San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal legends EXODUS will release their twelfth studio album, "Goliath", on March 20, 2026 via Napalm Records. Today, the band reveals the massive opening track "3111" — the sinister single strikes dissonant chords before careening into breakneck thrash intensity. This album standout showcases EXODUS's ever-increasingly dynamic approach, even decades into their historic reign.

Emerging hungrier than ever in 2026, with "Goliath", EXODUS reinforces their eternal foothold at the top of thrash metal's hierarchy with 10 of their most diverse, anthemic emissions to date. Further fueled by the widely embraced return of iconic late-era frontman Rob Dukes — first appearing on 2005's "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" — the album boasts what the band describes as the performance of his life. "Goliath" is EXODUS's most collaborative record in their four decade-plus history, featuring songs written by several band members and guest contributions from Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN) and violinist Katie Jacoby.

EXODUS on "3111": "We decided to go hard with the leadoff single '3111'. The song is about the narco killings in Juarez, and 3111 is the estimated number of murders for 2010 alone."

The official video is too brutal for YouTube and is being denied. It will be released in its entirety at a later time and place.


"Goliath" wastes no time proving as massive as its name, with a sinister introduction opening "3111". Ode to owning one's own volatility "Hostis Humani Generis" features a palpable lyrical delivery from Dukes that cuts like crystal amid frenetic riffs, before rolling into "The Changing Me". The track's introductory notes cascade into hair-raising rhythms, forming one of the band's most anthemic offerings — blending menace and melody with the cleans of guest Tägtgren together with Tom Hunting and at the end both Peter and Rob scream off the song. Harmonic dual axe acrobatics from resident guitar legends Gary Holt and Lee Altus. "Promise You This" incites mosh pit treachery with explosive energy, cyclonic riffs and turbocharged soloing from Holt and Altus, prior to colossal title track "Goliath" simmering the tempo down with winding, malevolent leads, towering drums and ominous string work from Katie Jacoby coupling with intricate guitars. The album standout showcases the band's ever-increasingly dynamic approach, even decades into their historic reign. Tracks like "Beyond The Event Horizon" and "2 Minutes Hate" provide EXODUS's trademark deadly dose of thrash theatricality — the latter boasting one of the album's most grimacing, grooving pit primers — while undeniably '90s-tinged metallic charm attacks alongside drummer Tom Hunting and bassist Jack Gibson's unmistakable rhythmic rage on tracks like "Violence Works". The nearly eight-minute epic "Summon Of The God Unknown" turns the danger dial to max capacity, setting the stage with a wicked introductory passage before traversing a variegated passage of trudging riffs and heavy metal melody. Power-packed closer "The Dirtiest Of The Dozen" wraps the album on a manic high, showcasing EXODUS pulling out all the stops on all instruments. Flurried dueling solos, an isolated bass excursion, rigorous drum dexterity and a blend of both gritty vocal passages and cutting chants combine to serve as yet another prime example of the band's ever-evolving musical mastery.

Produced by EXODUS, mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (WHITECHAPEL, NILE, UNDEATH),"Goliath" beams with the explosive authenticity that has set EXODUS eons apart from their peers since the release of their debut, 1985's groundbreaking thrash blueprint "Bonded By Blood". 40 years later, EXODUS are steadfast in their refusal to settle for the safety of mediocrity, fearing nothing and no one and continuing to forge their trademark just as resolutely as they did in their fruition.

EXODUS on the new album "Goliath": "Are we excited for this record? That's an understatement. We put everything we had into this record (and it's 80 percent complete follow-up, but we'll save that conversation for another day!) and it's one of our proudest accomplishments. Wildly collaborative, the most band centric album to date with four songs written by Lee, lyrics by Gary, Rob, Lee and Tom, and just killer all the way around. The time to let the monster loose is coming! Bow Down!"

"Goliath" track listing:

01. 3111
02. Hostis Humani Generis
03. The Changing Me (feat. Peter Tägtgren)
04. Promise You This
05. Goliath (feat. Katie Jacoby)
06. Beyond The Event Horizon
07. 2 Minutes Hate
08. Violence Works
09. Summon Of The God Unknown
10. The Dirtiest Of The Dozen

Last month EXODUS filmed music videos for three songs from "Goliath", including "3111". The clips were helmed by Jim Louvau, a musical and visual creative artist based in Phoenix, Arizona, who previously worked on EXODUS's music video for the song "The Fires Of Division" from the band's previous LP, 2021's "Persona Non Grata".

In November, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt told Robb Chavez of Robbs MetalWorks about "Goliath": "It's fucking awesome. I mean, it's so awesome. We're so proud of this record."

According to Holt, EXODUS completed nearly two albums' worth of material during the latest recording sessions, with a view toward releasing the second collection of songs when the first touring cycle is finished.

"80 percent of the follow-up [to EXODUS's next album] is done already," Holt explained. "We just kept working. We never stopped. We were in the studio for two months. And we tend to record by… We all live together in a house, or sometimes we build a studio in a house, and it's like heavy metal summer camp. But we like each other enough to live together still. A lot of bands — that's a rarity. And so we write the whole process. When we started recording, we only had four songs done and a million ideas. And Lee wrote a ton of stuff; he wrote four out of 10 songs on the new album."

Gary also talked about the return of Dukes, who replaced Steve "Zetro" Souza in January 2025. He said: "It's fucking been amazing. When you hear [Rob's] vocals on this new record, you're gonna shit your pants."

Elaborating on what fans can expect from the new EXODUS material, Holt said: "The new album is so killer, dude. And everybody says that — I know that — but, dude, this album's so good. Me and [EXODUS drummer] Tom Hunting call each other and [I tell him], when I listen to it, it makes me wanna cry, it's so good. It's that fucking good. We made something special."

Asked what it is about the new EXODUS album that is so good, Gary explained: "It's just the songs, dude. It's all about the songs. I mean, it's crushing, but it's all anthems. And it's so varied, this record. So many different aspects of EXODUS are in there, from the blinding speed to the slowest, heaviest shit we've ever done. And Rob's vocals are, like, at the top of the pyramid on this shit."

As for the status of the second collection of new songs EXODUS had written during the most recent sessions, Gary said: "We still gotta record a little bit more to complete it. Our goal, we fell a little bit short. We have eight songs done. It was hard picking which ones go on this, 'cause I still, to this day, I have panic attacks, like, 'I should have put that one on it. That song is so sick.' But you're trying to balance a record. And we just picked what we thought were the best ones for this album."

"Goliath" marks the first time in nearly three decades that an EXODUS album hasn't been mixed by Andy Sneap, who has acted as JUDAS PRIEST's producer and touring guitarist for eight years.

In a recent interview with Chicago's Rebel Radio 92.5 FM as part of the station's 31st-anniversary celebration, Dukes praised the material on EXODUS's upcoming effort, saying: "It's killer. It's the best thing I've ever done with EXODUS. I thought [2010's] 'Exhibit B: [The Human Condition]' was probably some of my best work, and I think this tops it. It's so different than what we've done. We've added so many little different things that it's still EXODUS, but we've definitely stepped outside the box a little bit and tried a few different things and it worked well… It's fast. it's dark, it's awesome, man. It's gonna be a lot of fun to go play these songs live."

Souza joined EXODUS in 1986 after previously fronting the band LEGACY (which later became TESTAMENT). He remained in the band until their hiatus in 1993, but rejoined them for two years from 2002 to 2004. Dukes had joined EXODUS in 2005 (following Souza's departure) and remained until 2014, when Souza rejoined.

Dukes previously joined EXODUS in January 2005 and appeared on four of the band's studio albums — "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" (2005),"The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A" (2007),"Let There Be Blood" (2008, a re-recording of EXODUS's classic 1985 LP, "Bonded By Blood") and "Exhibit B: The Human Condition" (2010).

EXODUS played its first concert with Dukes in nearly 11 years on April 5, 2025 at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Although EXODUS rarely gets mentioned alongside the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — the aforementioned "Bonded By Blood" LP inspired the likes of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE and many others to launch their careers and is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time.

Photo credit: Jim Louvau

In a new interview with Playboy México, AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows spoke about the recent passing of Ozzy Osbourne and how it affected his mindset in terms of the way he lives his own life. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Every record we write about, especially [2023's] 'Life Is But A Dream…' and [2016's] 'The Stage' are based on sort of how quickly life passes. It seems like yesterday that I was in my mom's garage starting this band, and now in a blink of an eye, we're all in our forties now. And it's crazy how quickly time passes. And we're gonna start seeing some more of the legends that kind of showed us the path, they're gonna be passing away, and that's part of life and that's part of living in the moment and trying to really be present with everything that's happening all the time."

M. Shadows also commented on the fact that music video giant MTV recently officially shut down its remaining 24-hour music channels as trends have notably shifted to favor streaming platforms instead. He said: "The way you heard new music was through radio and through MTV. And the Internet has changed everything. I think the Internet has created a very exciting new era for music, but it also creates a lot of confusion and you also lose a lot of things that were very nostalgic for people. We would watch 'Beavis And Butt-head' and find new metal bands. We would watch 'TRL' and see what was happening in pop culture. For us, 'Bat Country' was a huge music video for us, and MTV played it a lot and that really helped us kind of kick off 'City Of Evil'. So music videos were huge for us. They were huge growing up… So, yeah, for me, MTV was huge."

