GUNS N' ROSES have shared a video recap of the band's two concerts at Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 17-18. Check it out below.

According to Pollstar, 73,287 tickets were sold for GUNS N' ROSES' Buenos Aires shows, which was the only two-night engagement during the band's fall run of Latin American dates.

GUNS N' ROSES' October 14 concert at Santiago, Chile's Estadio Nacional drew the largest crowd of the tour, with 42,903 fans in attendance.

The first eight shows of GUNS N' ROSES' Latin American tour sold a total of 239,239 tickets for a combined gross of $23.2 million, according to Pollstar.

During the opening song of GUNS N' ROSES' October 18 concert in Buenos Aires, singer Axl Rose appeared to lose his temper, violently throwing his microphone at the drum kit, tearing off his leather jacket and storming off stage. At a later point in the show, Rose walked up the drum riser and kicked the bass drum, telling the crowd: "So, I'll just try and wing this". At the time, it was unclear whether Rose's frustration was directed at the sound onstage or if he was dissatisfied by Isaac Carpenter's performance behind the kit. The drummer joined GUNS N' ROSES earlier this year, replacing longtime member Frank Ferrer.

Five days later, GUNS N' ROSES took to social media to explain the incident. "During the opening song at our recent Buenos Aires concert, Axl's in-ear monitor pack had only the percussion in his ears versus his entire mix," a statement from the band read. "The issue was fixed by our tech team by the third song, and we had a great night. The situation had nothing to do with Isaac Carpenter's playing, who is top notch and a great drummer."

Prior to joining GUNS N' ROSES, Carpenter was a member of GN'R bassist Duff McKagan's LOADED. Isaac's career also spans an impressive roster of acts, including live and studio work with AWOLNATION, Adam Lambert, the hardcore metal outfit BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA, A PERFECT CIRCLE, THE EXIES, OURS and BLACK LAB, in addition to his large session film and TV roster. Carpenter made a name for himself by uniquely blending versatility and groove with crushing force and technical skill, cementing his reputation as a multifaceted drummer in the industry.

Earlier this year, McKagan spoke about Carpenter's role in GUNS N' ROSES, comparing him to the band's previous drummers Ferrer, Steven Adler and Matt Sorum. "Isaac has got this ability to swing and groove that only a few drummers have," Duff said. "Steven had it as well, Steven Adler, and Matt is a great, solid drummer with amazing fills — and Matt's amazing. They're both amazing drummers. And Isaac somehow blends both of those two guys and adds his own thing. So he adds a new sort of excitement to the songs. And the groove and swing of the songs right now with Isaac is super impressive and super fun."

Axl's onstage meltdowns in the 1980s and 1990s were legendary. He famously took exception to an unauthorized photographer in the audience during a show in St. Louis in July 1991 and jumped into the crowd to stop the fan from filming the concert with a camcorder. Returning to the stage, he said: "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home." The show ended and the audience decided to riot. Rose was charged in the matter, but those charges were later dismissed.

GUNS N ROSES' current touring lineup consists of Rose, Carpenter, McKagan, guitarists Slash and Richard Fortus, and keyboardists Melissa Reese and Dizzy Reed.

In a new interview with Cutter's Rockcast, CREED guitarist Mark Tremonti was asked if there has been any talk of him and his bandmates working on some fresh music. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. When we did all this touring [over the course of the last couple of years], we were so busy that there was no way for us to really put new music together. And the tour was already on sale, so to jump off tour to record an album wouldn't have been the right move. But now that we have all the time going forward, I think promoters and agents and managers are all, like, 'All right, you gotta have something, a driver for the next tour. You can't just go out and do the same thing. So there's either gotta be some incredible package you put together or new music.' So, I've been working real hard on trying to put together new ideas so I can get together with Scott [Stapp, CREED singer] and start working. But, it would probably have to be the middle of next year before we start doing that."

In an August 2024 interview with Michael Christopher of Vanyaland, Mark was asked how many riffs and other ideas he has stockpiled for CREED's next album. He responded: "Oh, I've got thousands. Literally thousands. I hoarded my ideas since I was, gosh, since I bought my first little handheld tape recorder — the little micro cassettes — saved my ideas since I was maybe in junior high school, high school."

Earlier that same month, Tremonti told Guitar Interactive magazine that he would like to work on some fresh music with his CREED bandmates. He said: "Yeah, I love writing music and I love doing it in many different ways. I love challenging ourselves, I love to be challenged, and writing for all these different acts, when you get into it, you're, like, how am I gonna differentiate this from my other projects? How are we gonna make this its own thing and not sound like this other band with just a different vocalist on it?"

Elaborating on CREED's possible mindset while working on new music, Tremonti said: "I think putting a fresh look, but also um realizing what people loved about the band and trying to trying to keep that intact and not get too progressive in any way with CREED. We keep that to [my other bands] ALTER BRIDGE and TREMONTI and we keep CREED a little more the way it was back in the day — the big melodies, just the stuff that worked back in the day. I think on [CREED's last album, 2009's] 'Full Circle' record, we got somewhat a little more — I think we strayed a little bit from our original sound with that album. So I think it'd be good to try to get back to that original sound a little more."

This past June, Stapp told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the possibility of new CREED music: "We're talking about it. We're taking things slow. We're rebuilding, we're relearning about each other. We're reconnecting. I think this experience has been kind of like a — it's putting on an old glove, but we've all changed. We're all older, we have kids, we have different responsibilities and priorities in life. And we're all extremely focused. And I think that when that day comes when we decide to make a CREED record, I think it'll be probably, if not on par, better than anything we've ever done. Just based upon the life experience that we have, everything we've done the last two years of playing together, I think that sets the stage that when it's the right time, it's gonna be incredible."

Stapp also talked about what it has been like for him and his CREED bandmates to reunite last summer for the "Summer Of '99" tour, joined by the likes of 3 DOORS DOWN, FINGER ELEVEN, SWITCHFOOT, FUEL, BIG WRECK and DAUGHTRY. The band then headed into arenas last November and December on the "Are You Ready?" tour with 3 DOORS DOWN and MAMMOTH WVH in the U.S. and MAMMOTH WVH and FINGER ELEVEN in Canada. "Man, it's hard to put into words," Scott said about returning to playing arenas. "Of course, the cliché word would be it's surreal. But, man, it was exciting. There was just so much energy and connection between the band guys. We were having a good time, and I hope the audience saw it. And we're fired up up there. I mean, we're soaking it all in, we're all present, we're all in the moment. And we all know what it's like to have that and then not have that, so there's a new level of appreciation for those moments. And I think that that motivates us to play every show like it could be our last, because we've been in that situation where we had that last show and then everything went away. So I think that gives us a new sense of urgency, energy and passion for every show. And to hear the fans sing every song and the energy that's in the room, man, it's a dream come true, and we don't take a moment of it for granted."

In the summer of 2023, after an 11-year hiatus, CREED announced their long-awaited reunion — returning to the stage for the first time at the sold-out Summer Of '99 cruise and Summer Of '99 And Beyond cruise. In May 2024, meanwhile, the band's multiplatinum-selling "Greatest Hits" collection made its wide debut on vinyl (via Craft),landing the collection back into the Billboard Top 200, as well as hitting Top Hard Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and moving up the Top Hard Rock Albums rankings. Originally issued in 2004, the 14-track compilation spans the band's first three albums (1997's "My Own Prison", 1999's "Human Clay" and 2001's "Weathered").

CREED kicked off its first tour in 12 years, "Summer Of '99", on July 17, 2024 at Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

With more than 53 million albums sold worldwide, CREED remains one of modern rock's most successful acts. Now, 30 years into their incredible journey, CREED is bigger than ever. In late 2023, the Texas Rangers made "Higher" their unofficial anthem, as it spurred them to their first World Series win. In early 2024, the song appeared in a high-profile Paramount+ Super Bowl commercial, while a NASCAR Daytona 500 campaign also incorporated the hit single. Along the way, CREED has gained a new generation of fans, thanks to countless TikTok videos that feature their songs.

This past January, Stapp was asked by Sylvia Alvarado of the Las Vegas radio station KOMP 92.3 what the conversation was like about getting CREED back together in July 2023, initially for two different "Summer Of '99" cruise festivals in April 2024, followed by two separate U.S. tour legs last year. Scott said: "There was a time that I didn't think that things would come together. We began having conversations, I think, in 2020 when we started to notice this kind of viral thing happening organically online. And so conversations were had about potentially doing something. And I just felt at the time — I didn't wanna rush it. I didn't wanna just throw something together, and I wanted it to be real. I wanted it to be authentic. I wanted it to be where everyone's heart was in it."

He continued: "I can't really say it was one person or the other [who initiated the discussions]. We all kind of were feeling it. Calls were made. Then management was talking. And we all just kind of migrated to each other organically, kind of the same way we did in 1994 when we started the band. And then when we got together and started rehearsing, the energy within the band — there was so much love in the room, so much support in the room. We all kind of went from back in 2001, [200]2 and [200]3, when we kind of ended our run there, doing multiple nights in the same city and sold-out arenas, having stadiums on hold, we all went our separate ways and started over with our solo careers and our other projects and were back out there [sweating] it out in clubs and bars. And I know it's kind of probably hard for people to believe, but it's true. The other guys did, and I did as well. And it was quite the contrast to what we had just experienced in CREED, but I think it was a necessary thing for us to grow as individuals and human beings, but also to really appreciate what had happened to us between '96 and 2000, into 2003, 2004."

