In a new interview with All Access Live! With Kevin Rankin, SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner spoke about his decision to exit New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL more than a year ago. The 55-year-old musician, who joined OVERKILL in 2017 and played drums on the band's last two studio albums, 2019's "The Wings Of War" and 2023's "Scorched", said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I'm not gonna talk anything negative about my old situations or anything like that. People leave bands for their own reasons. Let's just say I was stagnant in my old situation. I was not happy with where I was in a business sense with OVERKILL. I was basically giving more of myself than I was getting in return. And after almost eight years, I had pretty much had enough of that. And when I knew that there wasn't even any negotiation aspect to anything, I'm, like, 'Okay, well, it's time to start thinking about myself.'"

He added later in the interview, in reference to his OVERKILL gig: "When you go to a job, when you start a job, do you ever go to a job — I don't care what job it is; it could be McDonald's — do you ever go to a job and never get a raise after eight years? This is not a hypothetical situation. This is a true story."

Bittner previously talked about his departure from OVERKILL during a November 2024 interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of Pod Scum. Jason said at the time: "I hadn't been happy in [OVERKILL] for, like, two fucking years. It wasn't a surprise that I quit. I'd been dissatisfied for a long time, but I'm a team player. I don't like to leave things. I love the guys personally. So I just kind of just hung in there, but I was not happy where I was career-wise, let's say, within the confines of that band. I wasn't a bandmember. And that's the main thing for me to keep doing this at this point in my lifetime. That's why for SHADOWS FALL to be back together, I'm 20 percent owner-member. I'm involved in the decisions. I just don't get told what's happening. I hate that. I'm a Capricorn. I can't deal with that shit."

He continued: "For my whole career, for the most part, even like back to the early days, all the bands either I formed or I was instrumental in getting the guys together, or it was always just a one-for-all, all-for-one thing. OVERKILL was the only band I've ever played in where I was a hired gun. The only exception was ANTHRAX, but I was only a touring member with ANTHRAX, and with PRONG — only touring. That's a totally different animal than being, quote-unquote, in the band. Even when I was in FLOTSAM [AND JETSAM], I was a 20 percent member-owner. I was involved in the decisions. So seven and a half years of that was a long time for me.

"I know Blabbermouth is gonna take this and run the wrong way with what I'm trying to talk about," Bittner added. "My point I love the guys, I was a team player, I wasn't leaving, but I was dissatisfied and I was looking for something else.

"My whole career, I had my ears always to the grindstone and I'm always just in the mix to know what's going on, like, 'Oh, hey, someone's looking for something.' Not that I want to be a ship jumper or anything, but I've had a lot of downtime on my hands in the last number of years. So anything I can play on, play with, be a part of, I'm gung-ho to do. But for a while with OVERKILL, I wasn't like that anymore," Jason admitted. "I'm, like, 'All right, this is cool. I'm not looking for anything else.; But after a while, I was, like, 'All right, I need another outlet.'"

When Ruger pressed Bittner about the exact reasons for his dissatisfaction with his role in OVERKILL and whether he wanted "more involvement in the creative process", Jason said: "A little bit. For me, more so it was definitely on just being paid fairly for my time… Like I said, there's no animosity. I just went and saw everybody last Friday. [OVERKILL] just played in my backyard Friday night. I went, I knocked on the bus, Blitz [OVERKILL singer Bobby Ellsworth] opened the door: 'Hey, you coming tonight?' 'Yeah.' 'All right. Come on in.' Gives me a big hug, like I knew he would. I gave his girlfriend a hug. I said hello to a couple of crew people that I knew. I went inside and gave everybody a hug. D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist] came up, slaps me on the back. It's got nothing to do with our personal lives. It's just a business thing."

Bittner added: "For a while it was fine, but I needed to make myself available for the bands that I'm a member of. That's really what it is. I couldn't be tied to OVERKILL anymore to be their drummer and only their drummer and 'this is the schedule for the year and you have to work in whatever you do in this.' Uh-uh.

"And I know that the people are already typing away, 'Yes, but SHADOWS FALL doesn't tour the way that OVERKILL did,' blah blah blah blah. Yes, true — very true. But remember, I have another band, CATEGORY 7. Between the two, we'll be working just as much. But also, the thing to keep in mind here, too, is I can play five shows with SHADOWS FALL and make more money than playing 30 with OVERKILL."

In September 2024, Verni told Capital Chaos TV about Bittner's departure: "We kind of knew that that was coming. He had told us a while ago that he was just kind of burned out on too many things and had his hands in too many pots. So I think we kind of knew that was coming."

When the interviewer noted that "it's nice to see he left on good terms" and that there wasn't "some sort of drama," D.D. concurred. "Yeah, it was nothing like that," he said. "He didn't leave us hanging. You know, he finished out his commitments with us. He was supposed to do this European tour, but he couldn't; he ended up not being able to do that, which worked out, because we have Jeramie [Kling, formerly of VENOM INC.] now in the band and he's going to do the KING DIAMOND tour with us. And so it it all ended up working out."

When Bittner has announced his departure from OVERKILL on August 5, 2024, he said in a statement: "On August 1, 2024, I played the Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal, and it was the last show I will play in the band OVERKILL.

"For a while now I have been juggling a few different bands along with OVERKILL, and I knew at some point something would have to give since I simply can’t be three places at once. Over the course of this last year, my schedule has reached that breaking point.

"At this time SHADOWS FALL is working towards completion of our new material that will take us back out on the road sometime in 2025, as well as our fall shows we have booked for the rest of this year celebrating 20 years of 'The War Within'. Compounded on top of this is my new band, Metal Blade recording artists CATEGORY 7, whose album just hit the shelves last month and will start touring soon through 2025. All of this adds up to something having to 'take a break', so as of today I no longer play drums in OVERKILL so I can concentrate solely on the bands that I am a full member/owner of.

"Now don't worry — they currently have another great drummer already learning the material, and he will be ready to do battle for the upcoming tours.

"I would like to thank EVERYONE in the OVERKILL extended family for 7 1/2 years of laughs, killer shows, and fun around the globe. All our crew members throughout my run, our agents Dolores Lokas and Mike Monterulo, my tech Animal for always having my back (Shake and Bake),as well as all of our crew past and present, the SKULLKRUSHERS (much love Jurgen),and all the fans who supported my tenure in the band, I love you all, thank you, and will miss you on the European and KING DIAMOND tours… but I'll see you out there with SHADOWS FALL and CATEGORY 7."

OVERKILL played its first concert with Kling on August 30, 2024 at the Posada Rock festival in Câmpulung Muscel, Romania.

In a new interview with Billboard, SOUNDGARDEN drummer Matt Cameron spoke about the status of the recordings made before vocalist Chris Cornell's death in May of 2017. He said: "There's not a set release date or anything as of yet. There were a couple schools of thought, like, 'Hey, let's put out a single.' I think eventually we decided we want to make sure the whole thing is completed before we start releasing singles. I'm excited for people to hear it."

He added: "We're definitely over halfway done with it. Kim [Thayil, SOUNDGARDEN guitarist] is in the process of finishing his guitar parts; he wants to make sure they get exactly the way he wants them."

Regarding what it has been liked working on the SOUNDGARDEN record that Chris was working on with the other members of the band when he passed away, Matt said: "Emotionally it's been extreme highs and extreme lows. Hearing [Cornell's] voice on these powerful hard rock songs is the most empowering thing in the world for me. Then I listen to his voice soloed up when I'm working on stuff, or if Kim or Ben [Shepherd, SOUNDGARDEN bassist] is working on something, and it all comes back to the fact that he's not with us and he left us in a way that has so many questions. It's been gut-wrenching but at the same time very empowering."

This past May, Thayil told Rolling Stone that he was optimistic the final SOUNDGARDEN album would see the light of day. "Our objective and goal was always to complete that," he said. "I probably have OCD enough to not want to leave something unfinished or incomplete like that, so I think the more we can attend to our body of work and our catalog…I think everyone in the band feels that way. I don't just to attend to my work, but the collective work, and in this case specifically, the work of Chris."

Thayil continued: "I have pride for what I did and I want to see that come out. It doesn't exist in the vacuum. It exists as a collaboration with Matt and Ben and Chris, but it takes on an entirely different weight when you think about what it is you're honoring, and the work that you're paying tribute to. It is us collectively. We want to do it proud. And that part of us is certainly one of the most intimate components of what SOUNDGARDEN has been since 1984."

He added: "It would be a great gift to the fans. And I do think about this, and I don't know how strange this sounds, but I feel like it's a gift to Chris too."

Back in April 2023, SOUNDGARDEN and Vicky Cornell, the widow and personal representative of Chris's estate, announced that they had reached "an amicable out-of-court resolution" regarding the release of recordings made before the singer's death.

The resolution came less than two years after SOUNDGARDEN and Vicky came to a temporary agreement that would transfer the SOUNDGARDEN social media accounts and web site to the band's remaining members, Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd and their managers, Red Light Management. This included SOUNDGARDEN's web site, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In March 2021, Thayil, Cameron, Shepherd and their business manager Rit Venerus filed papers in Washington state U.S. District Court claiming that Vicky Cornell had locked them out of their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, Snapchat, Tumblr, Top Spin and Pinterest accounts, as well as SOUNDGARDEN's official web site, and changing all the passwords.

Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd claimed their socials were previously managed by their then-management company Patriot Management. They said they later learned that Patriot had handed over all the login information to Vicky after Patriot was terminated in October 2019.

The band asked a judge to order Vicky Cornell to hand over the passwords or include a final posting stating, "SOUNDGARDEN has temporarily suspended its official social media accounts due to pending litigation."

Cornell was found hanged in his room at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel in May 2017, following a SOUNDGARDEN show at the city's Fox Theatre. His body was found soon after he had spoken with a "slurred" voice to his wife by phone. The death was ruled a suicide.

In December 2019, Vicky filed a lawsuit against the surviving SOUNDGARDEN members, alleging the group owed Cornell's estate hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties and the rights to seven unreleased recordings made before the singer's death. Cornell is credited as a writer on all seven songs, receiving sole credit on two, "Cancer" and "Stone Age Mind". He wrote "Road Less Traveled", "Orphans" and "At Ophians Door" with Matt Cameron; "Ahead Of The Dog" with Kim Thayil; and "Merrmas" with Ben Shepherd.

At the time, Vicky claimed that Chris made seven recordings at his personal studio in Florida in 2017, adding that there was no explicit agreement as to whether the recordings were meant for SOUNDGARDEN, which made Chris the exclusive owner. However, the surviving SOUNDGARDEN members responded by saying that the unreleased recordings were the result of writing and recording sessions going as far back as 2015. They also pointed to public interviews with Chris and Thayil that suggested that SOUNDGARDEN had been working on the material since 2015, and detailed recording sessions up until April 2017, just one month before Chris's death. SOUNDGARDEN also included several text exchanges from Vicky, in which she referred to the unreleased recordings as the "SG files". They also provided a March 2017 e-mail from Vicky which said that Chris was travelling for the "SG record". The band went on to refute Vicky's claim that Chris's recordings took place in his personal studio in Florida in 2017, insisting that most of the actual sound files "significantly predate 2017" and that the recording sessions took place in Seattle and New York while the band was touring.

Responding to Vicky's lawsuit, Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron claimed that they "don't have possession" of their "own creative work," and alleged that "Vicky Cornell has possession of the only existing multi-track recordings of the last SOUNDGARDEN tracks that include Chris Cornell's instrumental parts and vocals. All of the band members jointly worked on these final tracks, Vicky now claims ownership of the final SOUNDGARDEN album."

Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron initially accused Vicky Cornell of misusing funds from the January 2019 "I Am The Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell" concert. After being challenged by Cornell's attorneys with the threat of sanctions, SOUNDGARDEN withdrew that portion of its countersuit, while its lawyers wrote at the time that the band believes the claims "remain well-founded."

In February, Vicky Cornell sued the surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN over the buyout price for her stake in the band. In the lawsuit, Vicky Cornell said Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd offered her just $300,000 for Chris's share. This amount, she said, is far lower than the real value of the Chris Cornell estate's interests in SOUNDGARDEN, especially considering the fact that the band got an offer of $16 million from an outside investor for SOUNDGARDEN's masters.

As previously reported, SOUNDGARDEN will join the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame class of 2025 in the Performer category. The Seattle grunge legends were first nominated for the Rock Hall in 2020, and were on the ballot again in 2023 before finally being chosen for induction this year.

Thayil, Cameron, Cornell and Shepherd are being included in the induction, as is original bassist Hiro Yamamoto, who was with SOUNDGARDEN from 1984 to 1989 and played on the band's first two EPs and first two albums.

In a new interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, ICE NINE KILLS frontman Spencer Charnas spoke about what it's been like for him and his bandmates to tour stadiums around the world with METALLICA in 2023, 2024 and 2025. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Incredible. It's so hard to sum it up in only a few words, but I'm gonna try. METALLICA's a band I've always loved since I was a little kid. I wanted to figure out how to play 'Master Of Puppets' on the guitar. My father took me to see them live in probably, like, '96, '97. They've just always been that band that we've looked up to. And to be given an opportunity to even open one show with them or to play a festival on the same stage would've been like a bucket list thing. So the fact that they brought us all over the world for a few years is incredible. And their whole team and everyone in the band, everyone was just so nice and kind, and they really changed our career. We've seen so many people come up to us and message us and post on socials that that's how they found out about us. So it's like something that you dream of. I still can't believe it happened."

Charnas previously talked about the experience of touring with METALLICA in a January 2024 interview with Mike Hsu of the 100 FM The Pike radio station. He said at the time: "Anytime anyone mentions it when I'm doing an interview, and I'm not B.S.ing here, I get chills. Because it takes me back to when I first saw METALLICA, which was, I guess it would have been the Fleet Center [in Boston] in '97; it just switched over from the Garden a few years before, I think. And I remember that concert so vividly. My dad took me to it. They were, if memory serves, I think they were on the 'Load' or the 'Reload' album cycle, and it feels like that concert was a week ago. I remember the way that Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] came out over onto the stage, and he was drinking a beer, and they had this, like, pyrotechnic kind of, like, accident, but it was part of the show. One of the crew members, I remember, fell down and was hung by his like feet by a wire and everyone was, like, 'Oh my god.' But it turned out it was all part of the show."

Spencer continued: "They were one of those seminal bands for me. They made me, along with NIRVANA, wanna learn how to play guitar riffs. And so when we got that call to be on a few shows at first back in 2022, getting that call a few months later, 'Hey, do you wanna do the whole world tour with us?' I mean, for someone who grew up on that kind of music and METALLICA being the pinnacle of that, it's such an honor. And I still have to kind of pinch myself every time we show up at one of those stadiums and realize, 'I'm not just going to see them. We're on the show.' And they've been so nice to us. They come into the locker room and say 'what's up' to us. And they're really sort of showing us the way of how, when you're coming up, you take bands out, and take the bands out that you think are cool, and you treat them great. And we've learned a lot from them. And we can't thank them enough, and also thank all of their crew and their whole team. They've just been so accommodating. And also thank you to our fans who keep coming out to those shows, to see us play with METALLICA. I see so many INK shirts in that crowd. It's just a huge honor."

ICE NINE KILLS spread cavalier carnage with a knowing smile, as evidenced by the densely catchy songs on their two breakthrough albums "The Silver Scream" and "The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood", including the gold-certified single "A Grave Mistake", "A Work Of Art" (from "Terrifier 3"),and the adrenaline-fueled epic "The Great Unknown". The INKverse boasts high-concept videos, the Psychos Only club, mock "true crime" books, the Inked In Blood graphic novels, monthly Nightmare On The 9th merch drops, and the annual Silver Scream Convention.

Led by Charnas, ICE NINE KILLS blend extreme metal and melody with a flair for narrative immersion. They've toured with SLIPKNOT, won Rock Sound's "Best Live Act", and were handpicked by METALLICA for the "M72" world tour. In 2025, Spencer also launched the Pretty Evil personal care line and co-wrote the upcoming feature film "The Slashin' Of The Christ" alongside Paul Soter ("Super Troopers"),produced by Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten.

OF MICE & MEN has released a new single, "Troubled Water", taken from the band's upcoming ninth album, "Another Miracle", due out on November 14 via Century Media Records.

The new album finds OF MICE & MEN at their most personal and most expansive, crafted entirely in-house — written, produced, and engineered by the members of OF MICE & MEN themselves.

"The process of self-recording and self-producing this album as well the last two has seen us really trying to one up what we've done in the past — and it's on us to do that," drummer Valentino Arteaga explains. "On this album in particular, we wanted to push the boundaries of what that sounds like for our band."

Regarding the new single, OF MICE & MEN says: "'Troubled Water' is about setting boundaries, about vampiric and apathetic relationships with people who only seem to seek connection when it benefits them, and about how maintaining a dying, one-sided connection just leads to resentment. It definitely takes us in a darker, more menacing direction sonically and visually. Heavy headbangable riffs paired with pure sci-fi nightmare energy makes this track one of our favourites off the album."

OF MICE & MEN once again teamed with Mike Matsui for the video. The band notes: "Shooting this video was a lot of fun. He had a vision of utilizing predominantly physical sets and practical camera and lighting effects to create a sci-fi landscape that reflects the interplay of different tensions heard in the song."

Earlier this year OF MICE & MEN released "Another Miracle"'s title track which marked their first new music since 2023's "Tether" and their first since signing to new label Century Media Records. More recently they shared "Wake Up", which has spent several weeks climbing the Active Rock Radio chart in the U.S. (currently at No. 21) while in the U.K. it has been receiving strong support from Radio 1, Kerrang! Radio, TotalRock and more.

OF MICE & MEN has been playing the new singles as well as fan favorites this summer at major festival appearances in the U.S. which continue into October. OF MICE & MEN will then embark on a headline run in Europe, with dates kicking off November 27 and concluding December 14.

With "Another Miracle", their most explosive full-length yet, OF MICE & MEN deliver a masterclass in modern heavy music — balancing bone-crushing breakdowns with arena-ready rock anthems that hit just as hard.

The unifying characteristic is the fact that the band are always authentic to themselves while they take creative chances that will likely surprise even their most dedicated fans.

