EXTREME has released the official music video for the song "X Out". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Six", which was released in June 2023 via earMUSIC. The clip amplifies the song's haunting imagery and themes of faith, meaning and mortality.

EXTREME guitarist commented Nuno Bettencourt: This song was always sonically cinematic to me. It instantly conjured up images of 'Mad Max', 'Dune'."

EXTREME singer Gary Cherone added: "The lyric is a lamentation, captured in a nightmare reflecting on the fleeting nature of life and the question of meaning in the face of the inevitable."

"Six" propelled EXTREME to new heights, driven by standout singles such as "Rise" — featuring a solo praised by the press as "the guitar solo of the century" — alongside "Banshee" and "Other Side Of The Rainbow", and supported by a globe-spanning tour across the U.S., Europe, India, Japan and Australia. Bettencourt also reaffirmed his stature as one of rock's most commanding players with a historic performance at Ozzy Osbourne's "Back To The Beginning" farewell concert. That milestone appearance led to his invitation to serve as music director and guitarist at the 2025 MTV VMAs, where he delivered a powerhouse tribute to Osbourne alongside Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Yungblud.

"Six" landed at position No. 10 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with first-week sales of 12,500 copies. The set marked EXTREME's first studio album since 2008. The act was last in the Top 10 with "III Sides To Every Story", which debuted and peaked at No. 10 back in October 1992.

In 2023, Nuno told Tiago Ribeiro, that he was thrilled with how "Six" turned out. "I would put our album up against anybody's album; I feel that confident," Nuno said. "And I think the album itself — never mind me or EXTREME — if I heard that album and it wasn't us, I would think the same way I think about the album now. I think it belongs there. I think it's a well-made album. I think the songs are there. I think that the musicianship, the chemistry and the guitar playing. But I think, more importantly, what's really there and what people are connecting with is the mythology of rock and roll. I think that's really what's missing a lot in guitar-driven music, is that…

"I think when people saw a guitar player that's in a band with songs and arrangements and the videos and everything, it was almost like seeing something that… People are saying it's so fresh, but for us, it's, like, this is like going back for us," he explained. "This is more of a reminder than it is anything else that you can still be passionate and have fire and do all those things. And the people are letting us know that they're starved — they're starved for rock and roll like this, I think."

In September 2023, Nuno told American Musical Supply about the long delay in getting "Six" released: "The recording [of 'Six'], a lot of people are saying like, 'Man, [it took] 15 years,' obviously, minus a few of the handmaid's tale years, pandemic years. But the album itself probably, if you add it up, it took the same length as an album takes to record. It didn’t take 15 years to record the album. It's just that we probably had, like, three albums' worth of material. The guys kept coming out to L.A., and we would do a crop of songs, and we'd write another crop of songs or record another couple crop of songs."

Bettencourt went on to say that he and his EXTREME bandmates had "set a bar" for themselves. "You really have to be super proud and super excited to share your music with anybody, even if it's your brother or it's your family member or if it's Tom Morello that you happen to know," he explained. "Once you have that feeling of, 'Would you play these songs in front of your peers?', then you kind of know you got something there and you're ready to go."

Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE have recruited Jadran "Conan" Gonzalez (EXMORTUS) to replace longtime guitarist Kevin Quirion. Conan will make his live debut with DEICIDE on the band's upcoming tour with BEHEMOTH in Latin America, which kicks off on September 19 in Curitiba, Brazil.

Conan comments: "I'm thrilled and honored to jam amongst such legends as Glen [Benton, bass/vocals] and Steve [Asheim, drums] and to hang with the rest of the team. I thank them for having me on board. I'm looking forward to unleashing hell in Latin America on this tour."

Quirion exited DEICIDE in April 2025, explaining in a social media post: "So after 15 years I decided to leave the band. Mainly I'm just done with touring and would like to spend the extra time with my family. I will still be writing songs and have already sent some to Derek Roddy and Sean Baxter to release under the COUNCIL OF THE FALLEN name. There will be no labels or shows, just putting out EPs whenever we feel like it.

"It was nice meeting a bunch of fans, bands, promoters etc and I wish everyone the best."

Quirion appeared on the last three DEICIDE albums: "In The Minds Of Evil" (2013),"Overtures Of Blasphemy" (2017) and "Banished By Sin" (2024).

Last October, DEICIDE canceled the last three shows of its North American tour with KRISIUN, INFERI and CLOAK in order to return home "to protect" their "families and properties" as Floridians prepped for the second storm to hit the Gulf Coast in a little over two weeks.

DEICIDE's latest album, "Banished By Sin", was made available in April 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

In February 2024, DEICIDE released the second single from "Banished By Sin", a song called "Sever The Tongue". The track was recorded at Smoke & Mirrors with engineer Jeramie Kling, while the mixing and mastering was handed by Josh Wilbur.

DEICIDE collaborated with David Brodsky from My Good Eye: Music Visuals for a visually arresting video for "Sever The Tongue" that complements the track's blasphemous undertones.

To close out 2023, DEICIDE celebrated Christmas with another blasphemous song called "Bury The Cross...With Your Christ".

DEICIDE played its first show with guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, INHUMAN CONDITION) on May 21, 2022 at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Previous DEICIDE guitarist Chris Cannella amicably left the band in January 2022 after a three-year run.

Chris joined DEICIDE in 2019 following the departure of guitarist Mark English.