Scott added: "I think everything happened so fast and so quick on our first three CREED records and the rise to arenas was, like, 12 months. I think that's not typical. It's unheard of. And I think when it happens like that, you miss out on what paying your dues does to you in terms of your level of appreciation, your level of maturity, your ability to handle the growth at such a rapid pace when it happens, your gratitude, your gratefulness, your maturity, your understanding of the big picture and your impact. And so I think we kind of did that in reverse. So we had it all and then went back and paid our dues in reverse. I went back to playing clubs, they were playing clubs, and then here we are all these years later bigger than we were when we went away in 2004. And so I think all of that contributed to our gratitude and how we walked in, because we're all much more mature and have a deeper appreciation. And it definitely had an impact on me in my solo career, because I was out there slugging it away on my first three solo records, wondering, 'Should I continue?' I love playing music. I love doing this. It didn't happen like CREED, so initially I was kind of, like, 'What am I supposed to do? I love making music.' But I just kept at it, kept at it, kept at it. And here we are with [my solo single] 'Higher Power' breaking the Top 10 and now 'Black Butterfly' Top 5 and with more music to come. And so it's really been just a complete full-circle experience with CREED and my solo career all kind of peaking at the same time."

Asked what it is like seeing the love that CREED is getting all over again, and a whole new generation is learning about the band, Scott said: "It's probably one of the most gratifying and humbling experiences you can have as an artist, especially where we all are in our hearts and in our minds and in our spirits today. To see a whole new generation that never saw a CREED show — most of them weren't even born when we broke up. I mean, I think the numbers, if I'm quoting them correctly, I think over 80 percent of our tickets sold out of the near-million tickets we sold last year were between [people between the ages of] 18 [and] 35. We have a whole new generation of fans. And all I can say is I'm grateful, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I understand how rare this is. I have an appreciation for it, and I just wanna do it right. And I want to give the fans what they deserve. I wanna represent my children and my friends in the best way that I can, so they're proud of me, and leave a legacy that they're proud of, because it's no secret I went through my struggles, and they were very public and at times very humbling. And so this is an opportunity to kind of end the movie the right way. But I still think the movie's being written. But I think you get what I'm saying by that."

In a new interview with Dawn Osborne of TotalRock, former HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe spoke about his upcoming studio album, "Outerstellar", which will arrive on February 20, 2026 via Silver Lining Music. Regarding the lyrical inspiration for the song "Newtro Bombs", which was apparently written about the "fickleness of fads and fashions", Michael said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I always hated fashion. It ruins everything, 'cause everyone's starting to be the same and it's so boring... It just ruins things. I think as soon as something has a name, like grunge or stuff like that, it's over in my books, because then you've got two million bands trying to sound like the original guys, like NIRVANA — great band, brilliant, but then there's two million guys trying to sound like them. Never sounding as good as the original, but then you get these bands that sound the same and kind of boring and you don't wanna hear. And that's what happens. That's why as soon as something has a name, it's over, in my books.

"So rock and roll is rock and roll," he continued. "HANOI ROCKS, they tried to categorize us, call it heavy metal. Metal was, back then, becoming a genre. They tried to call us metal, then they called us punk, and then they came up with the glam thing. Well, we grew up around the glam period like — in the '70s, me and Andy [McCoy, HANOI ROCKS guitarist] and the guys, of course we were influenced by that. The first band I saw live was SLADE in '72, and then I saw THE SWEET and Suzi Quatro and all. I discovered Little Richard and THE ROLLING STONES, and rock and roll was rock and roll, from the blues the '50s rock, from Little Richard to ROLLING STONES to the RAMONES. So all influences — we took everything, every influence everywhere, and made our own thing about it. And that's what I think everyone should be — find their own thing and be that, and that's it. I mean, somebody's style could be a crew cut and a t-shirt and jeans, and they're fine as that. So just be what you are, be yourself. It doesn't mean [you should] try to look like me. I look like a freak. I mean, most people look ridiculous trying to look like me. And they did at some point, and I thought it was really crazy. Anybody, even if they were a 200-pound truck driver, had to have eyeliner and big blonde hair at some point. And, to me, it was a little bit frustrating, [I would] see so-called hair metal bands who played their hairspray cans better than the instruments. And, to me, music was more important. So it was always the thing. And besides, HANOI ROCKS was not a hair band; we were a hat band. We had the coolest hats. We had a lot of cool hats. So, really, if you wanna call us anything, it would be more a hat band than a hair band. And hair metal — I never wanted to have a big hairdo like that. My hair, I didn't get to cut it so often, so when it was long, I kind of teased it up, it was became bigger than I really wanted. But looking at some of those old pictures, oh God, I didn't want it that big. It was more like a Ronnie Wood kind of cut. Neal Smith, the drummer from ALICE COOPER band in the '70s, he had the coolest hair. He had it nice and wavy and down to his waist, and that's the kind of hair I always wanted. So, it was inadvertently, unintentional that it was so big. It was never supposed to be [like that]."

In support of "Outerstellar", Monroe and his band will embark on a U.K. co-headline tour with BUCKCHERRY, kicking off in Southampton on February 24, 2026.

The Monroe band's all-star lineup features former HANOI ROCKS and NEW YORK DOLLS bass player Sami Yaffa, who has played with Michael since the '80s. On guitar duties are Rich Jones (formerly of the Ginger Wildheart band) and Steve Conte (best known as the guitarist who filled the void left by Johnny Thunders in the NEW YORK DOLLS, as well as playing guitar with many other name acts such as Suzi Quatro, Eric Burden and many more) and drummer Karl Rockfist (who has played with notable acts such as DANZIG).

This past August, Monroe canceled his participation in this fall's U.S. tour as the support act for BUCKCHERRY in order to recover from a ruptured meniscus.

Monroe's latest solo album, "I Live Too Fast To Die Young", came out in 2022 via Silver Lining Music.

Monroe celebrated his 60th birthday in September 2022 at the Helsinki Ice Hall (Helsingin Jäähalli) in Finland. As the grand finale of the concert, the original lineup of HANOI ROCKS, one of Finland's most significant rock bands of all time, took the stage: Monroe, Andy McCoy, Sami Yaffa, Nasty Suicide and Gyp Casino. The "support band" for the show was the reunited DEMOLITION 23. Led by Monroe, the band rose to great cult fame, although they only released one album ("Demolition 23") in 1994 and broke up shortly afterwards. This was DEMOLITION 23's first performance since the band's breakup in 1995.

Monroe and McCoy founded HANOI ROCKS in the late 1970s and the band's original lineup was established in 1980. HANOI ROCKS, the first Finnish rock band to make an international breakthrough, recorded their first three albums with the original lineup: "Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks" (1981),"Oriental Beat" (1982) and "Self Destruction Blues" (1982). Casino was replaced in 1982 by Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley who became an integral member of HANOI ROCKS. Razzle died in a tragic accident in 1984. Unfortunately, this led to the band's untimely demise in early 1985.

HANOI ROCKS did reform once before in 2002, albeit with only Monroe and McCoy from the band's classic lineup, and released a comeback album, "Twelve Shots On The Rocks". The reunion lasted until 2009.

In the video below, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King dives into his decades-long admiration of pinball and how his technical skills as a musician helped him excel across Stern machines.

Kerry says (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I'm sure I was in my teens when I used to go to little miniature golf places, and they had pinballs and shit like that. And the game that we were really into back then was the original Pin-Bot. But we played all of 'em."

Regarding his relationship with Stern Pinball, Inc., Kerry said: "Well, Stern guys, I probably got close with them because my friend Gerardo, who's at Reigning Phoenix Music, was friends with one of the main guys at Stern. Now it's just, like, I've known this guy 20 years, and Stern Pinball isn't somebody that endorses people, but I'm as close with those guys as I think a musician can be."

On the topic of his pinball collection, King added: "My pinball collection is small because I live in New York City now. Mine are all more modern. I think my oldest one is 'South Park', and that's probably 25 years old. They're games that me and my wife are into, like we enjoy playing 'Family Guy'. We like the show. The music ones are special to me 'cause I'm a fan of AC/DC, I'm a fan of METALLICA. The ones with the bands that you can pick your own music to play your game, I think that's pretty cool. Like I mentioned, AC/DC, METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN. I played the AEROSMITH one — same thing; super fun. I played the remake of the METALLICA. I like those better because you can actually rock out to songs that you'd just be playing without a pinball game. Like a SLAYER pinball game with pentagrams and very anti-religious things going on. And I know I don't expect it, but it's just fun to say."

Stern Pinball is the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball machines.

Other Stern Pinball titles include RUSH, LED ZEPPELIN, THE BEATLES and KISS.

A broad range of players enjoy Stern Pinball's games — from professional pinball players who compete in high-stakes competitions around the globe to novice players who are discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time.

IRON MAIDEN, BRING ME THE HORIZON, LIMP BIZKIT and THE OFFSPRING will headline the 2026 installment of Hellfest, set to take place June 18-21, 2026 in Clisson, France.

Hellfest is an annual open-air festival and one of the biggest metal festivals in all of Europe.

