One of the world's leading guitar string companies, D'Addario has uploaded a 2024 video interview with MEGADETH guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari in which the 38-year-old Finnish-born musician gives an inside look into his expansive influences, preferred gear and why he chooses D'Addario. Check it out below.

Regarding how he came to join MEGADETH in late 2023 as the replacement for Kiko Loureiro, Mäntysaari said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was recruited on a short notice. It all happened kind of fast. First, it was kind of unclear if I'm gonna be needed or if I'm more kind of on standby. So I had learned the setlist, but it was not a hundred percent sure if I'm gonna be playing with the band or not. And then it was only like a week before the first tour when I got the visa in my hand and it was a hundred percent that I'm gonna be there."

Reflecting on his first show with MEGADETH, which took place on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mäntysaari said: "[It was] pretty unbelievable, surreal. By that time when the first show happened, everything had been moving along so fast that I didn't really have time to sit back and think, really, what's going on. I just tried to concentrate on learning the catalog as well as I could."

Teemu also talked about his musical influences, saying: "Heavy metal was what inspired me to pick up the guitar — IRON MAIDEN, classics, DIO. MEGADETH as well. MEGADETH was one of the first bands that I heard when I was getting into metal. I kind of tried to go with diverse influences. I played a little bit in a punk band. Fusion guitarists are some of my favorites, like Greg Howe and Guthrie Govan and Brett Garsed. I think I have a pretty strong blues foundation: Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales. I love that stuff. And that was kind of really fun to get into at an early stage and try to kind of pick things by ear, because a lot of that is a little bit easier stuff and when you learn your 12-bar blues, then you can jam along to bunch of stuff."

He continued: "In my early twenties, I got into jazz more. I was doing the mandatory military service in Finland — I was playing in the army — and it was more of a jazz background band. That kind of forced me to learn more about that world as well, which was a lot of fun. Classical music as well. A lot of movie scores, especially exotic stuff like Chinese and Japanese movie soundtracks. So I try to keep my ears and eyes open and learn from everybody.

"Finland has a really strong metal culture, so even smaller bands are doing really well in Finland, and even internationally and have been doing so for a long time," Teemu explained. "When I was getting into metal and growing up, STRATOVARIUS, CHILDREN OF BODOM, NIGHTWISH, SONATA ARCTICA, those guys were pretty well known in the late '90s, STRATOVARIUS [having been] one of the pioneers already in the '80s. So it was really interesting to grow up in a small country and see that there's all these bands that are making it abroad as well, 'cause it was kind of encouraging in a way as well that you can make it from a small country or a small city. It's also kind of more maybe accepted culture in Finland, almost mainstream. You hear a lot of metal in the radio all day, so that's kind of nice."

Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

MEGADETH's next album, the group's first with Mäntysaari, will be released via a partnership between founder and frontman Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint and the Frontiers Label Group's new imprint BLKIIBLK.

MEGADETH is once again working with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on the band's last two albums, 2022's "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

In August 2024, Mustaine was asked by Chuck Armstrong of "Loudwire Nights" how the dynamic within MEGADETH has changed since Mäntysaari's addition to the band. Mustaine responded: "Well, we are a band again. It doesn't feel like me and some side players or some session guys. Not that it felt like that with any of the previous lineups, but that was one of the fears that I had. I feel like Kiko did us a really huge courtesy by helping us find Teemu because with Kiko needing to step down… I thought I was gonna finish my career out with Kiko, and when things came up with him, he couldn't tour anymore because he needed to be home for his kids. So I see he's touring again, which I'm happy that he's still playing. But he had to go home. And when he did, he introduced us to Teemu. And it was an even closer connection between me and Teemu than Kiko and I had. We'll [Kiko and I] always be friends, but this new relationship I have is — it harkens me back to the days when we had Marty Friedman in the band and the four of us actually felt like a band."

Mäntysaari stepped in September 2023 for Loureiro, who announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that the now-38-year-old Finnish musician would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

Earlier in August, Mustaine was asked by Kyle Meredith what Mäntysaari has brought to MEGADETH that wasn't there before. Mustaine responded: "God, he's such an amazing talent. And as far as being a human is concerned, he's a really humble guy. He's fun to be around because he's kind of — there's this 'greenness' to him, if that's a word, greenness. He makes it really fun because he's gone from being in a band that was pretty well known to being in MEGADETH. And so everything's very new for him at this level. And for us, we get to kind of enjoy ourselves, because we sometimes forget where we're at and then you see other people that, 'Wow, the bread is round and so is the meat,' that kind of shit. And it just makes him really happy, and it just reminds you of how good you have it."

Regarding how much a lineup change like that actually alters the musical DNA of the band, Dave said: "Well, it depends on who the new player is. If they're willing to learn the parts, then the songs either, they stay where they are or they get better. And a lot of times when you have a new player, like when Teemu came in, he played everything identical to the original players. So, he's been one of the best guitar players to step in and play somebody else's stuff. I don't know what his stuff's going to sound like yet, which I'm looking forward to finding out."

In a new interview with Dream Theater World, the official DREAM THEATER fan club, Mike Mangini was asked about his October 2023 departure from DREAM THEATER. Mangini, who has been with the progressive metal band for 13 years, was dismissed from DREAM THEATER in order to make way for the return of the group's original drummer, Mike Portnoy. Mangini said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it's like anything in my whole career in the past. 'Okay, this is an event. Oh, that's interesting.'

"Believe it or not, when I get asked about this, I'm, like, my statement [that I released at the time of my DREAM THEATER departure] actually says it all. And what surprised me about the statement itself is that I am typically long-winded. I typically go off on tangents. I have that speaking-with-the-hands thing that's very Mediterranean, and I can't believe it, just like in a couple of sentences or a sentence, whatever it was, it's, like, it said it all. That was it. So, I immediately was, like, 'Oh, okay. I get it.'

"No matter how many times I say it — a lot of times, people maybe in private ask me, 'Oh, what else [happened]?'" he continued. "It's, like, why would there be anything else? That's it. That makes sense."

Referencing his mindset around the time of his exit from DREAM THEATER, Mangini said: "Where I was at the time — I have a cork board and I have things in my life categorized and all the education stuff as far as my products and services, which is full of index cards and unfinished tasks. And I looked at that, and I was, like, 'Well, I know what I've gotta do right now.' And so the very next day I was up nice and early, with a cup of coffee, steaming cup of black coffee, and just looking at it, going, 'Okay, how do I do this?' And I just started going. I mean, that's what you do. That's it."

When Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER was first announced on October 25, 2023, Mangini said in a statement: "I understand DREAM THEATER's decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time. As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor. I also really enjoyed spending lots of time with the crew. And then there's the Grammy win, which was amazingly satisfying. To the fans: thank you so much for being amazing to me. I cherish the pictures I have of you all losing your minds and having fun. Finally, I really love the band, crew and management and wish them and the entire organization all the best."

This past February, Mangini launched a new band, MONOLITH, with Hernán "Motley" Rodríguez on bass and vocals, and Andy Barrow on guitar.

Mangini released his debut solo album, "Invisible Signs", in November 2023. Accompanying Mangini on the LP were Tony Dickinson on bass, Ivan Keller on guitar, Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) on lead guitar and former EVANESCENCE guitarist Jen Majura on vocals.

Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 40 years ago. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

Mangini made his name in the hard rock world in the mid-1990s when he played with EXTREME, before landing the gig with guitar legend Steve Vai in 1996. Nearly a decade later, Mangini took up a full-time teaching position at the world-renowned Berklee College Of Music.

In a recent interview with Loaded Radio, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was asked how Mangini took the news in October 2023 when LaBrie and the rest of DREAM THEATER broke it to the drummer that Portnoy was coming back. James said: "Well, he was very professional about it. [It was] very admirable of him to have been… He took it in style and class. I mean, obviously, I think it would have been upsetting — it must have been upsetting — but he took it for what it's worth and even saying things like, 'It kind of makes sense, guys. I see why this should be happening and why this would maybe inevitably be happening. It just makes sense for the band and the amount of history that you all have together. It seems natural.' So, yeah, no, he was a class guy. Classy. Yeah."