"We're always pushing the boundaries of what excites us musically," vocalist/bassist Aaron Pauley explains. "We never thought we would get to our ninth album, so the only way to progress forward is to challenge ourselves and utilise what we've learned from working with different producers over the decades."

Correspondingly, this is the third album that the band — which also features drummer Valentino Arteaga as well as guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby — produced and engineered, with Pauley mixing and mastering the album in order to fully realize the band's collective vision.

"The process of self-recording and self-producing this album as well the last two has seen us really trying to one up what we've done in the past — and it's on us to do that," Arteaga explains. "On this album in particular, we wanted to push the boundaries of what that sounds like for our band."

From the electronic accents of "Troubled Water" to the unfiltered aggression of "Hourglass", "Another Miracle" sees OF MICE & MEN leveling up without retreading the sonic formulas that have been successful in the past.

"We wanted to create songs that didn't have the predictability of what we were going to do next to keep the fans on the edge of what's going to happen next," Manansala adds. Listeners may not expect that the brutal breakdown at the end of "Hourglass" would lead into the acoustic guitar introduction of "Wake Up", but in the context of the album these unlikely transitions make sonic sense.

It's no surprise why "Wake Up" is also one of the album's singles. With its soaring chorus and atmospheric arrangements, the song truly transcends genres and shows Pauley stretching out vocally in ways that complement the carefully syncopated instrumentation.

While the band's vocalist likes to leave the meaning of his songs ambiguous, he says "Wake Up" is open to interpretation when it comes to whether the lyrics are talking about the mental state of dreaming, hallucinating or having a psychedelic experience — and that undisclosed liminal state that is mirrored by the music.

"That song is really an imperative to live in the present because you have the opportunity to dictate your own experience in a lot of ways," he explains. "You don't get to control a lot of things in life, but you can control your consciousness in a few interesting ways." That spirit of pushing himself and the band's audience out of their collective comfort zone is a theme of "Another Miracle", an album that will undoubtedly have a unique meaning to each listener.

"I feel like on our last three albums we've really dove into layering tons of production and other instrumental elements into the background of our music," Ashby says about the sonic textures of these songs that unfold themselves more deeply on each subsequent listen. "On the last two records people have said we sound a little more experimental, but to me that just means there were more elements of parts that weren't just a guitar riff or a singing part," he continues.

"Another Miracle" undeniably features OF MICE & MEN's signature sound that fans have come to love, but if you are willing to take the time to really listen, there's a level of depth lurking beneath the surface that keeps these songs from ever sounding stagnant or dated.

In addition to having two gold-selling singles, OF MICE & MEN have racked up countless accolades throughout their career: Having their 2014 album "Restoring Force" chart at No. 1 on the Billboard Independent chart, touring alongside LINKIN PARK or taking home the "Best International Newcomer" award at the Kerrang! Awards.

While these accolades are nice, the band are most proud of the fact that their current lineup, which has been together since 2016, has been able to forge a relationship that allows them to keep creating powerful music. "I think we're more locked in than ever," Pauley says. "There's less friction than ever before and I think that friction is what keeps people inside of a box because it gives it its shape," he continues. "When you get rid of that, you open it up to allow for a bunch of different ideas that you may not have come up with [if the group dynamic wasn't the same."

That expansive sense of opportunity informs every second of "Another Miracle" — and while the album won't delude listeners into thinking they'll never face adversity, it illustrates that we have more in common than we do separating us from each other.

"A lot of the time, we feel that the uniqueness of our circumstance prevents us from connecting with others: 'How could anyone possibly know what it's like to go through what I'm going through?'" Pauley says. "That being said, everyone, and I mean everyone, knows what it's like to wish for a miracle during a time when everything seems hopeless. It seems to be one of those core human experiences that ties us all together," he adds. "That's exactly what 'Another Miracle' is about and we hope you enjoy it."

Photo by Carissa Dugoni

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY will release a brand-new EP, "Celebrate", digitally on March 6, 2026 via Mascot Records. The official music video for the EP's first single, "Neon Eyes", can be seen below.

BLACK STONE CHERRY are a band in the truest sense of the term. Hard rockers of enormous heart. Four accomplished songwriters with rock, metal, roots, blues, soul and hip hop in their blood. Old friends with an instinctive, compassionate sense for what each other is feeling.

On "Celebrate" — produced by the band and recorded at High Street Studios in Bowling Green, Kentucky — they embody all this at the height of their powers. There's happiness and heartache. Muscular hooks and raw soul. The life experiences of four men approaching forty (two of them parents),in one emotive, unpolished diamond of a record. Six commanding, stage-ready original tracks and an inspired cover of SIMPLE MINDS' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" featuring Tyler Connolly (THEORY OF A DEADMAN).

"Neon Eyes" was a soundcheck riff that exploded into a thumping, hard rock party-starter, and the video follows them on a typical day in the life of a band on the road, as they arrive at their stunning headline performance at the 2025 Maid Of Stone festival in the U.K. You get a glimpse of the band behind the scenes, how they prepare for a show, them mingling with the crowd, fans rejoicing throughout the day, and all the way up to a typically high voltage performance showing what an undeniable force they are — plus some magical and unforgettable memories made during the day.

BLACK STONE CHERRY comments: "For 'Neon Eyes' we had the riff recorded on an iPhone and immediately wrote a song around it when we first started writing for this EP. We knew we wanted the main riff to also be the chorus so once we landed on the title, everything fell into place. A classic BSC banger."

BLACK STONE CHERRY are masters of taking a somber subject and flipping it on its head, creating a punchy, empowering rock song.

"Any piece of art is a snapshot of that artist's life," singer/guitarist Chris Robertson reasons. "So I look at these songs as a culmination of everything we've lived since 'Screamin' At The Sky'."

"None of us are precious, because we're all fighting on the same team," guitarist Ben Wells says. "So John Fred [Young, drums] might have a guitar riff, or me or Chris might have a drum beat. And Steve [Jewell Jr.] is our bass player, but he played slide on the last album, and there's parts on the new stuff where he plays guitar. It was cool to think you could start the day without a song, and five hours later walk out with a demo."

"Celebrate" is an EP of contrasts. "I'm Fine" is a dreamily woozy, NIRVANA-laced grunge singalong. But it was the searing, mid-tempo heartache of "Deep" that struck a really pertinent chord — with Ben in particular. Following long struggles with fertility issues, he and his wife suffered a miscarriage midway through the writing process. Two days later, he was channeling the experience into "Deep".

For a curveball, "Celebrate" is capped off with a strapping-yet-sensuous cover of SIMPLE MINDS classic "Don't You (Forget About Me)", featuring guest vocals from old BLACK STONE friend Tyler Connolly. Immortalized in John Hughes's seminal 1985 coming-of-age film "The Breakfast Club", it turned out to be a surprisingly natural fit for BLACK STONE CHERRY. A happy pairing with the soulful gravel and sincerity of Chris's vocals. "I love that song!" the frontman laughs.

No one in BLACK STONE CHERRY takes what they have for granted, least of all their fans. They'll play to thousands in an arena or festival field, followed by a 100-capacity pub, and put on the exact same show. You can feel it in "Celebrate": the sense that their hearts are totally invested, their priorities clear. Time spent with loved ones. Supporting one another. Connecting with audiences. Music that makes you feel something. No polish, no faking it, just moments that matter.

"Celebrate" track listing:

01. Celebrate
02. Neon Eyes
03. Caught Up In The Up Down
04. I'm Fine
05. Deep
06. What You're Made Of
07. Don't You Forget About Me (featuring THEORY OF A DEADMAN's Tyler Connolly)

BLACK STONE CHERRY is:

Chris Robertson - vocals, guitars
Ben Wells - guitars
John Fred Young - drums
Steve Jewell Jr. - bass

Regal rock icons QUEEN are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their monumental multi-platinum 1975 album "A Night At The Opera" and legendary diamond-certified single "Bohemian Rhapsody" with opulent vinyl reissues.

Originally released in November 1975 and featuring the classic lineup of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon, "A Night At The Opera" was QUEEN's grandest artistic statement and most successful album to that point, reaching Number 1 in five countries, including the U.K.

Marking 50 years since its original release, "A Night At The Opera" will be reissued on lavish crystal clear vinyl with gold labels on October 18 in the U.K. (as part of National Album Day) and October 17 in the rest of the world.

"Bohemian Rhapsody", which spent a record-breaking nine weeks at Number 1 in the U.K. singles chart on its original release, is also being reissued on October 31 as a transparent blue heavyweight 12" vinyl. It will also be available as a direct-to-consumer exclusive 12" picture disc and blue cassette single.

Both reissues will be released on Universal worldwide excluding U.S., where they will be released via Hollywood Records.

"'A Night At The Opera' was a hugely important album for us," says QUEEN guitarist Sir Brian May. "It opened up the world for us."

"We were at the peak of our confidence," adds QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor, "It felt like there wasn't anything we couldn't do, and it shows on that album."

1975 was a pivotal year for QUEEN. "A Night At The Opera" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" propelled them to new commercial and artistic heights, sealing their status as one of the most visionary bands Britain has ever produced. Artists as diverse as the FOO FIGHTERS and THE BEACH BOYS' Brian Wilson have saluted their multi-faceted brilliance, with the latter describing "Bohemian Rhapsody" as "a fulfilment and an answer to a teenage prayer of artistic music".

