people understand that Mick hasn't been treated badly. In fact, he was treated better than anyone else in the band, and they carried him and they saved his life."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

Regarding Mick's claim that he was the only CRÜE member to play 100 percent live on the 2022 recent tour, Kovac told Variety at the time: "Everything is live with Nikki's bass playing and Tommy's [Lee] drum playing. When they've used loops, they're still playing. There are augmented vocals, which were (recorded) in the studio and are backgrounds behind the two ladies who are singing and (other background vocals by) John 5 and Nikki Sixx, and before that Mick and Nikki." He described the pre-recorded vocal layering as where "you multi-track and you do gang vocals with, like, 20 people, just like all the other bands do with background vocals. They've got background vocals in the mix. That's the truth.

"But Nikki played his bass and always has," Kovac continued. "Vince [Neil] was singing better than he was before (on the 2022 tour). That was in reviews. Now, John 5 is playing like who John 5 is. I've heard John 5 perform and I heard Mick perform. Both are great guitar players. Unfortunately, Mick is not the same. He hasn't been the same for a long time. Which was in reviews! You see that the professionals knew. DEF LEPPARD (which alternated headlining spots on the tour) knew. And (Mars) caused a train wreck up there, because he would play the wrong songs and the wrong parts, even with the guide tracks. When he played the wrong song, it wasn't Nikki Sixx that had a tape; it was the soundman bringing it into the mix so the audience could hear a song, even though the guitar player was playing a different song." He says audiences "would hear it at first, but (sound engineers) would fix it so that we could keep the song going. I heard it. I'd go to the soundboard."

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

Although Sixx is responsible for penning the lion's share of the band's material, Mars did have a hand in co-writing some of the group's most famous tracks, including "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Dr. Feelgood".

The only credit Mars has on the first two MÖTLEY CRÜE albums is the instrumental "God Bless The Children Of The Beast" on 1983's "Shout At The Devil".

MÖTLEY CRÜE says that it has won "a decisive victory" against former guitarist Mick Mars, resulting in "a final arbitration award that rejects every claim Mars made against the band and orders him to pay damages back to the group." According to a press release issued by MÖTLEY CRÜE's attorney, Sasha Frid of Miller Barondess, LLP, "the arbitrator's ruling not only vindicates the band contractually and financially but also dismantles the public narrative Mars promoted in interviews with major outlets."

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. Only six months later, however, he filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

According to Frid, the arbitrator, the Honorable Patrick Walsh (Ret.),ruled entirely in favor of MÖTLEY CRÜE, confirming that Mars forfeited any right to touring revenue when he chose to stop touring — a rule Mars himself reportedly demanded and wrote into the band's governing agreement in 2008. That amendment explicitly provides that any member who stops touring does not share in touring income.

Despite that agreement, Mars later demanded to continue receiving 25% of touring revenue in perpetuity while no longer performing. The arbitrator flatly rejected that position. The final award also upheld the band's decision to terminate Mars as an officer and director for legal cause and ordered him to repay more than $750,000 in unrecouped tour advances. After accounting for the value of Mars's shares, the final award results in a net judgment in favor of MÖTLEY CRÜE.

But the case carries broader significance beyond band business disputes.

While the arbitration was pending, Mars launched a public media campaign accusing the band of not playing live — claims he repeated under oath. Most notably, he asserted that Nikki Sixx's bass and Tommy Lee's drums were pre-recorded, striking at the core of the band's professional credibility.

Those accusations collapsed under scrutiny. Faced with extensive live performance recordings — and testimony from his own retained expert, a New York University professor specializing in music technology — Mars was forced to admit under oath that his statements were false. His expert confirmed that the band performed live, and Mars formally recanted his prior claims during sworn testimony.

Frid commented: "This dispute was about protecting the integrity and legacy of one of the most successful bands in rock history. With the arbitrator rejecting every claim and enforcing the parties' agreements as written, the band has been fully vindicated — legally, financially, and factually."