In a January 2024 interview with Chris Akin Presents…, Mangini was asked if he had any "advance notice" that Portnoy would return to DREAM THEATER in the fall of 2023 or if it was "really immediate". He responded: "Immediate. But it's like… So the fish comes up out of the water, it's immediate, but the fish was swimming for a while. Where was the fish? Whatever."

He continued: "The reason it was easy for me to deal with — very easy, actually — I was, like, 'Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Original guy back in band.' I got I got it. And I didn't have to go do through a drop-down menu; I didn't have to do it. It was just I looked at it and went, 'Okay.' And plus I don't know whether it was intuitive, instinctual [or] intellectual… but I have left so many things on the table for so many years — the publishing of more books, the classes that I wanna teach, the interaction that my own self-development comes largely from me having to teach and talk about it to people. At some point, I mean, I see the whole picture, the grid, and I know what I can't do, and that inspires me.

"But anyway, the answer to your question is, I got a call and understood the call, and said, 'Okay, let's do a joint statement,'" he explained. "And then the next day, I'm, like, 'Okay.' I'm having coffee and quite literally, at my think tank, looking at my list and going, 'How am I gonna complete this job now? I've gotta fix this or do that. I've got a lot to do.' My studio facility had construction, there was stuff that had to be fixed. I was, like, 'Let me just let all of this stuff happen and breathe and just finish these things.' So that's what my mindset was. I can't tell you anything different because that's what it was."

Asked how he managed to avoid being angry over the fact that he was being pushed out of DREAM THEATER when Portnoy wanted to come back, even though Mangini was the drummer that helped the band win its first Grammy Award, Mangini said: "Well, a) because I don't know that that's what is the full picture. I don't know that that is what happened indeed. And I don't let myself even think about it. People decide things and I respect that. It's just it is what it is."

In early November 2023, Mangini told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his exit from DREAM THEATER and the return of Portnoy: "All I know is the decision was made and when I heard it, all I pictured was, 'Oh, this is an original guy going back to his band. Uh, okay. All right. Let's go to the next thing.' It was nothing more. I was told. It was just nothing more than — it seemed so simple to me. And maybe intuitively it's, like, 'Oh yeah, I get it.' And that was that. That's really it… So that's really the crux of it all is it was an easy thing for me to understand. And then once the news hit and it became real, which is when it set in, because once I knew about it, I just got busy. I was, like, 'Okay, I've got all these videos to finish.'"

The 62-year-old Mangini, who joined DREAM THEATER in 2010, continued: "I'm actually doing like a lot of stuff for my [recently released solo] album. I'll do some drum playthroughs. Not to yap and yap and yap about it, but I have a lot on my cork board and my lists and things to do and things to accomplish and things to complete. There's so much there I haven't been able to do. But once it hit and it became real, it was real quick for me. I'm, like, 'Okay, I get it.'"

When host Eddie Trunk noted that everything about his exit from DREAM THEATER, from the way it was handled to the fans' response to Mike's attitude about it, was "about as good as it could be," Mangini concurred. "It is as good as it could be," Mike said. "I think people are where they need to be. It's, like, there's stuff to do, there's places to be, there's people to see, there are things to accomplish and roles to fulfill and tasks to do. And that's what it is. That's really what it is.

"How lucky am I, how fortunate am I to be just a part of that history, to have all this amazing stuff happen?" he continued. "It's positive, positive, positive.

"I know I've accomplished some things with my career, and I've had a lot of struggles and a lot of things that didn't work or whatever, but for my parents to be in their 90s, to see this happen, and I'm not talking about career stuff; I'm talking about how I've treated people and how they treat me. I mean, I think that's what I want for my kids — I wanna feel well about how they are with people and how people treat them at the end of the day. I think that's just awesome."

Another sneak preview of "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph", a Dee Snider-sung rendition of the TRIUMPH classic "Lay It On The Line", can be heard below.

Snider recalled: "The first time I heard this song, I was blown away. There's only one Rik Emmett and TRIUMPH. I'm honored to be a part of this!"

On Friday, June 6, 2025, one of the greatest and most successful Canadian rock bands of all time, TRIUMPH, will be honored with a star-studded tribute album. "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph" will arrive via Round Hill Records, featuring such renowned rockers as Dorothy, Sebastian Bach, Nancy Wilson, Joey Belladonna, Slash and Jeff Keith covering classic TRIUMPH tunes.

The 15-track album features an amazing collection of musical firepower, including drummers Kenny Aronoff and Tommy Aldridge, and guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Paul Gilbert and Nita Strauss. The project was conceived by renowned producer Mike Clink, who has produced classic recordings for GUNS N' ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE and WHITESNAKE.

"Magic Power" will be released on CD with a 12-page booklet and as a double-LP gatefold edition.

To pre-order "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph", click here.

The participants are extremely honored to salute TRIUMPH, including Phil X, who went on to say: "It is so incredible to get back to my roots with my brothers, Gil, Mike and Rik. The TRIUMPH fans will love this!"

Enthusiastically, JOURNEY drummer Deen Castronovo commented: "TRIUMPH was a huge influence. No Gil Moore, no Deen Castronovo singing behind a kit."

Furthermore, Bach said: "The music of TRIUMPH will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm super proud to pay tribute to one of my favorite bands of all time…the Rock n' Roll Machine known as TRIUMPH!"

Originally formed in 1975 and hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the trio was always proud of their Great White North roots. And seemingly ever since their inception, TRIUMPH was on the cutting edge of technology when it came to their live show, particularly lighting, sound, and effects.

Sophisticated lasers, pyrotechnics and moving lighting rigs, all computer-controlled — TRIUMPH was one of the first arena rock bands to incorporate all of these elements into their shows. TRIUMPH's headlining tours were legendary, and the band was featured on many memorable stadium/outdoor shows, including the US Festival, the World Series Of Rock, the American Rock Festival, Texxas Jam and Day On The Green, to name but a few.

And now, fans will be able to re-experience TRIUMPH classics in a whole new way via "Magic Power: All Star Tribute to Triumph".

"Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph" track listing:

* 24 Hours A Day - Sebastian Bach
* Rock & Roll Machine - Sebastian Bach
* Magic Power - Joey Belladonna
* Spellbound - Mickey Thomas
* Lay It On The Line - Dee Snider
* Somebody's Out There - Lawrence Gowan
* Never Surrender - Deen Castronovo
* Hold On - Jeff Keith
* Just One Night - Jason Scheff
* I Live For The Weekend - Dorothy & Tyler Connolly
* Fight The Good Fight - Nancy Wilson
* Follow Your Heart - Jack Blades
* Allied Forces - Phil X
* Blinding Light Show - Envy Of None
* Fight The Good Fight (Encore) - Dino Jelusick

Gil Moore (drums),Mike Levine (bass) and Rik Emmett (guitar, vocals) formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, more than three decades later.

Emmett, who quit TRIUMPH — acrimoniously, in 1988 — over music and business disputes, went on to pursue a solo career, while TRIUMPH carried on with future BON JOVI guitarist Phil X for one more album, 1992's "Edge Of Excess", before calling it a day the following year.

Emmett was estranged, both personally and professionally, from the two other members of the legendary Canadian classic rock power trio for 18 years before they repaired their relationship.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

PUDDLE OF MUDD will release a new album, "Kiss The Machine", on May 2 via Pavement Entertainment. The LP's lead single, "Beautimous", is now available now on all digital platforms and can be streamed below.

A PUDDLE OF MUDD limited "Kiss The Machine" CD/t-shirt bundle is available for pre-order that features a signed post card from frontman Wes Scantlin.

"Kiss The Machine" showcases PUDDLE OF MUDD's fearless approach to music and Scantlin's commitment to innovation.

"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this record," says Wes. "We wanted to mix and match different styles together, have fun, and just create something fresh. It's all about pushing boundaries and breaking out of the same old vibe."

"Kiss The Machine" reflects the raw energy and personal journey of Scantlin, who was fully immersed in every aspect of its creation.

"This album was a moment of clarity — me looking in the mirror," he says. "I was there night after night in the studio, learning, recording, pushing myself, and making sure every part of it felt authentic. I'm super proud of how it all came together."

"Kiss The Machine" is a testament to resilience and creative freedom.

"I just want people to feel something — to smile, and have some hope in their hearts," Scantlin shares. "Music has the power to heal, and if these songs help someone through a tough time, that means everything to me. That's what this album is all about."

