At this weekend's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt spoke to Baby Huey and Chasta of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2021's "Persona Non Grata" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "New album will be done today. I mean, it's technically been done for a month, but since we have the time, we keep messing with it a little bit… Mark Lewis has been mixing it, and we did some additional overdubs in other spots."

Regarding what fans can expect from the new EXODUS material, which is tentatively due next March via Napalm Records, Holt said: "It's 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."

Gary also confirmed that he and his EXODUS bandmates have recorded nearly two albums' worth of material this time around. "We have 80 percent of the next follow-up done," he said. "We started recording March 2nd, and I've been home four weeks till today. We stopped recording and we were on tour the next day. We went to Europe, and we were home for two weeks. Then we went on [tour] in the States. I was home two weeks, [went] to Europe, and then I went and joined SLAYER for [the summer 2025 shows]. And then I came home for two more weeks. So I'm exhausted."

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!"

EXODUS's upcoming LP will be the band's first since the departure of singer Steve "Zetro" Souza and the decision to bring Rob Dukes back.

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.

This past June, Holt told longtime Serbian hard rock/heavy metal journalist Jadranka Janković Nešić that he and his EXODUS bandmates recorded 18 songs for their next studio album. He said: "It's [going to be released as] two totally separate records, but we kept writing and kept writing and we had so much material that we just [thought], let's work extra hard and so when it's time to start thinking about a [second] new album [after the first new one], we could relax a little bit. I wish we had 20 songs done [instead of 18], 'cause then we would have the next album done, and then I could go on vacation or something. I've never had one."

Holt went on to say that none of the songs EXODUS has recorded so far for the two upcoming albums are "fillers", or tracks that were included simply to add time. "They're all great," he claimed. "They're all amazing. There are 18 songs, and they're all totally awesome. It's hard to pick which ones [will end up on the first new album]. But we did it so we could work less later."

He continued: "We're getting older. I'm 61 years old. By the time we think about releasing the next album, that's gonna be three years [from now], so I'm gonna be that much older. And then I can go on vacation in between albums. Like I said, I've never gone on vacation. I've had vacations where I played guitar to be, but I've never gone on a vacation where I didn't have to play to be there.

"After the whole [second new] album [is done] and all, yeah, I'm gonna go [on vacation] somewhere," Holt added. "I don't know how not to work though. I'm a workaholic. My wife will have to tell me to shut the phone off. At home I relax, though. But at home where I live in the country, it's a lot of work living there in the woods. So, I'm working, but it's working on my house, and I like that. I live in the country, yeah. No city life for me anymore."

Regarding the musical direction of the new EXODUS material, Gary said: "It's 100 percent EXODUS and at times 100 percent different. There's some surprises on it. It's super heavy. There's some moments that are so fast. There's moments that are super slow. Just satanic, evil as fuck."

After Jadranka noted that EXODUS is a band that continues to release full-length albums and isn't putting out standalone singles like more artists are choosing to do nowadays, Holt said: "We write albums. We've never concerned ourselves with singles. That's why in the past some of our songs were 11 minutes long, 'cause we didn't care. A song's done when it's done. If it's three minutes, cool. If it's 11 minutes, that's cool too."

Holt also once again opened up about Souza's departure and Dukes's return. Regarding what happened to cause Zetro's exit from EXODUS, Gary said: "Well, I don't wanna go into any details 'cause there's no bad blood. It's just we're all getting older and we want to be happy. And he was not happy. He was very unhappy. He was awesome on stage and awesome in the studio and awesome to the fans and there's no problem with that. And I loved his performance and his voice is as great as ever. But it's the time when you're not on stage when it became to where it's bringing everybody's spirits down. And this is a hard job to do when you're our age. Every single time I go to the airport to go on tour, I'm sad, 'cause I'm leaving my grandchildren and my kids and my wife and my house, and it's hard. But once I get out here [on tour], I'm with my brothers and I have fun. And if that part isn't fun anymore, then none of it's fun. Maybe on stage — maybe. But we're happy now. Rob's here and all five of us hang out and spend a lot of time together and we have a good time."

When Jadranka said that Rob was "the logical choice" to step in as EXODUS's singer for the band's next phase, Holt concurred. "I'm set in my ways," he explained. "I don't like change. So changing singers was never in my future plans. I don't like change at all. I'm stuck in my ways. And the idea of finding a new person who you don't know and you don't know if your personalities work, that was never an option for me. I mean, I could find someone half my age who's got tons of energy and [is] awesome and has got visible abs muscles and jumps off the top of the drum riser, but I might not have anything in common with him… [Hiring] some kid that's the same age as my youngest daughter, it would be weird. I'd feel like a father telling him to clean up his room all the time. [Laughs]"

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.

In a new interview with Australia's The Rockpit, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy confirmed that there are plans for him and his bandmates to reissue their fourth album, 1990's "Souls Of Black", to coincide with the LP's 35th anniversary.

"We're gonna remix it," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We actually have the two-inch tape, so instead of just remastering, we're gonna remix it. And it's actually being mixed right now. And we got a new packaging. So I think that'll be out towards the end of the year or early next year. And then, of course, touring this record [TESTAMENT's fourteenth studio album, the upcoming 'Para Bellum'], we'll find some time somewhere to go just play that record ['Souls Of Black'] just to celebrate and help market and promote that release when it comes out. And that'll be fun.

"We're getting the rights back for all our first six records on Atlantic," Chuck explained. "And then the next one [to be reissued after 'Souls Of Black' is] gonna be [1992's] 'The Ritual'. And that's one we always shied away from, but now I look forward to playing that whole record one day. I look forward to it."

In a 2013 interview with The Great Southern Brainfart, TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson stated about "Souls Of Black": "I wouldn't have rushed out 'Souls Of Black' like we did. That album could've been something different. It is a classic record now, but it was just thrown together so quickly."

In the summer of 2023, TESTAMENT entered a new partnership with Nuclear Blast which secured the first six albums of the band's catalog in the United States. Starting in late 2023 the band saw the re-release of the first two albums. In January 2025, the reissue of TESTAMENT's third album, the band's seminal 1989 effort "Practice What You Preach", was made available. The original master of the album was released as a CD, an orange bone swirl LP, a limited-edition orange cassette (700 worldwide),and a limited-edition long box (CD, sticker, and button, limited to 500).

"Para Bellum" is due on October 10 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with Juan Urteaga and mixed for the first time by Jens Bogren. The cover art was once again painted by Eliran Kantor.

TESTAMENT has released two singles so far from "Para Bellum": "Infanticide A.I.", "Shadow People".

When "Para Bellum" was first announced in August, it was accompanied by the official music video for "Infanticide A.I.", directed by Joey Durango.

During a new appearance on "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, CHEVELLE vocalist/guitarist Pete Loeffler spoke about the challenges of reproducing the material from the band's latest album, "Bright As Blasphemy", in a live situation. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I am feeling like 10 albums in, the guitar is starting to become more of a struggle to write a song with than it used to be. So I can elaborate on that, if you'd like, but I'm dabbling more with keyboards lately, and you'll hear a little bit of that. Well, primarily I'm a guitarist in a rock band, a three-piece. And this quite possibly — [we launched our new] tour [in August] and I'm already wishing I hired a guitarist for these new songs. They're up there — they're in my upper register vocally and they're in my upper difficult area. So I'm maxed out here. So, the next album or the next thing I do, it's possible that it could be a different style in general just right out of the gate, for nothing than just really wanting to do something different at this point. I love what we do, but I also need to try new things. So it just happens sometimes. But, yeah, any good guitarist out there, send me your reels, 'cause I need to represent these songs live well, and I hope I'm doing that on this run.'

He added: "These are the stresses of tour. These are the things that keep me awake at night: am I gonna have my voice tomorrow? Am I gonna have my chops? So, c'est la vie."

Asked what it was that first drew him to heavy music and the desire to write and play, and if he feels that spark or that love has changed over time or developed into something different, Pete said: "Yeah, the spark was there from me being young. I mean, it was definitely there from the first time I picked up a guitar. I mean, I'm going way back. But I was learning Cat Stevens folky tunes, things like that. But you get a little older and you hear some punk like DEAD KENNEDYS or whatever, and then you realize, 'Oh, there's this whole new world that's opening up.' And I had my heavy metal summer, and that really changed me for the better. And as much as I say I'm in a rock band, I'm really metal fan more so than rock music in general. But it depends what you call metal. LED ZEPPELIN was metal when it came out, so it was, like, yes, rock and metal. And then you're, like, 'PANTERA, now that's real metal,' or 'GOJIRA, that's metal.' So there's genres."

He continued: "Starting out, I just leaned into the heavier part of SOUNDGARDEN and that sort of vibe of the rock, which is why we're a band that could tour with probably MARILYN MANSON, but at the same time probably with — say, who's on the lighter side? I'd like to think we could tour with INCUBUS or something like that, 'cause it's sort of like we're both at radio at the same time. But. to me, they're sort of the lighter side of the rock scene, which is more dreamy and vibey and cool. But I like all genres.

"At this point now, 30 years in, when I sit down to write a song, it's harder for me to even pinpoint something that I even like because I've written so many songs that the world will never even hear because they're just not fully flushed out," Pete explained. "And now I'm just trying to find something that my mind will enjoy to hear and envision putting out, and try not to overthink everything all the time, try to have a little more fun with it. But that's tricky too. The mind is a weird thing, and I'm just navigating life, my own reality. I'm trying to make it a good place every day."

"Bright As Blasphemy" came out on August 15 via Alchemy Recordings. The follow-up to 2021's "Niratias" marked CHEVELLE's first release through Alchemy Recordings following a long run with the Epic label. Alchemy Recordings is a record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings vice president of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States.

Earlier this year, CHEVELLE drummer Sam Loeffler was asked by "Whiplash" why he and his brother Pete decided to produce the band's new LP themselves after working with Joe Barresi for almost a decade and a half. Sam said: "Well, I'll tell you this. We did four records with Joe [starting with 2011's 'Hats Off To The Bull'], and he was awesome. And he said to us, he goes, 'You guys should do something different. Go try doing a record yourselves. See how it goes.' So we did. And it's the hardest thing we've ever done, for sure. It's probably not worth it, but we did it, and we can say we did it."

As for the decision to part with Epic and find a new label home, Sam said: "After we did eight full-length records with Epic Records, which we still have a very good relationship with them, yeah, we branched out and became part of a label with our friends that we've known for 25 years in the business. And our old friend Danny Wimmer tried to sign us to Flawless Records back in like 2000, and it didn't work out, and we went to Sony instead. So now, after all these years, we've signed with him and his current label, so it was kind of cool."

Earlier this summer CHEVELLE embarked on a massive tour with special guests ASKING ALEXANDRIA and DEAD POET SOCIETY. Produced by Live Nation, the 38-city trek kicked off on August 7 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, making stops across North America in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and more before wrapping up in Airway Heights, Washington at BECU Live at Northern Quest on October 2.

Over the course of its career, the Chicago rockers have generated nearly half a billion streams, notched seven No. 1 hits, and sold out shows worldwide. Their catalog spans the double-platinum "Wonder What's Next", which boasts the double-platinum smash "The Red" and the platinum hit "Send The Pain Below". "This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)" attained platinum status, while "Vena Sera" was certified gold. CHEVELLE has landed four Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200, including "Sci-Fi Crimes" (2009),"Hats Off To The Bull" (2011),"La Gárgola" (2014) and "The North Corridor" (2016). The latter two each captured the No. 1 slot on the Top Rock Albums chart.

Professionally filmed video of SOULFLY's entire July 18, 2025 performance at the Baden In Blut festival in Weil Am Rhein, Germany has now been uploaded to YouTube and can be seen below.

A message accompanying the YouTube release of the video reads as follows: "This is a raw and straight recording from our video wall production. Therefore, the sound is not ideal. No post production done."

SOULFLY's thirteenth album, "Chama", is due on October 24 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2022's "Totem" was recorded at the Platinum Underground Studio in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino. John has worked with SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera and company multiple times before and is not only a talented engineer but a family friend. The album was produced by SOULFLY drummer and Max's son Zyon Cavalera and Arthur Rizk. The latter was also responsible for the mixing and mastering.

In a recent interview with Christina Rowatt of the We Wreck Records podcast, Max stated about Zyon's role as producer on "Chama": "Zyon's presence on 'Chama' is super important. I cannot tell you how important it was, because it was so cool. I produced SOULFLY records before, like 'Prophecy' and 'Dark Ages'. And so I said to him right in the beginning of the process, like, 'How do you feel about producing this record?' He kind of freaked out. But I was, like, 'It would be cool, because you're young and you hungry, man. You remind me of me when I was 18, when I was 17, when I was making [SEPULTURA's] 'Beneath The Remains' [album], and I wanted all those things. This is the fire that I need. I'm old, man. I produced records already. You don't want me to produce this thing. I'm telling you, you don't want me to produce it. You wanna produce this album. It'd be cool if you produced it.' So I sold him on that. I got him to produce. And it was the coolest, because he was so excited. But also he was challenging me in a way that I haven't been challenged in the studio before — stuff like, I'd do a riff and [he was], like, "Eh, it's okay. Can it be better?' Who are you to tell me, can it be better? But that's what's cool because he is not just a 'yes' man. He's actually challenging me to do something better than I already did. So I go back to the drawing board and make something better out of it. And then we had all the pedals, man, all the noise. The record is full of noise everywhere. It's great. I love it. And that's, that's the combination of Zyon and Arthur together, Arthur Rizk. He and Zyon produced this thing together, and it was so cool to have them both."

