OPETH drummer Waltteri Väyrynen has shared the original 2022 "The Devil's Orchard" audition video which eventually landed him the gig with the Swedish progressive metal outfit. The 31-year-old Finnish musician, who had previously played with PARADISE LOST, BLOODBATH and BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, replaced OPETH's stand-in drummer Sami Karppinen who had been the temporary replacement for Martin "Axe" Axenrot for several months after the fall of 2021.

In a message accompanying the release of his "The Devil's Orchard" video on YouTube, Waltteri wrote: "I realized I never posted publicly this video that eventually got me the gig in OPETH. Was really fun to revisit this after a few years now.

"The performance is far from perfect but it's interesting for me to see the differences and nuances compared to how I actually play this song live nowadays, not to mention thinking about all the stuff that's happened and we have done as a band ever since recording this!

"I'm playing along to the album track here without a click so the timing is bit slightly off here and there. Anyways, hope you enjoy it!"

In a November 2024 interview with Rock Antenne's David Loebe at Guitar Summit 2024, OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson stated about the September 2022 addition of Väyrynen to the group's ranks: "Yeah, we had a guy that helped us out in between, a guy called Sami, who actually was Axe's drum tech. So he did the two American tours we signed up for, and also the festival summer season. And then we had Waltteri in mind because we saw him play the track 'The Devil's Orchard', which is… He's more of, I would say, an extreme metal drummer, but in OPETH, you need to have a bigger spectra, you need to know the prog, the more calm stuff and tasteful stuff, and he played that track, which is not a death metal track, but he just nailed everything; he really had the entire spectra as a drummer — all the different elements that are required within OPETH, because we kind of switch in between '70s prog rock, hard rock, metal, death metal, progressive metal, blah, blah, blah, etc. Some slightly jazzy stuff as well. But we did three tours with Waltteri before we recorded the [upcoming OPETH] album ['The Last Will And Testament'] with him. So he just nailed everything directly. When we went into the studio, the first track we recorded was one that we released so far, 'Paragraph Three', and he just nailed it on the first take. So, [we went], 'That's it.' But he was, of course, as I would be, 'No. Another one.'"

Axenrot officially joined OPETH nearly two decades ago as the replacement for Martin Lopez, who left the band in May 2006 after being plagued by illness and anxiety attacks, which forced him to miss several of OPETH's tours.

OPETH's latest album, "The Last Will And Testament", came out in November 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget. The LP was written by guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). "The Last Will And Testament" was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the rest of OPETH mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on "The Last Will And Testament" were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, EUROPE's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2", while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal" podcast, hosted by Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke about the status of the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. The mixing sessions, as well as some of the recording sessions, for the LP took place at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California. ANTHRAX once again worked with producer Jay Ruston, who previously helmed "For All Kings" and 2011's "Worship Music" albums.

Benante said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We have a new ANTHRAX record coming out early next year. There's one song left to be mixed on it, and not because it's our record, but God, this record is so good. And I know it took a long time to make, but I think people will really be surprised and they will really grasp this and just be, like, 'Oh my God. This is worth the weight.' At least that's what I think."

Regarding ANTHRAX's working relationship with Ruston, Benante said: "I'll tell you, man, Jay's done the last few ANTHRAX records, and he's become… We talked about [legendary THE BEATLES producer] George Martin before, and Jay has become that [for us]. And him and I have been working very close on this record."

Charlie continued: "I know other bands will understand when I say this — it's, like, you could have three or four songs and it's, like, 'Okay, they're good.' Then you have seven, then you have 10, then the record starts to take shape.

"A couple of months ago, I started to listen to all of [the songs from the new ANTHRAX album] in the order that I think we're gonna put the record in, and it's, like, 'Wow, this is really good,'" Benante added. "It's the best thing when you could put them all together and it just flows. So I'm really excited about it… We pushed the envelope on this record too, so I'm happy about that."