English became a member of DEICIDE in 2016 after the exit of longtime guitarist Jack Owen.

Photo credit: Deidra Kling

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

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

In early July, PRIEST released a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "War Pigs" ahead of the "Back To The Beginning" concert, which marked the original SABBATH lineup's last-ever performance.

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

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

Speaking in more detail about PRIEST's rendition of "War Pigs", Rob said: "It's close to five million views on the BLACK SABBATH official site, which is very generous of them to put us on there. 'Cause we're friends. We've been friends forever. What is cool and what is kind of waiting in the wings is Ozzy singing with me doing 'War Pigs' together. We've been able to do that. So that's just kind of — it's there. We're just having to go through all the rigmarole of legal clearance and so on and so forth. But when Sharon said, and this is just so beautiful, when she approached me with this idea, she said, 'I love your version of 'War Pigs'. Is there a way we can get Ozzy [on it as well]?' I said, 'You're asking me? This is gonna happen.' So we were able to make it work. So you get Ozzy singing a line, and then I'm singing a line and Ozzy's singing a line and I'm singing a line, and it's the first-ever time in my entire life that I've been able to do a duet with Ozzy. And I'm so eternally grateful and blessed and grieving that I was able to do that. But when you hear it, it's just colossal. If you think that you've heard the one experience of PRIEST's 'War Pigs', but when you hear PRIEST's 'War Pigs' with Ozzy singing on that track, it's just going to a really special place.

Asked if there is a timeframe or when fans can expect to hear PRIEST's version of "War Pigs" that also includes Ozzy, Rob said: "Yeah, the green button's almost ready to go. We're finalizing some artwork and bits and pieces that you have to go through, but I think it's gonna be pretty soon."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In an interview with Thunder Underground, NONPOINT drummer Robb Rivera spoke about the band's plans to release new music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've got 16, 17 songs. We've got quite a few, and a lot in the can that we haven't gotten to yet. But, yeah, I've been at my house with my electronic kit, recording drums… I think I put up a video of a new song somewhere. And the process is good. We've taken our time with it. It's been two years we've been writing this thing, maybe even more. We just got a bunch of ideas. And next year it's gonna come out."

Asked if NONPOINT's next release will be a full-length album or if it will be another EP, as was the case with 2021's "Ruthless" and 2023's "Heartless", Robb said: "Full album this time. At least that's the plan. Right now I'm looking at maybe 10 songs, which is, that's a full album these days, I guess. The EP idea was a great experiment. We just wanted to try things out. It worked. Some people liked it, some people didn't. Me, I personally just like doing the singles. I just think you can focus on the one song. But I think we're so happy with this new music that we wanna put out 10 [songs]."

After the interviewer noted that NONPOINT used to release albums more frequently, Robb concurred. "Yeah, we were actually just talking about that," he said. "Every two years we had an album out. [It was a cycle of] record, tour, write, record, tour, write. It became too much. We never really took a breather. We did 10 albums that way. And so we took our time — well, we had to take our time with 'Ruthless' because of the pandemic. We were gonna release everything in 2020, and everything shut down. The EP was already recorded. We recorded in February [of 2020], and then the pandemic happened. So we shut down all plans. We had actually gone dark online. We were not gonna say nothing for a while. And then, so then when we decided to do [new versions of] 'Alive And Kicking' and 'Frontlines', quarantine version, just to be visible and stuff. And then we started putting merch, we did the masks and all this other stuff.

"But a full album, I think it's time," he added. "Since 2018 — it's eight years without a full album. But it's not like we haven't had new music. We put out two EPs, we put out [the 2024 single] 'Underdog', so we put out 11 songs, which is really, if you look at it, it's a full album. It's just done in parts."

NONPOINT has been captivating audiences with its energetic sound and passionate performances for over two decades. Formed in 1997, the band has consistently pushed the boundaries of what modern rock can be, combining heavy metal, nu-metal, and hard rock into a unique and powerful musical force. Over the course of its 28-year career, NONPOINT has released several critically acclaimed albums and garnered a reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in the industry.

Throughout its career, NONPOINT has been celebrated for their signature sound and powerful lyrics, which often tackle social and political issues. Their hard-hitting sound and emotional live performances have earned them a dedicated fanbase, as well as recognition from the music industry. NONPOINT has received multiple award nominations and has been praised by publications such as Rolling Stone, Revolver and Alternative Press.

NONPOINT is:

Elias Soriano (Lead Vocals)
Robb Rivera (Drums)
Rasheed Thomas (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Adam Woloszyn (Bass)
Jason Zeilstra (Lead Guitar)

During an appearance on a recent episode of the GUNS N' ROSES-centric Appetite For Distortion podcast, former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera addressed the incessant online criticism leveled at Axl Rose over the GN'R singer's supposed weight and diminished vocals, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "My wife showed me the other day where there was some people shit talking Axl, and it's, like, come on, man. Fuck you all. It's such bullshit. Leave the guy alone. 'Cause I had a little bit of that. You gain a couple pounds and people gotta talk shit about your weight. What is this? Are we models? Are we Vogue models or are we rock and rollers?"

The Brazilian-born musician, who has lived in Phoenix, Arizona for more than three decades, continued: "It was never about the fucking weight. Who gives a fuck what somebody weighs? It's about the music, man. It's about what they play. It's about what you like in the music. So, yeah, I heard that and I was, like, totally, I was, like, 'Fuck this shit.' This is just cowards [talking shit online]… It's, like, what? Are you never gonna get old? Dude, it happens to everybody. All of us, most of us are gonna get old, and you're not gonna be the same… I fucking wear that shoe with pride, the white hair and the stitches. I take pride in that. It took a long time to get that."