After canceling the 2020 and 2021 installments due to the ongoing pandemic, Hellfest returned in 2022 and was held over two weekends, with seven days of performances from many of the biggest metal and hard rock acts in the world.

In 2023, Hellfest moved to a four-day format to welcome more than 200 bands on the six stages of the festival.

Hellfest, which drew 180,000 people in 2019, generally features a lineup which is 90 percent made up of international acts and 20 percent of spectators coming from abroad.

In the heart of the festival, the Hell City Square offers a walk into partner booths, a gallery of exhibitors, a huge metal market with a decoration worthy of the greatest science-fiction movies.

Confirmed bands for Hellfest 2026:

Thursday, June 18:

Mainstage 01:

BRING ME THE HORIZON
PAPA ROACH
BREAKING BENJAMIN
THE PLOT IN YOU
WE CAME AS ROMANS

Mainstage 02:

DEEP PURPLE
ALICE COOPER
THE PRETTY RECKLESS
ALESTORM
MIKKEY DEE With Friends Playing MOTÖRHEAD Classics

Warzone Stage:

SOCIAL DISTORTION
ALL TIME LOW
LAGWAGON
SHELTER
SATANIC SURFERS

Valley Stage:

KADAVAR
UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS
THE INSPECTOR CLUZO
ELDER
TRUCKFIGHTERS

Altar Stage:

IGORRR
THE HALO EFFECT
RIVERS OF NIHIL
DEVANGELIC
SKAPHOS

Temple Stage:

SKÁLD
FEUERSCHWANZ
BORKNAGAR
WINTERFYLLETH
PERCHTA

Friday, June 19:

Mainstage 01:

IRON MAIDEN
HELLOWEEN (40th-anniversary set)
ULTRA VOMIT
ACCEPT
QUEENSRŸCHE
SORTILÈGE
WINDS OF STEEL
BLACKRAIN

Mainstage 02:

SABATON
OPETH
SEPULTURA
BLOODYWOOD
TESSERACT
BROTHERS OF METAL
RETURN TO DUST
URAVENA

Warzone Stage:

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
LA DISPUTE
MALEVOLENCE
CEREMONY
POGO CAR CRASH CONTROL
POINT MORT
DIE SPITZ
GRIDIRON
WAKE THE DEAD

Valley Stage:

MASTODON
SLIFT
LOATHE
TORCHE
STONED JESUS
PRIMITIVE MAN
REZN
YAROSTAN
DRAGUNOV

Altar Stage:

BLOOD INCANTATION
PERIPHERY
DECAPITATED
SYLOSIS
SINSAENUM
BLOOD RED THRONE
CRYPTA
ESODIC
IMPUREZA

Temple Stage:

THE GATHERING
MY DYING BRIDE
ROTTING CHRIST
CARACH ANGREN
TRELLDOM
EINJHERJER
PONTE DEL DIAVOLO
KILLUS
MOURIR

Saturday, June 20:

Mainstage 01:

LIMP BIZKIT
A PERFECT CIRCLE
TOM MORELLO
STATIC-X
ENHANCER
HOUSE OF PROTECTION
THORNHILL
SLAY SQUAD

Mainstage 02:

VOLBEAT
MEGADETH
ANTHRAX
CAVALERA ("Chaos A.D." set)
CRISIX
GATECREEPER
ESCUELA GRIND
INSANITY ALERT
LOCOMUERTE

Warzone Stage:

HATEBREED
LIONHEART
KUBLAI KHAN TX
CRO-MAGS
TRASH TALK
CANCER BATS
KING 810
COMBUST
FALSE REALITY

Valley Stage:

CULT OF LUNA
AMENRA
THE YOUNG GODS
GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS
PYSCHONAUT
FANGE
BRUIT ≤
COLD.CAPSULE

Altar Stage:

DEICIDE
CARCASS
SEPTICFLESH
OBSCURA
SEVERE TORTURE
DEFEATED SANITY
CABAL
PROFANATION
DVRK

Temple Stage:

BEHEMOTH
OLD MAN’S CHILD
AUROA NOIR
ORANSSI PAZUZU
GAEREA
1914
NON EST DEUS
HULDER
VÍGLJÓS

Sunday, June 21:

Mainstage 01:

THE OFFSPRING
THE HIVES
RISE AGAINST
PENNYWISE
THE ATARIS
THE BONES
THE DWARVES
NOT SCIENTISTS

Mainstage 02:

BAD OMENS
ARCHITECTS
THREE DAYS GRACE
BLACK VEIL BRIDES
PRESIDENT
RESOLVE
REVNOIR
THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT

Warzone Stage:

THE ADICTS
AGNOSTIC FRONT
CIRCLE JERKS
BUZZCOCKS
DRAIN
END IT
MAID OF ACE
KAREN DIÓ

Valley Stage:

DOWN
ACID BATH
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
EYEHATEGOD
SOILENT GREEN
BLACK TUSK
GNOME
ALTA ROSSA

Altar Stage:

NAPALM DEATH
POSSESSED
FORBIDDEN
SIX FEET UNDER
FULCI
SUBLIMATE CADAVERIC DECOMPOSITION
BLOODSTAIN
TEMPT FATE

Temple Stage:

MAYHEM
MARDUK
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
SCOUR
GEHENNA
THY LIGHT
AUSTERE
SILHOUETTE

For more information, visit hellfest.fr.

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley died of blunt trauma injuries to his head due to a fall, it has been revealed.

The Morris County Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death in a report obtained by TMZ.com on Monday, November. Ace's manner of death was ruled an accident. He was 74 years old.

According to the report, a CT scan of Frehley's head revealed multiple contusions, bone fractures to the back of his skull, hemorrhages, and a subdural hematoma (the type of bleeding that occurs in a person's brain after a head injury). Additional bruises were found on the musician's hip, thigh, and abdomen. The report also noted that Frehley had suffered a stroke.

Late last month, Frehley's longtime manager John Ostrosky confirmed to the New York Post that the late KISS icon was laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York.

The legendary musician was buried on October 22 following a private memorial on October 21 at Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers, New York.

"We would like to thank Frank Sinatra Jr., Joseph Vivona and the entire staff at Sinatra Memorial Home, as well as Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza, Chief Richard Alaimo, as well as the supervisors, officers, and especially the Traffic Division for a safe escort to Woodlawn," Ostrosky told the New York Post. "Ace would have loved that!"

SiriusXM host Eddie Trunk revealed in a social media post that he was a part of the "small group of family and close friends" — including Frehley's fellow original KISS members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss — who attended both services.

"Ace Frehley was laid to rest in a cemetery in the Bronx, New York — of course, where he grew up, very close to where his parents were buried, which were his wishes," Trunk said in a video posted to Instagram.

The October 21 private service in Yonkers, where Frehley lived in the 1980s, was attended by about 75 people, "mostly musicians who had played with Ace [or] recorded with him," according to Tampa Bay Music News.

Frehley, whose real name was Paul Daniel Frehley, passed away on October 16 peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey. He reportedly died nearly two weeks after a second fall at his home, which led to him being placed on life support after a brain bleed. The musician's family made the heartbreaking decision to take him off the ventilator.

Frehley's family confirmed his death, writing in a statement: "We are completely devastated and heartbroken. In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth.

"We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace's memory will continue to live on forever!"

Ace co-founded KISS with guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss in New York City in 1973. Frehley appeared on KISS's first nine albums, and returned for the band's 1998 reunion album, "Psycho Circus", only to leave again. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the rest of KISS's original lineup in 2014.

Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of KISS's first "farewell tour." Since his departure, guitarist Tommy Thayer had assumed the role of the Spaceman.

Earlier in October, Frehley scrapped the remainder of his previously announced 2025 tour dates due to unspecified "medical issues".

The legendary rocker announced the cancelation two weeks after he pulled out of the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, California after sustaining minor injuries in a fall at his home.

When Ace's Antelope Valley Fair cancelation was first announced, it was revealed that Frehley had had "a minor fall in his studio, resulting in a trip to the hospital." He was later advised by his doctor to refrain from travel in order to fully recover from his injuries.

At the time of his passing, Frehley was working on "Origins Vol. 3", the sequel to Ace's 2016 and 2020 collections of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist.

Ace's latest solo collection of original material, "10,000 Volts", came out in February 2024 via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music). It was the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne.

Frehley has had a rocky relationship with Simmons and Stanley whom he blamed for exacerbating his abuse of drugs and alcohol because they allegedly minimized his contributions to KISS.

In 2019, Simmons told Guitar World that Frehley and Criss had exited KISS three times, in part because they "weren't carrying their load" and weren't dependable onstage. In response, Frehley called Simmons and Stanley "control freaks, untrustworthy and… too difficult to work with."

Ace said in a 2024 interview that he got sober in 2006 after "10 car accidents" and credited his daughter Monique with inspiring him to give up drinking in 2006.

"My daughter calls me up and goes, 'Dad, I'm not hearing good things about you.' I looked in the mirror and just said, 'Shit — she's right,'" he said. "That evening, I called my sponsor and he took me to an AA meeting, and I've been sober ever since."

Frehley married Jeanette Trerotola in 1978 before they legally separated seven years later but remained married. She survives him, along with their daughter Monique, brother Charles, sister Nancy Salvner, and a number of nieces, nephews and extended family members.