The single continues to be voted the best single of all time, most recently topping the popular chart of U.K.'s leading radio outlet Gold Radio's Top 300 Hall Of Fame listeners vote.

QUEEN recorded "A Night At The Opera" with producer Roy Thomas Baker at multiple studios, including the legendary Rockfield Studios in South Wales. It was created against a backdrop of change, with the band having recently extricated themselves from a financially crippling management contract and signed up with Elton John's manager, John Reid.

As a result, a newfound sense of freedom courses through "A Night At The Opera". Building on the ambitious musical foundations laid down by their first three albums (1973's "Queen I", and 1974's "Queen II" and "Sheer Heart Attack"),this is the sound of a band unconfined by expectation or boundaries.

"We truly felt like we could try anything at that point," May remembers. "As songwriters, we were challenging each other and competing with each other in the best possible way."

"A Night At The Opera" contains an entire musical universe within its 12 songs, covering virtually every style imaginable, from the vicious, glam-tinged hard rock of opening track "Death On Two Legs" to Taylor's roaring boy-racer hymn "I'm In Love With My Car", from Freddie Mercury's soaring, heartfelt "Love Of My Life" to the yearning sci-fi-inspired folk of May's "'39".

Elsewhere, they conjure up the perfect pop-rock of Deacon's "You're My Best Friend", Mercury's cheeky Noel Coward homage "Seaside Rendezvous" and May's charming, one-man-jazz band song "Good Company", plus the playful riffage of the guitarist's "Sweet Lady" and his staggering, multi-tracked eight-minute epic "The Prophet's Song".

If any song defines the ambition that fueled "A Night At The Opera", it's "Bohemian Rhapsody". This dazzling fusion of existential balladry, hard rock power and operatic grandeur, conceived by Mercury and painstakingly pieced together by the band, is more than just QUEEN's best-known song, it has become a touchstone song for every subsequent generation that has become wrapped up in its majesty.

"I always believed in 'Bohemian Rhapsody' from the start," says Taylor. "The first time Fred played us his idea for it, I remember thinking, 'Oh, this is something special.' And it was."

On its original release, "A Night At The Opera" gave QUEEN their very first U.K. Number 1 album and topped the charts in five countries in total. It reached Number 4 in the U.S., where it has been certified triple platinum for sales in excess of three million copies.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" itself spent a record-breaking nine weeks at Number 1 in the U.K., sealing QUEEN's ascent to greatness, while its accompanying promo film is undeniably the most influential music video in history.

After being re-released in 1991 following Freddie Mercury's death, "Bohemian Rhapsody" once again reached Number 1 in the U.K. In 2004, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame and in 2022 the single was selected for preservation in the U.S. Library Of Congress' National Recording Registry.

"It really was a watershed album for us," says May. "Thanks in a large part to 'Bohemian Rhapsody', people knew who we were — not just in the U.K., but in America, Australia, everywhere."

"It's such an eclectic album," adds Taylor. "It's mad and it's wonderful and it's got a bit of everything in it."

"A Night At The Opera" will be reissued on crystal clear vinyl with gold labels on October 17 (excluding the U.K.) and October 18 (U.K.).

"Bohemian Rhapsody" will be released on heavyweight blue 12" single, 12" picture disc and blue cassette single on October 31.

Multi-Grammy Award-winning Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees AEROSMITH and British multi-platinum, award-winning rock star Yungblud have announced today details of their forthcoming collaborative EP titled "One More Time".

Out on November 21 via Capitol Records, "One More Time" marks AEROSMITH's first new music in over 12 years. Produced by Matt Schwartz, "One More Time" features four original tracks co-written by AEROSMITH and Yungblud, with both AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler and Yungblud sharing the vocals, as well as a fiery 2025 mix of the classic "Back In The Saddle".

The "One More Time" EP artwork was designed exclusively by Chrome Hearts' Joe Foti, a first for the luxury brand, and is available now to pre-order digitally as well as limited-edition vinyl.

Also revealed today, "My Only Angel", the first track released by the music legends and one of the most prevalent young voices in rock, available now on all digital platforms and with an accompanying visual. Opening with Tyler's towering vocals a cappella as he asks, "Will you cry, if I called you my angel? Would you leave me one more time?"  the track awash in delay, loose guitar echoes over a steady beat, a rumbling bassline, and strains of soft piano. Yungblud and Tyler lean into the refrain's hypnotic harmony until a signature Joe Perry fret-burning solo takes hold, underscoring the chemistry between two generations of rock.

"The decision to meet Yungblud and make this music with him…was like plugging into pure electricity!" says Tyler. "For Joe and me it was another cosmic collision… to find ourselves in the studio with this outrageously talented and positively wild animal named Dom. Here's this kid that lives his life out loud…grew up on our records and the British invasion... and now we're in the studio together creating something that bridges generations. He devoured all the same greats looked up to…and then he started to dream on. It's as simple as that."

Tyler adds: "When we sang and played together for the first time, there was an immediate unspoken vibration throughout the studio… it reminded me of the wheels of the car vibrating my seat as the boys and I drove into Boston 50 years ago for the very first time. It had that same deep intimate pressure of necessity. To make it… make it great… something fresh and new…and make it last forever. That's the rock n roll way baby! Yungblud wants this next chapter in rock history and asked us to be a part of it. We got on so well… the vibe in the room was epic from the start… we had a blast… and were truly honored to write with him! Rock and roll becomes timeless when you pour your heart and soul into it… that's when the magic happens."

Of the collaboration, Perry says: "A year ago, I got a call that Yungblud wanted to come to Sarasota to work with me and write some songs. I had heard his single and said, 'Hell yeah, this guy's got the juice.' Four days in the studio and we got to know each other along with his team. I called Steven and told him, 'You have to hear this guy Yungblud — he's the real deal.' Fast forward to May and we're in the studio with Steven recording new music. The end result turned out to be an amazing collaboration between AEROSMITH and Yungblud. Let the music do the talking."

Yungblud shares: "AEROSMITH have been such a staple of rock and roll and showmanship for me, so I've been ready for this my whole life. As soon as we entered the studio, the chemistry exploded and the songs just poured out of us. It's the kind of collaboration that young me wouldn't even dream of so to sit here holding a vinyl in my hand that says AEROSMITH and Yungblud on it is truly blowing my mind. Steven and Joe are at the top of their game and working with them is a huge fucking honor. I'm making records with my heroes, the shows insane every night and rock 'n' roll is waking the fuck up whether you like it or not. I'm loving every second."

Yungblud (real name Dominic Harrison) first met the legendary band when they paired up in the studio with the intention of featuring on a version of the nine-minute epic "Hello Heaven, Hello". Chemistry started to flow, and what began as a guest spot soon turned into a writing session, eventually evolving into a five-track EP. Beyond the lead single, the collection showcases Yungblud's raw spirit colliding with the band's legendary musicianship: Perry and Brad Whitford's guitars cut through with signature fire, Tom Hamilton's bass anchors the arrangements, and Tyler's unmistakable voice intertwines with Yungblud's across every track. Longtime friend Matt Sorum, former drummer of GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER, lends his presence behind the kit across the EP.

The announcement of "One More Time" and release of "My Only Angel" follows Tyler, Perry and Yungblud's September 7 performance honoring the legendary Ozzy Osbourne with a medley of his greatest hits at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.

Yungblud kicked off the tribute with Osbourne's "Crazy Train" before slowing things down with a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Changes". Tyler then took the stage to sing Osbourne's hit ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home", accompanied by Perry on guitar. Yungblud returned to the mic to duet with Tyler on the tune, which ended with pyrotechnics and Yungblud shouting into the microphone, "Ozzy forever!"

After the performance, both AEROSMITH and Yungblud shared a brief clip of Tyler and Yungblud embracing, with Steven saying cheekily, "We've got a secret!"

At the July 5 "Back To The Beginning" concert, Yungblud sang a version of "Changes", backed by EXTREME's Nuno Bettencourt on guitar, ANTHRAX's Frank Bello on bass, SLEEP TOKEN's II on drums and BLACK SABBATH/OZZY OSBOURNE touring keyboardist Adam Wakeman on keys. The original version of "Changes" appeared on SABBATH's fourth album, "Vol. 4", released in 1972.

"One More Time" EP track listing:

01. My Only Angel
02. Problems
03. Wild Woman
04. A Thousand Days
05. Back In The Saddle (2025 Mix)

AEROSMITH are one of the most influential and impactful bands in history. To date, the quintet — Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer — have sold over 150 million albums globally, garnered four Grammy Awards, earned induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (class of 2001),and played to over 100 million fans across every livable continent. From the streets of Boston, Massachusetts in 1970, they forever raised the bar for rock 'n' roll with soulful swagger, blues gusto, eloquent songcraft, and epic vision, inspiring generations of fans and artists to follow.