Earlier in September, Max told Scott Itter of Dr. Music about "Chama":  "It's been a journey, but I think more than ever I felt really inspired by this record, maybe being our thirteenth record. And we went deep into the whole going back to the origin essence of what SOULFLY is, in reality, 'cause SOULFLY was created as an entity that was going to embrace tribal grooves and spirituality, and I think this record has both of those things in a big way. But also modern, because I think the production between Zyon and Arthur gave the record a modern touch as well."

Max also talked about the inspiration for the "Chama" title, which came from the Brazilian professional mixed martial artist Alex Pereira, who has used the song "Itsári" from Cavalera's former band SEPULTURA for all his UFC walkouts. In the Xavante language, "itsári" means "roots" and the instrumental track is an ode to Brazilian traditions. Max said: "Yeah, that moment was a huge moment to me to experience. I had never experienced something like that in my life, and I got to experience that with my son Zyon, watching together. He is a big UFC fan, and we both watched that live and I had the goosebumps. And [Alex] is walking out with 'Itsári' and he does the bow and arrow and lets go the 'Chama' scream. And that moment really, it cut me deep. I was, like, 'I'm inspired by this guy. I'm inspired by this moment. I wanna make a record to celebrate this inspiration.' So this is what 'Chama' is."

Max continued: "'Chama' is a celebration of feeling inspired again. Because it's a hard thing, man, to feel inspired, especially after you make so many records like me. It becomes harder and harder to be inspired, and it becomes easier to always just kind of just do whatever, just put out whatever record. And I'm not satisfied with that. And even though, the way I look at things, like, I don't have nothing to prove to anybody anymore, I have a lot of gas left in the tank, so you know what? I am gonna prove you something. That's kind of the feeling… It's that ready-to-battle kind of feeling, especially 'Storm The Gates' and 'No Pain = No Power'. 'No Pain = No Power' is actually influenced by all of that, all of those athletes going into war in the UFC ring, or even a football player, when he has to play through pain to actually get the power of the touchdown. You see that on TV, and it's cool. I think that I was tapping into that emotion of, without the pain, there is no power. They coexist. One feeds off the other. Without the pain, you will never reach the power and you'll never get the glory. That's kind of the idea of the song. And it was cool, because I think it connects to a real SOULFLY back to singing about shit that I know, rather than some of the other lyrics were more ethereal and kind of nonsensical. So now this record has more of personal lyrics about shit that I really connect to. I believe on those lyrics, I believe in what I'm saying."

Cavalera added: "There's a thing about, about metal. I think when you're screaming what you believe, your scream becomes more powerful than when you are just saying something that makes no sense or nobody knows what the hell you're screaming for. If you're screaming something that you really mean it — like I think it's an old rock and roll quote: mean what you say, say what you mean. You know, that kind of shit. So I was tapping into all that, but [it's a] really battle-born kind of record. It's ready for battle all the way through. And even in the quiet moments, it's still cool because it makes you check out."

Rizk has not only worked with the Cavalera family numerous times before, but has also helped to shape the world of heavy metal in the modern day. SOULFLY enlisted Carletta Parrish to create the album artwork. For the album, Igor Amadeus Cavalera (GO AHEAD & DIE, NAILBOMB, HEALING MAGIC) played bass and Mike De Leon played guitar. The album also features Dino Cazares (FEAR FACTORY) on one of the tracks.

This past May, SOULFLY recruited Chase Bryant (WARBRINGER) to play bass on the band's European tour, which kicked off on June 7 at the South Of Heaven festival in Maastricht, Netherlands.

A month earlier, SOULFLY parted ways with the band's longtime bassist Mike Leon.

Leon, formerly of HAVOK, joined SOULFLY in September 2015 as the replacement for STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos, who left SOULFLY in May of that year.

In August 2021, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares played guitar for SOULFLY on the band's 2021 and 2022 run of shows.

De Leon has been touring with SOULFLY for more than two years. Prior to hooking up with SOULFLY, De Leon had been a member of PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo's solo band PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, which he joined in 2015 as the replacement for Marzi Montazeri. More recently, Mike filled in for Zakk Wylde at the first rehearsal for the fall 2022 PANTERA shows.

Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA have confirmed that drummer Greyson Nekrutman will return to the band when they resume their farewell tour in 2026.

SEPULTURA made the comment in response to questions about Greyson's position in the group following the announcement that he had joined TRIVIUM as that band's new drummer for the Aftershock festival appearance and upcoming North American tour.

Earlier today (Sunday, October 5),SEPULTURA released the following statement via Instagram Story: "As many of you may already know, our drummer Greyson Nekrutman has temporarily joined our friends from TRIVIUM as their drummer. In 2026, he'll be back with SEPULTURA, resuming his place in the band as we continue our farewell tour. Stay tuned for new tour dates coming soon!"

The 23-year-old Nekrutman stepped into TRIVIUM as the replacement for Alex Bent, who left the latter band earlier this month after a nine-year run.

Greyson made his live debut with TRIVIUM yesterday (Saturday, October 4) at the aforementioned Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

TRIVIUM's "The Ascend Above The Ashes" trek will kick off October 31 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and run through December 14, with a hometown show in Orlando, Florida. Special guests are JINJER and HERIOT.

Nekrutman officially replaced SEPULTURA's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February 2024.

Greyson, who also previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, made his live debut with SEPULTURA on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

During a recent appearance on "The David Ellefson Show" podcast, SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. praised Nekrutman, saying: "Greyson, he is a great guy. He has a very jazzy, totally different approach. I'm still adapting, learning with him day by day. Eloy was in the band for 13 years. It took me a while to really lock up with him. The easiest one, of course, was Igor [Cavalera, original SEPULTURA drummer], 'cause we grew up together. And then the other ones, I had to readapt, and even the way of playing, just to make SEPULTURA sound right. Each one is very unique and has their own particularities. That's why it's so nice.

"We've done some new recording with Greyson, and it sounds amazing," Paulo revealed. "[It's a] totally different approach, and it was, like, 'Don't try to be that much metal. Just be yourself. Be a jazz player. Try to bring into the metal your own style and you're gonna fly high, dude.' 'Cause he's amazing."

Asked by podcast co-host Joshua Toomey what it's like to have such a young bandmate in SEPULTURA, Paulo said: "Well, it's great, 'cause, it gave us new energy. And it's a way to exchange experience. Even though he's so young, he has his own experience that he can share with us. And to have the chance to be every day on stage, you learn more and more every day. So it's a great exchange, actually. It's beautiful. [I] love it."

SEPULTURA announced Casagrande's departure on February 27, 2024, explaining in a statement that he was leaving to join "another project", with Eloy later confirming that he is the new drummer of SLIPKNOT.

The news of Eloy's exit from SEPULTURA came just two months after the band announced it would celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024 by embarking on a "farewell tour" which will cover the entire globe.

In SEPULTURA's statement, the remaining bandmembers expressed their shock over Casagrande's departure, saying they were "taken by surprise" that their now-former drummer would "abandon everything related to SEPULTURA" less than a month prior to the start of the tour.

SEPULTURA is putting together a live album commemorating its last run of shows. The band is recording 40 songs in 40 different cities for what will be a "massive compilation of our best, most energetic moments on stage," according to a statement released by SEPULTURA in December 2023.

Photo credit: Edu Defferrari

In a new interview with Abe Kanan of Audacy, MUDVAYNE frontman Chad Gray was asked what playing Ozzy Osbourne's traveling festival Ozzfest in 2001 and 2005 meant to him and his bandmates. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Everything. I just kind of Googled, like, 'How many bands have been on Ozzfest?' and it's like north of 125 or 150 or something like that. I'm, like, 'Bullshit.' Yeah. So I went and I went through every Ozzfest and saw the whole lineups and counted the whole thing, and I counted over 360 bands. So think about what — [Ozzy's] contribution to music, we could never pay back, to what he did from being such an inspiration with all of the music he did with BLACK SABBATH and then doing Ozzy solo stuff. It's, like, just the inspirations he created from what he did is unprecedented. And then you've gotta think about back to, like, he broke METALLICA — straight up. He took them on the road with him. He put METALLICA on an Ozzy side stage on 'Master Of Puppets', and dude, from that moment on, it was game over. So what does he do? Now he creates a festival where it's not just one band or two bands — an opener and a direct support that he can help. Now it's a gaggle of bands every single year."

Chad continued: "We were on that second stage. SYSTEM OF A DOWN was on the second stage. SLIPKNOT was on the second stage. I mean, just go down the list of just second-stage acts — DROWNING POOL. Just go down the list of just second-stage acts, outside of the main stage. The year [we were on it], it was [MARILYN] MANSON, PAPA ROACH, LINKIN PARK, DISTURBED, us, DROWNING [POOL]."

As previously reported, MUDVAYNE guitarist Greg Tribbett is missing the "L.D. 50 25th Anniversary" tour after his wife reportedly lost her year-and-a-half-long battle with cancer.

The "L.D. 50 25th Anniversary" tour kicked off on September 11 in Dubuque, Iowa and will conclude on October 26 in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Last year, Greg sat out the remaining shows on MUDVAYNE's "Destroy All Enemies" tour with MEGADETH due to what at the time was described as a "family issue". Filling in for him was MUDVAYNE's touring guitarist Marcus Rafferty, who has served as a guitar tech for several metal bands over the years, including LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED. He also worked for HELLYEAH, which originally featured both Tribbett and MUDVAYNE vocalist Chad Gray.

Last month, MUDVAYNE released a new single called "Sticks And Stones". The track arrived two weeks after the release of MUDVAYNE's first new single in 16 years, "Hurt People Hurt People", which has already accumulated over half a million streams and counting.

"L.D. 50" was MUDVAYNE's debut studio album, arriving in August 2000 via Epic, and established the band as a new yet major player in the hard rock scene. It eventually went on to achieve a gold certification. Years after its release, both Revolver and Metal Hammer deemed the album an essential of the '00s metal class, rightfully so. The tour will feature support from STATIC-X, while VENDED will open.

"Sticks And Stones" and "Hurt People Hurt People" were released through Alchemy Recordings, a record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings vice president of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States. Other Alchemy artists include STAIND and CHEVELLE.

Prior to the arrival of "Hurt People Hurt People", the reunited metallers hadn't put out any new material since 2009, which means more than a decade and a half had gone by without a single fresh MUDVAYNE song.

MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms.

Gray spent 15 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away seven years ago.

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

Released in 2000 via Epic, "L.D. 50" produced three singles — Dig", "Death Blooms" and "Nothing To Gein". "L.D. 50" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 85 on the Billboard 200. It was certified gold by the RIAA for shipment in excess of half a million copies in the U.S. alone.

MUDVAYNE completed its first headlining tour in over 14 years, "The Psychotherapy Sessions", in the summer of 2023. Support on the 26-city trek, which was produced by Live Nation, came from COAL CHAMBER, along with GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES.

Previously, MUDVAYNE made waves in 2022 when they embarked on the "Freaks On Parade" tour co-headlined with ROB ZOMBIE. The 2023 tour, however, marked MUDVAYNE's first headlining endeavor since 2009.

In a new interview with Deanne Coffin, CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, who has transitioned his talents over the past decade to a solo career, recording and touring with #KEIFERBAND, was asked to name the "secret" to his success. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Just don't stop. [Laughs] You just keep going. I love playing music. I always have.

"I think every artist has their story of ups and downs in the music business and all," he continued. "There's no secret [the bands who were big in] the '80s took quite a dive in the '90s, and on top of it, I was told I would never sing again [after a severe bout of vocal paresis]. And everybody has their story, so I'm not whining. I mean, everybody has their adversity. And I think the secret, if there is one — I mean, I don't think you can bottle anyone's secret. I just think if you love doing it, you just keep doing it. It's like the saying from the movie, 'If you build it, they will come.' So, yeah, through the ups and downs, and there's been times, you go out and you just play, and you play for anyone who wants to come and hear you still. Or in the beginning, before nobody wanted to hear it, and you're playing for 10 people, but all of a sudden it turns into this massive thing."

Keifer added: "Just do what you love. Don't follow trends. Be who you are. Play what you love, because if you're chasing trends, by the time you catch up with it, there's gonna be a new one. So I think probably, aside from everything else that I said about just never stopping, if it's truly what you love and it's your dharma, as they say in the Eastern philosophy, the most important thing is be yourself, be true to your own musical style because if you're going after a trend, you'll be on the tail end of it."

Last month, Tom confirmed to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station that he was still working on material for the follow-up to his sophomore solo album, "Rise", which was released in September 2019 via Cleopatra Records.