"Kiss The Machine" track listing:

01. Beautimous
02. Free
03. In Love with a Dancer
04. Back Against the Wall
05. Firefly
06. Maniac
07. Baby You Da Best
08. Everything
09. Win Win Win

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band. The group into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".

PUDDLE OF MUDD's latest album, "Ubiquitous", was released in September 2023 via Pavement Entertainment.

Last month, TMZ reported that Scantlin was arrested after allegedly getting into a physical altercation with his girlfriend.

Earlier in March, Scantlin made headlines when he claimed he was "roofied" by an ex-bandmate before a disastrous PUDDLE OF MUDD gig at Daytona Bike Week.

Scantlin's latest legal problems came just eight months after he was arrested in Burbank, California for an outstanding warrant and a new charge of resisting arrest.

Wes had almost non-stop problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues, before claiming to have gotten sober in 2017. Scantlin said that he ended up going back to rehab and receiving treatment "because there's really nowhere else to go." He also credited his family and fans for giving him the strength to try to get better.

In February 2023, RadarOnline.com reported that Scantlin was arrested after he allegedly showed up at an old home he lost to foreclosure.

Prior to that, Scantlin was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in September 2017 after he attempted to board a plane with a BB gun. He pleaded no contest and was banned from LAX unless it involved traveling for work.

Less than two years earlier, in December 2015, Scantlin was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and had several previous busts that same year for driving under the influence.

Additionally, he was arrested at a Denver airport in 2015 for taking a joyride on a baggage carousel and taken into custody as far back as 2012 for an altercation with a flight attendant.

He also ended a number of PUDDLE OF MUDD shows in 2016 early with various meltdowns, including one in which he accused a fan of stealing his house.

Scantlin's latest arrest comes three and a half years after he made headlines when he walked offstage midconcert at the EPIC Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin after complaining about the venue's lights.

Photo by Bryce Cain (courtesy of Pavement Entertainment)

In anticipation of his upcoming 2025 "One Assassination Under God" tour, iconic shock rocker Marilyn Manson has released a cover of luminary musician Phil Collins's seminal song "In The Air Tonight". The single has been made available with the B-side track "As Sick As The Secrets Of (Sleep)" on a maxi single CD, which sold out in just four hours. The tracks are available for streaming everywhere now.

As previously reported, Manson will return to the stage this summer and fall for the for the second leg of a tour in support of his new album, "One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1".

"One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1" was made available last November via Nuclear Blast Records.

In August 2024, Manson released two new songs, "Raise The Red Flag" and "As Sick As The Secrets Within". A third track, "Sacrilegious", followed in September 2024.

Marilyn performed "As Sick As The Secrets Within" live for the first time during his headlining concert on August 3, 2024 at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Manson returned to the stage August 2, 2024 for his first live performance since before the pandemic at the kick-off concert of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's summer arena tour. The show at Hershey, Pennsylvania's Hersheypark Stadium marked Manson's proper gig since the completion of his fall 2019 headlining tour.

Joining Manson on his latest tour was his new touring band, consisting of returning members Tyler Bates on guitar and Gil Sharone (ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) on drums, alongside the latest additions, Reba Meyers (CODE ORANGE) on guitar and Matt Montgomery (a.k.a. Piggy D.; ex-ROB ZOMBIE) on bass.

"As Sick As The Secrets Within", which was recorded and co-produced with collaborator Tyler Bates, marked Manson's first release via his new deal with Nuclear Blast Records.

The news of a partnership with Nuclear Blast came in May 2024, just weeks after rumors suggested that Manson had already completed work on a new album.

Prior to the arrival of "As Sick As The Secrets Within", Marilyn hadn't released new music since his 2020 "We Are Chaos" LP.

Manson's 30-date arena/amphitheater tour as the support act for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH wrapped up on September 19, 2024 in Houston, Texas.

Over the past four years, Manson has been embroiled in a series of court battles and has been accused by several women — most notably "Westworld" star Evan Rachel Wood — of sexual, emotional and physical abuse.

Manson, who has denied all the allegations, has countersued a number of his alleged victims and judges have dismissed several of the abuse lawsuits against him.

Before launching the tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in August, the 56-year-old musician, whose real name is Brian Warner, had been off the road since the final August 18, 2019 date on the "Twins of Evil: Hell Never Dies" joint tour with Rob Zombie.

In 2022, Marilyn confirmed he was dropped by his record label, Loma Vista Recordings, and talent agency CAA after he was accused of sexual assault.

Manson has consistently denied sexually assaulting or abusing anyone, claiming that his "intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners".

Manson's first release through Concord imprint Loma Vista was "The Pale Emperor" in 2015.

"We Are Chaos" debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart.

In a new interview with Brent Porche of Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station, DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren spoke about how they go about choosing which classic songs to cover, having previously recorded versions of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence", GENESIS's "Land Of Confusion" and TEARS FOR FEARS' "Shout", among others. Dan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When it came to 'Shout' in the beginning, we were doing that before we had the record deal too. And at the time, when you're playing the bar scene, obviously a lot of owners want you to play cover songs because that's what brings people in the door for neighborhood bars and that, so we had about half and half of originals and covers. And then we just thought we'd take on the challenge of taking a song like 'Shout'. And we liked it lyrically, we liked the message and we thought that musically we could put our stamp on it — still pay our respect to the original version, but be able to add a little bit more aggro to it and a little bit more chunk to it. And I think we've just, throughout our career, even though we don't do it for every album, but the covers we've done throughout the years, it's always just in that moment if we feel like taking on that challenge again of trying to find that song that — for me personally, I like looking for, okay, the lyrical message. If it's something that typically fits within something we would sing about and then, does it give us enough freedom musically? If it's too much of a signature riff, like [LED ZEPPELIN's] 'Stairway To Heaven' or something where, what am I gonna change that guitar part? Probably not. I'd have to take a completely different approach on it and maybe not do that. So some things I hesitate on. I wouldn't say we would never do it, but it would take a lot more thought on it. But then, for example, when we did 'The Sound Of Silence', we went completely the opposite of it. And I don't think that guitar part was really a signature guitar part. With all due respect, it was an amazing song — that's why we did it — and great lyrics, but it wasn't a signature enough guitar performance on it; it was just kind of straight through. But it gave the freedom to give a different interpretation of it. So it's just always trying to find that song that's gonna push us musically and creatively and just really take some chances."

Regarding whether there are any unreleased DISTURBED versions of other artists' songs, Dan said: "When we released a B-side album called 'The Lost Children', we did a FAITH NO MORE track ['Midlife Crisis'] that we did way back in the beginning of our career. And that one, we didn't stray far off, 'cause at the time, when we did that song, we were big FAITH NO MORE fans. But we were asked at the time — there was gonna potentially be a tribute album that was gonna come out, so it was more or less trying to stay true to its form. And we just went in the studio one day, tracked it, and then had it in our back pocket. And, obviously, that album never happened for them or whoever was putting it together, so we just released it on the B-side album. But as far as other covers, I think everything has been out there one way or another. Maybe we didn't push 'em or promote them; we just released it. So I think if people search for it, they're out there. We did the U2 song, 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', and we did the Sting one, 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You'. And we put that one out. We didn't work it as a single, but we put it out during COVID, because nobody knew what the hell was going on in the world and what what was gonna happen and we were all sitting at home for almost two years. So we released that just as a bonus track."

Asked if there are any songs on DISTURBED's bucket list that they would like to maybe cover down the line, Mike said: "We're pretty particular about making sure, like all the factors and characteristics that Dan described. So, we're always tossing ideas around, but nothing has really jumped out just yet. But we're always talking about it."

Added Dan: "Yeah. I think maybe we overthink it some of the times because that's why we we've gone years in between where we don't do anything at all, 'cause it's hard to pick that right one, because we're perfectionist and we're trying to master and we're trying to put our stamp on it and, like I said, pay respect to that original version. But anything's possible. We're open to anything. I don't care what genre of music it is. That's the thing — if we we're up for that challenge again, it's always fun to create and see what happens."

DISTURBED's latest single, "I Will Not Break", came out on February 21 via DISTURBED's own label, Mother Culture Records.

"I Will Not Break" marks DISTURBED's first new music since its acclaimed 2022 album "Divisive".