Photo credit: Jayme Thornton

During a question-and-answer session with former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson at this past weekend's Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about how he became clean and sober more than 39 years ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "My first sober show [with PRIEST] was at the Tingley Coliseum in [May] 1986 in New Mexico, Albuquerque. That was my first sober show, and I was absolutely terrified. I was terrified. And the first time I sang clean and sober was just something so remarkable. [I was] so elevated, just to feel the music for the first time in its purest sense, uncluttered, in reality. And to hear yourself and your voice, what it can do, your bandmates. I didn't need this stuff — I didn't need any of that to get me where I am."

Rob continued: "Our business used to have a horrible trail of losing people and people getting into really bad ways. A lot of us have recovered. Nowadays when the tour bus pulls up [to a venue], the guys [from the bands] jump off the bus and they pull out weights and are skipping rope by the luggage racks, and that's great. It's less of a thing now, 'cause it was peer pressure. You'd read these rock and roll stories about rockers doing crazy stuff, dangerous stuff. You felt like it was a rite of passage, that you had to go through that, for some extraordinary reason. 'Oh, I do that because so-and-so did that.' And then you're giving your life away for some other purpose, which you should never do."

Halford added: "So anyway, by the grace of God go I, and one day at a time. And I never wanna wake up feeling sick and tired, which is what I used to do."

Asked if there was "a particular moment, a moment of clarity" that changed him, Rob said: "Um, yeah. Yes. It's difficult to express that moment, but when you've had your stomach pumped, because you were so sick of feeling sick and everything around you was so black and dark that you just wanted to leave all of that, that was part of the first major mental crisis that I went through. And then shortly afterwards, after punching the wall for the umpteenth time… I would need my walls fixed, 'cause I was a puncher. After so many drinks, I'd become angry at myself and start punching walls.

Rob continued: "Anybody in recovery will tell you that there's a point where they're just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired anymore, and then you make a change. And you think it's gonna be easy from that point on. No. Every day — for me every day, when a beer commercial comes on, or a hard liquor commercial comes on, I'm [feeling an emotional effect]. It's amazing. It never, ever leaves you. That's why it's called an addiction. I'm an addict. I'm a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. So it never, ever leaves your body. The strength and power that you pull on from your higher power, from the tools that you have from staying clean and sober is a reference right now. It's always ticking in the back of your mind. So, I'm just so happy and grateful that I'm at this place and living in the moment."

Back in 2022, Halford spoke to Spain's Mariskal Rock about how he managed and avoided the urge to relapse since 1986. "I think about it all the time," he said about drinking alcohol. "It's an addiction. When I'm watching the Phoenix Cardinals play on TV the other day, there's constantly adverts for beer and for alcohol and stuff. And I know it's there. And it's a temptation. So you have to have all of the mental tools ready to get you through that instance. 'Cause it's all about instances. And I live one day at a time. I've lived one day at a time for [more than] 35 years now. And that's all that matters. It's the moment. You live in the moment — not yesterday, not tomorrow; it's now. And you have to be ready for when that little beer devil comes on your shoulder and goes, 'Come on, Rob. Have a little drink of beer.' 'Fuck off.' [Laughs] Because I don't wanna feel that way again, man. I don't want to be that person. I was miserable. I wasn't happy. I was bad to people. I don't wanna go through that again. So that's also part of my finding a balance in my day-to-day life."

Rob previously spoke about how he manages to stay clean on the road in a 2020 interview with the "Across The Board" podcast. "It's not easy," he said at the time. "It's very much a day at a time. You're given all the tools and resources from your rehab experience. I use 'em every day. A lot of it is just like mental notes — talking things through. Sometimes I speak 'em out; a lot of it is internal. So that's really vital on a day-to-day level of sobriety.

"When I was in rehab [in 1986], there's anonymity in rehab, but at the same time, you have to tell everybody your life story, so everybody knew what I did. And I remember we talked about the fact that I'm gonna go back to this world of sex and drugs and rock and roll and booze. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to cope, because it won't be a gradual reimmersion into society, so to speak. I won't be able to go tiny steps; I'm just gonna go straight into the deep end. I cannot go to work and say to my bandmates, 'You can't drink. You can't do this. You can't do that,' because it's control. Accept your powerlessness.

"I don't think we ever in the band had a sit-down conversation about this, but I think that there was caring and understanding — as there still is," Halford continued. "But I'd be the last person to say that I have to set a set of rules, because then this whole business of living my life on my terms [turns into something] you push on to other people: 'Well, now, you can't do this,' 'You can't do that.' That's just hypocrisy on the highest level.

"Even now, when we're flying after a show, and the guys are having a beer or a cocktail or whatever, man, I would love that cold beer. I would love a slug of Jack and Coke. I can smell it, 'cause we're in a plane together. It's like this little angel on one side and the devil on the other side. My instant thought is I never wanna be sick again. I never, ever wanna feel that bad ever again. I never want to be in that terrible, dark, lonely place ever again. So it's fleeting. But, again, it's always there.

"When I'm home, especially [during] this COVID thing, [my longtime partner] Thomas doesn't drink. When I first met Thomas, he quit drinking. So that's a support to me. I'm never really around alcohol that much, or drugs, when I'm not working. But, yeah, when my fans, or when PRIEST fans come to see us, yeah, they're gonna have some drinks; they might have a couple of spliffs [and] do whatever else recreationally. They're entitled to. And they are living their lives and they are partying and they are having the time of their lives, as they should. They don't have an alcohol problem; they don't have a drug addiction. There are people that can enjoy these things in life and it [has] no effect on them, in a physical sense and in a mental sense.

"So, it's an absolute miracle," Halford added. "I can only say it's a miracle that I've got that far from January the 6th, 1986 to December the 1st, 2020 without slipping once. And I'm not boasting, because it's all the past — that's the past; it's gone. I live in the moment. I don't think about yesterday or tomorrow; I'm living now. But I'm grateful that I've been able to get this far without failing. Not failing — that's the wrong word. Without a slip off the wagon — whatever the term is. I'm grateful that I've been able to get this far and stay clean and sober. Because if I didn't, who knows where I would have gone and where I would have ended up?"

Halford credited his belief in a higher power for helping him in his recovery. "When I got clean and sober, that was a major change in my life," he said during an appearance on HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show". "And part of my recovery is just having this higher-power belief. And it works. It works, man. It really, really is important."

Halford added: "There probably will be people listening to [this] podcast who don't have anything like that in their life, and that's great; it's all about acceptance. But I always say to people, if you're thinking about it, the simplest thing I do is I pray. I pray quite a bit, actually. And even if you don't believe in prayer, just have a go. Pray for a good day, or just pray for your friend, or whatever it might be. And it's amazing, man, 'cause it absolutely works. I guarantee, it genuinely does work. And now I'm sounding like [American evangelical Christian evangelist] Billy Graham, but I'm just trying to express some of the things that are important to me on a day-to-day basis that make me able to walk out on that stage each night and do my work."

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Halford said that he quit using substances because he "was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I will always remember the first show I did clean and sober… It was in New Mexico, in Albuquerque," he recalled. "I literally felt elevated, as everything was coming with such clarity. I was able to really… enjoy the performance of JUDAS PRIEST without having all of the other things in front of it. Since that day, it has been a miracle."

Halford added, "Everybody has to face things in their lives at some point. It [doesn't have to] be booze and drugs. You can eat too much, or you can not exercise, or whatever… It is not easy staying clean and sober in rock and roll. There are temptations galore from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, especially when you're on the road. [But] I think we're some of the strongest people, my friends and my sober brothers in metal."

Rob's autobiography, "Confess", in which he discusses his journey to sobriety, arrived in September 2020 via Hachette Books. It was written with Ian Gittins, co-writer of "The Heroin Diaries" by Nikki Sixx.

Video below filmed and uploaded to YouTube by Robert Moseley

Following their successful summer of 2025 tour in support of their debut album "True" and their live album "Perpetual Change", JON ANDERSON AND THE BAND GEEKS have announced the first leg of their 2026 "YES Epics, Classics & More" tour. The 10-show run commences on April 17 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut and ends May 7 at the Royal Oak Theater in Detroit, Michigan. As with previous tours, the set list will feature well-known YES classics and deep cuts as well as songs from "True".

JON AND THE BAND GEEKS are currently in pre-production for their second studio album, due to be released in the second half of 2026.

BAND GEEKS was reportedly originally formed by BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's Richie Castellano to perform together on YouTube. Anderson began collaborating with the band after a friend urged him to check out the group's online performance of YES's "Heart Of The Sunrise".

The dates for leg one of the 2026 tour are below:

April 17 - Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
April 19 - Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
April 21 - Patchogue, NY @ Patchogue Theatre
April 23 - Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
April 26 - Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center Theater
April 28 - Hershey, PA @ Hershey Theater
April 30 - Landsdowne, PA @ Landsdowne Theater
May 02 - Landsdowne, PA @ Landsdowne Theater
May 05 - Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
May 07 - Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Theatre

In a 2024 issue of Mojo magazine, Anderson said that he was open to reuniting with his former YES bandmates Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe.

"I was talking to THE BAND GEEKS and said, hopefully we can play in London and Steve will get up and do a couple of songs with us, maybe Rick too," Anderson said. "It just means talking. When I'm out there singing on my own, I still think I'm part of YES. They still feel like my songs."

