On December 3 and December 4, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm joined the band's current lineup on stage at Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York to perform several songs, including "Luanne", "Girl On The Moon", "Urgent" and "I Want To Know What Love Is". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

FOREIGNER's ongoing tour features Gramm on guest vocals for some of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group's biggest hits. Gramm is sharing the stage with Luis Maldonado, who stepped in for longtime FOREIGNER frontman Kelly Hansen on lead vocals.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

During a recent appearance on the "Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show" on New York City's Q104.3 radio station, Gramm stated about performing with FOREIGNER's current lineup:  "Honestly, to step on stage as part of FOREIGNER again after a lot of years of being away from it, it still has that magic. And the current lineup is fantastic. They're great players and a great bunch of guys. We get along famously, and they're a lot of fun and they have a great deal of respect for the songs and the way they should be played. And I have no bones about being on stage with them at all. They do the name proud."

This past July, Gramm was asked by Ryan Vacey, music photographer and host of the Beyond The Vibe podcast, why now is the right time for him to return to FOREIGNER as a guest singer, Gramm said: "Well, I know that since we were inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame, there's been a lot reinterest in the band — the early band and the band as it currently is. And I know Mick is not in good health. I think if he was in good health, he would be out there with this band, and maybe I would be joining him. But he's not well enough to play, and I feel like I wanna help fly the flag for the band — the original band, and the current band right now, in these waning moments and moments when we're getting so much attention for what we've accomplished over the years. I wanna be out there as one of the original members to wave the flag."

Released in 1977, FOREIGNER's debut album produced the hits "Feels Like The First Time", "Cold As Ice" and "Long, Long Way From Home". The albums "Double Vision" and "Head Games" followed with more hits including "Hot Blooded", "Blue Morning, Blue Day" and "Dirty White Boy". Then came "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero" and "Waiting For A Girl Like You". Those songs helped give FOREIGNER's next album, "4", its impressive 10-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. At the zenith of 1980s sound, FOREIGNER's fifth album, "Agent Provocateur", gave the world the incredible No. 1 global hit "I Want To Know What Love Is". This musical milestone followed the record-breaking song "Waiting For A Girl Like You".

VIP MEET AND GREET BOOK SIGNING
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Posted by Lou Gramm on Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Introducing ALWAYS JOVI — the ultimate BON JOVI tribute experience that brings the anthems, energy, and excitement of one of rock's most iconic bands to the stage with unmatched authenticity and passion.

ALWAYS JOVI is a tribute like no other, featuring million-selling New Jersey rock legend Steve Brown — known for his work with TRIXTER, DEF LEPPARD and Ace Frehley. With his powerhouse vocal delivery, electrifying stage presence and deep-rooted connection to the Jersey rock scene, Brown leads this all-star lineup in delivering the timeless hits that defined a generation.

From arena-shaking anthems like "Livin' On A Prayer" and "You Give Love A Bad Name" to heartfelt ballads like "Always" and "Bed Of Roses", ALWAYS JOVI captures the heart and soul of BON JOVI's music in every performance.

Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering the magic for the first time, ALWAYS JOVI invites you to relive the glory days and sing along to the soundtrack of your life.

ALWAYS JOVI is:

Steve Brown - Vocals, Guitar
Joey Cassata - Drums
Devon Marie - Vocals, Percussion
Kevin Humphris - Bass, Vocals
Fred Gorhau - Guitar, Vocals
Chris McCoy - Keyboards & Vocals

Brown comments: "It's been a long time in the making building this musical extravaganza… but now it's finally ready for the world to see and hear. A tribute band like no other to one of my biggest influences and inspirations… friends of mine too, but most importantly it's a tribute to one of the greatest rock groups ever. Friends, I give you ALWAYS JOVI, and we are celebrating the music of BON JOVI… It's time, so c'mon, CHECK THIS OUT!!!"

SiriusXM radio personality Eddie Trunk commented: "As someone who grew up in New Jersey and saw BON JOVI on their earliest days, I can tell you that ALWAYS JOVI captures the true spirit and energy of the band they are paying tribute to. Steve Brown nails it vocally, as does the rest of the band. With the original [BON JOVI] band not being active currently, ALWAYS JOVI is the next best thing!"

Brown was born and raised in New Jersey destined to live a life submersed in music. The mostly self-taught artist picked up his first guitar at nine years old and never looked back. Steve began his lifelong love affair with live performing at the ripe old age of 12, when he became a regular on the voltaic New Jersey rock scene of the 1980s. At 12 years old, he began writing music, lyrics and founded his first band, TRIXTER. It wasn't long before Steve led the mighty TRIXTER to a record deal with MCA, sold out arena tours and lived every aspect of the rock and roll dream.

In his 40-plus-year career, Steve has sold millions of records worldwide (RIAA certified gold album),written three Billboard Top 100 singles, starred in three No. 1 MTV videos, and shared the stage with the likes of KISS, JOURNEY, Alice Cooper, SCORPIONS, POISON, CHEAP TRICK, STYX, BOSTON, NIGHT RANGER, Rick Springfield and TESLA. As not only a master guitarist, but as an accomplished songwriter, singer, engineer, producer, and performer. Steve has become one of the music industry's most sought-after and entrusted talents. From personal endorsements by Eddie Van Halen to churning out original music for some of television’s most popular hits, to regularly hitting the stage with an ever-growing list of rock and roll greats, Steve Brown is in constant demand.

In 2013, Steve was invited to be the temporary replacement guitarist for Vivian Campbell of the legendary DEF LEPPARD, which led to him joining the band at the historic Wembley Stadium along with other arena and stadium shows throughout North America. In May of 2018 he pulled off a job never done before when he was called in with 24 hours' notice to fill in Phil Collen for three shows, thus giving him the distinct honor of covering duties for both DEF LEPPARD guitarists.

ALWAYS JOVI photo courtesy of Steve Brown / bio courtesy of Headrush

Posted by Always Jovi on Wednesday, August 13, 2025

In a new interview with Estonia's AlteRock, THREE DAYS GRACE singers Adam Gontier and Matt Walst spoke about the band's ongoing tour in support of its latest album, "Alienation", which arrived in August via RCA Records. For the first time in over a decade, original THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam is back, joining Matt on vocals along with Neil Sanderson (drums),Brad Walst (bass) and Barry Stock (guitars). Asked if "there was a little bit of a destiny" in how his return came to be, Adam said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think so. I think things probably happened for a reason, for the most part. Yeah, that was a long time ago. Lots of things have changed, I guess, over the last 10 years or so. And I think we're kind of better than ever at the moment."

Regarding whether they were "a little bit anxious" about the possibility of there being "some competition" at THREE DAYS GRACE shows, like the fans being divided into Team Matt and Team Adam, Adam: "No, not at all. We did this mainly for the fans. Obviously, we're doing it 'cause we're having fun doing it, but the whole idea was just to — we felt like the fans kind of deserved to see something like this. And so, yeah, there's never any kind of competition or anything like that."

Added Matt: "We play as a team. We're big sports fans, and, yeah, we just put the best team together and we're all on the same team with the same goal — to win."

When the interviewer noted that some THREE DAYS GRACE fans feel Matt was "the savior of the band" when he stepped in following Adam's departure in 2013, Walst said: "I don't know about the savior, but, yeah, it was a life-changing event. And, yeah, here we are now, better than ever, and it's more fun than ever."