Last September, Sixx told the Los Angeles Times about Mars's exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE: "[Mick] came to us and said, health-wise, he couldn't fulfill his contract, and we let him out of the deal. Then he sued us because he just said that he can't tour. We were like, 'Well, if you can't tour, you can't tour.' I will probably come to that too someday."

Sixx also addressed Mars's allegation in his lawsuit that the guitarist was the only bandmember to play 100 percent live on MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2022 The Stadium Tour", claiming Nikki "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour."

"Anything we enhance the shows with, we actually played," Sixx told the Los Angeles Times. "If there are background vocals with my background vocals, and we have background singers to make it sound more like the record. That does not mean we're not singing."

Frid wrote in a statement to the Los Angeles Times at the time: "The fact of the matter is that MÖTLEY always plays live. Even Mars's expert witness in the litigation, who Mars hired and who reviewed hours of footage, agreed and said that the band played live while performing. He disputed Mars's own claims."

Sixx went on to call Mars's accusations a "crazy betrayal", adding: "Saying he played in a band that didn't play, it's a betrayal to the band who saved his life. People say things like, 'Well, if you guys are really playing, then I need isolated tracks from band rehearsal.' … It's ludicrous."

In response to Mars's lawsuit, CRÜE's manager of more than three decades, Allen Kovac, told Variety in a 2023 interview that Mars was coming out with a list of allegations "to gain leverage in a smear campaign on MÖTLEY. He's attacked the band, and he's done it in a slanderous way, with false accusations and misrepresenting the facts to the fans. Mick is not the victim. The victims are MÖTLEY CRÜE and the brand, which Mick is so prideful of." But, he added, "What's upsetting to me is not Mick, but his representatives, who have guided Mick to say and do harmful things to the brand he cares about so much, MÖTLEY CRÜE. He has a degenerative disease and people are taking advantage of him. It's called elder abuse."

Kovac continued: "Mick's representatives have no idea what they've created, but I've stopped the band from speaking about this, so they're not gonna turn the fans against Mick. But I am going to make sure that people understand that Mick hasn't been treated badly. In fact, he was treated better than anyone else in the band, and they carried him and they saved his life."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

Regarding Mick's claim that he was the only CRÜE member to play 100 percent live on the 2022 recent tour, Kovac told Variety at the time: "Everything is live with Nikki's bass playing and Tommy's [Lee] drum playing. When they've used loops, they're still playing. There are augmented vocals, which were (recorded) in the studio and are backgrounds behind the two ladies who are singing and (other background vocals by) John 5 and Nikki Sixx, and before that Mick and Nikki." He described the pre-recorded vocal layering as where "you multi-track and you do gang vocals with, like, 20 people, just like all the other bands do with background vocals. They've got background vocals in the mix. That's the truth.

"But Nikki played his bass and always has," Kovac continued. "Vince [Neil] was singing better than he was before (on the 2022 tour). That was in reviews. Now, John 5 is playing like who John 5 is. I've heard John 5 perform and I heard Mick perform. Both are great guitar players. Unfortunately, Mick is not the same. He hasn't been the same for a long time. Which was in reviews! You see that the professionals knew. DEF LEPPARD (which alternated headlining spots on the tour) knew. And (Mars) caused a train wreck up there, because he would play the wrong songs and the wrong parts, even with the guide tracks. When he played the wrong song, it wasn't Nikki Sixx that had a tape; it was the soundman bringing it into the mix so the audience could hear a song, even though the guitar player was playing a different song." He says audiences "would hear it at first, but (sound engineers) would fix it so that we could keep the song going. I heard it. I'd go to the soundboard."

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

Although Sixx is responsible for penning the lion's share of the band's material, Mars did have a hand in co-writing some of the group's most famous tracks, including "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Dr. Feelgood".

The only credit Mars has on the first two MÖTLEY CRÜE albums is the instrumental "God Bless The Children Of The Beast" on 1983's "Shout At The Devil".

Photo credit: Paul Brown

Following the success of previously released singles "Scum", "Ball & Chain" and "Big Brother", Swedish-Norwegian rap-metal pioneers CLAWFINGER have released their latest single, "Going Down (Like Titanic)". The song is taken from their hotly anticipated studio album "Before We All Die", set for release on February 20 via Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music.

