Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Peter Frampton is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his iconic album "Frampton Comes Alive!" Upon its original release in 1976, "Frampton Comes Alive!" became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of the top-selling live albums of all time, with nearly 20 million copies sold worldwide.

As part of the celebration, Frampton will release a Vinylphyle edition of "Frampton Comes Alive!" on January 22 via A&M/UMe. One of the greatest rock albums of the 1970s can now be heard on vinyl again, presented as it was originally intended to sound. The limited Vinylphyle double LP pressing is sourced from the original 1975 Doug Sax 1/4" production master, with lacquers cut by Joe Nino-Hernes, and pressed on 180g black vinyl at RTI. The package features a four-panel insert including a new interview with Frampton and Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop. In addition to the Vinylphyle release, the album is also available to experience in Dolby Atmos, following its 2024 immersive audio debut.

"I can't believe it's now been 50 years since 'Frampton Comes Alive!' was released, but that record still feels like a living, breathing moment in my life," says Frampton. "When we decided to do this Vinylphyle edition, it was important to me that it be done the right way. I personally asked that the audio be sourced from the original 1975 Doug Sax production master because I wanted it to sound exactly as we heard it back then. This album was born onstage, and hearing it presented this way on vinyl feels like bringing that energy back to life for longtime fans and new listeners alike."

First released in January 1976, "Frampton Comes Alive!" quickly became a defining moment in live rock performance, capturing the energy and charisma that shaped Frampton's early touring years. As Rolling Stone noted, Frampton "owned the year 1976 like nobody else in rock." The album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earned an "Album Of The Year" nomination at the 19th annual Grammy Awards and has since been certified eight times platinum by the RIAA. Its explosive reception helped establish Frampton as one of the era's most commanding live performers. Inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame, the record remains a cultural touchstone frequently cited by outlets including The New York Times, Billboard and Variety as one of the greatest live albums ever recorded.

The legendary musician recently wrapped up his extensive "Let's Do It Again!" headline tour. Despite announcing a farewell run in 2019 due to a diagnosis of the degenerative disease inclusion-body myositis, Frampton has spent the last few years touring the country over, appearing on stages across America, sitting in with the house band at "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" and being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Frampton is one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history. In 2007, Frampton won a Grammy for "Best Pop Instrumental Album" for "Fingerprints" and in 2014 was inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame. He received the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award at NAMM's TEC Awards in 2019 and most recently received the 2024 Les Paul Spirit Award at the Gibson Garage Nashville.

In 2020, Frampton was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame, his autobiography, "Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir", debuted on The New York Times Bestsellers list and he appeared on Dolly Parton's latest album, "Rockstar", as the only artist featured on two tracks.

In 2023, Frampton unveiled "Frampton@50" on Intervention Records, a numbered limited-edition vinyl box set featuring Frampton's essential 1972-1975 studio releases "Wind Of Change", "Frampton's Camel" and "Frampton". He also received The Myositis Association's Heroes in the Fight 2023 Patient Ambassador Award and unveiled his historic performance at London's Royal Albert Hall as a live album via UMe.

Singer Frank DiMino and guitarist Punky Meadows from the legendary '70s rock band ANGEL will embark on ANGEL's farewell tour this summer. The trek, which is expected to run through 2027, will include a stop at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on August 7.

Less than a year ago, DiMino described the current touring environment to the Edwardsville Intelligencer as "180 degrees" different from what it was during the early days of ANGEL.

"We have to do stuff now [to prepare for shows]," DiMino said. "We used to do all these big shows with our road crew and there were things we didn’t have to worry about, but now we have only two guys working for us. We used to take a soundman with us, and we don't have that luxury anymore, and now that's done by the people who are at whatever venue we're playing. We also must make sure that all our equipment is running right for the soundchecks and our crew used to do that before we stepped on stage. It's not a bad thing; it's just different than what it was."

In a separate interview with Metal-Rules.com, DiMino stated about that fact that ANGEL was celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025: "It is unbelievable. When I think back on it, and when someone first said, 'Well, it's the 50th anniversary,' I said, 'What are you talking about?' You know, it's kind of crazy when I think about it. I look back and go, 'Really?' Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, and other times it seems like such a long time ago.

"But yeah, it's fun to celebrate that first album. We had such great energy in the beginning when the five of us first got together and played. I think everyone felt the same thing. Back then, we were very young, playing with a lot of different people, and there was a little scene in D.C., in Georgetown, where bands would go see other bands in different clubs. So, for the five of us to come together and form one band was pretty exciting. And from the first chord we played together, I think we all felt that this was something we could really build and turn into something special."

In addition to DiMino and Meadows, the current ANGEL lineup includes Danny Farrow on rhythm guitar, Charlie Calv on keyboards and Billy Orrico on drums, all of whom have been with the band since 2018. Rounding the lineup is bassist Tommy "T-Bone" Caradonna, who joined in 2024.

Employing a dazzling mix of glam rock, hard rock, and progressive rock, ANGEL's outrageous, white-satin-heavy image and equally over-the-top stage shows, making them one of the more colorful arena rock bands of the mid '70s and early '80s. Discovered by KISS bass player Gene Simmons, the group issued their eponymous debut album in 1975, which hewed closer to prog rock than the glam pop that would be on future endeavors like "On Earth As It Is In Heaven" (1977) and "Sinful" (1979). ANGEL released a total of five studio albums and one live album before going their separate ways in 1981. The band officially reformed in 2019 with original members Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino, and released their comeback studio effort, "Risen", that October and followed up with "Once Upon A Time" in 2023.

ANGEL's self-titled 1975 debut was recorded for Casablanca Records with a lineup comprising Frank DiMino (vocals),Punky Meadows (guitar),Gregg Giuffria (keyboards),Mickie Jones (bass) and Barry Brandt (drums). A heavy slab of heavy pomp rock with lengthy songs featuring the longtime stage favorite "Tower".

ANGEL was discovered in a nightclub by none other than Gene Simmons of KISS, a man who had (and still has) a knack for finding and nurturing talent. ANGEL was also known for their androgynous look and dressing all in white, a pure yin-yang contrast to KISS's own all-black clothing and elaborate stage outfits. In 1975, the glam-rockers were signed to the home label for KISS, Casablanca Records, ultimately releasing six albums (five studio, one live) uninterrupted between 1975-80 that mixed the best elements of glam, hard rock, and pure unadulterated fist-pumping melodic singalongs.

While ANGEL never quite achieved success as their labelmates KISS did, they left their mark on in-the-know rock fans of the era with tracks like the hard-driving "Rock & Rollers", "Tower", the perennial holiday favorite "The Winter Song", and their key contribution to the soundtrack of the Jodie Foster-starring 1980 teen drama "Foxes", "20th Century Foxes". The lineup for their self-titled 1975 debut, "Angel", consisted of guitarist Punky Meadows, bassist Mickie Jones, vocalist Frank DiMino, keyboardist Gregg Giuffria, and drummer Barry Brandt. This lineup recorded two more albums, 1976's "Helluva Band" and 1977's "On Earth As It Is In Heaven", after which Jones would be replaced on bass by Felix Robinson. Two more solid studio efforts, 1978's "White Hot" and 1979's "Sinful", ensued before the release of a stellar live set, 1980's "Live Without A Net".