Max went on to say that he "never got to meet Axl, but I'm sure we'd hit it off pretty good. I kind of heard that some of his assistants are Brazilian," referencing Rose's management company Team Brazil and the singer's longtime personal assistant Beta. "That is so cool."

Back in May 2016, Max weighed in on Axl filling in for AC/DC singer Brian Johnson on the legendary Australian rock band's European and North American tours after doctors told Johnson he faced "total hearing loss." Asked by Metal Wani for his opinion about the Axl-AC/DC pairing, Max said: "I don't know… It sucks, I think. I like AC/DC, man. They always were outlaws back in Australia. We used to watch 'Let There Be Rock', the movie, as kids in Brazil, and I remember [seeing an] AC/DC album [where they] had jail tattoos and shit. Bon Scott was badass, Brian Johnson was badass. But I don't think Axl really fits AC/DC. AC/DC is more, like, yeah, outlaws, and I don't think Axl is too much of an outlaw to fit in. But I don't know… It's not my band. I don't call the shots."

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

Last month, SOULFLY released a Costin Chioreanu-created lyric video for "Storm The Gates", the first single from "Chama". The track was described in a press release as "a battle cry against control and greed."

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

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

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

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

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

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

California thrash metal pioneers DARK ANGEL performed a Vibes Event Center in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, September 12. Fan-filmed video of the entire concert, courtesy of the montopolisTHRASHER channel on YouTube, can be seen below.

DARK ANGEL is touring in support of its first new album in 34 years, "Extinction Level Event", which was made available digitally on September 5 via Reversed Records.

This past June, DARK ANGEL released "Circular Firing Squad", the second single from "Extinction Level Event". The LP's first single, the "Extinction Level Event" title track, was written by DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin a decade ago, long before he suffered from severe liver disease, and, to the surprise of everyone, passed away in 2023. It was recorded and mixed at the Armoury Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, executive produced by DARK ANGEL drummer Gene Hoglan, produced and engineered by Rob Shallcross and mixed by Mike Fraser.

Durkin died on March 8, 2023 at the age of 58. An original member of DARK ANGEL, Durkin played on the band's first three albums — 1985's "We Have Arrived", "Darkness Descends" and 1989's "Leave Scars" — before departing the group in 1989. He was part of DARK ANGEL's lineup when the band reformed in 2013, and had been playing with them, on and off, ever since.

Prior to his death, Durkin had been sitting out some of DARK ANGEL's gigs. He was replaced at the shows by Hoglan's wife Laura Christine, who has since joined DARK ANGEL as a permanent member.

The "Extinction Level Event" artwork and layout was designed by Cain Gillis, with concepts by Hoglan.

"Musically, lyrically, and vocally, I'm so stoked about this album," Hoglan previously said. "I'm really excited about DARK ANGEL right now, and everyone who's heard the new album is losing their minds. Every time I'd finish a song and send it over to the guys, everybody was, 'Gene, this is my favorite song!' 'No, this is my favorite song!!' 'Dude, this is totally my favorite song!!!' That's never a bad sign."

Hoglan and Christine wrote everything except for the title track on "Extinction Level Event". Other songs appearing on the effort include "Atavistic", which is described as "a full-on three-minute thrash metal barrage", "Woke Up To Blood", the title of which stemmed from a dog attack, and "Terror Construct", which Gene wrote about the way the media and corporations team up to spread fear among the masses so they can continue to fill their pockets.

The seeds of "Extinction Level Event" were planted in late 2013 between the time when TESTAMENT stopped touring to work on their new record and Hoglan was scheduled to work on his next major project. After the first batch of writing sessions for "Extinction Level Event", Hoglan had to put writing for DARK ANGEL on hold until late 2022. With other obligations behind him, Gene laser-focused on DARK ANGEL, listening back to the jams he and Durkin made earlier, and writing more than 10 new songs over the next three months. With a full album of pummeling new songs, Hoglan flew to Vancouver to track the album at the Armory. There, he and his bandmates worked with Rob Shallcross and Mike Fraser, and over a few sessions, DARK ANGEL had recorded everything but the vocals.

Having passed away two years ago, Durkin's sudden death is still traumatic for DARK ANGEL and especially Hoglan. At the same time, he takes bittersweet pride in knowing that Jim's playing and performances live on through him and DARK ANGEL, not only when the band plays his old riffs, but also in the continued influence Durkin has on the band's new songs.

"One of the last things I told him was, 'Jim, dude, you're my original guitar hero," Hoglan recalled. "'My entire guitar style is based on your style because you are who I really learned how to play guitar from.' So, my guitar approach with DARK ANGEL is Jim Durkin's approach. When I write for the band, I'm thinking, 'What would Jim do here?' That's why his presence is massively all over this new record. Every single song. I wanted to make it to where people are like, 'Yeah, Jim wrote that riff. Oh, there's another Jim riff' because Jim wrote all the best riffs in the band, forever."

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — the aforementioned "We Have Arrived" and "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Ron Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — "Leave Scars" and "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992.