According to DISTURBED, "I Will Not Break" is "a necessary song, about becoming stronger than the forces that constantly try to tear you down." The track includes the stirring lyrics "I've had enough of feeling terrified, now I'm deciding that I won't be hiding from anyone," which encourages listeners to push back in the face of adversity.

Producer Drew Fulk, also known as WZRD BLD, who helmed "I Will Not Break", previously worked with DISTURBED on "Divisive", which was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

DISTURBED's "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" kicked off in Nampa, Idaho on February 25. Produced by Live Nation, each night features two sets of music, opening with DISTURBED playing the five times platinum "The Sickness" in full, followed by a full set of greatest hits. The first half of the tour featured support from special guests THREE DAYS GRACE, including the return of original singer Adam Gontier, and opener SEVENDUST, while the second half features special guests DAUGHTRY with opener NOTHING MORE.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

In a new interview with Scott's Bass Lessons, Rex Brown reflected on PANTERA's early years, after he joined the band in May 1982 as the group's bassist, replacing Tommy D. Bradford and adopting the alias Rex Rocker. Brown was a classmate of, and played in the high school jazz band with, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (then known as Diamond Darrell).

"The [Abbott] brothers were playing more LOVERBOY, 1981, '82 kind of stuff," Rex said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET),"[with] a little bit of VAN HALEN thrown in — a lot of VAN HALEN, a lot of DEF LEPPARD thrown in — but the pop sense was still there. We were a popular band. We were just trying to write good songs within that sense, and that's hard to do, man. So about '84, by the time [METALLICA's] 'Ride The Lightning' came out is when it all changed — this heavy riffing, that's when it all changed. Because we were so young, we kept that natural progression. You've got a band that's tight; we can all play together really good. [We] had a different singer the first three records and then found this crazy dude down in New Orleans named Philip Anselmo. He wasn't that crazy; I'm just saying. He was different because he wasn't from the same neighborhood. Everybody in this band, we basically all lived not five miles apart from each other in Texas."

Brown continued: "The coolest thing about all of this is that I played in a jazz band from the seventh to the 12th grade. And I used to be able to sight read really, really good. And Vinnie and I knew each other from we were all in junior high. We were in one of the top lab bands for the high school level in North Texas. And they had some really good teachers. And so that's where Vinnie and I were playing for that lab band. And his dad just happened to be an engineer at the only studio for miles in Texas. I think there might have been one other one. That's kind of crazy for the late '70s. But everything changed around that period. And he was a really good engineer, but it was more country. He wasn't ready for this rock from his kids. And so I think that's where we got a little angst and rebellion from in those early years, because it was fighting with the old man, just to try to get some sounds down there. He was not used to [recording that kind of music]."

Rex added: "They were the first kids with a P.A. in town. But once I got in the band, they told me, 'Well, you can't smoke and you can't drink.' And so I showed up at the first rehearsal with a six pack of Löwenbräu and a cigarette in my mouth… It was fun. We were 17, 18 years old, and we wanted to make a name for ourselves. And to make a name for yourself, you have to get out there and practice, practice, practice and learn other people's songs. My sister was 17 years older than I was, and I had all this great material to pull from — all the way from THE [ROLLING] STONES and THE BEATLES. I mean, any of THE BEATLES stuff through the '60s, it was all over. So I would just dig through those records, man, and learn how to play it. I was a guitar player first before I started playing bass. They wanted me to play the guitar in the lab band… And I was also wanting to be on the drum line 'cause of the rudiments and all that kind of stuff… I took nothing but music classes my whole seventh through 12th grade. It was all music."

Rex confirmed that he and his PANTERA bandmates were turned down 28 times by every major label on the face of the Earth before they were picked up by Atco Records prior to the release of "Cowboys From Hell" in 1990.

"It was a lot hardship — it really was," Rex recalled. "I think that things happen for reasons, being at the right place at the right time, and having the perseverance to go ahead and see that for what it is, but keep… God, we were writing this incredible stuff, and the chemistry was just getting better and better. By the time we were 25 years old, we had a major label record deal.

"We pretty [knew] that we were gonna do this, but how were we gonna do it?" he added. "So we started selling all of our cassettes at the shows. We sold 46,000 copies out of the backseat of our car. And that's when somebody goes, 'Well, of course, we'd rather make the money than you guys.' But once you got your foot in the door, it wasn't time to go, 'Phew, we're rock stars.' It was time to get to work. And that was hitting every radio station… But we still had the melodic sense that was left over from the '80s in our music. And then we incorporated stuff like that. I mean, even a song like 'Fucking Hostile'. You take that song — that's a pop song. It became popular. Yeah, it did —even though it wasn't on the radio. Nobody would play it. Nobody had the balls back then to do it. Philip and I still carry that with us. Absolutely."

PANTERA and AMON AMARTH will embark on a U.S. amphitheater tour this summer. Produced by Live Nation, the journey will commence on July 15 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania and wind its way through over two dozen cities, coming to a close on September 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Featuring classic members Anselmo and Brown, alongside guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante, PANTERA's latest stretch of live dates continues the celebration of the lives of late founding members, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag. The tour follows PANTERA's spring run of stadium shows with METALLICA and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES as well as a very special U.K. performance as part of BLACK SABBATH's and Ozzy Osbourne's historic final show alongside METALLICA, SLAYER, GOJIRA, HALESTORM, ALICE IN CHAINS, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, MASTODON and more.

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin spoke about the band's current status, three and a half years after FAITH NO MORE scrapped all of its previously announced fall 2021 performances, saying singer Mike Patton was unable to perform as hoped due to mental health issues, partially exacerbated by the pandemic. Bordin said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "All I can say is, and I think I do want this to be on the record, actually — because we don't promote ourselves, we don't talk about ourselves, and that's, that's really been to our detriment. But we'd been rehearsing for six months for these dates [in September/October 2021]. We'd been rehearsing instrumentally and we incredibly sounded phenomenal. I mean, the bass player said, 'I've never heard us sound this good. This is how these songs sounded in my mind.' And we've never gotten that on album, on live, whatever. I mean, we were ready, we were prepared. And it came to pass that when the gear was in the truck, when it was rolling to Chicago, 36 hours before we were supposed to be on stage, and our guy [Mike Patton] doesn't show for the rehearsal, the one rehearsal that we're gonna do. And we go to go see him and see what's going on. 'What the hell's going on here? Our gear's rolling already to the gig.' And it was very clear that he was unable at that point to physically do it. We made the decision that, 'Look, we've gotta support our guy.' It's gonna be a shit storm canceling fucking 75 shows, but none of us wants to be the guy that breaks his back and forces him to do something that he's not in the position to be able to do. It wasn't even an argument. The only argument was, 'How the fuck did we logistically do this? Because we have to.' I mean, we did support him in our way, and whether that's perceived or not is beyond — I can't control it. So we pull these shows and just wait to see. Hopefully things are better, and try to find out what we can around the edges. But ultimately shows get started to get booked with another band," referencing Patton's sporadic appearances with his long-running avant-garde/thrash band MR. BUNGLE in the last two and a half years, "and that's continued to this day. So it's my take, my position, my statement on it is that he's gone from being unable to do the shows to clearly being unwilling to do shows with us. And that's heavy. That's a big difference. That's a big difference. And we haven't really had much dialogue on it."

Bordin continued: "It doesn't feel great to me. It honestly kind of hurts my feelings a little bit, but that's personal. That's a private thing. It's business. We were never gonna force somebody to do something that they weren't able to do. And now, as I say, it looks like it's more really about being willing to do it."

Bordin clarified that he is "grateful for what [Patton has] given to us. I mean, we're blessed to have been blessed by such a gigantic, enormous talent," he said. "And the future? I don't know. Will he be willing to do stuff or not? It's not for me to say.

"I tell my kids a lot of times, especially when they were young, it's, like, appreciate what you have and don't really trip on what you don't have," the drummer continued. "So I'm grateful for the time we had with [former FAITH NO MORE guitarist] Jim [Martin]. I'm grateful for the time we have with [former FAITH NO MORE singer] Chuck [Mosley]. I'm grateful for the time even we had with [former FAITH NO MORE member] Courtney [Love] 'cause we learned from all of it. And certainly am I grateful for the time with Mike Patton? Yeah, because my life would be very different without it. But I can't force him to do something that he, from where I'm sitting, doesn't seem to wanna do. That's all I can say. And I don't wanna be controversial. I'm not looking for a fucking headline — I'm really not. I'm just trying to tell you sort of what it looks like from here."