Tom's #KEIFERBAND is rounded out by Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Tanya Davis, Jarred Pope and Kory Myers.

Keifer was the voice of CINDERELLA on all of the band's albums, including the first two, 1986's "Night Songs" and 1988's "Long Cold Winter". CINDERELLA recorded two more LPs before Keifer suffered vocal paresis, grunge happened and the band lost its record deal.

Although CINDERELLA hasn't released a new studio album since 1994's "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but has been largely inactive for the last few years while Keifer focused on his solo career.

In March 2022, Keifer said that he was "not prepared" for the 2021 passing of CINDERELLA guitarist Jeff LaBar. Jeff was found dead by his wife in July 2021 inside his apartment in Nashville. He was 58 years old.

After ATREYU blacked out the band's social media earlier in the month and posted the letters "R.I.P.", some fans speculated that the California metallers were breaking up. However, ATREYU later revealed that the tease was actually for a new song called "Dead", which is the band's first new offering in two years.

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

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

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

"Dead" was recorded by Matthew Pauling.

ATREYU recently announced dates for its upcoming tour that begins November 4 in Mesa, Arizona and concludes December 11 in Pomona, California. The trek marks the 21st anniversary of ATREYU's 2004 album "The Curse". A true breakthrough moment for the band, "The Curse" delivered staples like "Bleeding Mascara", "Right Side Of The Bed" and "The Crimson", which are songs that helped cement ATREYU as one of the defining forces in the mid-2000s metalcore scene.

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

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

ATREYU is:

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

Photo credit: Sean Stiegeimeier

The Dream Theater World, the official DREAM THEATER fan club, recently conducted an interview with DREAM THEATER members John Petrucci (guitar),Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and Mike Portnoy (drums). Asked what it has been like touring together again following the return of Portnoy in October 2023 after a 13-year absence, Rudess said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "First of all, when Mike came back and was in the studio with us the first day, in my mind it's still almost impossible to think it was so many years since he was with us before, 'cause it seemed like you just blink your eyes and we're back together again. And part of the reason that it seemed that way to me, and I think we can all relate to this, it's just so right, it's so natural. It's like, 'Okay, well, this is where we should be.' Not to discount the other years or the music we made when Mike [Portnoy] wasn't there, but to just say when we're together, it's, like, okay, well, this is what really, really works and feels right. And so we've been having a great time hanging out."

Added Portnoy: "It feels so natural, like Jordan said. It was one thing to spend that first year together in the studio — even before we played a show or had any kind of public appearances with the five of us, we spent almost a solid year just alone in the studio. And within a couple days, it just felt like no time had passed. And it was the same once we started touring. The first couple of shows, there was maybe a moment here or there where it was, like, 'Wow, we're in a van traveling to the gig together. Who would've ever thought this would happen?' Every once in a while there'd be those moments of where it just felt surreal and unbelievable. But, really, it was more — 95 percent of the time, it just felt like no time had passed, and it was exactly how it was back then."

Mike continued: "I mean, I've said this before and it's really true — this was more than just coming back to a band for me. It was like coming back home to a family. You spend so much time together on the road, traveling on a bus or on an airplane or in dressing rooms backstage — it's so much more than just being in a band playing music together. It's all that other stuff. And every once in a while there'd be a moment, like, 'Wow. Wow, where did this come from? How did this happen?' But really, it's only very occasionally that those feelings come out. For the most part, it just feels like we just picked up right where we left off — for me, at least."

Petrucci chimed in: "For me, it's been awesome just having my brother back in the band. We met when we were 18 years old. We started this thing [together]. And there's a certain relationship that way and bond that can't be broken. And it's also interesting to kind of catch up on what happened during those times. Almost every night on the bus we get together and whether [Mike's] turning us on to music or we'll play a game together on the bus or some sort of trivia, and it's a lot of fun. One of the things that keeps happening — it's really hysterical — we were playing this game the other night where we were playing… I don't know — somehow we went down this rabbit hole of playing really obscure one-hit wonders from the '60s and seeing who could name the song. And our tour manager Rikk is great at that. And every once in a while somebody would name the song, and then Mike would be, like, 'I actually did a cover of that with THE WINERY DOGS in Glasgow.' And it was like getting hysterical. Even at my past guitar camp — we did 'Hocus Pocus' by FOCUS, and Mike was, like, 'I actually played that with the actual guy from...' So it's kind of funny catching up on what Mike was doing musically. We have all these new stories to share. So it's been great."

Earlier in the month, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was asked by The Prog Report how many shows into the band's 40th-anniversary tour it took before "the shock" of him "turning around and seeing Mike back" behind the drum kit "died down a little bit" for him. James said: "It was probably the first five, six shows — it just felt a little surreal, 'cause, yeah, I'd turn around and we're, like, both looking at each other, whatever, smiling or making faces at one another. But, yeah, I'd say maybe after the first five shows, then it just became, like, 'Okay, it's cool.' This is a great new beginning once again, you could actually say. And it just feels right."

Referencing the fact that Portnoy was replaced in 2010 by Mike Mangini, who played with DREAM THEATER across five studio albums and accompanying world tours, LaBrie added: "I've said it in several interviews. It's funny. You get away, and Mike Mangini is a phenomenal drummer — he was incredible in the band and that, and he has his style of playing and being involved in the music and the writing and all that stuff. And then coming back to Mike Portnoy, I was just reminded, and we even talked about it while we were writing [the latest DREAM THEATER album] 'Parasomnia', and he has a very specific vibe and feel and groove to when he plays. And you just feel that, and then you're reminded and you're, like, 'Wow. Yeah. There it is. There it is. That's exactly what it used to be like.' And it's good. It's like a coming home — for all of us. For all of us. For sure."

This past January, LaBrie was asked by This Day In Metal if it's fair to say that his face-to-face meeting with Portnoy in March 2022 "was maybe one of the last dominoes to fall before the classic DREAM THEATER lineup reunited", James said: "Yeah, for sure. When Mike and I met — you're referring to our initial meeting at the Beacon Theatre [in New York City] when we were playing there and he came out to the show. But, yeah, that was somewhat the catalyst that really kind of busted the door wide open with the possibility that we could all start really thinking about. Is this something that we should be seriously considering, a reunion? And things inevitably did lead to that, but I think there were some precursors, like Mike had already done [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci's solo album, then he did his solo tour, then he also worked with John and Jordan [Rudess, DREAM THEATER keyboardist] on the latest LIQUID TENSION [EXPERIMENT] album. So all these things were kind of just slowly but surely ensuring that he was walking through the door of being back in the fold."

James continued: "[Mike] coming back in, though, when it actually did happen, it was very natural. There was no — I don't know — feelings of whether or not, 'Hey, is this really gonna work? Is this gonna be what we remember the band as?' And if there were any apprehensive feelings, that just definitely was never a part of it. To be quite honest with you, I joke around, in some of the interviews I've said it felt like Mike went out for a coffee and he came back and we just started writing. But it was very smooth, seamless. And we were joking a few times, saying stuff like, 'Oh my God…' Because once you actually get into that environment and you start writing the album, you start remembering the chemistry that was almost palpable. And it was within the first day or two days of starting to write [the upcoming DREAM THEATER album] 'Parasomnia', we were joking around, we were laughing, it was, like, 'Oh my god. I remember that, that whole interaction, that whole analytical approach to the songs and how they slowly but surely evolve into a complete composition.' So it was all this familiarity going on, going, 'Oh my god. That's exactly the way it used to be. This is where we are today, but it doesn't seem that we've missed a step.' So it was extremely effortless, so to speak. It was just doing what we know how to do when the five of us get into the studio."

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 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 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.

London marked the kick-off concert of DREAM THEATER's 2024-2025 40th-anniversary tour. The European leg of the trek — presented as "An Evening With Dream Theater" — ran through November 24, 2024 in Amsterdam, hitting cities in numerous countries along the way.

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

Regarding what it felt like to be writing and recording with DREAM THEATER again, Portnoy said: "To be back with these guys, it feels really special. It feels like family, really, honestly. John and me and [DREAM THEATER bassist] John Myung have been playing together almost 40 years at this point. We formed the band when we were teenagers and met at college, the first month of college. So, for us, it's deeper than just being in a band together. We've been through life together. We met our wives together, our wives played in a band together, we ad our families at the same time, we've been to the funerals of each other's parents and siblings and things like that. So, we've been through all these life experiences together. It goes beyond just the music for us. All that being said, it also, at least to me, felt like no time had passed. It did not feel like 13 years. Once we started writing together, it felt so natural and so fresh. 'Night Terror' was the first thing we worked on, and it just came out so naturally. There wasn't much thought needed to go into it. It was, like, 'Okay, here we are where we just left off.'"

"Parasomnia" was produced by John 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.

Hammerheart Records has shared the following, announcing the reissue of Lake Of Tears’ debut album, Greater Art.

They say the deepest darkness appears just before dawn. It was in such a dense and impenetrable darkness that Lake Of Tears must have been born.

And their debut album is immersed in this darkness. It was baptized Greater Art and indeed the title sets the tone for what was to follow. Yes, it is a higher art, it was and is something different. Although there are influences from other Swedish bands of the time, such as Tiamat, or even death metal elements, what is certain is that their doom metal brought to the fore something new, fresh and completely innovative.

We won’t go into the process of choosing any songs, as we’ve said it before, Lake Of Tears never included indifferent compositions on any album. However, we can’t help but make a small exception when talking about the magnificent epic “Upon The Highest Mountain”, which in itself would be an excellent reason to purchase the album.

Lake Of Tears’ debut on vinyl after 31 years. For the older generation to remember and the younger generation to discover. Because what these Swedes made here, three decades ago, stands as an immortal monument. Is it doom metal? Does it have death metal influences? Is it gothic metal? Yes, but it sounds a bit different… Who really cares?

It was then that the magnificent prologue was written, becoming the beginning of everything that was to follow. And hold on… the epilogue hasn’t been written yet…

Order your copy of Greater Art on red or black vinyl, and CD, here.

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", IN THIS MOMENT guitarist Chris Howorth spoke about legendary BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne who died in July at the age of 76. Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I grew up [listening to Ozzy]. Ozzy was huge for me. And then how we got connected with Ozzy was, our manager was Blasko [Rob Nicholson], who was Ozzy's bass player. Actually, he was Rob Zombie's bass player when he first became our manager, but then he joined Ozzy's band right after that. And he's the one who connected us to [IN THIS MOMENT's longtime producer] Kevin Churko, who at the time was recording Ozzy's 'Black Rain' album. So right when we got with Kevin, he had just finished ['Black Rain']. So we were talking to him a lot. And then we did a couple of singles during that time, one of which was [a cover of BLONDIE's] 'Call Me', and we ended up recording all of the music for that at Ozzy's house up in Hollywood Hills.'

Chris continued: "It was so cool, just to be in [Ozzy's] studio doing it there. Of course, Ozzy, he's so, like, just gregarious, and he just rolls downstairs and [says], 'What are you guys doing?' And he just sat down and started talking to us about all the stuff going on and was bringing up some little stories and stuff, and we were just completely floored. And that happened. And then we got to do the Ozzfest thing, and then we got to do a two-month Ozzy arena tour. It was our first big tour. It was unbelievable to be a witness to all of that."

This past July, IN THIS MOMENT released a new single, "Heretic (Feat. Kim Dracula)". The song marked the first new music to be released from the Grammy Award-nominated Los Angeles band's upcoming as-yet-untitled ninth album and debut for Better Noise Music (exact release date to be announced).

The release of "Heretic (Feat. Kim Dracula)" coincided with IN THIS MOMENT's "Hell Hath No Fury" tour with WARGASM and Kat Von D and THE PRETTY WILD.

Earlier this month, IN THIS MOMENT launched the "Black Mass" tour featuring special guests DAYSEEKER on select dates, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT and DED.

Formed in 2005, IN THIS MOMENT's current lineup includes Howorth, singer Maria Brink, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel and drummer Kent Diimmel.

To date, in addition to the gold-selling album "Blood" (2012),the quintet has garnered six gold and platinum singles, followed by a trifecta of Top 25 entries on the Billboard 200 with "Black Widow" (2014) and "Ritual" (2017). With a total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, "Ritual" elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. Between selling out headline tours coast to coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside DISTURBED and appeared at countless festivals from Lollapalooza to Sonic Temple. Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled "Mother" (Roadrunner Records) with longtime trusted collaborator Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH). Whereas "Ritual" hinted at a bluesy sonic sorcery, "Mother" breathes the activating mantra of an unbreakable spell, commenced on first single "The In-Between".

In 2022, the band released "Blood 1983" (BMG),a reimagined EP commemorating the tenth anniversary of "Blood". Then in 2023, the longtime staples of heavy music released their eighth studio album "Godmode" (BMG),a 10-song record featuring the powerful lead single "The Purge", the band's stunning cover of Björk's "Army Of Me", the collaborative track "Damaged" which features Spencer Charnas of ICE NINE KILLS, and "I Would Die For You", which appears on the soundtrack for "John Wick: Chapter 4".