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

CLAWFINGER frontman Zak Tell states about the new track: "This started off as a silly braggadocious rap lyric, simply because that's what the beat was telling me to do. It wasn't very well thought out at all, just threading together cool words that rhymed. I guess in some ways it was about a CLAWFINGER comeback without me really even thinking about it, not that we've really been gone but it's been a while since we released anything. I guess the question the lyric ended up asking was: What are we really coming back to, we may be awesome and all that but everything is still completely messed up. We can brag and boast but we're still arrogant idiots heading towards a total collapse of the world as we know it.

"The Titanic chorus idea came from Jocke [Skog, keyboards]. I'm not even sure he realized what a great metaphor it was for the lyric? We're talking about a massive ship that they said was unsinkable... that sank. Rich people partying onboard, enjoying the luxury at the top, while the less fortunate working class were stuck down below, everyone headed straight for disaster without having a clue. Does that sound familiar?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLAWFINGER's last studio album, the aforementioned "Life Will Kill You", was released in the U.S. in July 2008 via Locomotive Records. The CD, which entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 89 upon its European release in 2007, was recorded and produced at Sweden's Fear And Loathing Studios, a facility that CLAWFINGER runs along with the members of MESHUGGAH.

CLAWFINGER is:

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

Photo credit: Peter Bjöns

CARNIVORE A.D., featuring bassist/vocalist Baron Misuraca (SHEER TERROR, DARKSIDE NYC),guitarist Chuck Lenihan (CRUMBSUCKERS, CHRISTIAN DEATH) and drummer Joe Cangelosi (KREATOR, MASSACRE, WHIPLASH),will release its first-ever studio EP, "Transmutation", on March 27, 2026 via Apostasy Records.

Dedicated with love and honor to the memories of Peter Steele and Keith Alexander, CARNIVORE A.D. emerged as a post-Armageddon neo-barbaric soundscape — a relentless force keeping the primal energy of CARNIVORE alive on stages and festivals around the world. Formed by New York City hardcore and metal veterans Misuraca, Lenihan and Cangelosi and co-founded with full endorsement by original drummer Louie Beateaux, CARNIVORE A.D. has honored its roots by performing the explosive and brilliant works of Peter Steele with intensity, respect and raw power.

But now, with the release of "Transmutation", CARNIVORE A.D. transcends tribute. They have challenged themselves to write new material — not to replace the original legacy, but to continue its spirit through their own lens. While the legacy of CARNIVORE remains sacred, CARNIVORE A.D. has become something more than its origin — a band with its own scars, its own instincts, and now, its own songs.

Beateaux says: "Think of CARNIVORE A.D. as a renowned dining establishment where its chef passed on years ago but the recipes remain and folks still want to dine there instead of cooking the food themselves. And Chef Pete wouldn't mind because his friends are making it with love."

"Transmutation" track listing:

01. Prologue
02. Transmutation
03. I Stand Alone
04. Social Decomposition
05. Mine Is the Hand

The music was recorded and mixed at Soundlodge by Jörg Uken, with artwork by Simon Bossert.

Over the past years, CARNIVORE A.D. has appeared at established metal festivals (including Brutal Assault and Hellfest) as well as stages at events like Rock Hard Festival, Lisbon Tattoo Rock Fest, Ruhrpott Metal Meeting and Maryland Deathfest, reinforcing its reputation through consistent live performances and international presence.

Photo courtesy of Apostasy Records

Polish extreme metal veterans BEHEMOTH have unleashed a visually stunning and fiercely thematic music video for their track "Nomen Barbarvm", a standout song from their critically acclaimed latest album, "The Shit Ov God".

The apocalyptic video, directed by Dariusz Szermanowiczr, features deeply symbolic visuals, including references to occult traditions and a deliberate subversion of religious iconography, consistent with BEHEMOTH's artistic mission. Expect high-level cinematic quality, utilizing dramatic lighting, elaborate costumes, and special effects to create a dark, epic narrative.

Fans can view the new music video now below.