This past January, FAITH NO MORE bassist Bill Gould was asked by Chile's Radio Futuro what is going on with the band at the moment. He responded: "I don't know. I honestly don't know. And you don't have to believe me, but there's nothing… Right now we're in a really weird spot, a really strange spot, and I can't really tell you what's going on. I don't know myself. I get different information from people, and I'm in the band, so…"

When the interviewer suggested that Gould "calls the shots" in FAITH NO MORE, Bill replied: "Uh, not really. If I did, probably we'd be playing in Chile next week. [Laughs]"

Last October, FAITH NO MORE keyboardist Roddy Bottum said that the band was on "semi-permanent hiatus".

After FAITH NO MORE canceled its fall 2021 performances, the other members of the band issued a statement expressing their disappointment about the tour cancelation while also throwing their support behind Patton.

FAITH NO MORE, which hasn't played a concert since 2016, initially reunited for touring purposes in 2009, 12 years after issuing its previous studio set, "Album Of The Year", and followed that up with 2015's "Sol Invictus".

In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Patton revealed he developed agoraphobia and depression during lockdown, and started drinking heavily. "Because I was isolated so much, going outside was a hard thing to do," he said, "and that's a horrible thing. And the idea of doing more FAITH NO MORE shows — it was stressful. It affected me mentally. I don't know why, but the drinking just… happened."

Patton didn't return to the stage until December 2022, when MR. BUNGLE played six shows in South America.

In July 2022, Patton discussed the mental health issues which caused the cancelation of FAITH NO MORE and MR. BUNGLE's live appearances in an interview with Rolling Stone. At the time he said: "It's easy to blame it on the pandemic. But I'll be honest, man: At the beginning of the pandemic, I was like, 'This is fucking great. I can stay home and record.' I've got a home studio. So I was like, 'Yeah, what's the big deal?' And then something clicked, and I became completely isolated and almost antisocial [and] afraid of people. That sort of anxiety, or whatever you want to call it, led to other issues, which I choose not to discuss."

Asked to elaborate on the "other issues" that led to the cancelations and whether that included "substances" and "alcohol", Patton said: "It was a little bit of everything. But mostly, in my experience, it was mostly mental. I saw some therapists and all that stuff, which is the first time I ever had to do that in my life. And they basically diagnosed me as having agoraphobia; like, I was afraid of people. I got freaked out by being around people. And maybe that was because I spent two years basically indoors during Covid. I don't know. Maybe it reinforced feelings that I already had. But just knowing about it, talking about it, really helped."

Mike said that he realized he had a problem "right around the time that FAITH NO MORE was about to go back on the road. That's when I kind of lost it, and it was ugly and not cool," he said. "A few days before we were supposed to go on the road. I told the guys, 'Hey, man, I don't think I can do it.' Somehow my confidence was broken down. I didn't want to be in front of people, which is weird because I spent half of my life doing that. It was very hard to explain. And there were some broken feelings on both sides about it, but it's what I had to do. Because otherwise something really bad could have happened… It was right before our first rehearsal, and I just freaked out. I just said, 'I can't do it.' They had been rehearsing so [pauses] if I were them I'd be really pissed off at me. And they were. And they probably still are. But it's just about being true to yourself and knowing what your limits are. And I knew that if I kept pushing, it could have been some sort of disastrous result. It was just like, 'Goddamn it. Maybe I don't need to do this. Even though I agreed to do it, and it's gonna bum a lot of people out. I gotta take care of myself.' So I'm getting better at that."

As for where things stood with FAITH NO MORE as of July 2022, Patton told Rolling Stone: "Radio silence. [Laughs]. I don't know. We may reschedule stuff; we may not. I'll just leave it at that. It's a little confusing and complicated. So if we do, we do. If we don't, that's cool, too."

California crossover thrash/hardcore punk legends SUICIDAL TENDENCIES have released a new single, "Adrenaline Addict". You can now see the official visualizer for the track below.

As previously reported, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES will support METALLICA on the 2025 North American leg of the latter band's ongoing "M72" world tour. The trek will launch on April 19 in Syracuse, New York.

The 2025 lineup of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES includes founding member, vocalist Mike Muir alongside guitarists Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and Dean Pleasants, bassist Tye Trujillo (son of Robert Trujillo),as well as the band's latest addition, drummer Jay Weinberg.

During a press conference at last year's Hellfest in Clisson, France, Muir was asked if there are any plans for him and his SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bandmates to work on new music. He said: "When we did the last record [of all-new material], it was 'World Gone Mad' in 2016, I kind of said, it sounds bad, but I don't enjoy making records, because it's like full-on mental fuck to me and, then it's the time and the family and everything. It's difficult. But now having [guitarist] Ben in the band, Jay in the band…. One of the first things Jay did after we did a couple shows, he's just, like, going, 'Dude, I wanna fucking make a record.' And the way he and Ben, they said it, they go, like… Ben was, like, 'When I was 12 years old and I heard SUICIDAL, it spoke to me. And other music, I heard a lot of music.' He goes, 'I wanna do a record like that.' And that's exactly what Jay said. Obviously, having Tye, Robert's son in there, Robert's, like, 'Dude, you guys need to make a record. do that thing.' And so I think that we're definitely leaning towards doing it."

He continued: "We realized that a lot of people, with music, you look around and you see what's popular, what's trendy, and we go back to what was popular and trendy when we did our first record, and we didn't do any of that and all the reviews were terrible. And so we'll do a record that people probably will not like, and I will be very happy and stuff. But I think that years from now that people will sit there, and there'll be a lot of people that are not so much into trends or genres that'll go, like, 'That's a fucking really bad-ass record.' And so that's what I want to do. As I say, I like to like people, but I don't care if people like me. [Laughs] It makes my life easier."

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' latest album, "Still Cyco Punk After All These Years", was released in 2018 via Suicidal Records. A reworking of Muir's 1996 solo outing "Lost My Brain! (Once Again)", "Still Cyco Punk" featured founding SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo.

In 2023, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES celebrated the 40th anniversary of their debut album on a number of shows in the fall, including in New York City; Silver Spring, Maryland; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Berkeley, California. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the LP on a tour of Australia.

NAPALM DEATH was forced to perform as a three-piece at the April 14 stop of the band's U.S. tour with the MELVINS at the Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona after NAPALM DEATH singer Mark "Barney" Greenway was taken ill. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

On Tuesday (April 15),Greenway released the following message via social media: "Hello everybody, sincere apologies to whoever came to the Tucson gig last night. I contracted some mystery gut thing on the morning, and was in enough discomfort to stop me from being able to do even a couple of lines of vocals last night. It never feels great to be missing gigs, but the other guys gave it more than a good go as usual. Sorry again. Lots of love."

The rest of NAPALM DEATH added: "[Barney] is all better now … It's never easy in these situations. Tonight we are back on track. Thank you for understanding".

In October 2023, NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury told Mammoth Metal TV that the band would "probably" begin work on its next studio album in 2024. Asked about a possible timeline for the recording sessions for the follow-up to 2020's "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", Shane said: "The last record, we started it musically in two stages, and then Barney took quite a few days to record his vocals, 'cause we were touring.

"I've got lots of ideas; [I just need] to piece it together," he added. "And hopefully go into the studio and just kind of experiment."

In February 2022, NAPALM DEATH released a new mini-album, "Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw Of Throes", via Century Media Records.

"Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" is a partner recording to "Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism", concluding matters through vital, tumultuous grindcore and shockwave ambience.

The eight-song "Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes" comes with a total playing time of 29 minutes and is available as a limited CD digipak, vinyl as well as in the digital album format.

"Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism" came out in September 2020 via Century Media Records. The band's 16th studio LP was recorded with longtime producer Russ Russell and features artwork by Frode Sylthe.

Embury released his autobiography, "Life?… And Napalm Death", in October 2023 via Rocket 88, an imprint of the established British book production company Essential Works.