In a recent interview with Thomann's Guitars & Basses, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello stated about the band's next LP: "I think it's been almost 10 years since the last ANTHRAX record, which is insane. We all are very, very hungry, 'cause we're in mixing right now. The new ANTHRAX record, I'm proud to say, I'm very psyched about this, that it's mixing, and now we get to hear the whole thing of it. And just to hear them really come to life now after all that, and, really, the parts are all done. Everything's locked in. And to hear what they're gonna sound like for when people hear it, as a fan of the band, it's, like, 'Fuck yeah!' You get hungry and you're ready and you know you have the goods. So we're pretty psyched."

Elaborating on the enthusiasm he and his ANTHRAX bandmates feel about releasing a new album more than 40 years into the group's career, Frank said: "You know what it is, man? I think you never stop being a fan. Never stop being a fan, because that's where the gut is. It comes from your gut, and you are hungry. I'm an ANTHRAX fan, so I wanna hear the best of the best. What do we have? When you hear a bad riff, it's out. Something's gotta work and it's gotta be good enough for us. That's why we know if it's good enough for us, everybody will like it. And that's the way we've always worked."

Bello also talked in more detail about the ANTHRAX songwriting process, explaining: "It's all [about exchanging] demos at this point. It's all digital stuff, so we send each other stuff. Charlie's in Chicago, Scott's [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist] in L.A., I'm in New York. So imagine traveling like that. The three of us get together after we have a collection that we think are strong enough, and we'll bat them down and really put 'em together and make sure they work."

This past July, Benante told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast that he and his ANTHRAX bandmates would "release a song at the end of this year, to give people a taste of what's to come. I just finished the album cover, and that is fucking trippy as hell," he said. "I designed it with this artist, who is killer. You know David Blaine, the magician. He did a six-part series recently [National Geographic's 'Do Not Attempt'], and Mark [Stutzman], the artist, he did a lot of the conceptual art for it.

"It's so weird how things happen to me," Charlie continued. "It's, like, I was looking for an artist and I'm watching this David Blaine documentary, and there's this art, which is exactly what I wanted. And I contacted him, and he loved the idea and he was a fan. So it's so crazy how things just turn out that way. So I'm really happy about that."

Earlier in July, Bello told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the progress of the recording sessions for ANTHRAX's new album: "The record's done. It's going into mixing now. Look, I know it's a long time coming, and thank you to the fans that are listening right now, and I know it's been a while. But between COVID, side projects, everything, we've all had different lives, and everybody's very much into what we're doing now with ANTHRAX. So, you'll be hearing something before the end of the year, for sure."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if that means that ANTHRAX fans will at least get a new song before the end of 2025, Frank said: "That is the plan, Eddie. That is the plan. 'Cause nobody puts out records right away — just a song and then a song, and you tease it out."

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Frank said: "I can't say the title [of the album yet], but what I can say is people who have liked the last two records, and there's been a lot of you, and thank you for that, I think we took another step from that. And this isn't just a salesmanship thing. I am, as a fan, really proud of the band stepping up like this — musicianship, songwriting. Joey's [Belladonna] vocals — I'm not even joking when I say this about Belladonna, it's one of the best singing he's done on an ANTHRAX record. I'm not even joking with that. So, we made sure the melodies, everything is right with this record. We're ready to go. It's been a long time, but I think we have the goods. I'm really proud of it, and I can't wait to play this stuff. It's gonna be a little challenging, definitely, but I'm looking forward to getting out there again."

Asked if 2026 has been "carved out" as the year when everyone in ANTHRAX will focus on touring with the band in support of the upcoming album, Frank said: "That is carved out, from my manager Mike Monterulo, straight from his mouth. We're concentrating specifically on ANTHRAX. Look, there may be shows here and there for other projects and that's fine when we're off, but it's absolutely focused on ANTHRAX and the record and getting it out there and really making people hear the stuff."

Earlier in July, Belladonna told Chicago's Rebel Radio 92.5 FM as part of the station's 31st-anniversary celebration that he had "finished the vocals" for ANTHRAX's upcoming album. "I'm really happy with what I've done," he said. "And the band sounds great on the record. And as far as I know right now, we're still finishing up a few things. We're not even mixing yet, so at this point I'd be just speculating [about a possible release date]. Obviously, things are going in the right form and the timing is right. So, all good. I'm happy. You're gonna love it."