Photo credit: Joe Cotela

In a new interview with PipemanRadio conducted at last month's Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, DOPE leader Edsel Dope, who is widely rumored to be Xer0 (pictured),the masked frontman of STATIC-X, and STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos spike about STATIC-X's decision to reunite without its late singer Wayne Static, who died 11 years ago. Edsel said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They [STATIC-X] did it right. I think a lot of bands try to move forward. They feel their instincts are, 'We gotta put a new guy up front and we gotta tell everybody that we're okay and we're moving forward.' And their goal was not to move forward. The goal was to celebrate the achievement and then figure out a way for these experiences to take place for the betterment of the people that love the band and love the record and wanna celebrate and say goodbye, but also hello again. It's a very interesting human experiment."

Tony added: "For the three of us [Campos, drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda], it was a very cathartic thing for us to close some chapters and resolve some feelings. 'Cause we never really got a chance to say goodbye to [Wayne]. A lot of fans didn't get to say goodbye to him, and so this was an opportunity for all of us to you say goodbye to the dude and celebrate."

After host Pipeman noted that "the music keeps Wayne's memory alive", Edsel concurred. "The truth of the matter, and I say this with great respect, is that the music was bigger than one person," he said. "The music connected to millions of people around the world. So, he knew that. We all know that. And you're right, though. It's really amazing. The result was not guaranteed. There was a lot of doubters. The fact that that STATIC-X, and I like to use the word is as 'healthy' in 2025 as it is after being as unhealthy as it was is fucking remarkable."

Pipeman went on to say that what STATIC-X is doing is "better than what's being done with PANTERA", a reference to the fact that PANTERA's classic members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) are touring with Zakk Wylde (guitar) and Charlie Benante (drums) after the deaths of original PANTERA members "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (guitar) and Vinnie Paul Abbott (drums). Edsel chimed in: "Well, I just wouldn't compare. I understand the compliment and I appreciate it. Zakk is Zakk. And he loved Dime. He's the right guy. The reason that PANTERA [touring again] hits harder for people is 'cause [Dimebag and Vinnie] were brothers. That's a different bond too, and it's just such a weird thing. But again, that point of you bringing them up, and earlier we were talking about [late LINKIN PARK singer] Chester [Bennington], if you really just wanna simplify it all and say, 'What are you grateful for?' I'm grateful to just be here. There's so many of us that aren't here anymore, for one reason or another. That alone, being one of them that has been healthy enough and has dodged those pitfalls of health and accidents. Enough of us are still here to be, like, 'Wow, this is remarkable.' And I'm very grateful to just be above the dirt, man."

Circling back to PANTERA's decision to tour again, even though Vinnie Paul had repeatedly shot down any talk of a PANTERA reunion while he was still alive, Edsel said: "I don't care about the differences that the band had, because that's just how shit works. Hopefully everyone grows and lives long enough to reconcile, but most of the time it doesn't work like that. And anybody that says any different is a hypocrite because we all have a friend we had a falling out with and we wish that, 'Oh, maybe I should just pick up [the phone],' or a family member [that we had a falling out with], whatever, and you don't. But at the end of the day, the fact that 13-year-old kids are being taken to a PANTERA concert by their uncle or their dad, and they're hearing 'Walk' for the first time, and they're getting the same chill bumps that we all got is good for PANTERA. It's good for Dime and Vinnie. It's good for metal."

After Pipeman noted that Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney had given her blessing to the current PANTERA lineup, Edsel said: "And that was the big part of STATIC-X, that when this whole thing came together, that Tony was absolutely a hundred percent behind, was that if Wayne's family wasn't on board with every decision, that they weren't gonna make a single decision. And you have to respect the people closest to the ones that aren't here, because that's the best barometer you can get. And anybody that's outside that's gonna tell you what they think the person would've thought has no idea. Because the people closest to these people that have passed on are the ones that are supporting and embracing it.

"So, again, this is the world we live in," Dope added. "Everybody's gotta give their basement opinion with Doritos fucking crumbs on their chest. You can't please 'em all. And as my old friend Racci Shay from DOPE used to say, 'If you can't fuck 'em, fuck 'em.'"

STATIC-X recently announced a 25th-anniversary edition of its legendary debut, "Wisconsin Death Trip". The anniversary edition — "Wisconsin Death Trip (25th Anniversary Corrosive Edition)" — contains two handmade, orange-and-black eclipse vinyl with remastered versions of the original album audio, presented in a comprehensive box set, filled with bonus tracks and never-seen artwork available worldwide on December 12. The band reunited with the original producer Ulrich Wild as well as original photographer Exum to deliver a whole new experience for the album. The album has been remastered by Wild, and a second disc of demos, alternate versions and rare tracks are included making the album total runtime over an hour and eleven minutes. Exum unearthed hundreds of never-before-seen photos from the shoot and the band have used them to completely redesign the packaging. Limited-edition deluxe versions include signed prints, laser engraved ID tag, ID bracelet with QR code linking to the full 8mm BTS video footage of the "Wisconsin Death Trip" photo shoot, pill bottle, stickers and more and is only available at www.static-x.com.

STATIC-X's original "Wisconsin Death Trip" members Campos, Fukuda and Jay, along with current vocalist/guitarist Xer0, are continuing to bring their ultra entertaining Evil Disco extravaganza on the road throughout 2025. The band is currently supporting MUDVAYNE on their tour.

Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

Back in October 2019, a photo was posted online clearly showing that Dope and Xer0 shared the same neck tattoo. However, Edsel later posted a lengthy statement on his band's Facebook page attempting to quash the rumors, implying Xer0's distinctive body ink was in fact a Photoshop job. Dope even provided a photograph of himself supposedly observing a STATIC-X performance sidestage to prove he and Xer0 were not the same person.

STATIC-X's "Project Regeneration Vol. 1" LP came out in July 2020. The first of two volumes, it featured 12 brand new tracks, containing many of the final vocal performances and musical compositions of Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" lineup of Campos, Jay and Fukuda. A follow-up album, "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2", arrived on January 26, 2024. A collection of 14 brand-new songs, the LP was produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by longtime collaborator Ulrich Wild.

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, bassist Pär Sundström of Swedish metallers SABATON was asked how important it has been for him and his bandmates to break into the American market. The 44-year-old musician, who also serves as SABATON's manager, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, there was a point where it seemed impossible, because everybody told us, 'Guys, you play European power metal. Good luck in America. It's never happened before that a band ever became any popular in in this.' And we had to be strong in believing in ourselves and we had to go and we were doing all a lot of support tours. And we said, 'We know that this is the way we're gonna build it. That's how we built it in Europe. And that's how we're gonna make it.'

"We know that our biggest strength is the guys in the band and our music, and what we do on stage is what matters most," he explained. "And we won't be anything unless we are there playing. So once we sort of had a base to stand on in Europe, we turned our heads and really [went], like, 'Okay, now it's time for America.' And we won't stop. We won't let everybody who told us that it's not gonna work, we won't the them speak to us in that way. They said the same about the U.K. We went to U.K. and made a hundred shows and then we sold out the Wembley. It was just hard work — push, push, push, push, push. And, yeah, I think we have probably done a hundred shows in the U.S. now. But things are improving and they are really doing well. And we are so excited to continue and [we] still believe in what we do."

After Meltdown noted that SABATON has already taken part in some big tours in the U.S., Pär said: "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We did. And the last year we added two tours where we joined JUDAS PRIEST. They were not really supposed to happen, but thanks to that our old guitar player, Thobbe [Englund], came back [to SABATON], we wanted to kind of get back into the game with him before we went and finished the new album. We wanted to get to play together a little bit. So, in order for that, I went to see if there were any tours that we could jump on to. And JUDAS PRIEST were one of those, so we jumped on to JUDAS PRIEST. And they were great tours. And between them and during that, we could finish the new album and also be really tight with our new old guitar player Thobbe who went on an eight-year holiday [before rejoining SABATON]."

Last month, SABATON announced a massive 31-date North American tour set for early 2026. The announcement followed the band's extensive 2025 international run and coincided with rising anticipation for "Legends", SABATON's upcoming album, due October 17 via Better Noise Music.

Kicking off February 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the tour will hit venues across the U.S. and Canada, including major stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston before wrapping April 20 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Support on the trek will come from POP EVIL and WINGS OF STEEL.

SABATON recently released its latest single, "Crossing The Rubicon", featuring singer Jonny Hawkins and guitarist Mark Vollelunga of NOTHING MORE. This special collaborative version of the track hit the radio airwaves on September 12, while the original version will be available as part of the SABATON's upcoming "Legends" album.

"Legends" will be available across various physical formats and retailer exclusives including CD, two-CD digibook, two-CD earbook (both including the exclusive Storyteller Edition),11 unique vinyl editions (including a special vinyl color and exclusive artwork each),additional exclusive vinyl colors, and a limited box set (including another exclusive vinyl color, the two-CD earbook, and a colored cassette as an exclusive format).

Among 11 unique vinyl editions, each one portraying one legendary figure, "Legends" will be available as the "Julius Caesar Edition."

"Legends" is a rock odyssey that transcends time and borders, with melodic guitar riffs, goosebump-inducing choirs, and epic choruses. It marks a bold evolution in storytelling, plunging headfirst into the heart of history's most formidable and enigmatic figures. These are not just rock songs, they are battle hymns carved from the blood and legacy of warriors, kings, strategists, and revolutionaries. It marks the very first time that every band member has come together to contribute to the songwriting process. This is SABATON as you've never heard them before — relentless and unbound. "Legends" is a global journey through the annals of warfare, leadership and unbreakable will.

SABATON have always had a signature focus on writing songs about historical battles, wars, and acts of heroism that have solidified their impact with their loyal and longtime fans. They've collaborated closely with its network of specialists, developed over the years since the launch of the Sabaton History Channel on YouTube, to make sure this new album is once again as close to reality as possible.

They continue to work with graphic artist Peter Sallai to create the striking album artwork, and producer Jonas Kjellgren is once again behind the boards from his Swedish Black Lounge Studios to create the classic SABATON sound the band is now known for.

In the more than two decades since the band's launch, SABATON has headlined major festivals, sold out arena concerts worldwide, and gained a legion of loyal fans by carving out a reputation for being one of the hardest working bands in the business. Since their 2005 debut album, they've earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications in territories around the world with their 10 studio albums. Eight of their albums scored Top 10 international chart status, and six claimed the Top 5. SABATON has earned eight Metal Hammer/Golden Gods Awards nominations, taking home the award for "Breakthrough Artist" in 2011 and "Best Live Band" in three different years, and a Grammis nomination (Swedish equivalent to the U.S. Grammy Award) as "Best Heavy Metal" band. They've accumulated more than three billion streams across all streaming platforms and two billion views on YouTube.

Photo credit: Steve Bright

In a new interview with Q101's Lauren O'Neil, HELMET frontman Page Hamilton was asked if there are any plans for him to release new music as a follow-up to the band's ninth studio album, "Left", which came out in November 2023 via earMUSIC. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, HELMET-wise, not right now. I'm working on my first-ever solo album. It's called 'Companion Peace', and I'm still debating whether it will be P-E-A-C-E, a play on words, or P-I-E-C-E. [It will] probably [be] P-E-A-C-E.

"Obviously, 'Left' is fairly political, and as I've gotten older, so many disturbing events have [happened]," he continued. "I never thought, at the age of 65, I would see our country deteriorate to this extent. And it's why I held my peace sign for the audience for a long time.

"One of the greatest things about our country is the diversity. And I've always felt that, I've always known that," Page added. "And I live in Los Angeles; it's 60% Hispanic. And so the solo album is kind of a combination of a lot of stuff I've done on film soundtracks for a million years. I've played on the movie 'Heat', 'In Dreams', 'Titus', 'Across The Universe' and 'Final Fantasy'."

Regarding the musical direction of his upcoming solo album, Page said: "I do sessions, and I work with a composer currently in Los Angeles, Patrick Kirst, who's a professor at USC, University of Southern California. And I've always had this kind of sort of alter ego to do this sound sculpting stuff with feedback, guitar feedback, creating these soundscapes that are very non-guitaristic. And our label is so damn cool, in Germany, Edel/earMUSIC. The president came to the HELMET show in Hamburg. He came to the 'Left' tour, but he came to the 'Betty' [30th-anniversary] show with about 10 people from the label —kids, I call 'em, 'cause they're about 20 — and they were so supportive. And he said, 'I want you to do whatever you wanna do. Don't compromise.' And I'm, like, 'Wow. How often do you hear that from a record label?' So I'm really excited about this album. It's not accessible. There's no punk rock singalongs. It's music I'm really excited about."