Largely misunderstood and widely mocked in their early days, NAPALM DEATH nonetheless became the benchmark for uncompromising extremity, as well as a political force for good. Dismissed by many as a ridiculous noise, NAPALM DEATH became the credible face of extreme art rock, beloved of John Peel, NME cover stars and indie music darlings. Embury's debut studio release with the band, 1988's "From Enslavement To Obliteration", remains a seminal work of raging sonic violence coupled with ultra-credible punk critiques of corrupt politics, capitalist opportunism and societal collapse. The record remains as revered today as it ever was.

Hi All - A message from Barny regarding last night show in Tucson - he is all better now … it’s never easy in these situations tonight we are back on track thank you for understanding 🙏🏼

Posted by Napalm Death on Tuesday, April 15, 2025

In a new interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One, DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy reflected on his decision to leave the progressive metal band 15 years ago, a quarter century after he co-founded the group. Portnoy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Here's the funny thing. When I left DREAM THEATER in 2010, I left because I was fried from the write-record-tour, write-record-tour, write-record-tour. It was just an endless cycle that was going on for 25 years at that point for me. And I, being the control freak I was, oversaw every element with not just the music and the lyrics and the melodies and the production, but also the merch and the fan clubs and everything, the setlist. So it was all-encompassing, and I was fried. So the biggest irony is I wanted to take a break and we came to a head where I ended up leaving the band because I needed a break. But that's the biggest irony of all, is that I went off from there to form, like, 87 bands. [Laughs]"

He continued: "In the 13 years I was out of DREAM THEATER, I made — I don't know — 50 or 60 albums with dozens of different bands and artists. So that's the biggest irony, is I suddenly went from doing write-record-tour, write-record-tour with one band to now doing it with a dozen bands and never having a break. And everybody at first was, like, 'Oh, we thought you needed a break.' And I was, like, 'Well, maybe I just needed a break from the DREAM THEATER world.' Then I was very inspired doing all these albums with all these other musicians I admired and loved. And anything my imagination could think of, I was in this great position to put together these bands. I wanted to form a band with [then-DEEP PURPLE guitarist] Steve Morse. Okay. I formed a band with Steve Morse. I wanted to form a band with [MR. BIG's] Billy Sheehan and Richie Kotzen. 'Okay, let's do that.' I wanted do something with [guitar legend] Tony McAlpine and [former DREAM THEATER keyboardist] Derek Sherinian, or do a thrash metal album with the guys from ANTHRAX and METALLICA and MEGADETH. Anything my imagination could think of, I was able to do all these other things with other people. So, yeah, it was the busiest, most fruitful decade-plus of my entire career. And I was able to do so many different musical styles. Everybody kind of knew me as the hundred-piece-drum-kit guy from DREAM THEATER, but suddenly now I was doing classic rock in the vein of CREAM or [Jimi] Hendrix with THE WINERY DOGS, or doing the thrash metal stuff with METAL ALLEGIANCE, or even doing hired-gun gigs. I had done a whole tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. I had joined TWISTED SISTER for their farewell tour… I am the most unlikely person that you would ever think would be the guy to land the gig with TWISTED SISTER for their farewell tour. But I think, if anything, it more goes to show my eclectic taste. Even though I made my name with DREAM THEATER, doing DREAM THEATER-style progressive music, I'm still the biggest BEATLES fan you'll ever meet, I'm the biggest U2 fan, the biggest JELLYFISH fan. So, yeah, I needed to spread my musical wings over those years away."

Asked what he "had to do internally" in order for him to rejoin DREAM THEATER, Portnoy said: "Well, the first step was I needed to mend the personal relationships with all four of the other guys in the band, 'cause I know I hurt them when I left them, and I always felt really bad about that. I made a decision that essentially was very selfish, leaving the band at… We had just played Madison Square Garden with IRON MAIDEN and then, like, a month later I left the band. It's, like, everything was full steam ahead at that point, but I made a selfish decision that I needed to scratch an itch, or else I would've regretted not leaving. I love that expression, 'it's better to regret something you have done than something you haven't done,' and that's kind of where I was at. It was, like, man, 'If I don't follow my heart and try some other things, I'm gonna forever wonder what if.' So I needed to do it. But in answer to your question, coming back, I needed to mend the personal relationships with all the guys and make amends for possibly hurting them. And it came slowly. I mean, first myself and [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci started hanging out socially. Our families are our friends. Our wives used to play in a band together. Our kids are friends. So we started getting together for the holidays and just doing stuff with our families. And then it followed suit with [DREAM THEATER keyboardist] Jordan Rudess. Jordan and I would get together. And then [DREAM THEATER bassist] John Myung lives literally down the block from me where I live in Pennsylvania. So the personal relationships needed to be mended. And the final piece of that puzzle was [DREAM THEATER singer] James LaBrie, 'cause I hadn't spoken to James in over a decade. And he held a grudge with me, and I had tried to make amends many times with him and he just wasn't ready. And at one point towards the end of '22, I think it was, I went and saw DREAM THEATER in New York and was able to see James in person for the first time, and within a minute everything melted away. Within a minute, it was big hugs, kisses: 'I love you. I miss you.' And all of that bullshit that transpired for years, all the drama immediately melted away. And that was it."

Mike continued: "To be honest, even at that stage, when James and I mended fences, if somebody asked me, "Do you think you'd be back in DREAM THEATER?', I would even at that point say, "Eh, I don't know if I would bet on it. I don't know.' And then there started to be these musical steps that started to feel, 'Okay, maybe this is inevitable.' I played on John Petrucci's solo album and did a tour with him for his solo tour. Jordan and myself and John Petrucci did a third LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT album, along with Tony Levin. So we started having these musical steps that started to feel, 'Well, maybe this is the time and place.' And, we're all getting older. We're all in our late fifties, and some of the guys are even in their sixties at this point. And we look at what happened with RUSH. And they had done their 40th-anniversary tour and then retired and then, five years later, [RUSH drummer] Neil [Peart] was gone. So, things like that would make us think, like, who knows how much time we have left here — personally or collectively as a band? And with everything kind of coming together with us on personal levels and musical levels outside of DREAM THEATER, it started to feel, 'Maybe this is the time.' And I'm glad it did, because I see stories like Roger Waters never going back to PINK FLOYD or Peter Gabriel never going back to GENESIS, and I always dreaded, like, 'I hope that's not gonna be the case with me and DREAM THEATER. I hope we someday reunite and ride off into the sunset together, as it's meant to be.' And that's where we're at. Here we are."

DREAM THEATER's sixteenth studio album, "Parasomnia", came out on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP marked DREAM THEATER's first release with Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with Petrucci and Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.

Mike Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

DREAM THEATER kicked off the North American leg of its 40th-anniversary tour on February 7 at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The trek was "An Evening With Dream Theater" and was the first tour of North America since Portnoy's return to the lineup. The tour concluded on March 22 in New York City.

"Parasomnia" was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returns once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.

In a new interview with Andrés Durán of El Expreso Del Rock, JUDAS PRIEST drummer Scott Travis was asked why the band doesn't perform any of the songs from the two albums JUDAS PRIEST made with singer Tim "Ripper" Owens, 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just think it's not something Rob [Halford, PRIEST vocalist] really wants to do, and I totally understand that. And the other thing is, with JUDAS PRIEST, we have so many great songs to play, it's impossible to get to get 'em all in because, as you know, in concert, we're always gonna have to play '[You've Got] Another Thing Comin'' and 'Living After Midnight', 'Breaking The Law', '[The] Green Manalishi [With the Two Pronged Crown]', 'Victim Of Changes' — you're always gonna have to play those classics. 'Cause as soon as you don't play those, then people are screaming, 'Why didn't you play this song or that song?' So you have to do those, and then you've only got so much time left to squeeze the other songs in during a live set. So, to be honest, there's really just not time. And so we just decided to not mess with it."

Back in October 2021, Owens spoke to Pierre Gutiérrez of Rock Talks about the fact that PRIEST was not performing any songs from the two albums he recorded with the band during the group's 50th-anniversary tour. "I actually don't think it makes sense that they don't play songs from my era," he said. "I mean, it was JUDAS PRIEST. Listen, you're celebrating 50 years of JUDAS PRIEST, but you're leaving out 10 years of it. The thing is Rob would sound so awesome… Could you imagine Rob singing 'Burn In Hell'? Holy crap, it would sound fantastic. So, there's nothing wrong with sticking 'Burn In Hell' in a setlist. It was right in the middle there, so… I don't know. But they have a great setlist to play right now, so it's pretty awesome to see it.