Adam chimed in: "I think also just to add to that, if anybody else had to come in, when I did leave the band, if it had it been anybody else that came in, we wouldn't be doing this now, because we grew up as friends and stuff together in a pretty small town. So, yeah, you're absolutely right — if it wasn't for Matt, none of this would be happening. So, yeah, it's pretty amazing."

2025 has been a big year for THREE DAYS GRACE with the release of "Alienation", with No. 1 songs "Mayday" and "Apologies" along with sold-out shows in Canada (co-headline with VOLBEAT) and the U.S. (co-headline with BREAKING BENJAMIN) and an ongoing sold-out European tour (with BADFLOWER).

Last month, THREE DAYS GRACE announced the 2026 "Alienation" tour, kicking off in Fort Wayne, Indiana in February, before hitting Canada and Europe and wrapping up the tour in November for the final show in Los Angeles, California. The U.S. tour dates will receive support from I PREVAIL and THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT, and Canada will see support from FINGER ELEVEN and ROYAL TUSK on select dates.

THREE DAYS GRACE played its first full show with Gontier in 12 years on February 25 as the support act for DISTURBED on the U.S. leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho.

In a recent interview with Nik Nocturnal, Adam was asked how it feels to be back in THREE DAYS GRACE after such a long absence. He responded: "Well, I think more excitement than anything, man. 'Cause it's just been so long. And it just felt like the right time — it felt like the right time for everybody. So, yeah, just excitement and kind of ready to go."

He continued: "It took a little while to connect with the guys and do a couple shows together, a couple things, but, yeah — just more excitement than anything, and definitely some nostalgia, obviously. But, yeah, I think everybody's really, really excited about this next chapter. It's gonna be quite the year, I think."

Regarding the prospect of sharing lead vocals with Matt in THREE DAYS GRACE's new lineup, Adam said: "Yeah, I was just talking with somebody about that. We got sort of — not lucky, but our voices do blend really well together. And we've noticed it obviously way more now with making the record and recording and all this stuff that, yeah, our voices really blend well. Yeah, so we're fortunate for that, that it's working out the way we had hoped."

Gontier added: "It's been great, man. It's cool. Matt grew up with the band. He's Brad's little brother, and I knew Matt from when he was just a little guy. So I think for them it was a natural fit to get him to take my spot there. And, yeah, now [we're just, like] — let's do it together."

In a December 2024 interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie,
Matt talked about how the idea for having two singers in THREE DAYS GRACE came about. He said: "I think one day I just talked to my brother Brad about it and was, like, 'It'd be sick if Adam came back. And we could both sing, and I can sing the songs of the past 10 years and Adam can even sing a few of those too.' And yeah, it just seems like a new life to breathe into THREE DAYS GRACE and to make it exciting, like the early days or just to freshen it up and, yeah, make it exciting."

In a separate interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Neil stated about Adam's return to THREE DAYS GRACE: "We had been talking and we've kept in touch. And the band was just talking about, like, how great would this be for us and for the fans and for the nostalgia of THREE DAYS GRACE. And then he got up on stage with us [for a guest appearance], and then we just thought, 'Let's make something new. Let's sit down and write a song.' And once we kind of got into that songwriting process, it just felt really natural and it felt right. And I think for the fans, we're giving them something that we haven't done before and hasn't really been done much in the past."

In April 2023, Gontier reunited with THREE DAYS GRACE onstage during the band's concert in Huntsville, Alabama. Gontier rejoined his former bandmates when they opened for SHINEDOWN at the Probst Arena At The Von Braun Center to perform two classic songs from THREE DAYS GRACE's 2006 album "One-X": "Never Too Late" and "Riot".

THREE DAYS GRACE later shared a post-performance photo with Gontier on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Soooo we did a thing."

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is currently a member of SAINT ASONIA, which also features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).

In a new interview with John The Metal Mailman, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee spoke about the band's latest addition, guitarist John 5, who joined MÖTLEY CRÜE in the fall of 2022 as the replacement for the group's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues. Asked if John 5 has added new energy to MÖTLEY CRÜE, Tommy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Bro, 100 percent. From the second he walked into the rehearsal room, here's a guy who is a fucking insane guitar player, first of all. And second of all — I don't know — other than KISS, MÖTLEY is [one of his favorite bands] — he's a fan. So he literally knew every single song. He's, like, 'What do you wanna play next? Let's go.' And he brought in this insane new fire, honestly, that we all needed. Everybody had to step up their game, man. It's, like, 'Woo, look out. This kid's on fire.'

"That's the beauty of him," Tommy continued. "And it's very much like me. And I heard Sharon Osbourne talking about Ozzy the other day. I'm still a fan. So, I think when you remain a fan of what you do, of other bands that you're inspired by, it's this thing that we just keep sort of giving back. I don't know how else to explain that. It's kind of a weird one, but with John, he's such a huge fan and such a talented guitar player that it literally just lit all of us up on fire. We were, like, 'Oh, man. We are going to kill shit.'"

Two months ago, John 5 told Beyond The Fame With Jason Fraley about how he came to join MÖTLEY CRÜE: "Yeah, [Mick] retired and he gave the band 40-something years. I love Mick Mars and he retired and luckily they asked me to fill in. And I know Mick well and he was very supportive and really happy I was there. And I've known the guys for a long, long time. I mean, I would go to their shows and I'd be in Mick's dressing room the whole time, talking with him and stuff. Of course I'd say hi to the [other] guys, but Mick's my friend, and of course I've known Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] and Tommy forever too. So it just fit really well."

John 5 went on to say that he will continue performing with MÖTLEY CRÜE going forward while still pursuing his solo career on the side. "A hundred percent, yeah," he said. "We just finished up a Las Vegas residency, MÖTLEY CRÜE did, and now I'm gonna go jump and play my crazy instrumental music [on a fall 2025 tour]. And then I'll go back to CRÜE. And so it's wonderful. It really works out well."

In September 2024, John 5 told Matt Pinfield of 95.5 KLOS's "New & Approved" show about his addition to MÖTLEY CRÜE: "When I was asked to join MÖTLEY CRÜE, we didn't really have any bad things going on [in ROB ZOMBIE] or anything like that. So it was tough [for me to leave Rob's band]. I was doing it for 17 years and I loved it. We were friends and laughed, and everything was still the same. But I thought to myself, 'I want to…' 'Cause I always thought about everybody else: 'Let me make sure everything sounds good.' I just wanted to think about myself for a minute and go, 'I really wanna experience this. Life is short and I want to experience as much as possible.' And, of course, I love MÖTLEY CRÜE."

John 5 continued: "I've been friends with Nikki forever — forever. Just really close. And then with Tommy, I've always worked with him. So I was really close with these guys — really, really, really close. And poor Mick, he has a horrible disease. And the poor guy. If I have a weird papercut, I'm, like, 'I don't know if I can do the show.' And you've got Mick Mars out there… I would always say he's the toughest guy I know because he's getting up there and just killing it and in pain, but just playing. And I'm, like, wow, I have such respect for him. And then he didn't want to tour and things like that. So they asked me and I was, like, 'Absolutely. I would love to do it. I would love to do it.' And they gave me the songs, and, of course, I didn't wanna say, but I knew every single song — I knew how to play them all. But I told Rob, and I said, 'Rob, I just want to experience life and I wanna do this.' And he understood. He was cool. He wasn't psyched, but he understood, and that's what was really, really cool."