Anderson co-founded YES in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire, and remained with the band until 2008, when YES replaced him with Benoit David, an Anderson sound-alike who previously fronted the YES tribute band CLOSE TO THE EDGE. David left YES in 2012 and was replaced by Jon Davison.

In July 2020, Howe told Rolling Stone that there is virtually no chance of the surviving members of YES reuniting for a tour.

"I don't think [the fans] should stay up late nights worrying about that," he said. "There's just too much space out there between people. To be in a band together or even to do another tour like 'Union' is completely unthinkable," referencing the group's 1990 "Union" LP and tour, which brought together the previous YES album's lineup (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Alan White, Tony Kaye) and the then-ex-YES members' group ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE (Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe). "It was difficult when we went through that, particularly because of the personalities," Howe said. "I'm not saying any one person is to blame, but when you get a big hodgepodge like that together, it's pretty much a nightmare. We made a nightmare of possibly a good thing back in 1990. I don't think there is the stamina or the appetite for that kind of thing again."

Anderson, Wakeman and Rabin had started touring as ARW: ANDERSON, RABIN AND WAKEMAN in 2016 and then adopted the YES FEATURING JON ANDERSON, TREVOR RABIN, RICK WAKEMAN moniker shortly after the group's 2017 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction.

Howe last toured with Anderson and Wakeman in 2004.

YES has released over 20 albums across its career, including its self-titled debut in 1969 and "Tales From Topographic Oceans" in 1973.

JON ANDERSON AND THE BAND GEEKS Announce Leg One of 2026 Tour, Kicks Off April 17 in Ridgefield, CT

Nov 10, 2025 -...

Posted by Jon Anderson on Monday, November 10, 2025

The 40th anniversary of legendary QUEEN singer Freddie Mercury's majestic debut solo album, "Mr Bad Guy", is being celebrated with a lavish new vinyl reissue.

Originally released at the end of April 1985, "Mr Bad Guy" was Mercury's first album away from the group he had co-founded 15 years before and helped steer to staggering artistic and commercial heights. It found him breaking free from the confines of a band, swapping QUEEN's chameleonic, arena-sized music for a set of songs that combined his unique songwriting with a driving, dance and pop-inspired sound.

Forty years after it first came out, "Mr Bad Guy" will be reissued on spectacular 180g translucent green vinyl on December 5 as well as picture disc LP exclusively via D2C.

"I had a lot of ideas bursting to get out and there were a lot of musical territories I wanted to explore which I really couldn't do within QUEEN," said Mercury of the album at the time.

"Mr Bad Guy" showed a very different side to the singer, one that had been hinted at a few years earlier on QUEEN's more dance-oriented "Hot Space" album. It was partly a love letter to the club scene he was immersed in but also a chance for Freddie to reveal more of himself than he ever had before.

"Mr Bad Guy" was recorded over a period of several months at Munich's Musicland Studio, where QUEEN had made their most recent albums. It was co-produced by Mercury and Reinhold Mack, who had worked with QUEEN since 1980's hugely successful "The Game" album.

The singer had tested the waters for a solo career with his 1984 single "Love Kills", a pulsing dance track produced by disco legend Giorgio Moroder which had appeared on the soundtrack for a restored version of iconic silent movie "Metropolis". "Love Kills"'s success would embolden Mercury to travel even further down that avenue.

"Mr Bad Guy" found him shouldering all the songwriting duties for the album, purposefully avoiding asking his QUEEN bandmates to appear on the album. He enlisted a team of crack musicians, including drummer Curt Cress, bassist Stephan Wissnet, guitarist Paul Vincent and QUEEN touring keyboard player Fred Mandel.

"Mr Bad Guy" was partly shaped by Munich. When he wasn't in the studio, or spending time with Mack and his family, the singer could be found soaking up the German city's nightlife. The wild heartbeat of its bars and clubs fed into songs such as the exhilarating "Living On My Own", with its incredible, acrobatic vocal performance and scat-inspired singing, "I Was Born To Love You"'s euphoric rush, and the pulsing, funky "Let's Turn It On".

A handful of the album's songs wouldn't have sounded out of place on a QUEEN record. The soaring "Made In Heaven" showcases Mercury as the epic balladeer, and would be re-worked by the band themselves for 1995's posthumous "Made In Heaven" album. The yearning "There Must Be More To Life Than This" ("About two people who are lonely," according to the singer) had actually been written for "Hot Space", and was even considered as a duet with Michael Jackson at one point. A version featuring Jackson would later emerge on QUEEN's "Forever" album released in November 2014.

But the freedom of being away from the QUEEN mothership allowed him to experiment musically. The dramatic, piano-led opening of "Your Kind Of Lover" swiftly erupts into playful energy, "My Love Is Dangerous" is unexpectedly built on a reggae beat, and Mercury's remarkable operatic vocals on "Man Made Paradise" point the way to his collaboration with Montserrat Caballé on "Barcelona" a few years later.

Most outrageous of all is the song "Mr Bad Guy" itself, which features the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra backing Mercury as he gleefully revels in his reputation for devilry.

"You can go through all the QUEEN albums and there isn't one song that actually had a fully-fledged orchestra on it," Mercury said proudly of the latter track. "I thought, 'I'll be the first one to do it.' It's quite outrageous. I just said, 'Play all the notes you haven't played in your life before,' so they went completely crazy. And that's the outcome. Very bombastic, very pompous, very me."

Originally released in April 1985, "Mr Bad Guy" reached Number 6 in the U.K. album charts and produced four singles in "I Was Born To Love You", "Made In Heaven", "Living On My Own" (which reached Number 1 in the U.K. when it was re-released in remixed form in 1993, two years after the singer's death) and "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow".

The singles were accompanied by series of characteristically flamboyant promo videos, including "Made In Heaven"'s recreation of scenes from Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring" and "Dante's Inferno" shot at a replica of the Royal Opera House stage in a North London warehouse and "Living On My Own"'s OTT drag ball-themed video, filmed at the singer's 39th birthday party.

The new translucent green vinyl reissue features a mix of the album by QUEEN's longtime sound team of Justin Shirley-Smith and Joshua J Macrae, which originally appeared on 2019's "Never Boring" box set. The new mix stays true to Freddie's original vision but has the benefits of technology and resources that were not available in the 1980s.

"We went back to the original multi-track tapes," says Shirley-Smith. "It's a great collection of songs and Freddie's vocal performance is absolutely extraordinary. The idea wasn't to try to make it sound like they would make it now, it was to make it sound like it would have then if they'd had better technology and more time. And of course, it's a massive honor to work on anything Freddie did, and we always treat it with the utmost respect."

Forty years on, "Mr Bad Guy" remains a pivotal album for Freddie Mercury. It allowed him to flex his creative muscles and seek out new sounds and styles, ensuring he returned to QUEEN re-energized and revitalized.

"I put my heart and soul into 'Mr Bad Guy' and I think it's a very natural album," said Mercury. "It had some very moving ballads — things to do with sadness and pain, but at the same time there were some very frivolous and tongue-in-cheek songs, because that is my nature. I think the songs on that album reflect the state of my life, a diverse selection of moods and a whole spectrum of what my life was."

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, "Mr Bad Guy" is reissued on 180g translucent green vinyl on December 5, via Hollywood Records in the U.S. and Canada and via Universal for all other territories, as well as on picture disc LP exclusively via D2C.

"Mr Bad Guy" 40th-anniversary special edition vinyl reissue:

Side One

01. Let's Turn It On
02. Made In Heaven
03. I Was Born To Love You
04. Foolin' Around
05. Your Kind Of Lover

Side Two

01. Mr. Bad Guy
02. Man Made Paradise
03. There Must Be More To Life Than This
04. Living On My Own
05. My Love Is Dangerous
06. Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow

All songs written and composed by Freddie Mercury

Produced by Freddie Mercury, Mack, Justin Shirley-Smith and Joshua J Macrae

Today, Slaytanic Verses, the official SLAYER online museum, unveils its latest collection: "Hell On Tour". The new archive celebrates the 40th anniversary of "Hell Awaits" and revisits the 1985 world tour that carried the album across seven countries and sixty shows.

Built around the band's original handwritten tour notebook, the "Hell On Tour" archive offers fans a rare, day-by-day account of SLAYER's early rise. The blue-cover notebook, kept by the band's tour manager, details the four relentless weeks from March 15 to April 19, 1985, when "Hell Awaits" began its march on the world.

The collection also features exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with Tom Araya and Kerry King, reflecting on the chaos, intensity and significance of the "Hell Awaits" era in their own words.

Documenting travel routes, show details, and daily logistics, this archive captures the groundwork of SLAYER's ascent, the moment the band began forging a global following through sheer force of sound and will.

For more than four decades, SLAYER's onslaught has proved the band to be the supreme thrash-metal band on the planet, the band that other heavy acts are still measured against and aspire to. Their membership in "The Big Four" — METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX, the four bands that defined the thrash/metal genre — secures their place in music history.

The five-time nominated, two-time Grammy winners have also accumulated an abundance of certified gold albums along with "Best..." awards from media outlets all over the world, including Kerrang!, SPIN, Metal Hammer, Revolver and Esquire. Throughout SLAYER's history, the band never faltered in unleashing its extreme and focused sonic assault, and, unlike many of its contemporaries who commercialized their sound, SLAYER remained crushing and brutal, steadfastly refusing to cater to the mainstream. SLAYER's founding member, guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed in 2013, and EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt has been filling that spot since. Paul Bostaph, who was SLAYER's drummer from 1994 to 2001, rejoined bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King in 2013, and remains back behind the kit.