M. Shadows also talked about AVENGED SEVENFOLD's new song, "Magic", which is included as part of Black Ops 7 Season 1 biggest seasonal content drop in "Call Of Duty" history. He said: "'Magic' is something that we were writing for the new 'Call Of Duty' Black Ops 7. It's a little more dissonant and a little more abstract than most things we've done. But at the end of the day, it's supposed to evoke some sort of feeling, and whether people understand it or don't, it's definitely evokes some feelings. So, it's just something that we got together [and wrote] and felt it was compelling."

Last September, AVENGED SEVENFOLD postponed its fall 2025 Latin American tour due to a vocal injury suffered by M. Shadows. The band was scheduled to to kick off the tour on September 25 in Buenos Aires, Argentina but ended up calling off the trek after M. Shadows was diagnosed with vocal fold hematoma, a condition where a blood vessel in the vocal cord ruptures and leaks blood under the lining of the vocal cord.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD played its first show of 2026 on January 14 at Coliseo José Miguel Agrelot San Juan in Puerto Rico. The band will next perform tonight (Saturday, January 17) at Mexico City, Mexico's Estadio GNP Seguros, alongside A DAY TO REMEMBER, SCARS ON BROADWAY and MR. BUNGLE. They will travel down to South America for a few more shows.

This summer, AVENGED SEVENFOLD will embark on a North American co-headline tour with GOOD CHARLOTTE.

Dutch guitar legend Adrian Vandenberg is celebrating his iconic years with WHITESNAKE during a special tour called "My Whitesnake Years". In 2025, it was 35 years since WHITESNAKE toured the world with the "Slip Of The Tongue" album, and Vandenberg looks back on highlights such as the legendary WHITESNAKE "Live At Donington" 1990 show.

Fan-filmed video of Vandenberg's January 20, 2026 concert at On The Rocks in Helsinki, Finland as part of the "My Whitesnake Years" tour can be seen below.

Vandenberg's touring band for "My Whitesnake Years" is as follows:

Adrian Vandenberg - Guitar
Mats Levén - Vocals
Sem Christoffel - Bass
Joey Marin De Boer - Drums
Len Van De Laak - Keyboards

Vandenberg joined WHITESNAKE in 1987 and played the famous guitar solo on worldwide hit "Here I Go Again". He also co-wrote the entire "Slip Of The Tongue" album and toured with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai. Before his WHITESNAKE years, Vandenberg made his international breakthrough with his own band VANDENBERG, known for the hit "Burning Heart", and shared the stage with rock greats such as OZZY OSBOURNE, KISS and SCORPIONS. After his WHITESNAKE period, he launched the successful VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS and made a successful comeback in 2020 with his renewed VANDENBERG band. Now he returns to his WHITESNAKE glory years one more time, enabling fans to relive old times.

When WHITESNAKE leader and singer David Coverdale announced his retirement last November, Adrian took to his social media to write: "So..most of you will have heard that David officially stated his retirement. What a legacy he leaves behind! A couple of amazing albums with [DEEP] PURPLE, which is when I became a big fan of Coverdale. One of the very few all-time greatest rock vocalists, instantly recognisable. Then David started WHITESNAKE and made a string of great albums in the bands blues-rock period.

"The first time David invited me into his band was right when the first VANDENBERG album got released. After that during his recording of the 'Slide It In' album but I was still signed to Atlantic Records. Late 1986 the timing was finally right, just in time to record the solo on 'Here I Go Again' and some rhythm geetars. From then on up to 1998 we wrote and recorded a bunch of great music for 'Slip Of The Tongue' and 'Restless Heart'. I always thoroughly enjoyed touring together and the time off we spent listening to music, laughing our ass off and/or hunting down great restaurants. Priceless memories!

"I'm blessed to have had quite a few highlights in my career but it's hard to beat our years together in the 'golden years' of WHITESNAKE writing, recording and touring the biggest venues in the world.

"[2025] it's the 35th anniversary of WHITESNAKE headlining the legendary Donington festival so with my fantastic band of übertalented musicians we're celebrating that glorious day under the 'My Whitesnake Years' flag. I'm convinced we're doing the music justice and since the invitations from all over the world keep coming in, we'll continue that celebrations into 2026!

"Thanks for your music, passion, friendship, encouragement and the amazing legacy you left behind amigo David, enjoy your more than well deserved retirement!"

Adrian also wrote about his "My Whitesnake Years" shows: "Still proud of the songs Coverdale and I wrote and I still get a kick out of playing songs such as 'Judgement Day' and 'Sailing Ships' with my übertalented bandbuds Mats, Sem, Joey and Len each and every time. I'm convinced we really do them justice, but what the fuck do I know, I've only played them a zillion times with some of the best, legendary rock musicians around in my WHITESNAKE years and my top notch bandmates absolutely belong in that Premier World League."

In a November 2024 interview with Alma Hard, Vandenberg was asked why he took a decade-and-a-half break from recording music prior to the 2014 release of the debut album from his band VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS. He said: "Well, I stayed together with David up until 1998, because we did tour — we toured in 1994 and we toured in 1997, '98. So, the end of 1998, David wanted to stop with everything because he wasn't feeling well and he wanted to stop touring because he didn't seem to enjoy it anymore. So, in 1999, I was with a girlfriend at the time and she got a baby. Or actually we got a baby, and she got pregnant and I thought, 'That's great. I wanna be there for that.' Of course, I didn't wanna tour and then record records because that's a very important thing. But when the baby was three years old, the relationship fell apart, and we weren't married. And it appeared to be a very difficult period. And I thought, 'If I'm gonna record now and start a band and start touring, then I will be one of those fathers who sticks his head around the corner of the door and goes, 'I'm your father, but I have to go.'' So when that relationship went wrong, I wanted to be an important part in the life of my daughter. I thought, 'You know what? I'm gonna live off my paintings for about 10, 11 years,' which is what I did, 'until she's old enough that I can explain to her what I actually do and what I did before.' So, when my daughter was about 11 or 12, she was old enough to explain and she thought it was really cool because there were kids at her school who go, 'Oh, is that your dad? He's famous and he's got long hair' and all that stuff. So before, until she was 11 or 12, for her it was totally normal that I played some guitar and there was painting and all that stuff. So, that's when I started MOONKINGS. She must have been 12 or something. And I really missed playing and touring and doing shows and all that stuff, so I was happy to pick it up again. And I thought, 'Well, the world will have forgotten about me, of course.' That would have been totally normal, because that's how it goes. Pop music is called pop music because people, when it started, with bands like THE BEATLES and pop artists and stuff in the '60s, people thought, 'Oh, you know, that's the kind of music you throw away. It's pop music, popular music. That's music you forget after about a couple of months.' But it's never gone away, fortunately, because that's why I didn't go away either. I'm still here."

Vandenberg was a member of WHITESNAKE for 13 years at the height of the band's fame, contributing the solo on "Here I Go Again". He was also part of supergroup MANIC EDEN, and more recently released a number of albums with VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS.

Vandenberg's namesake band released its comeback album, titled "2020", in May 2020 via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group. A follow-up LP, "Sin", arrived in August 2023.

The group's fifth full-length offering, "Sin", was produced by Bob Marlette (OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER, ROB ZOMBIE).

Recalling his refusal to return to WHITESNAKE when Coverdale resurrected the band in 2002, Vandenberg told "White Line Fever" that the singer "wanted to stop altogether because he was kind of worn out on the road. He didn't want to do it anymore… When he called me up and said he wanted to start it up again, I couldn't do it because I had all kinds of obligations for exhibitions for my paintings. And those are always planned a year ahead, because art galleries reserve the space a year ahead because exhibitions usually last three to six months or something. I couldn't do it but we did keep in touch always. We still do."

The guitarist added that he and Coverdale became "very good friends over the years, [so] you never know what might happen... We actually have pretty specific ideas about maybe doing a blues album or an acoustic thing or whatever… Sooner or later it might happen, but right now we're really involved in [other projects]. So this is probably not the time. But I wouldn't be surprised if, sooner or later, we end up doing something together in some kind of format. I was in WHITESNAKE for 13 years, which is quite a long time. I still hold the record, I think."

Whitesnakessa rock-maailman valloittanut ADRIAN VANDENBERG esiintyy On The Rocksissa tammikuussa! ⚡

Hollantilainen...

Posted by On the Rocks on Friday, November 28, 2025

In a new interview with Carlos Alberto Velazquez, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked if he ever feels "uncomfortable" when he gets approached by fans, either for a picture or a quick chat, while attending other artists' concerts. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think you get out what you put back, or you get back what you put out. If you come in with your posse and your security and this whole wall of 'fuck you', that's what you're gonna get back. You're gonna get aggression. If you put out aggression, you'll get back aggression. As you see, I can go — I keep some security people around, of course, but I try not to surround myself with that armor of the 'tough guy' thing. Because look, first and foremost, I'm a fan — first and foremost."

He continued: "It started for me with SWEET and KISS and all this kind of stuff back when I was just a kid, a 10-, 11-year-old kid. And then I got into playing the bass. The bass found me, is how I say it. I didn't find the bass; it found me in rural Minnesota. And then I knew my pursuit was to go do what I saw my heroes doing. So, as much as I became a professional and then sort of had to change that mindset from fan to professional during my formative years, I think when you lose sight of being a fan of the music, a fan of seeing a show, getting that excitement, to me then the magic's gone, and then it just becomes kind of a really hard job with a lot of long hours. So for me, I'm always thankful. I get fan mail. I answer all of it. That keeps me grateful, that people all around the world, they care, they notice. And that stops me in my tracks, because my days are busy, like everyone's are. And when people are thinking about me, they send me something for me to sign, ask for an autograph, usually they accompany a letter or some kind letter, that just stops me to go, 'Wait a minute, David. Time out. Just pay attention,' that I had an impact in someone's life. I may have changed their life, hopefully for the better, but my songs, my music, my craft, my talent that the Lord gave me has created an impact for somebody."