Regarding what is has been like to tour and record with MÖTLEY CRÜE, John 5 said: "Man, I'm telling you, it has been such an incredible experience to do this. It's a different thing. 'Cause you imagine what it could be like, and then it just goes so far beyond that. It's so crazy in such a fun, incredible way. And it just feels like life is brand new again. It's so exciting. It's like when you get a new girlfriend or something. You're, like, 'Wow, this is great. Look at how blue the sky is.' So it's been absolutely wonderful — absolutely wonderful."

John 5 previously discussed his addition to MÖTLEY CRÜE during a May 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said at the time: "Well, I've been friends with Nikki and Tommy forever — forever and ever and ever. I'm so close to Nikki. We talked, like, probably 80 times a day for a decade. And we've done so much work together. We worked on the Meat Loaf song together, 'The Monster's Loose'; SIXX:A.M., of course; L.A. RATS; 'The Dirt' [soundtrack]. But other than music, we were just always around. I mean, he was the best man at my wedding. And we'd always go to the mall and ride bikes and just do total normal stuff. So when this came about… We were talking to each other on tour, like, 'All right, dude. I'm going on stage.' And he's, like, 'All right, dude. I'm going on stage. I'll talk to you after the show,' and blah blah blah. So we talked pretty much every day when he was on tour and I was on tour at the same time with the Zombie thing. We were doing 'Freaks On Parade'. It was great — great shows, packed to the nines, and having a good time and laughing and making music. And the tour ended. We went home. Actually, I went to do some CREATURES shows, my instrumental thing. And MÖTLEY was finished. They were off tour. And I was still doing some shows. And Nikki called and said, 'Listen, Mick is going to retire. And we have these obligations from Live Nation. We have South America booked. We have Europe booked. Would you wanna come on board?' And I was, 'Absolutely.' I mean, it's just like your brother asking you or something like that. But now the hard part was telling Rob, because we never had a negative word between us. And he's my buddy and we made great music and great live shows together for 17 years, and we never really had a problem. But I was thinking to myself, I was, like, 'Life is short.' And I'm being completely honest with you — 'Life is short. I wanna experience as much as I can in life.' And I was thinking about myself. And I was, like, 'I wanna do this for me, because I'm 51 years old' at the time, and I was, like, 'I wanna do this. I want to experience this.' How many times do you get a new chapter in your life at this magnitude later in life? And I talked to Rob, and he understood. Rob is a smart, rational person. I mean, he wasn't psyched, but he understood. And I think that was amazing of him. And he was just, like, 'Go get 'em.' He was fine about it. And then they got [Mike] Riggs, who I think is a great addition. That's who he was using when Rob did the early solo records, and I think it's a great addition. And they're kicking ass."

Detailing how he told Rob about his decision to leave his band and join MÖTLEY CRÜE, John 5 said: "I told Rob before it got out in the press. But I agreed to Nikki. And I called Rob and I said, 'This is what's happening.' And we did a show, Louder Than Life, together, and that was my last show [with Rob] in Kentucky. And then they got Riggs and were rehearsing with him and did the Aftershock show. And then it was announced — my time frame is not great, but then I believe it was announced a little bit after that. But it was no bad blood or anything; it wasn't anything bad; it wasn't dramatic or anything. And Rob was super cool. He was, like, 'Hey, I get it.' He was cool about it."

Asked if he has spoken with Rob since his announcement that he was joining MÖTLEY CRÜE, John 5 said: "To be honest, I haven't, and I miss talking with him and texting with him. I'm more worried about him not texting me back or not replying. I think that would really break my heart. That's the thing. I think I'd be really bummed out about that. But I haven't. To answer your question, no, I haven't."

Elaborating on his reasons for leaving Zombie's band and joining MÖTLEY CRÜE, John 5 said: "In the 17 years of being with Zombie, I got asked to join a ton of bands — a ton of bands. But, listen, I am so close with the guys, and with Mick too. So close with the guys. Something said, 'You've gotta do it.' It's just something I really wanted to do. Because life is show. I wanna experience everything. I don't wanna be laying in my bed at 126 years old — that's what I plan to live to be — laying in my bed at 126 years old going, 'God, I wish I would have done this, that and the other thing.' But I'll probably say that to myself anyways. But it's been an amazing ride so far."

In April 2023, Sixx spoke with Wyatt of U.K.'s Planet Rock about MÖTLEY CRÜE's decision to hire John 5 to replace Mick, who announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues.

"I've been friends with John forever and I would make jokes, 'As long as you're a 5, I feel good being a Sixx.' Y'know, stupid best buddy jokes. Me and that guy have been either hanging out at each other's houses, writing songs… he plays (guitar) all day long. So, he comes over here and he grabs one of my guitars or brings his own and we just sit around and play and talk about the '70s and how great LYNYRD SKYNYRD and 'Scooby Doo' was."

He continued: "My wife just said that when Mick told us he was leaving the band and I told her I'd talked to Tommy and Vince [Neil, CRÜE singer], and everybody feels that John would be a great fit, and I hadn't called John yet because you had to be sure we were doing everything correctly. My wife said, 'Well, that's great.' I said, 'What do you mean by that?' She goes, 'Well, you'll be going on stage and you'll be on the phone to John.' And they're, like, 'You gotta go on stage!', and he'll be like 'Okay, call me back in an hour and a half.'

"So we're always chatting and jamming and the friendship is so wonderful. Him and Tommy are really close. Vince loves him. He's just a great guy and a great musician and he gives us a great opportunity as a three-piece so to speak to really lock in. He's just such a great guitar player."

Comparing CRÜE 's current musicianship to how it was while Mick was still in the band, Nikki added: "It's nothing against any other musician that you play with, just that when you play with new musicians you play differently. We're still playing the same songs that people wanna hear but it kind of like re-inspires you. And I'm sure the same thing would happen if they got a new bass player. They're like 'oh wow, he's attacking it differently.' So it's never about how bad anybody was.

"It's a nice time [for MÖTLEY CRÜE] and it's kind of inspired us to write a little bit," he added. "We love our history, we're very proud of everything we've done. We've always been really supportive of Mick no matter what Mick was going through. We're just happy with where we're at right now."

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, in April 2023 the now-74-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

In October 2023, Mick was asked if he was still friends with John 5 after the latter guitarist was hired to replace him in CRÜE. He said: "Well, I've never disliked John. I've always liked him and still do. He's been a really good friend of mine for a long time. So I think they've made a very, very wise choice with John."

Regarding Mick's lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE, Nikki told Planet Rock: "If a member of a band tells you that they can't tour because of health reasons, you have two choices. You can quit as a band [after] 42 years of work. Or we could look at each other and go 'are we done yet?!' We're really peaking and we understand [Mick's] health issues.

"We wish him the best and we know that he's a little bit confused and being misled by representatives right now. But we still have to stay focused on why we're here."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

In his lawsuit, Mars also alleged that he was the only band member to play 100 percent live on their 2022 stadium tour, claiming Sixx "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour."

After Mars filed his lawsuit, Sixx responded on Twitter, writing: "Sad day for us and we don't deserve this considering how many years we've been propping him up. We still wish him the best and hope he find's [sic] lawyers and managers who aren't damaging him. We love you Mick."