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski comments, "'I create as I speak.' Isn't that, in essence, Crowley's 'Do what thou wilt' — just cast in slightly different words? This idea became the lyrical leitmotif of 'Nomen Barbarvm', arguably one of the most melodic, yet also deeply groove-driven tracks BEHEMOTH have ever committed to tape. In just a moment, we’ll be putting it to the test live on our upcoming tour."

He continues: "What you're about to see is a music video we're immensely proud of, created in collaboration with Group 13 [Grupa 13]. But you already know what that combination means — uncompromising quality and a message art vision that doesn't compromise!"

"The Shit Ov God" came out in May 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. Production on the LP was helmed by the inimitable Jens Bogren of Fascination Street Studios (EMPEROR, ENSLAVED, KREATOR, ROTTING CHRIST et al.). Working closely with the band, Bogren's deft hand underscored the band's natural sound while sacrificing none of the mayhem and ferocity which permeates the band's essence. As is always the case with BEHEMOTH, the visuals were as carefully constructed as the sound. The band tapped longtime collaborator and partner in crime Bartek Rogalewicz (BLACK.LODGE.IS.NOW) as well as Dark Sigil Workshop to make the beautifully ominous and unique cover art.

In a recent interview with Australia's Heavy, Nergal was asked if it gets "easier or harder" for him to come up with something that sounds fresh and vibrant every time he makes a new album. He responded: "Obviously, it's more and more demanding, more challenging. But then who we are to say that. Just take [JUDAS] PRIEST or METALLICA, how much of a task it is for those bands to come up with something that's gonna be… I mean, [METALLICA's] James Hetfield, he openly talks about it now. [METALLICA's] 'Black Album' was that, and then ever since it's a struggle. And 'I've never been entirely' — that's what he said — 'I've never been entirely happy with what we do.' And he said that. So, trust me, it's not an easy task. And just take, for instance, JUDAS PRIEST. But JUDAS PRIEST, last record is fucking amazing. The one before, 'Firepower', was fucking amazing. So I look up to those bands and I'm, like, 'You know what? They still can do it. If they can do it, I can do it.' But it's not easy. It's far from that. That's why sometimes I have to zero myself."

Referencing "The Shit Ov God", Nergal continued: "Some people get it, some people didn't get that. When I gave our latest record that title, they were, like, 'Uh, Nergal, you can do better than this.' No, I can't do better. This is the best I can give you. This is the best I can give you. And if you don't wanna look into that and just see it's not just a primitive slogan or simple or whatever, it's something way more than just provocative title. It's something way more than that. And you just need to dig into that. It's not a stupid title. Just get the record, read the lyrics. It's not a stupid title. And it makes sense. You just need to make an effort as a fan to digest that, to process that and eventually understand that. But it's up to you. I did my work. Now it's up to you. And I know it's a challenging title and it's a challenging record, and it's not some Satanic chitchats. There's never been. It's a very challenging, very demanding album with the title that you may think, 'Oh, there's something wrong with those dudes. They didn't come up with something complex and philosophical.' And it's more philosophical than you think it is."

Nergal added: "But with ['The Shit Ov God'] album title, I kind of zeroed myself, because I remember thinking, 'Fucking hell.' I stole this 'Opvs Contra Natvram' title from [psychiatrist Carl] Jung, but who knows who Jung is? And then I stole 'I Loved You At Your Darkest' from the Bible… It's inspired by the Bible. And I thought it's a beautiful title, yet people were bitching about it. But I thought there's so much depth there, and let me explain you. But they're, like, 'You can't top 'The Satanist'.' 'The Satanist', that kind of title is one in the world, one in a lifetime. And there's one 'Evangelion' and one 'The Apostasy'. I mean, trying to top that, you'll fail. You must do something completely opposite that's gonna just get people off the guard, like, boom. And they're, like, 'What the fuck is that?' And that's what 'The Shit Ov God' is. So now when I zeroed myself, if you know what I'm trying to explain, now I can again build something way more sophisticated and complex, just to build the dynamics. If you analyze BEHEMOTH's album titles — 'The Satanist', then 'I Loved You At Your Darkest' — something completely different, the dynamics. It goes somewhere else. And then the Latin title that I stole from Jung, 'Opvs Contra Natvram'. And then 'The Shit Ov God'. It's, like, you have four album titles that are completely different. And that's what makes it cool, at least for me. Every one [of them] is different, and I'm not doing those to make you like them. I'm doing those to fucking confuse you. That is my main goal — to confuse the fuck out of people. And I succeeded."