In September 2024, Ian told Jon Wiederhorn of Guitar World magazine that he and hisANTHRAX bandmates hoped to finally release their new album in 2025.

"We're taking our time and not rushing anything because we want it to be exactly how we want it," Ian said. "We're not in a place in our lives anymore where we could have dropped everything and said, 'All right, we've got two months of studio time. Let's finish writing and then get in there and record it all and do the vocals. Mix, master and we're done — like in the old days.' We have families and commitments now, so it can't work that way anymore and hasn't in a long time."

Regarding the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Ian said: "There are crushing riffs and great, hooky choruses. Even some of the thrashiest songs have great choruses. We're always looking for the hook, and I think we've accomplished that."

He added: "With the songs we've written, we'd be able to put together a nine- or 10-song record that would be thrashier than anything we've done in a long time. But there would also be a way to make it a very different kind of album depending on which songs we choose. And I can tell you, I know which way I'm leaning. And I think we're all on the same page. We want this record to punch people in the face. And then we can use the bonus tracks for other things, but in the context of the record, I really want it to hit hard."

As for his expectations for the new ANTHRAX album, Scott said: "I'd like to think this record will be a slew of songs that people are going to be very excited about hearing live for the next few years. I generally feel the riffs, the grooves and the breakdowns – we used to call them mosh parts in the old days — I think they're gonna connect with our fans. And a lot of these songs are tailor-made for our live show, so I hope we'll be playing them for a long time."

In August 2024, Benante told Metal Hammer magazine about ANTHRAX's upcoming LP: "There's a song which has the same kind of epic feel as 'In The End' [from 2011's 'Worship Music'] and 'Blood Eagle Wings' [from 'For All Kings']. It revolves around the journey we've been on in the band. And there are three songs that don't sound like anything we've done before. One called 'The Edge Of Perfection' I had way before COVID, and it has just stayed with me — the melody and the chords, but also the aggression."

In January 2024, Bello told Rodney McG about the long delay in getting new ANTHRAX music out: "There wasn't a rush, obviously. I know it's been eight years since our last record, but we wanna make sure it's right, and it is [right]. We are very confident. I'm not worried about how right it is. It's right on exactly where I think, and the rest of the band think, we need to be. I love that it's more complicated for me to play. I love the challenge of that. I think we stepped it up a little bit, the heaviness. Again, everybody's gonna prop their record. Doing this for so long, this is how I feel.

"I don't wanna get complacent," he continued. "I want the challenge, 'cause I'm a fan. I'm a fan, and it has to stimulate me. And it has to get me going on stage."

As for the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Bello said: "On this record, there's stuff that we've never done before. I'm just saying right out — there's stuff, in a heavy way, which I'm very proud of. I like that we went that way with it and just went, 'What the fuck was that?' Some of the things that Charlie Benante does on drums, Scott and I were just, 'What the fuck was that?' And that's great, 'cause you wanna raise your game after that. I think it makes everybody step up a little bit. I'm doing some bass stuff that I had some fun with on this that I would never have done. I think there's a lot of cool stuff that's going on vocally, melody-wise. I'm really happy where the next ANTHRAX record is going."

In October 2023, Ian told "THAT Rocks!" that he and his ANTHRAX bandmates had "only really been working on" their new LP "for a year-ish, I would say… But then once lockdown and all that stuff happened, we just all walked away; nothing creative was happening at all with us through that whole period," he explained. "And then, slowly but surely, when we started playing shows again in '21 and going into '22, that's when we started working again, really. And then in the last year, we really started to put stuff together and Charlie and Frankie and I getting together and having writing sessions and arranging stuff."

In September 2023, Belladonna was asked by Tulsa Music Stream if he is typically presented with finished lyrics to sing or if he gets to contribute a lot lyrically to the content. Joey said: "I love doing lyrics, but there's a lot of lyrics that Scott — he just loves to do it. It's his thing. He just digs into such — these topics that he likes to go and get into, and we all kind of have our own little thoughts on the songs. But I get in there and I really kind of — I dig into the whole thing a lot further. There's a lot of stuff that I have to… When you start singing on something, you really have to find the pockets of what you wanna do, what kind of tone I wanna throw on it and how I wanna go for a certain range for certain things and how I approach it is very important. There are lyrics, but at the end of the day, I have to go in there and still sing as good and catchy and appropriate as I can to make this stuff my thing, my style. Obviously, we're not the hit-oriented type of thing, but I'm always going for something cool to catch you off guard and neat and different. I have my own style, so I just kind of do my thing."