Press photo credit: Ross Halfin

On Saturday, December 6, IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain performed a set of MAIDEN classics with TITANIUM TART at the 16th-anniversary celebration for Rock N Roll Ribs, the barbecue restaurant owned by McBrain and close friend Mitch Tanne, in Coral Springs, Florida. Also appearing at the event were Nicko's former PAT TRAVERS BAND bandmate Pat Travers, SCHOOL OF ROCK, FEATHER WEIGHT, PEGASUS, CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE, KINLIN and METALUCIOUS.

McBrain recorded two albums with PAT TRAVERS BAND: "Makin' Magic" (1976) and "Putting It Straight" (1977).

A barbecue joint with a musical bent, Rock N Roll Ribs showcases its love for smokey Southern cooking with food like barbecued pork and chicken and clever takes on MAIDEN songs, like "Final Frontier" dog, "Moonchild Mahi" sandwich and "Aces High" fries.

"It's not just MAIDEN fans that come in," McBrain said about the restaurant in a 2010 interview. "We do get a lot of pilgrimages, people come in and look at all the stuff on the walls, but most people that come in always come out satisfied. And it's not major expensive. A rack of ribs is [$29.95], and you get a pound and a quarter to a pound and a half of ribs."

Asked if he has always been a BBQ fan, McBrain told Broward Palm Beach New Times back in 2013: "Yeah. You know, I'm a Brit, and we don't have a very long summer, so it's very few and far between people get out and do a barbie in the backyard. Touring around America, I always used to love buying a rack of baby backs and some cole slaw and French Fries, and that was my main BBQ experience, the baby backs. Then a friend of mine taught me how to make the ribs we make in the restaurant, and I started to make some sauce, and it was very successful and people liked it, and that's where Rock N Roll Ribs was born, really. It was a dream we had and it finally came into fruition. I've got to be honest, it's not a business that's making a lot of money for us, but we make a lot of people smile and a lot of people happy. I'm very happy, it's great! I love it when I meet people and they say things like, 'these are the ribs I've ever had,' or, 'Your pulled pork is to die for,' and it warms the cockles of me heart!"

Rock N Roll Ribs
4651 State Rd. 7 (US441)
Coral Springs, FL 33073
954-345-RIBZ (7429)

Joining Nicko in TITANIUM TART are Rob Stokes on bass, Eldad Kira on keyboards, Mike Rivera and Mitch Tanne on guitar, and Paolo Velazquez on vocals.

McBrain was born in Hackney, East London, on June 5, 1952. His first experience of music came via his father's love of traditional jazz. Young Nicko's hero was Joe Morello, the late, great drummer with the legendary THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET. Nicko would often take to the kitchen, using forks and knives to beat on anything he could find at home. Fed up with him bashing up the kitchen utensils, his parents finally bought him his first drum kit when he was 12.

By the time he left school at 15, he was already a veteran of several part-time pub groups. Musically, however, his tastes had broadened to include more contemporary sixties sounds from THE SHADOWS, THE ANIMALS, THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES. On the recommendation of another drummer he knew, he began to take on session work, playing on countless different recordings.

In 1975, Nicko joined STREETWALKERS, the band formed by ex-FAMILY members, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist Charlie Whitney. From the late seventies until 1982 when he joined IRON MAIDEN, Nicko had spent his time in session work, most memorably with the PAT TRAVERS BAND on their 1976 "Makin' Magic" album, and also appeared in the band MCKITTY in the early 1980's. It was during a MCKITTY gig in Belgium that he first met IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

He officially joined IRON MAIDEN in December 1982 for the 1983 "Piece Of Mind" album and tour, replacing Clive Burr, after McBrain's previous band TRUST had supported IRON MAIDEN during the U.K. leg of the "Killers" tour in 1981.

Nicko, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement from IRON MAIDEN on December 7, 2024 in a statement on the band's web site and social media. He has since been replaced by Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

McBrain and his wife still live in the same Boca Raton, Florida home they bought in 1989 when Nicko relocated from England.

Posted by Rock n Roll Ribs on Monday, November 3, 2025

The three living original members of KISS — guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss — reunited on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, December 7 in Washington D.C., less than two months after the death of their longtime bandmate, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley.

Stanley, Simmons and Criss were all clad in black tuxedos and medals as they made their entrance at the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts for the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, which was hosted by U.S. president Donald Trump and also honored songwriter George Strait, actors Michael Crawford and Sylvester Stallone and singer Gloria Gaynor.

Asked what it has been like spending time in Washington D.C. for this year's Kennedy Center Honors, Criss said: "A dream. I'm a big history kid, so we got here early. I wanted to see where Lincoln was assassinated, which was very heavy. I had tears. We went over where he passed. Then we went to the archives, which no one's allowed. And I saw Declaration Of [Independence], all these amazing things, all this great stuff. I'm a big history kid, so it's been cool."

Peter continued: I'm a kid from the streets of Brooklyn. I never thought ever I'd be doing something like this. And it's been such a good year. I have a new album coming out December 19th. My birthday's the 20th. I'm turning 80, and here I am at the Kennedy Center. Wow. So it's been a really 'wow' year for me. I'm a very Catholic kid, so I'm gonna go to church all week next week when I get home… God couldn't have given me more stuff, for a kid from the streets of Brooklyn. I can't believe I was in the White House. Holy mackerel, the White House."

The drummer went on to say: "I wish my parents were here to see it. And we lost our guitarist five weeks ago, Ace. He had a horrible accident. I wish he was here.

"It's a dream. It's almost surreal," Peter added. "The Oval Office I was in last night with the president. I have not slept. Last night I finally laid my head, I slept nine hours, which was a miracle because I have insomnia, and I couldn't believe today that I was gonna be sitting here and meeting all these [people]."

Asked what it has been like attending the Kennedy Center Honors without Frehley, Stanley said: "Well, it's still a celebration, and we can mourn him and celebrate what we've accomplished. I'm really the child of the American dream. We came here with nothing. Our parents were people who fled during World War II and aspired to something great, worked hard and never expected a handout. And we're the result of that. So it's an honor to be here."

In a separate statement about this year's Kennedy Center Honors, KISS said: "From the very beginning, KISS has been about proving that anything is possible with hard work and passion. We're deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honors, and proudly share this recognition with our fans and all those who have been a part of creating this legacy. This honor would not be possible without the irreplaceable contributions of our founding partner, Ace Frehley. knowing how much this award meant to him, we celebrate this milestone as we mourn his loss."

Trump praised this year's honorees as "perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled."

According to Billboard, Ace became only the third person to receive a Kennedy Center Honor posthumously, following two other group members who likewise died after the groups' awards were first announced: Glenn Frey of EAGLES and Phil Lesh of GRATEFUL DEAD.

Throughout its 48-year history, the annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala has become the highlight of the Washington cultural and society calendar.

The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world. Recipients have each had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts. Whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television, each Kennedy Center honoree has a unique place in the fabric of our nation and their influence has inspired audiences from all walks of life.

The honoree selection process includes solicitation of recommendations from former honorees, the artistic community, the Kennedy Center board of trustees, and the general public. This year's selected honorees were chosen based on the recommendation of the Center's special honors advisory committee.

As in years past, Sunday night's gala will be turned into a broadcast special that will air on CBS and Paramount+ on December 23.