ANGEL started to fall apart in the early 1980s after Casablanca pulled the plug on the group due in part to disappointing album sales. In 1981, Robinson and DiMino left to pursue other projects. Meadows and Giuffria tried to keep ANGEL going and came close to landing a record deal with CBS. But it didn't pan out, and ANGEL finally disbanded.

In 2018, Caroline/UMe saluted the core output of ANGEL with "Angel: The Casablanca Years". This ascendant, band-approved seven-CD box set featured the Washington, D.C.-bred glam/rock outfit's six albums that were released on Neil Bogart's legendary Casablanca Records label, in addition to a seventh disc that contains mono mixes, single edits, soundtrack contributions, and other rarities. ANGEL expert Dave Reynolds contributed insightful liner notes to the box set's included 28-page booklet, which also featured rare photos and other memorabilia.

Real deal rockstars, Punky Meadows & Frank DiMino, embark on Angel's Farewell Tour this summer and perform at the Whisky...

Posted by Whisky A Go-Go on Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Jason Momoa has reflected on the experience of hosting BLACK SABBATH's final concert, which took place last July at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Appearing on the Thursday, January 15 episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", the 46-year-old American actor and film producer said about Ozzy and the Osbourne family (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had to host for them. He's like a God to me. It was unbelievable, yeah. I loved him."

Regarding how he ended up landing the hosting gig for the "Back To The Beginning" event, Jason said:  "The show got announced, and I just called everyone I knew [that was going to perform there]. I called METALLICA and ANTHRAX, just to get tickets so I could be there. Because it's gonna come out and there's only a limited amount of tickets. I'm, like, 'Dude, just me and my kids.' And so I was just begging to get scraps. And then [legendary rock photographer] Ross Halfin called and goes, '[Ozzy's wife and manager] Sharon Osbourne wants you to host it.' And I helped them out. I did a music video for [Ozzy] when he couldn't do it. And I did a music video for the album before. And I was, like, 'Anything Ozzy needs, I'll do it.' And so they just probably just remembered that. And she's, like, 'I want Jason to host it.' And I'm, like, terrified. Terrified. That many people. [Sitting at this studio in front of a live audience] is terrifying. Imagine a stadium. And there's everybody you love [playing at the event]. I mean, all my music — everyone. METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES. You can't believe all the people that are there. And dude, I'm on the poster. And so when he actually went up, I was with Ross, and I'm like right at Ozzy's feet and I'm the closest to him of anyone. Geezer's [Butler, SABBATH bassist] not even as close to him as I am. And I watched it with my kids just quietly. And it was unbelievable, yeah. And then sadly he passed like a couple of weeks later."

During the TV appearance, the actor also spoke about getting into a mosh pit with his son Nakoa-Wolf, 17, as PANTERA performed as a support act for Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH.

"I grabbed my son, and I was, like, 'We're going,'" Jason recalled. "And my [head of] security [Liam], my buddy who was helping me, he was, like, 'No, you're not.' And Liam went in there too. But I grabbed my son. He'd never been in a mosh pit. I was, like, 'You're going with me, boy.' I jumped over. We went in there for PANTERA."

Four days before Osbourne's July 22, 2025 death at age 76, Momoa spoke with People about hosting "Back To The Beginning". He said: "To be at SABBATH, that's 13-year-old Jason going, like, 'Wow.' Hanging out with all my music rock gods and different friends — it's just pinch me. The comedown is going to be brutal."

Shortly after Osbourne's family announced Ozzy's death in a statement, Momoa posted a tribute on Instagram which included a photo of him posing with Ozzy and Sharon at the farewell concert.

"Love you @ozzyosbourne," Momoa wrote. "All my aloha @sharonosbourne and ohana. So grateful. RIP."

The Hawaiian-born actor, who is perhaps best-known for his role as Khal Drogo in HBO fantasy epic "Game Of Thrones", is a huge heavy metal fan, having previously said that he listened to a lot of PANTERA, METALLICA and MUDVAYNE to get himself into the right frame of mind for playing a warrior like Conan in Marcus Nispel's remake of the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger action adventure "Conan The Barbarian". More recently, he tapped vocalist Oli Peters of the Canadian death metal band ARCHSPIRE to coach him on how to mimic his distinct vocal style for the early troop rallying scene in the Apple TV+ sci-fi series "See".

Professionally filmed video of PRIMAL FEAR's entire August 23, 2025 performance at the Stonedead festival at Newark Showground in Newark-on-Trent, England can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, PRIMAL FEAR's setlist was as follows:

01. Final Embrace
02. Nuclear Fire
03. Angel In Black
04. The Hunter
05. King Of Madness
06. The End Is Near
07. Fighting The Darkness
08. Chainbreaker
09. Metal Is Forever

In an August 2025 interview with Jovan Ristić of Altnote, PRIMAL FEAR bassist Mat Sinner discussed the band's August 2024 split with guitarists Alex Beyrodt and Tom Naumann, drummer Michael Ehré and touring bassist Alex Jansen. Joining Sinner and Ralf Scheepers (vocals) in PRIMAL FEAR's current lineup are the band's latest additions, Italian/Cuban sensation Thalìa Bellazecca (ANGUS MCSIX, ex-FROZEN CROWN) on guitar and André Hilgers (AXXIS, RAGE, SILENT FORCE, SINNER, BONFIRE) on drums. Also appearing with the group is Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who has been primarily a studio member of the band for much of the past decade but who has now rejoined PRIMAL FEAR's touring lineup.

Asked how he felt when Beyrodt, Naumann, Ehré and Jansen exited PRIMAL FEAR a year ago, Sinner said: "Bad, because we played together for a long, long, long, long time. And there were some comments by one of the guitarists, which are ridiculous. They were very evil. And as I was feeling that I am able to come back full-time, [I] said, 'Why should I make music with a guy who don't wanna make music with [me]?' It's that easy. And the company, PRIMAL FEAR, belongs to me and Ralf. And I said, 'I'll only continue without this guy.' So, we told him that we don't want him anymore… And we fired him. And then the other guitarist, very close friend of mine since 30 years, he decided that his future is better with him and he left the band because he thought they can do his project, 'Rock Meets Classic', which was once my project, which they stole away from me. And, yeah, but we know that Magnus wants to play live for a longer time and we know how good he is. And the other guys didn't want him to join the band live. It was always a fight. And me and Ralf was writing with [Magnus] most of the songs, so they were part-time jealous about that. And so we knew Magnus is back. André, the drummer, already played the last tour with PRIMAL FEAR. So that was not new. It was easy to decide. And the only position which was not clear at that moment was Thalìa. So for us it was done in seconds. It's a sad story, but that's life."

