San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS have filmed music videos for three songs from their upcoming studio album, tentatively due next spring via Napalm Records. The clips are being helmed by Jim Louvau, a musical and visual creative artist based in Phoenix, Arizona, who previously worked on EXODUS's music video for the song "The Fires Of Division" from the band's previous LP, 2021's "Persona Non Grata".

On Friday (December 12),EXODUS shared a photo from the "post-video shoot wrap dinner" at Peppermill Steakhouse in Tempe, Arizona via social media and included the following message: "Post video shoot wrap dinner with all but [EXODUS bassist] Jack [Gibson] (earliest flight home tomorrow!) and friends! Three days, three videos done, and they're gonna be sick as fuck. Seriously sick. We couldn't be happier, and we HATE making videos! @jimlouvau makes is fun for all of us!"

Last month, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt told Robb Chavez of Robbs MetalWorks about the band's recently completed follow-up to "Persona Non Grata": "It's fucking awesome. It'll be out next March, I think — March 20 — and it's fucking awesome. I mean, it's so awesome. We're so proud of this record."

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

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

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

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

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

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

At this past October's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California, Holt told Baby Huey and Chasta of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone that Mark Lewis had mixed the new EXODUS material, which will be released via Napalm Records, and described it as "something else, man… It's crushing, but it's also all anthems. Every song's an anthem. It's awesome. We're super proud of this record."

Lewis had previously worked with MEGADETH, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER and BAD WOLVES, among many others.

The follow-up to "Persona Non Grata" will mark the first time in nearly three decades that an EXODUS album hasn't been mixed by Andy Sneap, who has acted as JUDAS PRIEST's producer and touring guitarist for more than seven years.

Gary previously wrote on Instagram about EXODUS's collaboration with Lewis: "First album since 97 to mix with someone else, and it's crushing. Andy said it's time to venture out of our comfort zone and it's amazing. Mark has CRUSHED IT!"

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

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

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

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

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

Post video shoot wrap dinner with all but Jack( earliest flight home tomorrow!) and friends! Three days, three videos...

Posted by Exodus on Friday, December 12, 2025

On Saturday, December 13, legendary vocalist John Bush played the first of three live concerts showcasing the music he helped create during his decade-long tenure singing with ANTHRAX. At the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, Bush performed songs spanning all four albums he recorded with the band: "Sound Of White Noise", "Stomp 442", "Volume 8: The Threat Is Real" and "We've Come For You All". Joining Bush on stage were his CATEGORY 7 bandmates Phil Demmel (guitar),Mike Orlando (guitar) and Jason Bittner (drums),along with his longtime ARMORED SAINT partner and best friend Joey Vera on bass (CATEGORY 7 bassist Jack Gibson had a schedule conflict and was unable to make the gig). CATEGORY 7 also opened the show before returning as John's backing band for the ANTHRAX material.

Bush's ANTHRAX setlist included not only the well-known anthems, but also some deeper cuts that hadn't been performed live in years.

John's setlist was as follows:

01. Potters Field
02. Random Acts Of Senseless Violence
03. Refuse To Be Denied
04. Inside Out
05. Cadillac Rock Box
06. Hy Pro Glo
07. Catharsis
08. 1000 Points Of Hate
09. Black Dahlia
10. Black Lodge
11. King Size
12. Safe Home
13. Room For One More
14. Fueled

Encore:

15. What Doesn't Die
16. Only

Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below.

In a recent with Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz, Bush stated about the fact that he had to prepare for his ANTHRAX-era shows: "Well, I've been singing to the ANTHRAX songs right now because I'm trying to remember them. Strangely enough, they actually are coming back to me, which is funny 'cause I haven't sung those songs in years. Some of 'em I have — I did a couple things at the METAL ALLEGIANCE shows that we did — but mostly just like 'Only' and maybe 'Room For One More'. Yeah, it's funny how my memory is still there. I still have a lot of work to do, but, yeah, it's good. So I'm working on that. I'm singing to the CATEGORY 7 songs 'cause that's gonna open for it… But, yeah, this is a memory challenge, for sure."

Asked if he looks back fondly on 2003's "We've Come For You All", which marked his final album of new material with ANTHRAX, Bush said: "Yeah. I look fondly on all of 'em, really, to be honest. I think all four records are really cool — all a little different from one another. Certainly different times and different growth of the band. But 'We've Come For You All' was pretty solid. We signed to Nuclear Blast in Europe at that time, so they kind of gave us a resurgence, 'cause they're a great label in Europe and they just know what they're doing. And we really kind of re-established ourselves on that record, particularly in Europe. In America, I think it was on Sanctuary, and I think they kind of folded not too long after that. So, not as well of a job done here in America, but it was still received well and we toured and some great, great tunes on that record. Some really powerful anthems, if you will."

John also talked about Keanu Reeves's appearance in the "Safe Home" video and the guest contributions of THE WHO vocalist Roger Daltrey and PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott to the "We've Come For You All" LP. He said: "Yeah, we were very honored and lucky that we had Keanu Reeves do that for 'Safe Home' video. And, of course, Dimebag played on every album after 'Sound Of White Noise', 'cause it just started with 'Stomp' and then it continued on to 'We've Come For You All'. And we were, of course, honored to have Dime do anything on the record, and he played some killer leads throughout. Roger Daltrey, I was in New York at the time recording and when he did his part in L.A., so it was a drag 'cause I wasn't in the studio when he did it. But it's Roger Daltrey. End of story."

During an appearance on the July 31, 2025 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Bush was asked what led to his decision to play several concerts showcasing songs from his era of ANTHRAX. He responded: "Obviously I've talked about this for quite a while, and it's come and gone because of various reasons — scheduling, or maybe I was just reluctant at the time. And Dan DeVita, who I owe a lot to, because he's the agent who books ARMORED SAINT, and he's booking this, and I've known Dan for years and years. He works for TKO, and he's doing great for himself, and he's always been there for us and for me. And the thing is, he kept saying, like, 'When do you wanna do this? Let's do this.' And we had a plan to do it in the summer of this year. We had dates for Europe that were ready to go. And then for whatever reason, I don't know if I got cold feet or some of the negotiations kind of fell apart with some of the people I was talking to. And so we pulled out. And we actually had some legitimate gigs — we had a couple of festivals that were big and it was gonna be cool. For whatever reason, it didn't happen. So it's a moot point now. But the reality is, look, I am gonna be 62 [in August]. And I've been talking about this forever, and so let's just do it. Let's stop talking about it and let's do it. So we found the right dates to do it, which is in December, and it's three shows. It's L.A., it's St. Charles, which is outside of Chicago, and then New York City. And I'm gonna go out and we're gonna play songs from these records, and I think it's gonna be really exciting and fun. I think fans are gonna be stoked, and I'm excited. I'm looking forward to it. There's really, really killer tunes on those records that I'm really proud of, and it's gonna be fun to sing them live."