Grammy Award-winning rock band STONE TEMPLE PILOTS took the stage at Las Vegas, Nevada's Allegiant Stadium for halftime when the Las Vegas Raiders hosted the Denver Broncos on Sunday, December 7. The band performed a medley of some of its biggest hits, including "Plush", "Vasoline", "Big Empty", "Interstate Love Song" and "Sex Type Thing".

Fan-filmed video of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' appearance at Allegiant Stadium can be seen below.

This past August, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS guitarist Dean DeLeo told Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast that he and his bandmates would perform at the December 7 Las Vegas Raiders game against the Denver Broncos. He said at the time: "It won't be televised, but we'll go live out to whoever's attending."

Asked how many songs STONE TEMPLE PILOTS would play at the event, Dean told "Let There Be Talk": "Well, ironically, it'll be the first time in our career we have to compile a medley. [Laughs] We have to compile a nine-minute medley. So, I've been kind of laying it out, and I kind of have it laid out. The last gig we did, I had a guitar in my hand and I kind of showed the guys, 'cause you wanna make sure certain keys work going into each other. So I showed 'em what I had in mind. They were, like, 'Ah, yeah, that's gonna be great.'"

In a 2023 interview with Chasta Michaelis of San Francisco's 107.7 The Bone radio station, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo was asked if his group was fairly labeled as part of the grunge movement associated with the U.S. Northwest back the early 1990s when they came out with their debut album, "Core", and follow-up effort, "Purple". He responded: "I don't think the four of us ever put any kind of name on what kind of music we were making. We happened to come out at a time when the people in this business were creating these terms. It's a selling point — it's all a selling point — and we got caught up, as well as other bands, in a selling point for record companies to make money. And I think when you can obviously see that is when they start doing clothing after it. It's all pretty ridiculous.

"'Interstate Love Song' — grunge? I don't think so," he continued. "I actually wrote that as a bossa nova song; that's what it started out as."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — Robert DeLeo, Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz.

Singer Jeff Gutt, a 49-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first all-acoustic album, titled "Perdida", in February 2020. The disc was Gutt's second with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.

In a new interview with Jai That Aussie Metal Guy, bassist Frédéric Leclercq of German/Finnish/French thrash metal veterans KREATOR was asked how his role in the band has evolved since he joined the group six years ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Very soon in the game, when I joined the band, when we started to work on a song together, the first one was '666 - World Divided'… Before that it was just rehearsing songs that already existed, to be able to perform them together in a live situation. But '666 - World Divided' was just, like, I was getting, 'So, what are the dynamics? Who does what?' And that's how it works. Mille [Petrozza, KREATOR guitarist/vocalist] comes with the material, and then we just arrange everything together, because he needs to be able to sing and perform and to feel the lyrics. So it all comes from him, and it makes total sense. I've tried to send him riffs, and [he tells me] just, like, 'Well, I love the riff, but I need to be able to sing on top.' And it has to come naturally from him. So it makes total sense. And so when we started to work on '666 - World Divided', I was, like, 'Okay, I'm new in the band, but I'm very proactive when it comes to music. I can be very direct, but it's all for the greater good, so don't be surprised.' And that room existed, that space for me to exist, because they were pretty loose and let the producer do the work. But I was there just, like, 'Okay, Sami [Yli-Sirniö, KREATOR guitarist] you're doing this, and Mille, you're doing that. That doesn't work together. And how about we do that?' And they were just, like, 'Oh, great. Good on you, mate.' Just, like, 'That's cool.' So I didn't wanna impose, but also I didn't wanna be in the backseat just doing nothing, because I'm, like, if you join a band, then [the goal is] to improve things. And it's been the same since that day."

He continued: "I know my role, which is checking the harmonies, making sure that everybody knows what they're playing. I try to come up with different melodies and different stuff. And that's what I've been doing with 'Hate Über Alles'. On 'Hate Über Alles', I was doing a lot of the pre-production, and it was just spread out because it was during COVID time, so we had a lot of time to work on stuff. This one [KREATOR's upcoming 'Krushers Of The World' album] was a bit more compact, which was great, but I still obviously came up with my bass lines, but also rearranging, like cutting some… And everybody does anyway… 'Cause I'm the one recording in the rehearsal room. I come with a computer, check the demos, which means I'm the one editing the demos in the afternoon when everybody fucks off… So, yeah, when everyone fucks off, I'm the one working on the songs, which means I can just, in a very subtle way, add an extra guitar or just, like, change that and just [be], like, 'Well, I was thinking…' And it's nice that way, just subtle. So that's what I do. And then when we were in the studio recording, I had set like a little room where we could work on the solos because I'm a guitar player as well, so I come up with melodies for the solos, challenging Sami to bring him new ideas, 'cause he is got his own style, which is great. But he was the one just going, 'Hey, if you have any ideas…' So, I'm contributing on different levels, but like I said, everybody does that in a certain way. But as far as I'm concerned, that's what I do. And that's great. Hopefully people like it. But if they don't, it's fine."

"Krushers Of The World" will arrive on January 16, 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren. Bogren previously helmed KREATOR's "Phantom Antichrist" (2012) and "Gods Of Violence" (2017) LPs. The "Krushers Of The World" cover artwork was created by Polish genius Zbigniew Bielak (GHOST).

KREATOR has released three singles so far from "Krushers Of The World": "Seven Serpents", "Tränenpalast" and "Satanic Anarchy".

"Tränenpalast" features vocal coach Britta Görtz of extreme metal band HIRAES on guest vocals.

KREATOR will promote "Krushers Of The World" with a monumental European tour across 20 countries, joining forces with fellow metal powerhouses CARCASS, EXODUS and NAILS. The trek will kick off on March 20, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal, at MEO Arena and wrap up on April 25, 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark, at Poolen. Highlights include shows in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Stockholm, and more.

The "Krushers Of The World" cover sees Zbigniew Bielak, renowned for his work for GHOST, art and design, offer an interesting twist to KREATOR's history. Transforming classic visual trademarks dedicated fans will recognize from "Coma Of Souls" (1990),"Out Of The Dark... Into The Light" (1988) and "Pleasure To Kill" (the font!) into a highly detailed tapestry garnered with occult symbolism, Bielak crafted an outstanding piece paying homage to a band he loves since his teenager days yet with a daring and unique flair. The cover of "Krushers Of The World" rewards everyone willing to analyze the grandiose sleeve design.

KREATOR's upcoming effort will be the follow-up to 2022's "Hate Über Alles", which was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions for that LP was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

"Hate Über Alles" marked KREATOR's first album with Leclercq.

The official KREATOR documentary, "Hate & Hope", was shown on July 2 at the 42nd Munich International Film Festival and received a theatrical premiere on September 4. The 110-minute film was directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post.

Mille's official German-language autobiography, which he wrote with journalist, author and presenter Torsten Groß, "Your Heaven, My Hell - Mein Leben, Heavy Metal Und Wie Das Alles Passieren Konnte", was published on August 28 via Ullstein Verlag.