Asked what it is like playing in a band with Thalìa, Mat said: "In the times of social media, it was everywhere that we were looking for a second guitarist. And we got a lot of interest and offers from very, very well-known guitarists from America, also from the U.K. and Europe. And we were thinking about what we were gonna do — go in the standard way, the usual way, and take one and everybody says, 'Wow. This is cool. They have a new guitarist,' or do we come up with something totally unexpected, a surprise? And I like surprises. And in the beginning I talked to Ralf, and for me it felt a little bit strange — a black girl with an afro and a left hand. And it was, like, 'Wow.' But then first I want to check, can she play the difficult PRIMAL FEAR parts? Sometimes the guitars are really more difficult [than] you think when you hear it. This harmony stuff, it's not that easy. So she has to play that. And another, for me, super-important fact is does she fit in the band as a person? After the last trouble we had, I was really looking out not to make just the announcement or whatever. I have first to check everything, that I'm a hundred percent sure that it would be the right move. I don't want to change again guitarists in six months or so. I need the feeling that this could be [a stable lineup] for longer time. So we checked her out, and she played well. She had to get in this band with four guys who are older than her. On the other side, it was not bad. If you see a PRIMAL FEAR concert, I think it's still a shame that 70 percent of the audience are male; [it] could be more equal. [Laughs] But Thalìa, she looks good, she moves good. So it's also nice for the male audience to watch young, impressive guitarists like Thalìa than to watch, for example, me all the time. [Laughs] Then our social media numbers were exploding. And I have to say that 99 percent of the comments were super positive. One percent [was] stupid idiots. You can't change that. And that's how you have to deal with social media these days. But it was part-time really rude, and mostly Americans. I don't know why, but stupid — really stupid. Then we rehearsed [and] we recorded together for the new album. Everything went well, and she is a super nice person, a great talent and fits very well. We [had] long good talks with each other. So I'm looking forward that we play together for a longer time. You never know, but, hey, it's cool. And we played three shows now together, and all the festivals went super cool and everybody's happy. A good vibe in the band — very friendly, very peaceful, very creative. So everybody's super happy at the moment."

Sinner (a.k.a. Matthias Lasch),who also serves as PRIMAL FEAR's producer, reportedly suffered an extreme adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccination in 2021 and received treatment for eight months at various hospitals. As a result of Sinner's health challenges, PRIMAL FEAR canceled all of its planned shows in 2021 and 2022, eventually recruiting Jansen as Mat's temporary replacement.

PRIMAL FEAR released its latest album, "Domination", on September 5 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The LP was recorded in autumn 2024, produced by Sinner and co-produced by Scheepers as well as Karlsson. Rounded off by multiple PRIMAL FEAR mixing/mastering engineer Jacob Hansen at his own studios in Denmark, the album artwork was designed by Death.Milk.Designs.

In August 2024, Beyrodt, Naumann, Ehré and Jansen announced their departures from PRIMAL FEAR, writing in a statement: "Dear fans and friends of PRIMAL FEAR, we unfortunately have to inform you today that Alex Beyrodt, Tom Naumann, Michael Ehré and Alex Jansen, who helped us on bass for the last two years, are no longer part of the band PRIMAL FEAR. Triggered by decisions within the band that we do not agree with, this step was anything but easy for us to take. We would like to make it clear that despite the differences of opinion, there was no argument or bad blood.

"We would like to thank you for the time we spent together, the numerous albums, the tours, shows and festivals that have taken us around the world together, and of course for the love of the fans. We wish Mat and Ralf all the best for the future!"

Formed by Sinner in 1997 as an outlet for Scheepers (who had left GAMMA RAY and was a rumored candidate for the then-open JUDAS PRIEST vocal spot, but was considering early retirement from metal),PRIMAL FEAR has emerged as one of the most consistent European metal bands, rarely straying from its core PRIEST-styled power metal sound.

PRIMAL FEAR is:

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

In a new interview with Neil Jones of TotalRock, ALTER BRIDGE and CREED guitarist Mark Tremonti was asked if he had an Ozzy Osbourne story to share with the listeners. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I did local crew for Ozzy back when I was in college. Yeah, back in — it was 1993. I was a freshman in college at Clemson University in South Carolina, and I was walking to the cafeteria and there was a big signup sheet: 'Ozzy Osbourne tour. Local crew needed.' And there must have been 350 signatures on there. And it was, like, '$40 for the day.' So everybody made 40 bucks working all day, but it was worth all the work. But anyways, I go up to sign on the sheet, and just the timing was so perfect — it's almost like they knew my future was gonna be in the business. That's what made me want to do this so much more. This guy comes to take down the sign and he says, 'Hey, just so you know, one of these top people on this list said they couldn't do it, so if you wanna fill in their spot.' 'Cause he saw how excited I was. I said, 'Absolutely.' So I got the job."

Mark continued: "I volunteered for everything, 'cause you'd have a group of maybe 20, 30 people in there. They'd say, 'Who wants to do this?' 'Who wants to do that?' I'm, like, 'Me, me, me, me.' So after I volunteered to work for pretty much free for the second half of the day, 'cause there was a pre-show, a post-show crew. I did both crews for the same 40 bucks. And I stayed there. I got to go on Ozzy's tour bus and look at footage of a DVD they were shooting, or maybe it would have been a tape back then. And then I got to touch [then-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Zakk Wylde's guitars. I didn't get to meet Zakk. I kept on telling 'em, like, 'I would love to meet Zakk.' And Zakk, it just didn't happen. But ALICE IN CHAINS was opening. SEPULTURA was the first band. So, as you can imagine, I'm just backstage backing up gear and lighting and all this stuff going, 'I need to do this with my life.'

Asked if he has had a chance to tell that story to Zakk since then, Mark said: "Of all the musicians that I haven't been able to spend quality time with, it's Zakk, for some. We just haven't crossed paths too much. I've met him him once or twice, and he's a gentleman, but it's always been around, like, 20 other [people]. Last time I met him, it was at a NAMM [show], and it was me and Zakk and Kerry King and Jerry Cantrell and Vinnie Paul and all this line of — you know, a lot of my heroes. So it wasn't really conducive to sitting down and having a deep conversation."

On July 23, 2025 — just one day after Ozzy's death — Mark took to his social media to write: "Still can't believe we lost this legend! RIP Ozzy Osbourne. I'll never forget the time I worked as a local crew member of your arena show in Clemson South Carolina. It was back in 1993, the time of my life, and I told myself that this was the dream I wanted to chase. I've always been a huge fan, thanks for the inspiration, Godspeed!"

Over the course of his career, Tremonti has cemented his position as both a world-class guitarist and a nuanced songwriter. His savage-yet-polished style has left a lasting impression on the sonic architecture of heavy music. As a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning rock band CREED, Mark saw a swift and powerful rise to fame in the 1990s. His playing continues to awe and inspire in his more recent projects, ALTER BRIDGE and his solo group TREMONTI. Mark is well known for his work ethic, a willingness to push himself out of his comfort zone, and his never-ending pursuit of growth as an artist.

ALTER BRIDGE's self-titled eighth studio album will arrive on January 9, 2026 via Napalm Records.

"Alter Bridge" was once again helmed by the band's longtime collaborator and producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette and was recorded over two months last spring at the legendary 5150 studio in California and Elvis's recording studio in Florida.

ALTER BRIDGE will embark on the "What Lies Within" tour later this month. The 31-date European leg of the trek will kick off on January 15 in Germany and will wrap on March 5 in Nottingham, U.K. Support on the tour will come from DAUGHTRY and SEVENDUST. The band also announced a headline U.S. tour featuring FILTER or SEVENDUST and Tim Montana as support in select markets. The tour kicks off on April 25 in Orlando, Florida and runs through May 24 where it wraps in Tampa, Florida.

During a recent appearance on The DJ Force X podcast, HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale spoke about his band's May/June 2025 European run of shows as the support act for British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That was crazy. [Laughs] It ended up being a really, really great tour for us. I didn't know what to expect, 'cause a lot of times when you tour with a legacy band like that… I've heard the term 'treadmill touring' where it's, like, okay, it looks great to open up for like a massive band like that, but you're not really getting any new fans 'cause they're just there to see that band and they don't really care about opening acts. But we were pleasantly surprised that a lot of the people that came out to the IRON MAIDEN shows were very receptive to us. And a lot of 'em, even on [our November 2025 U.K. headlining] tour, have come to our meet-and-greets and said, like, 'I never heard about you guys until I saw you open up for IRON MAIDEN.' We're, like, hell yeah, we'll poach some of those fans, we'll steal some. And I think it's because, especially in Europe, they're still viewed as this lifestyle band."