Elaborating on where the inspiration for his upcoming solo album came from, Page said: "It sort of came together from a few movies that I've scored and sessions I've done. And Elliot Goldenthal, the great film composer who I've been fortunate to do many movies with — and all the movies I listed, for example — his wife is Julie Taymor, who created 'The Lion King' on Broadway. They're these two geniuses. I love them. They're like my big brother and big sister. He said, 'Your guitar is like an orchestra. You create these orchestral textures.' And it kind of made me think about that. And so that this album is that. It's weird, but I'm really proud of it. My co-producer's a guy named Jim Kaufman. He co-produced 'Left'… I produced Gavin Rossdale's first solo album, and I've done probably 20 or 25 albums. So it's kind of another thing that I do. But when you work on other people's music, it kind of inspires your creative process. And so for me, that's been really fun… So I've learned so much, and to be able to do something that's one of my pet projects is really exciting."

Asked when fans can expect to hear his debut solo album, Page said: "Well, I need to finish it. What happens is I get home and then I get called for a gig. So I just produced [an] album [from another band], and now I have a movie. There's a new movie with this really cool director… So this kind stuff kind of sidetracks you for a minute. So, in between I'll have two weeks and I'll work on my album. So it's, like, I love being busy, but at this point I really want to get my album done. It's gonna be in 2026, it'll come out. And then … I signed a one-album jazz deal with MPS Records as well, so that's [the jazz album] gonna probably be [out in] 2027, to be honest."

The 11 songs on "Left" were guided by Hamilton alongside co-producers Jim Kaufman and Mark Renk, and mastered by Howie Weinberg.

HELMET's first official live album, "Live And Rare", was released in November 2021 via earMUSIC. It was made available on heavyweight black vinyl as well as a CD digipak edition and digital.

Although HELMET disbanded in 1997, Hamilton revived the band in 2004, and the group has continued to tour and record.

In 2021, HELMET released a cover of GANG OF FOUR's 1981 song "Into The Ditch". The track was recorded for a tribute album to GANG OF FOUR's guitarist Andy Gill, "The Problem Of Leisure: A Celebration Of Andy Gill And Gang Of Four".

Having cut his teeth playing with avant-garde guitar icon Glenn Branca and indie stalwarts BAND OF SUSANS, Hamilton launched HELMET in 1989, and the band released its debut album, "Strap It On", on the independent Amphetamine Reptile label the following year. HELMET soon became the subject of an unprecedented major-label bidding war, ultimately signing with Interscope and releasing "Meantime" in June 1992.

Even while the band was absent from the spotlight, HELMET continued to exercise considerable influence on multiple generations of bands. Their songs have been covered by the likes of CHEVELLE, DEFTONES, FAITH NO MORE, PIG DESTROYER and SOULFLY, and the band inspired a 2016 HELMET tribute album titled "Meantime Redux". HELMET has also been cited as a key influence on such bands as GODSMACK, KORN, MARILYN MANSON, MASTODON, PANTERA, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SEPULTURA, SLIPKNOT, STAIND, SYSTEM OF A DOWN and TOOL.

Moroccan rock trio LAZYWALL has shared a striking reinterpretation of METALLICA's classic "Nothing Else Matters", available exclusively as a video release.

LAZYWALL, known for its powerful fusion of Arabic music and alternative rock, selected the track not only out of admiration but because of its universal resonance.

LAZYWALL says: "We chose to cover 'Nothing Else Matters' not just because we love it, but because it speaks to everyone. It's more than a metal anthem; it's a timeless piece that transcends genre and language. We didn't want to simply cover it. We wanted to honor its legacy by transforming it, fusing Western rock with the soul of Arabic and North African musical traditions."

In LAZYWALL's version, the song's iconic guitar intro is reimagined with the warm, resonant tones of the oud, layered with Guembri and Bendir, and colored by maqams (Arabic scales). Verses steeped in traditional instrumentation swell into a powerful, rock-driven chorus — all delivered in Arabic lyrics.

The result is more than a cover: it's a cultural bridge, a tribute to METALLICA and a gift to Arabic-speaking audiences who have never before heard their language echo through one of rock's most iconic melodies.

Formed in Reading, England by Moroccan brothers Nao, Youssef and Monz, LAZYWALL crafts an oriental alt-rock hybrid — a bold blend of Arabic instruments, traditional time signatures, and the visceral energy of alternative rock. Their music tackles themes of climate change, social injustice, integration, and corruption, sung with an intensity that transcends language barriers.

LAZYWALL's roots run deep. Inspired by LED ZEPPELIN, AUDIOSLAVE and SYSTEM OF A DOWN, as well as Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, the band set out to connect the oud with the rock guitar, forging a new musical trade route from East to West.

With dual Moroccan and Spanish nationality, LAZYWALL signed to Warner Spain and recorded their debut EP "Primal Tapes" in Chicago with legendary producer Steve Albini. They went on to perform at SXSW, major European festivals, and even became the first rock band to appear on Moroccan TV. A defining moment came when they performed before 50,000 people at the Festival Of Casablanca, inspiring them to embrace their native Arabic language in their songs.

Regularly touring across Europe, LAZYWALL performed at The Great Escape 2024 and is scheduled to return in 2026.

In a new interview with Primordial Radio, PARADISE LOST singer Nick Holmes was asked if he has ever had any encounters with late BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. We played with SABBATHand we played with Ozzy. We did a tour with Ozzy in South America in 1995. We did a full South American tour, arena tour. Yeah, it was fantastic. Yeah, I met him a few times over the years. Great, great guy. [I was] really sad [to hear about his passing]. Yeah. Top man."

Elaborating on what it was like for PARADISE LOST to tour with Ozzy three decades ago, Nick said: "Yeah, it was quite surreal. It was the Monsters Of Rock [in] South America. There was PL, there was THERAPY? on it as well, and THERAPY? were just like we were; they couldn't believe they were on that tour. And then there was Alice Cooper, Ozzy, MEGADETH and FAITH NO MORE. And I don't know how many days we did — it was a few weeks. But I got salmonella poisoning, actually, in Mexico City. And I was really, really ill for a few shows and I was kind of puking up constantly. When I was on stage, I was puking up as well. So they had to get me a bucket so I didn't ruin Ozzy's carpet. So they got me a bucket. So they said, 'Can you puke in the bucket, please, because we don't want you to mess up Ozzy's carpet?' 'Cause he used to go barefoot on the carpet at that time. So, yeah, I had to kind of go around the corner and throw up in the bucket. I think as he mentioned us in an interview a few years later, and he kind remembered us only because of that, the puking thing. But, yeah, it was very surreal to do that tour. It was crazy. And there were so many people at shows. It was madness. Yeah. It was great."

Back in 2017, PARADISE LOST guitarist Gregor Mackintosh named BLACK SABBATH's 1971 effort "Master Of Reality" one of the 10 albums that "blew" his mind. He said at the time: "I have to choose the 'Master Of Reality' album because it's the most raw, with a sludgy guitar tone. It's got some of the most evil, if not groovy, riffs — like 'Lord Of This World'. And, obviously, [Tony] Iommi's soloing and effortless way of playing. Then I went through everything from BLACK SABBATH and I love everything now. But 'Master Of Reality' is really the one for me, because it sits right in that kind of sludgy, slow doom I was really getting into at the time."

PARADISE LOST's 17th album, "Ascension", came out on September 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band's first LP in five years, following 2020's critically acclaimed "Obsidian", was produced by Gregor Mackintosh and mixed/mastered by Lawrence Mackrory.

PARADISE LOST performed alongside KING DIAMOND and at festivals in Europe this summer before embarking on the first part its "Ascension Of Europe" tour this fall.

September 2nd 1995 Ozzy Osbourne headlined the Monsters Of Rock festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Posted by Focus on Metal podcast on Friday, September 2, 2022

In a new interview with Gary Graff of Billboard, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford said that Ozzy Osbourne gave his stamp of approval to PRIEST's cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "War Pigs" before he passed away.

"The absolute thrill for us all is he, with [his wife and manager] Sharon, listened to the final, finished mixing and he was grinning — he was smiling and he was very happy," Halford said. "This all came back to us in a note from Sharon, saying he was absolutely thrilled and delighted that we go to do something together musically in this particular way. So for him to do that and then two weeks later to go where he went was just unbelievable."

PRIEST later released a "charity" version of "War Pigs", featuring Ozzy. All profits of Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd and Epic Records in the U.K. from audio streams, downloads, and physical sales of the recording are being donated to The Glenn Tipton Parkinson's Foundation and Cure Parkinson's.

"It was very beautiful but very poignant for us to unite for the first time ever in the history of both [acts] on a song that's beloved by millions of metalheads around the world," Halford added. "To put these two bands — PRIEST and SABBATH — together in this format is just sensational."

PRIEST's cover of "War Pigs" was originally made available in early July, ahead of the "Back To The Beginning" concert, which marked the original SABBATH lineup's last-ever performance.

PRIEST was unable to appear at "Back To The Beginning" on July 5 in Birmingham, United Kingdom because the band was scheduled to perform at SCORPIONS' huge hometown 60th-anniversary concert at the Heinz Von Heiden Arena in Hannover, Germany on the very same day.

"It was a really difficult thing to say, 'I can't do it,' but that was just the way the chips fell on that particular event," Rob told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. "However, we were there in spirit, as we said in that brief little thing that we said for Ozzy on the big video screens. And probably even more important, the PRIEST homage to BLACK SABBATH with our — it's not really a version; it's JUDAS PRIEST playing BLACK SABBATH's 'War Pigs' to about as close as we possibly could. 'Cause you don't mess with a song like that. You give it the sounds that you have with your guitars, with your drums, with your bass, with your voice, and you do it in respect, and you do it in a way of saying thank you for BLACK SABBATH and what they did and what they leave us with with their great music."

Speaking in more detail about PRIEST's rendition of "War Pigs", Rob said: "It's close to five million views on the BLACK SABBATH official site, which is very generous of them to put us on there. 'Cause we're friends. We've been friends forever."

Regarding the PRIEST version of "War Pigs" featuring Ozzy, Rob said: "When Sharon said, and this is just so beautiful, when she approached me with this idea, she said, 'I love your version of 'War Pigs'. Is there a way we can get Ozzy [on it as well]?' I said, 'You're asking me? This is gonna happen.' So we were able to make it work. So you get Ozzy singing a line, and then I'm singing a line and Ozzy's singing a line and I'm singing a line, and it's the first-ever time in my entire life that I've been able to do a duet with Ozzy. And I'm so eternally grateful and blessed and grieving that I was able to do that. But when you hear it, it's just colossal. If you think that you've heard the one experience of PRIEST's 'War Pigs', but when you hear PRIEST's 'War Pigs' with Ozzy singing on that track, it's just going to a really special place."

Asked by Full Metal Jackie if he had a story in his experiences with Ozzy that spoke to who he was as a person beyond the concert stage, Rob said: "He gave everything on stage. When he walked out on the stage, he was always beaming. He loved his fans with such an extraordinary passion, but that existed offstage as well. Whenever I'd see him, if I went to see a show, the first thing he would say to me was, 'Did you have a good time? Did you enjoy yourself? Was it great?' And so that part of him as a person — he was always giving stuff. He was always giving out. He wasn't a taking kind of a guy. He was always pushing stuff forward, paying it forward, whatever that expression is. So that part of Ozzy that we probably didn't see much of existed when he wasn't on stage."

Halford continued: "He was an extraordinary man. And I think that opportunity that you had through Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager] and working with 'The Osbournes', which was the first-ever reality TV show, he became our friend. You may not have ever met Ozzy, but you knew him as a family guy, and you knew him as being — he's like us. There's Ozzy on stage, but look at him at home. And I think that that's what drew him even further into us with our love for Ozzy Osbourne and everything that he's left us with."

This past August, Rob told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about Ozzy's passing: "Oh, man. I got a call the day [Ozzy's death] happened. I just put the phone down in my hotel room in — I think I was in Leeds, in England, and I just curled up in a ball and bawled my eyes out for hours. I just couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it now. I'm still grieving, like so many people. And then we had a show the next day. So, God, how do you process all of this tragedy, all of this love, because I've never seen such an outpouring of love. And we did the show and we came to the song that we'll be playing when we come to see you guys — it's called 'Giants In The Sky', from the 'Invincible Shield' album — and that song talks about people that we love in music that have moved on to this beautiful place. We reference Lemmy [MOTÖRHEAD] and Ronnie [James Dio] and Paul Di'Anno [IRON MAIDEN] and Jill [Janus from] HUNTRESS and Chris [Cornell from SOUNDGARDEN] and all of these greats, Janis Joplin, Freddie Mercury. And then for that show we added Ozzy at the end. And I said to everybody, this just so much to try and comprehend and so tough, but Ozzy would say, 'Let's party. Let's rock and roll. Let's live it up. Let's enjoy.' That was in his heart, his soul, and his spirit. Whenever we did shows together, he would always say that to me after, 'Did you have a good time?' 'Yeah. Yeah.' 'Did you have a good time? Did you really have a good time?' The stuff he pushed out from himself to his fans to everybody, the generosity, the caring, all of the incredible things that he did in music, he was the embodiment of kindness in that respect.

"So it's great that we are talking about him now and we should keep talking about him forever, like I always talk about Ronnie, I talk about Lemmy," Rob added. "These are all friends of mine. And we have to celebrate — we have to celebrate. That's the way of helping you through the grief. You think about the memories, you think about the joy, you think about the good times, and that's what we will always do with Ozzy."