Photo credit: Robert Eikelpoth

During an appearance on the December 5 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine was asked about the possibility of his band playing the final show of its upcoming farewell tour with a lineup that could include all surviving former members of the group. Mustaine responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I can't really do that, because of the behavior of one of the bandmembers in the past. I just can't — I can't. Because, first off, it would be unfair to the other bandmembers if I didn't play with them as well. But the thing about what we did with [former MEGADETH guitarist] Marty [Friedman] in Japan [in early 2024], that was a no-brainer. That was brilliant. And I love Marty. We had our separation, and he went his way and we went our way. But it was a very, very intense relationship I had with Marty, because that was the first relationship I had with a guitar player. My relationship with [former MEGADETH guitarist] Chris [Poland] was really great, but it wasn't as good as it was with Marty. My relationship with [former MEGADETH guitarist] Jeff [Young] was good, but it wasn't as good as it was with Marty. And I probably wouldn't have a problem playing with any of the members of those two lineups, except the fact that [former MEGADETH drummer] Gar's [Samuelson] deceased, and [I'm] just not gonna do anything that is gonna, in any way, seem unfair to the other bandmembers."

Asked if he thinks the final MEGADETH show will be announced as the band's last-ever gig or if MEGADETH will "quietly end" its touring career without an official announcement of one final performance, Mustaine said: "I don't know. I was joking around with our management and said, 'You guys should probably book some fake dates at the end of the tour that I don't know about so I won't go out there on the last date and just blubber like a fucking 175-pound wuss."

Two months ago, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked by AlternativeNation.net for his reaction to the band's announcement that its upcoming LP and tour will be the band's last. He said at the time: "Honestly, I don't think about it that much. I think probably everybody else thinks about it more for me than I do for me.

"It's been a rocky road, for sure, obviously, and there have been moments sublime and there have been moments that I just scratch my head over, but at the end of the day… Look, Dave said four and a half years ago he doesn't wanna play music with me anymore, so I just left it there and just moved on. I'm not sitting around waiting for a call. I've already offered, if it should come my way, I'd be happy to participate on some level.

"What we saw in Birmingham [at BLACK SABBATH's 'Back To The Beginning' event], in my opinion, was 100% on point the right way to say goodbye," Ellefson continued. "You bring back the O.G.s — Geezer [Butler], Tony [Iommi], Bill [Ward] and Ozzy [Osbourne]; the four O.G.s — 'cause, obviously, they went through their… Look, they fired Bill [at some point earlier in their career], they fired Ozzy, and at some point they're back together. The four guys that started it all get to say goodbye together, to each other, to the fans, the fans say goodbye to them. So, to me, that is the model of how it's done. I mean, that is a hundred percent the right way to do it."

Circling back to MEGADETH, Ellefson said: "If it really is a farewell, if it really is, and it's not just an attempt to boost ticket sales, 'cause we've seen this movie before — boost ticket sales, go away, then the bigger offers come after everybody's gone away for a couple years; I mean, we've seen how this works — but, look, if Dave needs to shut it down and call it quits because he is just had enough and he's been through it all, then hey, you know what? As a still friend to him, even we haven't spoken almost five years — you know what? God bless you, brother. Put it away with grace and go enjoy the rest of your life. So if he really is shutting it down and he's really gonna put it away, then please do so with dignity and grace and do what you say and mean what you say. 'Cause I think that farewell thing has been thrown around so much by so many people that it doesn't have much weight to it. We've just seen it over and over again. So, if you've really gotta shut it down, shut it down and put it away and go enjoy the rest of your life."

Ellefson previously discussed his reaction to MEGADETH's farewell tour in September during an appearance on the Rock 'N' Blues Experience podcast with host Tim Caple. Asked if it was a shock to him to hear that MEGADETH was ending, Ellefson said: "I knew about it. Obviously, I'm in the business, so I knew about it, which — it was a little shocking. I've known Dave as a workhorse. All things good, bad or indifferent about Dave, he's a pretty fucking tough mule, man. I mean, he's gotten out there and sang and played despite all the odds. And I will give him that. He definitely never backed down to a challenge."

Ellefson continued: "I remember there was a comment some years ago — we were playing a festival in Mexico, and his wife, Pam, had looked over at me, and with him sitting right next to me, [she] goes, 'The old horse is slowing down.' [Laughs] And that was a big gig. It was [with] JUDAS PRIEST and SCORPIONS… And I remember when she said it, it was kind of, like, we are getting up there a little bit, but then I look at the SCORPIONS, and fucking Rudolf Schenker, that guy comes up and hugs you like a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot. You're, like, 'What the fuck did they put in the water in his house?' This guy's well into his 70s, and it's, like, 'Aargh.' Like, Jesus, man. The SCORPIONS are impenetrable; they're strong, like Iron Man."

David added: "I haven't talked to Dave now in four years, so I have no idea the reason or anything about it other than they made their announcement."

Asked what he thinks would happen if he just picked up the phone and called Mustaine, Ellefson said: "Well, even if I had his number — I don't know; he might have changed his number since I [last] talked [to him]. No, but I know what you mean.

"Look, he removed me from the group, so it's not my place to call him to go back," David continued. "I put it out there — I did something on my podcast, I floated it out there and said, hey, look, if it were to be, I'd be up for it. I think it'd be cool. Having just watched what happened in Birmingham [at the 'Back To The Beginning' event] where everybody got together —not only did we get to say goodbye to [BLACK SABBATH], they got to say goodbye to us. And I think that's just as important.

"Dave's closing up shop on MEGADETH, and he's doing it for him, obviously, for his reasons. I think in a perfect world there would be at least a moment where maybe some of, if not all of, the rest of us got a chance to say goodbye as well," Ellefson added. "I think that's a takeaway from Birmingham, is that there's a moment for everybody to just put everything aside and go, 'You know what? That was a fucking good run, man.' And take the final bow together on some level."

Ellefson's ELLEFSON-SOTO bandmate Jeff Scott Soto, who was also part of the interview, chimed in: "I'm sorry, I have to interject here. I absolutely agree with you, David, that it would be a lovely way for it to end or go out is to have the surviving members of this legendary band all together, at least for one more hurrah. But as far as I'm concerned, MEGADETH, you guys [Ellefson and Mustaine] are the Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of this band. And to end this whole legacy without one or the other, to me, is wrong. And I'll put it right here. You can clickbait and Blabbermouth it all you want, Dave Mustaine, you need to call David Ellefson and you need to put him as part of the end — if this is truly the end and you're calling it a wrap, you need to include David at some point, even if it's one show, one song, something like that. To me, that's the true closure. That's the real way to actually close the book on MEGADETH. They have to at least include David, to include Chris Poland and all the others, Jeff Young, all the others that have been involved. That, to me, would be the ultimate farewell, sayonara, all of the above. That needs to happen, as far as I'm concerned. You need to get the Lennon and McCartney, the Joe Perry and the Steven Tyler of this band together for one final hurrah. That's how I see it."

Ellefson also discussed his reaction to MEGADETH's farewell tour in August in a special episode of his video podcast "The David Ellefson Show". Asked for his "thoughts" on MEGADETH "calling it quits", Ellefson said: "There's a lot, 'cause, of course, it brings up years and years of thoughts, feelings, emotions, some great, some not so great. I always say these gold records on the wall — which, the only reason I have 'em up is 'cause we have a podcast [laughs]; it just makes for a good backdrop — but I look at 'em, 'Countdown [To Extinction]', 'Peace Sells', 'Beavis And Butt-Head', 'Rust In Peace', they all have a story in 'em. And some of the stuff in the '90s were better stories — the band was cohesive, the management was consistent, the music, I think, was collaborative. We went to new heights, we explored new territory that you could only dream of doing, Grammy nominations, festivals, the world for touring was really opening up everywhere. So, really great stuff. In the middle of it, of course, and around it was addictions, rehabs, canceled tours, lost finances in the millions. And so for things to sort of flush out the way that they did with now me not being part of the final farewell of something I started, as one can imagine, [it's] probably not something I'm super happy about. And saying that while still being grateful for all that it was, because I think at some point you have to find a path through it because this is reality."