As one of only four American rock bands with more than 90 million RIAA albums sold — and one of just two with 25 RIAA gold and platinum albums — their catalog includes 30 albums reaching the Billboard Top 200 and 28 songs appearing on the Billboard Hot 100. Both the nine-times-platinum "Toys In The Attic" (1975) and four-times-platinum "Rocks" (1976) earned spots on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," while their signature single "Dream On" not only streamed more than five billion times but also earned a place in the Grammy Hall Of Fame. Additional career highlights include producing era-defining music videos such as "Amazing", "Crazy", "Janie's Got a Gun", "Livin' on the Edge" and "Love In An Elevator". Their Top 5 chart-topping hits include "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", "Angel", "Janie's Got A Gun" and "Love In An Elevator". "Dream On" ranks as the third most streamed classic rock song and the 18th most streamed rock song overall, based on Luminate data, spending 23 weeks on the chart and peaking at No. 6.

AEROSMITH also hold the record for the most total RIAA certifications by an American group. They were the first hard rock band to appear at a Super Bowl halftime show and the first band to have their own attraction at Disney World with Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.

Yungblud is fast becoming one of the world's key musical voices of his generation, blending influences from rock and punk to monumental effect. His arena-filling performances have cemented his place as one the world's most electrifying musical exports. He has received several accolades, including the MTV EMAs and the O2 Silver Clef Award for "Best Live Act". Known for his electrifying stage presence and boundary-pushing lyrics, Yungblud continues to challenge conventions while inspiring fans worldwide with messages of authenticity and acceptance. This year, Yungblud debuted own curated festival Bludfest and released his first book, the instant No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller "You Need To Exist: A Book To Love And Destroy" on Penguin Books.

Born in Yorkshire, England, the 28-year-old multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and performer first picked up a guitar at age two and began writing his own songs at age 10. Following the release of his self-titled EP and his full-length debut, "21st Century Liability" (2018),his subsequent three albums "Weird!" (2020),"Yungblud" (2022) and "Idols" (2025) all debuted at No. 1 in the U.K. Official Albums chart. His lyrics has resonated with millions around the world, earning him meteoric success. He has since accumulated tens of millions of followers, eight billion streams, sold three million albums to date and over one million concert tickets. He continues to perform to sold-out crowds around the world and headline some of the world's biggest festivals.

This summer marked the start of a landmark new era as he unleashed his critically acclaimed, chart-topping album "Idols" alongside the Paul Dugdale–directed feature-length documentary "Yungblud: Are You Ready, Boy?" — a raw and powerful portrait of his journey so far. He's now storming through a completely sold-out North American tour bringing his album to life for fans across the continent.

Press photo by Ross Halfin

Former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE vocalist Joe Lynn Turner will be part of the international jury of Intervision 2025.

Intervision 2025 is a Russian state-sponsored music competition, decreed by Russian president Vladimir Putin in February as an alternative to the popular Eurovision Song Contest which the country was banned from in 2022 after it invaded Ukraine. The contest's goal is to "develop international cultural and humanitarian cooperation," per the decree. The Russian foreign ministry is in charge of promoting the contest.

The Intervision 2025 international music contest is set to take place in Moscow on September 20, 2025, promising a high-profile celebration of global musical talent. The 2025 edition is expected to offer a high-quality production with elaborate stage designs and will likely attract significant media attention. And it is expected to host artists from more than 20 countries, each presenting a musical style that reflects their culture.

Intervision is an international music competition that originated in the late 1970s, serving as a counterpart to Eurovision for countries in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and parts of Asia. The event was initially aimed at fostering cultural exchange and showcasing musical diversity that was less influenced by Western pop trends. After a long hiatus, the competition was revived in the 21st century, now attracting global artists to participate.

Turner, who has performed in Russia a number of times in the last couple of years, broke with most international artists who canceled their live appearances in the country in response to the global condemnation against the Kremlin and its president, Vladimir Putin, over the war in Ukraine. In addition, major record labels suspended their operations in Russia, while streaming services like Spotify pulled out of the market.

Back in 2022, Turner apparently threw his support behind Roger Waters over comments the PINK FLOYD co-founder made about Russia. Waters blasted then-U.S. president Joe Biden for "fueling the fire in the Ukraine" amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country, and asked in an interview with CNN's Michael Smerconish, "Why won't the United States of America encourage [Volodymyr] Zelensky, [Ukraine's] president, to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?" After Smerconish responded that Waters got it "reversed" and was "blaming the party that got invaded," Waters fired back, saying it was about the "action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border."

A short time later, Turner took to his official Facebook page to share a video of Smerconish's interview with Waters, and he included the following message: "Roger Waters speaks TRUTH to power! Thank you Roger. Someone has to say it..."

This was not the first time Joe had publicly taken a political stance. Back in 2015, the singer made headlines when it was revealed that he joined a list of Western celebrities who publicly expressed support for and defended Vladimir Putin, whose image had suffered greatly because of Moscow's aggressive foreign policy.

Two years later, Turner said that his opinion of the Russian president had remained unchanged. "He still is [telling the truth]," the singer told Kraig Casebier's "American Barber In Prague" in a 2017 interview. "Honest to God, I got a lot of crap for [saying] that [before]. But it's true, and he still is, whether you like him or not. He may be a gangster, but he's a good gangster. And I say there are good gangsters.

"There were gangsters in my family, in the Mafia, and they were good people," he explained. "They were the safest neighborhoods, and they protected everyone on the block, and they took care of a lot of people. And they actually donated their time, money to good causes. If somebody didn't have enough bread or food, they'd buy it for 'em. I mean, it depends on what kind of gangster you are. The politicans are bad gangsters; they can't even cover up their crimes."

Joe went on to lament the state of American politics and denounced the culture of extreme political correctness, which he believed had gone too far.

"I think America's lost its way," he said. "We've lost God, we've lost a lot of things that made that country great. And I'm sorry to say, being an American — Italian-American, and holding an American passport… I have had uncles… and my father did military service for twelve overseas stripes — the whole thing. And I went to Iraq for the troops, so anybody that wants to challenge that, c'mon, bring it on, because I think I know a few more things than you. But I think that we've lost a lot in our values of America. We can't even speak freely anymore. There's more freedom in Russia; I can tell you that. I've done a lot of time there and still will. People don't understand what Russia is [in America]."

According to Turner, his country's demonization of Russia is rooted in the fact that "America always needs a big, bad wolf. We need to hate somebody, because of the military industrial complex," he said. "So we need to hate somebody all the time [and] create a war. There's no need for it, really. If we can just straighten out the economy and get the Fed out of there, I think the people would have a chance. But right now, I pray for them — I really do. Because I just think they've got it all wrong."

As if sensing the criticism that would likely follow his comments, Turner preemptively defended himself by saying: "I said Putin was telling the truth, 'cause he is telling the truth. I got subpoenaed by my own government, okay? So all these naysayers and these haters who are gonna see this about me and stuff, you guys have no clue. 30 percent of the American people have passports, so 70 percent of you are isolated and know dick about it — you have been nowhere and done nothing. Excuse me, but that's what you should have been told a long time ago."

The now-74-year-old singer went on to explain that he was "subpoenaed" by the U.S. government after he played "three charity shows" in Russian-annexed Crimea, which he called a "wartorn country." "The people had a great time [and] we had sellout houses," he said.

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw Turner reunited with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

Photo credit: Agata Nigrovskaya (courtesy of Mascot Label Group)

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Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon is celebrating the two albums she recorded with the band — "Dark Passion Play" (2007) and "Imaginaerum" (2011) — on a special tour of Brazil this month. The trek marks the first time Anette is performing live, as a solo artist, the iconic songs from her era of NIGHTWISH.

Fan-filmed video of the first show of the tour, which kicked off last night (Wednesday, September 17) at Teatro Clara Nunes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, can be seen below.

The setlist for the concert was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. 7 Days To The Wolves (NIGHTWISH song)
02. Storytime (NIGHTWISH song)
03. Ghost River (NIGHTWISH song)
04. Bye Bye Beautiful (NIGHTWISH song)
05. Amaranth (NIGHTWISH song)

Set 2:

06. Rest Calm (NIGHTWISH song)
07. Last Of The Wilds (NIGHTWISH song)
08. Eva (NIGHTWISH song)
09. Turn Loose The Mermaids (NIGHTWISH song)
10. Sahara (NIGHTWISH song)

Set 3:

11. The Poet And The Pendulum (NIGHTWISH song)
12. Meadows Of Heaven (NIGHTWISH song)
13. Last Ride Of The Day (NIGHTWISH song)

The Swedish-born singer originally joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 and recorded two studio LPs with the band before being dismissed in 2012 in the middle of the group's North American tour. She was replaced by former AFTER FOREVER frontwoman Floor Jansen.

Olzon reflected on her time with NIGHTWISH in a 2021 interview with Finland's Chaoszine. Asked how she looks back on the entire five-year experience, she said: "Well, it's mixed emotions. It was a hell of a ride. You know how it was with the media in Finland. And for me, I didn't understand what was happening because I didn't know how big the band was, since I don't live in Finland. So it was really fun the first years with everything and also crazy. I wasn't home a lot. They did their heaviest touring when I joined. All of a sudden, they wanted to do so many long weeks [on the road]. I remember just that I had a five-year-old son [and] I came home after five weeks. I was home one week. I didn't almost have time to unpack my bags before I went off again for four weeks. So I don't remember everything, to be honest. There are so many things that I don't remember. And also, of course, the last years where it wasn't such a nice atmosphere between us. And I had my third child, and things happened.