"It's amazing JUDAS PRIEST has never done it," Owens continued. "They don't always have to do it, but it's amazing that they've never done it. I mean, Rob supposedly has never heard my era of JUDAS PRIEST, and it's kind of all right because I've never actually listened to his solo stuff except FIGHT, so we're kind of even on it. After FIGHT, I've not really listened to his stuff either, so it's kind of all right.

"When I was in JUDAS PRIEST, I didn't listen to a lot of stuff so I really didn't listen to the HALFORD stuff — unless somebody had it on somewhere," Tim explained.

"I love Rob — Rob is a friend and a mentor and an idol. Rob Halford and Ronnie James Dio are the two guys that really inspired me. So it's nothing against anything, really. It's not that I didn't want to [listen to his solo stuff]; I just never did. It was kind of, like, 'I'm in JUDAS PRIEST. There's no need.' But after I left, I listened to the JUDAS PRIEST records. Whether I liked them or not, I listened to 'em."

In September 2021, Rob was asked by Classic Rock magazine if he has listened to "Demolition" and "Jugulator". "No. I still haven't," he said. "This might sound selfish, but because it's not me singing, I'm not attracted to it. I sound like a twat, but I'm really just not interested. And that's no disrespect to Ripper, 'cause he's a friend of mine."

Halford went on to say that he first met Owens "when the band went through Ohio, [and Tim] came to the show. Was it awkward? Not in the least," he said. "We gave each other a hug. He's a massive PRIEST fan, and when the opportunity came for me to go back, he was, like, 'Thumbs up, it's great. I'm happy for the band, I'm happy for Rob.' I respect his chops; he's a great singer."

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 after being discovered when Travis was given a videotape of him performing with the PRIEST cover act BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Halford.

In a 2000 interview, Halford explained why he was reluctant to hear "Jugulator". "It's just too difficult for me to listen to the band when I'm not in it, and that's nothing to do with taking a shot at Ripper," he said. "I just can't listen to it. It's just psychological. I should just put it on and listen to the fucking thing, but then if I do, [interviewers] will say, 'Well have you heard it?', and I'll go, 'Yeah', and then you'll go, 'What do you think?', and I don't want to do that. I don't want to be put in that situation. I just love all the things that I've done with the band and I'm happy to be a part of that great legacy and that's all. You want to treat it with respect because that's what it deserves."

In October 2020, Halford told "The SDR Show" that he would "absolutely" be open to performing material from "Demolition" and "Jugulator" with PRIEST. "Those two albums are just as valid as everything else in the PRIEST catalog," he explained. "So who knows? That day may yet come."

In 2019, Owens told Ultimate Guitar that he believes his era of JUDAS PRIEST is largely overlooked. "Yeah, I think it definitely deserves more [attention]," he said. "I mean, they don't do anything. [Laughs] It's kind of amazing that they just totally erased it that they won't play... I mean, 'Burn In Hell' [off 'Jugulator'], the crowd would like to hear 'Burn In Hell'.

"They don't have to give me a tribute or anything, but it would be nice to play a song from... You know, that was a pretty big thing, I did two studio records, two live records, and a DVD, starting from '96 to 2004. So it's kind of crazy that it's just been erased and they won't even play a song from it live, because it is JUDAS PRIEST."

In October 2019, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner said that "Hell Is Home" is one of his favorite songs from the Owens era. The PRIEST guitarist, who joined the band in 2011 as the replacement for K.K. Downing, offered his opinion during a live video chat. He said: "I was listening to the Ripper albums the other day, and 'Hell Is Home' is such a great track. It's really heavy and the vocal melody is really great. I think Ripper sings it really well. It's probably one of my favorite PRIEST songs of the Ripper era. 'Hell Is Home' — I really like that."

"Demolition" and "Jugulator" are included on "50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music", JUDAS PRIEST's limited-edition box set which contains every official live and studio album to date plus 13 unreleased discs. Released in October 2021, it is the most extensive release of previously unreleased music the band has made from its vast archives.

Photo credit: Andy "Elvis" McGovern (courtesy of Live Nation)

4K fan-filmed video of Michael Schenker's April 16 concert at Klub Kwadrat in Kraków, Poland can be seen below.

The legendary German guitarist kicked off his spring 2025 European tour on April 9 at De Boerderij in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands.

Schenker is touring in support of his recently released "My Years With UFO" album celebrating the 50th anniversary of Michael's years with UFO.

Joining Michael on the trek on vocals is former SKID ROW frontman Erik Grönwall, who is the featured singer on the "Mother Mary" song on "My Years With UFO", which also includes a guest appearance by GUNS N' ROSES' Slash on guitar.

Erik touched upon his touring plans with Schenker in a September 20, 2024 YouTube livestream. He said: "Yeah, I'm heading out with Michael Schenker next year, a European tour. I did that song with him on the 'My Years With UFO' release. And it's gonna be a lot of fun. And I've been looking forward to get back on that stage once again."

In March 2024, Grönwall — who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021 — announced his departure from SKID ROW. He said at the time that he decided that the travel and rigors of the road were not conducive to his overall health and recovery, and he wanted to focus on a lifestyle that is more amenable for his well-being, healing and family.

In a recent interview with Noise11's Paul Cashmere, Schenker revealed that he was already working on a new MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP album called "Don't Sell Your Soul" which will feature Grönwall "singing most of the songs," along with vocal contributions from Robin McAuley and Michael Voss.

Produced by Schenker and Voss, "My Years With UFO" marked the 50th anniversary of Schenker's era with UFO, spanning from 1972 to 1978. The "German Wunderkind" was asked to join UFO at just 17 years old. Touring the globe as a teenager, Schenker became a driving force behind some of UFO's most loved tracks, such as "Doctor Doctor", "Rock Bottom" and "Only You Can Rock Me".

Although Michael Schenker's era with UFO spanned only six years, his influence as a young songwriter and exceptional guitarist had already left a lasting mark on rock. During these meteoric years, the UFO albums "Phenomenon", "Force It", "No Heavy Petting", "Lights Out", "Obsession" and the seminal live album "Strangers In The Night" were recorded, each contributing significantly to the genre. "Strangers In The Night" particularly stands out as one of the most influential live rock albums of all time and is still regarded as a cornerstone in any rock enthusiast's collection.

In this celebratory album, Michael Schenker presents 11 of UFO's greatest hits from this magical era with an impressive lineup of guest stars. Joining Schenker on this journey are Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Brian Tichy on drums, and Barry Sparks on bass.

The stellar roster of guest artists includes Axl Rose (GUNS N' ROSES),Slash (GUNS N' ROSES),Kai Hansen (HELLOWEEN),Roger Glover (DEEP PURPLE),Joey Tempest (EUROPE),Biff Byford (SAXON),Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY),John Norum (EUROPE),Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER),Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE),Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW),Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS),Adrian Vandenberg (WHITESNAKE),Michael Voss, Stephen Pearcy (RATT) and Erik Grönwall (SKID ROW).

Having just returned from a triumphant set at Lollapalooza in São Paulo, Brazil, Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum rock band BUSH offer a glimpse of what's to come with "60 Ways To Forget People", a raw and emotionally charged taste from their upcoming 10th studio album, "I Beat Loneliness", due out July 18 on earMUSIC. Exploring the complexities of heartbreak, personal transformation, and the painful process of letting go, the track sets the tone for a bold new chapter. The official first single arrives June 5.

BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale states: "What I feel about this record is it addresses the common struggles we all have. '60 Ways To Forget People' is an ode to sacrifice and a dedication to the focus it takes to be better. All the time and in all things."

Produced by Rossdale and Erik Ron (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, SET IT OFF, BAD OMEN),"I Beat Loneliness" marks BUSH's tenth studio album — a powerful testament to the band's enduring legacy and continued evolution. The record blends their grunge-rooted intensity with fresh textures and themes exploring mental health, solitude, and resilience.