On the topic of how he chose the musicians to play these shows with, Bush said: "It was gonna be the four guys from CATEGORY 7, and Jack Gibson just has a scheduling conflict. So that was the original plan. But it was funny, 'cause we talked about doing this and it was, like, well, here's the band. We've only played one show with CATEGORY 7 — we played the Whisky [A Go Go] just a couple weeks back — but every time we were gonna do some shows, a couple of things fell apart, a couple of balls were dropped. Whatever — that's a moot point. But I think the [CATEGORY 7] record actually is pretty off the charts; it's a killer record, [and I'm] really proud of it. And so we wanted to play some shows, and then, like I said, a couple of things fell apart. But then the idea came of, like, okay, well, wait a minute here. Here's a bunch of incredible musicians. And these guys can play these songs. Bittner played in ANTHRAX, or did some touring with them when Charlie [Benante] was having some injury issues. So he knows a lot of tunes. And it just made sense. It was, like, 'Well, wait a minute. We could piggyback this thing. It'll be really kind of interesting to have one band play and then kind of come back and play again.' So, it's gonna be a little much for not only me as a singer, it's gonna be a lot of songs. It's gonna be a lot of songs for the band to know and learn. But I think in the end it's gonna be a cool story, and it's gonna be fun. Like I was saying, if I was trying to put a band together from scratch of people that I would like to do these ANTHRAX songs, I would choose those guys 'cause they're amazing. So it just made sense. So it's gonna be a lot of fun. And like I said, a lot of these songs — I mean, 'Potter's Field' and 'Fueled' and 'Safe Home', we haven't played these songs — I haven't played these songs, and nor have they, in years and years. So, it's gonna be really cool and exciting to kind of resurrect some of these tunes that a lot of people dug and are great songs that just haven't been heard in a long time."

Asked about the possibility of playing more shows celebrating his era of ANTHRAX in 2026, John said: "Well, we're gonna take this step [by playing these three shows in December]. And for me, this was a big step. So I was, like, let's do this. And Dan, like I said, my agent, he was, like, 'Why don't we do this? We'll kind of play like three shows, strategic, and start with this.' The [new] ARMORED SAINT record is coming out in March or April, so I'm gonna be definitely wanting to do a lot of touring and association with that, because we're really stoked about this upcoming [ARMORED SAINT] album — it sounds killer — so we're gonna do a lot of stuff with that. So it's finding a way to merge some of these things together, but let me kind of get this out there, see what the vibe is. It seems like it's actually pretty awesome so far… But let's see what we get and let's see what happens. And sure, there's a lot of places that I would like to take it — certainly Europe and even South America and maybe even Japan. And the sky's kind of the limit. Obviously, there's a shelf life 'cause this is not new material. These are records that are 20 to 30 years old at this point. So it's not new music. And, of course, ANTHRAX has new music, and they're making a record and they have a new record coming out next year. But the fact is they just really haven't been playing any of these tunes. So they've been kind of almost put in a time capsule. And I get it — I really do. To just call it as it is, I understand, especially from the standpoint of [longtime ANTHRAX singer] Joey Belladonna. They're gonna have a third new record after he came back in the band. They obviously have their catalog of stuff that he did, and they probably have a plethora of material to play, not including any of the Bush songs. But the reality is I don't want these songs to just go into oblivion here. There's some really great material here, and in the '90s these songs had a lot of impact on people. So, I'm figuring, well, if you guys aren't gonna do it, then I should do it. And that's why I'm finally doing it."

Asked if he would still be doing these shows if the Belladonna-fronted lineup of ANTHRAX was performing a lot of the material Bush recorded with the band live, John said: "Well, I'd say most likely not. I used to say, 'Do songs [from my era]. I want you to do tunes.' I understand why you don't, but I wish they would. Because, again, it's something that I invested emotionally and a lot of time, as well as those guys did. So, I would prefer them to play the tunes. I understand if they don't, but if they were, then maybe not. But they don't, with the exception of 'Only'. And there's a lot of great tunes. I've been putting a setlist together, and it's probably more songs than I really wanna sing, to be honest, 'cause it could be a very long set. Plus I wanna play some deep tracks — I don't wanna just play the obvious songs, like 'Only', 'Room For One More', 'Fueled'. I wanna play 'Safe Home', whatever. I wanna play some deep tracks, because it will be more fun that way. So, would I do this [if ANTHRAX was still performing songs from the Bush era live]? Probably not. I would say probably not. But they're not, so I am."

Regarding whether he has gotten any feedback from ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian or drummer Charlie Benante or anybody else in the band about him doing this, John said: "I have not spoken to them. I know that they knew that I was flirting with this and I have been talking about it for a long time. So it's not like it's gonna come as some major shock. But I haven't really had a conversation with them after I made this announcement. But I'm hoping they're supportive of it. Again, it's celebrating the music that those guys made and those guys wrote and performed on. So, like I said, a lot of those tunes are great. So, I'm hoping they're just gonna be supportive of it and maybe will wanna come out and play a song or two. But for me, my main ambition is — it really comes down to, the primary reason is to honor those songs and honor those records and honor me singing them. And that's really the main thing. So, what happens after that? I mean, of course I'm open-minded, in terms of having people come out. I actually think it would be cool if I had some other various people maybe come out and do some little guest spots. I have some ideas of people. I don't wanna say who yet, but I think that would be really cool for other people to come in and stop in and do a song or two in one of the three shows. And I have some ideas. Like I said, I don't wanna reveal that yet. And that's not even including Scott, Charlie and Frankie [Bello, ANTHRAX bassist]. But whatever. I'm open-minded. I'm hoping it's a really positive vibe throughout the whole thing, and like I said, we're just celebrating some of those records that sometimes are forgotten, which, like I said, I get it. It's hard to compete, especially with the '80s ANTHRAX, because it was so huge and it was such an impactful time. And those are great, incredible records. But we did still make some really cool stuff in the '90s, and I know there's a lot of people that love those albums and songs, so I'm gonna rock 'em out."

Remaining John Bush performing songs from his era of ANTHRAX:

Dec. 18 - St. Charles, IL @ Arcada Theatre
Dec. 20 - New York, NY @ Racket

In March 2024, Bush told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone that he would "love" to perform material from his time as the singer of ANTHRAX. "It wouldn't be some long tour; it would probably be like a handful of shows of doing my era in ANTHRAX," he explained. "'Cause they don't play too many of the songs — they play 'Only', and they just don't play too many. And I get it, because there's a large catalog that ANTHRAX has, not only from the beginning, but now they've made — they're about ready to make their third record, I believe, after that. So, I understand. I really do. I totally get it. But there are some songs that would be fun to hear, I think, for fans and for myself. It just has to kind of work with time, really; that's the key component. But it would be fun, for sure. I just don't know at this point when that would happen. And I don't know — they've kind of got their own thing going on, too. They're busy, they're making a new record. One day maybe something. Maybe it'll be me with various musicians doing it. Probably not with the band, actually. Or if they ever wanted to say, 'Hey, you wanna come out and sing a couple songs?' Yeah, I'd be into that. But I always say it's something that Joey Belladonna should be wanting to do. If this is something that he's not into and he's uncomfortable, then it shouldn't be done, because there's no point. But who knows?"

After Blakk suggested the possibility of ARMORED SAINT opening for ANTHRAX and Bush jumping up on stage and doing a couple of songs with the headliners, John said: "I would love ARMORED SAINT to go out and play some shows or do a tour with ANTHRAX. I think that would be killer. I've said it. It'd be really fun… Who knows?"