Arejay continued: "You go to these cities [in Europe] on off days and then you go into the stores, maybe you're just walking through a mall or something and you'll see IRON MAIDEN shirts everywhere. And I feel like that it's different in the U.S. In the U.S. they're probably viewed as this kind of old-timey band. But over [in Europe] they're still very relevant. And their audience was very vast in age range. It was cool to see the more mature fans coming out to the shows and loving it, but then there was also kids and teenagers and everything of the like. And even the IRON MAIDEN guys were a little surprised that their fans were really liking us 'cause they are very dedicated to IRON MAIDEN. It's not an easy task to support a band like that. And it actually worked out really well. I was very, very pleasantly surprised by how well that tour went."

HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has built a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

"Love Bites (So Do I)", from HALESTORM's second album in 2012, won the Grammy Award that year for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance".

In 2019, HALESTORM was nominated for "Best Rock Performance" Grammy for the song "Uncomfortable".

HALESTORM worked with producer Dave Cobb on the band's latest studio album, "Everest", after making three records with Nick Raskulinecz.

In November 2025, HALESTORM shared a new two-track bundle of singles, the retrospective ballad "How Will You Remember Me?" and the sultry tribute to bisexuality "Like A Woman Can". Recorded live from the road on the Pennsylvania-bred and Nashville-based quartet's recent "nEVEREST" tour, the songs are taken from "Everest", out on Atlantic Records. Lending orchestration to the tracks are tour buddies and Finnish symphonic metallers APOCALYPTICA.

Awarding "Everest" four stars, The Times declared, "There is fantastical appeal throughout." The Daily Star concurred, reminding fans about the band’'s upcoming tour with their four-star review, stating "headlining arenas in November, every track here is sure to get phones out en masse."

"Everest" came hot on the heels of HALESTORM's fiery European tour with metal icons IRON MAIDEN. The U.K.'s Metal Hammer said of opening night, "Before all that, it falls to HALESTORM to take on the famously unenviable task of warming up an IRON MAIDEN crowd — a task they ace pretty effortlessly, in fairness. Decades in and arena headliners themselves at this point, the Pennsylvania rockers also have the ace in the hole that is Lzzy Hale, whose screams, croons, cries and shrieks reaffirm her status as one of the best singers of her generation. Half of their support set is comprised of tracks from imminent album 'Everest', and you can understand why they're feeling confident about it: the new material sounds excellent."

After wrapping the IRON MAIDEN tour, the band had the honor of performing at BLACK SABBATH's "Back To The Beginning", Ozzy Osbourne's last show.

In a new interview with Ramona Fernandez of Gym Rock Crew, Nita Strauss, the 39-year-old Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, was asked if she listens to anything while she is working out. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I do. During my cardio, I listen to some audiobooks and podcasts, because I am one of those people that finds cardio very tedious. I know a lot of people, they love their cardio. I am not one of them. I do not enjoy cardio. So, I'll put on a book or some motivational podcast or something like that. And then when I lift, I listen to music — mostly rock, of course, or metal. I like the Spotify daily mix, so it gives me a fresh playlist of SOILWORK or AT THE GATES, kind of like a lot of melodic death metal and stuff like that in my lifting playlist. And then every once in a while I'll go off the rails and listen to some really upbeat '90s rock, like SUBLIME or something like that. Sometimes I just feel like getting a little like pep in my step when I do my workout. So sometimes it'll be that."

Asked to name her favorite exercise, Nita said: "I like to do legs. I've always liked to train legs. I like to train heavy legs. Since injuring my knee a few years ago, I don't do a lot of compound lifts, like squats. I really do more hinge movements, like deadlifts or hip thrust, that kind of thing. So I really kind of just stick with more the posterior chain kind of movement and I really enjoy that."

As for her least favorite exercise, Nita said: "I've not had a super strong upper body most of my life. So I get frustrated with upper-body movements. I will confess to you here on Gym Rock Crew that I cannot do a pullup; I cannot do even one body weight pullup. And that's my secret shame. I would love to get a pullup one day. So those are the kind of exercises, like those big compound upper-body movements. I don't mind lap pulldowns, all that kind of stuff. I like doing that. But those sort of like bigger body-weight kind of lifts are not as enjoyable for me because I'm not good at them. I am fully aware the only way to get better at things is to continue doing them. And the other thing for me with the pullup is, of course, as a guitar player, we're all about the hands and the fingers. And I baby my hands like you wouldn't believe. That's the only thing that I'm a princess about, is my fingers. So anything, I'm, like, 'No, no, no. I can't do it. My fingers are gonna be sore.' So I, I blame that also for my lack of grip strength, just because I baby my hands so much."

Back in 2019, Nita launched Body Shred, the first fitness challenge aimed at musicians and music fans who wanted to get in better physical and mental shape and make a positive change in their lives.

Strauss reportedly lost 50 pounds and got sober while on tour back in 2015. Asked by Muscle & Fitness magazine if her weight loss was on purpose or if it was just a side effect of getting fitter, she said: "It was a little bit of both. I think a big part of it was coming off alcohol. Until you cut it out, you don't realize there are so many people on tour who are sober and don't feel the need to have that crutch every day.

"I was not a super social kid and I didn't have the easiest time making friends," she continued. "But when I started playing in bands, everyone would just have a couple beers at rehearsal, at the shows, or whatever, and alcohol is a great equalizer. It's a great way to make friends and interact with people.

"When I cut alcohol out, I think my body was just like, 'Oh, thank you.' We were on tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE at the time so everyone warned me, 'Oh, those guys are crazy. They party so much.' But it was actually Nikki Sixx that when I first got sober, I came to him, like, 'Hey, do you have any tips for me? Do you have anything?' He gave me some great reading materials and all this different stuff that was really, really helpful.

"The important thing to remember is you control you," Nita added. "Nothing else can control you. No substance, no liquid, nothing can control you but yourself. Once you make that change and you see all the positive effects that go on in your life, you won't go back."

Earlier this month, Nita and husband and manager Josh Villalta announced on Instagram they are expecting their first child together.

Nita and Josh got married in May 2024 at The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel in Los Angeles, California. Among the guests at the wedding were Nita's Cooper bandmates Alice Cooper and Chuck Garric, DISTURBED singer David Draiman and his now-wife Sarah Uli, DISTURBED bassist John Moyer and his wife Brandi, pop-rock singer Demi Lovato and her now-husband Jordan "Jutes" Lutes, and celebrity chef Chris Santos and his wife, actress Natalie Makenna.

Josh proposed to Nita during the record-release party for her latest solo album, "The Call Of The Void", on July 6, 2023 in West Hollywood, California.

Villalta and Strauss met in 2011 in the driveway of the Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood after being introduced by current Yamaha marketing manager Mike Taft.

Legendary New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band MORE will release its third album, "Destructor", on March 6, 2026. A performance video of the "Spirits Of War" single is available below.