"I Beat Loneliness" track listing:

01. Scars
02. I Beat Loneliness
03. The Land Of Milk And Honey
04. We're All The Same On The Inside
05. I Am Here To Save Your Life
06. 60 Ways To Forget People
07. Love Me Till The Pain Fades
08. We Are Of This Earth
09. Everyone Is Broken
10. Don't Be Afraid
11. Footsteps In The Sand
12. Rebel With A Cause

Following the release, BUSH will embark on a worldwide tour, launching April 21 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The band will then tour across North America from July 19 to August 30, before heading overseas to join VOLBEAT for a series of dates across Europe from September 18 through November 13.

In a recent interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, Rossdale stated about the 12 songs featured on "I Beat Loneliness": "I know that everyone [says] no one cares [about full albums anymore] and it's [all about] these singles, but I think that if I like an act, if I like a band, I just wanna hear their body of work. I don't wanna hear just one song. I'm a musician, so I wanna know what 12 ideas someone has, not just one idea. And so I'm excited for that. But I understand most people just listen to one song and move on, with so many bands. But [I'm] very excited about it."

Asked what fans can expect to hear on the new BUSH album, Gavin said: "Oh, it's in a similar vein to [2022's] 'The Art Of Survival' and [2020's] 'The Kingdom' — super detuned, super heavy, but there's moments of light. And so it's not like angst [all the way through], but it's just very… It is very sort of centered on people's mental health and well-being and those kind of challenges, because it becomes more and more apparent, people suffering more and more. So music is often the way that people — it's like a medicine. So it's really good to have heavy subjects within the songs, but the songs have loads of hope and light and lift you up. I want people to come see us and have a great experience. It's not a doom-and-gloom [collection of songs]; it's a sort of a, how do we fight the good fight?"

Gavin also spoke about the inspiration for the "I Beat Loneliness" title, saying: "The reason why I like that title — [there's] a song called that — is because anybody who has a degree of melancholy in their heart, and it's normal; sometimes you feel good, sometimes have a melancholy. And it's good to be reflective. You can't be smiling like a moron the whole time, like a maniac, so the idea of beating loneliness is that it's impossible, because you can't. But it's beautiful 'cause the idea is that if you feel you beat it, it's like a respite, and you're not in that mindset. But it's all temporary, because you come back and that sort of feeling can flood in. But I just like the idea 'cause it's impossible."

In January, Rossdale told Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada's 104.9 The Wolf radio station about "I Beat Loneliness": "I'm so thrilled about the record. It's successful to me because I'm really proud of it. And I think that people who like the band will be really, really into it and we might get some new fans as well. But it's good to feel fulfilled by when you make a record, and not, like, 'Oh, man. I should've done this, should've done that.' I think it's really good."

Earlier in January, Gavin told iHeartRadio's JD Lewis about the "I Beat Loneliness" title: "Well, it's one of those weird titles. It's an infinite title because you can never beat loneliness; you can just only beat it temporarily.

"I feel that the connection with the band and the power that we have, from talking to a lot of people that see us, is people can kind of connect with the music and connect with the words and make their own narratives about it," he continued. "But we've created this blueprint for people through the years.

"More and more mental health has been sort of brought to the discussion kind of around us all at the moment — people are talking about people's wellness a lot. And I've always been into that human-condition thing since the beginning of BUSH — it's like music of complaints and hopes and sort of disappointments and aspirations and all that stuff. So it's just like living.

"A lot of people are struggling so much that it's just such an ironic title, I thought," Rossdale added. "It's one of those things, when I thought of it and it just came, I was, like, 'Oh my god, it's a precious phrase.' And I just like that idea of that sense of bravado that you've beaten loneliness, because we all suffer from melancholia or whatever, and I think that's a healthy thing because it makes you reflective and sort of appreciative of the good times. And I'm not a negative person — I'm really positive — so I just think that you have to go through this sort of like storm clouds to get to the good bits. And so the title just stuck with me."

Rossdale also talked about the importance of youth mental health, especially as it relates to his three songs Kingston, Zuma and Apollo. He said: "I think it's absolutely essential, because I think that what happened is that with COVID, one of the biggest things for kids is COVID took away all that socialization. So all those two, three years where they were meant to be sort of learning how to be with their peers, I noticed with my own kids, that was taken away from them. They didn't have that time. And so I think that's been a real struggle for people, for kids especially, to learn how to adapt, how to be social, because they haven't had the same things that maybe we had. We didn't grow up through a pandemic. And so that is what really affects me. And kids are so mean — bullying in schools, ostracization, all that stuff. Kids are mean. And the way the world is set up is really scary for that."

Gavin went on to speak about the dangers of social media and how it is not an accurate reflection of society but more like a funhouse mirror distorted by a small but vocal minority of extreme outliers.

"Social media, expectations, people feeling they're not having a fulfilled life 'cause they look at Instagram or wherever and they see people with these great lives, when we all know that those lives are kind of hollow and have their have their troubles as well," he said. "But things are portrayed that people just get lost in that sort of rat race of thinking that they've gotta try and keep up with their friends. I mean, I look at Instagram and I'm always, like, 'Man, I need to live better.' I'm just, like, 'No, no, don't fall for it. Don't fall for it. Your life is fine. You have great things going on.' So I think that's where it's really difficult for kids, the sense that they're not in the right place at the right time. They're generally [of the opinion that they're] in the wrong place at the wrong time and everyone else is having a great time. And that's super dangerous for people to think that."

Rossdale previously talked about the "I Beat Loneliness" title in a December 2024 interview with Voice Of America's (VOA) "Border Crossings". Regarding why he chose to call the new BUSH record "I Beat Loneliness", the 59-year-old musician said: "Because I think that everyone is struggling the whole time." He added: "It's funny because when I reflect on the career that I've had and the songs that I've written, they do say that most people write one song over and over, and my theme that I've always dealt with is sort of people's mental health and their feelings and kind of the landscape of the landmines of hurt that we all live through. Everybody has so much broken stuff that they just sort of put the face on, go out and deal with it. But everybody having these crazy triggers — you see that suicide rates are insane, suicides among the military, the ex-military, men three times more likely to commit suicide as women. It's just people are hurting. And so my literal simple role in life, in that sort of Japanese concept of a vocation, is really writing songs about people and about feelings. And it's funny because when I began, it wasn't like that. You could just complain in songs, but I always wanted to have this sort of sense of hope, this sense of help and support and close community and people and love and friendship and kindness. And so I've written like that.

"So 'I Beat Loneliness', it's just probably the best title I've ever written because, of course, it's self-fulfilling in its impossibility," he continued. "'Cause you can't say you beat loneliness, 'cause if you say you beat loneliness, it means that you're a really melancholic person who beat loneliness for about 20 minutes, and it's coming back the next day like a boomerang. So I just like that idea of that bravado. It's strength. It's not bravado. It's strength in the face of adversity."

2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of BUSH's six-times-platinum debut album, "Sixteen Stone".

Last summer, BUSH celebrated its 30th anniversary with an extensive North American headline tour. The "Loaded: The Greatest Hits Tour" kicked off on July 26 in Bend, Oregon and included shows at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Most of the dates were produced by Live Nation. Jerry Cantrell and CANDLEBOX were the special guests on all dates.

BUSH released "Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023" in November 2023 via Round Hill Records. The set included a new song called "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere", which was written by Gavin and produced by Rossdale and Corey Britz.

With over 24 million records sold, 1.1 billion streams and a procession of No. 1 singles, the band — comprising Rossdale, Chris Traynor (guitar),Corey Britz (bass) and Nik Hughes (drums) — stand tall as rock outliers whose imprint only widens as the years pass. "Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023" (Round Hill Records),their first-ever greatest-hits collection, provides an expansive view of their incredible legacy with 21 tracks spanning nearly 30 years — from their breakthrough hit "Everything's Zen" to the aforementioned "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere".

"Loaded" included iconic hits from each of BUSH's nine studio albums as well as "Mouth" (The Stingray Mix) from the 1997 remix album "Deconstructed" and a cover of THE BEATLES' "Come Together" that saw a very limited release in 2012.

BUSH broke up in 2002 but reformed in 2010, and has since released five albums: "The Sea of Memories" (2011),"Man On The Run" (2014),"Black And White Rainbows" (2017) and the aforementioned "The Kingdom" and "The Art Of Survival".

"Black And White Rainbows" was crafted after Rossdale went through a divorce with pop star/reality TV judge Gwen Stefani in 2015.

Photo credit: Joseph Llanes