Asked if he remembered the last time he had a conversation with Ozzy or the last time he was in contact with him, Rob said: "No. We used to text occasionally. 'Cause he's another guy I was in awe of. I'm still in awe of Alice [Cooper]. [Laughs] 'Oh my God. He's Alice Cooper.' And I used to feel the same whenever I was in Ozzy's presence, because he had this larger-than-life personality. It'd been a while since we've been in touch. But, again, I just have the wonderful memories of the two opportunities I was able to sing for him with SABBATH. And then this recent opportunity to cover 'War Pigs' [with PRIEST], which we still play at the start of our show, which is one of the greatest metal songs ever written. So that connection will never be severed in that respect."

JUDAS PRIEST paid tribute to Ozzy during the band's July 23 concert at Scarborough Open Air Theatre in Scarborough, United Kingdom. Introducing the aforementioned song "Giants In The Sky", Rob acknowledged the BLACK SABBATH frontman's death a day earlier, saying: "Okay. Look, it's been tough, the last 24 hours, right? It's been tough. But he would want us to be doing this. He would want us to be together, he would want us to be having a good time, which is what we're doing right now. We love you, Ozzy."

After a brief pause amid chants of "Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!", Halford continued: "This next song is all about him and all of the other greats that we've lost. Their music lives forever. They used to be down here on the earth plane. Now they're in the sky plane, as we call it. This is 'Giants In The Sky'."

During the song — a tribute to musicians now gone — the screen displayed images of the likes of Ronnie James Dio, Lemmy, Freddie Mercury, Taylor Hawkins and Christine McVie, finishing on two gigantic images of Ozzy.

A few hours after Ozzy's passing was announced on July 22, JUDAS PRIEST released the following statement via social media: "Our hearts are broken like millions around the world. Words can't express the love and loss we are all feeling.

"Sharon, may God surround you and your beautiful family with love, peace and light.

"Ozzy, you will never leave us — your music is eternal. God blesses you now more than ever after you blessed us all through your magnificent life.

"Rob, Glenn, Ian, Richie & Scott".

In August 2023, Halford picked BLACK SABBATH's classic 1970 self-titled debut album as one of the albums he'd be willing to listen to in perpetuity if he found himself stranded and alone on an island. He said: "I would have to go with BLACK SABBATH, the original 'Black Sabbath' album that I think is the motivator for all great things in heavy metal."

Back in 2020, Halford broke down his top 10 favorite albums in an interview with Rolling Stone and explained how they helped make him who he is. Among the records included on the list was BLACK SABBATH's debut. At the time, Halford said about his choice: "They were local guys from the same neighborhood, the same neck of the woods as PRIEST. We literally grew up together, inventing this great music that we love and cherish so much called heavy-metal music.

"I chose the 'Black Sabbath' album just because, like so many bands, your first one or two records really establish who you are as a band," he explained. "It's a bit like PRIEST with 'Rocka Rolla' and 'Sad Wings Of Destiny'; 'Sad Wings Of Destiny' becomes the one we love so much because it becomes defining. With 'Black Sabbath', here was the first example of what heavy metal music should sound like, just the texture, the tone, the structure of all of the material, Ozzy's very unique voice. It's just become a very important record in the discography of BLACK SABBATH."

Halford joined SABBATH for two gigs to support Ozzy Osbourne on his last shows for the "No More Tours" tour in November 1992 in Costa Mesa, California after SABBATH's singer at the time, Ronnie James Dio, refused to take the stage. Rob also performed with SABBATH members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on August 26, 2004 at the Camden, New Jersey stop of Ozzfest after Ozzy came down with an "attack of bronchitis" and was unable to take part in the concert.

Asked which SABBATH tune he'd most enjoying performing with the band, Halford told The Georgia Straight: "Ooo, that's a good question. Um, I'd probably say the actual song 'Black Sabbath', which is, to me, the most evil song that's ever been written. [Laughs]. It's very fucking scary. There's something very malevolent about that song. It's just the whole — it's the way it starts, and then it's almost deathly quiet, and then that opening line: 'What is this I see before me?' You know, I just get goosebumps thinking about it now. And when I sang that song live, it makes you feel really… Wow… I can't describe it. It's just very overwhelming, the emotion is very overwhelming. And when you see Ozzy singing it you can see him change, you know, his whole demeanor, he just changes as a person to sing that song. It's really spooky."

TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider joined Lita Ford and her backing band this past Friday (October 3) at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri to perform several songs, including Lita's Ozzy Osbourne duet "Close My Eyes Forever", the TWISTED SISTER classics "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", and the AC/DC anthem "Highway To Hell". Fan-filmed video of Dee's appearance can be seen below (courtesy of the bigconcertfan.com channel on YouTube).

TWISTED SISTER recently announced several shows as part of its 50th-anniversary reunion in 2026, including appearances at Spain's Rock Fest, Denmark's Copenhell and Norway's Tons Of Rock festivals.

TWISTED SISTER's 2026 shows will feature the band's three core members: Snider, founding guitarist Jay Jay French and longtime lead guitarist Eddie Ojeda. Bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza won't be joining the celebration. Russell Pzütto, who has toured with Snider's solo projects, will replace Mendoza on bass. Joe Franco, who briefly played with the group in the mid-1980s, will sit behind the drum kit, stepping in for A.J. Pero, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 55.

In a recent interview with John "JP" Parise of Long Island, New York's 102.3 WBAB and Tampa, Florida's 102.5 The Bone radio stations, Snider stated about why he changed his mind about returning to the road, nine years after the completion of TWISTED SISTER's "40 And Fuck It!" farewell tour, and after he repeatedly slammed KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE farewell tours and subsequent reunions as mere cash grabs: "First of all, I own [my previous] statements [about not wanting to stage a TWISTED SISTER reunion]. I said that and more. I singled out bands. I named names. I ranted and raved about this, and I expected to get excrements for this, but I'm getting hit hard.

"I'm not gonna lie, and I can only tell you so much, but this is the total truth," he continued. "I turned 70 this year and I had a health scare. And I'm okay… And it shook me up… I won't say [exactly what it was], and I'm okay. But it really made me re-evaluate a lot of things. [When I was] 40, 50, 60, I thought I was superhuman. TWISTED SISTER retired 10 years ago when I was ripped to shreds. And then [at] 70, something happened and it was a re-evaluation, quite honestly. And part of that re-evaluation was looking and saying… Am I ready to go? Well, you never know when you're gonna go quietly to the night. You never know when your time is up. And do I really wanna do that without rocking one more time. And I stopped doing solo stuff a few years back as well. I mean, I go out and I join [POISON frontman] Bret Michaels or Lita Ford on stage [during their shows] for a couple songs, but I don't go out and perform. And upon talking to my wife and re-evaluating, it was I, me, who called the [other] guys [in TWISTED SISTER]. I called them. They never called. I mean, we talk, but they never brought it up because I was, like, 'This is not happening, guys. It is done. It is over, just like I told everybody.' But, like I said, I had a life-changing experience and re-evaluation of a lot of things, and I reached out. I said, 'Guys, what do you think about doing it one more time?'"

According to Dee, Jay Jay and Eddie didn't immediately jump at the opportunity to return to playing live shows with TWISTED SISTER. "It was a conversation," Snider explained. "At this point, do we wanna take this, for lack of a better word, victory lap, so to speak? But it was a conversation. And then everybody goes, 'Well, how can you not, with Alice [Cooper] out there [at the age of 77]?' Alice told me... I said, 'Dude, when are you gonna retire?' He says, 'I'm looking forward to singing when I'm 80.' So he's got no plans. [Mick] Jagger's out there [playing shows at age 82]. Paul McCartney's doing three hours [at age 83]. Now I know he doesn't run around like I do, but the same time, you go, well, there's precedents. People are out there into — there are octogenarians out there [touring] now. So we decided to go for it and go out on a high note."

After JP criticized some of the media's coverage of TWISTED SISTER's return, particularly as it relates to reports of the band "touring" again, Dee said: "It doesn't say that in the press release. I checked. I'm seeing, 'Tour.' 'They're hitting the road again.' Wait a minute — who's hitting the road? We're flying first class on an air jet airplane. Private plane.

"I'm sorry, folks. People are saying, 'Come to this town, come to that town.' No, man," he clarified. "This is a handful of dates — I'm thinking it's about 20, 25 shows around the world, festivals almost exclusively. And it's not a full-blown tour or anything like that. It's a celebration for us, and I hope you're celebrating with us for the fact that 50 years ago, next year, we got together — me, Eddie and Jay Jay — and we, against all odds, we had success."

Asked by JP "how big the dump truck full of money" was "that showed up in [Dee's] driveway" that convinced the singer to reunite TWISTED SISTER for the band's 50th anniversary, Snider said: "I'm gonna be honest. The numbers are getting higher and higher and higher, but it wasn't really where I — I had this place in mind, and it wasn't there. But like I said, honestly, it wasn't about the money. Yeah, if there was no money, I'm not gonna do it. I'm not gonna lie about that. But it really was this sort of looking in the mirror going, 'Hey, man, that was scary. And I don't wanna go out like that.' I do not wanna go out quietly. Kicking and screaming, man — that's the way I wanna go."

Dee also talked about the challenges of preparing for TWISTED SISTER live performances, particularly as it relates to the physical demands of stepping on a stage for an hour and a half. He said: "I always had a mixed relationship with the concerts. I did so much prep and I got so into it, it was so intense, I made myself miserable. When I go out there, it's the greatest moment in my life for 90 minutes, and I get off the stage and I feel really good for about 15 minutes, half hour, and then I start [to think], 'Oh no. I've gotta do this again tomorrow.' And I start getting manic. And [my wife] Suzette would never come out the road with me. She said, 'You're miserable. You sit in the room, you obsess.' I sit there, and I'm not one of those people, but I sit there writing a list of the exact time I've gotta eat my protein and what time I've gotta do my neck stretches and a hot bath and vocalizing. I write it down on a sheet, and I check it off. I'm, like, manic. And so that's another reason why going back to it, there's a lot of discomfort in the whole — and being away from the family and being away from my wife, 'cause she doesn't wanna be anywhere near me, which I understand. So, this way of doing it, going out and doing a show on a weekend and going out, there'll still be that day of getting ready for the show because it's sort of my method. But at least after the show, Suzette will be out there and we'll go and we'll enjoy wherever we are for a few days and relax until the next one comes. So it'll be one day of intensity as opposed to just an endless day after day after day of obsessing and making myself crazy."

During a September 10 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Dee stated about Mark's absence from the TWISTED SISTER 2026 tour: "I can only simply say irreconcilable differences and leave it at that. I can't get into the weeds and I can't go down that path. And I won't. But irreconcilable differences. People change, and however it is, and I'm not saying he changed; maybe we changed whatever it is. So in deciding who to use on bass, my bass player on the last two Dee Snider albums, 'For The Love Of Metal' and 'Leave A Scar', was Russ Pzütto. And he was Mark Mendoza's bass tech, and a great bass player… So, he did an amazing job on those two albums. He was a great guy to tour with. The band all knew him from years of working with TWISTED, and again, he seemed like a likely choice. As a matter of fact, one time he was Mark's choice to fill in for him. And one gig, it was in Belgium at Graspop, and Mark couldn't make it, and Russ stepped in and played with TWISTED. So he actually has performed with TWISTED once before."

Asked if he thinks the door is open for Mark to play with TWISTED SISTER again at some point during the reunion tour, Dee said: "I can't imagine it right now. I can't imagine it right now. I mean — I plead the fifth. I can't go beyond that. But things have happened that I don't see being reconciled, hence the term 'irreconcilable differences.'"

French previously addressed Mendoza's departure in a statement to Rolling Stone, explaining: "Me, Dee and Eddie have performed as TWISTED SISTER for nearly 50 years with 10 different bass players and drummers. The band has never discussed internal realignment before and has no intention of doing it now. Suffice to say that almost all bands with a 50-year history have gone through realignment as a byproduct of time. We wish Mark well in his future endeavors."

Franco played on TWISTED SISTER's 1987 album "Love Is For Suckers". Mike Portnoy, who took over for Pero after he died near the end of TWISTED SISTER's 2016 run, is busy touring with DREAM THEATER and is unable to participate in the upcoming TWISTED SISTER live activities.

Two and a half years ago, TWISTED SISTER staged a one-off reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, French, Mendoza and Portnoy. Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War. TWISTED SISTER played a highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

Back in the late 1980s, 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐝 was working on her "Lita" album, which would become one of the biggest records of her...

Posted by Family Arena on Thursday, April 3, 2025

In a new interview with the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast, hosted by FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke about the spring/summer 2025 European leg of the band's "Run For Your Lives" world tour. The trek, which launched on May 27 in Budapest, Hungary and concluded on August 2 in Warsaw, Poland, marked MAIDEN's first run of shows with new drummer Simon Dawson, who replaced the group's longtime drummer Nicko McBrain last December. Asked what it was like playing without McBrain during the tour, Dickinson replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Obviously, it was different, because Simon is not Nick. He's not a copy of Nick. His emphasis in terms of the way he drums, the sound of his drums is different. He's a different type of drummer. But he does everything that a drummer should do, which is he keeps the time. And that's it.