During an August 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Ian said about the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material: "Certainly of the nine [songs] we've tracked so far, from a riff point of view, it's definitely — I mean it's riffs with all capital letters. Like if you were going to write, you would write 'riffs' in all capitals with an exclamation point. The riffs are killer. It's very riff-centric. There's a lot of faster uptempo material, certainly."

Ian added: "I will say there is a song — I won't say any titles yet, 'cause it's still probably a working title — there's definitely one song, it's the fastest thing we've ever done. There's another song that we haven't recorded yet that's also in the vein, more of a 'Gung-Ho' or a 'Caught In A Mosh'. Because Charlie and I talk all the time. I said, 'We still need something that's like a three-and-a-half-minute just ripper. You know, something like that.' And then we come up with something like that and I'm, like, 'Hey, I forgot I'm 60 now, and now I have to play this song for the next three years.' Just make my life harder."

Earlier in 2023, Benante was asked by Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules why it has taken so long for ANTHRAX to complete the writing process for a new LP. Charlie said: "If we didn't get hit with this whole global pandemic thing, it would have been out probably two years ago, three years ago. But we all know what happened. But now, being that some of the songs were [written] before the pandemic hit, they're old to me. So now there's a bunch of new songs that kind of came in the mix. So that's a good thing. You can never have enough… We're still working on the older ones because we really like a lot of those."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

During an appearance on the December 9 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", legendary Canadian rockers TRIUMPH spoke about their decision to reunite for their first tour in more than 30 years. The North American run of shows will celebrate the band's 50th anniversary, and feature support from APRIL WINE.

The 2026 trek will kick off with a series of dates in Canada, beginning April 22 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and running through a May 8 show in Calgary, Alberta. From there, the band will hit the U.S. starting May 13 in Rosemont, Illinois, and wrapping up June 6 in Boston. In all, 10 Canadian and 14 American cities are included on the tour.

For the 2026 tour, TRIUMPH's classic lineup consisting of Rik Emmett (guitar, vocals),Mike Levine (bass, keyboards),and Gil Moore (drums, vocals) will be joined by guitarist Phil X, drummer and keyboardist Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns. Phil X, whose real name is Theofilos Xenidis, is a member of BON JOVI and a former member of TRIUMPH, while Fitz and Kerns are both members of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Canada

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

United States

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Excited to rock Edmonton today with Gil Moore, Todd Kerns, Brent Fitz, Phil X & Rik Emmett. You can watch us on the...

Posted by Triumph on Friday, June 6, 2025

Anita Dobson, wife of QUEEN guitarist Brian May, has told U.K.'s Mirror that there won't be any world tours in the band's future.

"They will do little bits and bobs, but they won't do those big tours," she said. "We are all getting old."

Dobson's comments came after QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor told Rolling Stone magazine that he, May and singer Adam Lambert had no plans to stage a final farewell tour.

"I don't think we're done," he said. "And I don't think we're going to say a final farewell tour. Because it never is, is it?

When pressed if QUEEN will be "resting forever," he replied: "At one point we will be."

Last year Brian revealed that he suffered a minor stroke. Although the episode initially left the now-78-year-old rock legend unable to use his left arm, he has since regained enough movement to be able to play music again.

May's stroke came four years after he had a "small" heart attack. At the time, he said was shocked to realize he wasn't as healthy as he thought, and he was "very near death". He discovered three arteries were "congested and in danger of blocking the supply of blood to my heart", and subsequently had surgery to fit three stents — tiny tubes to hold open blocked arteries.

Five and a half years ago, May had to be hospitalized after he tore his buttocks "to shreds" while gardening. As a result, he developed severe sciatica and suffered what he later described as a "small heart attack" from the medication. May then had a bad reaction to his heart attack medication and nearly died. More recently, Brian underwent cataract eye surgery.