"So I remember it both with really happy, happy feelings, but also with very, very negative and sad feelings," she explained. "But, of course, it was an amazing experience, and it was my dream that came true to be a full-time singer in an amazing big band. And they are a super-good band. So I bless the albums that we did and will always cherish that time, of course."

Not long after Olzon was fired from NIGHTWISH 13 years ago, she claimed that an argument arose between her and NIGHTWISH when she asked for an Australian tour to be postponed during her pregnancy. Keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen suggested that Jansen should front the band on a temporary basis, but Olzon said no.

Anette explained in a 2014 interview: "I would have been too pregnant to go to Australia, so I wanted to push the dates back, but Tuomas didn't want that. Discussions about a substitute came up, and at first, I was, like, 'Yeah, well, okay.' But when they mentioned Floor, it was an automatic 'no' from me. I didn't think it was a good idea, because I knew what would happen — I knew the fans would love Floor, because she's a metal singer and I'm a pop singer, and I wanted to keep my job."

A year after NIGHTWISH fired Olzon, the band released a statement denying that she was dismissed because of pregnancy or illness. "We discovered her personality didn't fit this work community, and was even detrimental to it," the group said. NIGHTWISH went on to say that Anette was initially receptive to the idea of hiring a temporary replacement if she couldn't "manage everything," but that she later "took back her decision, and the difficulties really started. Fear of losing money and position seemed obvious." The band also insisted that "Anette and her company" were "paid a fifth of everything that was done during her time" with NIGHTWISH.

Since the end of her stint with NIGHTWISH, Olzon also formed THE DARK ELEMENT with former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2017; a follow-up, "Songs The Night Sings", came out in 2019.

Olzon and noted progressive metal vocalist Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB) released a collaborative album titled "Worlds Apart" in March 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl. The project was issued under the moniker ALLEN/OLZON. A follow-up album, "Army Of Dreamers", arrived in 2022.

Anette's third solo album, "Rapture", came out last year.

SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery, who revealed in early 2025 that he had just completed his first tour as a "saved Christian", has released a new video message in which he addressed questions about how his faith will affect the lyrical direction of the band's upcoming studio album. In the one-and-a-half-minute clip, which can be seen below, Clint said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "What's up, everybody?! Real quick, I'm finishing up the writing for the new SEVENDUST [album], stuff I'm doing at home.

"I just wanna address something really quick. I'm getting a lot of questions about whether the new SEVENDUST is gonna be a Christian metal record. And I'm just gonna tell you from my personal experience, my personal journey. I am a Christian, I've been saved for a year and it's been the journey of my life. I love it. I'm embracing it fully. Now, is this gonna show up in the songs that I contribute to the band? I've always — we've always touched on those experiences. We've always touched on life.

"This last year's been a lot that — I've been through a lot and I have a lot to write about and I have a lot to say and I have a lot to do in terms of honoring the person and the God that has put me back on my feet today," Clint continued. "So, yeah, there is gonna be, for me, songs that I would like to just lyrically touch toward my faith. And that's just something that, it's just natural, it's always happened. We've always written about what we go through and what we've seen. And I've been affected, and it's been a powerful message, and I will stand bold with my Christianity.

"I can't speak for the rest of the guys. I know they have great hearts. I know they know God," Lowery added. "And we don't know what this record's gonna turn out like. So I just want y'all to know that we're gonna do our best to make the best record possible. And I'm gonna honor God in the best way that I possibly can. And I hope y'all have a blessed day."

In a message accompanying the video, Clint wrote: "Sometimes certain things can be taken out of context in press outlets, people love to label, put things in a comfortable box and they REALLY love to create headline that gets clicks and attention. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's not.

"Most of yall know that I gave my life to Christ last year and to say as a songwriter that I wouldn't touch on parts of that journey, the struggles, the dark days, the hope that came through when there didn't feel like it, to me would be a waste and certainly something I won't shy away from doing. There are other writers in the band that have a right to express themselves fully through the art of writing and we support each other in that. None of us are ever on totally different pages, that's why we are still together decades later. I personally fell a calling to speak on my personal faith journey, I won't force it, I will write it if I feel like God is guiding me there.

"I will end on this….I never gave God enough credit for the gift of being able to write music, to tour, to have this life, so I would like to give some offerings to him in thanks and hopefully write something that pulls someone out of a dark place.

"We have heard many times that our music has helped people through tough times. We have many songs in our catalogue that mention God, hope, positivity and love….all of that comes from God. We have been writing songs like that for years.

"I will stand bold on my faith, pray for direction and try to contribute honest from the heart music and lyrics. I look forward to starting this up. Some great ideas brewing!!!

"Sorry for the long winded text and video, but I wanted to speak on that.

"I love y'all, I love God and I want to write some meaningful and heavy music!!!!! Let's go!!!"

Clint previously opened up about his faith during a June 2025 appearance on the Man Up God's Way podcast with host Jody Burkeen. Regarding how he came to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ, Clint said: "I had the understanding of God, but I did just enough to feel like I wasn't hellbound. I considered myself a pretty decent person earlier in my twenties. And then I started getting into alcohol and drugs, and that took me down the darkest path that I'd ever imagined — you know, the typical rock and roll lifestyle. You go into drugs, you go into drinking, all the other things, womanizing and just different things that just were not aligned. And then deep in my soul and my heart, I knew it was wrong. I just wanted to fit in. I just wanted to exist… And it was almost a badge of honor to live in a sinful way. And there was a lot of like 'attaboys' that were given to you. And so as a younger man, you're romanced by that. But there was always a consistent prayer life. A relationship, I wouldn't call it. I'd call it more of a foxhole. I would go through the motions of prayer because it was the imprint of my being, 'cause my mother and my father did it. We always prayed at dinners. And so there was a foundation there, but there just wasn't a relationship."

Clint continued: "I got sober in 2007, and that, that opened up a relationship with what I'd called… Because I wouldn't say I was church hurt, but I just was very reluctant to join or be a part of a religion aspect of it. Not realizing that the real mission and the real objective is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ as my savior that died for my sins and was resurrected. When I got sober, I just said there's a God concept there. I had Jesus Christ, but I wasn't fully supporting that in a way where I would even tell my kids early on, allow them to kind of, 'Well, some people believe you die and nothing happens. Some people believe that there isn't a God at all. Some people believe in Buddhas. A lot of people believe in different things.' And I would just tell 'em that, and at the time, that's what I thought.

"I had conflict with man," Lowery explained. "I never had a conflict with God. It was the way that I'd seen man — and woman — manipulate and use religion with hypocrisy. And I was so interested in finding the holes in all of it. I'd see a preacher and just get a sense of, it wasn't authentic and there was a motive and there was money. And I was just trying to find holes instead of going straight to the Bible, going straight to Jesus. And then I just had a very cynical lens on the whole world before coming to God. So that went on. I got sober and I had a prayer life that was more intense and focused, but it wasn't specifically to Jesus. And I was sober. A lot of things in my life improved. I went through a divorce, got remarried, had two beautiful children, but there was a discontent. I would be driving around, and with sobriety and accomplishing that, people would always tell me, 'So proud of you. Your life's turned around.' And I felt that in some regard, but there was a thing about just my existence that just felt empty. I held on to resentments, grudges. I judged people. I was very self-obsessed with fitness. Vanity was a huge thing. And yeah, I wasn't drinking, yeah, I wasn't cheating, yeah, I wasn't doing the things I was doing when I was drinking. But I wasn't complete. And there were times I would be riding around town — and I have all these blessings in my life; my children are healthy and my wife is healthy, and everything is good — I just would be… I don't know — 'unsettled' is the word. And then a couple things happened on the health side. I'd had a torn meniscus last year, and that turned into a herniated disc in my neck and sent shock waves down my left arm. And that humbled me in terms of physically. I was self-diagnosing myself. Then it turned out that my dad had Parkinson's disease, so I thought I had some hand trembling things going, different things outside of just the neck, herniated, some different odd symptoms. And it sent me down the darkest health spiral I've ever gone through. And it put me on my knees in a way where there was a lot of fear of serious neurological disease that I thought was basically strip me down from the core physically to where I would have nothing but my brain. And so that few months is when I really dove into the Bible, to the word, because I'd seen so many doctors and I'd seen so many… I've talked to all my friends. I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I was absolutely convinced I was checking so many boxes for this disease. So I was going through the test, and they were coming back clean. I was going through all these different things, and then I just had nowhere else to go. I knew that something was wrong, and I just went to the Bible and I went to find my relationship with Christ… But the suffering that I went through that and still kind of deal with a few things, it has been the biggest gift that was ever given to me. Even if those things panned out the way that I was in fear, it had brought me to a relationship with Christ that I never would have had it not been for that suffering for me. So once I got into scripture with that much zest, it was, like, 'I have nothing to lose. I want Christ in my heart.' And I started seeing things."

Regarding how his relationship with Jesus Chris might affect his songwriting going forward, Clint said:  "I haven't written any lyrics yet. I've written a lot of music for the new SEVENDUST. And historically I write a lot of lyrics and vocals and some of the other guys do too. I'm really gonna have a hard time not touching on that part of my life. I've written a lot about the turbulent parts of my life. 'Cause it matches the energy of the music. So if you write this heavy, aggressive, minor music, [you] feel like the subject matter should be kind of aligned with that. So typically you go dark, and I've always done that. And it's funny because I've gotten to the part where me and Morgan [Rose, SEVENDUST drummer] talk about it a lot, where it's, like, 'Man, what the heck are we gonna talk about?' We've already gotten mad at everybody, and I'm not mad anymore.