Ellefson added: "I mean, what else is there? That's the best job in the world. And that's why I hate when people call this work. It's, like, dude, we play — we don't work; we play. And I've noticed, over the years, when people go from the joy of playing to this sort of laborious task of work, it changes the whole joy of the whole thing. Hey, look, there's work, there's obligations, there's appointments, there's things we have to be responsible for, but I'm just saying the overall thing."

Ellefson was the longest-serving member for thrash metal titans MEGADETH, which he co-founded with Dave Mustaine in 1983. Throughout Ellefson's 40-plus-year professional music career, he has been awarded numerous gold and platinum awards, 12 Grammy nominations and has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. And in 2017, David (as a member of MEGADETH) enjoyed a triumphant Grammy Award win for "Best Metal Performance" for the album "Dystopia".

Ellefson is also an accomplished record producer, clinician, music business lecturer and entrepreneur presiding over a vast collection of global brands, including the relaunch of legendary Combat Records, the seminal thrash and punk record label that spawned MEGADETH's career in 1985.

In 2016 Ellefson launched his own boutique coffee brand Ellefson Coffee Co. which has developed into a fully international retail line of premium hand roasted coffee. In 2018, Ellefson received proclamation from the mayor of Jackson declaring October 9 as the official David Ellefson Day in honor of his continued contribution of goodwill and philanthropic work.

In 2020 David launched The Ellefson Book Co. and Ellefson Films which furthered his aspirations into book publishing and film production, including the award-winning indie horror thriller film "Dwellers".

Ellefson earlier literary canon includes a music business self-help guide "Making Music Your Business…A Guide for Young Musicians" (Hal Leonard) and his memoir "My Life With Deth" (2014, Howard Books/Simon & Schuster) and follow-up "More Life With Deth" (2019, Jawbone).

Today, Ellefson continues to be a driving force in metal music with his death metal band DIETH, alt-metal group THE LUCID (with members of SPONGE and FEAR FACTORY) and power metal outfit ELLEFSON-SOTO (with vocalist Jeff Scott Soto). Additionally, Ellefson's legacy touring group KINGS OF THRASH sees him reunite with former MEGADETH alumni Jeff Young and Chris Poland to perform the group's classic thrash albums in their entirety for fans to enjoy.

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

Mustaine reformed MEGADETH 22 years ago. Originally setting out to record a solo album, Mustaine enlisted studio musicians to play on what ultimately became MEGADETH's 2004 "The System Has Failed" comeback album, subsequently recruiting former ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough to take Ellefeson's place for the album's touring cycle.

Ellefson sued Mustaine in 2004 for $18.5 million, alleging that the MEGADETH guitarist/vocalist still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly five years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDENhave been honored with a signature Jim Dunlop Cry Baby wah, a special "Killers" edition of the iconic pedal paying homage to the band's early years.

Emerging from the rough-and-gritty streets of late-'70s London, IRON MAIDEN met the world with galloping rhythms, steel-forged riffs, and banner-raising vocals — and they never stopped. Their intricate multi-guitar melodies and unmatched vigor helped define heavy music, and the band remains a fixture of the genre. The Cry Baby Wah was integral to the momentous album "Killers", escalating the tension and deepening the dark grittiness of tracks such as "Wrathchild", "Innocent Exile" and "Drifter". This collector's edition IRON MAIDEN "Killers" Cry Baby wah celebrates that sonic connection with an exclusive collector's edition finish and custom tread inspired by that record. Whether it's mounted on your pedalboard or standing at the heart of your shrine, this pedal is a torch held high for rock 'n' roll.

METALLICA's Kirk Hammett and DREAM THEATER's John Petrucci were among the first players in the world to get their hands on the new pedal, having been sent "mystery" boxes to open for their social media followers. Check out both clips below.

The Jim Dunlop IRON MAIDEN Killers Cry Baby wah is available now for $229.99.

Located in Benicia, California, Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. was founded as a small, family-owned and operated company in 1965, and has since grown to be a leading manufacturer of electronic effects, picks, capos, slides, strings and other musical instrument accessories. Dunlop is the home of such legendary products as the Cry Baby wah, MXR effects, Tortex picks, and many more.

IRON MAIDEN is one of the most formative bands to establish the heavy metal genre in the 1980s. Formed in 1975 in East London, the band underwent several personnel changes before releasing their self-titled debut in 1980. IRON MAIDEN's sophomore effort, 1981's "Killers", was the first to chart in the U.S. and marked the final release with lead singer Paul Di'Anno. With the installment of frontman Bruce Dickinson, IRON MAIDEN released their breakthrough 1982 album, "The Number Of The Beast", which reached platinum certification, introduced two staples to the band’s catalog with the title track and "Run To The Hills" and kicked off a 10-year run of releases to land in the Top 40 on the Billboard 200, including their 1983 follow-up "Piece Of Mind" and 1986's "Somewhere In Time". Dickinson departed in 1993, but returned in 1999 to cement the current lineup with bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris; guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers; and drummer Nicko McBrain, along with the band’s long-standing mascot "Eddie," whose skeletal figure has graced the cover of nearly every release and become a signature of their live performances. IRON MAIDEN reached a new level of mainstream success in the 2010s, winning their first Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category for their 2010 single "El Dorado", while 2010's "The Final Frontier" and 2015's "The Book Of Souls" both earned No. 4 placements on the Billboard 200, marking their highest-charting albums at the time. McBrain announced his retirement from IRON MAIDEN in December 2024; he has since been replaced by Simon Dawson.

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Founding KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have been announced as 2026 inductees into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Along with fellow musical icons Walter Afanasieff; Terry Britten and Graham Lyle; Kenny Loggins; Alanis Morissette; Christopher "Tricky" Stewart; and Taylor Swift, Stanley and Simmons will become the latest inductees of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame at the organization's 2026 induction and awards gala.

The star-studded event is slated for Thursday, June 11 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, and will not be open to the general public. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.

Songwriters Hall Of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers commented: "The music industry is built upon the incredible talent of songwriters who create unforgettable songs. Without their artistry, there would be no recorded music, concert experiences, or engaged fans. Everything originates from the song and its creator. We take great pride in our ongoing commitment to recognizing some of the most culturally significant composers in history. This year's lineup not only showcases iconic songs but also celebrates unity across various genres. These songwriters have profoundly impacted the lives of billions of listeners worldwide, and it is our privilege to honor their contributions."

Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall Of Fame (SHOF) serves as a vital bridge between music's past and future. In the Hall, musical pioneers are enshrined and celebrated, while the organization's outreach to the music community grooms the next generation of troubadours. To qualify for induction, a songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

Stanley and Simmons's induction into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame was announced early this morning (Wednesday, January 21) on "CBS Mornings", as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame web site.

The Songwriters Hall Of Fame singled out the KISS songs "Rock And Roll All Nite", "I Love It Loud", "Calling Dr. Love", "Shout It Out Loud" and "Christine Sixteen" as key works in Stanley and Simmons's catalog.

The Songwriters Hall Of Fame inducted its first class of songwriters in 1970.

Stanley and Simmons were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the rest of KISS's original lineup in 2014.

In December 2025 KISS received the Kennedy Center Honors.

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley died last October after a fall at his New Jersey home. He was 74 years old.

KISS played its two final shows ever in December 2023 at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

The last show, held on December 2, 2023, streamed live on pay-per-view.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

In early 2024, KISS sold its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment. A biopic, an avatar show, and a KISS-themed experience are in the works, with Simmons and Stanley playing key roles in the development of all these projects, working closely with Pophouse.

In a new interview with Revolver, Dave Mustaine spoke about his decision to include his version of "Ride The Lightning", the title track of METALLICA's 1984 album for which he got a co-writing credit following his 1983 departure from the band, on the final MEGADETH album, simply titled "Megadeth". Regarding how the new recording came about, Dave said: "That was just random, I guess. [Laughs, pauses] I didn't plan that. Honest. I promise.

He added: "I wasn't trying to do anything disrespectful, that much I can tell you. You know, I really respect James's [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist] guitar playing. And I think that Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] is a tremendous songwriter. I really did enjoy my time with them. That's why I had such a hard time when it ended. And this is me closing the circle, paying my respects."

Asked if he feels like he is also saying goodbye to his time in METALLICA with his new version of "Ride The Lightning", Mustaine responded: "I didn't think that, no. I loved that time. It was very fun. We were dangerous. But no, there's no hidden agenda… This is about showing respect.

Mustaine also talked about his relationship with Hetfield and Ulrich, saying: "I liked them. If the friendship was restarted, it wouldn't bother me. I would accept, and I think it would be nice to revisit some of those times. But I just think because there was a lot of hurt and misunderstanding around our time together that it would be difficult not to keep bringing up the past.

"I think what needs to happen is there needs to be a MEGADETH/METALLICA tour," he continued. "Period. That would, I'm sure, make everything right. We could hang out. Spend time together. But I know they don't really tour like we do. I mean, when we go out on tour, we play many, many shows.