He later said that he believed that coronavirus may have played a role in his heart attack because of the way the virus thickened the blood. As a result, he said he was living a "ridiculously careful" life with Dobson — whom he credited with saving his life.

"She was incredible," he told the Daily Express back in 2020. "I couldn't do anything and she just kind of nursed me, so I will forever be in her debt; she did an incredible job on me."

Italian rockers UROCK, led by singer Umberto Urock, have released "The Line", an electrifying new single featuring legendary DEEP PURPLE frontman Ian Gillan.

"The Line" is the title track of the Rome-based band's second album, which was produced in part by prog wizard Alan Parsons and former NIRVANA producer Jack Endino.

A bold and thrilling anthem, "The Line" bursts to life with thunderous riffs, fierce intensity, and unstoppable momentum. From the very first note, it seizes your attention and never lets go. But "The Line" isn't just another collaboration — it's a fusion of rock generations, built on molten guitars, unfiltered emotion, and Gillan's unmistakable vocals riding the storm.

Lyrically, the song confronts a system that controls and manipulates everyone to think and live the same way, daring listeners to break free and get out of the line.

Gillan comments: "I would say to all the rock fans out there, you've just got to get yourself tangled up with 'The Line' and with UROCK. It's fantastic. I wouldn't have got involved in this had it not been a great tune, had they not been a great band — and I'm very proud to be on the video and on the recording. So get out there and get involved."

Umberto added: "Ian poured his heart into 'The Line', contributing melodies, harmonies, and arrangements, truly co-writing the piece. His passion and work ethic were inspiring, both in the studio and during the video shoot. Ian's generosity and enthusiasm, even as a rock legend collaborating with a self-produced band, were extraordinary — a story I'll cherish forever."

Regarding how the collaboration with UROCK came about, Gillan told Classic Rock magazine: "Umberto lives just down the road from me in Portugal. He did a couple of interviews with me for various magazines, and UROCK did the Portuguese show on DEEP PURPLE's tour [in 2022]. But the main thing I remember is when I went to Rome, I went to the radio station [Rome Rock, which Urock is involved in]. It was just like going to someone's house, just a bunch of fantastic people."

He continued: "They sent me some music they'd written. I thought: 'That's pretty good.' One thing led to another, so I went in the studio down the road and sang on the track."

"The Line" single is a powerful preview of UROCK's "The Line" full-length album, coming in early 2026.

Featuring eight original tracks, the LP showcases UROCK's exceptional musical talent and infectious energy. Each song delivers a compelling blend of melodic choruses, hard-hitting riffs, and dynamic guitar solos, creating an exhilarating listening journey that both honors and expands the band's signature sound. Drawing inspiration from classic rock roots while embracing contemporary influences, "The Line" offers a fresh perspective on the genre. Adding to the star power is special guest Alastair Greene, a modern blues-rock virtuoso whose fiery guitar work bridges the gap between rock's golden era and its future.

The families of Wayne Static (STATIC-X) and his wife Tera Wray have released a joint statement in which they expressed their "strenuous objection" to filmmaker Matt Zane's recent announcement that he would launch a crowdfunding campaign in January 2026 for a new documentary exploring what he called the couple's "intense and often turbulent relationship".

Earlier today, Wayne's younger sister Aimee Wells Pittman shared the following statement via her social media: "A message from the families of Wayne Static & Tera Wray.

"We are sharing this with the world to ensure that our feelings are crystal clear on this matter.

"We are not interested in the further development of any unauthorized biography or documentary focused on our deceased son, daughter, and siblings, Wayne Wells ('Wayne Static') and Tera Lents ('Tera Wray'). This includes but is not limited to: any behind-the-scenes footage from music videos, adult film sets, concerts, house parties, developmental projects, reality TV pilots, private photos, or any other portrayals of Wayne Wells Static, Tera Lents Wray Static, or either of their likenesses. Any attempt to exploit their unauthorized likeness will be met with the appropriate legal response.