Referencing Mustaine's debilitating injury in 2002 that caused severe nerve damage to his left arm and hand, and rendered him unable to play the guitar for a while, Ellefson continued: "Look, I feel like Dave Mustaine ended our friendship in 2001, and that was it. And he ended it very loudly, very publicly. He personally signed his name to it. He said we would never play music together again. And that's it. That is it. So from there on, I, I moved on. And I learned from 2002, with the career-ending nerve damage to his arm, and then two years later there's a new album with a new band and new financial terms and I'm not part of it and lawsuits to settle business matters, and just all the things go, there's a whole story there of a lot of this stuff. I was out, then suddenly I was back, and it was great. And he and I tried to mend fences, as I think we did. He was generous to me. Things were good.

"Clearly MEGADETH is a Mustaine family-run business," Ellefson added. "And it started that way, I think, probably a little while after I came back to the band [in 2010]. 'Cause when I came back to the band, it was not — it was Dave. And I kind of became the good friend to Dave. I knew him and he knew me in a way that no one else could. Dave had his friends before me growing up in California, but I've certainly known him one of the longest of most anybody on the planet, at least from inner workings of a band kind of thing. So, as bands go though, there can be tensions, there are all those things. Certainly what was made clear to me in 2004 is, 'Hey, it's a new day. It's a new way. Dave's in charge. It's not gonna be what it was. It's not gonna be collaborative.' [Former MEGADETH drummer] Shawn Drover always used to remind me of that. He goes, 'Dude, those days when of us all getting in a room and writing a record, dude, those days are long gone.' In fact, I remember when I came back and we were doing the 'Th1rt3en' album after about a year on the road, Dave asked me, he said, 'Oh, I'd like to have you write.' I said, 'You know what? No. Why don't you write the songs? I'll play bass for you. Let's just keep it clean. Keep it simple. Let's not even blur the lines.' And that's why I did other musical things. I did the ELLEFSON solo records and various other things to just have a little… I [thought], 'Let me take my creative stuff over there.' I knew in no way was that ever gonna sort of trump the brand, if you will, be bigger than the MEGADETH brand, yet it was a way to have a little creative outlet on the side, kind of get my yayas without interfering with MEGADETH. 'Cause I knew — look, we got it back together. Let's keep it clean, let's keep it simple. Let's just do that. And I think every time we tried to write, it was always a sore spot. It was problematic. And I was, like, 'Oh, I wish we weren't even going down this road.' Now, of course, everybody wants their name on the record, everybody wants to feel some of the financial windfall. And how things are split financially doesn't always have to how they're split with the credits and stuff like that.

"There's a weird thing in bands that how things are financially split… If you're a founding member of a band, to some degree you should be entitled to a piece of every everything and all of it, basically, 'cause it wouldn't exist if you weren't there," David noted. "And that deal got changed in 2004. That immediately changed the landscape. It changed my feelings about it. It drew us into a legal dispute — rightfully so. And no one wins in lawsuits, to some degree, yet sometimes they have to happen because things need to be done the way they need to be done. And I guess the good news for me is financially it landed certainly much better for me, and getting paid directly for my sources rather than… 'Cause sometimes that's what happens, is money goes through the channels of the organization and sometimes people don't get paid. So that needed to happen, and I'm glad I went through the process. It's not a fun process — I didn't sleep for nine months because of it — but that's when I had my little band F5 and I was trying to at least kind of keep my nose creatively involved in some stuff.

"So, there's a lot of history here with this band. This band started with a resentment. It started with a 'fuck you', Dave's sort of revenge against [his former band] METALLICA. And it wasn't entirely that. I mean, that gets a little blown out of proportion. To some degree, Dave was his own artist away from METALLICA. He had 'Mechanix' and some songs before METALLICA, and he certainly wrote songs after. So I think that that's a little unfair to paint that entirely on Dave that MEGADETH was just this revenge toward METALLICA. It may have been often fueled by it, but how could it not be? He was not a founding member of METALLICA. He was there for, as I always call it, a year and a half in the life of METALLICA. And [he] certainly changed the course of what they did. But they went on and had their own successes.

"But, look, for Dave to call it quits or to retire, I should say… Farewell… I don't even know if he's retiring. He's just basically saying MEGADETH's over… Would I like to be a part of it? Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't?" he admitted. "I'm a founding member of it. I'm a 30-plus-year member of it. Is that gonna happen? Who knows? It's too early to tell. I don't know what they have planned. I have no idea what it is. They just made an announcement about it. Do I think there should be some sort of farewell that everybody gets to participate in? I mean, look, [the] 'Back To The Beginning' [concert in Birmingham] with BLACK SABBATH. Look, they made nice. They brought all four of BLACK SABBATH['s original members]. They brought everybody back. You had [former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Jake [E. Lee]. Now, was everybody there? No. There were some key people — Bob Daisley — some people that weren't there. But for the most part, they brought a lot of the people back. And just speaking of BLACK SABBATH, they brought the original, the core four back, and they said goodbye. Not only did they say goodbye, everybody got to say goodbye to them. And I think when you're doing a farewell, that's important, that you get to say goodbye and everybody gets to say goodbye to you. I think that that's an important part of it. But that's me. I'm not in the band anymore. I have no say in it. So that's just me. That's just one guy with an opinion, quite honestly."

After podcast co-host Joshua Toomey opined that "everyone that was ever in MEGADETH should also be able to say their farewell too" and be part of the celebrations in some way, Ellefson said: "Well, I strongly stand against the notion that MEGADETH was only Dave Mustaine, 'cause it wasn't. And everybody knows that. So, if Dave needs to retire, wants to retire, I get it. I understand. He's given a lot. It's taken a lot out of him. It's taken certainly a toll on him, as anyone can imagine. So, look, God bless you, brother. If you're done, this is it, you wanna go do something else with your life, spend time with your family, just not play guitar, I get it. I mean, dude, believe me, I'm 60. There's some days I just kind of go, 'God, really? Should I write another album, another song? Do I really wanna go on stage?' And the answer always comes back to yes, I do. So I do. So I can't speak for him, and I'm not gonna speak for him. But, look, again, I haven't talked to the guy now in four and a half years, so I have no idea what his reasoning is, what the thinking is behind it.

"Someone made a point, they said we're all fans of MEGADETH music, even if we're not maybe fans of a particular lineup of the band, or we're not fans of certain members of the band, we still all love MEGADETH music," he continued. "And I thought, okay, I'm down with that. I can get behind that."

Referencing Mustaine's decision to fire Ellefson in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter, David said: "It's unfortunate that things landed between me and Dave where they did, because as I said right from the beginning, they didn't have to. And I made it very clear on the phone call when they were firing me that they didn't have to do that. It was unnecessary. Whatever those circumstances are were nothing to be feared. We can move on. But whatever. They made their decision, so let the chips fall where they may. I don't really even like going back to that period of time, because I felt like there was a lot leading up to that stuff behind the scenes, conversations that Dave and I were having about things that maybe we just weren't agreeing on. And that's okay. You can agree to disagree. You don't have to agree on everything.