"If it's meant to be, I'm sure I'll see those guys," Dave added. "I remember we played up in San Francisco at the Cow Palace, and James told me he wanted me to play 'My Last Words', because that was his favorite song. I thought that was really cool. Thank you, James. To say that you had a favorite song of mine, that was really nice."

The so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — played together for the first time in history on June 16, 2010 in front of 81,000 fans at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland and shared a bill again for six more shows as part of the Sonisphere series that same year. They reunited again for several dates in 2011, including the last "Big Four" concert, which was held on September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Since then, METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX played a number of shows together, including the 2013 Soundwave festival in Australia. They also performed at the 2014 Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Back in 2018, Mustaine said that he would love play a "Big Four" show where all the bands "got treated fairly" instead of METALLICA performing a longer set and getting more stage space than the other groups on the bill. "It always kind of soured to me when you watch [METALLICA guitarist] Kirk Hammett say on the DVD ['The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria'], when they're praying, and he says that 'we're the Big One,'" Mustaine told SiriusXM. "That just kind of shows you how the mentality was there — that it really wasn't the 'Big Four'; it was METALLICA and then the three of us."

Mustaine added: "I would love to see it done in a way where we all got treated fairly and we all played together, same amount of time, same kind of stage situation, but I don't think that's gonna happen. And it's cool, because SLAYER's gonna down in history, and they don't need the 'Big Four' to make them any more legendary than they already are. Nor do I."

In 2013, SLAYER frontman Tom Araya said that the only thing that was standing in the way of further "Big Four" shows was "the politics of character in one particular band," with some fans speculating that he was talking about Mustaine and MEGADETH.

In his autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir", Mustaine addressed the issue of where his band fit in the "Big Four" order. According to The New York Times, he assured the reader that he was not offended by being put behind SLAYER. But he added an interior monologue: "O.K., we'll play ahead of you guys on this trip, and God willing we'll do it again sometime in the near future and we can flip things around."

Mustaine was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Hammett. He went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

Mustaine feuded with the members of METALLICA for more than two decades before finally seemingly patching things up a decade and a half a ago. He jammed with his ex-bandmates on several occasions during "Big Four" shows and at METALLICA's 30th-anniversary concerts in 2011.

Last May, Mustaine gave a three-hour interview to Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, and host of the Shawn Ryan Show, in which he spoke about his brief stint as a member of METALLICA in the early 1980s. Addressing the allegations that his excessive drinking was the main reason he was fired from METALLICA, Mustaine said: "We all drank. That's why they called it ALCOHOLICA. I mean, they didn't call it DAVE-ALCOHOLICA. We all drank. And they continued to drink like that even after I was gone. But that was, I think, the beginning of the end. And when we got out to New York, I had a reel of tape, this quarter-inch tape, that had probably two days' worth of guitar riffs on it, just me playing and playing and playing. And we took that tape player and the reel of tape with us out to New York. We did two shows out there, and after those two shows, they woke me up one morning and said, 'Look, you're out of the band.' And I said, 'What are you talking about?' 'You're out of the band.' I said, 'No warning? No second chance? You're not gonna give me a warning? You're just gonna kick me out?' And I thought that was unfair. And it showed a grotesque lack of character. And so that pissed me off and was a huge part of the fuel. But at the time, I was really mad and I didn't wanna forgive them for what they did. And I told them when I left, 'Do not use my music. And of course they used it. [The] 'Ride The Lightning' [title track] I wrote. 'The Call Of Ktulu' I wrote. Let's see, what else? There's 'Phantom Lord', 'Metal Militia', 'Jump In The Fire', 'The Four Horsemen'. And I wrote a bunch of 'Leper Messiah' [on METALLICA's third album, 'Master Of Puppets'] too. They didn't give me credit on that. You listen to the riffs, you know they're my riffs. It's, like, you think I'm gonna all of a sudden hear my riff and say, 'That's not me.' So, yeah, I wrote a lot of their music that made them, and all the solos on that first record were mine — the best Kirk [Hammett, Mustaine's replacement in METALLICA] could try and copy them."

Asked what he did after he got "axed" from METALLICA, Mustaine said: "I went home and I contacted a friend of mine and I said, 'I quit.' She said, 'No, you didn't. You got fired.' And I said, 'Yeah, I got fired. I quit. I got fired, whatever. I'm back home. Wrong word. [it's] not changing the outcome.' And I made sure not to ever say that I quit, 'cause I wanted people to know that I was unfairly dismissed and that I didn't give a shit. 'Cause we [MEGADETH] may not be as big as they [METALLICA] are. Hell, their biggest song, 'Enter Sandman', go look up the band EXCEL right now. Look up their song — I think it's something 'Into The Unknown'. [Editor's note: The track is actually called 'Tapping Into The Emotional Void'.] Pretty similar."

"Megadeth" will be released on January 23, 2026 via Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label.

Mustaine co-wrote the song "Ride The Lightning" with Hetfield, Ulrich and then-METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

Acclaimed singer, songwriter and frontman of Christian rock icons STRYPER, Michael Sweet has announced his new album, "The Master Plan", his most personal and spiritually resonant solo album yet. Set for release on April 3, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl, this deeply worship‑inspired record marks a bold departure from his previous solo work — blending heartfelt devotion with fresh musical textures and melodic depth unlike anything Sweet has done before.

To celebrate the announcement, Michael has shared the album's title track alongside an official lyric video, available below.

Sweet comments: "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to make this record. I think I subconsciously started making it when I was a kid. All the music that has influenced me over the years is revealing itself on this album. It's certainly not cookie cutter by any stretch of the imagination. It's one of a kind and very eclectic and unique, but that's exactly what I wanted. It has something for everyone and I hope you all are as excited about this one as I am. The title track is quite a song musically and lyrically. The goal is to inspire and encourage and give people hope. I hope this one does just that. I want to personally thank you all for your patience and for your undying support for everything that I do. Much love to you all."

Musically rich and lyrically uplifting, "The Master Plan" journeys into new acoustic‑oriented landscapes, built on warm harmonies, intimate vocal layers and heartfelt expressions of faith. Sweet's unmistakable voice leads a tapestry of heartfelt worship, inviting listeners to reflect, celebrate and draw closer to the timeless truths at the heart of his message. With sweeping arrangements and a sincere spiritual core, the album offers both comfort and inspiration for moments of prayer, praise and quiet contemplation.

Recorded with a stellar ensemble of musicians and co‑produced by Michael Sweet and Jeff Savage, "The Master Plan" also features lush keyboards, evocative guitar work and memorable vocal moments that elevate each song into something deeply personal yet universally uplifting. Mixed by Danny Bernini at Spirithouse Studios, the album balances polished production with the warmth of true worship expression.

With its heartfelt lyrics and spiritual sincerity, "The Master Plan" is designed to inspire peace, faith and encouragement — music that comforts the weary, uplifts the spirit, and celebrates the profound love at the center of Sweet's faith journey.

"The Master Plan" track listing:

01. The Master Plan
02. Lord
03. Stronger
04. Eternally
05. You Lead I'll Follow
06. Desert Stream
07. Believer
08. Again
09. Faith
10. Worship You

This past December, Michael stated about "The Master Plan": "I can say that it's unlike anything that I've ever done before. It's a worship album but I'm calling it an 'inspirational' album, based on the fact that it really doesn't sound like any other worship album. Every song is unique and stands on its own, yet it all blends together and sounds complete.

"It's been basically sitting on a shelf for a few years due to not really knowing exactly how I wanted to release it. I thought about doing so on my own and then I decided to pass it around to labels. Frontiers heard it and loved it! Even though it's not their typical format, I'm so happy to see their excitement and commitment to the album and to everything that I do musically. It's a breath of fresh air and it will inspire you and encourage you, I promise!"

Back in September, Sweet said that he "really" believed that "The Master Plan" was "meant to be delayed" and he hoped that the record would "inspire and heal during these difficult times." He wrote at the time: "Everything is in God's hands and according to His timing/plan."

Earlier last year, Michael stated about his inspiration for "The Master Plan": "I've thought about releasing a record like this for many years and to see it actually coming to fruition is beyond amazing. I'm a blessed man and very thankful for the opportunities.

"The goal with this album was to just make people feel good. Musically and lyrically. If someone puts it on and listens to it and feels peace and comfort, I've done my job. That's all that I can hope for. That's all that I've prayed for."

STRYPER's latest album, "When We Were Kings", came out in September 2024 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Formed 43 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's other albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil", "Even The Devil Believes" and "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by Oz Fox (guitar),Robert Sweet (drums) and Perry Richardson (bass).

Photo credit: Pedro Blanco

Founding POISON drummer Rikki Rockett has announced plans to pay tribute to POISON's "Look What The Cat Dragged In" album by performing the entire LP with his new band, THE ROCKETT MAFIA. This year marks the album's 40th anniversary, which features the hits "Talk Dirty To Me", "I Want Action", "Cry Tough" and the album's title cut.

"Playing POISON's first album with THE ROCKETT MAFIA is a full-circle moment for me," says Rikki. "It's raw, it's fun, and it's exactly how those songs were meant to be heard. Celebrating the 40th anniversary is really about giving the fans a chance to relive that moment with us."