ANTHRAX has had a number of vocalists — including Bush, Belladonna, Neil Turbin and Dan Nelson — over the last 42 years, with guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante remaining the sole bandmembers who have appeared on every one of the group's studio albums.

Turbin sang on ANTHRAX's debut LP, 1984's "Fistful Of Metal", before getting booted and being replaced by Belladonna. Belladonna performed on four ANTHRAX albums, including the fan favorite "Among The Living" (1987) before he himself was fired over creative and stylistic differences. Bush fronted ANTHRAX between 1992 and 2005 but was sidelined when the band reunited with Belladonna for a 20th-anniversary tour. When that collapsed, and relationships disintegrated with next frontman Nelson, Bush returned for a time before Belladonna took the job back in 2010.

In October 2022, John told The Metal Voice that a special tour during which he would perform material from his time as the singer of ANTHRAX "would be great. I don't really wanna go out and do like a 30-date tour with it, but it would be cool to do a handful of shows in some key markets," he said. "We can certainly play those songs for a support slot or even a headlining slot, let's face it. I think there's enough songs of the four records [I recorded with ANTHRAX] that would make for a great show… I'm open to it. It's just a matter of… the timing, I think. Really, that's what it comes down to."

Regarding the fact that ANTHRAX played "Only" live on a recent U.S. tour, with Joey Belladonna on vocals, Bush said: "I always support Joey singing those songs. I wish they would do more, to be honest… I have no qualms with that. I support that. And Joey, we're not the best of friends, because we just aren't. It's funny, 'cause my wife and his wife have become pretty good text friends, so they're closer than him and I. But I always endorse it and tell him he did a great job and support whatever he does. He has his own backlog of stuff, and he also has the new songs and the new records that he's done. So I understand, and I'm not offended by it. But if they wanna play some songs from the John Bush-era albums, I'm great with that as well."

In September 2020, Bush told The Metal Voice that he was "caught by surprise" by Ian's comment that was not opposed to taking part in a special concert featuring most of the singers that have fronted the band over the course of its nearly four-decade existence. "I was, like, 'Wow. Okay.' And I thought that's a great idea. That would be really cool," Bush said. "I think that would be an amazing thing for the fanbase. But what I keep saying is that Joey Belladonna is the singer of ANTHRAX, and Joey should be the singer of ANTHRAX, as far as I'm concerned. And if this happens, it needs to have his approval, really, quite honestly. Because I wouldn't want him to feel like, 'Well, this is not my idea, and I don't wanna do this,' because he is the singer who'd be sharing the stage [with the rest of us], quite honestly. So I think it would be something that Joey would have to give endorsement to, for that to happen, if that's an idea. And again, I think it would be a fun thing to do a couple of handful of shows, sporadic stuff."

Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST have unveiled Marina La Torraca as their new lead singer. She replaces longtime BATTLE BEAST frontwoman Noora Louhimo, who announced her departure from the band on Monday (December 15).
BATTLE BEAST states: "One story ends, another begins. We're excited to start this new chapter and introduce you to the new voice of BATTLE BEAST, Marina."

Marina La Torraca is a Brazilian vocalist from São Paulo, best known as the powerhouse frontwoman of modern metal band PHANTOM ELITE and as a member of the symphonic metal project EXIT EDEN. She began performing in her teens in local cover bands before moving into formal training, including studying musical theatre in New York.

Renowned for her versatile, commanding vocal range, Marina effortlessly transitions from dramatic, melodic passages to fierce, harsh screams. Alongside her career in metal, she has starred in professional musical theatre productions across German-speaking countries. Beyond the stage, she is also an accomplished graphic designer, vocal coach, producer, and songwriter.

La Torraca comments: "When I first saw an e-mail with both BATTLE BEAST and my name in the subject line, I honestly thought it had to be a mistake. But once I opened it, I couldn't have been happier. I'm incredibly honored to be part of this new chapter and deeply grateful for the trust and support from the band.

"Is it a little terrifying to follow in the wake of a vocal legend like Noora? You bet! Is it also very exciting? Absolutely. BATTLE BEAST is one of the hardest-working and most genuinely talented bands out there, and I'm proud to be here to help them keep growing and spreading joy. Buckle up — this is going to be fun."

BATTLE BEAST are excited for this new chapter and look forward to bringing fresh energy and music to their fans worldwide. The first shows with Marina will take place in March 2026 when BATTLE BEAST hits Japan and Australia.

The dates are below:

March 06 - Tokyo – WWWX
March 07 - Osaka – Shinsaibashi Sunhall
March 10 - North Perth – Magnet House
March 11 - Adelaide – Lion Arts Factory
March 13 - Melbourne – Max Watts Melbourne
March 14 - Sydney – Manning Bar
March 15 - Brisbane – Crowbar

When BATTLE BEAST announced Noora's departure, the band said that she was exiting the group "to focus on her solo career. While we are saddened by her departure, we fully support her decision to pursue new creative paths — something she hasn't been able to explore wholeheartedly with the demanding schedule of BATTLE BEAST," the band said.

Noora added: ""For 13 years I got to grow, learn, develop and explore with BATTLE BEAST who I am as a musician and as a person. And now my heart desires more adventures, and flying with my own wings towards my dreams that I can only pursue if I give them my full attention.

"Life is full of different eras and now it is time for a new one.

"I am forever grateful and love BATTLE BEAST and our fans. This is not the end, this is a beginning of a new adventure for both of us. See you soon Little Beasts!"

Louhimo revealed in November 2023 that she had been diagnosed with a ruptured left carotid artery, causing the postponement the band's tour.

Louhimo joined BATTLE BEAST in 2012 with no previous experience as a metal vocalist but quickly acclimated herself as the replacement for Nitte Valo (a.k.a. Nitte Vänskä).

Three years ago, Noora, who in 2021 released her debut solo album, "Eternal Wheel Of Time And Space", under the NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE banner, admitted publicly that she had been struggling with eating disorders and her weight since she was "a little child" and said that she was "still trying to find a balance." She added that she had "been depressed and anxious sometimes 'without a reason'."

In an interview with Metal Divas, Noora explained how she ended up fronting BATTLE BEAST: "[In] September [2012], I got a call from [then-BATTLE BEAST guitarist] Anton [Kabanen] that they want me to join BATTLE BEAST. I had heard their music and loved the sound and the vocals, so the next day I called Anton and said I'm in.

"Anton found me by accident on YouTube when he was searching for the new vocalist," she continued. "He had been looking for a vocalist — male or female; [it did not] matter. The only thing that mattered was can that [he or she could] sing his songs without compromises.

"I've been singing since I was four years old," Noora added. "While being a huge fan of heavy metal of '80s and a teenager, I had some classical singing lessons when I was 16 years old. Then at the age of 19, I started studying music in pop/jazz line. At the same time, I started doing some jam sessions at bars. There I found my first band (ADMIRAL OCTOPUS) in the blues bar. We used to play rock and blues music from '60s-'70s and Janis Joplin was the reason I got the rasp in my voice. After ADMIRAL OCTOPUS, in 2011, I took part in a singing competition ('Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star') at Henry's Pub of Tampere and won it with Janis Joplin's 'Piece Of My Heart'. That's how my single 'Relax' was born."