"Nick was like a human fireworks display every night in terms of his drumming, personality and everything else," Dickinson explained. "And Simon's not; he's low key. He is not exactly the polar opposite to Nick, but he's different. He's more thoughtful. He's very analytical. He warms up for, like, two hours, and he's just putting things together and refining and tweaking things and stuff like that. So he's a different drummer, but the songs are the same. And he's happy. Everybody in the band is perfectly happy. But they're not the same. You can't replace Nick with a clone."

After Jericho noted that "Simon's got a little bit of a Clive Burr-type vibe" to his playing, a reference to the late MAIDEN drummer who preceded Nicko, Bruce concurred. "His natural feel is that, that inclination," Dickinson said. "And I was shocked at how I was, like. 'Oh my God. I'm having a flashback here,' looking over my shoulder, going, 'Wow.' 'Cause his natural feel is to be kind of like around the beat, almost like a swingtime thing, like an Ian Paice-type feel. And it's just nuance. But Clive was great. I loved playing with Clive."

Bruce previously spoke about Simon's addition to MAIDEN this past August in an interview with "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern". Asked if it was "weird" and "surreal" not seeing McBrain sitting behind the kit during the tour, Dickinson replied: "It's not weird from the perspective that what I'm hearing behind me is not Nicko. So I don't expect to see Nicko because everything about Simon is different. His drums are tuned differently, he plays the songs with a different feel to Nick. So because of that, I don't turn around and go, 'Oh, shock. Nicko should be there,' because it's obvious he's not there from the sound. The drums are tuned a lot lower, they're much fatter. And Simon kind of sticks with the program in terms of the tempo of the song and everything. He's absolutely scrupulous about cutting the right tempo every time. So we actually, as a band, really kind of appreciate that. 'Cause all the guitarists have big smiles, like Cheshire cats, [and MAIDEN bassist] Steve [Harris is] the same. 'Cause everybody's not feeling, like, 'Whoa, hey, steady on there, trigger. Whoa, slow down there.' So that's what Simon brings to it — there's stability. And he's doesn't try to be Nicko. You can't be Nicko. I mean, there's only one Nicko; he is unique. That's why we didn't pick a clone. And there were plenty of drummers who could copy what Nicko did, but we don't want one of those. We wanted somebody that had a different feel."

The now-73-year-old McBrain, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on December 7, 2024 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. He also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the legendary rock band.

The band's manager, Rod Smallwood, said at the time: "Thank you for being an irrepressible force behind the drum kit for MAIDEN for 42 years and my friend for even longer. I speak on behalf of all the band when I say we will miss you immensely!"

On December 8, 2024, IRON MAIDEN announced Dawson as its new touring drummer.

A native of Suffolk, England, Simon first teamed up with Harris back in 2012. He debuted on three tracks on the first album from Steve's BRITISH LION project and all of BRITISH LION's second LP, the critically acclaimed "The Burning", plus the many subsequent tours in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Mexico and South America.

In January 2023, Nicko was at his home in Boca Raton when he suffered a stroke with partial paralysis.

When Nicko first went public with his stroke in August 2023, the drummer said in a statement that the episode left him "paralyzed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over.

Five years ago, McBrain was diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer and opened up about it in a single interview in 2021 but otherwise kept it mostly under wraps. The musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

Despite the fact that he was stepping away from touring, McBrain said that he would remain closely connected to IRON MAIDEN and continue to be involved in "a variety of projects" with the band, while also focusing on personal ventures and his existing businesses.

McBrain joined IRON MAIDEN in 1982, replacing Burr, who had performed on the group's first three albums.

Photo credit: John McMurtrie

LAMB OF GOD's Randy Blythe joined LACUNA COIL on stage yesterday (Friday, October 3) at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California to perform their collaborative single "Hosting The Shadow". The track is taken from LACUNA COIL's tenth studio album, "Sleepless Empire", which arrived in February 2025 via Century Media Records.

When the studio version of "Hosting The Shadow" was first released in August 2024, LACUNA COIL commented: "'Hosting The Shadow' is a trip through light and dark, where silence reveals its hidden secrets. Obscure moments can become occasions to evolve, to learn to master one's own shadow — which is crucial in order to prevail.

"Randy Blythe did an incredible job on this track," the band added. "We absolutely adore his voice and his evil laugh! Our admiration for him is infinite and to have him as a guest on this song is a dream come true. Partnering with a friend you respect immensely, that also kicks ass on stages around the world: it doesn't get any better than this. We're looking forward to the day we can perform 'Hosting The Shadow' live together!"

Blythe added at the time: "I was super excited when LACUNA COIL asked me to sing on a song with them. Not only am I a big fan of their music, they are truly beautiful souls who have been like family to me for 20 years now. We've played shows together all over the world, and I've always wanted to jump onstage and sing with them. I can't wait until it actually happens with 'Hosting The Shadow'!"

Inspiration to create "Sleepless Empire" came during the sessions for "Comalies XX" (2022),the acclaimed remake of LACUNA COIL's breakthrough third record "Comalies". Writing and recording took place in northern Italy between Milano (the band's hometown) and Como, where SPVN Studios are located. As with their previous albums, production was done in house with Marco "Maki" Coti Zelati at the helm, and artwork was hand curated by the talented Italian artist Roberto Toderico. One other very special talent enriches the album, namely NEW YEARS DAY's Ash Costello on "In The Mean Time".

In October 2024, Italian guitarist/producer Daniele Salomone confirmed that he has joined LACUNA COIL as the replacement for the band's longtime guitarist Diego Cavallotti.

Salomone made his live debut with LACUNA COIL on August 4, 2024 at the Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Râșnov, Romania.

In June 2024, LACUNA COIL announced Cavallotti's departure. Diego, who joined LACUNA COIL in 2016, initially as a fill-in guitarist following the exit of Marco "Maus" Biazzi, later said in a social media post that "this decision is not the result of my dissatisfaction or desire to explore new opportunities."

Cavallotti and Salomone played together in the Italian metal band INVERNO, which released its debut album, "Stasis", in December 2023.

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Professor Reggie Almeida of the Renzo Gracie TN Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Tennessee, who has been traveling with MEGADETH on the band's recent tours, has uploaded backstage and performance video of the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit's September 22, 2025 concert at Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park in Istanbul, Turkey. Check out the clip below.

Ex-MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and his solo band performed as the support act for MEGADETH at Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park. Marty did not take the stage with his former band at the show, but he took to his social media right after the gig and wrote: "My band and I had an incredible time playing in Istanbul! … After our show Naoki [Morioka, a member of Marty's Japanese touring band] and I watched as [current MEGADETH guitarist] Teemu [Mäntysaari] absolutely NAILED my solos with ease and MEGADETH tore up the place! We can't wait to come back."

Marty rejoined MEGADETH twice on stage over the course of a six-month period in 2023 — first in February 2023 at Tokyo, Japan's famed Budokan and then in early August 2023 at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

At the 2023 Wacken Open Air, Marty performed four songs with MEGADETH: "Trust", "Tornado Of Souls", "Symphony Of Destruction" and "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due".

At Budokan, Friedman came up on stage for three songs toward the end of MEGADETH's main set: "Countdown To Extinction", "Tornado Of Souls" and "Symphony Of Destruction".

Last December, Marty was asked by France's Metal Obs' what it was like to rejoin his former band on stage after more than two decades: "It was good fun — nothing but pure fun. And [it was] wonderful to watch the audience react to it, because it was just a wonderful experience for everybody, especially those of us on stage because the audience was… We did it because we knew that the audience would get something that they can remember, something they can go home with and have a memory. And we just enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot."

Regarding what it was like meeting up with MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine again, Marty said: "It was great. We never really lost touch. But there's never much that we have to talk to each other about, so we don't talk to each other every month or anything. But it's always been friendly, so when the chance came for us to play together, it was just natural."

My band and I had an incredible time playing in Istanbul! Were you at the show?
After our show Naoki and I watched as...

Posted by Marty Friedman on Monday, September 22, 2025

MEGADETH Y MARTY FRIEDMAN TOCARÁN JUNTOS DE NUEVO ESTE AÑO!

Acaba de anunciarse que Megadeth volverá a compartir...

Posted by Megadeth Ecuador on Tuesday, August 26, 2025

In a new interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate spoke about his upcoming third and final chapter in the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album series. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're days away from releasing a new song that's coming out. And we have a whole bunch of new songs that we're gonna kind of release one at a time. Rather than putting everything together in one disc and selling it right off the bat, we're gonna kind of spread it out over the next year and release track by track, kind of thing. And we're actually just days away from [putting out the first song] right now. We're excited. When everything comes out [in the form of several singles], by that time we'll have put it together as a one-piece package."

Geoff confirmed that his upcoming album will be released under the "Operation: Mindcrime III" banner, explaining: "It's the continuation and the final chapter of 'Operation: Mindcrime'. And it's the story told from Dr. X's perspective. So the previous two albums were from the perspective of Nikki, the lead character. And this is Dr. X's perspective, so it's quite interesting."

This past January, Tate told 96.1 KLPX afternoon jock Larry Mac about the upcoming third chapter in the "Operation: Mindcrime" album series: "Well, I wouldn't call it a sequel. I'd call it a continuation of the story. We're doing it in kind of an interesting way. We're not gonna release an album, so to speak, right off the bat. We're going to release the album once all the songs are released, if that makes sense. We're gonna release a song a month or every quarter, and then when it's all finished, we're gonna do a special presentation with all the songs included."

Regarding how he comes up with the musical and lyrical ideas for his albums, Geoff said: "It's all different, really. Sometimes it's a musical figure that you're fiddling around with in the studio that leads to a complete song or a few songs. And sometimes it's the lyrical idea. Sometimes it's a sentence that just sparks your imagination and gets you rolling on something. With the 'Operation: Mindcrime' albums, it was a story that came about really quickly, actually — I wrote it very quickly — and then expanded on it over the years to explain a little bit more in depth as to what was happening within the story. 'Cause the first album is a little bit vague in what it's talking about in it. The second album explains even more as to what the characters are going through. And the third album, again, will be even more explanation, but taken from a number of different viewpoints, which kind of is interesting, I think."

Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant."

The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.

Tate previously discussed his plans for "Operation: Mindcrime III" in a November 2024 interview with "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern". Speaking about the musical direction of his new solo material, Geoff said: "I would say it has more of an early QUEENSRŸCHE feel. [The new songs are] super heavy, and some of 'em are incredibly technical. They're like algebra. [Laughs] You need a calculator when you're listening to the song. [Laughs] And, of course, some of them are very emotional. It's the last chapter in the 'Mindcrime' series. So it's following the exploits of Dr. X and Nikki and Sister Mary, and picks up at a particular point in their story and kind of does the microscope of what is happening at that particular time with them. And I am just in love with it. I am so happy with everything so far, and I can't wait for people to hear it."

Asked if there will once again be "some of those political interplays" within the lyrical themes on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Tate said: "Oh, I think so. Yeah, I think that people will be able to detect little bits of what's happening around them. And it's an interesting time right now — very interesting. Especially next week [after the 2024 U.S. presidential election], it's gonna be really interesting [laughs] what happens. So, we'll see."

Pressed about whether "a familiar voice" will play Dr. X on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Geoff said: "I can't tell you, actually. But thanks for asking. [Laughs]"

In a 2016 interview with East Valley Tribune, Tate said that he looked back fondly on "Operation: Mindcrime II". "I haven't listened to that album since I recorded it," he admitted. "However, it was a new story. Overall, it went down well live with the audience. I have no complaints or regrets about it."

During QUEENSRŸCHE's 2012 legal battle with Tate over the rights to the band's name, guitarist Michael Wilton submitted a sworn declaration in which he said the idea to make "Operation: Mindcrime II" was first brought to the table by Geoff's wife and QUEENSRŸCHE's then-manager Susan Tate. "The band was hesitant and did not want to lessen the original," the guitarist claimed. "But Susan Tate and Geoff Tate hired a budget producer and took control without really any other input. Scott Rockenfield [drums], Eddie Jackson [bass] and I were squeezed out of having any input in the musical direction or business decisions, thus the project suffered. During the initial writing phase, I would show up to bring my input to the creative process only to find that the producer, the new guitar player (who were both staying with the Tates at the time),along with Geoff Tate had been up late the night before or up early that morning and had written the songs without me. I was then told my ideas were not needed as the songs were now done. I could, however, 'bring my own style' in during the recording after learning to play what they wrote for me. In frustration, I gave up on the writing process knowing that I would at least get to make changes in the studio to bring back the QUEENSRŸCHE sound into these songs that we were known for. The final straw was when they refused to let me to be a part of the final recordings and mixes. I was shut out and they had the nerve to replace some of my parts on my songs. They denied me flying to San Francisco to be a part of my band, telling me that everything was ready to go and I was not needed. Had the communication been better, and had I been aware that parts needed to be recorded or rewritten, I would have been there. It was not until years later that I even became aware of the issues during the final recording and mixing of 'Operation: Mindcrime II'. It was all under the control of Geoff and Susan Tate. Call it delusions of grandeur, but they were convinced that this was going to sell three times more than the original, and to date (six years later) this album has sold fewer than 150,000 copies. The original album sold over 500,000 copies within a year."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate's replacement, Todd La Torre, has released four albums thus far with QUEENSRŸCHE: 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance".