"With every genre of music, there's really the pioneers and people that are doing super-creative stuff, and there's people that are just kind of plagiarizing and stealing and some safe and some of it doesn't move me," Lowery explained. "And so that same thing goes with worship music. I believe there's some really serious people that are tapping into their talent, and then some of it just doesn't move me as much. And that's okay. I love when someone is talking and praising God — I don't have to like the song right to love the message — but I feel there are a lot of artists that are believers, but they don't talk about it in their music. Which is crazy to me, 'cause it's, like, man, that's such a big part. Before, I was very hesitant. I wrote a song called 'Till Death' [from SEVENDUST's 2013 album 'Black Out The Sun']. It's probably the heaviest SEVENDUST song we ever did, but it's basically about wanting to get right, wanting to stop sinning and to find God. And it doesn't say that. I was always worried about, 'Well, if I do this, then there's no turning back, and everyone's gonna think I'm just this…' And I don't care about that anymore. So I feel like I'm absolutely gonna write about my journey with Christ, how obvious it is. And I don't think every song is gonna be about that, but I do believe that it would be a missed opportunity to not… If I'm gonna write some words and not give some of that to God, then it just wouldn't feel right. And it'll be heavy too, man. It ain't gonna be like we're gonna lose a step. It might even be better. I don't know."

Five months ago, Clint told ChurchLeaders about how the touring life had changed for him after he got "saved": "I'm really close with the [other] guys [in SEVENDUST], obviously. We've been together so many years. They knew of all the health stuff that was going on. And when I'd gotten saved, I would have a few conversations with 'em, but they had kind of pulled back a little bit from me, which was another thing. It was like God was taking people and kind of, in my mind, moving them away. People I thought were gonna stay and talk to me and help me and all that, everyone kind of pulled away 'cause there was nothing that anyone could say. So, through that I really built my relationship. Going into it and then talking to my pastor and talking about, how am I gonna enter re-enter this world? If you look from the outside, some of the messages in the old songs, they're not really aligned with some of the beliefs I have today. But I do believe that there is a reason that all of this happened.

"I know my guys [in SEVENDUST] are good guys," Clint continued. "They're sinners and they made mistakes. I was one of the worst of 'em. So I just used the opportunity to take my relationship, taking that to the tour, taking my attitudes toward others, my patience level, my kindness level. They didn't feel a critical spirit for me, which I'm sure at first they were, like, 'Man, he's gonna come in Bible thumping on us' and all this. And it was the opposite, actually.

"We all have these little barriers sometimes," Lowery added. "We're around each other a lot. There could be tensions and there could be all these different things. And I just try to melt through 'em as much as possible, and that required getting rid of some of my ego, some of my fears, being courteous and considerate when I could, being quiet when I needed to be quiet. I don't need to gossip and join in. You can get negative really quick on tour. And I just tried to be a light, I tried to be a little bit more positive, but I never tried to stand on a soap box or preach to anybody. But Lajon [Witherspoon, SEVENDUST singer] asked me to lead a couple of the prayers before the shows, and that was an honor because I really felt for him to ask me to do that was him acknowledging that he saw that I was on my journey and on my own time and my own way. It was just a really cool thing. And so nothing really changed out there except my perception of it and the way I responded to it. And it made it a better and more peaceful tour, despite still going through some weird physical stuff.

"Someone told me one time, you can't have worry and fear and faith at the same time. You can't be anxious and then be based in faith at the same time. You have to have some surrender to it. And, of course, there's gonna be fears and different things like that, but when they're overriding. Instead of worrying, I could pray. Instead of soaking in my own stuff, I could help someone else and get out of it. I have these tools that the Bible gives us all."

Elaborating on how his relationship with his SEVENDUST bandmates evolved as a result of his faith, Clint said: "I know that it takes time for those things, 'cause everyone can go through a little bit of a pink cloud high moment and then crash down. I did it in sobriety, and I'm cautious of it in my faith journey. I'm sure the first few days they were just kind of, like, 'Let's just see what pans out.' I mean, they were very supportive of anything that was gonna give me relief based on what I was going through. And they saw it work and they saw that I had this fear that was all-consuming, just overwhelming, and they saw me not have that. And they saw that I give myself to God and Christ. And they [thought], 'Well, that's great for you.' And then we went out there on tour. They were fully supportive. No one ever really acknowledged it verbally. They just kind of gave love and it was cool. And I think they understood. Like I said, Lajon allowed me to do a couple of the prayers. And so that was cool. That was their way of saying, 'Okay, you're on your journey and we respect it.' And hopefully there's conversations that can open up. Every now and then we'd get into a conversation where I would refer to the Bible, I would refer to things like that. We'd have little — not debates, but they would talk about it in certain ways. And I'm, like, 'Well, based on what I saw…' And I had this knowledge. I had done a few courses, I knew a little bit about the Bible's history, the manuscripts, how many were preserved, and I had some knowledge finally. And that felt great, that I had something to stand on, in terms of I have faith and this is why."

Addressing the criticism he has received from some SEVENDUST fans for publicly speaking about his faith, Clint said: "I'm very careful about being boastful about anything, about saying things in a way where it's just for clout. I was always skeptical about that. I was a very cynical person before and still have those tendencies that I work on every day. But I have seen people say that. And people can be really harsh toward Christianity. I knew that going into this that there were gonna be people that fall off, there were gonna be people that go at me pretty hard, attack. I mean, Jesus Christ was attacked harder than anyone. Not that I'm in any category like that, but just in Christianity, some of the downfall has been the human element. There are people that proclaim to be Christian that do not live that Christian life. And people may see me continuing with the band and say, 'Oh, there's hypocrisy in that.' And the way that I see it is that I could stay home and stay in my community church and be around some stability and all those things and just write worship songs, which is something I absolutely wanna do and I will do. But I think there's work to be done.

"I think when Head [guitarist Brian Welch] went back to KORN [after publicly embracing Christianity eight years earlier], his template was one of those that I used. I remember thinking, 'Man, if I ever did that…' And I actually talked to him a little bit about it and it was kind of the same way that I feel. It's, lik,e there's work to be done there. There's opportunities there. The people that I've ran into — I've had prayers in front of my bus with people. I've had people that are so happy that I've boldly kind of come out with it instead of just keeping it kind of ambiguous. And now I can have these amazing conversations with people. I use the music and that situation as a way, 'cause we are sending love to people. It's not like we're giving some message that is anti-religion or anti-God or anti-Christian. It is just some of the old anger, all those songs are there. But there's a spirit of love in the room. I feel it with the people. It is how I make my livelihood, but I do also see it as an opportunity. Now if I continue to pray on it and God does want me in a different place, then I will follow that. And believe me, I pray about it every day, 'cause I was struggling with it. I was, like, do I wanna be around that environment all the time? And am I just chasing the money or the brand that is SEVENDUST? Am I just staying with that? How committed am I to this? And that's the questions that I ask and I pray about all the time. And I feel like God still sees me in this role with these guys. And we've had some major spiritual moments together as a band, as people. And I like being around that. And I do — I see it as an opportunity. And people are gonna say what they wanna say, and again, my relationship with Christ is what holds me. And if I paid attention to everybody and what they feel about it, then that would [end up] being too much of a burden to bear and not worth it."

Lowery became sober 18 years ago after being arrested at the Hodokvas festival in Piestany, Slovakia following what was described as a "wild drunken night" that resulted in the musician trashing his room. At the time, Lowery was on tour with KORN as the latter band's backing/session guitarist. A day following Lowery's arrest, he was released from police custody after apologizing and paying for the damages. He later released a statement explaining that he was "being a lil' rowdy and loud" in his hotel and acknowledging that he "pulled some Rock 101 stuff." He added that he was "not proud of it at all" and claimed that the entire episode was "scary enough" to where he knew he would never be doing anything like that "ever again."

When Clint celebrated the 17th year of his getting sober last October, he took to his social media to write: "Quick story….When I got sober, the first week was a blur to say the least. I entered a treatment center a few days after getting fired from my hired gun role in KORN. One of the many bottoms I hit that were sufficient enough to be willing to get sober and stay sober a day at a time. I was in a holding pattern for a few days waiting to get accepted into the treatment center and those days were foggy.

"I've always had a sobriety date of October 24th. But doing a true gut check and trying hard to remember the true date (which has always bugged me),this being an honest deal, I have to say my true sobriety date is October 27th, 2007 and God willing…I'll make it to tomorrow without a drink or drug.

"For years I've wrestled with that. Sounds like no big deal, right? Well, for me, those lil untruths are not good…at all. For me and especially for God. So only a few days different I'm even more grateful entering another year with that adjustment in the name of truth to self and a God I need to repent to.

"This year has undoubtedly been the hardest in my sobriety dealing with life on life's terms…but the true miracle is I haven't thought of taking a drink. That's a God thing…not a me thing. So before you have any atta boys I give credit to him. I post this also for the alcoholic out there trying to get sober. It can happen for you if it happened for me trust me

"I recently gave my life to Jesus Christ and that has brought me true comfort through the tough times. For me. I'm not here to tell anyone how to live their life and I was certainly one of the people who didn't like that pushed on me, I just encourage people to open their minds and hearts to him. It helped an old country dude find peace in true chaos and uncertainty."