BATTLE BEAST's seventh studio album, "Steelbound", came out in October via Nuclear Blast.

BATTLE BEAST's European tour started with a bang on October 17 with the band's biggest German headline show to date at Hamburg’s Inselpark Arena. The trek, with DOMINUM as the special guest and Sweden's rising power metal force MAJESTICA as the opening act, kept BATTLE BEAST on the road until mid-December.

Photo credit: Jord Otto

In a new interview with Troy Culpan of Australia's May The Rock Be With You, DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy spoke about what it has been like for him to be touring with the band once again after a 13-year absence. The progressive metal legends played their first concert with Portnoy in 14 years on October 20, 2024 at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The drummer, who co-founded DREAM THEATER, played on 10 of the band's albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010. Portnoy returned to DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after being replaced by Mike Mangini, who played with DREAM THEATER across five studio albums and accompanying world tours. Asked if his return to DREAM THEATER has been "seamless", Portnoy told May The Rock Be With You (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was seamless. To me, this was not just rejoining an old band; this was kind of coming home to my family. After 40 years and forming this band when we were teenagers, it's more than just a band. We've lived life together. We've been to each other's weddings and seen our kids grow up together, and we've had all these life experiences together. So coming back home to it, it was pretty seamless. There was kind of baby steps that led here, which also made the transition that much more comfortable. I did [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci's solo album and tour, and then we did a LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT album with me, John and Jordan [Rudess, DREAM THEATER keyboardist] and Tony Levin. So there were these kind of little steps that led to finally coming back to DREAM THEATER. So by the time I came back full-time to DREAM THEATER, it just felt like coming home to a family."

Asked how return to DREAM THEATER affected the creative process during the making of the band's latest album, 2025's "Parasomnia", Portnoy said: "Well, we were definitely inspired writing together. We hadn't written and recorded an album together since 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings', which came out in 2009, but we made it in 2008. So it had been 15 years since we had written and recorded an album together. So we were very inspired being together again and having that chemistry, that artistic and creative chemistry that we always had. And it was immediately there once we started working on the new album."

Pressed about whether he and his DREAM THEATER bandmates are already thinking about a follow-up to "Parasomnia" or if fans will "have to wait a little while" to hear new music from the group, Mike said: "Well, we have to wait, 'cause it's been a long tour. We've been out for a year now at this point. We started in October of 2024. And here we are, a year later now, and by the time we get down to Australia [in February 2026] and wrap up the tour cycle a few months after that, it'll have been a year and a half on the road. So, that's the focus right now. But once the tour cycle wraps and concludes by next spring or so, we'll probably take the summer off, 'cause it's been a long road, and then start thinking about a new album after that."

Portnoy also talked about DREAM THEATER's 40th-anniversary tour, which launched in late 2024. Asked if the milestone put more "pressure" on him and his bandmates or if they treated the tour as "more of a celebration", Mike said: "It's a celebration. There's no pressure. I mean, for me, it's surreal that it's been 40 years since we started this band. We were teenagers at college, Berklee College Of Music, back in 1985, and here we are 40 years later. We've been around the world dozens and dozens of times, and it's just been quite a journey and quite a trip. And if anything, it's just more surreal than anything. It's just hard to believe how quickly time has flown."

On the topic of the "discussions" which take place between him and his DREAM THEATER bandmates about putting together a setlist for the current tour, Mike said: "Well, there's not really any discussions. Those guys trust that in my lap. I've always been the guy that wrote the setlist in the band, at least in my time here, and for me, writing the setlist for this 40th-anniversary tour was actually easier than you would think. Coming back to the band after not having been in the band for over 15 years, whatever it's been, it was all a fresh, clean slate for me to work with. It wasn't like, 'Oh, I played this song a billion times over the last couple years.' I hadn't played any of these songs in so long. So for me, I was able to write with a clean slate.

"The setlist we're going to be doing when we come down [to Australia] is slightly different than the one we've been doing throughout the rest of the world, because when we started the 40th-anniversary tour, we spent the first six to eight months on tour just concentrating on that," Portnoy explained. "But since then, the last few months we've been playing the new album, 'Parasomnia', in its entirety. So when we come down to Australia, it's kind of gonna be a combination of the two. It'll be a heavy weight of the 40th anniversary and the full catalog stuff, but we also wanna play a bit more of the 'Parasomnia' album than we had, just because it's so fresh to us and it's the only opportunity that the Australian fans will have to hear those songs. So it'll be a kind of a combination of the two."

DREAM THEATER kicked off its summer/fall 2025 "An Evening With Dream Theater" tour on September 5 at Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The concert saw James LaBrie (vocals),John Petrucci (guitar),John Myung (bass),Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and Mike Portnoy (drums) perform their latest, 16th studio album, "Parasomnia", in its entirety, as well as the entire seven-movement masterpiece "A Change Of Seasons", for the first time since Portnoy's return to the band in October 2023, in addition to other classics and fan favorites from DREAM THEATER's catalog. The 30-city U.S. trek ran through October 25, when it wrapped in Long Island, New York.

DREAM THEATER kicked off the spring/summer 2025 leg of its "40th Anniversary European Tour" on June 3 at Logomo in Turku, Finland.

"Parasomnia" came out on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returned once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.

"Parasomnia" is an eight-song, 71-minute set which was recorded at DREAM THEATER's DTHQ studio on Long Island, New York. It is the follow-up to 2021's "A View From The Top Of The World", which debuted at in the top 10 of Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Rock Albums and Independent Albums charts. Six songs on "Parasomnia" are over seven minutes and the closing epic "The Shadow Man Incident" clocks in at nearly 20 minutes.

The North American leg of DREAM THEATER's 40th-anniversary tour kicked off 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.

Portnoy, Petrucci and Myung started DREAM THEATER as MAJESTY in 1985, after meeting at the Berklee College Of Music in Boston. LaBrie came on board in 1991, while Rudess joined in 1999.

Prior to Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER, the drummer and Petrucci worked together on the latter's 2020 solo album, "Terminal Velocity", and toured together. Portnoy and Petrucci also joined Rudess and bassist Tony Levin for a third studio album as LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT in 2021.