"We strenuously object to any further exploration or exploitation of this dark and tragic chapter in their lives. Additionally, we feel that the music video for the Wayne Static song 'Assassins Of Youth', directed by Matt Zane and released in 2013, and the STATIC-X 'Stay Alive' music video released in 2023, thoroughly depict the dangerous lifestyle that Wayne and Tera were embracing prior to their subsequent deaths. Further, STATIC-X is nearing completion of the official STATIC-X documentary titled 'Evil Disco - The Rise, Fall, And Regeneration Of Static-X'. The official documentary dives deep into the entire life's work of Wayne Static and STATIC-X. The film is expected to be around 80 minutes in length and devotes the appropriate amount of time to exploring the lifestyle changes and ultimate tragedies that followed.

"If Mr. Zane is in possession of any additional rare or unseen footage that could contribute to the celebration of Wayne's life and legacy, we kindly ask him to share the footage with our families so that we can review and consider it for potential inclusion in the official 'Evil Disco' documentary. Additionally, any unreleased music featuring the voice of Wayne Static or his musical compositions would require the approval of the estate before any publication or release.

"We further challenge Mr. Zane to share any musical works that he claims might contain the actual voice of Wayne Static so that we can determine their authenticity and quality for consideration. We are not interested in Wayne Static's voice appearing within any Al-generated music.

"In closing, we would like to thank the STATIC-X fans around the world for their continued love and support for Wayne and the band. We are so proud of the band and what they have accomplished together.

"STATIC-X's music is as popular as ever, and Wayne's energy and legacy have been celebrated and regenerated through the band's incredible return to the stage.

"We fully support the current team and lineup of STATIC-X and their continued respect and love for Wayne's memory and our family. We are delighted that the world is continuing to celebrate the powerful music that Wayne and the band created together and the incredible energy that he and the band have always carried onto the stage.

"Sincerely, The family and estate of Wayne Wells Static & Tera Lents Static".

When Zane first announced his documentary plans in early November, he said that production on the film would begin in January 2026, with Zane — a longtime friend and collaborator of Wayne's — directing and producing the project.

"Most people are unaware that I knew Wayne for about 14 years, and I actually knew his wife Tera before him," Zane said in a statement at the time. "We were all close, and I worked on every project he did after leaving STATIC-X."

Zane previously directed all of Wayne's solo videos, including the "Pighammer Promo", "Assassins Of Youth" and Wayne's last music video, "Noise Revolution", with DMC. At the time of Wayne's death, the trio were developing additional projects, including an unfinished docuseries that aimed to chronicle the couple's life together.

"I filmed bits and pieces over the years, but we needed a few solid weeks in the desert at their house to finish it — that was the plan. Unfortunately, funding fell through," Zane explained. "I know this is something Wayne and Tera wanted to get done, and they wanted me to do it. I feel I owe them this — to tell their story the way they wanted it told."

Zane also claimed that the film would feature previously unreleased music created with Wayne.

"There's about an EP's worth of material Wayne and I recorded for a movie Tera was doing, but his label stepped in and stopped it," he said. "Some of those ideas ended up on 'Pighammer', but the rest has been sitting in my archives. I'm revisiting it now and will finish some of it with help from A.I. technology."

Zane was also seeking to connect (through the EveryoneDiesTheMovie.com contact button) with friends, colleagues, and associates who were close to Wayne and Tera during the final seven years of their lives for potential interviews.

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

Tera Wray Static took her own life in January 2016. Her friends revealed that she was found dead at a friend's house in California.

Randy Emon, the supervising deputy coroner investigator for the San Bernardino County coroner's office, told BLABBERMOUTH.NET in a written statement at the time: "Our coroner records indicate [Tera] died on January 13, 2016 in Joshua Tree, CA. The manner of death was listed as suicide."

Tera's roommate at the time of her death wrote on Facebook that she came home after work and found "one of my dearest friends had ended her life in my guestroom where she was staying."

A statement which was apparently approved by Tera's mother said that "Tera suffered from depression since the death of her husband."

Wray, who was born Tera Lents, met Wayne during the Ozzfest tour in 2007 when she was modeling for Hustler lingerie. They were married in January 2008 and she retired from porn in August of that year.

Adult entertainment attorney Michael Fattorosi, who last spoke to Tera one day before her death, told New York Post's Page Six that Wray left behind a note instructing her roommate to call him and Tera's mother.