Ozzy Osbourne has posthumously shared details of his final concert in a new memoir, "Last Rites".

The BLACK SABBATH frontman died in late July, less than three weeks after he and the rest of the band's original lineup played at Villa Park in SABBATH's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne. The festival served as a tribute to the legendary heavy metal act, including additional performances from such other groups as METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, SLAYER, TOOL, PANTERA and ALICE IN CHAINS.

In a "Last Rites" excerpt published in The Times, Ozzy wrote about the Villa Park show: "Coming on stage all I could think was, is my voice really up for this? But as soon as the curtain went up I forgot about my nerves. Suddenly I was looking out over 42,000 faces, with another 5.8 million watching online. That was when the emotion really hit me. I'd never really taken it on board that so many people liked me — or even knew who I was. It was overwhelming, man, it really was.

"[My solo band and I] got through 'I Don't Know', 'Mr. Crowley' and 'Suicide Solution' no problem at all. I was having a ball. But I choked up when I started 'Mama, I'm Coming Home'. I mean, it's Sharon's [Ozzy's wife and manager] song, y'know? One of her favorites. Lemmy [the late founder of MOTÖRHEAD] wrote it with the two of us in mind. That alone was enough to bring tears to my eyes. But the feeling I had was about more than that. It was my last hurrah. I'd made it to the stage after six traumatic years, after losing the ability to walk or do anything on my own. It was just the whole thing, all of it coming together.

"I just couldn't hold in my emotions any more. Out in the crowd, everyone was holding up the lights on their phones. Someone said in the papers it was like I was attending my own wake, which would be a very metal thing to do. But it didn't feel like a funeral. It felt like a celebration. There was so much love in that stadium, coming at me in waves. I had tears streaming down my face, but I felt so uplifted. The crowd noticed I was struggling, and they started singing back the words. I've been so lucky to have had so many wonderful fans. God bless you all.

"By the end of the song, thank God, I'd managed to pull myself together. Then it was one last ride on the 'Crazy Train' and time for the SABBATH set.

"The guys in SABBATH were as nervous as I was about me doing two sets in a row. They had no idea if I could pull it off. But it couldn't have gone better. When the crowd chanted the tune of 'War Pigs' like they were cheering on England at the World Cup, it was just electrifying. Then we did 'N.I.B.', 'Iron Man'… and 'Paranoid'."

In "Last Rites", which will be made available on October 7 via Grand Central Publishing of Hachette Book Group, Ozzy also writes about his grueling battle with Parkinson's disease, sepsis, blood clots, emphysema and multiple bouts of pneumonia.

Ozzy also talked about the Villa Park concert in "Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home", a just-released BBC documentary filmed before his death.

"What a great way to go out that gig was," he said in one of his final interviews for the documentary, which followed the final three years of his life and was broadcast on BBC One on Thursday. The one-hour film had originally been scheduled to be screened in August, but the BBC postponed it, saying at the time it was "respecting the family's wishes to wait a bit longer".

Ozzy said that his "emotions" nearly got the better of him during the "humbling" gig at Villa Park.

In the film, his daughter Kelly noted how "everyone was crying" in the stadium while he was singing "Mama, I'm Coming Home".

"I couldn't get the words out," recalled Ozzy, adding that it had been "torture" to have to sit down on a throne to perform due to a serious spinal injury.

"The only thing that was terribly frustrating for me, I had to sit there instead of running across the stage," the singer said. "I wanted to get up and sing so much. It was very humbling to sit in that chair for nine songs."

Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate filed in London also said Osbourne suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

A private funeral service for Ozzy was held on July 31 on the 250-acre grounds of the house the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife bought in 1993 in Buckinghamshire, England. Only 110 of the singer's friends and family members attended the service.

The day before the private funeral, thousands of fans gathered in the streets of Birmingham to pay tribute to Ozzy. Sharon, along with their children Aimée, Kelly and Jack, joined mourners for the emotional tribute.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin (courtesy of Premier)

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Posted by Ozzy Osbourne on Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Florida-based metallers TRIVIUM have recruited Greyson Nekrutman to play drums for the band at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California as well as on "The Ascend Above The Ashes" North American tour. The 23-year-old Nekrutman, who most recently played with SEPULTURA, stepped into TRIVIUM as the replacement for Alex Bent, who left the latter band earlier this month after a nine-year run.

Video of Greyson's performance with TRIVIUM at Aftershock on Saturday, October 4 can be seen below.

"The Ascend Above The Ashes" trek will kick off October 31 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and run through December 14, with a hometown show in Orlando, Florida. Special guests are JINJER and HERIOT.

When Alex announced his departure from TRIVIUM on Friday (October 3),he said in a statement: "I am beyond grateful for the incredible past nine years with TRIVIUM — filled with unforgettable moments, music, and friendships that I'll always carry with me. I'm so proud of every record and tour we created together, and I know TRIVIUM will continue to dominate the world; they'll always have my support.

"While this chapter has come to a close, this is by no means the end of my path as a musician. I'm excited for this new chapter, and I look forward to continuing to create, perform, and share music in new ways.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. Your encouragement means the world."

Nekrutman officially replaced SEPULTURA's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February 2024.

Greyson, who also previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, made his live debut with SEPULTURA on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Greyson is featured on ALICE IN CHAINS vocalist William Duvall's "11.12.21 Live-In-Studio Nashville" CD, which came out in June 2022. Nekrutman has also performed or recorded with Bakithi Kumalo, Darren Criss, Drumeo, Pearl Drums, Meinl Cymbals and has been featured in articles by Rolling Stone, Rhythm, Rhythm And Drum (Japan) and Sweetwater Music.

In December 2016, TRIVIUM parted ways with Paul Wandtke and welcomed Bent, a former member of BATTLECROSS and DECREPIT BIRTH who had previously played with TESTAMENT as a fill-in for that band's longtime drummer Gene Hoglan.

TRIVIUM guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy discussed Bent's addition to the band during an October 2021 appearance on "Drinks With Johnny", the Internet TV show hosted by AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ. Matt said: "[Alex is] studio drummer [number] four. People, for some reason, they say we've had like a million lineup changes. We've only had four drummers, but everyone acts like it's a lot — they always act like it's ten. We've had another live guy [before Alex joined]. But luckily, every time we switched, someone's, like, 'Why did you switch? Why did you switch?' Finally we switched to Alex, and they said, 'Now we get what you're looking for.

"He's super young," Matt continued. "He comes from tech-death and slam and stuff like that. We call him 'Modesto Monster,' but he's just this super-sweet, insane drummer. Our stuff is very easy for him [to play]. But he's also played with, like, gospel stuff and Latin stuff, so it's really cool to have a guy that can do black metal, death metal, gospel, Latin, country…"

Back in 2017, Heafy admitted to the That's Not Metal Podcast that it had been difficult for the band's core trio — Heafy, bassist Paolo Gregoletto and guitarist Corey Beaulieu — to keep a drummer prior to Bent's addition in 2016.

"The drumming is what the band is built upon, it's the foundation for which all the music is built upon, and if you don't have a strong foundation for a house or a building, it eventually collapses," Matt explained. "And I'm so thankful that the stars finally aligned, after eight records, to find the guy that we needed to find. And I think that when people hear Alex, it's not a question of 'Why?' It's more like an observation, like, 'Oh, I see you did it again, but I know why.' Because he's that freakin' good."

In October 2019, Gregoletto told Silver Tiger Media that Alex is "not only a great drummer but a really good dude. After years of playing with people who have not been the right fit, it feels good to just have everything settle into place. If there's any testament to that relationship working, it's [TRIVIUM's 2017] record ['The Sin And The Sentence']. I feel like our abilities to translate our ideas on to a record have just improved ten-fold. It seems like now, with Alex, he writes on our level already. He's now been with us for only two years or so, but he's just a phenomenal drummer and it makes our jobs easier, 'cause we just write the cool riffs and he's ready to go with drums. That's what we needed."

As a bass player and one half of TRIVIUM's rhythm section, Paolo said that it was "tough to have had" all the drummer changes over the years. But "I never minded playing with different people, 'cause I feel like you kind of learn new ways to play," he explained. "Everyone has their own style, and I feel like every drummer we played with had a different take on playing with TRIVIUM. If anything, I got to learn a lot more playing with different people and kind of tailoring my bass playing to whoever the drummer was in the band."

TRIVIUM's upcoming three-song EP, "Struck Dead", will arrive on October 31 via longtime label Roadrunner. The effort was produced by TRIVIUM and recorded with Mark Lewis at the band's Hangar Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur.

Florida-based metallers TRIVIUM have parted ways with their drummer of the past nine years, Alex Bent.

Earlier today, Alex released the following statement via TRIVIUM's official social media: "I am beyond grateful for the incredible past nine years with TRIVIUM — filled with unforgettable moments, music, and friendships that I'll always carry with me. I'm so proud of every record and tour we created together, and I know TRIVIUM will continue to dominate the world; they'll always have my support.

"While this chapter has come to a close, this is by no means the end of my path as a musician. I'm excited for this new chapter, and I look forward to continuing to create, perform, and share music in new ways.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. Your encouragement means the world."

No replacement for Bent has yet been announced.

TRIVIUM's next live appearance will take place tomorrow (Saturday, October 4) at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

TRIVIUM will embark on "The Ascend Above The Ashes" trek that kicks off October 31 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and runs through December 14, with a hometown show in Orlando, Florida. Special guests are JINJER and HERIOT.

In December 2016, TRIVIUM parted ways with Paul Wandtke and welcomed Bent, a former member of BATTLECROSS and DECREPIT BIRTH who had previously played with TESTAMENT as a fill-in for that band's longtime drummer Gene Hoglan.

TRIVIUM guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy discussed Bent's addition to the band during an October 2021 appearance on "Drinks With Johnny", the Internet TV show hosted by AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ. Matt said: "[Alex is] studio drummer [number] four. People, for some reason, they say we've had like a million lineup changes. We've only had four drummers, but everyone acts like it's a lot — they always act like it's ten. We've had another live guy [before Alex joined]. But luckily, every time we switched, someone's, like, 'Why did you switch? Why did you switch?' Finally we switched to Alex, and they said, 'Now we get what you're looking for.

"He's super young," Matt continued. "He comes from tech-death and slam and stuff like that. We call him 'Modesto Monster,' but he's just this super-sweet, insane drummer. Our stuff is very easy for him [to play]. But he's also played with, like, gospel stuff and Latin stuff, so it's really cool to have a guy that can do black metal, death metal, gospel, Latin, country…"

Back in 2017, Heafy admitted to the That's Not Metal Podcast that it had been difficult for the band's core trio — Heafy, bassist Paolo Gregoletto and guitarist Corey Beaulieu — to keep a drummer prior to Bent's addition in 2016.

"The drumming is what the band is built upon, it's the foundation for which all the music is built upon, and if you don't have a strong foundation for a house or a building, it eventually collapses," Matt explained. "And I'm so thankful that the stars finally aligned, after eight records, to find the guy that we needed to find. And I think that when people hear Alex, it's not a question of 'Why?' It's more like an observation, like, 'Oh, I see you did it again, but I know why.' Because he's that freakin' good."

In October 2019, Gregoletto told Silver Tiger Media that Alex is "not only a great drummer but a really good dude. After years of playing with people who have not been the right fit, it feels good to just have everything settle into place. If there's any testament to that relationship working, it's [TRIVIUM's 2017] record ['The Sin And The Sentence']. I feel like our abilities to translate our ideas on to a record have just improved ten-fold. It seems like now, with Alex, he writes on our level already. He's now been with us for only two years or so, but he's just a phenomenal drummer and it makes our jobs easier, 'cause we just write the cool riffs and he's ready to go with drums. That's what we needed."

As a bass player and one half of TRIVIUM's rhythm section, Paolo said that it was "tough to have had" all the drummer changes over the years. But "I never minded playing with different people, 'cause I feel like you kind of learn new ways to play," he explained. "Everyone has their own style, and I feel like every drummer we played with had a different take on playing with TRIVIUM. If anything, I got to learn a lot more playing with different people and kind of tailoring my bass playing to whoever the drummer was in the band."

TRIVIUM's upcoming three-song EP, "Struck Dead", will arrive on October 31 via longtime label Roadrunner. The effort was produced by TRIVIUM and recorded with Mark Lewis at the band's Hangar Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur.

Trivium wishes Alex Bent success on his feature endeavors as he exits the band.
❤️
Alex writes:
“I am beyond grateful...

Posted by Trivium on Friday, October 3, 2025