In a new interview with "The Afternoon Rock Ride With Bilal", which airs weekdays on Canada's legendary rock station CHOM 97.7 FM in Montreal, drummer/vocalist Gil Moore of legendary Canadian rockers TRIUMPH spoke about the band's decision to reunite for TRIUMPH's first tour in more than 30 years. The North American run of shows will celebrate the band's 50th anniversary, and feature support from APRIL WINE. The 2026 trek will kick off with a series of dates in Canada, beginning April 22 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and running through a May 8 show in Calgary, Alberta. From there, the band will hit the U.S. starting May 13 in Rosemont, Illinois, and wrapping up June 6 in Boston. In all, 10 Canadian and 14 American cities are included on the tour. For the 2026 tour, TRIUMPH's classic lineup consisting of Moore, Rik Emmett (guitar, vocals) and Mike Levine (bass, keyboards) will be joined by guitarist Phil X, drummer and keyboardist Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns. Phil X, whose real name is Theofilos Xenidis, is a member of BON JOVI and a former member of TRIUMPH, while Fitz and Kerns are both members of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

Asked how all the musicians involved plan to perform the classic TRIUMPH songs on the 2026 tour, Gil said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There was a lot of confusion, I think, that came from a number of sources and so on, and that's why we posted [a statement on our social media clarifying that]. But Rik and myself will be on stage playing the whole show. With us, we brought Phil X back into the band, who, of course, played a tour with us and recorded an album with us in 1992. So we got a double-barreled shotgun on guitar. And we're hoping Mike Levine will be there. He's gonna be at selected shows, but Rik and I will be at every show. And we also have — we borrowed Brent Fitz and Todd Kerns from Slash's band, so they're gonna be there to help us as well."

Asked by host Bilal Butt if that means that Moore and Emmett will be "taking a break here and there" during TRIUMPH's set while the other musicians perform on their own, Gil said: "I doubt it. I mean, it's possible that we'll take a break for a song or something like that and pass the baton around, so to speak. But I would say for the majority of the show, we'll both be on stage. I mean, until we get into rehearsals, it's hard to say. Rik's got a lot of vocals that are very high, and I did too, so I know that I'm working… I actually got a vocal coach to start getting back in shape and stuff, so I'm gonna sing as many of my songs as I can. And so far it's going pretty well. But, yeah, anybody thinking that we're not gonna be on stage or whatever, it's just false Internet nonsense. We will be there, and we'll be playing."

Moore also addressed Mike's health, saying: "Well, Mike, he's had some struggles, so that's why I say he'll be at select shows as he's able, but he can't commit to being at all the dates. He's very, very pumped up about the tour, so he's very much part of everyday discussions with TRIUMPH. He's not as interested as Rik and I are in what's going on, and we've got every hope that he's gonna be at as many shows as he can make."

As for a possible setlist for the upcoming TRIUMPH tour, Moore said: "We're taking some suggestions from the audience. I mean, obviously there's some songs that are just obvious that they have to be played. But our manager Jason [Murray of Vector Management], he's got a big organization and they have a big reach into social media, and I think they're picking up requests from people. And we'll do as many songs as we can that people want, and try not to disappoint anybody. But you can never avoid that. But we'll do our best."

During a December 9 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Emmett was asked how Phil, Brent and Todd will be involved in "filling out the sound" and "filling in" where Rik, Gil and Mike are no longer able to reproduce the original material,.Emmett said: "That's an ongoing thing. And every day I sit down with the script and I look at the tunes and I think about it. And the big thing is, first of all, they're incredibly skilled and talented and experienced musicians in their own right. And they deserve to end up feeling like they're as much a part of this as Gil and Mike and I are. I want them to feel that sense of sort of ownership and pride in what's going on, because — and this goes back to the songs again and the way that we present them, those songs have a life of their own. But I think this hunger that everybody is understanding is out there now for TRIUMPH to come back and play these songs, I think that hunger will be sustained by those guys, even if we get old and infirm and we can't necessarily do it. I think the songs are still gonna be there, and if those younger guys wanna start carrying a bigger workload, I think they could in."

Referencing the fact that Phil X, Fitz and Kerns previously played with Gil and Rik on June 6, 2025 at the Rogers Festival At The Final, a free outdoor concert in the ICE District ahead of Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Emmett continued: "In the short term, I'm gonna tell you this: I know that they can all sing fantastic. And there was a moment in Edmonton, and it actually made it on social media, where Gil and I and those three guys, in the trailer, we were just singing 'Lay It On The Line' background vocals to warm up. And I thought, 'Okay.' This was a great moment — it was one of my favorite moments in that experience out there — and I thought that should be part of the show. We should have moments where the band should cut out in 'Lay It On The Line' and we should just sing the harmonies. And we can do that in 'Fight The Good Fight'. We can do that in songs that we never did it originally. It's like another arrow in my quiver, it's another tool. I go, 'Okay.' There's things I wanna try and take advantage of. And they're all incredibly skilled. Fitzy can play keyboard parts, and Todd is as good a guitar player as he is a bass player. There's so many playing cards that are on the table now, I go, 'Oh…' Those people that are only listening on radio, I'm rubbing my hands in glee. That's what's happening. This is gonna be a really fun thing to get to play with over the next little while. And then those weeks that Gil was talking about, those dress rehearsals and stuff, man, I think there's gonna be an opportunity to build some things. And never mind the [stage] production that Gil's talking about and where this whole thing started, just musically, artistically, there's gonna be something here that's gonna be quite something."

Regarding how Fitz and Kerns were chosen to take part in the TRIUMPH 2026 tour, Gil said: "When I convinced Phil that this was something [that was gonna happen] — and at first I think he thought, 'Oh, this is fanciful. It's not gonna happen.' And then he realized, 'No, no, it's serious. It's gonna happen.' So when it came to filling the other spots in and stuff, and he said, like, 'Who do you want me to get?' And he was kind of going through this, this, this and this. And I said, 'It's really simple. We've gotta find some people that have great hearts.' All these guys we're talking about, they're really good players, but we want people that are gonna be good in the dressing room. So we wanna get good people. And immediately he goes right to Todd and Brent. And he says, 'That settles it. I got the guys.' And it's because of how they are as people, in addition to all their talent. They're very, very talented, as Rik said, tremendously talented people, but it's who they are. That's why they were picked. And Phil picked them."

Noting that Phil X already replaced Rik in TRIUMPH once before, host Eddie Trunk asked Emmett if he was "worried" that he would have to take a step back and give the spotlight to the younger musician on the upcoming tour. "No, no, no. The total opposite," Rik said. "If somebody had said, 'Well, it's just gonna be the original three guys,' I would've been far more reluctant than when they came to me and said, 'And guess who else we've got?' And in my mind I'm thinking, 'Phil X.' I definitely wanna give this guy so much rope that he hangs himself, because he's such an incredible player and he's a different kind of a player than I am. Tahat whole world of sort of the Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads — he's got a virtuosity that it's not a part of my playing at all. But he has all this experience. He's been out on the road with BON JOVI and that. And I think, well, I think maybe he's gonna get an opportunity to stretch himself a little bit more and maybe have a little bit more leeway.

"TRIUMPH is a band that doesn't really have a musical leader," Emmett explained. "Gil's kind of the leader in certain ways. When we first started in the early days, Mike was kind of the guy that was the producer in the studio and was a leader in that respect. But I think all of these guys that we've got, and Phil in particular, they have leadership capability in certain ways, and I want Phil's star to shine. I'm happy to kind of take a backseat, move back upstage a little bit and let him have some room."

Formed in Mississauga in 1975, TRIUMPH rose from playing high school auditoriums and rock 'n' roll bars to selling out iconic arenas, from Toronto's famed Maple Leaf Gardens to Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. Their virtuosic musicianship, soaring vocals, and dazzling, high-production live shows helped define an era of arena rock. Blending hard rock power with progressive ambition, TRIUMPH has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and earned multiple gold and platinum certifications, building a global following through headline tours and landmark festival performances, including the 1983 US Festival before 500,000 fans. With hits like "Lay It on The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" — combined with pioneering stage productions featuring pyrotechnics, laser lighting, and theatrical flair — TRIUMPH became arena rock legends, securing a permanent place in Canadian and international rock history.