In January 2018, SLAYER announced they were calling it a day and would be doing one final world tour to thank its fans for their support over the years. Launched on May 10, 2018, by the time the 18-month tour wrapped on November 30, 2019, SLAYER had played 148 shows, performing in 34 countries and 146 cities around the world, and in 40 U.S. states. In February 2024, SLAYER surprised fans with the news that they would headline three major summer/fall U.S. festivals that year — Riot Fest, Louder Than Life and Aftershock.

While SLAYER has no plans to do any extensive touring, the band will likely continue to play some one-off shows.

For more information, visit Slayer.net.

The GENE SIMMONS BAND, featuring Gene Simmons from KISS, was joined by Gene's KISS bandmates Tommy Thayer (guitar) and Eric Singer (drums) for performances of a couple of KISS classics at the 34th installment of the Love Ride powered by Harley-Davidson, which took place on Sunday, November 9.

The event, which once again brought together motorcycle culture and a charitable purpose, saw Simmons, Thayer and Singer play "Calling Dr. Love", which appeared on KISS's "Rock And Roll Over" album in November 1976, and "Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll", which was released in 1974 as the only single from KISS's second studio album, "Hotter Than Hell". Video of their appearance can be seen below.

Also appearing at the 34th Love Ride were CHEVY METAL, plus special guests, including Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES),Rikki Rockett (POISON) and Jesse James Dupree (JACKYL) and Robby Krieger (THE DOORS).

The ride kicked off from the iconic Harley‑Davidson of Glendale and culminated at Castaic Lake, delivering a full day of community, cause, and celebration in support of Wounded Warrior Project and Adopt The Arts.

Founded in 1984, Love Ride has grown into one of the most respected and recognizable charity motorcycle events in the world. With over $25 million raised benefiting more than a dozen charitable organizations, Love Ride blends celebrity support, world-class entertainment, and the spirit of the open road into an unforgettable day of purpose. Now, after a several-year hiatus, Love Ride 34 powered by Harley‑Davidson invites riders and fans to join the legacy again.

Love Ride Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded by Oliver Shokouh with a mission to mobilize the motorcycle community for good. Beneficiaries have included Children's Hospital Los Angeles, USO, Autism Speaks, the MDA, Santa Clarita Education Foundation, and more. The Foundation remains committed to health, education, veteran support, and the arts.

As previously reported, Simmons, Paul Stanley, Thayer and Singer will perform at the "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" event, taking place November 14-16, 2025, at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

Singer will reunite with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer for two "unmasked" performances, one acoustic and one electric, marking the first time KISS has performed together since retiring from touring in 2023. Singer will also participate in a fan question-and-answer session alongside Simmons, Stanley and Thayer, host a "Name That Tune" guitar and drum riff activity with Thayer, and sign the event poster as a gift for all guests. His addition comes as the KISS family and fans around the world honor the memory of founding guitarist Ace Frehley, whose creativity and influence helped define the band's unmistakable sound and legacy.

This special KISS Army fan event, co-produced by Pophouse, Topeka and Vibee celebrates the band's five-decade career and the 50th anniversary of the KISS Army. In addition to the "unmasked" performances and Singer's return, the weekend will include appearances from QUIET RIOT, Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini performing the music of RATT, Bruce Kulick, Sebastian Bach, BLACK 'N BLUE, KUARANTINE, School Of Rock and more.

Fans can look forward to question-and-answer sessions with members of KISS, longtime manager Doc McGhee, producers Eddie Kramer and Bob Ezrin, photographer Lynn Goldsmith, and KISS Army founders Bill Starkey and Jay Evans, along with interactive activities, meet-and-greets, photo ops, and other unique fan experiences honoring KISS's unmatched legacy.

Vibee experience packages include a three-night stay at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, premium access to all performances and panels, curated gifts, a signed event poster, and collectible memorabilia.

KISS had previously set a 12-show residency at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas in 2021 and 2022 but ultimately canceled all of the dates.

Simmons told Rolling Stone in a November 2023 interview that the second Madison Square Garden "End Of The Road" concert would mark "the final KISS-in-makeup appearance."

Regarding what fans can expect to see at "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas", Paul told "Artist Friendly With Joel Madden": "It's gonna be awesome. And we're gonna play all the songs that we normally play, but I'll be more like this [without any makeup] than I am… The KISS gear is hung up and that will stay in the bat cave.

"Look, I've always thought that you can get the biggest production and put on a big show and a band still sucks," he continued. "A band that's no good is still no good with all the trappings. And you could take a car, an old beat-up car without an engine and paint it any color you want, it may look beautiful, but it ain't going anywhere. So, I've always thought that the band at its core has always been a kick-ass band."

For more information and to secure your package for "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas", visit KISSKruiseVegas.com.

During the band's 50-year history, KISS was known for exceptional and first-of-its-kind fan events that always put the fans first. Events like the "KISS Kruise" were yearly fan get-togethers that created a community and connection to the band. With the band's final shows on "the "End Of The Road" world tour, KISS Army members have anxiously awaited news of continued exciting events. Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are, hands down, the most iconic live show in rock and roll.

In a new interview with Poland's Pełna Kulturka, vocalist Winston McCall of Australia's PARKWAY DRIVE, who played a career-defining Sydney Opera House show in June, where they performed alongside a full symphonic orchestra for the one-night-only event, was asked about the possibility of new music from him and his bandmates. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Basically, we planned that exact thing" — to work on new material — "and then we had a chance to do an Opera House show with the orchestra, which basically took up all of our time. So we are working on new music. There is new music coming, put it that way. It's not like we have recorded an album, but focusing on making new music is literally all of the next year for us. We've said, 'Okay, we're not gonna be touring much next year at all. It's all gonna be about create[ing] new music.' In the meantime, there's gonna be a live album from the Sydney Opera House and a movie coming out of that as well, so people can hear some interesting stuff that we've created with that. But brand new songs is definitely the next on the PARKWAY list."

This past May, PARKWAY DRIVE dropped a new track called "Sacred". The single marked the band's first release since PARKWAY DRIVE's critically acclaimed 2022 album "Darker Still", and arrived alongside a music video directed by Third Eye Visuals.

When "Sacred" was first made available, McCall said in a statement: "The mission statement for 'Sacred' is pretty damn simple. An anthemic wrecking ball of positive energy. Our lives and the way we exist in the world has been pushed further and further through the lenses and frames of negativity and hopelessness. Obsession with everything we lack, everything we hate, everyone we blame, everything that keeps us down. We sell the unique parts of us most precious just to buy back manufactured pieces of self in order that we may feel whole again. 'Sacred' is our identity. 'Sacred' is our time. Never lose sight and never lose hope."

This past summer, PARKWAY DRIVE co-headlined the "Summer Of Loud" 2025 tour across the U.S. and Canada, which saw them playing some of their biggest North American shows yet. PARKWAY DRIVE served as a co-headliner on "Summer Of Loud" tour alongside BEARTOOTH, I PREVAIL and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.

PARKWAY DRIVE's landmark year is concluding with the band's ongoing 20th-anniversary arena tour across Europe. Joining them on this momentous tour are fellow Australians THY ART IS MURDER and THE AMITY AFFLICTION. This massive arena run features PARKWAY DRIVE's most ambitious production to date, performed with the passion and power that has defined PARKWAY DRIVE as one of the most important forces in modern metal.

PARKWAY DRIVE's concert at the Sydney Opera House will be part of the band's forthcoming feature film "Home", produced by Hype Republic and directed by Allan Hardy and Macario De Souza. The film is expected to be released in theaters in Australia next year.

McCall told Rolling Stone Australia that recording the concert was a key factor in booking the iconic venue.

"We wanted to build something which was a reconceptualization of what PARKWAY DRIVE is in a place that's very iconically Australian and create a very iconically Australian show," he said. "It was all seated, black tie, played on grass with a full symphonic orchestra backing, a flipped-up set list from what you're used to, [and] everyone is in ball gowns and suits. It was the exact opposite of what you'd expect. And that was kind of what we wanted to do. We wanted to make something worthy of the moment."

He continued: "It was literally the loudest show that the Opera House has ever had before… You're confined to seats. There's no crowd surfers, there's no barrier."

Photo credit: Third Eye Visuals

In an interview with Toilet Ov Hell, MUDVAYNE frontman Chad Gray was asked about the possibility of the band releasing a full-length album after recently issuing its first two new singles in 16 years, "Hurt People Hurt People" and "Sticks And Stones". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know. I like doing it like this.'