The "Destructor" album is the final production by the late, legendary producer Chris Tsangarides (JUDAS PRIEST, KING DIAMOND, HELLOWEEN, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN). On the eve of his passing in January 2017, the last mix of "Destructor" was delivered from his own The Ecology Rooms facility. Passionate in his love for the band he had played with, written for and toured alongside for decades, Tsangarides brought his unmistakable touch to the project. During the recording sessions, he applied his world-famous Vortex system to the ripping and mesmerizing guitar work he played throughout the album, establishing the foundation for the MORE sound, with the rest of the outfit pulling their weight to deliver a fiery and seasoned band performance.

The album of ten titles is finally seeing the light of day after the final mixes were rediscovered by bassist Baz Nicholls, who downloaded them from studio equipment left behind after the facility closed, storing them on a USB drive. It was then decided to bring in a longtime collaborator — the legendary mastering engineer Maor Appelbaum in Los Angeles — who had previously worked on three other albums with Chris Tsangarides. Completed in 2025, the result is an album that balances power and finesse, brutality and nuance — a fitting tribute to the legacy of Tsangarides, while staking a claim in the modern metal scene for MORE.

Nicholls comments: "Why 'Spirits Of War' as the single? While preparing 'Destructor' for release, MORE began introducing new material into their live set. One song quickly separated itself from the rest. Each time it was played, 'Spirits Of War' drew the strongest reaction from the crowd, with audiences instinctively singing along to its unmistakable 'Valhalla' chorus chant. It soon became clear that 'Spirits of War' wasn't just another track from the album — it was becoming a MORE anthem."

MORE remains one of the few bands that truly embody the restless energy and resilience of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Founded in London in 1979 by guitarist Kenny Cox, the band rose quickly with their major-label debut "Warhead" (1981) on Atlantic Records, followed by tours alongside IRON MAIDEN during the "Killers" era and an appearance at Monsters Of Rock. Their follow-up album, "Blood & Thunder" (1982),further cemented their reputation for blistering riffs and gritty hooks, earning inclusion on numerous lists of the greatest NWOBHM albums ever made. Now, the band return with their long-awaited third full-length album.

The band has formed its own label, Warhead Music LLP, and with the support of their management and executive producer Dan McConomy, is releasing "Destructor" worldwide. The release will be supported through licensed deals in different territories, with digital distribution via The Orchard on March 6, 2026. A limited-edition signed CD digipack is available exclusively online until sold out at moreofficialstore.square.site with worldwide shipping.

For longtime fans, "Destructor" is a long-awaited continuation of a story that began over four decades ago. For new listeners, it is a statement: MORE is not a relic of metal's past, but a living force in metal's future. With "Destructor", the band bridge eras — with Tsangarides's influence serving as a guiding spirit even beyond his passing — delivering an album that resonates across generations of metal fans.

Forged in London in 1979 (originally under the name DEFENDER),MORE quickly became part of the second wave of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Their first two albums, "Warhead" (1981) and "Blood & Thunder" (1982),captured the raw energy and unbridled ambition of the era.

Through lineup changes, internal clashes, and the shifting tides of the music industry, MORE endured. Guitarist Laurie Mansworth went on to form AIRRACE; bassist Baz Nicholls remained a key figure; vocalist slots rotated between Paul Mario Day, Mick Stratton, and later Mike Freeland.

As of 2025, MORE's lineup features:

Baz "Nicholls" (bass)
Peter Welsh (guitar)
Steve Rix (drums)
Mike Freeland (vocals)

TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick and STRUNZ & FARAH guitarist Ardeshir Farah recently collaborated on two jazz-rock tracks, "Eddie's Madness" and "171 Mph". Farah is known for his genre-blending, acoustic world sounds with Grammy-nominated duo STRUNZ & FARAH, and he and Skolnick had discussed playing together for years. It finally happened last fall, with Farah playing electric for the first time in 45 years.

"Alex has a reputation for being a great rock player and also having interest in other styles of music," Farah told journalist Bryan Reesman when they spoke recently. "That's what was interesting. When we met at the Baked Potato [in L.A.] several times, when he played with Stu Hamm, I felt like there was chemistry. We talked a lot, and I loved his playing. I thought the two tunes with me playing electric guitar would be great if I could have somebody like Alex join me. He was very kind to accept. It would be very different if I just did it by myself, coming out of nowhere playing electric after 45 years of acoustic guitars. It would not have the same impact as having somebody like Alex join me."

"I'll just add that the Baked Potato shows where I play with Stu Hamm is a real musician scene," added Skolnick. "It's a lot of fun. Arde's been coming to these shows. We've had great players. One time Chuck Rainey, the bassist for STEELY DAN, was there. I've met Rhonda Smith. Obviously, Stu gets a lot of bass players. As far as guitar players, it's a wide variety. Tracii Guns has been to these shows, and one time I had to play with Steve Vai sitting in the corner which was a little bit nerve wracking. But I got through it."

Skolnick noted that on his collaborations with Farah, which were recorded in just two hours, "we both brought these different influences and different patterns. Some guitar players have a lot of patterns that are very common. If this was, say, Zakk Wylde and Kirk Hammett together, with all due respect, there would be a lot of these certain types of pentatonic licks and they would have a lot of overlap. I always think it's more interesting to hear people play together when they have different patterns."

He also said that "a lot of the electric guitar playing that I do is inspired by good acoustic playing — [John] McLaughlin, [Al] Di Meola, their guitar trio with Paco de Lucia, and of course, STRUNZ & FARAH is a part of that. So in a way, it's a natural transition to me. I've always developed a lot of my electric ideas on acoustic."

When asked if he might do a second PLANETARY COALITION album where he explored his interest in world music, an arena where Farah easily fits in, Skolnick replied, "I would love to. I've thought about it for a long time. It's just a big undertaking, you know? I was just barely able to squeeze out this [latest ALEX SKOLNICK] TRIO album, 'Prove You're Not A Robot'. But maybe now that that's done, maybe I can look at a PLANETARY COALITION album. I also want to do a more scaled down acoustic album. So I might do that — just instead of 24 plus guest musicians, maybe just a half a dozen or so duets."

Some fans of STRUNZ & FARAH might be surprised to know that Farah appreciates modern metal playing. He recalls watching four death metal bands open up for Marty Friedman at the Whisky A Go Go a few years ago.

"Every one of the bands did a full set, and the guitar players in all the bands were pretty amazing," Farah recalled. "They had a lot of the styles down on electric guitar. Even though the music may not have been my favorite type of music, the drumming, bass playing, and the guitar playing was very impressive. They had really good guitar players [with] the picking technique [done] extremely well."

Farah and Skolnick are hoping to record again in the near future.

MASTERPLAN's long-awaited new album, "Metalmorphosis", will be released on May 22, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl. The LP's first single, "Chase The Light", will arrive on January 15, 2026.

In a recent interview with Brazil's Todo Mundo Em Campo, former HELLOWEEN guitarist Roland Grapow stated about "Metalmorphosis":  "It's finished already. It was a long progress and process [making the record]. I think we started to make this album already five years ago, and — I don't know — it took so long. And the idea was for me to make a bit more direct, not so much progressive elements. Not too melodic. I mean, I love melodies. I love melodic stuff, but not so poppy, commercial. So that's why the new album [is] called metal 'Metalmorphosis'. So we went a bit back more to the harder direction of — maybe MASTERPLAN never had it. Who knows? But we still have the elements — we have the midtempo numbers, we have still progressive elements, but somehow I felt like this album is more direct. And that was my inspiration. And I didn't wanna make any compromise. Maybe next album's even more harder. You never know. Depends how the people will like it."