The band's return to the road follows a defining year honoring TRIUMPH's impact across generations. In June 2025, the band was celebrated with "Magic Power: All-Star Tribute To Triumph" (Round Hill Records, June 6, 2025),a 15-track tribute album featuring rock luminaries such as Phil X, Sebastian Bach, Slash, Nancy Wilson, Joey Belladonna, Dee Snider, Lawrence Gowan, Deen Castronovo, Alex Lifeson, Jeff Keith, Mickey Thomas and produced by the world-renowned Mike Clink (GUNS N' ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE, WHITESNAKE).

Further solidifying their celebrated status, TRIUMPH was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame in October, a prestigious honor recognizing their enduring influence, masterful songwriting, and contributions to Canada's cultural legacy. This induction adds to their long list of accolades, which includes membership in the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame (2007),the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame (2008),and Canada's Walk Of Fame (2019).

2026 "Triumph 50th Anniversary" North American tour dates:

Canada

April 22 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON - GFL Memorial Gardens
April 24 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
April 25 - Hamilton, ON - TD Coliseum
April 28 - Halifax, NS - Scotiabank Centre
April 29 - Moncton, NB - Avenir Centre
May 1 - Laval, QC - Place Bell (Montreal)
May 2 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre
May 5 - Winnipeg, MB - Canada Life Centre
May 7 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
May 8 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome

United States

May 13 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre (Chicago)
May 14 - Milwaukee, WI - Miller High Life Theatre
May 16 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
May 17 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
May 20 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory (Dallas)
May 21 - San Antonio, TX - Frost Bank Center
May 22 - Houston, TX - Smart Financial Center at Sugar Land
May 24 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
May 26 - Atlanta, GA - Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
May 28 - Camden, NJ - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (Philadelphia)
May 30 - Sterling Heights, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill (Detroit)
June 3 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater
June 5 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell at Jones Beach Theater (New York)
June 6 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion

Regarding why now was the right time for TRIUMPH to reunite for a tour, Rik told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station in a separate interview: "I think we all had to sort of bow to the ambition and desire of Gil Moore, who wanted to get the rock and roll machine back up on the road so that he could mount some sort of show thing that only he can imagine. And that Mike and I just go, 'Oh, God, what are we getting ourselves into?'"

Asked by Meltdown if it's correct to say that Gil was "the mastermind behind all the TRIUMPH stagecraft" back in the day, Moore replied: "I'll take one for the team for that, yeah. I always felt better behind the scenes, to be honest. I always liked the technology and the big spectacle and all that. But I think we tried to use the stage in a way that we really enhanced the music. And what I see now in a lot of tours, I'm seeing a lot of flashing, kind of gratuitous flotsam and jetsam of effects and stuff. And that's not the intent here. What we're really trying to do is tell the story of TRIUMPH from the early days to the present and really trace the interest that our fans have had that's gone on for years and now decades to become what they tell us, so how they own the songs, how they have been impacted by the lyrics. And we've noticed that in that feedback that it's all about kind of the positivity in some of our songs, the uplifting messages within the 'never surrender' and the 'hold on to your dreams' kind of content that was in the lyrics. So hopefully the show will add another dimension to that, I'll say, and not just be a bunch of flashing nonsense. It's gonna be something that's very, very well crafted. I've been working on it for about six years with our back-in-the-day lighting director Paul Dexter, who's really a kind of a genius in this area. So we're gonna try to bring that to the stage and really have a show that people will never forget. That's what we're trying to do."

Asked if the success of the 2021 TRIUMPH documentary "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine" and the recent TRIUMPH tribute album "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph" was partly the impetus for the 2026 reunion tour, Mike said: 'The doc and the tribute record certainly were, I guess, slight impetuses, if that's a word, for us to do more things. I think the strongest impetus was the fact that that Rogers Communications, which owns the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jays and the cable networks and stuff, used 'Lay It On The Line' in a TV commercial throughout all the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was like a hit record, and people discover were rediscovering TRIUMPH, including brand new fans. And you couldn't go anywhere without somebody singing the song behind you. They'd go, 'Oh, there's a guy from TRIUMPH. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 'Lay It On The Line', man.' And so that kind of had some influence. And Live Nation started to talk to us about maybe doing something. And as far as [fellow Canadian rock legends] RUSH [reuniting for a tour] was concerned, they contemplated their return a long time ago, and we didn't even know about it while we were talking about what we were gonna do. So, we sat down and talked it out and said, 'Okay, let's toss the coin and do it.'"

Referencing the fact that TRIUMPH's reunion tour will also include Phil X, Fitz and Kerns, Emmett said: "We're not just going do this on our own, first of all. We're gonna have three other musicians join us. And I think that that's gonna make it so that it's not just the good old TRIUMPH that's trying to see if they can survive this thing. It's gonna be a new thing, and there's an energy to that that excites me and makes me wanna be involved and make it happen. I mean, Gil pretty much touched on it, that there's these folks that it was the soundtrack of their lives, and now they're bringing their kids, and there's grandkids involved in this now. So yes, we're old. I think there's going to be a level of curiosity. 'Are they gonna drop dead when they're trying to actually make this happen? Will the flash pots go off and scare them that they're just gonna keel over?' But I feel safe."

Rik continued: "We played out in Edmonton. Gil and I went out there [and played with Phil X, Brent and Todd]. Mike didn't make it, but we went out there and it felt like it was fun. And I think at the bottom of it, all of this stuff that we're talking about, the songs and the big show and all the nostalgia of the three of us getting back together, really the bottom line has to be, well, yeah, but is it gonna be fun? And I think that's something that translates to the audience. I think they get a sense of, 'Look at these guys. They're just having the time of their lives. Yes, they're very old lives. They're in their seventh decade, eighth decade of life. Wow.' But if we're not gonna have fun with that, what's the point?"

Elaborating on what fans can expect from the upcoming TRIUMPH show, Rik said: "Yeah, well, we made it through three songs out there in Edmonton. So there's a little bit of a spine to build from. Of course, that wasn't with any production. We were just playing out — it was all these people that were outside the arena. It looked like a holding pen. And they were going crazy and it was fun, but it was like an outdoor show. What we're planning here is a much more intense, multi-leveled multimedia… There's going to be screens that are doing things at the same time that we're playing… Anyhow, we've got a lot of work ahead of us because there will be an intense period of trying to figure out what the script is for this thing. Then you get to the point where it's, like, well, now we're gonna have to go into the studio and the six of us are gonna have to be bashing away for a while. Then we're gonna have to go into an arena somewhere and set this thing up because it's a massive thing."