In a recent interview with San Antonio Current, Hoglan stated about his songwriting approach for "Extinction Level Event": "Really, the best way to move forward with a new set of DARK ANGEL material would be to acknowledge those earlier eras, of course. They're very important parts of the DARK ANGEL legacy. But anybody who knows DARK ANGEL — who's familiar with our trajectory — also will be very cognizant of the fact that we've never repeated ourselves on record. The first album, 'We Have Arrived', did not sound like 'Darkness Descends', and 'Darkness' didn't sound like 'Leave Scars' and 'Time Does Not Heal'. So, anybody who considers themselves a DARK ANGEL fan, they will be well aware of the evolutionary process of DARK ANGEL, the non-repeating of sounds and approaches. So, ultimately, I just kind of felt, 'Well, hey, what if we were to just take the approach of what if DARK ANGEL just kept putting out records throughout this entire 30-plus-year period. Where would the band be right now?' And that was kind of the most appealing approach.

"I'm not going to try to replicate 'Darkness Descends', or 'Time Does Not Heal' or 'Leave Scars' or 'We Have Arrived', for that matter," he clarified. "But, writing from here and now, this is very, very DARK ANGEL — what it's like to write as a DARK ANGEL of our current abilities and mindsets and approaches. So, that was the best way of moving forward with writing new material — for me anyway. That made it really, really exciting."

SAXON frontman Biff Byford has shared a new video message in which he offered an update on his battle with bowl cancer. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's Biff here. Just checking in to let you know how things are going. Yeah, so I went through the first chemo. I'm feeling pretty good, actually. A bit brutal at times, but I had a week off, so I'm feeling good now."

Referencing SAXON's upcoming tour, Biff continued: "Yeah, Belfast is sold out, by the way, so get your tickets bought for the rest of the shows. Everything's going well. So, yeah, I'm gonna be out getting fit, exercising in a couple of weeks, [getting] ready [for the tour]. At the moment, [I'm] writing the new [SAXON] album. There's a track playing in the background, actually. If you can listen, check it out.

"So, yeah, we'll see everybody in November," he added. "And I'll give you an update later on, next month, to see how everything's going. So yeah, keep the faith and peace and quiet. See you soon."

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

On August 19, Biff released the following message via social media: "Firstly thanks to everyone for their wonderful messages of support it really does mean a great deal to me.

"Following Friday's post I just wanted to clear up a couple of things that seem to have been slightly misinterpreted. Firstly, I just want to quickly clarify that I actually have bowel cancer not prostate cancer although I did have a scan on my prostate. Also, as reported in some media, we have not postponed all of our upcoming shows, only the shows that clashed with my chemotherapy treatment sessions.

"All of our special UK & Ireland 'Hell, Fire & Steel' tour dates this November are still going ahead as planned. There are not many tickets left now for these shows so grab them quick so as not to be disappointed. This will be the very last time we play our classic hit album 'Wheels Of Steel' from start to finish in the UK. We are also still playing Metal Hammer Paradise in Lübeck, Germany this November too. All of the rescheduled shows will be announced here imminently too.

"Tickets for all shows are available from www.saxon747.com.

"Thanks again for all your amazing support."

Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the U.K.

Byford underwent surgery on July 8 to remove the cancer.

According to Cancer Research UK, patients are likely to have chemotherapy after surgery for colon cancer if they have stage 2 cancer and their cancer has features which increase the risk of it coming back, or if they have stage 3 cancer. Patients don't usually need chemotherapy if they have stage 1 colon cancer.

Biff previously said that his cancer was revealed when he underwent an MRI scan on his prostate gland before he went to America a few months ago.

According to the singer, his operation was "successful" and the doctors "got all the cancer out, but they just need to make sure there's none floating around in my bloodstream." He added that his prognosis is "good" and his "cure is progressing."

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

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

SAXON's latest album, "Hell, Fire And Damnation", marked the band's first release with new guitarist Brian Tatler (DIAMOND HEAD).

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

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

Brian has been touring with fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, drummer Nigel Glockler, bassist Tim "Nibbs" Carter and Byford since mid-2023, but continues to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

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

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

In a recent interview with American Musical Supply, P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel was asked if it's "accurate" to say that he and his bandmates are still "hungry" and "have something to prove, like there's a chip" on their shoulders. Marcos responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's very accurate. Nobody's ever given us anything. We've had to work super hard to get to where we're at and always kind of prove ourselves over and over again. No matter what accolades and what we've accomplished, it always feels like we're trying to prove ourselves to show it to ourselves, but show it to people around us. 'Cause this industry's constantly evolving and there's people coming and going and you get new heads in there that they're, like, 'What?' And you're, like, 'Bro, I've been here for years. Who are you?' But I've gotta prove myself to you now. And we just kind of gave up on that, because whether you love P.O.D. or you hate P.O.D., you know who P.O.D. is. That's the bottom line. So we're done trying to prove ourselves. We're done trying to cater and please people.

"I like to refer to ourselves as the old freight train — solid steel," he continued. "Trends come and go, and we'll just keep chugging right along, and we stay relevant because we're not following the trends. We're doing what we've always done. We're being 100 percent organic, P.O.D. ourselves, four kids from a garage that grew up with a dream. And we have our own sound. And it's hard to have your own sound. People are still trying to find their sound, and people are chasing sounds. We got our own, and that's what I love about it. 'Cause whether you like it or don't, that's our sound, baby."