Photo credit: Sylwia Makris and Christian Martin Weiss (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

Brian May has seemingly shut the door on QUEEN's possible return to the U.S., telling the U.K. newspaper Daily Mail in a new interview: "America is a dangerous place at the moment, so you have to take that into account.

"It's very sad because I feel like QUEEN grew up in America and we love it, but it's not what it was," the 78-year-old QUEEN guitarist added. "Everyone is thinking twice about going there at the moment."

May did not specify what he considers unsafe about the U.S. that would prevent QUEEN from touring there again.

As for when May and drummer Roger Taylor — who have been touring with "American Idol" alum Adam Lambert since 2012 under the stage name QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT — might return to playing live shows, May said: 'I don't know when QUEEN will be back on stage — it's an unknown. We'll take it day by day.'

May also hinted at possible new QUEEN music, telling the Daily Mail: "It was time to take a break and spend time with family, take stock. But never say never about not coming back, the rebuild of QUEEN Two is coming back, and there are a couple of things you haven't heard."

May, who is known for his outspoken political activism and his work to advance animal welfare, was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001. He was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2005 and earned a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London in 2008.

May's wife, actress and singer Anita Dobson, recently said QUEEN would no longer embark on large-scale tours due to health issues and the fact that the members of the band were "getting old."

Dobson's comments came after Taylor told Rolling Stone magazine that he, May and Lambert had no plans to stage a final farewell tour.

"I don't think we're done," he said. "And I don't think we're going to say a final farewell tour. Because it never is, is it?

When pressed if QUEEN will be "resting forever," he replied: "At one point we will be."

In 2024 Brian revealed that he suffered a minor stroke. Although the episode initially left the now-78-year-old rock legend unable to use his left arm, he has since regained enough movement to be able to play music again.

May's stroke came four years after he had a "small" heart attack. At the time, he said was shocked to realize he wasn't as healthy as he thought, and he was "very near death". He discovered three arteries were "congested and in danger of blocking the supply of blood to my heart", and subsequently had surgery to fit three stents — tiny tubes to hold open blocked arteries.

Five and a half years ago, May had to be hospitalized after he tore his buttocks "to shreds" while gardening. As a result, he developed severe sciatica and suffered what he later described as a "small heart attack" from the medication. May then had a bad reaction to his heart attack medication and nearly died. More recently, Brian underwent cataract eye surgery.

He later said that he believed that coronavirus may have played a role in his heart attack because of the way the virus thickened the blood. As a result, he said he was living a "ridiculously careful" life with Dobson — whom he credited with saving his life.

"She was incredible," he told the Daily Express back in 2020. "I couldn't do anything and she just kind of nursed me, so I will forever be in her debt; she did an incredible job on me."

In a new interview with Songwriting For Songwriters, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan confirmed that the legendary rock band is putting the finishing touches on a new album for a tentative June 2026 release. The upcoming effort will be the follow-up to "=1", which came out in July 2024 via earMUSIC. Asked what kind of lyrical themes he has been exploring in the songs for the new DEEP PURPLE LP, Ian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it's very interesting on this one. I can't give you too much at this stage, but it's basically very optimistic. Let's say there's a general theme. It's a fairly loose conceptual idea of the end of humanity, but not as grim as it sounds. In fact, it's very optimistic. It's about the metamorphosis of humanity into a metaphysical state, our next incarnation. It's a bit too early to be doing interviews about this. I don't mean time of day. I mean, it's not gonna be out until June, so I don't want to give too much away."