Asked if this will be the final set of shows TRIUMPH will ever play, Rik said: "Here's what's gonna happen. If the tickets go on sale and it's kind of stiffin', then we may not even make it up for these shows. If they go on sale and it does pretty good, obviously there's gonna be people like Live Nation and folks that'll be going, 'Hey, you wanna do some more?' At which point there will be discussions between the three of us as to how long this might infringe upon my desire to wanna be going on holidays. I will say this though — last night I was practicing guitar, and I looked at my watch and it was 12:30 at night. I usually go to bed by, like, 10:30, at that time. So I thought, 'Well, this is not so bad, really, is it?' Sitting up and playing guitar until all hours. So, I think that is a harbinger of that there might be a future here. I don't know how it'll compartmentalize and work out, but, yeah, I think it could extend. It seems like it's fun so far."

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.

Rik's memoir, "Lay It On The Line - A Backstage Pass To Rock Star Adventure, Conflict And Triumph", came out in October 2023 via ECW Press.

Moore, Levine, and Emmett 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, three decades later.

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.

Italian technical death metal group Hour Of Penance, established on the verge of the millenium in Rome, has extended its partnership with Agonia Records. The initial outcome of the new agreement will be the band’s tenth studio album, which is currently in production.

Paolo Pieri, the band’s frontman, had this to say on sealing the new contract: “We are pleased to announce the renewal of our deal with Agonia Records. Since joining forces, this partnership has been crucial in delivering our musical vision. We are committed to pushing our sound brutally forward, and we’re currently working hard on our next release. Stay tuned!”

From their early output to their signature recordings, Hour Of Penance has maintained a distinct, powerful, and grimly enchanting sound profile. The band has consistently shaped their sonic identity through a complex, crushing, and surgical blizzard of technical death metal, characterized by hyper speeds and untamed brutality, while conveying perceptive social metaphors within dark imagery and lyrics.

With nine albums under their belt, Hour Of Penance is considered one of the most talented and intense representatives of the genre originating in Italy. It took the band three instalments to break out of the local scene and make a splash on the international stage. In addition to Europe, their tours have taken them to the US, Canada, Australia, and Asia, where they have played as support for bands such as Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Devildriver, Deicide, Nile, and Behemoth.

Hour Of Penance released two albums on Agonia Records: Devotion (2024), an anthem to the futility of war with no light at the end of the tunnel, and Misotheism (2019), a pitch-black and brutally intense death metal soundtrack to a collapsing universe. The group is now approaching a new chapter in their journey, featuring guitarist and longest-serving member Giulio Moschini, vocalist and guitarist Paolo Pieri, bassist Marco Mastrobuono, and drummer Giacomo Torti. More news will be revealed soon.

Tour dates:

In a new interview with Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation, drummer Nigel Glockler of British heavy metal legends SAXON spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to their 24th studio album, "Hell, Fire And Damnation", which came out in January 2024 via Silver Lining Music. Asked what fans can expect from SAXON's next LP, Nigel said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's not quite so many sort of what I'd call thrash-type feels on it. I mean, 'Hell, Fire [And Damnation]' had 'Fire And Steel', which was so fast, it was almost like 'last one home makes the tea.' [Laughs] So, no, there's not so much fast stuff. It's a lot more groove orientated, but it's very heavy. There's a lot more groove on it. And I think for me, that's the most important thing for any track. It's gotta groove, whether it's 500 miles an hour or 20."

Regarding how he approaches the making of a new SAXON album, Nigel said: "Whenever we record, I actually always record with a click track, 'cause that's how I wanna do it. Because the thing is, we generally get a song written, arranged and whatever, and then we go into a studio or wherever we are demoing, wherever we're rehearsing or whatever, and generally we'll sort of mess around with a click to try and get that right so the track's sitting perfectly within a groove. Sometimes two beats up, it can be, like, 'Oh, that seems a little bit rushed.' So that's always how we do it. I mean, for instance, with this latest stuff that we are doing, we had the songs written and arranged, and we went into a rehearsal studio and we actually laid down the demos with clicks. I was the only one that had the click, so to speak. But it was just to make sure that everything sat right. And then how we record, how actually I like to record, I like to record on my own. Because 've got the click — the other guys can be there, but I've got the click and I've got the guide of the guitars that went over on the demo, so I know exactly where I am in the song. But then you make sure that it's sitting right and then they re-record their parts."

This past July, SAXON frontman Biff Byford told Riff X's "Metal XS" about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's upcoming effort: " Well, we've started writing the next album. I'm doing lyrics now. And I've got a lot of ideas from [guitarist Doug Scarratt], Nigel as well, and from Nibbs [bassist Tim Carter]. So, yeah, I've got quite a lot of ideas, which I'm compiling at home in my studio. So I think we're maybe looking — fingers crossed — we're looking at a new album in autumn next year, September/October."

This past April, Biff told Uruguay's The Dark Melody that he and his bandmates had "been writing" new music "for about six or seven weeks now, off and on. So yeah, we're coming in with some ideas and I've got some ideas for songs, for titles. And, yeah, it's coming along.

"It will be out next year, I think," he continued. "We're probably gonna start recording in November, when we finish touring. We'll probably go in and record the drums and bass and the basic guitars and some guide vocals then. So, yeah, we're pretty much on it. We're working towards the new album. It's going well."

A little over two months ago, Byford shared a video update in which he said he had completed the final round of chemotherapy in his fight against bowel cancer.

Although Biff released a video message in August in which he implied that he underwent an operation to remove "a small tumor" from his "prostate gland", he later clarified that he was actually diagnosed with bowel cancer, which is cancer that is found anywhere in the large bowel, including the colon and rectum. Byford was later treated with chemotherapy for "a short period", resulting in the cancelation of a couple of shows and the postponement of several others.

Earlier in the year, SAXON announced the cancelation of 10 summer shows and festival appearances while Byford was recovering from the cancer surgery.

In August 2024, Biff underwent a "procedure" to treat atrial flutter, a type of heart rhythm abnormality, or arrhythmia, that causes the heart's upper chambers (atria) to beat too quickly.

In September 2019, Biff suffered a heart attack and underwent an emergency triple bypass surgery.

"Hell, Fire And Damnation" was produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, EXODUS, ACCEPT) and Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering.

In early 2023, SAXON guitarist Paul Quinn announced that he was stepping back from touring with the band. As a result of his decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise. Quinn has since been replaced on the road by DIAMOND HEAD legend Brian Tatler.

Brian has been touring with Doug, Nigel, Nibbs and Biff since mid-2023, but continues to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".

In a new interview with Brazil's 92.5 Kiss FM, guitarist Michael "Padge" Paget of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's upcoming eighth album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've been writing and demoing for a probably a year now at least. So there's lots and lots of music.

"Our next album is very, very important to us," he explained. "And we take every opportunity to write and demo whenever we can, whenever we're off the road, et cetera. Matt [Tuck, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE guitarist/vocalist] worked really hard himself as well also; he busts his ass."

Regarding the musical direction of the new BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE material, Paget said:  "Dude, there's so many different — there's so many songs. And there's so many different styles, tunings, arrangements. We can't really define the style until we get back home and then streamline and find the theme of the album. But it goes from seven-string drop fucking G to 'Hearts Burst Into Fire'-type stuff. It's so vast. So it could mean anything, but I think we know where we're gonna go with it. But there's so many songs. We are really working hard on this one."