This is a historic moment for all POISON fans, as this is the first time that "Look What The Cat Dragged In" is going to be played in its entirety. Rockett's involvement with the performance creates a unique and authentic experience that will electrify the rock scene with THE ROCKETT MAFIA while honoring POISON's legacy.

Concert dates are still being finalized.

THE ROCKETT MAFIA unites an impressive lineup of veteran musicians: Rikki Rockett on drums, Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar, Mick Sweda (BULLETBOYS) on guitar and backing vocals and Michael Adams (PUDDLE OF MUDD) on bass. Together, they deliver a high-octane sound that fuses the energy of classic rock with a modern hard-rock edge.

"This band lets me play the kind of rock I grew up loving — loud, raw, and from the heart," said Rockett. "We take the music we love and give it new life, and now with Pavement behind us, we're ready to take it to a whole new level."

THE ROCKETT MAFIA performs a powerful mix of classic rock from the 1970s and 1980s, often reimagining songs from that era with a heavier, more contemporary feel. Their live set also features deep cuts from POISON's catalog — songs the legendary band rarely performs — giving fans a rare and exciting experience.

To stay up to date, follow THE ROCKET MAFFIA on social media and visit their official web site at rockettmafia.com.

This past weekend, Page Six reported that POISON scrapped previously proposed 2026 tour plans to commemorate the 40th anniversary of "Look What the Cat Dragged In" after frontman Bret Michaels allegedly demanded to earn $6 for every dollar his each of his bandmates stood to make from the shows.

"We had a great offer [for a tour this year], I thought. But we left the table," Rikki revealed to Page Six. "It didn't work.”

"Really what it came to was [guitarist] C.C. [DeVille], [bassist] Bobby [Dall] and I were all in, and I thought Bret was, but he wanted the lion's share of the money, to the point where it makes it not possible to even do it," Rockett explained. "It's like $6 to every one of our dollars. You just can't work that way."

"I don't do this just for the money," Rikki continued. "I do have a love for this, absolutely. But at the same time, you don't want to go out and work really hard just to make somebody else a bunch of money."

Although he admitted that he was disappointed that POISON wouldn't tour again this year, Rockett said he didn't harbor any resentment toward his bandmates. "Every member of this band has given me so much privilege in life," he said. "It's like hating your parents."

As for the possibility of Rockett, DeVille and Dall touring with a different singer, Rikki said: "It's not out of the question. But doing that is like surgery: it's the last resort. I don't want to do that. I'm not quarreling with Bret… We just didn't come to agreement. I don't like it, and I'll say that, but it's not like, 'Let's put up our dukes.' I don't think there's a better frontman for POISON."

Last November, Rikki told Anthony Bryant of The Hair Metal Guru, about the status of POISON's 2026 tour:  "At this moment, it's no different than it was a few months ago where we got an awesome offer from Live Nation, and C.C., Bobby and I agreed to it, talked about it. It went in Bret's lap, and it hasn't moved. Now we're at a point probably where I don't think we can get that tour to happen now. If by October you're not moving on a tour of that size [for the following summer], it's really, really hard to shoehorn that thing in and get it to happen. It's not impossible, but it's super, super hard."

Asked if he still talked to Bret regularly, Rikki, who had spent a few months playing sporadic shows with his new band THE ROCKETT MAFIA, said: "We don't too much. We're cordial. We've had some road crew guys pass away, different friends pass away or some developing thing in our lives, and we'll exchange texts and say, 'Hey, did you know this happened to so and so?' Or there's been, unfortunately, a couple of tragedies have brought us together a few times. But C.C. I talk to all the time. But you have to realize that C.C.'s mom and my mom were best friends. They talked twice a week at minimum, sometimes every day, and they helped each other through cancer and different things. And C.C.'s fairly close — I mean, he's in Orange County; it's an hour — but he's shown up. He showed up to the BLUE ÖYSTER CULT [November 1] gig [in Anaheim where THE ROCKETT MAFIA was the support act]. He wanted to play. But he's got this hammer finger thing going on, which should be cleared up in a few weeks. But he couldn't play."

Regarding why he couldn't just text Bret directly and try to get him to give a final answer regarding touring with POISON in 2026, Rikki said: "I have thrown out a text to all four members and said, 'Hey, let's figure this out. Let's do it.' And it was tumbleweeds. That's the kind of thing that is much bigger than just me throwing it out there on a text, 'cause there's a lot of money involved and stuff. And I think the reason he doesn't wanna talk to me is because he knows I'll probably bring it up and say, 'Hey, what's up?', because we have been friends for so long. If anybody's gonna say it to him, it's gonna be me. A lot of the people that he has around him may not say things like that. And I don't go outta my way to be — I mean, I'm a nice guy too, but I have boundaries. So, there's nothing super… Uh, how can I say it? There's not all this hate going around POISON; it's not that. It's frustration. 'Hey, we wanna do this.' 'You wanna do this then.' 'You wanna this now.' It's that kind of stuff. But on the flipside, if we go back to earlier in the conversation, when you do commit to a tour, three months, you are taking that summer and that is a touring period of time— the spring and summer — that will take your spring and summer, and it's gone. Not to say you couldn't do other shows on the third and fourth quarter, but they're not as big. So, I get that. And it is a commitment, when you make that commitment. And it is harder, because every night you have to be up there doing it. On [2022's] 'The Stadium Tour', not one of us ever went out there half-assed; we always went out there a hundred percent. We get together. It doesn't matter, with our band, no matter how upset or weird something might be, when it comes to that 15 minutes before we're supposed to go on, we get together, we connect, we make sure everything's good, we go out there and we do the very best we can for the fans, give it every bit of energy that we have, and that's always been our commitment. So that's what keeps this band relevant in the, in the rock world, is that when you do get us, at least you get a hundred percent. And one day that a hundred percent might be me coming out with a cane. You know what I mean? But I'll still give you that a hundred percent. [Laughs]"

On the topic of whether there was a point where he thought a POISON tour for 2026 was "close" to becoming a reality, Rikki said: "I thought it was a done deal. Seriously, I was just waiting for the contract to come to me and say, 'Hey, sign on the dotted line. Let's start putting it together.' And that day has not come. And I would love to get out there. I have a blast on tour. I'm not one of these people, like, 'Oh, God, the road.' I really enjoy it. Of course I miss my family, but I fly 'em out. I could tour every year, many months out of the year, as long as I could see my family, because it's so ingrained in me after 40 years. To this point, it's hard to understand myself without that."

Rockett also addressed a recent comment from Pete Evick, who is best known as music director and guitar player for Michaels's solo band of the last 21 years, where Evick suggested that Bret gets the "lion's share" of the touring revenue from POISON. Rikki said: "The reason that this contract [for a POISON 2026 tour] has not gone through is because Bret wants more than the lion's share. The amount of money he wants would make it where it's pretty much impossible to run the production of the band. And he knows that, and I think the reason he's saying that is because he just simply doesn't wanna tour with us this year. He must have some ideas about what he wants to do with Bret Michaels [solo] band this year. I'm assuming — I don't know, because we don't talk. I would love to talk about it, but at this point in time, it's just not a deal. So we're not gonna do that. I'm not gonna go out there and play for peanuts or wind up upside down, so he can make all this money because he's out playing POISON songs with another band. I mean, really, if you think about it, does any of that make sense? I'm gonna ask for more money because I play POISON songs with other people. That's not carrying the torch [for POISON]."

Asked if there has ever been times where he was really concerned that POISON was over, Rikki said: "Oh, yeah, many times. Yeah, of course. Anytime you get into something like [a heated confrontation], especially if it gets sort of physical. Then, yeah, you cross a line and all that kind of stuff. But we've usually been able to work it out. The thing is, is that we really do love this. Bret and I talked about this a long time ago. A lot of people said, 'Oh, do a farewell tour at some point in time. Talk about when you're gonna retire.' Why ever talk about that? I mean, sure, maybe that could happen, but not for me. I don't see any reason to throw in the towel, just because one day you decide, 'Hey, it's time to throw in the towel.' I'm gonna throw in the towel when I can't do it anymore. That's when to throw in the towel. Or the band's dysfunctional to the point where you can't do it anymore. Otherwise, I don't see any reason. Why would you break up the band? I don't see any reason to do that. And I don't think we're gonna do that."

Rockett previously talked about the status of POISON's 2026 tour earlier in November 2025 in an interview with Robert Edwards of Talkin' Bout Rock. He said at the time: "I'm not trying to bash Bret. I'm not trying to start any fights… But one thing you have to understand is, for instance, the Bret Michaels [solo] band tours very differently from the way POISON tours. POISON tours the way DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE and Luke Bryan or whoever [tours], where we basically kiss our families goodbye for three-plus months, or however long it's gonna be, and go out on a tour bus and trucks, and we're playing five nights a week, sometimes six nights a week. And that's not how Bret tours [with his solo band]. He does weekend-warrior stuff, which there's nothing wrong with that at all. Joan Jett does it — I mean, tons of bands do this. THE ROCKETT MAFIA does it. We can't play in Omaha, Nebraska on a Tuesday night and make any money. We'll be upside down. But at the level we've managed to get to [with POISON], and DEF LEPPARD and bands like this, you can play on a Tuesday night and people will come, at the right time. You still have to manage it correctly."