When one of the interviewers noted that P.O.D.'s sound has sometimes been "pigeonholed" as part of the "nu metal" movement when there is "so much more" variety to P.O.D.'s music, Marcos concurred. "This band has kind of had that curse," he said. "Whether it's the 'nu metal' label, whether it's the 'Christian' label, hether it's… I don't know. There's just so many different — the 'positivity' label. There's so many different things that when we started wasn't cool to some people. But I like to take it back, 'cause I'm a big music lover — we are as a band — and we're probably the truest form of rock and roll there is. You go back to the roots, you've got Elvis Presley, who was God-fearing. He had his struggles. And you've got Johnny Cash. God-fearing individuals that made kick-ass music. P.O.D. does the same thing. We were inspired, though, by the Santanas, the Bob Marleys, the U2s, and we were, like, 'Why can't we do this with our sound?' Now it's kind of a trend, which is fine, to be a little more positive, because it was all about being emo, dark, evil, pissed off, which is fine. But if you do your research with P.O.D., there's a little bit of everything. We have party songs, we have songs dealing with so many different issues, but we always bring it back to a positive place."

This past May, Marcos spoke to the Rock Brothers Podcast about P.O.D.'s musical evolution since the band's formation more than three decades ago. He said: "When we started, man, it wasn't like everybody opened their arms and welcomed us in. There's a lot of taboo when it comes to P.O.D. There's the spiritual angle, then there's the rap angle, ethnic angle, the reggae. We like to mix it up. And a lot of people that listen to metal or rock have tunnel vision. And throughout the years, we just stayed consistent, doing us.

"We come from an era where everybody sounded different," Marcos explained. "Right now a lot of bands sound alike. When we grew up, it was RAGE [AGAINST THE MACHINE], BODY COUNT, [RED HOT] CHILI PEPPERS — just those three alone. NIRVANA, PEARL JAM, they all sound different, and they all have their own unique sound. And the thing about P.O.D. — I don't care whether you love us or hate us, when you hear us, you know who we are. And that right there is a blessing in itself. We're not chasing the carrot. At one point some people try to get us to do that, and we're, like, 'Dude, we're just P.O.D. Take it or leave it.'"

Elaborating on some of the pushback he and his P.O.D. bandmates received early on, Curiel said:  "What's crazy is when we got signed to Atlantic, back then it wasn't even a thing for rock bands to be adding features. But we're hip-hop fans, so we were, like, 'Hey, man, why don't we add H.R. from BAD BRAINS or Eek-A-Mouse?' And the label at the time was, like, 'What are you guys doing? You're a rock band.' And we were, like, 'Exactly. This is what we think is cool and this is what we like.' And look at it — now everyone's doing features.

"The evolution is organic," Marcos explained. "It's not contrived. And we always hear bands that are, like, 'Oh, you need to check us out, man. We do this, do this.' And we listen and we're, like, 'I get you're trying to do that. I get it, but it doesn't sound fresh. It doesn't sound organic.' And I'm not a music snob, 'cause we're all about vibes and how it feels when you hear something. 'Oh, that's sick.' And when it's organic, I think people are just drawn to it. And some people don't get it. They're, like, 'What is this?'"

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

In a new interview with Two Dudes Talk Music, bassist John "Tumor" Fahnestock spoke about SNOT return to the live stage and the reactivated Santa Barbara-based metal/punk rock hybrid's plans for the coming months. Referencing the fact that Andy Knapp of fellow Southern California band STRONGER THAN MACHINES made his live debut with SNOT on January 17 at the Parish room at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California, John said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Honestly, now it's a whole different ball game with Andy Knapp. We finally felt we found our singer. In the past it was more of a, like, 'Hey, let's get out and play these songs 'cause we wanna jam them again.' Mikey [Doling, SNOT guitarist] and Jamie [Miller, SNOT drummer] and myself, we love playing these songs. And it wasn't about, like, 'We're back.' But now SNOT is back. We finally found a singer [who is] exactly what we've been looking for. And what he's pulling now is just mind-blowing. The response, how people are embracing him on social networking, coming out to see the band, was totally unexpected. Yeah, we wouldn't be back if it wasn't for Andy Knapp. So I just wanna say that there's no other 'after Andy.' This is one and all, this is the final hurrah. And if we're gonna break and we're gonna go again, this is why we're back right now."

Asked if that means that there will be more touring and new music coming from SNOT next year, John said: "Well, we're already booked into 2026. We've already got two [new] songs that we knocked out with [producer] Chris Collier, who works with KORN. In November, we finalize the vocals, and then we hope to drop something in the beginning of the year. That's what's going down. And it's from the heart. It sounds just like fucking SNOT. 'Cause the way Mikey writes and the way I write and the way everything jells… And Jamie just finished the drums. He took a break from BAD RELIGION, and we instantly got him in the studio. So everything's laid down. We're just working on the vocals now."

Earlier this month, Doling told Ore Bihovsky of TotalRock's "Louder" radio show about SNOT's return to the live stage: "I'm really excited, first of all. Just having SNOT back — [I] never expected it. We found a new singer who's amazing, and he made it all possible. And we put some tickets on sale and they're all selling out, all the shows, and we're pretty blown away. We're very grateful to be doing it and super stoked."

Asked how it feels to have Knapp fronting SNOT, three decades after the band's formation and 27 years after the passing of the group's original vocalist Lynn Strait, Doling said: "Honestly, it feels kind of like it used to, with Andy. Andy brought energy to the band that we haven't seen or had since Lynn Strait… Having Andy in the band, he's brought that energy again to us. The shows are full of energy. It's wild, man."

After Ore noted that this is the first time that he has heard the members of SNOT say that the band is officially "back", Doling clarified: "Well, before, when we [played gigs with other vocalists], it was more like we wanted to fucking just get together and play. We weren't really focused on new music or promotion or selling shows. We didn't give a shit. We just wanted to go out and play. This time, we feel like we found the right singer. Also, that it's the right time to actually bring it back full blown. So we're getting in the studio, we're recording new music, we're booking tours. We've got the booking agent. And we're just going full-on, man, and it's great."

Asked about new SNOT music and whether the band is working with a record label at the moment, Mikey said: "I think what's going on is that… There's been a couple of labels that reached out, but they were not the ones that we'd be interested in working with. And I wanted to wait till we started thinking about that kind of stuff until we recorded a couple songs and see where we are. Well, we have recorded a couple of new songs, and we're working with Chris Collier, the producer — a fantastic producer. He just did the last couple of KORN records, he's done the last few PRONG records. He's amazing, and he and I click musically. So, we're working together on some new songs. It's going very well. It's funky. It's punk. It's got attitude. It's cool. It sounds like old SNOT. And we're trying to keep it like that. We don't wanna change the sound. We wanna keep it like 1996, '97 — lots of wah pedal, lots of grooves, some heavy punk influences. It's cool."

Regarding when fans can expect to hear some new SNOT music, Doling said: "I'm hoping by the end of the year or maybe the beginning of the year 2026. I think we're going to drop a single, and maybe a couple months after that drop something another one. It'd be cool to have two songs out next year. And during the next year, we're gonna try to complete an entire album. So I've got — I don't know — seven or eight new songs written. We've recorded two. It's just a matter of having the time to get in the studio. We're playing so much, we're out on the road, and getting everybody in the same room, it's a little hard. It is challenging, but, we're making it happen."

This past July, SNOT entered Dead End Studios in Palm Desert, California with Collier to lay down tracks for two brand new songs.

SNOT recruited former GODSMACK drummer Shannon Larkin to sit behind the kit for the band's performance in May at the Welcome To Rockville festival at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Due to Miller's touring commitments with BAD RELIGION, he was unable to make the date.

In April, SNOT recruited Doc Coyle (GOD FORBID, ex-BAD WOLVES) as the band's touring guitarist after the group's recent split with Sonny Mayo.

The news of Mayo's departure was broken by Doling, who stated in a video message at the time:  "Sonny Mayo has decided to quit SNOT. SNOT doesn't fit into his life right now, and he just wants to focus on himself and his life. And SNOT's just too busy for him to be able to continue.

"So I'd like to wish Sonny Mayo the best of luck in his future, and I wanna thank him for all he's contributed to SNOT over the years. We love you, brother," Mikey continued.

"That being said, our very, very good friend from GOD FORBID, formerly BAD WOLVES, Doc Coyle, is going to be filling in on guitar for the upcoming shows. And we're excited to have him on board. And thank you very much, Doc Coyle."

SNOT disbanded in 1998 following Strait's death, putting an end to a career that generated considerable promise but only one studio album, "Get Some". The band had been writing material for its sophomore CD and had completed 10 songs at the time of Strait's tragic passing. As a memorial to Strait, SNOT eventually decided to release those tracks, with lyrics and guest vocals provided by a host of stars from the alt-metal community. The resulting album, "Strait Up", was a fitting tribute from Strait's peers and friends, featuring members of LIMP BIZKIT, KORN, SLIPKNOT, SEVENDUST, (HED) P.E., COAL CHAMBER, SUGAR RAY, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SOULFLY, and more.

SNOT in 2014 recruited Carl Bensley (VITIATE, CONSUME THE FIRE) to sing for the band following the departure of Tommy "Vext" Cummings (ex-DIVINE HERESY, BAD WOLVES).

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lynn died in died in a car accident in December 1998 as he attempted to drive across Highway 101 in Mussel Shoals, California. The 30-year-old singer died instantly after his 1992 Ford Tempo was broadsided by a southbound full-size pickup truck about noon. Also killed was Strait's small bulldog, SNOT's mascot Dobbs, who adorned the cover of the band's debut album, the 1997 Geffen Records release "Get Some". Strait, a Santa Barbara resident, was crossing the highway after visiting his girlfriend in the community. Lynn apparently pulled into the path of the truck, which was going about 65 mph. The impact sent Strait's car spinning into the center divider where it stopped, a California Highway Patrol officer told the Los Angeles Times at the time.

Cummings fronted SNOT in 2008-2009 before he and Mayo exited the group amid "strained relationships."

Legendary hard rockers SCORPIONS played at Romexpo in Bucharest, Romania on September 11 as part of their 60th-anniversary tour. Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below.