"She was one of the sweetest, most gentle women I have worked with in [the adult film industry]," Fattorosi told Page Six. "She had a light to her that was evident when she walked into room. She was always smiling and happy. I know she loved Wayne dearly. When they met and got married, she left the [adult film] industry to go on tour with him and the band. From what I understand, she was constantly by his side. His death must have weighed on her tremendously."

In July 2015, Tera paid tribute to her late husband with a sleeve tattoo that she showed off on Facebook.

Image courtesy of Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival

Posted by Aimee Wells Pittman on Wednesday, December 10, 2025

In a new interview with Brutal Planet Media, BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch spoke about the German power metal band's touring activities in support of 2022's "The God Machine" album. After the interviewer noted that Hansi and his bandmates had spent a lot of time on the road this past summer, Kürsch concurred. "We did far more than we were intending to do," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "But they forced us with money. We couldn't say no. And at the very end, it was the full summer, without really recognizing it in the first case. And so, yeah, this is the third year in a row where we are touring. And so, yeah, we have to come to an end, and after this [fall], this is the perfect opportunity for us — we do a tiny little show in our hometown [of Krefeld, Germany on December 19] when we get back from the U.S. But this is it then."

Speaking about BLIND GUARDIAN's plans for next year, including a possible follow-up to "The God Machine", Hansi said: "For us, yeah, it's about songwriting and doing the business, which is behind touring and everything. And, yeah, we have neglected a few things, which we have to come up with. We're working on additional projects for BLIND GUARDIAN, such as acoustic albums. This all needs to be somehow fixed and finished in, hopefully, 2026 — if not in '26, then in the beginning of '27, for sure. And then it's about time to go back on the road. But for us, I have to say now this is the longest span of touring we've ever done, because usually we do, like, 12 months, 18 months. And because everything was a little upside down when we started touring [in celebration of the 30th anniversary of] 'Somewhere Far Beyond', this was a longer stretch than expected."

Elaborating on BLIND GUARDIAN's upcoming music-related projects, Hansi said: "We took all the time for the touring, and we did some acoustic improvements on some of the stuff. What we have in mind is doing an acoustic version of [BLIND GUARDIAN's 1998 album] 'Nightfall In Middle-Earth', and that's on a pretty good way. We have accomplished a lot of stuff, but we have to investigate and improve that in the next year."

In a new interview with Almarok, Anthony "Abaddon" Bray spoke about his plans to team up with fellow original VENOM member Jeff "Mantas" Dunn to celebrate the 45th anniversary of VENOM's classic debut album, 1981's "Welcome To Hell", at various festivals in 2026, including Germany's Keep It True and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting. Bray said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "2026, we're going to Keep It True [festival], myself and Mantas, with guest musicians. And since we've announced that, we've had a lot of other people come in, we've had a lot of people come in and agencies and promoters come in and say, 'Will you do this in Belgium?' 'Will you do this in France?' 'Will you do this in Australia?' So, yeah, that's what we're doing.

"They'll always be festival dates. There won't be tours. There'll be festival dates," he clarified. "It'll always be myself and Mantas with a guest vocal[ist]-bassist, and with other guests — whoever's available, whoever is not working. We're working with Tom [Angelripper] from SODOM. We'll be working with Mille [Petrozza from KREATOR], Schmier [from DESTRUCTION], Tom Warrior [of CELTIC FROST] — all these people are gonna come up and do some VENOM songs with us. Basically, it's not like a band; it's like a big party. So that's what's gonna be going forward."

Abaddon added: "Next year is the 45th-year anniversary of 'Welcome To Hell'. After that will be the 45th-year anniversary of 'Black Metal'. After that will be the 45th-year anniversary of 'At War With Satan'. So we'll be playing all the songs from those albums, with some of the singles as well, and the B-sides, because VENOM were always very lucky that all the singles were always really well received, all the singles and the B-sides were well received, like 'Nightmare', 'Die Hard', all these sort of things, not just album tracks. So it's a celebration of 45 years of VENOM."