He continued: "It's a natural progress. Because you can't repeat yourself. I'm not that kind of guy — I don't like to repeat myself too much. If I would make the same album every time, I would feel, like, 'Nah.' That's not me. I like to be in a challenge situation. Not going too far left and right, but always a bit — see what you can do. And the lyrics are about more critical as well — not only happy and positive. But they're still positive because it's my, or our, mentality. But it's more critical here and there, to mention something what's going on in this crazy world."

Last October, Grapow told Argentina's El Cuartel Del Metal that he and his MASTERPLAN bandmates already filmed three music videos in support of the "Metalmorphosis" album.

Grapow also talked about the inspiration for the "Metalmorphosis" album title, explaining: "The reason for this name was a bit like my kind of thinking that we have a bit more metalish influences again, back to the roots, you can say. Still proggy elements, still MASTERPLAN elements. I would say not so many pop songs. So that's my taste. I don't know — maybe I'm wrong. But we still have a good combination of nice melodies on every song."

Grapow addressed MASTERPLAN's switch from longtime label AFM Records to Frontiers Music Srl, saying: "Basically, we were lucky with AFM very much in the beginning, because the owner — Andy Allendörfer was his name, [and he] died after the second album of MASTERPLAN — and he was a very, very big MASTERPLAN fan, so we felt the support a lot. And after he died, everything changed drastically. The company went totally in different hands. The location changed — they went to Hamburg from kind of South Germany — and we always heard, like, we were priority, but later I had the feeling we were just one of hundreds [of bands on the label]. And so I lost a bit interest. That's why we didn't release any new material. I was basically more working in the studio for other bands, for 14 years maybe. And that's why I'm now concentrated with Frontiers. [It's] some fresh wind. The guy who takes care about us from Frontiers is a big Roland Grapow fan, MASTERPLAN fan and also HELLOWEEN fan. So that means he knows what he is liking and doing. And so when he heard the new album, he said, 'Wow, that's a very powerful, strong album.' So he was really happy. So this is the kind of relationship I need — I need some attention and feelings from the record label, not being [just] like a business partner."

Earlier in October, Grapow was asked by the Honduras rock radio station Conexión if the goal with the new MASTERPLAN album was to stick with the band's classic sound or experiment a little bit. Roland said: "I think both. I'm always thinking about how we have the typical MASTERPLAN style. I mean, it's my style of playing guitar, arranging the songs. It doesn't matter who writes the songs; I'm always responsible for arranging it and say 'yes, it's good' or not. And in that case, I'm not so easy going, because I have a concept. We started it and I don't want to leave the concept too much left and right, but I like to make experiments and I think it's also the strength of MASTERPLAN. We always did little bit left and right. Also, also when you see 'Time To Be King' [2010], this album was more heavier, more open, more different — not too power metalish, but still great. I love this album. But this time we go back a little bit to a new experiment with meets power metal style of MASTERPLAN. We have some elements ala 'Kind Hearted Light'. We have prog elements; we always had prog elements. Like 'Soulburn', definitely, is kind of a bit proggy song, and we always had it in many, many songs. It's, like, on one song on each album, it was a prog element. Or a lower key, like 'Bleeding Eyes' — very low tuning, which I need a different guitar for it; I can't play it with normal tuning. And I'm always open for this. We have also a couple of songs left, which we don't use this time because I think we went too far, if we would use these two, three songs which are left. One, really, is a very happy song, which is not typical MASTERPLAN; it's more like a HELLOWEEN song, to be honest. Could [have been] written by Weiki [HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael Weikath]. And I said, 'Nah, not now. Next time.' But it's a beautiful song. I like it. And then we have one song, it's a ballad and it's very Irish-sounding. And I also thought, 'This is too much now.' So we have 10 songs now, and, yeah, I'm pretty happy. Every song is a bit different. I don't like to have 10 songs the same, like AC/DC or something — not to make them degrading and something. It's just a style, which I think it's a bit boring."

He added: "Everything I learned in HELLOWEEN, I still keep arranging in my part as a guitar player. MASTERPLAN is just more modern HELLOWEEN style, kind of, with a mix of my old heroes like RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, maybe even the bands which are not metal at all, like FOREIGNER, STYX, KANSAS, TOTO. I'm the biggest TOTO fan in the '80s. Steve Lukather was my idol. I have many, many solo elements I'm playing from him. I learned from him. You see, I'm just showing all my idols melted in one — it's like a melting pot. But I think the new album is pretty good."

Asked in a separate interview with Zona Franca who composed the music and lyrics for the upcoming MASTERPLAN album, Roland said: "The music is composed by Axel Mackenrott, the keyboard player, and myself. We have two guest writers, friends of mine. One is from Slovakia, one is from Sweden. So the lyrics, basically — of the 10 songs, I did the lyrics for nine songs, and Rick [Altzi, MASTERPLAN singer] had one [set of] lyrics written. And that's it. Yeah, it's more or less teamwork."

Earlier in 2025, Grapow told Jarkko Lunnas about the musical direction of the new MASTERPLAN material: "I think it's still sounding like MASTERPLAN. I mean, it's my guitars, my arrangements, my mixing, kind of. You have to develop somehow. You can't repeat yourself. And I think every band, once in a while, or every musician has a peak in his career, and I think it would be not possible, and I don't even know any musician who was mega famous and he went better and better with a higher age. I think it's not possible."

He continued: "I call it a bit more — for my taste — a bit more back to the roots. It's more metal. We have a couple of progressive elements always, but maybe one song I wrote is very progressive but very fast and double bass. But we have also some more rock songs or metal songs in a typical way. So I didn't want it to make it too bluesy or too progressive this time, but we still have every element inside. It's my style. I can't do just like AC/DC, one style. It's not possible for me. Or I could, but I would get so much bored. Then I think, 'Oh, no, I don't like to do that.' You need to make yourself happy in a way, and then hope that the people like it."

In 2017, MASTERPLAN released an album titled "PumpKings", containing reworked versions of HELLOWEEN songs from albums that Grapow played on during his time in the legendary German power metal band. Included are three songs from HELLOWEEN's "Pink Bupples Go Ape" (1991) LP, two from "Chameleon" (1993),three from "Master Of The Rings" (1994),one from "The Time Of The Oath" and two from "The Dark Ride" (2000).

MASTERPLAN's first-ever concert release came out in October 2015. "Keep Your Dream aLive" was made available as DVD/CD and Blu-ray/CD sets, both including the entire show from Masters Of Rock festival, recordings from Wacken Open Air, footage from the band's Asian tour and ProgPower USA, as well as all five official MASTERPLAN video clips. The Masters Of Rock show is featured on the CD.

MASTERPLAN's latest studio album of all original material, "Novum Initium", was released in June 2013 via AFM.

A new MASTERPLAN single, "Rise Again" was made available in early 2024 via AFM Records.