SEVENDUST is putting the finishing touches on the material for the band's new studio album, tentatively due in early 2026 via Napalm Records. The writing sessions for the follow-up to 2023's "Truth Killer" once again took place in Kansas at the farmhouse of SEVENDUST singer Lajon Witherspoon and his wife Ashley.

SEVENDUST is scheduled to team up with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette at the end of the month to begin pre-production for the new LP, which will once again be tracked at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida. Baskette had previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

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In a new interview with Chel Evah of Art Paparazza & Chel Shock Photography, ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited ninth studio album, due next year through Metal Blade Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just finished our most recent record. We're in the mix phase of it. We got our first mix yesterday from Jay Ruston, who is mixing it. He also mixed the last two records for us. And it's sounding killer. So we're real excited. We've got 11 songs that hopefully will make the record."

Referencing what will be a six-year gap between 2020's "Punching The Sky" and ARMORED SAINT's next album, John said: "It's a long time coming, but I blame COVID, because it pushed everyone back a little bit, 'cause 'Punching The Sky' came out in 2020. Plus we've toured a lot in the last couple years. So, to do some writing in conjunction with touring, it's not easy. Everyone aspires to write on the road, but it's difficult. But we have a bunch of great tunes. We're really excited. The record sounds awesome. And I'm real fired up and I can't wait to go out in '26 and play a bunch of new tunes."

Bush previously talked about ARMORED SAINT's upcoming LP earlier in the month in an interview with Pete Pardo of Sea Of Tranquility. He said at the time: "We went out and toured a lot [in support of 'Punching The Sky']. So, we were able to do that, and did a couple of more tours, and we were really not planning on it. But getting out there and playing was great. And we actually sold so many records and CDs on the road, it was crazy. We actually re-charted because we sold so many records out there. So, kudos to all the fanbase who bought records and CDs and shirts, of course. But it kind of did push things back a little bit. We don't work that quick as it is, quite frankly, but I always said it for years: the quality of the tunes is contrary to the amount, because that's the fact for us. But the new record will be out next year. And I think it's great. It's gonna just kind of build on everything we've been doing."

Circling back to ARMORED SAINT's increased touring activity and how it affected the making of the band's new album, John said: "We toured a lot. We actually put out four videos on the last record. So we've been on the public side maybe more than ever. And really I say this and it's really kind of the truth is ARMORED SAINT's probably bigger than we've ever been. Maybe there was a stretch in 1984 that we were maybe more popular, but honestly we're probably bigger than we ever were. So, we're just riding it. And the new record will be great, and I think people will dig it. And it really kind of shows sophistication in the songwriting, and we really believe in that. We try to kind of bring in all our different influences and styles and use some different instrumentation and take chances with arrangement a little bit. And I'm really proud of it. I think the songwriting is just — yeah, it's built on everything we've done. The origins of the band, our hard rock heavy metal band, but we really kind of feel like we just keep pushing the boundaries. And it's always gonna sound like SAINT. And this one does too. But I don't know. That's my pitch. I mean, of course it comes down to what the fans think."

After Pardo noted that ARMORED SAINT's musical output has been remarkably "consistent" over the group's four-decade career, Bush concurred. "When your band's been around as long as we have, and that goes for all the bands who have a four-decade career, is that usually new music means the opportunity to go take a piss or go get a couple of beers," he said. "But I really feel like people really think our last couple records have been great. And I think for us to keep building on that and keep writing new material that sounds very legit, I think is important. And not everybody can say that. Everybody kind of says it, but how much do you really believe it? And I really believe [it in our case]. I mean, again, it comes down to what the press and what the fanbase says, and they're the ones that make the final decision, really, on it. But at the end of the day, they've been saying ARMORED SAINT's making really great, modern music, so I'm stoked."

Later this month, the band will join W.A.S.P. for a trio of U.K. shows before returning to the States to support legendary guitarist Michael Schenker on his "My Years With UFO" U.S. tour. ARMORED SAINT will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its second album, "Delirious Nomad", with a five-song micro set of songs from the record throughout the tour.

To further commemorate the cornerstone record, the band is making available a special "Delirious Nomad" wrapped guitar from Dean Guitars. Each guitar is signed by the band.

Last November, ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera told Metal Kaoz about the musical and lyrical direction of the band's new material: "Every record we've made has been a little bit different than the one prior to it, and this one will be the same case where it will be a little different than 'Punching'. But our number one thing is just writing really great songs. We're not so concerned about trying to outdo the last record or do as good as it is or do the same thing. I always think that it's cool to just see where you are at that moment. And these songs that we've written, just like the last three or four records we've made, they all represent a particular time and place for us. So this these batch of songs, they're a reflection of where we are at a time and place right now. We're in post-COVID, we're coming back out of it, back into the world, and different things are influencing me personally than they were in 2014 when I was writing for [2015's] 'Win Hands Down'. So all those things are at play again. I'm trying to take a few chances as well on this, which we always try to do a little bit."

In June 2024, ARMORED SAINT released a rendition of "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)". The classic track was originally written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and was first released by PEOPLE in 1970. Additional covers include THE FOUR TOPS (1974),SANTANA (1978) and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (1989).

"One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)" was produced by Vera, mixed by Jay Ruston and mastered by Maor Applebaum.

ARMORED SAINT released the "Symbol Of Salvation Live" CD/DVD in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. The release came in celebration of the seminal album's 30th anniversary. "Symbol Of Salvation Live" was a combination live album and video of the band playing the album in its entirety at New York City's famed Gramercy Theatre during its 2018 tour.

In July 2023, ARMORED SAINT was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

In May 2023, ARMORED SAINT's long-awaited documentary, Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers", had its world premiere in the band's hometown at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood, California.

In a new interview with Radio Forrest, a radio DJ on 96.9 The Eagle in Boise, Idaho, SAVATAGE guitarist and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA guitarist and musical director Al Pitrelli was asked if he ever had any interactions with legendary BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Only one. Years and years ago, when Jake [E. Lee] left [Ozzy's] band, and I don't even know what year this would be — '87 maybe, '88. And Max Norman was Ozzy's producer, I think, on the 'Blizzard Of Ozz' and the 'Diary [Of A Madman]' album. And I had known Max in New York City, and he called me up and he goes, 'I'm recommending you to [Ozzy's wife and manager] Sharon to be one of the people that they look at to replace Jake.' And I was, like, 'Oh my God. Fantastic.' Coincidentally, I ran into Sharon and Ozzy somewhere in New York City, I think. I said, 'I don't mean to interrupt you guys.' And I introduced myself to Sharon. I said, 'Listen, my name's Al Pitrelli. Max Norman put my name into a hat for potential people that were gonna audition for you guys. I just wanna say thank you for the opportunity, but whatever happens, good luck to you. Love you guys. Respect always.' And Ozzy nodded and smiled, and Sharon shook my hand very graciously and said, 'Thank you.' And that was the first and last time I ever spoke to him, because a very famous photographer named Mark Weiss recommended Zakk [Wylde], and I think when Zakk walked in the room, it was all over. And Zakk was the perfect choice for Ozzy back then. If you put me or Zakk in there, put Zakk in there for what Ozzy needed at the time."

After Forrest noted that it must have been "overwhelming" just to know that Pitrelli was being considered for the gig, Al said: "Well, it was nice because that's an accomplishment. People were looking at you at that level. I certainly didn't see myself at that level yet. I mean, you're talking about Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee, and then subsequently Zakk Wylde. But all of a sudden, it's, like, 'Well, people are paying attention to me. I should probably keep working really, really hard.' And then not too long after that is when Steve Vai turned around and recommended me to replace him in David Lee Roth's band. Dave's, like, 'You're my guy.' But he got caught up in some film that he was doing. And then Steve reiterated that thought to Alice Cooper when Alice needed a musical director and Alice hired me. It's been a nonstop kind of just, like, 'pay it back' situation. Everybody takes care of each other when you're out there, if you come from the old neighborhood."


Circling back to his encounter with Sharon and Ozzy, Al said: "I remember like Sharon was so sweet, a genuine smile. Ozzy was a gentleman, only the way Ozzy could be, and everybody was just kind and considerate. Here I am — not starving, but some young kid from Long Island dying to get in the business and they were sweet for five to 10 minutes."

Pitrelli has been part of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA since its inception in 1995 and subsequent first album, 1996's "Christmas Eve And Other Stories". Currently, he is the lead guitarist and musical director of TSO West and the co-musical director for studio recordings.

After leaving Berklee School of Music in Boston in the early 1980s, he recorded and toured with Alice Cooper, where he served as the legendary rocker's musical director, ASIA, MEGADETH and others.

Pitrelli got began working with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's late founder Paul O'Neill in the mid-1990s after joining the progressive rock group SAVATAGE.

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA sells out arenas throughout the country every November and December, thanks to its mix of melodic rock, classical chops, keen storytelling and flamboyant showmanship. Complementing the baroque sonic attack are lasers, pyrotechnics and flames.