He continued: "It's so fucking funny. I'll tell you a funny story. So years ago, in fucking MUDVAYNE fashion, it was probably after [2002's] 'The End of All Things [To Come]', maybe around the 'Lost And Found' [2005] era or whatever, I just had this fucking idea [of] going to the guys and be, like, 'You know what would be really fucking cool?' I'm, like, 'Each album is this body of work. You have the beginning and you have the end. How fucking cool would it be, and how us would it be if we created a never-ending record, if we just created this thing that we just started with and we just started releasing songs, we just started putting out songs?' I was, like, 'We could create the narrative. It would never have to stop. And we could control where it goes.' So there is no beginning and end. It's just this thing that takes off and just fucking meanders here and goes there and dah dah dah, and raises, and lowers, just creating this energy, and we can control it — we can control the narrative. Everyone was, like, 'That's a fucking really cool idea.' I was just, 'I think it would be so fucking cool.' And those ideas came from 45s, those ideas came from cassingles. I don't know if you remember cassingles, but bands would do that… That's how fucking people did it back in the day. And I'm just thinking, like, why don't we just fucking lose this whole full-length concept of starting it with one song and ending it somewhere and this is the body of work and this is the concept of the whole album? 'Cause we were always conceptually based or whatever in themes and threads of themes through our albums. I'm just, like, it'd be just so fucking cool."

Chad added: "I remember at the time, a good friend of mine was the product manager at Sony for us at Epic, and I pitched the idea to him and he's, like, 'Wow.' He's, like, 'That's an interesting take.' And I was, like, 'Well, it's not like it hasn't been done before. It's how it used to be done.' This is how you used to do it. You didn't use to have full-lengths; you had 45s. You had two fucking songs, and they're just fucking dropping them — bam, bam, bam, like maybe a few in a year. Its own individual thing. He was, like, 'That's a cool fucking concept.' I was, like, 'Yeah. fucking how cool would that be to write this never-ending record that we can control, da da da da. And we release a song every couple months.' So, he turned around and he pitched it to them. And Sony was, like, 'Oh, no, we can never do that. We never do that, 'cause we need the first-week numbers from the album.' And what that means is the label's looking at you, going, 'You know what?! We laid out two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for you to record this fucking album. And we've got another hundred thousand dollars in promotional flats and blah, blah, blah. And we've got another fifty thousand dollars in working the song at radio. So we need that money back, we need those first-week numbers.' I was just, like, 'How fucking shortsighted.' And what they wanted was to release the album and get every fucking dollar they laid out back in one week. 'Cause they could do that… But it's just like that kind of shortsightedness. They never got it. So we ended up getting off Epic and we went to another label, more of an independent… And that same product manager that I had moved over to that label. So now he's my project manager there. He's there and I'm, like, 'Man, do you remember the fucking idea?' He's, like, 'Yeah, man.' He's, like, 'I thought it was fucking great.' I'm, like, 'Dude, it's fucking crazy. It's not like it hasn't been done before, blah, blah, blah.' We get a meeting with the president, and we sit down and fucking pitch it to him, just pitch this idea. [He said], 'Oh, no. We can never do that. I need the first-week numbers.' Okay. It's typical fucking bullshit, big-record-label bullshit. And then two or three years later we're playing a show in New York, and this president from the label comes with his little right-hand guy. And I hated him, and I hated his right-hand guy… And we're sitting there, we're all sitting in the room, sitting on the couch or whatever, and he's in there. He just starts talking. He's a big idea guy, and he's talking, and he's, like, 'Yeah. I've got this idea about us releasing a song every month or two, and just keep creating,' blah blah blah. 'We just go and do these sessions.' 'Cause that was my pitch too, when I told him about it. I was, like, 'We'd do a writing session.' We'd maybe get two songs, three songs, whatever — go into the studio for, like, four days and just go crazy until you're fucking brain dead. And then you walk out. And you come out with one [song], you come out with four, whatever. And he said, 'We'd just do these sessions, so it's not all the studio costs,' and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was just fucking sitting there, looking at him, listening to him babble. And I looked at him. I was, like, 'Are you out of your fucking mind?' And he fucking looked at me. His eyes got all big. And his right-hand guy's looking like he's gotta clean up a spill or something. Like, 'What do I do?' He's, like, 'What?' And I'm, like. 'We had this exact same fucking conversation three years ago. You don't remember that? When I was giving you this exact same fucking pitch three years ago, in your office, and you said you couldn't do it 'cause of first-week numbers. He's, like, 'Oh, maybe I do remember that conversation.' I'm, like, 'Yeah, it sounds like you do. Because you're fucking telling it to me back right now.' It was just that kind of shit."

Gray concluded: "So, back to your question, like, is there a full-length on the way? It's just, like, I like doing it this way. I've kind of always wanted to do it this way. Get together, get in a room, do a session, at least write it. Fucking book some time, get in the studio, record it and fucking put it out. Fuck it. You know what I mean? And you do that 10 times, you got a full-length, but you don't ever have to put it on a full-length, so you don't have a beginning and an end. I'm getting my way finally. I can write the never-ending album."

Last month, Chad told Popdust about MUDVAYNE's new music: "I'm gonna be straight with you, man. This is the only reason I came back to this band. I was in HELLYEAH, and my drummer died; Vinnie Paul [Abbott] died. And I was a bit lost there. I was grieving. And [the surviving members of HELLYEAH] went back out and we did a 'celebration of life' couple tours that we did to celebrate his life, with a great friend of ours who was a drummer, Roy Mayorga. And I got done with that, and I was really just kind of lost. I didn't know what to do. And I was talking to my buddy who's now my lawyer for this band. And he's just, like, 'What do you wanna do now?' I'm, like, 'I don't know, dude.' And he's, like, 'You can go back to MUDVAYNE.' And I'm, like, 'Man, I really don't wanna go back to MUDVAYNE.' I was just really not that excited about it. And he's, like, 'Okay, okay.' We talked again. He's, like, 'Dude, you guys went away before people were ready for you to go away.' He's, like, 'This gives you an opportunity to continue the MUDVAYNE legacy. 'Cause you guys just went away, and people weren't excited about that.' He's, like, 'You could totally come back, continue the legacy, create new music.' And that was the first thing that kind of perked my ears up. I was, like, 'That sounds cool. Maybe I will do that.'"

Reflecting on how the MUDVAYNE reunion came together, Chad continued: "[We] had those initial conversations and stuff, which were kind of hard conversations, putting it all back together and stuff. And then that was always my plan, was to keep creating. And then it just turned into this thing where it's just, like, we toured. That first tour back, I think with [Rob] Zombie or whatever, and then the next year we toured again, and then the next year we toured again. And this past year, I'm just, like, 'This is not why I came back to this… So, I was, like, 'We have to do this. We have to do this.' And [acclaimed American rock festival producer] Danny Wimmer, obviously the king Danny Wimmer that had brought Europe to America with the festivals and done such a great job with those, he has his label, Alchemy, and he just showed a lot of interest. So, we did a deal with him — not a full record deal; just a four-song deal with him. [And then] we got in a room, and did it. We tried to do it about a year ago, or whatever, maybe two years ago, and it just didn't work out. And I was questioning, like, 'Do we still want the same things?' Which is fine if you don't. We hadn't been together for 12 years. It's, like, you can get in a room and go, 'I don't wanna fucking do that.' So, 'Do we still wanna do the same thing?' Or, 'Can we come to a common ground to continue on as artists?' And it took us a minute, but we got back in and we got it done."

Regarding why MUDVAYNE took so long to complete the first two songs, Chad said: "The thing we were missing the first time was a producer. I mean, that makes everything just a lot better, because they manage the egos, they manage the personalities, they keep this person away when that person's… It's weird. It's a weird dynamic, 'cause you're creating together. You're fucking creating. You have a very, very distinct vision of maybe what you want and there has got to be compromise. And the producer is the guy that will make that compromise happen. 'Cause you're inviting an outside person into your band — literally. So you use them a lot as a sounding board. So [we used] Nick Raskulinecz, who's done all the new ALICE IN CHAINS stuff. He's done two FOO FIGHTERS records. He's done some of the DEFTONES stuff. He's phenomenal. He got his start working at Sound City [studios], which I don't know if you guys remember Sound City or not in L.A. They did a whole documentary on Sound City. You're talking Stevie Nicks and FLEETWOOD MAC and THE BEATLES — crazy-ass bands worked there. And he kind of started there as a runner and then became an engineer and then became the first engineer and stuff like this. So he's got a great pedigree. And his laundry list of bands he's worked with is phenomenal. And he really came in and got us focused on what we needed to do."

On the topic of the musical direction of the new MUDVAYNE material, Gray said: "I'm really proud of how these songs turned out. I knew how we had to do it. 'Cause we're MUDVAYNE. We're a heavy band. I wasn't gonna come back with [a radio] single first. I wanted to come back, like, 'Here we are, motherfucker. Wham!' And we did 'Hurt People'. That's what we did. And then, obviously, 'Sticks And Stones'. But the content of everything, how it works out, how it played out musically, I've heard a lot of people say, man, it's been a long time, it's been 16 years since we released anything, and they're just, like… The apprehension that people have, like, 'MUDVAYNE, new music. Ugh. What's it gonna sound like? And what's it gonna be?' And they're, like, 'This is exactly what I've been expecting to hear for the last 16 years.' We kind of did exactly, I think, what people are expecting, and that's a cool feather in the cap. Like, cool. We came back and we did it."

He added: "We're a legacy band and people know what we're about. People know that we're not easy and we're a little smarter than the average bear. It's a little more difficult music. So there's a level of the extremity of MUDVAYNE, but there's also a level of subtlety that's the best parts of MUDVAYNE too."