During an appearance on the January 12 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Matt Sorum reflected on his time as the drummer for GUNS N' ROSES. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I said this 10 years ago, I said something to the effect of, it's like watching somebody else's movie. I was there, but I look at it and I'm, like, it's a bit of a dream — it's like a dream sequence. And I've said this a couple times, and it's come out in the press, that gave me legs for the rest of my career, that band. The amount of time I was in it, which was up until '96, but still, that moniker lives with me, and it's given me a level of cache that's taken me around the world doing other things, if that makes sense. And the credibility it gives me as a musician with other musicians, because it's such a rock and roll moniker. It's just such a strong stamp of approval, if you will. But, obviously, I got in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with 'em [in 2012], and I appreciated that nod. A lot of times in those situations with the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, you have to be on an album to get inducted. So luckily I was on those records ['Use Your Illusion I' and 'Use Your Illusion II', both 1991], and 'The Spaghetti Incident?' [1994], that got me the approval of being part of that regime. Obviously [former GUNS N' ROSES drummer] Steven Adler was there [at the Rock Hall] with me, and he was very gracious. We didn't get along in the early days, but we worked it all out as older men. So, I look back, in retrospect, with a lot of pride and happy I did it when it was at the highest level. [GUNS N' ROSES singer] Axl Rose probably the greatest frontman of that era and probably years after. But I was on stage with them. I see videos pop up on Instagram. I'm, like, 'Wow, we were pretty good.' So, yeah, it was just great."

Sorum also looked back on VELVET REVOLVER, the band he formed in 2002 with fellow GUNS N' ROSES members Duff McKagan and Slash. Sorum, McKagan, Slash and guitarist Dave Kushner held an exhaustive singer search after VELVET REVOLVER's formation that lasted for almost two years, during which they issued an open invitation to the public to send in demos. Eventually they settled on former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland. VELVET REVOLVER released two full-length albums through RCA/Sony BMG — 2004's "Contraband" and 2007's "Libertad" — before dismissing Weiland in April 2008.

"VELVET REVOLVER spawned from [GUNS N' ROSES] too, and that was a great run," Sorum said. "It didn't last as long as I wanted it to. I was hoping it'd be more of a long thing and we'd still be here, but unfortunately it didn't go that way. But I think we could have really developed into a great rock and roll band, which I felt like we were on 'Contraband'. But when we first came out, I definitely felt youthful and on fire again. Because when you form a new band out of coming out of a band like GUNS N' ROSES, it wasn't about competition. It was about we have to compete in a younger market now. We were older guys then; we were in our forties at that point — which sounds young now. [Laughs] But we had to fire up. And when we made 'Contraband', I felt like I was 20. If you look back, we all got in great shape. We all got cleaned up. We weren't doing the hard-hitting party nights like we did, and we made a great record. 'Contraband' came out and sold three million copies. We got three Grammy noms. We won one. But we were on fire again."

Recounting an encounter with a fan which made him feel like VELVET REVOLVER had established its own footing after his run with GUNS N' ROSES, Sorum said: "I remember one time me and Duff were in New York, and we were at the gym or something — not like the old days. We were coming out of the gym. We walked out into the street somewhere in Manhattan, and this guy looks at us. He goes, 'Hey, you're Duff and Matt from VELVET REVOLVER.' And me and Duff had never heard that. We looked at each other [and thought that was so cool]. It was always 'GUNS N' ROSES, GUNS N' ROSES.' But at that point in time, GUNS N' ROSES wasn't there. We were. And GUNS N' ROSES is always gonna be there, but they weren't out, they weren't doing much. And we felt very proud of that. We had created something new. You can call it a supergroup or whatever, but that wasn't our intention. We just needed a great frontman, and Scott Weiland was that; he was a great frontman, with his quirks and everything else that went with it. Still, if you look back, in my opinion, he was one of one of the greatest rock and roll frontmen that I've been honored to work with, along with Axl and Ian Astbury [THE CULT] and all the great frontmen I've been in bands with."

More than four years ago, Matt revealed in his book "Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories" that he learned of the 2016 partial reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup via the rumor mill even though he was on a South American tour with Slash and Duff when the Internet chatter first reached him. After he confronted Duff, the bassist told him: "Axl wants to use his drummer [Frank Ferrer]." "Go to Axl and tell him you want me on drums," Sorum responded. "Period. Now's the time." "Oh, man," Duff replied. "I already signed the deal."

Sorum told Rolling Stone in a 2021 interview that he had gotten over the fact that he will probably never play with GUNS N' ROSES again. "I've come to terms with the fact that they're doing their own thing, and I'm doing mine," he said. "I can't say that when it went down, I was completely happy with the circumstances. At the same time, I feel really good about my time in the band."

Weiland was found dead on his band's tour bus in December 2015. The vocalist, who was 48 years old at the time of his death, was on tour with THE WILDABOUTS in Minnesota when he was found unresponsive.

In the past, Sorum had made it clear that he and his bandmates were very aware of Weiland's drug-addiction battles and chronic tardiness when they first joined forces with him to launch VELVET REVOLVER.

Weiland and his former VELVET REVOLVER bandmates said all kinds of nasty things about each other after their acrimonious split in 2008. But Sorum later said he wasn't bothered anymore, partly because he said he had a chance to talk things out with the frontman a couple of years before Scott's death.

VELVET REVOLVER reunited with Weiland for a four-song set in January 2012 at a Los Angeles tribute concert for late songwriter John O'Brien, but the band has otherwise remained inactive.

At one point it was reported that VELVET REVOLVER was going to team with STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT vocalist Corey Taylor, but the idea was ultimately vetoed by Slash. The group and Taylor recorded demos of 10 songs together.

Photo credit: Michael Segal (courtesy of Ken Phillips Publicity Group Inc.)

Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth, the founder of Norwegian black metal legends MAYHEM and key figure within the early 1990s black metal scene, was murdered on August 10, 1993, by BURZUM's Kristian "Varg" Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh). The BURZUM figurehead had completed bass parts on MAYHEM's influential "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" studio album but had grown increasingly estranged from Euronymous in the intervening months, creating a rivalry over who held the most sway within Norwegian black metal circles.

In a new interview with Scott Penfold of The Loaded Radio Podcast, MAYHEM vocalist Attila Csihar was asked if he was close friends with Euronymous prior to his murder and its aftermath, which eventually led to a reconstructed MAYHEM lineup in 1997 without the Hungarian-born vocalist. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I talked to [Euronymous] for two years before I came to Norway back in the days. And he sent me some letters, actually really cool ones, [which he wrote] with a typewriter. Very, very humble and like a gentleman kind of speak or language. He was very, very sophisticated and very nice. And then also we talked a lot by phone, and then, of course, I stayed at his place when I was in Oslo. And we shared a lot of ideas, I think. I think he was great, actually. I can't say anything bad about him. Okay, we were all a bit crazy back then, I would say. I was, like, 22 when I came to Norway. When I first heard from him, I was, like, 20. And he was, of course, also, whatever, two, three years older than me, maybe. So it's not that big difference. I think he was born in '68, if I'm right, so three years difference. Which matters when you are 20 and someone is 23. It's not exactly like today — 50 or 53 doesn't really matter, but when you are 20 and 23, there is a short distance. But we were always on the same page, and I think we respected each other a lot. He was completely into my music too. TORMENTOR, my first band, was one of his favorite bands. That's why he invited me, actually. And also Dead [former MAYHEM singer Per 'Dead' Ohlin, who committed suicide in April 1991] said sometimes that I was one of his favorite vocalists, I saw in some letters. I never talked to him, though, of course. But I think both of them were fascinated by our music with TORMENTOR, and also I guess he wanted something unique too, so he invited me instead of picking up someone from Norway.