Earlier this month, Tuck told Igor Miranda of Rolling Stone Brasil that the new BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE album was "still in the writing and the pre-production phase. I think January 5th, we've got to get back in to finish that, and I think around the 1st of February, we've set aside the time to actually track the album for real," he said.

Matt continued: "It's taken us a bit longer than we anticipated, but a lot of things have come up very last minute, but that's okay. I've got my guitar here [at the hotel room during BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's Latin American tour], we've got laptops here, we're cracking on in the hotel and having fun and being creative. Hopefully we'll have new music out around April, May time; that's what we're aiming for."

On the topic of what the new BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE material sounds like, Matt said: "If I had to describe what the album feels like, it's a cross between the last album [2021's 'Bullet For My Valentine'], [2010's] 'Fever' and [2005's] 'The Poison'. It really feels like it's a mash-up of all those really big moments for our band. And it's not something we've tried to do: that's just how this writing process has been. We've just kind of just gone with it. I think genuinely this album is going to appeal to a lot of people. I think it's got all the right ingredients that people have loved about BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE. Could it be the most definitive BULLET record yet? Possibly, yeah. We're excited."

At this year's Download festival at Leicestershire, United Kingdom's Donington Park, Paget spoke to Neil Jones of TotalRock about BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's decision to cut its "The Poisoned Ascendancy" tour with TRIVIUM short in order to focus on making a new album. He said: "Yeah, unfortunately, there's just not enough time. We started writing the [new BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE] album back last year, demos and stuff, which is going really, really well. To finish writing now and record by the end of the year, due to us touring what we've done so far, and then this summer run, to continue writing and finish up all the demos, then record in the studio, then process it to get new music and the album out by next year, we just don't have time. And time seems to be going so fast, so we just had to make our decision to focus on one thing or the other. And the album came first. So we chose the album, and we're gonna get stuck into that now… And hopefully there'll be new music out early next year and the album in the summer sometime."

As it pertains to the musical direction of the new BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE material, Paget said: "It's gonna be super heavy. We mess around with some crazy tuning on this one, something we haven't done before. So it's gonna be really interesting and fresh for the fans — and us. I think [we have a song in] drop G [tuning]. But, yeah, all of the usual BULLET trademarks are there. It's in our DNA, so hooks, the vocal melodies, the huge choruses, big guitars, all the standard stuff's gonna be there, but definitely different to what we've ever done before."

Michael went on to say that he and his BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE bandmates want to break some new ground on their upcoming eighth album. "We've always said we never wanna make the same album twice," he explained. "One, I think it's cop-out because we've already done it. We'll never do what 'The Poison' did for a debut album. And we like to keep it fresh for ourselves and challenge ourselves, make it interesting for the fans.

"Music changes over time, and there's classic metal, there's metalcore, there's modern metal, there's contemporary metal, this new wave of modern metal as well now coming out," he added. "So we've gotta keep up with the curve and do our thing, but our way. So, so it's gonna be interesting, but I think people are really gonna love it. It's gonna be awesome."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE spent the first half of 2025 celebrating the 20th anniversary of its debut album, "The Poison", on tours of Europe and North America.

Released in 2005, "The Poison" propelled BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE to unimaginable heights. That year saw the Welsh metallers graduate from supporting FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND on their U.K. run in the summer, to ending the year headlining the very same venues just months later. Dropping in October 2005, "The Poison" hit number 21 in the U.K. album charts, becoming a late contender in end of year polls, placing at number seven on Kerrang!'s "Albums Of The Year" list, and since achieving gold status.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and TRIVIUM were on the road together earlier this year to celebrate the joint 20th anniversaries of their respective albums "The Poison" and "Ascendancy".

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE released the deluxe version of its latest, self-titled album in August 2022 via Spinefarm/Search & Destroy. This extended release featured four brand new tracks, plus "Stitches", a song previously only available as a Japanese exclusive. Following the CD and digital releases, a vinyl pressing launched in November 2022.

During an appearance on an early edition of "Balance Of Power", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke to Bloomberg TV Washington correspondent Joe Mathieu about how artificial intelligence (A.I.) is revolutionizing the music industry through the use of A.I. music generators. These tools use machine learning algorithms to analyze existing music and create new compositions based on that analysis, including producing entire tracks using A.I.-generated music. Asked if A.I. is a worry for him or not, Gene said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A.I. is a concern if left unregulated. Anything — a beautiful horse that you just bring in, if it runs wild… You've got to have some parameters that we control instead of A.I. Right now, there's a country and western star that's got a number one record of sorts on some chart. [The artist] doesn't actually exist.

"The major problem here, potentially, hypothetically and otherwise, is that if states have the right, and this has to be settled right away — the government must get a federal law that encompasses all of A.I. to get some sanity out of this," Simmons explained. "Because if you can do A.I. legally in Delaware, where you have all your companies so you pay less taxes… Why should they wanna do real music and real art in New York when they can just go to Delaware and do A.I.? No. You need a federal law that encompasses the entire country. And I would highly recommend, and I would hope the entire planet really gets together. It's an issue for the UN to get a world body to accept it, because it's gonna happen to the same — same thing that happened to the unions in America. You charge too much here, so we'll do business in China. No. You want to address the A.I. issue worldwide so we can control what the rules are, the comings and the going and what's the income stream? Who owns the I.P.? Who's the owner of the trademark?"

Gene first discussed artificial intelligence as it relates to the music business back in July 2023 during an appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored". Asked if he was "excited or worried about artificial intelligence", he responded: "Music business aside, I am concerned about the lack of legislation. When you enter a new, let's say a new planet, you're about to land on a new [planet], well, clearly there's opportunity there, there are minerals and things — all kinds of opportunities. Without rules of the game… It's like playing sports without rules. Who's gonna do what? You need some rules that are kind and beneficial to mankind, womankind, transkind, all kinds of kinds. Okay, does that cover everybody?"

He continued: "The problem with A.I. is not… A.I. is here, whether you like it or not. So let's look at it smartly and let's pass legislation. A.I. creates a song using my voice, or what sounds like my voice, with a new song, and it sounds just like me and it definitely sounds like that kind of a thing. So when you buy it, who owns the copyright and the publishing, if A.I. did that? So, is it me, because it sounds like me? You could swear it was me. So these are uncharted [territories]."

Asked if he cares if A.I. uses his voice to create a new song, Gene said: "We can make a deal."

Last year Gene told TMZ that we can't turn the clock back, noting that music and its business models are ever changing.

"A.I. is here to stay," he explained. "Technology is here to stay. And you either join in and try to adapt and try to figure out how that works with you or you're just yesterday's news in a very real way."

In early 2024, KISS sold its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Pophouse, a Swedish entertainment group.

While terms of the Pophouse deal were not officially announced, Bloomberg and Associated Press said it was worth upwards of $300 million.

KISS continues to be among the most merchandised bands in history and a pioneering force in the music merchandise and licensing industry, with KISS-branded merchandise available in major retailers around the globe, including Nordstrom, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Torrid, Tilly's, Pacsun, Cotton On, Revolve, Nasty Gal, Princess Polly, Target, Walmart and Kohl's, among many more.