Asked if POISON's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS — which was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022 — was a "good experience" for him, Rikki said: "Oh, it was great. Look, it's so funny, because people go, 'Man…' You would think that in these stadiums, there would be so much room to do everything you want. It's weird, because it's set up for sports. It's not set up for a bunch of trucks and buses and all that stuff. So most of the time our bus would be two miles away in a parking lot somewhere and we'd have to take a golf cart or an Uber or a van or something like that to get to the venue. And then you get to the venue and it's, like, MÖTLEY and DEF LEPPARD got all the nice dressing rooms and we're in the electrician's room or something. [Laughs] So from that standpoint, it wasn't as nice as when we headline. But we were playing these massive places for amazing fans. I mean, it was literally a once-in-a lifetime experience.

"We've played some big shows — we've done Donington, we've done a lot of these… Texas Jam, a lot of these things like that — but to do it kind of on that level, or close to that level, for 40 nights, or whatever it was, that was amazing," Rockett added. "And it keeps you on your toes, man. You can't go out there half cocked. I mean, we don't ever do that anyway — I don't think any of us ever go out there on stage nonchalantly. We're a band that pride ourself in giving it everything we got. Even if everything that we have isn't as good as it was the night before, I'm still gonna give it everything that I have, you know what I mean? And I know the rest of the band's like that. Bret's like that, C.C., Bobby, We never half-ass anything."

Last May, Rikki told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that POISON "got a great offer" for a tour in 2026 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Look What The Cat Dragged In". He said at the time: "To be honest with you, it's in Bret's lap right now — honestly. So, we're good to go, and hopefully we can make a deal and do it. I think it would be a shame not to do it, because this is our 40th anniversary — all original members. We're not getting any younger. We can tear it up. We've still got it. Let's do it. That's how I feel about it."

Rockett went on to say that the offer he and his bandmates received was for a "headlining" tour and that most of the POISON members had already agreed to do it. "I'm good to go, [and so are Bobby and C.C.]. It is [up to Bret at this point]. And that's just being truthful… I mean, as far as I know, we're good to go. There just hasn't been anything solid. I haven't signed anything or anything like that. But it's more than a year away, or about a year away, so we have time. But hey, with the economy, who knows? [Laughs] I just wanna get out there while we can."

In December 2024, Michaels told Ethan Dometrius about POISON's 2026 touring plans: "So here's the deal. I go through '25. We're doing a bunch of these big festivals [with my solo band] … So I'm doing a bunch of those. And then 2026, C.C. and Bobby and Rikki, I'm here because of them, because of us having each other's back in the beginning, through the middle, through right now. And it'll be four years since we've toured, since 'The Stadium Tour', together, and we're just hoping to make this absolutely 40 awesome dates, and just putting every, as we do, putting every ounce of energy on that stage and just bringing an absolute party."

Regarding POISON's mindset when performing live, Bret said: "POISON just goes out there. And I say this, that stadium tour, I was so grateful to be on it. And I just hit that thrust and I couldn't stop… I told 'em, I said, 'I can't stop smiling right now. It's ridiculous.' And we just went out there, and we play real live music. We don't mess around. We just give it, thrills and frills and good times."

In September 2024, Bret told Arizona Republic about POISON's plan to tour in 2026: "Yeah, that would be incredible. We've just got to work out all the moving parts. But all original members. There's so much planning goes behind that. When I'm out as Bret Michaels, it's simpler because I'm making all the end decisions. When you're in a band like POISON, it's a committee. You go in there, and you figure it out together. You make sure everyone's good. And hopefully, we can make that work in '26."

Asked if things were "good" between him and his POISON bandmates during "The Stadium Tour", Bret said: "Absolutely. I want to be very clear. Other than an occasional throwdown fistfight — I'm not making this up — we're like best friends. But there's no gray area. All of a sudden, we'll get in a fistfight. But the next day, we'll go out and play. We'll work it out like a band of brothers. 'The Stadium Tour' was amazing. We were having fun. We didn't get too many soundchecks. We just dealt with what we were given and were grateful to be there. DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY, they were amazing. They played great. But we just came out, and we knew we had one hour at 6 o'clock to go out there and give it everything we had. And it was one of the only stadium tours that from Live Nation's lips to everyone's ears, it was 98 to 100% filled when POISON went on."

Earlier in September 2024, Michaels released a statement via social media in which he said that he was planning to "perform limited shows" in 2025 to focus primarily on his health, "starting with my diabetes which needs a tune-up, not to mention a little R&R." He added that 2026 "would be the perfect" time for a POISON 40th-anniversary tour, "with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs, and rock the world."

Bret's explanation came two days after Rockett revealed on social media that Michaels was no longer interested in touring with POISON in 2025.

On September 10, 2024, the POISON drummer took to his official Facebook page to write: "I keep getting asked multiple times a day, 'Why isn't POISON touring in 2025 now?' Super simple answer, Bret doesn't want to." The following day, Rikki clarified: "People, I never said that Bret is cancelling the 2025 tour. It didn't get booked. I said the reason POISON isn't touring in 2025 is because Bret doesn't want to. Doesn't matter what the reason for him is as far as what I said. I'm simply telling you why so that CC, Bobby or myself doesn't get blamed. It isn't dirt. It isn't a fight. Just the facts, ma'am. Surmise what you want from it. You will anyway!"

In 2018, POISON completed the "Nothin' But A Good Time" tour with CHEAP TRICK and POP EVIL.

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". An album of covers, "Poison'd", followed in 2007.

In 2015, Rockett and his now-THE ROCKETT MAFIA bandmate Brandon Gibbs joined forces with Dall and DeVille to play several shows as THE SPECIAL GUESTS in what was widely perceived as a not-so-subtle message to Michaels that they weren't willing to remain completely inactive while he pursued a solo career.

Press photo courtesy of Pavement Entertainment

THE BLACK CROWES' music video for the song "Profane Prophecy" can be seen below. In the clip, THE BLACK CROWES have conjured seven devils (representing each deadly sin) to wreak havoc on this little fairytale world of stark morality and harsh retribution. In creating this world, they leaned into uncanniness with hyper-unrealistic theatrical set pieces and life-size dioramas.

"Profane Prophecy" is taken from THE BLACK CROWES' new studio album, "A Pound Of Feathers", which is due out March 13 via Silver Arrow Records. Produced by Jay Joyce, the LP pushes THE BLACK CROWES' iconic blend of blues, soul and rock into electrifying new terrain. With a career spanning four decades, the band's upcoming release stands as a towering testament to their enduring artistic fire and significance in rock and roll.

"We made this record in eight to ten days," says THE BLACK CROWES singer Chris Robinson. "Bringing the high and inspiration from 'Happiness Bastards' into this album, it was a natural progression. We experimented more, we wrote on instinct and how we were feeling in the moment. [THE BLACK CROWES guitarist] Rich [Robinson] brought a spontaneity to the record that I can't describe, but it's the best shit he's ever done."

Rich adds: "This album feels transformative to us. Going back to our roots, we felt that spark in the studio and how we work together. Lighting a fire that hits harder, more jagged but is still true to our musical essence."

"A Pound Of Feathers" marks a bold creative evolution — marrying the rugged swagger of their early classics with fresh perspectives and dynamic, hard-hitting rhythmic textures. Recorded in Nashville with Grammy-winning producer Jay Joyce and curated with visionary energy and deep musical empathy, the record showcases a fearless band operating at the height of their powers.

Drawing from a legacy of emotive songwriting, formidable musicianship, and true rock 'n' roll grit, the project — solely written by the brothers — moves effortlessly between the weightless beauty of "A Pound Of Feathers" and the heavy truth of "a pound of lead," infusing all 11 tracks with an ambivalent depth and honest purity.

"Profane Prophecy" sets the trajectory for the whole album, packing the track with cheeky, fun and funky lyricism only Chris and Rich could bring to life, while the cynical slow-burning "Pharmacy Chronicles" sings of reckoning rather than retreat, urging people to face their vices, as freedom comes with recognition.

Affirming THE BLACK CROWES as one of today's most compelling and influential rock bands ever, "A Pound Of Feathers" follows their critically acclaimed 2024 effort "Happiness Bastards" — which was nominated for "Best Rock Album" at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

"A Pound Of Feathers" track listing:

01. Profane Prophecy
02. Cruel Streak
03. Pharmacy Chronicles
04. Do The Parasite!
05. High And Lonesome
06. Queen Of The B-Sides
07. It's Like That
08. Blood Red Regrets
09. You Call This A Good Time
10. Eros Blues
11. Doomsday Doggerel

In a new interview with Robert Edwards of Talkin' Bout Rock, Irish singer Robin McAuley, who is best known as the vocalist for the rock band MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP from 1986 to 1993, was asked how he keeps his voice in such great shape at the age of 72. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm in a good place. Voice is good. Voice is responding to my requests. I take great care of it. It's not just something that I wake up and go, 'I'm gonna sing really good today.' Even if you're in your prime, it can knock on your door. You can get sick. You can get all sorts of stuff."

Robin continued: "If you're on a tour bus, a tour bus is not kind to the voice. Flying is not kind to the voice. But it's really up to the individual. How much care do you want to dedicate to your instrument?

"I spent most of '25 in Europe, and that's worrisome because you pray that you're not gonna get sick and you pray that you're gonna show up every night for the shows and it's just gonna be as good as the last night. And so it's a work. I travel with my little humidifiers and my sprays and all sorts of stuff.