Asked which VENOM album he is particularly proud of and why, Abaddon said: "My favorite album — I've always said this — my favorite album will always be [1989's] 'Prime Evil'. I really like 'Prime Evil', and I liked it because at that time I had a recording studio and I had my equipment set up, and that was the best album that I played on because I had as much time as I needed. I think that [then-VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony] Dolan [had] brought some good stuff to the table, and so did Jeff. Obviously I love 'Welcome To Hell' and I love 'Black Metal', but 'Prime Evil' I had the sound the way that I liked it right throughout the whole album. I didn't struggle with anything. I had really good equipment, and I had a great relationship with the engineer and with the producer who came in. I was working with Kevin Ridley, who was the studio's engineer all the time. So I knew what he was capable of and I knew what he did to get certain sounds, not just for the drums, but in my case, yeah, for the drums. So it was a very easy album to make for me."

As previously reported, Mantas and Abaddon reunited for a special concert on November 30 at Shinjuku Antiknock, a legendary music venue in Tokyo, Japan. Dunn and Bray performed three VENOM classics alongside some of Japan's finest black metal players: Masaki "Gezol" Tachi (SABBAT) on bass and vocals, Mirai Kawashima (SIGH) on vocals, Shinji "Samm" Tachi (METALUCIFER) on drums, and Noboru "Jero" Sakuma (ABIGAIL) on guitar. Support at the gig came from SURVIVE and HELL FREEZES OVER.

There are now three different bands using variations of the VENOM band name. In addition to Mantas and Abaddon's new collaboration, there is the Conrad "Cronos" Lant-fronted version of VENOM, in which Cronos is the sole remaining member from the band's classic era, and there is VENOM INC., which is led by bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan, who was a member of VENOM between 1989 and 1992, appearing on the albums "Prime Evil" (1989),"Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

In June 2024, Cronos filed a lawsuit against Abaddon and Plastic Head Music Distribution Ltd in which he accused the distributor of selling merchandise with Lant's copyrighted VENOM designs and Bray of approving the infringement through a licensing agreement. The dispute revolved around the fact that both parties were licensing and selling official VENOM merchandise featuring the contested designs.

According to Law360.com, Lant testified in court earlier this year that he joined VENOM in late 1979 and came up with the Satanic-themed designs used in the band's logo and album covers, which included goat heads, pentagrams and inverted crosses.

Bray filed a counterclaim for infringement against Lant and Lant's distributor, Razmataz.com Ltd., arguing that Bray was the real author of the works.

Because Lant was able to produce numerous sketches which demonstrated his design process and Bray was unable to do the same, Bray was deemed the owner of the original logo, while Lant was found to be the creator and copyright owner of all but one of the other artistic works in dispute.

Nearly a decade ago, Dunn formed VENOM INC. with Bray and Dolan.

Last December, approximately eight months after suffering his second heart attack, Dunn announced that he was leaving VENOM INC., explaining in a statement that his "health and wellbeing are of paramount importance to myself and my family," but adding that "there are also more personal issues which have influenced my decision."

Dunn suffered his first heart attack in May 2018 and underwent a double bypass surgery.

Mantas sat out VENOM INC.'s fall 2023 U.S. tour after revealing that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. He was replaced on the trek by Mike Hickey, known for his work with VENOM, CARCASS, CATHEDRAL and CRONOS.

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

VENOM's classic lineup trio of Dunn, Lant and Bray recorded four studio LPs, "Welcome To Hell" (1981),"Black Metal" (1982),"At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM is still fronted by Cronos and headlines festivals all over the globe and continues to release new music while Dunn and Dolan had joined forces in the similarly named VENOM INC.

Abaddon was part of VENOM's classic lineup from 1978 to 1992. He then returned to the band in 1995 and stayed with them for four years before joining VENOM INC. alongside Dunn and Dolan. VENOM INC. released its debut album, "Avé", in August 2017. A year later, VENOM INC. revealed that it was recruiting Jeramie Kling of the Tampa-based melodic death metal band THE ABSENCE to fill in for Bray on a European tour while Abaddon stayed home to spend time with his newborn daughter.

Dunn, Bray and Dolan released the aforementioned three albums as VENOM: "Prime Evil", "Temples Of Ice" and "The Waste Lands".

In September 2022, Bray revealed that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma.