In May 2025, ALICE IN CHAINS will appear at a few festivals, including the MMRBQ in Camden, New Jersey (May 10),Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio (May 11) and Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida (May 16). They have also lined up several headlining shows, in Uncasville, Connecticut (May 8),Nashville, Tennessee (May 13) and Dothan, Alabama (May 15). ALICE IN CHAINS is also on the bill for the final BLACK SABBATH/Ozzy Osbourne show on July 5 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

In a new interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, ALICE IN CHAINS singer William DuVall was asked where things stand with him and his bandmates at the moment. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we're excited for these dates we have coming up in May. We're excited to get out there and see everyone. We are in regular contact and communication, and so we'll just have to see what comes after May. I really wouldn't wanna say anything more than that. But we're excited about these shows in May. We're really looking forward to it."

ALICE IN CHAINS has only played one concert since 2023 — an appearance at last year's Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the last four years, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell has released two solo albums, 2021's "Brighten" and 2024's "I Want Blood", and has toured extensively in support of both efforts, performing material spanning his solo career and ALICE IN CHAINS.

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

Prior to joining ALICE IN CHAINS, DuVall was a member of punk rock bands AWARENESS VOID OF CHAOS, NEON CHRIST, BL'AST! and FINAL OFFERING. DuVall's long musical history also includes COMES WITH THE FALL and Cantrell's solo work.

Cantrell befriended the members of COMES WITH THE FALL in the early 2000s, playing shows with the band on the West Coast, then enlisting the musicians to tour with him as both opening act and backing group in support of his album "Degradation Trip".

DuVall appears on the last three ALICE IN CHAINS albums: 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue", 2013's "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" and the aforementioned "Rainier Fog".

In a recent interview with Claro Música México, PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix spoke about the band's latest single, "Even If It Kills Me". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, man. I'm so excited about this song. When we went back into the studio after touring on [PAPA ROACH's latest album, 2022's] 'Ego Trip', this was the first piece of music that the band had written. And Tobin [Esperance, PAPA ROACH bassist] sent me the song, and right off rip, from the moment I played it, I was, like, 'Oh.' 'Cause sometimes when you hear a demo, it's, like, 'Okay, cool. Let me get into it.' This one was, like, right when I started playing it, I was like, 'Oh, this is special. There's something in here.' And then when the music, when the band comes in and just drops on the heavy riff, I was just, like — I turned it all the way up in the truck, just rocked it out. And so I knew the music was very special, so I wanted to do something that matched that energy. And I find myself, a couple weeks later, I'm in the studio cutting a vocal on this thing, and it took a couple evolutions to land exactly where we are in the finished product. And I really enjoy that creative process of taking something that's inspiring and then trying to match it with my energy and my lyric and really take the song to another level. And, yeah, when we finished this one, I was, like. 'All right. I'm excited to see what we do for a music video for this thing, 'cause I think like there's something special in the sound of this one that would be cool to visually, what could this be?'"

Asked who composed "Even If It Kills Me", Jacoby said: "Myself, Jerry [Horton, PAPA ROACH guitarist], Tobin, Anthony [Esperance, PAPA ROACH touring guitarist] and Drew [Fulk], the producer himself. Five dudes in a room just making rowdy noise, man. It was a good time."

Jacoby went on to say that "Even If It Kills Me" is "the first piece of music that we're releasing to eventually be on our next album. The album will be out in 2026," he revealed. "I just was in the studio before I came down here, and recorded two more songs. We're gonna be releasing music throughout the year. And the stuff that we have coming that we haven't released yet is just — it's so good. I'm so happy."

According to Shaddix, the next PAPA ROACH LP will contain "probably 11 [songs] — 10 or 11. Usually that's around where we sit, is around 10 or 11 songs in an album," he explained. "I like an album to feel like you get in the car and you play that thing and it's, like, by the time you get where you're going, it's, like, 'We're done.' I don't like to make records that are so long. I like an album that feels like it's just quick and to the point. You know what I mean? We're not that type of band that makes these 20-song albums or double LPs and shit like that. I'm, like, 'Eh.'"

On the topic of PAPA ROACH's plans for the coming months, Jacoby said: "So we're gonna be ripping out there on a tour. We're doing a U.S. tour right after I leave. We go down Guadalajara, go rip down there, and then we'll go back up to the states and start a tour. We're taking out RISE AGAINST and UNDEROATH in America. And then I'm going back in the studio this summer to finish up the album and then go back on tour, finish up a tour in America, and then next year we'll be coming — Europe, Latin America, Australia, maybe Japan, but Southeast Asia; I'm hoping for Southeast Asia. But, yeah, it's a world tour, man. I mean, I'm always on a world tour, dude. I never stop."

Last week, PAPA ROACH released a brand-new version of "Even If It Kills Me" via their own label, New Noize Records/ADA. The band and Joshua Landry again produced "Even If It Kills Me (Reimagined)". The original single reached No. 1 at U.S. Rock Radio, marking PAPA ROACH's 13th appearance at the top of the charts.

"Even If It Kills Me (Reimagined)" is a fresh take on its heavier counterpart, showcasing the hit song in a new light, with a melodic arrangement and signature vocals delivered by Shaddix.

In a recent interview with the I-Rock 93.5 radio station, Shaddix spoke about the lyrical inspiration for "Even If It Kills Me", which was released in late January via the group's own label New Noize Records/ADA. He said: "This one was started about two years ago, the music part of it, and I heard it first from the first musical just vibe with the strings. I was, like, 'It sounds cinematic. This sounds like it's about to be a journey we're taking the fans on.' So I hit the boys up instantly. I'm, like, 'Dude, I can't wait to get in the studio on this one.' Then life happens, and some stuff goes down. My older son went through this really traumatic heartbreak breakup. Just his whole world was leveled, and I watched my son just crumble. And that was a tough one. But to also have to go, 'Hey, man, there's some hard truths about life, and sometimes people aren't what they show themselves as, and there's two sides to people sometimes. And you got one, and then eventually discovered that other dark side of them and you were hurt.' And that was really hard for me to watch my son just fall to pieces. And that song was born from that moment of going, 'I wanna be able to help you, but I also know that you kind of gotta walk through the fire.' And knowing that, 'I'm not gonna leave you. I'm here for you, but I'm also gonna stand in that fire with you.' And I wanted to shoulder the pain. I wish I could, but sometimes we have to go through those moments in life that build character. Who are you? Can you get back up? Well, my son got back up."

PAPA ROACH recently completed the European leg of the "Rise Of The Roach" tour. The trek saw PAPA ROACH bring its biggest-ever production and journey deep through their vast music catalogue, including a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the band's iconic breakthrough album "Infest". Special guests for the global tour were WAGE WAR in Europe and will include RISE AGAINST and UNDEROATH in the U.S.

PAPA ROACH are two-time Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling leaders in alternative hard rock music. PAPA ROACH are not unfamiliar with calling attention to mental health and have been doing so since the seminal release of their first hit single "Last Resort". Since then, the band has gone on to create 10 studio albums, their most recent, the aforementioned "Ego Trip", on their own label New Noize Records.

Photo credit: Bryson Roatch

In a new interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, EUROPE vocalist Joey Tempest spoke about the band's plans for the follow-up to 2017's "Walk The Earth" album. Asked if he and his bandmates are working on new material, Joey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, absolutely. It's been a long while. We've never had this long of a break before — ever. We always move from tour into the studio, tour into the studio. I mean, [2012's] 'Bag Of Bones', [2015's] 'War Of Kings' and [2017's] 'Walk The Earth', it was a period in our lives, a very energetic period. But we've been touring ever since, though, ever since 'Walk The Earth'. But we haven't been in the studio. I mean, it started a bit with the, the period of COVID, that made us sort of start over again. In a way, it was good for writing because I could start from scratch. There was more time all of a sudden. There was not, like, 'Let's record an album because we've gotta get back on the road.' We had time all of a sudden. So this is what makes the new album interesting. In a way, it feels like a debut album because it has had life. We had to live with ideas for years. And that's how debut albums are with bands, 'cause bands are out touring and they have written the songs and they live with them, they play them. And it feels a bit like that. It feels fresh, this new EUROPE album."

He continued: "We're halfway through. We're sending demos to each other. We're getting there. We've got some great ideas already.

"We're planning on going in the studio in the autumn, which means there'll be music out next year. And the whole band is very excited about that. The songs are coming, and it feels fresh, with some influences from our past as well. But, as you know, we always experiment as well. So it's kind of the usual adventure, EUROPE adventure. But there's some good stuff there."

Tempest also spoke about EUROPE's upcoming documentary that the band has been busy filming with producer/director Craig Hooper (DEEP PURPLE, SAXON) for Coolhead Productions. The film will tell the story of the band, from formation until present day, telling of their rise to success in the mid-1980s, through hard times and heartache, to coming back in the millennium, and the current successes the band has achieved.

Joey said: "We've had this team with us for four or five years traveling with us to document the newEUROPE. But during COVID, we'd started thinking, 'Hang on a second. Maybe it's time to do the documentary.' People have asked us to do this many years now. But we decided, 'Okay, let's do it.' And then we found a box with old VHS tapes. Our first manager, he walked around with this huge VHS camera when we were just kids. We were still teenagers, and we were wondering, 'What are you doing with that thing? Stop filming,' kind of thing. But he kept filming, and there's [footage] from hotel rooms, there's [footage] from backstage from the middle of '80s and up to '92. And there's stuff from all over the world. And there's stuff that has never [been] seen before, and it was exciting for us as well. So, basically, it's new footage from the band today touring, and there's old VHS footage that has never been seen, and the whole story of us coming from the suburbs of Stockholm, going out in the world and then, in the early '90s, grunge hitting the scene, and it's a bit of a dip and then it's us building everything up again to where we are today. So it's quite a good story as well. And the director's done a great job. So we can't wait. It's gonna be exciting to put this out."

Last month, Joey told El Expreso Del Rock that the musical direction of the upcoming EUROPE LP won't be similar to that of "Walk The Earth" and "War Of Kings". He said: "No, it'll move on. It'll be a new adventure. But I realize, hearing some of the demos we make now, that it's really strong, [with] great melodies. Some of it's really heavy as well. But there's also some connection to the past.

"I'm writing with everyone," he revealed. "I'm writing with John [Norum, guitar], I'm writing with John [Levén, bass] and Mic [Michaeli, keyboards]. And there's beautiful melodies there as well. I'm really excited. There's some great songs coming on. And it's been a while, so we've had time to live with the music, almost like a debut album, almost like the first album, because we have years to live with the songs. We know some of them are really strong because they have staying power; they've stayed for years now. So yeah, this could be an interesting album.

"Yeah, we just like to go on our own adventure, but always carry your past with you," he explained. "That's the thing."

Regarding the upcoming EUROPE documentary, Joey said: "We're so happy to be together after 40 years. Last year was so emotional, that tour. It was incredible to look around the stage at my teenage friends, and we were still there playing and there was great connection with the audience. And so we carry that spirit on to this year. So we're gonna start touring now. South America is the first touring for this year. And we're gonna carry that spirit through the emotional thing that we're still together with. And in this case, we're meeting new fans as well. But it's a great feeling to be here. It's a great job, and to be with the same same guys, yeah. We're gonna do South America. Then we do festivals all over Europe, and then we'll go into the studio. And hopefully this year as well, yeah, it will come out, the official documentary of EUROPE, and it's a great journey. And we have found footage, old footage from hotel rooms, Japan and around the world, San Francisco, when we mixed 'The Final Countdown', there's some footage [that had] never [been] seen [before]. And there's a lot of new footage from us traveling around the world, in South America and other places, mixed in with the story of these young punks from Stockholm making it in the world and then grunge coming along and then building it up again, and it's a great story. So we're really excited to release this documentary as well. So there's a lot of things going on in the EUROPE camp."

Asked if the documentary will be released this year, Joey said: "Yeah, I'd say it will be. We're almost done. We're doing the final editing now. Everything's been approved by the band. Every bandmember has seen it now. And the final editing, we're gonna put some narration on. We're very close. I just hope we get it out maybe before the summer, if not after the summer. Yeah, we're looking forward to that."

In September 2023, EUROPE released a new song titled "Hold Your Head Up". The track, which was described by the band as "a punchy uptempo rocker with reminiscent elements of early EUROPE," was recorded in August 2023 at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm with producer Klas Åhlund (GHOST, ROBYN) and was mixed by Stefan Glaumann (RAMMSTEIN, DEF LEPPARD),who also mixed EUROPE's "Secret Society" album.

In an interview with Metal Global, Tempest was asked why he and his EUROPE bandmates decided to record and release just one song at this time. Tempest said: "We wanted to get this ready before the [fall 2023 European] tour and the [upcoming EUROPE] documentary. So we focused on this song so we could have something out together with the tour and the documentary. That's why we released one song now. But we have a handful of songs — great ideas."

Regarding the experience of working with Åhlund this time around, Joey said: "It was a great experience. We all liked it. The whole band would like to do more stuff with him. We don't know whether he's gonna be the producer of the [upcoming EUROPE] album yet, but... No, we don't know yet. I mean, it would be an interesting idea, actually. But we haven't decided yet. But we were very happy finding him and working with him. He's very professional, and he's also listened to EUROPE when he was younger and so he knows how we think. And the procedure with him was amazing. It went really smooth, and he's a very talented, very talented man. He's a guitar player as well."

Joey also talked about the musical direction of "Hold Your Head Up", which Botas noted is a combination of the classic EUROPE sound and the band's more recent, bluesier approach. The singer said: "I think it's a good mixture in the song. We never really set out to do that. It was an idea I had, and I sent it to the guys and everybody was, like, 'Yeah, that's great. Let's do that.' So, it's a natural progression, but I think you're right. I think it's a little bit of some melodies, especially in the verses, in the end of the verses there, there's melodies that remind you of some of the earlier stuff. But maybe the chorus and the riff a little bit, it's also quite fresh and more modern, I suppose. So yeah, it's got a bit of everything, but it still sounds like EUROPE, which is really cool."

"Hold Your Head Up" was made available to stream and download on September 29, 2023 across all reputable digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple, iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, Pandora and YouTube Music.

In the fall of 2023, EUROPE completed the "Time Capsule" European tour which included 21 concerts across Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, The Netherlands, and the U.K., including two nights at the famous London Palladium. These anniversary shows consisted of a career retrospective "evening with" performance featuring all the hits together with deep cuts and fan favorites from all of their 11 studio albums.

"Walk The Earth" was released in October 2017 via Hell & Back Recordings (Silver Lining Music). It was recorded at famed Abbey Road Studios in London with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (RIVAL SONS, Shooter Jennings, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton).

In a new interview with Mexico's OsvAlex Comunicación, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill spoke about the band's upcoming spring 2025 Latin American tour, including the May 4 concert in Mexico City with OPETH. Asked what fans can expect from the setlist for the upcoming shows, Hill said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, there'll be three or four songs from the new record [2024's 'Invincible Shield'], which is really unfortunate, but it's all we have time for, because you've only got a certain amount of time you can play and, obviously, for every new song you've gotta drop potentially somebody's favorite. So it gets difficult, with the more material that you have. But we try and do our best to keep it fans 'favorites — obviously, we like to keep the singalong songs. But the other back catalog songs, we try and keep them familiar, so everyone knows the songs. And then the three or four new ones. And we do our best to get a good blend of those three things. And I think we've done well.

"We've been playing pretty much this set for a year now, 'cause we started about this time last year, actually — a little bit earlier, in February — so it's well played in," Hill explained. "And, obviously, the production goes along with the songs as well, which will be typical PRIEST things — lots of sound, lots of lights, things that move around, the motorcycle, what have you, the big screens at the back. It'll be a typical PRIEST mega show. [Laughs] And, yeah, that's what we're bringing to Mexico. And we're looking forward to doing that."

Regarding the possibility of PRIEST recording a live album in Mexico, Hill said: "Maybe. We'll see. I mean, it's just easy to do these days. And we take recording equipment with us all the time, and I think most of the nights are recorded. So you never know — if you do a live album, at least part of it might be from Mexico. [Laughs] So, we'll see where it leads. But we've been doing that now for quite a few years. It is just good for posterity. We don't keep it all, obviously — you can't keep it all. But, yeah, we record most shows."

"Invincible Shield" entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine".

Prior to "Invincible Shield"'s arrival, PRIEST's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel", which reached No. 4.

PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.

"Invincible Shield" was JUDAS PRIEST's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower", as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).

"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.

JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its classic album "Painkiller" extensively live with the "Shield Of Pain" tour. This "rare" and "unique set" will include "beloved classics" and "will be defending the metal faith in a truly memorable experience throughout Europe" this summer, according to a social media post from PRIEST.

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge spoke about his recently leaked solo album called "Passiflora", which was recorded in 2008 and went officially unreleased and largely unheard. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I remember that when I wrote the songs and I had recorded them, I was a little bit irritated that I had not written them in a key that was ideal for my singing. It's amateur mistakes. There are some songs on [GHOST's debut album, 2010's] 'Opus [Eponymous]' that are like that. I should have written them in another key. I should have detuned them to more fully… And it's not too late; I can do that."

Forge continued: "I think 'Passiflora' was definitely a — it's a super-ambitious record. I was so filled with emotions and creativity. I had a real vision for that record. I had a real vision for that band. It literally really didn't go anywhere. So when that happens… If you write a love letter and that just disappears into the void, you would just try to distance yourself from it as soon as possible and, and that's what I felt."

Forge also talked about GHOST's upcoming album, "Skeletá", which will arrive on April 25 via Loma Vista Recordings. Asked if there were new things that he tried vocally on "Skeletá" that he hadn't attempted in the past, Forge said: "Well, I don't know. Probably. Not off the top of my head. There was moments when… There was a lot of bits and pieces of sort of kind of naked vocals in there that aren't as dubbed as I usually do them. I like stacking up vocals, just because I like that sort of… I mentioned RAMONES [earlier in the interview]… I'm actually a huge RAMONES fan. I'm very influenced by RAMONES. But I'm just saying that that they are an example of a band that people think are just pure punk. But they aren't just pure punk. It's pop melodies, pop songs, and Joey [Ramone] always like stacked up his vocals. How you get that sound of Joey Ramone is by stacking the vocals. That's why I started doing that already in [Forge's early 2000s pop rock band] SUBVISION because I wanted to have that sort of magically chorusy RAMONES-sounding sonics, basically. And when you do that a lot, it does make vocals sound really big. It makes it sound really — especially when you layer it up with harmonies and stuff, that's how you get that sort of AOR big, fleshed out wide a cappella sound, basically. And what you can do then as a little trick, if you just wanna make it sound a little different, it's, like, don't dub, and then all of a sudden you get a little bit more of a naked feeling, which I don't like because I don't like my voice much. I only like it when it's dubbed. I don't like it when it's not dubbed."

After Forge made a handful of CD-R copies of "Passiflora" to hand out to record companies, the effort failed to be picked up by any label and the project was scrapped. Those CD-R copies eventually made their way into the hands of collectors, with copies in recent years selling for up to $5,000 due to their rarity.

Prior to the entire "Passiflora" LP being leaked in February, only two songs from it — "House Of Affection" and "In Enigma Schiffer" — made it on to YouTube, while a physical CD sold for $5,434 on Discogs in March 2024.

The first single from, "Skeletá", a song called "Satanized", was made available in early March.

The "Satanized" music video introduces the new character who will be fronting GHOST for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua.

GHOST has also launched an interactive element dubbed The Satanizer, a first-of-its-kind music video experience for fans who wish to be "Satanized." Developed in partnership with Jason Zada (Elf Yourself),The Satanizer will morph its users into characters featured in the song's melodramatic video. With a quick upload of your photo, The Satanizer will send out a personalized music video clip featuring the participant, who can in turn share via social media that they too have been "Satanized."

Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle". In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the character who fronted the act for its "Impera" (2022) album phase.

As previously reported, GHOST will embark on a world tour in 2025. The European leg of the trek will kick off on April 15 in Manchester, United Kingdom and conclude on May 24 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour will launch on July 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and wrap up on August 16 in Houston, Texas.

The physical home video of GHOST's worldwide Top 10 box office smash feature film debut "Rite Here Rite Now" was made available on December 6, 2024.

Last Monday, March 31, German metal queen Doro Pesch received a lifetime achievement award in her former hometown of Düsseldorf. The award was presented to the singer in a grand, ceremonial setting by Klaus Meine, frontman of the legendary rock band SCORPIONS.

"I am overjoyed and deeply moved," Doro said. "It is a tremendous honor to receive this lifetime achievement award from my hometown of Düsseldorf."

With heartfelt emotion, she added: "A very special thanks also goes to Klaus Meine of SCORPIONS for his touching tribute and his wonderful friendship. This evening will always hold a very special place in my heart."

The award honors Pesch's groundbreaking career, which began in the 1980s with her band WARLOCK. As one of the first women to break into the male-dominated heavy metal scene, she established herself as a lasting force in the international music industry. With over ten million albums sold and more than 3,500 concerts across 60 countries, the Düsseldorf native is among the most successful female rock musicians of all time.

In a 2023 interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, Pesch was asked if she is married or she has a "partner". She responded: "What you see is what you get. Usually I'm always on tour or in the studio. That's definitely my world. And I never thought of settling down or getting married or having kids. Maybe another lifetime, but it's not much to it. I have a friend — yeah, he's kind of a boyfriend — and have many friends. I never felt the urge to get married and [have] kids."

She continued: "I made up my mind when I was 24. I was one day waking up. I was living in New York City, which I love so much, New York. And then I woke up and I thought, 'Okay, today I will choose my priorities.' And then I thought, what do I really want? And then it was clear. I wanna do music and I wanna make people happy, empower people. And I wanna do it for the fans as long as I live. And that is my life. I don't have many hobbies as well. It's only studio, working on songs, going on tour, rehearsing, doing stuff for the fans. And yeah, that's about it."

Pesch added: "I wouldn't wanna have another life. When I was younger, I was a graphic artist, which that was actually cool because I could always work together with the graphic artists or with the painters. So that always helped, when we did the visuals for us."

Back in 2007, Doro told FourteenG.net webzine that starting a family wasn't something she was ever interested in. "Actually, I made a conscious decision a couple of years ago, maybe it was like five, six years ago, and I really thought what I wanted to do in the future and then I thought I definitely wanted to dedicate my life to music. And then in our band everybody was starting to think about maybe getting married and stuff… and then I thought, 'Maybe that's not for me.' Maybe in another lifetime. Right now I'm totally happy."

She continued: "I don't miss it at all; I love kids and you know when I was growing up I always thought I would love to have 10 kids. But now in the past couple of years I know it's probably impossible with the lifestyle and the tour bus and doing what we do. I made a decision and that's good; it definitely makes me happy even [though] it never worked out that I settled down or get married… Sometimes it came close to somebody, where I thought, 'Ah, it could work,' and one year later I was on tour and that was the end of the relationship. I'm not unhappy about having a family, it's just it's different. I feel like the fans are my family. It's a little bit different, but yeah… I feel so close to them that I don't miss anything at all. It's cool."

Doro's latest album, "Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud", was released in October 2023 via Nuclear Blast.

Photo credit: Jan Jaedike



Pictures from this week's ceremony where I received a lifetime achievement award in my former hometown Düsseldorf. Thanks soooo much again to #KlausMeine of #Scorpions for the wonderful speech, to #StefanHerkenhoff for joining me on stage (and on the red carpet) and to everyone who set up and joined this wonderful event.
🤘💪❤️🙏
#Love, #Doro Pesch

📷: DDJ2024
Scorpions
Rheinische Post
#doropesch
#conqueress
#warlock
#allformetal
#allweare

Posted by Doro Pesch Official German on Friday, April 4, 2025

There's been speculation behind closed doors for some time, and at long last it's official: American hard rock veterans HARDLINE, helmed by vocalist Johnny Gioeli (also frontman of the AXEL RUDI PELL band),have signed with Steamhammer/SPV. The five-piece act is currently working on new material for its upcoming studio album, scheduled to be released in spring 2026, to be followed by two headlining tours of Europe, including a number of shows at major summer festivals.

"The time is right, not just for a new album, but also for a complete restart," explains Johnny Gioeli, "not least with the support of an ambitious record company that's always been one hundred percent behind its bands.

"I've known SPV for over 25 years and appreciate how committed they are to their work. They always give their all for their artists. I'm looking forward to working with them and can't wait to start recording our new album in spring 2025."

Gioeli promises his fans an album that couldn't be more typical of HARDLINE, commenting: "We've always had our own, unmistakable sound, that characteristic HARDLINE style, and that's definitely not about to change. There will be no half-hearted experiments with me and my bandmates Alessandro Del Vecchio (keyboards),Luca Princiotta (guitars),Anna Portalupi (bass) and Marco Di Salvia (drums). Everyone will get what they've come to expect from this band and have been familiar with since our '92 debut classic 'Double Eclipse'. We'll get back to our children!"

Steamhammer label manager Olly Hahn is also delighted with this successful coup and looks forward to a promising collaboration.

"Obviously, there's no need to explicitly go into Johnny Gioeli's great qualities as a singer with Axel Rudi Pell, and he's just as fantastic with his own band," Hahn says.

"HARDLINE stands for consistent excellence in the melodic rock genre, and I'm happy that this band is now part of the Steamhammer family!"

HARDLINE 2025 tour dates:

May 03 - SK - Bratislava - Randal Club
May 04 - AT - Vienna - Szene
May 27 - IT - Bologna - Alchemica Music Club
May 28 - IT - Milano - legend Club
June 06 - SE - Sölvesborg - Sweden Rock Festival
June 08 - ES - Villena Alicante - Leyendas Del Rock
September 20 - CH - Tennwil - Rocknacht Festival
November 14 - UK - Nottingham - Saltbox
November 18 - UK - Southampton - The Brook
November 20 - UK - London - The Underworld
November 21 - UK - Crumlin - Patriot
November 25 - UK - Manchester - Bread Shred
November 27 - UK - Wolverhampton - KK's Steel Mill
November 29 - UK - Troon - Winterstorm Festival
November 30 - UK - Newcastle - Digital

In a new interview with The Music Universe, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett spoke about the band's plans to return to the road in 2026 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of POISON's debut album, 1986's "Look What The Cat Dragged In". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You know what? We're in talks right now about that. This week has been the week that we're starting to plan that possibility. I think we should do it.

"I could tour nine months outta the year every year," Rikki continued. "Touring I love. As long as I can see my family, I'm good. Especially the way POISON tours, it's great. It's a great experience. You get to know people out there, all these territories. You get to know the people that do security at the buildings, you get to know the people that supply the food and all this stuff, and then fans that you see every year. It's like this family reunion. And I used to hear older bands talk about that. I'm, like, 'What are you talking about?' Now I know. I get it. Even some of the hotels, you go, like, 'Hey, you were at the front desk the last year I was here.' 'Yeah, welcome back.' And so, yeah, it's pretty cool.

"When somebody said, one time they said, 'You go down the same steps you went up,' it's so true. You run into so many of the same people."

Last December, POISON frontman Bret Michaels told Ethan Dometrius about the band's 2026 touring plans: "So here's the deal. I go through '25. We're doing a bunch of these big festivals [with my solo band] … So I'm doing a bunch of those. And then 2026, C.C. [DeVille, POISON guitarist] and Bobby [Dall, POISON bassist] and Rikki, I'm here because of them, because of us having each other's back in the beginning, through the middle, through right now. And it'll be four years since we've toured, since 'The Stadium Tour', together, and we're just hoping to make this absolutely 40 awesome dates, and just putting every, as we do, putting every ounce of energy on that stage and just bringing an absolute party."

Regarding POISON's mindset when performing live, Bret said: "POISON just goes out there. And I say this, that stadium tour, I was so grateful to be on it. And I just hit that thrust and I couldn't stop… I told 'em, I said, 'I can't stop smiling right now. It's ridiculous.' And we just went out there, and we play real live music. We don't mess around. We just give it, thrills and frills and good times."

Speaking specifically about DeVille's skills as a guitar player, Bret said: "I kid you not, and I get it, POISON's had some good parties, some good times, some highs, lows — that's what you go through as a human being and as a musician — but C.C. and Bobby and Rikki, and I like to put myself in there, we grew up just playing real live music, and C.C. can play; that guy can play… And C.C. up there, his tribute [on 'The Stadium Tour'] to Eddie [Van Halen], who was a friend and he loved, I thought it was not only engaging but it was really sincere. He wasn't doing it just to throw it away; he really meant it."

Last October, Rockett was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he and his POISON bandmates will embark on a headline tour in 2026 or if they will package with another band, possibly as part of another stadium tour. The 63-year-old Rikki, whose real name is Richard Allan Ream, said: "It's not figured out. We have agreed to do a minimum of 40 dates and maybe more. So whatever it works out to be, but it's for sure gonna be that many, at least. And I don't know. I mean, if there's somebody that we can package with that makes sense, great. If there isn't, then we'll headline. Whatever makes sense. I don't know who's going out yet that year, in '26, but if it makes sense to package with somebody, we'll do it. If it doesn't, we'll do it ourselves. It's like Bret said, if you can't do it right, do it anyway. But we'll be doing it right. [Laughs]"

In September 2024, Bret told Arizona Republic about POISON's plan to tour in 2026: "Yeah, that would be incredible. We've just got to work out all the moving parts. But all original members. There's so much planning goes behind that. When I'm out as Bret Michaels, it's simpler because I'm making all the end decisions. When you're in a band like POISON, it's a committee. You go in there, and you figure it out together. You make sure everyone's good. And hopefully, we can make that work in '26."

Asked if things were "good" between him and his POISON bandmates during the 2022 "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and Joan Jett, Bret said: "Absolutely. I want to be very clear. Other than an occasional throw down fistfight — I'm not making this up — we're like best friends. But there's no gray area. All of a sudden, we'll get in a fistfight. But the next day, we'll go out and play. We'll work it out like a band of brothers. 'The Stadium Tour' was amazing. We were having fun. We didn't get too many soundchecks. We just dealt with what we were given and were grateful to be there. DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY, they were amazing. They played great. But we just came out, and we knew we had one hour at 6 o'clock to go out there and give it everything we had. And it was one of the only stadium tours that from Live Nation's lips to everyone's ears, it was 98 to 100% filled when POISON went on."

Earlier in September, Michaels released a statement via social media in which he said that he was planning to "perform limited shows" in 2025 to focus primarily on his health, "starting with my diabetes which needs a tune-up, not to mention a little R&R." He added that 2026 "would be the perfect" time for a POISON 40th-anniversary tour, "with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs, and rock the world."

Bret's explanation came two days after Rockett revealed on social media that Michaels was no longer interested in touring with POISON in 2025.

On September 10, 2024, the POISON drummer took to his official Facebook page to write: "I keep getting asked multiple times a day, 'Why isn't POISON touring in 2025 now?' Super simple answer, Bret doesn't want to." The following day, Rikki clarified: "People, I never said that Bret is cancelling the 2025 tour. It didn't get booked. I said the reason POISON isn't touring in 2025 is because Bret doesn't want to. Doesn't matter what the reason for him is as far as what I said. I'm simply telling you why so that CC, Bobby or myself doesn't get blamed. It isn't dirt. It isn't a fight. Just the facts, ma'am. Surmise what you want from it. You will anyway!"
A year ago, Bret spoke about POISON's plans to regroup for more shows following the band's 2022 participation in "The Stadium Tour" alongside MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and Joan Jett. During a February 25, 2024 question-and-answer session aboard the Rock Legends Cruise XI, he said about his motivation for going back out on the road with POISON after spending most of his time touring with his solo band: "We've known each other since we've been in junior high school… I wouldn't be here without Bobby or Rikki or C.C. And then, as you go along, we've been together a long time — still great friends. If anyone saw 'The Stadium Tour', that was a party. And when you're out there with that DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY and Joan, you're talking A-plus awesomeness. And we just came out and brought it.

"For me, what it is, we do about a couple of years solo, and then we'll go out and do 35 or 40 dates with POISON," he explained. "And we set it up, we schedule it."

POISON's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

In 2018, POISON completed the "Nothin' But A Good Time" tour with CHEAP TRICK and POP EVIL.

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". An album of covers, "Poison'd", followed in 2007.

Back in 2018, Dall said that POISON "should" be making a new studio album but claimed that he didn't know if it would happen. "I'm not going to bullshit you and say there's any [new music] in the process [of being made]," he told All That Shreds. "Would I like there to be? Yes. But, it's a matter of everyone having the time. Everybody in the band has other commitments. Some members have younger children than others. So between those two issues, it's difficult, and, you know, [there are] health issues as we get older. Should we be making a new record? Yes, definitely. But will it happen? I don't know."

In a 2017 interview, Rikki acknowledged that part of the reason the band hasn't been motivated to work on new music has been the fact that fans rarely show interest in hearing fresh material performed live when classic rock groups go on tour. "We could write the second coming of 'Talk Dirty To Me', and I don't know if people wanna hear it or not, and that's a frustrating thing; it really is," he said. "AEROSMITH was able to do it, but not everybody is. I mean, even THE ROLLING STONES have had problems with that in the last few years. So… I don't know. But I do think it's important to stay viable. For the 'über fans,' it's always a really, really good thing. And that's what you do it for — you do it for you, you do it for the real fans, the real true fans."

More recently, Rockett admitted that he and other members of POISON harbored some resentment toward Michaels, whose frequent tours as a solo artist caused the band to take a five-year break from the road.

"I think we need to get away from each other and do other things, but at the same time, I think he spent a little too much time away," Rockett said. "There's definitely some resentment, but not resentment like I want him to fail. I want him to do good. I just want POISON to be important too, and I would like [him] to put a little more energy into POISON."

In a new interview with American Musical Supply, Zakk Wylde spoke about the possibility of more music from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY after the release of two singles, "The Gallows" in September 2024 and "Lord Humungus" this past February. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We did the 'Lord Humungus' video and then we did 'The Gallows'. And I'm actually enjoying this process of doing the album this way where instead of usually you do the album, it's all done, then you make two videos or whatever and then you put them out and then it's kind of run its course — or maybe three videos. Now I think we're just gonna keep pumping out videos and doing singles and things like that until we're ready to tour in 2026 or whatever. Because everything's right now is dedicated to the PANTERA celebration. So we're doing that. And then in the spots that are in between there, we're having a blast with the ZAKK SABBATH stuff. And then, sometime in 2026, then it's time for the BLACK LABEL [to hit the road again], so we'll throw that one in high gear."

Asked about how much easier it is for him to record music now that he has a home studio at his disposal, Zakk said: "It's great… Most the time when we would do a record, it's just like there's an implosion of ideas. You write 'em, and then you're done. And then when you get some other ideas and it's time to write another [song], then you come up with this other thing… It's an implosion of ideas, and then you're done… Even with 'The Gallows' and 'Lord Humungus', it was just kinda like I was jamming on 'em in my weight room on my amp. And then I was like, 'Oh, this is a cool riff. I like this thing.' And then just put a melody to it, and then the guys came out and recorded it. And then we just recorded it just then, so it wasn't like it's been sitting around for a while."

When it eventually arrives, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's twelfth studio LP will be the follow-up to "Doom Crew Inc.", which came out in November 2021 via MNRK Heavy.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY headlined Zakk's inaugural music festival, Berzerkus, on September 14, 2024 at Poconos Park in Bushkill, Pennsylvania. Berzerkus was co-headlined by outlaw country music's Cody Jinks.

Wylde formed BLACK LABEL SOCIETY in 1998 and has kept the band busy in between touring and recording with Ozzy Osbourne, whose backing group he first joined more than three and a half decades ago.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Order Of The Black" (2010) and "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican" (2014) both broke into the top five on the hard rock album charts.

Since first joining Ozzy, Zakk has played on all of the BLACK SABBATH singer's solo albums except for 2020's "Ordinary Man", including such classic efforts as "No More Tears" (1991),"Ozzmosis" (1995) and "Black Rain" (2007).

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:

Zakk Wylde - vocals, guitar, piano
John "JD" DeServio - bass
Jeff Fabb - drums
Dario Lorina - guitar

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson was asked what it was like to work with late RUSH drummer Neil Peart, both as a lyricist and as a drummer. Alex responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Neil was amazing to work with. He was very, very bright, very, very intelligent. He was a great observer of things, and he had that skill or that ability, or whatever you wanna call it, talent to put things in words that everyone can relate to. He was very descriptive in a certain way that you could immediately relate to what it is that he's talking about. And it was always multi-purpose; there were other layers to his observations."

Lifeson continued: "As a drummer, obviously, [Neil] was amazing. I mean, I was lucky to stand in front of him for 40 years, and I can tell you that that guy could play like no one else could."

Asked if he knew that RUSH's August 2015 concert at the Forum in Los Angeles would be the band's last, Alex said: "Yeah… Well, when we played the last show, Neil was done with touring. He just didn't wanna tour anymore. He felt like he was not able to play a hundred percent. It was getting more difficult. Playing a three-hour set the way he played, yeah, I get it, for sure. And he was just tired of it. And in his mind, that was it. So we did that last show and Ged [RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee] and I felt probably like it wasn't quite over for us. We still had gas in the tank, but what are you gonna do? We fully understood what Neil was on about. If he couldn't play a hundred percent, it just wasn't worth it to him to play. So that was it. And I remember the gig and I remember the Forum and looking at the wall at the clock on the back wall that I saw 23 other times that we played there and I looked at faces that I knew I wouldn't see again that followed us for decades. It was a very, very powerful moment. Yeah, it was quite sad, really."

Asked if it's true that he has known Geddy since 1968, Alex said: "Yeah, a little earlier than that, 'cause we were in high school, we were in junior high school together. So I think we've known each other since 1965, in fact. So we've been best friends for all those years. I had dinner with him the other night. We had some friends in town that were touring with another band, tech guys. We had a lovely dinner together, all three of us. I'm gonna go over to his place today. We're gonna drink coffee and talk and shoot the crap."

Lifeson added: "He's my best bud. And we all have best buds that you like to hang around with and do stuff with. And I just happened to be playing in a band with my best bud for 40 years. So, it's a little outside, I guess. But yeah, we're just very, very good friends."

After Meltdown suggested that it might be a good idea for Alex and Geddy to go out on a tour where they would do "a storyteller song thing with just the two of them", Lifeson said: "When Ged was on his book tour for [his memoir] 'My Effin' Life', I did the Toronto show and I also did London and Portsmouth in the U.K. And it was that — it was basically sitting on a couch and just talking. And the great thing, the Toronto show, the first one that he did, we just sat and we talked as if we were in his living room, sitting on a couch and talking, and just goofing around and laughing. Our life together is goofing around and laughing. So, yeah, that could probably be a fun thing to do, actually."

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Since Peart's death, Lifeson and Lee have not recorded any new music or performed live under the RUSH name, although both of them confirmed that several drummers reached out to them in the days after the legendary drummer's passing about the possibility of stepping in for Neil.

Lifeson made his mark on the music industry over 50 years ago, redefining the boundaries of progressive rock guitar. His signature riffing, copious use of effects processing and unorthodox chord structures befitted him the title by his RUSH bandmates as "The Musical Scientist." While the bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with RUSH, he has contributed to a body of work outside of the band as a guitarist, producer and with the release of his 1996 solo album "Victor". Lifeson ranks third overall in the Guitar World readers' poll of "100 Greatest Guitarists" and is also included in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time."

ENVY OF NONE, the band featuring Lifeson, Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH),Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, released its second album, "Stygian Wavz", on March 14 via Kscope.

SHADOWS FALL frontman Brian Fair has blasted the Trump administration over the sweeping tariffs that have been placed on trillions of dollars' worth of goods that are imported into the United States and the effect the tariffs will have on the instrument market.

Fair, who works for St. Louis Music — one of the largest general distributors of musical instruments and accessories in North America — took to his Threads account earlier this week to write: "I work for a company that owns a variety of instruments brands: guitars, percussion, orchestral strings, brass, woodwinds etc. our landing costs have sky rocketed and those costs are being turned into higher prices that will be unfortunately be handed down to the consumers.

"We have tried to avoid increases where ever possible but a lot of it is unavoidable," he continued. "Some of these brands used to be made in the US but that priced them entirely out of the market so production shifted to overseas many years ago.

"I work directly with Main St. brick and mortar music stores, some that are barely scraping by. These increases, no matter how small, will make it even more difficult for these stores to survive.

"I am by no means an expert on international trade but I am seeing the damage caused by these tariffs first hand and this is just the beginning," Fair added. "Hope there is still a market left once the dust clears.

"Also, the idea that domestic or other manufacturers that are NOT affected by tariffs won't raise their prices to match the market have not paid attention to history. We saw prices increased by those unaffected as soon as they were announced and as we see with inflation, once prices go up they do not come down for any reason. The market resets, everyone jumps on board to maximize profits regardless of their costs and keeps it moving."

According to Billboard, top guitar brands like Fender, Martin, Taylor and more create many of their moderately priced products in Mexico. In addition, popular drum kit manufacturers like PDP, Yamaha and Pearl all list instruments made in China on their sites.

While China is the largest manufacturing hub for products worldwide, there is also a lot of instrument manufacturing in Mexico, U.S., Canada and Indonesia, as well as in Europe.

Because of Trump's announcement of sweeping new tariffs on U.S. imports earlier this week, stocks tumbled for a second straight day today. This has raised concerns among investors stashing away money in retirement funds like 401(k)s.

Since Trump was sworn into office for his second term in January, the U.S. stock market has seen $9.6 trillion in value erased, according to data from FactSet and Dow Jones Market Data. Of those losses, $5 trillion has been erased just over the past two days — the largest two-day loss on record.

On Thursday (April 3),stocks recorded their biggest one-day drop since 2020, with more than $2 trillion in investor wealth erased from the S&P 500. The Dow and S&P 500 each sank more than 4% yesterday, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq plunged nearly 6%.






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In a recent interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, Don Dokken spoke about the possibility of a new DOKKEN album to follow up "Heaven Comes Down", which came out in October 2023. Regarding the positive reactions to the band's latest effort, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. [There's been a] good response. I mean, that first video we put out, 'Fugitive', got a million views, and I went, 'Wow, a million.' These days people click on something for 10 seconds and they move on to the next video. We got a million on 'Fugitive' and I think that 'Saving Grace' is kicking ass too. And we did two other videos, 'Gypsy' and 'Over The Mountain', the animated ones. So it seems people [like the album], and record sales are up, and I'm, like, 'I guess we made a good record.' It took us two years."

Elaborating on why it took so long to complete "Heaven Comes Down", Don said: "It had to do with COVID. We had all that downtime to write 20 songs and narrow it down to the 10 best, so we didn't have to what I call — we didn't wanna put any 'B' songs on the record.

"I get disappointed sometimes when I hear some of my peers, and there's the one song they put out, and then I listen to the whole record and download it or buy it, and I think some of the stuff's not up to par," he continued. "That's just my opinion. It's, like, 'Well, that's a good song. That's a good song. And that's not a good song. That's not a good song.' So it just sounds like some people, they get their strongest tracks and then just throw the rest of it together 'cause of the timeline. But COVID, yeah, definitely put the kibosh on me and all of us."

On the topic of the likelihood of another DOKKEN studio album, Don said: "We probably won't make any more records, which is unfortunate, that I can't make any more records. 'Heaven Comes Down' is probably our last record. I wish I could keep making music, but I can't because of my right hand being paralyzed. So I can't play guitar anymore… Luckily a lot of the tracks we did on this album started two years ago. We just had a lot of time. And sometimes I'd go in the studio to sing or before play guitar before my arm got paralyzed, and I had good days and bad days. And my producer would come over and I'd say, 'I don't know if I can cut this tonight.' So we'd give it a shot. I'd warm up and looking out over the mountain range and the city lights below my house and say, 'Not tonight, man. I'm just not feeling it.' So we'd go to another track and I'd try to analyze it and say, 'Can I make this bridge better?' Or is the chorus, do I have something better in me? You Then I'd go to something else and sometimes I'd get something better. And I think that's what happened with this album. I just said, 'Let's just really push the envelope. We're not in any hurry.' I've done 13 records and I don't crank 'em out like cotton candy; I just don't."

Asked if there are any previously unreleased songs that could be grouped together and made available as a new record, Don said: "We have three songs that we wrote for 'Heaven Comes Down'. And I really liked them. And actually I was playing guitar on those, so that was kind of cool, before I lost my hand. But the record company thought they were too dark — I don't even what that means, dark — and they held them back. So we've got three songs in the vault there. Jon [Levin, DOKKEN guitarist] had a couple songs he held back. So, yeah, there's stuff, but not much."

After Ratches suggested the possibility of a new DOKKEN EP, Don said: "Funny you said that. I was talking to [former DOKKEN guitarist George] Lynch. He's been playing some shows with us as special guest, and he comes on stage and plays two or three, four songs at the end of the show. And he said, 'You sure you don't wanna do another record?' And I said, 'Well, I really can't. I'm limited.' And I said, 'But maybe if you came up with a couple of song ideas that I could write lyrics to. Yeah, I'd take a stab at it.' But it would probably be an EP."

The follow-up to 2012's "Broken Bones", "Heaven Comes Down" was produced by Bill Palmer and Don Dokken and was mixed by Kevin Shirley (AEROSMITH, IRON MAIDEN).

In August 2023, DOKKEN released the music video for the album's first single, "Fugitive". The clip was directed by Chris Eyre ("Dark Winds", "Smoke Signals") and was filmed at the popular immersive arts venture Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

DOKKEN released an album called "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" in August 2020 via Silver Lining Music. Featuring sleeve art by renowned U.S. artist Tokyo Hiro (MOTÖRHEAD, MOTLEY CRÜE),the effort contains material written and recorded by a hungry young Don Dokken as he embarked upon a journey which started in Southern California and Northern Germany.

DOKKEN's classic lineup of Dokken, Lynch, bassist Jeff Pilson and drummer "Wild" Mick Brown completed a short Japanese tour in October 2016, marking the first time in 21 years the four performed together.

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018.

At some of the recent DOKKEN shows, Lynch has been rejoining the band on stage to perform three of the classic DOKKEN songs: "Kiss Of Death", "When Heaven Comes Down" and "Tooth And Nail".

Melodic rockers Giant have unveiled their new single and lyric video “A Night To Remember,” taken from their new upcoming album Stand And Deliver, out on May 16, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.

Giant returns with a powerful new chapter in their storied career, featuring a fresh lineup that propels the band’s signature sound to exhilarating new heights.

Drummer and founder David Huff expressed his excitement for the new album:

“Making Giant records has always been our passion! Thanks to everyone at Frontiers we can make our dreams happen. I know it’s a bit of a different lineup but whoever is in the lineup the legacy of Giant lives on.”

The forthcoming album entitled Stand And Deliver showcases once again the talents of David Huff on drums, Mike Brignardello on bass, Kent Hilli (of Perfect Plan) as the commanding lead vocalist, with the addition of Jimmy Westerlund (One Desire) on guitars. Westerlund also takes on mixing duties alongside Alessandro Del Vecchio, who adds his touch on keyboards as a featured guest.

As if this dynamic combination of talent was not enough, the album also includes some gems penned by the original guitarist and singer Dann Huff including “Time To Call It Love” (a collaboration with the late Mark Spiro), “Holdin’ On For Dear Life” and “Paradise Found”, coming both from his sessions with Van Stephenson, which strongly link the new album with the sound of the classic album Time To Burn.

However, with this new album, Giant deliver the hard-hitting rock and melodic hooks that fans have come to expect, while pushing the boundaries of the genre with a state-of-the-art production.

Preorder the new album here.

Stand And Deliver tracklisting:

“It’s Not Right”
“A Night To Remember”
“Hold The Night”
“I Will Believe”
“Beggars Can’t Be Choosers”
“It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over”
“Stand And Deliver”
“Time To Call It Love”
“Holdin’ On For Dear Life”
“Paradise Found”
“Pleasure Dome”

t was revealed in June 2024 via Deadline that Ali Afshar‘s ESX Entertainment has signed on to develop and produce the musical biopic, Wind Of Change, which will tell the story of three unlikely friends whose passion for rock n’ roll fuelled their rise from the ashes of post-World War II Germany to the global stardom in the 1980s as the multi-platinum rock band, Scorpions. French-born filmmaker Alex Ranarivelo (American Wrestler: The Wizard) will direct.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone Brazil, singer Klaus Meine says Ranarivelo is a big fan of the band and it was he who came up with the idea of ​​making a biopic instead of a documentary.

The vocalist says (translated): “We are still in the process of setting up the whole project. We want filming to start soon, but we don’t know exactly when yet. We hope they can finish everything in the next few months, so that it coincides with the band’s 60th anniversary. They will tell the story of Scorpions from a different point of view. The producer is Persian, lives in Los Angeles and has worked very closely with Warner Bros for many years.”

Super7 has released a new figure of late Motörhead legend, Lemmy.

Get ready to raise some hell with the Lemmy Vintage Figure! This 5.5” scale, articulated Vintage figure is inspired by the muscle-bound action figures made popular in the 1980s and brings Motörhead’s legendary frontman to life in all his rock ‘n’ roll glory. Donning an intricately painted, über-detailed War Pig muscle tee and armed with his signature bass guitar, Lemmy stays ready to shred.



Packaged on a full-color blistered cardback that screams “Born to Raise Hell,” this Lemmy Vintage figure captures the wild spirit of one of rock’s most influential icons and is sure to be a centerpiece for any music collection—add it to your lineup of music legends today!

Alice Cooper & Revox have teamed up to bring you something truly special: the Alice Cooper Limited Edition Tape Recorder B77 MK III and the Turntable T77.



Imagine enjoying Alice’s music at home, sounding as if you’re actually in the studio, cranked to 11. Now, that dream can become a reality!

Both machines feature a unique Alice Cooper design and are very limited editions – with only 25 tape recorders and 50 turntables available worldwide. Don’t miss your chance to own one of these Alice Cooper collectibles



Each piece is signed and numbered by Alice himself and includes a Master Tape or Master Vinyl of the EP “The Sound Of A.” These exclusive items offer not only an incredible true analog sound experience, but are also visually stunning.

Curious to learn more? Watch the video below, and visit revox.de/alicecooper-limited-edition.

Jack Douglas, who produced Aerosmith’s Get Your Wings (1974), Toys In The Attic (1975), Rocks (1976), Draw The Line (1977), and Rock In A Hard Place (1982), is still holding out hope that it’s not the end for the group after Steven Tyler’s vocal-cord injury forced them to cancel the remainder of their Peace Out: The Farewell Tour in 2024, reports New York Post. He’s still wishing that the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers can go out with a bang.

“I hope so,” Douglas told The Post. “I don’t know, I hear rumors. But I’m sure that they would love to, you know?”

Last August, Aerosmith announced that they were retiring from touring because of Tyler’s vocal injury, with the singer fracturing his larynx during an early show on the farewell trek in September 2023 at Long Island’s UBS Arena.

But Douglas refuses to believe that that sweet emotion is gone forever — even if Aerosmith isn’t playing together as a band anymore.

“I mean, Joe [Perry] is gonna keep rocking,” he said of the Aerosmith guitarist who continues to perform solo and with the supergroup Hollywood Vampires.

Likewise, Tom Hamilton – who co-wrote “Sweet Emotion” on Toys In The Attic — is still plucking that bass. “Tom’s got a band, Close Enemies,” said Douglas. “I mean, these guys want to keep playing.”

Finnish one-man dark folk band, Nobody, is set to release a new EP, Saint Devil In The Fields, on May 8th, 2025 via Inverse Records. The first and only single, “Eight Bullets Of Death” is unleashed today.

The man behind Nobody, Tuomas Kauppinen comments the single:

“‘Eight Bullets Of Death’ is a death ballad of madness and wicked desire that springs from the tale of the largest-scale massacre of policemen in Finnish history. Driven by their mutual hatred of society, two lovers engage on a rampage of murder across the Nordic landscape, leaving behind a trail of bodies from small town to small town. At their final moments of doom before their inevitable death, the couple vows to find each other in the next world, above or below.”

Listen to “Eight Bullets Of Death” on streaming services found here.



Tracklist:

“Eight Bullets Of Death”
“I Fucking Hate Jesus”
“Pogrom Nights”
“Swamp Dance”

Step into the electrifying world of Bloodstock Open Air Metal Festival 2023, where Ugly Kid Joe took the stage by storm on August 13th, delivering an unforgettable performance of their classic hit, “Everything About You”. Known for their signature blend of hard rock and metal-infused energy, the band captivated the festival crowd with their raw power, infectious energy, and undeniable stage presence.

As the opening chords rang out, fans erupted in excitement, singing along to every word of the rebellious anthem that has stood the test of time. From die-hard followers to new generations of rock enthusiasts, the audience united in a thrilling display of headbanging and fist-pumping, proving that Ugly Kid Joe’s music remains as relevant and electrifying as ever.

Season Of Mist is proud to welcome Dopelord!

Since budding out of Poland in 2010, Dopelord have cultivated their own heavily psychedelic strand of stoner metal. While they worship at the altar of the almighty riff, the band’s discography is blessed with haunting choruses, catchy trancelike riffs and other signs of the occult.

Dopelord is busy crafting full-length album number 6(66). When they’re not lighting up the studio, the band are out rolling the road with their hazy magick ritual. With highly regarded appearances at festivals like Brutal Assault, and tours with current and former Season Of Mist labelmates Stoned Jesus and Saint Vitus, the smoke from their weed cult stretches over the world of metal like a dank, dark cloud.

Come party with Dopelord as the band celebrates its 15th anniversary next month with a return to London’s Desertfest, and five shows across their home country. Later this year, they’ll join legendary tokers Orange Goblin for the English heavies final show in Finland.

“We are beyond excited to announce that we are joining Season Of Mist!” Dopelord says. “We are honored to be working with a label that has such a rich history and supports so many amazing bands. Get ready for some heavy, psychedelic doom that will take you on a journey deep into your mind. See you on the road!”

Catch Dopelord live at the following shows:

May
16 – Warszawa, Poland – Klub Mechnik
18 – London, UK – Desertfest
22 – Katowice, Poland – Piaty Dom
23 – Poznan, Poland – Pod Minoga
24 – Krakow, Poland – Alchemia
25 – Wroclaw, Poland – Liverpool

November
15 – Helsinki, Finland – Ääniwalli

Testimony Records have announced progressive death metal alchemists Azure Emote have signed with the label. Azure Emote will release their fourth full-length via Testimony Records in 2025.

“We are excited to join ranks with Testimony Records!” mastermind Mike Hrubovcak states. “Creativity and professionalism merge, to deliver a refreshing new offering to the metal masses! We believe our unique blend of progressive extremity will make a nice addition to their already top tier list of killer artists. Get ready to be massively surprised by the innovative brutality of our upcoming album!”

“We are thrilled to announce the signing of Azure Emote,” label manager Thomas Strater enthuses. “Their extreme vision of progressive death metal comes without any boundaries. Their musical creations do not wallow in pretentious bragging but their songs teem with fascinating structures and a plethora of innovative details. All members have or continue to perform in legendary bands, which makes Azure Emote a true melting pot of creating music without mindcuffs.”

Azure Emote were founded by vocalist and keyboard player Mike Hrubovcak with the support of long-time friend and the band’s guitarist Ryan Moll in Philadelphia, PA in 2003. His intention was the creation of an experimental musical outlet to express personal negativity without the arbitrary limitations of genre that are so often present within the extreme metal scenes.

Often dubbed avant-garde or progressive death metal, the unique sound of the Americans incorporates a wide variety of instruments and musical styles, which include elements of experimental, industrial, electronic, doom, progressive, and blackened death metal.

Lineup:
Mike Hrubovcak – vocals, keyboards, compositions
Ryan Moll – guitars
Mike Heller – drums
Kelly Conlon – bass, trumpet
Pete Johansen – violins

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", POP EVIL frontman Leigh Kakaty was asked which METALLICA album he thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Man, how do you pick between those two. I couldn't pick, man. As soon as I pick one, then I'm gonna call you back later and be, like, 'No, no. I choose the other one. I choose the other one.'

"Actually, I've just been playing a lot of the METALLICA pinball lately. So I think I've listened to more of the new album, to be honest," he continued. "'Cause the kids around me are all finding METALLICA for the first time — nieces and nephews — so they're all playing the newer METALLICA stuff, to be honest.

"And again, it's hard to pick old-school METALLICA, 'cause I think of where my life was in those times. But [I'd] probably [pick] 'Master Of Puppets', man — I'd probably give it the 'Stranger Things' advantage. I'm a 'Stranger Things' fan too, so I'd probably give it to 'Master Of Puppets'.

"But, yeah, it's tough, though," Leigh added. "I mean, but even telling you that, I'm, like, 'I shouldn't have said that. I like 'Ride The Lightning' too, man.' But there's so many. I mean, METALLICA is almost not a fair question. They're so iconic. It's, like, what Bible verse do you like? Are you like Jesus? Do you believe in heaven and hell? I don't even know — how do you respond to that? They're so iconic and they're so big that everyone's got a story about METALLICA, for sure.

"But 'Master Of Puppets' — we're gonna go with it, though. I've gotta pick something. I can't cop out."

POP EVIL's eighth album, "What Remains", was released on March 21 via MNRK. Leigh told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the effort: "We feel like it's one of our favorite albums that we've released to date. A lot of personal healing for me, with just stuff I buried, I think, with my career and where we've been all these years. So finally listening to my soul, letting that healing come out on this record, it's just special. And just kind of wanting to challenge people to be positive.

"When you think about the darkest time in someone's life, you have a choice — you wanna stay depressed, you wanna stay in that dark place or you wanna walk forward and try to be better every day?" he continued. "So this album comes from a dark place. But certainly trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel, trying to still be positive and inspire people to be better, starting with ourselves, is definitely [something] that rings prominent on this album. So [I'm] definitely excited about getting it out there and finally an opportunity for our fans to start making it their own. So I'm stoked about it."

POP EVIL first rose to international prominence with debut album "Lipstick On The Mirror", featuring RIAA-certified-gold single "100 In A 55". After Kakaty famously tore up the band's major label contract onstage, POP EVIL signed with MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music). 2011's "War Of Angels" debuted in the Top 10 of the Rock Albums chart and produced three Top 10 singles.

The band's 2013 album "Onyx" put them in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 for the first time and boasted three consecutive No. 1 rock songs, two RIAA gold singles, and one platinum single "Torn To Pieces". POP EVIL's next release, "Up", was the No. 1 Independent Album in America and made it to No. 25 on the Billboard 200. It featured several Top 5 rock songs and a chart-topper with "Footsteps", which also went gold.

POP EVIL's 2018 self-titled set included the No. 1 hit and certified-gold single "Waking Lions" and two other Top 10 hits. 2020's "Versatile", meanwhile, scored two No. 1 rock songs: "Breathe Again" and "Survivor". In 2023, the band released its seventh studio album "Skeletons", which spawned their eighth and ninth No. 1 singles: "Eye Of The Storm" and "Skeletons".

During an April 8 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith spoke about the band's upcoming "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which is scheduled to launch on May 27 in Budapest, Hungary. The trek will mark MAIDEN's first with new drummer Simon Dawson, who previously played with MAIDEN co-founder Steve Harris as a member of his BRITISH LION project. Asked what fans can expect from the tour, Smith said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it should be great. It should be great. A new setlist. We've been doing ['The Future Past'] thing for the best part of three years, so it's a completely new set. I think the fans are gonna absolutely love it. And we'll be starting rehearsing in a couple of weeks. And it's just getting ready for it and going out again. And I can't wait, really.

"After the first show, it'll be all over the Internet," he continued. "Everyone's gonna know the setlist, everyone's gonna know what it looks like, everyone's gonna know the fuckups we made. That's just the way it is now. But, yeah. it'll be special, I think."

IRON MAIDEN's longtime drummer Nicko McBrain played his last-ever gig with the band more than four months ago in São Paulo, Brazil.

The 72-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on December 7, 2024 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. He also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the iconic heavy metal act.

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

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

The São Paulo performance marked the final show of "The Future Past" world tour, which began in May 2023.

Last September, IRON MAIDEN promised fans "a spectacular and elaborate new show" on its 50th anniversary tour in 2025 and 2026.

MAIDEN said it will "cover classics and fan favorites from the first nine albums, from 'Iron Maiden' to 'Fear Of The Dark', many of which we haven't played in years and many we will likely never play again in the future. We have already been hard at work for months putting together an even more spectacular and elaborate new show which will bring the songs to life more than we have ever been able to do before."

"Fear Of The Dark" marked singer Bruce Dickinson's last album before he exited MAIDEN and then later returned in 1999.

Smith was born in Hackney, East London, on February 27, 1957. He joined IRON MAIDEN at the end of 1980. Adrian is the bandmember who has collaborated on the most side projects outside of IRON MAIDEN, as well as writing and recording a series of albums in the early '90s, before rejoining the band.

Tapped to replace Clive Burr in 1982 after touring activities for the "Number Of The Beast" album concluded, McBrain brought a degree of finesse and technicality that was largely missing from IRON MAIDEN's early output. Whereas Burr was often lauded for his heavy-handed, punk-oriented style, McBrain was largely the opposite, playing with a degree of dexterity and flair that helped primary songwriter Harris take MAIDEN down more adventurous paths. He eventually became the third longest-tenured member of MAIDEN, behind Harris and guitarist Dave Murray.

McBrain spent his early drumming years playing for the likes of Pat Travers and French rockers TRUST, eventually falling on to the radar of Harris and MAIDEN during the group's initial European tour.