The setlist for the "Coming Home To Romania - 60 Years Of Scorpions" show was as follows (with time stamps for video):

00:00 Intro
03:08 Coming Home
07:05 Gas In The Tank
10:48 Make It Real
15:00 The Zoo
21:50 Coast To Coast
27:20 Top Of The Bill / Steamrock Fever / Speedy's Coming / Catch Your Train
36:15 Bad Boys Running Wild
40:30 Delicate Dance
46:00 Send Me an Angel
50:23 Wind of Change
56:05 Loving You Sunday Morning
1:00:15 New Vision (Mikkey Dee drum solo)
1:07:37 Tease Me Please Me
1:13:05 Big City Nights
1:22:25 Still Loving You
1:28:45 Blackout
1:33:10 Rock You Like a Hurricane

Last month, SCORPIONS recruited ALICE COOPER bassist Chuck Garric to play bass for the band for their five-show residency at PH Live at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada. Garric filled in for longtime SCORPIONS bassist Paweł Mąciwoda, who was unable to make the shows due to an unspecified scheduling conflict.

SCORPIONS' performances at PH Live kicked off on August 14 and ran through August 23. The band previously enjoyed sold-out residencies in 2002 and 2024.

In January, SCORPIONS postponed their 2025 Las Vegas residency due to drummer Mikkey Dee's recovery from his hospitalization.

SCORPIONS' latest studio album, "Rock Believer"Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record "Rock Believer" in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

SCORPIONS' latest album marked their first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.

SCORPIONS' previous full-length collection of new recordings was "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

In a new interview with The Rockpit, Cherie Currie, the trailblazing rock icon and former frontwoman of the groundbreaking band THE RUNAWAYS, spoke about her decision to embark on her final Australian tour. Set to take place in September, the trek will mark the first time Currie has graced Australian stages since her debut Australian tour in 2016. Cherie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I still love doing shows here and there, and I've been doing festivals, things like that. And I really miss doing the really intimate things where I can shake people's hands and put the microphone in front of your face and we sing together. It's so important to me to have that connection with the audience. And I just really realize that there just comes a time when you just have to say 'enough'. And I have loved performing THE RUNAWAYS songs. I'm the only one that does it. But I just have that feeling like right now it's just time to hang it up a little bit — the touring. It's tough. So, what do I say? One thing I'll miss are the fans, but it's so important to really pay homage to them because it wasn't for the fans, I wouldn't be coming out there."

Asked if she has any plans to release a new studio album at some point in the not-too-distant future, Currie said: "No plans to do that. I do a lot of session work and I perform on a lot of tribute albums and I do duets with other artists. And that's really fun. I've got a studio in my home, so I don't have a producer telling me what to do. And I just get to be my authentic self, and they're very happy with what I deliver. So, I really do enjoy that. And I'm gonna continue doing a show here and there. I'll always sing, because I do love it and I do love performing and I was born to do it. So, I'll do a show here and there. It's gonna be sad to say goodbye to touring, but that's okay."

As one of rock's true pioneers, Currie exploded on to the music scene in the 1970s as the unmistakable teenage voice of THE RUNAWAYS, delivering anthems like "Cherry Bomb" that redefined what it meant to be a young, fearless woman in rock 'n' roll so much though that she was described as the "lost daughter of Iggy Pop and Bridgette Bardot".

Alongside her bandmates in THE RUNAWAYS, she shattered barriers, inspired generations of female rockers, and cemented her place in music history.

But Cherie is more than just a rock legend. She's a style icon, celebrated for her edgy, daring style that continues to influence trends today. Her iconic corsets, platform boots, and glam-punk flair are still a source of inspiration in pop culture.

Currie's talents have also shone beyond the stage. As an actress, she starred alongside Jodie Foster in the 1980 classic "Foxes", a film that captured the spirit of youth and rebellion. More recently, her life and career were immortalized in the acclaimed biopic "The Runaways", starring Dakota Fanning as Cherie and Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett.

For this farewell tour, Currie promises fans a high-energy setlist packed with RUNAWAYS hits, solo favorites, and surprises, celebrating her remarkable journey in rock.

Currie's latest solo album, "Blvds Of Splendor", was released in April 2020 as a digital release via Blackheart Records. The LP featured guest collaborations with Billy Corgan of SMASHING PUMPKINS, Slash and Duff McKagan from GUNS N' ROSES, as well as Juliette Lewis, Brody Dalle, THE VERONICAS and ex-GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum, who also produced the set.

DISTURBED was inducted into the Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Sunday, September 14th at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois. The members of DISTURBED were inducted by Frank Mastalerz, who has been in the concert industry, booking and producing shows for over 30 years.

In his acceptance speech, DISTURBED guitarist  Dan Donegan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been a great honor. We've come a long way from playing in a public storage unit back in the '90s and playing all the great bars — anyone who'd let us play, from Champs to Sidetracked to J.J. Kelley's. And Frank would always be there from the beginning promoting and supporting all local, original bands and still keeping it alive to this day."

Dan added: "But thank you all, thank you to our families, our kids who were a big part of this journey and the sacrifices to allow us to go out on the road and do what we do. And my brothers David [Draiman, DISTURBED singer], Mike [Wengren, DISTURBED drummer], John [Moyer, DISTURBED bassist], who's in Texas right now, and Fuzz [Steve Kmak], our original bass player. Jeff Battaglia, our former manager. And Q Prime, who we are with now. Thank you very much, guys. What a great honor."

Wengren said: "I just wanna say thanks to my kids, our kids, our families, especially the ones that can't be here tonight. Without all of our dedicated fans, we wouldn't be here, especially here in Illinois, Chicago, South Side."

Addressing the fact that DISTURBED was originally supposed to perform at this year's Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, Mike added: "And, hey, just for the record, we did wanna perform tonight, but they told us we couldn't 'cause they were worried we were gonna burn their banners down too," apparently referring to reports that pyrotechnics during DISTURBED's March 2025 concert at the United Center in Chicago caused damage to the Chicago Bulls' NBA championship banners.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Donegan, Wengren, of Chicago's Archer Heights neighborhood, Kmak, from Oak Lawn, and Draiman, of Chicago's North Side, formed DISTURBED in 1996 and once lived together in Evergreen Park.

"Back then, we didn't have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. We'd work our day jobs, come home and make fliers and cassette tapes and spread out and go to every concert that came to town to promote," Donegan told the Chicago Tribune back in 2016. "All the bands who came up like we did at the time — SOIL, NO ONE, CRASH POET and BALLISTIC — this is what we and our buddies from the South Side had to do to promote. You had to be your own street team or recruit friends to get the word out. I'm not knocking today's technology, but for us that work ethic made us continue to always know that nothing is going to come easy."

Donegan went on to say that DISTURBED and other bands from the South Side had to work harder to be embraced by the fans than the North Side acts.

"The South Side bands were more of the outcasts. That gave us more of a reason to not just push open doors, but knock them down to be heard and taken seriously," Donegan said. "We weren't really welcomed into clubs like the Metro and Double Door. So we made a name for ourselves in clubs like Sidetracked (Lemont),Champs (Burbank),O'Malley's (Alsip) and J.J. Kelley's (Lansing)."

DISTURBED kicked off the U.S. leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" on February 25 at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho. The trek celebrated 25 years of DISTURBED's seminal debut album which launched the band into public consciousness and is one of the most important and influential heavy metal albums of all time.

Later this year, DISTURBED will embark on the European leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" with support from MEGADETH.

Since "The Sickness" was released in 2000, the album was certified five times platinum by the RIAA, spent a total of 106 weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart, and Revolver named it one of "Top 25 Debut Hard Rock Albums." Billboard said of the title track upon release: "'Down With The Sickness' is, of course, the quintessential DISTURBED song, harnessing all the band's seethe and its now-famous tribal beat and guitar chug into three and a half minutes of alt-metal mayhem. It's menacing, it's rhythmic, it's rebellious."

In February, DISTURBED released a new single, "I Will Not Break", via the band's own label, Mother Culture Records.

PUT YOUR FISTS UP!! And welcome home Chicagoland's own DISTURBED for a special performance at the Illinois Rock and Roll...

Posted by 95.9 The River on Wednesday, February 26, 2025

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach will come to York, United Kingdom to officially launch his jewelry line in collaboration with Black Feather Design at Nox Of York on Friday, October 10, 2025. The day will start with a ticketed live question-and-answer session, hosted by Kerrang! and Planet Rock's Steve Beebee at Bedern Hall, on Bartle Garth just off Goodramgate.

This will be a great chance for fans to get an insight into Jesse Leach. There will be the opportunity for fans to ask their own questions at the end. Jesse will then come to Nox Of York (around 100 yards away on Goodramgate) where the official jewelry launch and signing will take place for dedicated fans to come and have a meet-and-greet with the metal icon.

Hannah from Nox first met Jesse back in 2023 when they headlined U.K.'s Bloodstock Open Air festival, where she frequently works as artist liaison.

"To work with Jesse on this collaboration for the last two years has been a true honor," she says. "His creativity and patience with the process has been incredibly validating and we're so proud to to have been trusted with such a special piece."

Jesse commented: "I am honored and stoked to talk about the launch of my first-ever signature necklace."

This event is on sale now on the Nox Of York web site at £15 per ticket and will be seated, limited to 50 capacity. Doors open from 10:30 a.m. and the event will start at 11 a.m. for approximately one hour.

In a video message, Jesse said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " Hey, good people. This is Jesse Leach from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, and I'm honored and stoked to talk about the launch of my first-ever signature necklace. This is with the help of Black Feather Design.

"I met Hannah from Black Feather at the Bloodstock festival in England a few years ago, and ever since then I've been watching what they do and their jewelry and their vibe, and I love it. So between Hannah [and] Oli from Black Feather and myself, we talked about a collaboration, and it's finally here. You may have seen it online already. There is a pre-order up, but I'm here to talk to you about it in person, and I'm actually wearing it, which is super cool. This is the large design and there's a smaller design as well. And as you can see, two axes crossed with a feather.

"I've already gotten questions about what it means," he continued. "So the feather is my love of nature and of birds, especially birds of prey and raptors. I have a red-tailed hawk tattooed across my chest. And here where I live in the Catskill mountains, I get to watch bald eagles hunt on a regular basis. Very fascinating, if you've never seen it. So [I] just love birds and nature. The axes represent my love of fire. And also I chopped wood for a living when I was younger. And it represents heritage as well. It's how we were able to survive, heat our homes, eat, gather around as a community. So it just seemed like those things put together was a really good representation of me and what I love.

"So we're gonna launch this thing in person on October 10th, which is a Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Bedern Hall in York, England," Jesse added. "I'll be doing a Q&A followed by an in-store appearance at Nox Of York, where you can come hang, get a photo, have a chat and check out the jewelry line. So again, you can pre-order this, and also be sure to get your tickets to come hang and see me. And let's do this. My first-ever signature series necklace. I cannot wait for you guys to see this in person.

"Thank you so much to Hannah and Oli for helping me come up with a design. Thank you for believing in me, and let's do this thing. I'll see you guys on October 10th. Can't wait. All hails."