"Public enemy number one for me on the road is somebody with a cold," McAuley explained. "If you have a cold, do not come near me. Don't come into the same room. Don't pretend you don't have a cold, because it's not just me. Everybody else around you will slowly but surely get sick. And getting back to the tour bus, it's an incubator for shit. [Laughs] That's the only way I can put it. So, it's important, and for me, the fans pay for a ticket and they deserve to get a good show and not come in and hear an excuse, 'I'm sorry. I'm not up to it tonight.'

Robin added: "Over the years, you get to know the forest and sometimes how to get around the trees sometimes if you're not as good as you think you wanna be. And people, for the most part, will go, 'I didn't hear anything.' And that's how it goes sometimes. But, yeah, it's important to me. I don't wanna go to a show or a concert either and be let down because I was so looking forward to hearing a particular song the way I wanted to hear it."

McAuley is widely recognized as one of the great singers of a golden period in hard rock music. His voice can be heard on albums from GRAND PRIX and FAR CORPORATION, and of course, on the chart-topping MSG records "Perfect Timing", "Save Yourself" and "MSG". Through these releases, he was introduced to hard rock fans around the globe, who no doubt recognized the inherent talent and skill in his vocal abilities.

Once he departed MSG, McAuley released one solo record in 1999, then joined AOR legends SURVIVOR. He then re-teamed with Schenker in MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST on their records "Resurrection" and "Revelation", And of course, in what was an absolute revelation to hard rock fans around the world, in 2020, he came out swingin' as the frontman of the supergroup BLACK SWAN, where he joined forces with Reb Beach (WHITESNAKE, WINGER),Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, ex-DOKKEN) and Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR BIG).

BLACK SWAN's third album, "Paralyzed", will be released on February 13 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, REVOLUTION SAINTS) will release the fourth album of his solo project JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13, "From The Fade", on February 27, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Once again, guitarist and composer Hoekstra is joined by an elite cast of rock veterans: powerhouse drummer Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO),legendary bassist Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER),virtuoso keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, SONS OF APOLLO) and rising vocal sensation Girish Pradhan (GIRISH AND THE CHRONICLES, THE NAIL).

The official music video for "Lifeline", the third single from the "From The Fade" album, can be seen below.

Hoekstra commented: "'Lifeline' is basically a straight-ahead melodic rock song. Girish Pradhan delivers a gritty, powerful lead vocal, and Jeff Scott Soto complements him beautifully with his backing vocals. Vinny Appice and Tony Franklin provide a tasteful groove full of fun accents and hits, while Derek Sherinian provides a killer keyboard solo and the perfect sounds/parts for the song. Once again, with Girish being in India, we opted to have some green screen fun for the video! I hope you enjoy it!"

"From The Fade" delivers a blend of classic hard rock and modern melodic metal, characterized by tight arrangements, technical precision, and emotionally charged performances. Each track reflects Hoekstra's signature songwriting — rooted in tradition but pushing the genre forward with a fresh and contemporary sound.

Joel previously stated about the LP: "The songs were built from the guitar riffs up. Most of the riffs were written during the time I was filling in with ACCEPT, so there is a heavier edge to this album overall. That being said, the album still would be more accurately described as melodic hard rock, not straight-up metal.

"As always with the JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13 albums, I wrote the style of music that inspired me to pick up the guitar and tried to focus on SONGS for you to enjoy, not overly self-indulgent guitar solos", he continued. "HUGE thanks to Vinny Appice, Tony Franklin, Derek Sherinian, Girish Pradhan and Jeff Scott Soto for bringing the songs to life! I hope you all enjoy 'From The Fade' as much as I enjoyed making it!"

"From The Fade" track listing:

01. You Can Give
02. The Fall
03. Lifeline
04. Will You Remember Me
05. Misunderstood
06. Start to Fight
07. All I'd Do
08. Free To Be
09. The End Of Me
10. Quite The Ride

New York-based Hoekstra currently plays for WHITESNAKE and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Joel is also well-known for his work with Cher, NIGHT RANGER, the Broadway show "Rock Of Ages", his fill-in work with FOREIGNER, ACCEPT, his annual sets on the Monsters Of Rock cruise, recording projects like REVOLUTION SAINTS, ICONIC, viral collaboration videos with the likes of Dino Jelusick, Arnel Pineda, Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and his acoustic shows with Brandon Gibbs.

Exhibiting a knack for music education, he has also been a frequent columnist for Guitar World magazine, taught at Musician's Institute, Rockstars Of Tomorrow, Guitar Workshop Plus, and has often been a counselor at Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp.

Over the years, Joel has released three instrumental solo albums and three critically acclaimed albums with JOEL HOEKSTRA's 13. Most recently, he was the guest guitarist on "Dancing With The Stars" ("hair metal" episode) and played with Cher at her Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction and the "SNL 50" homecoming concert.

"From The Fade" recording lineup:

Joel Hoekstra - guitars
Girish Pradhan - lead vocals
Vinny Appice - drums
Tony Franklin - bass
Derek Sherinian - keyboards
Jeff Scott Soto - backing vocals

Photo credit: Mike Polito

Brit Award-winning and Grammy-nominated multi-platinum-selling band BRING ME THE HORIZON has announced "L.I.V.E. In São Paulo (Live Immersive Virtual Experiment)", a groundbreaking cinema event capturing the band's biggest headline show to date at São Paulo, Brazil's Allianz Parque Stadium, performed to a sold-out crowd of 50,000 fans.

"Bring Me The Horizon: L.I.V.E. In São Paulo (Live Immersive Virtual Experiment)" will screen in cinemas worldwide for two dates only on March 25 and March 28, with tickets officially on sale from February 11 at 2 p.m. GMT / 9 a.m. EST / 6 a.m. PDT. The event is presented by Trafalgar Releasing, alongside Sony Music Vision and RCA.

Hailed by BRING ME THE HORIZON as their best show yet, "L.I.V.E. In São Paulo" expands the visual universe of "Post Human", blending cinematic production with raw fan perspectives and striking character cameos including E.V.E, Selene and M8. The result is a bold, immersive experience that pushes the boundaries of the traditional concert film.

Co-directed by CiRCUS HEaD, the film features multi-camera coverage, sweeping drone footage and fan-submitted content, delivering a dynamic, multi-angle journey that mirrors the intensity and scale of the night itself. The performance spans the full evolution of BRING ME THE HORIZON's catalog — from "Sempiternal" and "That's The Spirit" to "Amo" and the "Post Human" series.

One of the world's most influential modern rock acts, BRING ME THE HORIZON has sold over 6.6 million albums worldwide and amassed more than 9.4 billion global streams. "L.I.V.E. In São Paulo" captures not just a performance, but a defining moment in contemporary music culture.

A full list of participating cinemas and ticket links will be available at bmth.live from February 11. Fans are encouraged to sign up for event alerts.

In addition, BRING ME THE HORIZON has announced the physical and digital release of "L.I.V.E. In São Paulo". Out on April 10, the album will be available across all major streaming platforms, as well as on vinyl and CD/DVD, capturing the scale, energy and emotion of the band's biggest headline show to date.

Track listing:

01. (Interlude) Press Start
02. DArkSide
03. MANTRA
04. Happy Song
05. Teardrops
06. AmEN!
07. (Interlude) Project Angel Dust
08. Kool-Aid
09. Shadow Moses
10. [ost] (spi)ritual
11. n/A
12. Sleepwalking
13. Itch for the Cure (When Will We Be Free?)
14. Kingslayer
15. Parasite Eve
16. Follow You
17. LosT
18. Can You Feel My Heart
19. (Interlude) You People Are All Doomed
20. Doomed
21. (Interlude) Aura Gauger
22. Drown
23. Throne

Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in event cinema distribution, harnesses the power of cinema to bring fans together in more than 15,000 cinemas across 132 countries. A subsidiary of Trafalgar Entertainment, Trafalgar Releasing's operations include production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of live or pre-recorded content to cinemas worldwide, led by an international team. Featuring live concerts, music documentaries, world-class opera, award-winning theatre, and more from leading names in entertainment such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, METALLICA, OASIS, COLDPLAY, Billie Eilish, the Royal Opera House and others, Trafalgar Releasing has repeatedly shattered event cinema box office records, most recently with international distribution for "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour", the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

SEVENDUST had announced its fifteenth studio album, "One". The highly anticipated release from the quintet — Lajon Witherspoon (vocals),Clint Lowery (guitar),John Connolly (guitar),Vince Hornsby (bass) and Morgan Rose (drums) — will arrive on May 1 via Napalm Records.

Building on SEVENDUST's unmistakable sound while continuing to evolve, "One" proves why the Grammy Award–nominated metal icons remain a vital force nearly three decades into their career. From the driving opening riff of the title track "One" to the dreamy, atmospheric vocal outro of "Misdirection", the album takes listeners on an emotional journey that only SEVENDUST can deliver. Tracks such as "Is This The Real You" and "We Won" stand confidently alongside the band's most iconic material.

SEVENDUST once again worked with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida. Baskette had previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and Slash, among others.

On November 4, 2025, Lowery shared an "end-of-studio picture" on Instagram and he thanked "the killer production team" consisting of Baskette and engineers Jef Moll and Josh Saldate "for taking things to the highest level demanding perfection or our closet effort. Four records in a row and all amazing experiences," he added. "Can't wait to hear [Baskette] mix this bad boy up."

The writing sessions for the new SEVENDUST album once again took place at the farmhouse of Lajon and his wife Ashley.