"[OVERKILL singer] Bobby Blitz said something really good to me when I was touring with OVERKILL," Ellefson added. "'Cause he said he and D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist], they're the boss. They run OVERKILL, they run the band. And he said, 'No matter how we go into the room with separate ideas, we come out as one voice.' And I thought, 'Man, that's a great way to put it.' And I always felt like Dave and I did that. No matter what we felt like when we got in the room, we leave this room as one voice. And Dave being the leader, Dave being the self-appointed voice of the group, let him have that voice. So I always felt like I stood behind that. I was unified with him. Whether I agreed with it or not, you get on board with it and that's what it is, and you go with that. And look, for the most part, Dave's way worked pretty good. I wasn't there to defy that."

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Press photo credit: Ross Halfin

Perris Records will release HELIX's new full-length album, "Scrap Metal", on January 23, 2026. This will be the 14th HELIX release on the label.

"Scrap Metal" features five previously unreleased tracks that retain the "classic" 1980s HELIX sound. The remaining five songs were previously made available on other releases such as "Old School", "half-ALIVE" and "B-Sides".

The new LP's first single, "Stuck In The 80s", features Sean Kelly (Gilby Clarke, CONEY HATCH, Lee Aaron) on guitar.

The digital singles release dates are December 12, 2025 for "Stuck In The 80's" and December 19, 2025 for "Fast & Furious".

HELIX just finished playing shows with NAZARETH as part of the "Bending The Rules" tour, the latter band's farewell trek of Canada.

Most iconic 1980s bands only tour on their back catalog, but that is not the case with HELIX, which continues to record new music staying true to the band's 80s rock roots.

HELIX frontman Brian Vollmer comments: "'Scrap Metal' started out as an afterthought and morphed into a full-fledged album.

"During the '80s HELIX had written several very good songs that were never ever released. I decided to finish them, and also add a song I had written with Sean Kelly entitled 'Stuck In The 80's', which, ironically, seemed to sum up the project. I chose Aaron Murray and HELIX bassist Daryl Gray to produce, as they had both worked on previous HELIX projects. Aaron is on the cutting edge of where production is going, being the protégé of Danny Broadbeck (Delores O'Reardon) who was the protégé of Jack Richardson (THE GUESS WHO, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger) so it was a fantastic lineage of producers. As for Daryl, he's not only the music director for HELIX, but he produced 'Old School', which came out just as COVID hit. Sean Kelly, who I've written several albums with over the years, also became heavily involved in the recording of this disc, as did HELIX guitar players Mark Chichkan and Chritopher Julke. We even had former HELIX guitarists Kaleb Duck and Brent 'The Doctor' Doerner to come in and play on a couple of tracks. As the songs started to take shape, we realized we had something very special here. 'Stuck In The 80's' indeed!"

Track listing

01. Stuck In The 80's (3:33)
02. Fast & Furious (3:40)
03. Pretty Poison (3:55)
04. Hot Heavy & Wild (3:50)
05. Money (Goes With Everything) (3:27)
06. Jaws Of The Tiger (3:39)
07. Coming Back With Bigger Gus (3:43)
08. Danger Zone (4:25)
09. Tie Me Down (4:00)
10. Closer (3:48)
11. The Same Room (4:38)
12. The Pusher (4:49)

HELIX was formed in 1974 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. In 1976, the twin-guitar attack of Brent "The Doctor" Doerner and Paul Hackman joined the band, helping shape the group's signature sound. After releasing two independent albums, HELIX signed with Capitol Records, launching their major-label career with "No Rest For The Wicked" (1983),featuring the breakout hit "Heavy Metal Love". The band gained further international success with "Walkin' The Razor's Edge" (1984),driven by their iconic anthem "Rock You", which received major MTV airplay, along with a controversial X-rated version of the video.

Throughout the 1980s, HELIX continued to release acclaimed albums and tour worldwide, sharing stages with KISS, ALICE COOPER, MOTÖRHEAD and Ian Gillan. Despite the tragic loss of guitarist Paul Hackman in 1992, Brian Vollmer carried the HELIX torch forward, working with various top-tier musicians, including members of BRIGHTON ROCK, KILLER DWARFS, HAREM SCAREM and CRASH KELLY.

HELIX's legacy was further cemented in 2003 when they were humorously featured in an episode of the "Trailer Park Boys" television show sparking renewed interest in their music. In 2005, Vollmer released the book "Gimme An R!", documenting his life on the road and in the studio. In 2010, Vollmer released "Smash Hits…Unplugged", an acoustic reimagining of HELIX classics.

Images courtesy of Michael Brandvold Marketing for HELIX and Perris Records

San Diego hard-rock/nu metal veterans P.O.D. have released the official music video for their cover of THE BEATLES classic "Don't Let Me Down". The clip, which was recorded, mixed and filmed by J.T. Ibanez, can be seen below.

P.O.D. released its rendition of "Don't Let Me Down" as a single in late September. At the time, P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel stated about the band's decision to cover the Fab Four: "As cliché as it may sound, we've always admired THE BEATLES from the very beginning of our songwriting journey. Their melodies, the hooks, and fearless experimentation inspired us to craft our own take on the classic 'Don't Let Me Down', with nothing but the utmost respect. Thank you for helping lay the foundation of what we all know today as rock 'n' roll, pop and metal."

P.O.D.'s fall 2025 North America tour with DAUGHTRY and SEETHER kicked off October 1 in Virginia Beach and ran through mid-November, hitting major cities across the U.S.

P.O.D. joined U.S. hard rockers GODSMACK as special guests on their March/April 2025 European tour. The trek kicked off on March 22 with a sold-out show at the Sofia Arena in Bulgaria and then made stops in Romania (Bucharest),Hungary (Budapest),Poland (Gliwice),Austria (Vienna),Croatia (Zagreb),Czech Republic (Prague),Germany (Munich, Berlin, Offenbach),U.K. (London),Belgium (Brussels),before finishing with two shows in Germany, Hamburg, and finally April 12 at the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen.

In May last year, P.O.D. released its 11th album, "Veritas", via Mascot Records. The album was a Top 10 hit across the U.S. Billboard Current Hard Rock, Current Rock, and Current Alternative album charts, and has already surpassed 48 million streams.

P.O.D. has released several singles from the album including "Drop", "Afraid To Die", "I Got That" and "I Won't Bow Down".

"Drop" features a vicious vocal feature from LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe, while the equally eruptive single "Afraid To Die" features JINJER vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk.

As well as releasing "Veritas", P.O.D. has toured with SKINDRED, who between them brought the party in a major way to the U.K. They bulldozed through Europe with euphoric festival sets at Graspop Metal Meeting, Summerside and Rock For People. They supported MUDVAYNE, took on their blistering U.S. "I Got That" headline tour with special guests BAD WOLVES and NORMA JEAN, and festival stops at Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Sonic Temple, Welcome To Rockville and made waves on the ShipRocked cruise. They spent October 2024 touring Latin America, playing Knotfest and headline shows in Brazil as well as shows in Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

Image credit: DeadMike.com