"But anyway, he's been really, really cool, I think," Attila continued. "I never had any problem with him. I miss him still. I think it's really sad what happened. I think now people like Varg or people — I don't know — talk about some bullshit. It's cool to talk bullshit about anyone who is not here anymore. I mean, it's easy, so to say — not cool, but it's easy, if someone can't react on that. But as far as I know, he's been cool with me all the time. Maybe he was not so cool with Varg or someone else — that I can't really tell, what was going on with them. It was more on their personal levels. But to me and as an artist, I think he was great. He was a good guitar player, a good composer, I believe. And he had great visions too, which looked very surrealistic back then. For instance, when we recorded the album, he started to work on the tour, and I was so happy. I mean, I was, like, 20. It was like a dream coming true to be in this band. I didn't know first — I even didn't hear about the band when they approached me — but then I realized gradually what it was, and I was so happy. And he said, like, 'Yeah, the first show will be at Hammersmith Odeon in London where VENOM played.' I was, like, 'Horns up, bro. Let's fucking do it.' So I can't say anything bad about him personally. We've been always good friends. Even after the recording, before he got murdered, we had great talks — really good. He was so enthusiastic about the record and he seemed to be very happy and positive about the future. And, yeah, it's too bad what happened. But anyway, it is what it is. It's history now."

Asked if he still keeps in contact with Varg at all, Attila said: "No, no, no, no. I lost contact. But I also stayed at his place in Bergen. So we were all friends. At least I was friends with him, and I never had a problem with him either. Actually, I had a band called PLASMA POOL back then, which was like electro stuff. Actually, we [were] influenced by SKINNY PUPPY and FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, by the way. I listened a lot in the '80s already when these albums came out, and they started, I was lucky to discover them relatively early. So after TORMENTOR, I started that band. So by the time they invited me to MAYHEM, I'd had that band. And Varg really liked it. So Varg was, like, he wanted to release that thing. We were talking about [it]; he was into that. So, actually, I was, like, 'Holy shit, this is great. One guy wants my old band, this guy wants my new band to release. It's getting really good.' So I felt I was in a good place in a good time that time, which probably I was, but, anyway, not in that sense what happened after. That's too bad, I think, at least from my perspective. It was very bad."

Two and a half years ago, Attila told BLABBERMOUTH.NET about Euronymous's murder: "It's so crazy that it was 30 years ago. This is what it is. I'm just passing by. The thing is, to think back, I was there [in Norway] for two weeks. At the same time, I lived at Euronymous's place. I stayed with Euronymous and Varg. We were friends. I was a very good friend of Euronymous. He was my best friend in the band by far. He contacted me and invited me [to sing for MAYHEM]. We hung out together and talked about what we should do and the future. We also talked about the ideologies and the direction of the music. He had all these ideas. I loved his record collection. He had this amazing TANGERINE DREAM collection. I was amazed he liked electronic music. Then, when I met Varg, he was actually also into electronic music. It's a strange thing. He liked my band, PLASMA POOL. This was pre-computer electronic music. It was a different era of electronic music when you didn't have computers. That was challenging. I loved it. It was a dark electro project and Varg loved it.

"Euronymous was very interested in me singing on the MAYHEM record," he continued. "But his other interest was to release [Csihar's cult black metal outfit] TORMENTOR. He thought it was important to release it since we couldn't release it in communist Hungary. I brought him the master tape and DAT. Then Varg was super into it. I don't know if it was already their competition, but he said, 'I want PLASMA POOL, dude. You need to release it with me.' I was, like, 'Sure.' I was so happy that my stuff would be released. We're talking about the very early '90s when releasing something was a big deal. There were no CDs. Well, they came a couple of years before all this. It was hard to get a good contract or anything released. I talked to Varg and Euronymous. I tell you what: They talked a little bit against each other to me. Varg said, 'Don't you think the other guy is a bit strange?' I made a joke about the other guy. Then we were laughing. At the same time, Euronymous said, 'Don't you think he's weird?' Then I made another joke. [Laughs] At the end, I thought, 'Guys, I'm not a fucking priest. Maybe you should talk.' It was not that bad. It didn't look that bad at all. There was a bit of tension, but I thought it was normal. It had been coming for years. [Previous MAYHEM vocalist] Dead [Per Yngve Ohlin] committed suicide. All the trouble, all the church burnings. It was a different age. They fucked up Christian groups and in return, they fucked up Euronymous's store, so it was full of all this Jesus crap. It was another era. They put all their effort — Euronymous borrowed money from his father to pay for the studio, Grieghallen, which was expensive. I was amazed. But the thing with Euronymous and Varg, I never thought it would go that far."

Cishar then discussed the period after the completion of "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" and his inability to get in touch with his MAYHEM bandmates during the summer of 1993. "I always talked to Euronymous," he said. "Suddenly, the summer came. I had the contact of Euronymous, [MAYHEM guitarist] Blackthorn [Snorre Ruch] and Varg. The only phone I didn't have was [MAYHEM drummer] Jan Axel [Blomberg]. I talked from time to time with Euronymous. Suddenly, I couldn't reach them. I was like, 'Whatever.' I realized I couldn't reach anyone, but it was still summer. I thought it was okay — maybe they'll come back in September and we'll see what will happen. It was already October when I said, 'What the fuck is going on?' I was not too nervous. I thought, 'The album has to come.' It was strange we didn't talk. Then a friend of mine came to my place in Hungary. He said, 'You played in MAYHEM?' I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'I just read in the news in this metal magazine from Hungary. There is a very small news piece that the bass player killed the guitarist.' I was like, 'Dude. You took it wrong. It's not the bass player. It was the vocalist who committed suicide.' Then my friend said, 'I don't know. This is what I read.' He didn't have the magazine. I was like, 'No fucking shit. What is this bullshit?' I went down and bought the magazine. When I read it, I couldn't believe my eyes. Like, 'What?' Then I started to think, 'Shit. Maybe this is why I don't hear from anyone.' [Laughs]"

Vikernes was convicted in 1994 and sentenced to Norway's longest prison term of 21 years for the August 1993 murder of Euronymous, whom he stabbed 23 times, and for burning down three churches, including the original Holmenkollen Chapel next to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo. He was released from prison in 2009 after serving 16 years of that sentence.

In October 2003, Vikernes failed to return to prison after being granted a short leave, and was later apprehended by police with an unloaded assault rifle, 700 rounds of ammo, and a handheld GPS system.

Seven years ago, MAYHEM bassist Jørn "Necrobutcher" Stubberud made headlines when he said he was on his way to kill Euronymous before Vikernes beat him to it.

"Okay, I can tell it right now, because I've been holding it in for many years, but actually I was on my way down to kill him myself," Necrobutcher claimed in an interview with Consequence. "And when it happened, I saw the morning paper, thinking 'Fuck, I gotta get home to my place and get out all the weapons and drugs and shit I had in my house, because they're coming to my house because I'm probably going to be the No. 1 suspect for this.'"

Necrobutcher went on to claim that the police were well aware of Vikernes's plan to murder Euronymous, and he had a theory about why they allowed it to happen. "Because they bugged his phone, and he actually talked about this killing before he went to Bergen so the cops already knew that he was coming, so they probably were thinking to themselves, 'We didn't nail this guy for the church burnings, so let's nail him for murder, and get rid of this fucking guy in Oslo the same time,'" he said. "So that's basically what happened."

MAYHEM's seventh studio album, "Liturgy Of Death", will be released on February 6 via Century Media Records.