The first music from "One" will be released soon, and the album is available for pre-order now.

The track listing for "One" is:

01. One
02. Unbreakable
03. Is This The Real You
04. Threshold
05. We Won
06. Construct
07. Bright Side
08. The Drop
09. Blood Price
10. Misdirection

Renowned as one of the most powerful live bands in modern metal, SEVENDUST is preparing to hit the road in support of "One". Their U.S. headline tour kicks off April 16 in Carterville, Illinois, and runs through May 20, concluding in Knoxville, Tennessee. ATREYU, FIRE FROM THE GODS and AMERICAN ADRENALINE will join as support. The band will also open for ALTER BRIDGE at two special U.S. dates: April 26 in Atlanta, Georgia, and May 21 in Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, SEVENDUST will appear at major festivals including Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple.

For all upcoming tour dates, ticket information, and VIP packages, visit: sevendust.com/pages/tour.

SEVENDUST 2026 U.S. tour dates:

Apr 16 - Carterville, IL - Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort
Apr 17 - Riverside, IA - Riverside Casino & Golf Resort
Apr 18 - Larchwood, IA - Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort
Apr 20 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
Apr 21 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall
Apr 22 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
Apr 24 - Mobile, AL - Soul Kitchen Music Hall
Apr 25 - Destin, FL - Club LA
Apr 26 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy *
Apr 28 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
Apr 29 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
May 01 - Denver, CO - Summit
May 02 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
May 04 - Wichita, KS - The Cotillion
May 05 - Springfield, MO - The Regency LIve
May 06 - Fayetteville, AR - Ozark Music Hall
May 08 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome To Rockville
May 09 - North Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
May 11 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
May 12 - Harrisburg, PA - XL Live
May 14 - McKees Rocks, PA - Roxian Theatre
May 15 - Columbus OH - Sonic Temple
May 16 - Baltimore, MD - Nevermore Hall
May 17 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
May 19 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
May 20 - Knoxville, TN - The Mill & Mine
May 21 - Nashville, TN - The Pinnacle *

* Opening for ALTER BRIDGE

SEVENDUST served as one of the support acts for DISTURBED on the latter act's "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" in early 2025.

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Swedish rock'n'roll powerhouse THUNDERMOTHER will release its first live album, "Live'N'Alive", digitally on April 17, 2026 via Napalm Records.

Founded in 2009 by guitarist Filippa Nässil, the band is known for their electrifying rock anthems and relentless touring — live highlights include supporting the legendary SCORPIONS both in North America and Europe, playing the KISS Kruise and performing regularly at major festivals such as Wacken Open Air. In 2025, THUNDERMOTHER unleashed their highly acclaimed sixth album "Dirty & Divine", which hit the Top 2 on the official German rock/metal chart. Following that first release with the new lineup consisting of Nässil, vocalist Linnéa Vikström Egg, returning bass player Majsan Lindberg, and drummer Joan Massing, was a European headline tour, during which "Live'N'Alive" was recorded. This hefty 19-track offering showcases THUNDERMOTHER's explosive live energy through their 2025 setlist.

Along with the announcement comes the first groovy single. The new live version of "Whatever" was recorded during THUNDERMOTHER's show in Gothenburg in October of 2025, during the second leg of their "Dirty & Divine Tour". Originally released on their self-titled third album, "Thundermother" (2018),this track is a fresh take on one of the band's biggest anthems. Fans get to dive into the energetic performance with an accompanying live video. Additionally, "Loud And Free - Live In Cologne" ("Black And Gold", 2022) and "Speaking Of The Devil - Live in Huskvarna" ("Dirty & Divine", 2025) are also available to stream now.

Nässil comments on "Whatever - Live in Gothenburg": "'Whatever' is dear to our hearts, as it's a song we've played at every gig since its release in 2018. It's one of my all-time favorite songs to perform. The live version differs from the studio recording, featuring a longer, four-on-the-floor guitar solo. The war against drugs continues — you don't need drugs to be rock 'n' roll, but you DO need adrenaline!"

With no backing tracks, overdubs or re-recording of instruments, "Live'N'Alive" makes no compromises. This is THUNDERMOTHER — 100% live, 100% rock'n'roll! "Live'N'Alive" will be available as a digital album first. Stay tuned for physical formats.

Nässil states about "Live'N'Alive": "It's all live. We use no backing tracks like almost every band does today. We have made no overdubs or re-recording of instruments. It's ALL live and rock'n'roll. Me on guitar, Majsan Lindberg on bass, Joan Massing on drums, and Linnéa Vikström on lead vox and rhythm guitars on some songs. Song order is not compromised, it's our setlist of 2025, through and through. Hell yeah, this is how it's done."

"Live'N'Alive" cuts through the band's catalogue, delivering high-energy live versions that encapsulate the band's true rock'n'roll spirit, from powerful reimaginings of classic THUNDERMOTHER hits to newer tunes. Anthemic opening track "Can You Feel It - Live In Cologne" (originally from the newest studio offering) kicks the album right off, followed by equally energetic "Loud And Free - Live In Cologne" (from "Black And Gold", 2022 — No. 6 on the official German album chart). Further highlights include the groovy "Whatever - Live In Gothenburg" (originally from the 2018 album "Thundermother") as well as the catchy "Speaking Of The Devil - Live In Huskvarna" (from the 2025 album). THUNDERMOTHER wraps the album up impactfully with a new version of their biggest hit "Driving In Style - Live In Huskvarna", originally from the 2020 success record "Heat Wave" (No. 6 on the official German album chart).

"Live'N'Alive" track listing:

01. Can You Feel It - Live In Cologne
02. Loud And Free - Live In Cologne
03. The Road Is Ours - Live In Cologne
04. So Close - Live In Huskvarna
05. Bright Eyes - Live In Huskvarna
06. Take The Power - Live In Copenhagen
07. Dead Or Alive - Live In Huskvarna
08. I Don't Know You - Live In Cologne
09. Sleep - Live In Cologne
10. I Left My License In The Future - Live In Copenhagen
11. Dog From Hell - Live In Huskvarna
12. Can't Put Out The Fire - Live In Copenhagen
13. Whatever - Live In Gothenburg
14. Shoot To Kill - Live In Cologne
15. Try With Love - Live In Copenhagen
16. Thunderous - Live In Copenhagen
17. Hellevator - Live In Huskvarna
18. Speaking Of The Devil - Live In Huskvarna
19. Driving In Style - Live In Huskvarna

THUNDERMOTHER is:

Filippa Nässil - guitar, backing vox
Majsan Lindberg - bass, backing vox
Linnéa Vikström Egg - lead vox, guitar
Joan Massing - drums

During a recent appearance on the Joe Pavich Podcast, longtime KISS manager Doc McGhee, who has also handled the careers of BON JOVI and MÖTLEY CRÜE throughout the years, spoke about the decline of the music industry as consumers value access over ownership and experiences over assets. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The revenue streams have pretty much all been eaten up by… We always had this ecosystem in the music industry that was like a reef. And you knew that you could only eat so many of the fish. So that's all you would do, right? And everybody would eat their little pieces and the ecosystem lived. Well, then corporate world came into us about 25 years ago, and over this 25 years, with hedge funds, with institutional money and everything else, they've killed the fucking reef. So now they've taken all the money from the artists. So the kid that's coming outta high school that could be the new Bob Dylan, he can't make any money. He writes a song and it's a hit, he doesn't get paid anything, 'cause it's only on streaming. So it's a streaming mechanism that's now taken up by the label and by the streaming services."

Doc also touched upon the failure of the music industry to capitalize on the Internet. Citing Napster, an online music-sharing service that launched in 1999, as an example, he said: "That was part of our industry's failure to understand how to move into the future. Where when Napster came in, those five kids came up and… I was in the meeting. They had BON JOVI, and they went like this: 'Watch' — boom. And all of them got it. But they were going to the record labels and saying, 'Listen, we have the digital way to deliver music.' And our industry didn't embrace it and say, 'Okay, now let's teach people to buy digital downloads.' They said, 'The Internet's going away. We'll sue you.' And they went, 'No, it's file sharing.' And boom. Killed us. I mean, just killed the record business… And then, of course, Apple came in and everything else and started to do digital downloads and selling. But it never recovered in the physical sense. And then the only thing that really saved it was the Spotifys and the delivery system of streaming. It came in most of that pay a royalty to us. But it's far from what it used to be. So the only way you could really make money — true money here — is touring. And you have to be successful in order to draw people. So the young kid can't jump it in and tour 'cause of the expense of it is too great and they can't subsidize it with their music, where they used to tour us to support the records and now you do records to support your tours."

In a May 2023 IQ magazine article, Doc McGhee was acknowledged as one of the music industry's most legendary artist managers. His unparalleled reputation is grounded in universal respect within the industry. The article elaborates, "Under his guidance, his artist clients have sold more than half a billion records, thanks to a roster that boasts some of rock's biggest acts, including BON JOVI, MÖTLEY CRÜE, GUNS N' ROSES, SKID ROW, SCORPIONS, HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH, and, of course, KISS. Doc's expertise has also significantly benefited the careers of numerous solo acts."

McGhee appeared in the VH1 reality series "Supergroup" along with Ted Nugent, former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach and Jason Bonham. He was also seen on the AMC reality series "4th And Loud", which chronicled his, Gene Simmons's and Paul Stanley's roles as owners of the Los Angeles Kiss Arena Football League (AFL) team.