Gillan also talked in more detail about the DEEP PURPLE songwriting process, particularly his chemistry with the various guitar players who have played with the group. He said: "It's very important, obviously. But at the same time you've got to ignore it. I've got an idea that came to me a long time ago with DEEP PURPLE. But when you're writing like that, as opposed to sitting down with a co-writer or on your own with a guitar and you're writing the entire thing, then there are no boundaries, really. But with a band, you are very much confined by what you're given. For example, the working practice of PURPLE has always been the same. We go to a place for a week or 10 days and go into the office every day — start at noon, finish at six and stop for tea at three o'clock. It's like going to the office. And the guys just start playing, and it's all improvised. You have no idea. If you were a listener, you'd think you might be hearing the preparation for something operatic or a mood music for a yoga or massage parlor or you might be in a jazz club or hearing some blues or rock or soul, any kind of thing that came to their mind. These are great players, and so the music evolves, as I say, and then dramatically switches into something else. So basically it's a week-long or eight-day jam. And every now and again, somebody nods to somebody else and says, 'Okay, that's worth keeping,' an idea, a mood, a rhythm, a sequence, or anything like that, and we record it and come back at the end of the session with probably 35 or 40 ideas. And the next session is much the same. We trim it down and then add some more, and trim it down to 30 ideas, and it gradually evolves. Now, I don't have much choice, really, other than to say, 'Well, perhaps there's too many verses there,' or 'we need a little bit here', or a section or a middle eight there or whatever. But basically it's the guys putting the songs together. And I just have to — what I call — ride the pony. And when it comes to sitting down alone and shaping my contribution, I've gotta pretty much fit in. But then again, it's easy to be overwhelmed with something like that because it's a hell of a challenge. So I've got this attitude, I've gotta take over, I've gotta dominate completely and make it sound not as if I'm hopping on afterwards, but as if the whole idea came from the song first. It's a reversal. So I've got complete freedom in terms of lyrics, but obviously there's a mood thing. And it's gotta fit with the songs. And, obviously, I liked in more recent years, particularly, to have a concept for the album that basically hangs things together. The last album was called '=1' and it was all about my frustration with the complexities of life these days and so forth."

In July 2022, guitarist Steve Morse officially left PURPLE to care for his wife, Janine, who was battling cancer. He has since been replaced by Simon McBride.

This past November, DEEP PURPLE announced a U.K. tour for November 2026, including shows in Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, and London.

In a recent interview with Jono and Nats of Dubai 92's "The Big Breakfast", Gillan was asked if there is "an end in sight" to DEEP PURPLE's six-decade career or if he and his bandmates just plan to "keep on rocking". Ian responded: "Well, no one's really thought it through. We don't talk about it that much. And as life gets on, the end is nearer than the beginning, that's for sure. We all know that. But at the moment we're getting a lot of joy from what we're doing. I think the band is rejuvenated since Simon joined us. And so we're looking a long way ahead. And you don't make long-term plans if you're thinking of stopping. So, we'll see what the future holds. I think probably human dignity is gonna be the deciding factor. Once you start going out and embarrassing people with your inability to do what you've done all your life, then it's time to stop. But until that moment arrives, then we're going good. And the band is hard and mean and hungry at the moment. I've never felt it so tight."

The 80-year-old Gillan recently admitted to Uncut magazine that he was unsure how much longer he and his bandmates would be able to keep performing live.

"It's one of those things," he said. "I've only got 30 percent vision. That won't get better. It makes life mysterious. The hardest thing is working on my laptop. I can't see anything on the screen unless I use my peripheral vision; I pick up a line by looking at it sideways. But you find a way. You adapt. But it's achingly tiresome. It takes a long time to do the work."

Ian went on to say that he is grateful he still has his sense of humor.

"It's hilarious this growing old thing. It's a laugh a minute," Gillan said. "Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no. I walk down the road and hear something drop off — clang, there's something else gone. Nothing's changed really apart from I can't pole vault any more. Other than that, things move a little more slowly. But nothing's changed."

Contemplating the possibility of retirement, Gillan said: "I think if I lose my energy I'm going to stop. I don't want to be an embarrassment to anyone. We're not far off that. It creeps up on you — you don't really notice."

Photo credit: Jim Rakete (courtesy of The Outside Organisation)