As previously reported, MUDVAYNE guitarist Greg Tribbett sat out the band's "L.D. 50 25th Anniversary" tour after his wife reportedly lost her year-and-a-half-long battle with cancer. The "L.D. 50 25th Anniversary" trek kicked off on September 11 in Dubuque, Iowa and concluded on October 26 in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Last year, Greg missed the remaining shows on MUDVAYNE's "Destroy All Enemies" tour with MEGADETH due to what at the time was described as a "family issue". Filling in for him was MUDVAYNE's touring guitarist Marcus Rafferty, who has served as a guitar tech for several metal bands over the years, including LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED. He also worked for HELLYEAH, which originally featured both Tribbett and Gray.

"L.D. 50" was MUDVAYNE's debut studio album, arriving in August 2000 via Epic, and established the band as a new yet major player in the hard rock scene. It eventually went on to achieve a gold certification. Years after its release, both Revolver and Metal Hammer deemed the album an essential of the '00s metal class, rightfully so.

"Sticks And Stones" and "Hurt People Hurt People" were released through Alchemy Recordings, a record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings vice president of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States. Other Alchemy artists include STAIND and CHEVELLE.

Prior to the arrival of "Hurt People Hurt People", the reunited metallers hadn't put out any new material since 2009, which means more than a decade and a half had gone by without a single fresh MUDVAYNE song.

MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms.

Gray spent 15 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away more than seven years ago.

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

Released in 2000 via Epic, "L.D. 50" produced three singles — Dig", "Death Blooms" and "Nothing To Gein". "L.D. 50" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 85 on the Billboard 200. It was certified gold by the RIAA for shipment in excess of half a million copies in the U.S. alone.

MUDVAYNE completed its first headlining tour in over 14 years, "The Psychotherapy Sessions", in the summer of 2023. Support on the 26-city trek, which was produced by Live Nation, came from COAL CHAMBER, along with GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES.

Previously, MUDVAYNE made waves in 2022 when they embarked on the "Freaks On Parade" tour co-headlined with ROB ZOMBIE. The 2023 tour, however, marked MUDVAYNE's first headlining endeavor since 2009.

In a new interview with France's Electric Eye, bassist David Vincent spoke about the future plans for the reactivated TERRORIZER, in which he is joined by Pete "Commando" Sandoval (MORBID ANGEL, I AM MORBID) on drums, Brian Werner (VITAL REMAINS) on vocals, and Richie Brown (EXMORTUS, THE ABSENCE, TRIVIUM, I AM MORBID) on guitar. Asked if there is a possibility of new music from TERRORIZER, Vincent said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, funny you should ask. We actually have some new stuff. But I don't have anything to announce yet."

This past May, David told Mexico's Loud! Metal Radio that he and his TERRORIZER bandmates had "some things in the works", but he declined to elaborate further.

Vincent's current live appearances with TERRORIZER mark the first time he has toured with the influential grindcore act.

"See, it's funny. When we did the first record, 'World Downfall', we never toured as TERRORIZER for that record, because, obviously, Pete was in MORBID ANGEL and Jesse Pintado joined NAPALM DEATH," he explained to Loud! Metal Radio. "So that kind of put a stop to TERRORIZER because we were all busy doing this other stuff. So, it was kind of a fluke the way the whole [reunion] thing came together. But we did a couple of festivals in Europe last year, and then we did the Candelabrum festival [in Mexico], and since then, our booking agent, his phone is ringing off the hook of people saying, 'Oh can TERRORIZER play here, play there?' It's, like, 'Okay. Yeah.'

"It's cool because it's nostalgic," Vincent continued. "And people tell me that TERRORIZER was such a big influence on them as they were growing up with their bands or what have you. And it's also a lot of fun. So, anytime we play, especially in Mexico, the fans have so much energy. We kind of feed off of the energy of the audience, which has always been the case in Latin America and especially in Mexico. The fans are great, and that's the reason why we're there."

Regarding how the TERRORIZER reunion with him came about, David said: "Well, it's a really long story, how it came about. So I don't wanna get into details. But there was an ask, could we do a TERRORIZER set for a particular festival? And we said, 'Yeah, we can do that.' So we started rehearsing and put it together. That festival got canceled — this is several years ago — but it was advertised, so people said, 'What? TERRORIZER?' So that's when the agent started getting some calls about it. So he said, 'Hey, we're getting calls from European festivals now and we're getting calls from Latin America. Is this something that [you want to take to other territories]?'

"Obviously we have several different things that we do, music wise," he added. "Myself, I'm probably the busiest. But number one, it's a lot of fun. Number two, the love that we get from the fans is just second to none. And that, really is… Yes, music is what we do. It's our life. We make music, but it's so enjoyable when the fans are just so responsive. It makes everything worthwhile. It's kind of like a drug all unto itself."

The reactivated TERRORIZER played its first comeback show on April 25, 2024 at the SWR Barroselas Metalfest in Barroselas, Portugal.

Werner, who left VITAL REMAINS in 2019 after a seven-year run with the group, announced his addition to TERRORIZER in a social media post in August 2023. He wrote: "Been quiet about this for a little while, but now I got the thumbs up to announce that I will be singing for TERRORIZER with Pete and David...... time to get back to work. Super excited to also be jamming with my brother Richie Brown too.......get ready the world is about to fall".

Sandoval announced TERRORIZER's comeback a week earlier, confirming that he would be joined by his onetime MORBID ANGEL and current I AM MORBID bandmate Vincent.

Just seven months after saying that TERRORIZER was "over" due to his "busy schedule" with his personal life and I AM MORBID, Sandoval took to his social media to announce that TERRORIZER would perform on October 22, 2023 at the Maranhão Open Air 2023 in São Luís, Brazil. That performance was eventually canceled.

Before Sandoval recorded MORBID ANGEL's first album, 1989's "Altars Of Madness", he performed on two demos and a split album with his original band TERRORIZER. Today, the group's 1989 full-length debut "World Downfall" is still considered a pinnacle for death metal and grindcore, featuring impossibly fast blast-beats and double-bass drumming along with a blitzkrieg attack by late guitarist Jesse Pintado (NAPALM DEATH),and ex-vocalist Oscar Garcia (NAUSEA). The 1989 lineup was rounded out by Sandoval and Vincent on bass.

Over the next twenty-three years, Sandoval took time between MORBID ANGEL albums to continue working with TERRORIZER, recording two more cataclysmic full-lengths, 2006's "Darker Days Ahead" and 2012's "Hordes Of Zombies". Six years down the burning highway, TERRORIZER released 2018's "Caustic Attack", described at the time as "their heaviest and most eclectic album to date."

Back in 2021, it was announced that TERRORIZER had signed a worldwide deal with Earache Records. At that time, the band's lineup had consisted of Sandoval, Lee Harrison on guitar, and Sam Molina on bass/vocals.

In the fall of 2022, I AM MORBID parted ways with guitarist Kelly McLauchlin (POSSESSED, DIABOLIC, UNHOLY GHOST) and replaced him with Brown. Brown made his live debut with I AM MORBID, which also includes guitarist Bill Hudson (NORTHTALE, DORO),on October 16, 2022 at the Grita Fest in Colombia.

I AM MORBID's spring 2022 European tour marked the first time Sandoval and Vincent played together in 12 years.

Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian, was forced to leave MORBID ANGEL in 2010 after undergoing surgery for a prolapsed disc.

Vincent told Invisible Oranges in a December 2013 interview that Pete had "found Jesus," which meant that Sandoval and MORBID ANGEL were no longer "compatible."

More than a decade ago, Vincent spoke to told Capital Chaos TV about his guest appearance on TERRORIZER's 2012 album "Hordes Of Zombies". He said: "It was a lot of fun [laying down the bass tracks on the CD]. He asked me if I'd be willing to play on the record, and of course I said yes. It's a good record. It's obviously a different style to MORBID ANGEL, and that's okay. We like all kinds of music."

In a new interview with Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco Bay Area radio station 107.7 The Bone, DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany spoke about the band's new single, "Cult Of The Used", which came out earlier in the month, and the group's upcoming tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of DEATH ANGEL's "Act III" album. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "['Cult Of The Used'] is our first song that we released since 'Wrath (Bring Fire)', which came out earlier this year… It's a total DEATH ANGEL song. And ['Cult Of The Used'] was chosen 'cause it kind of, to me, will fit in our set that we do on the 'Act III' live set, where, of course, we do 'Act III' in its entirety, and then there's another act of songs that we're choosing that are not our typical songs that we normally play either. So it's been very challenging playing some harder-to-play live songs. But it's really cool and fun."

Asked which song that will be performed during the "Act III" 35th-anniversary tour is the most challenging to play, Rob said: "'Cult Of The Used'. 'Cause it's new, and it's really tricky to play and sing and do all the stuff at the same time — vocal harmonies and stuff… It fits, too, because on 'Act III', there's a lot of singing. I didn't realize until we were rehearsing all the songs that I'm singing on every song on 'Act III' — every song. And lead on some songs, and definitely a lot of harmonies and background stuff. So there's a lot of playing and singing and stuff that I haven't done for 35 years, since the last time we played some of these songs. So that in and of itself is brain splitting. So the new one is even to the next level 'cause at least the 'Act III' songs, there's some muscle memory in there that stayed for 35 years. It kind of came back kind of quicker. It was really weird. Mark [Osegueda, DEATH ANGEL singer] said the same thing too. Mark's, like, strangely, it was really easy to bring this album back up. 'Cause we did it so much at that time, somehow it retained the muscle memory. But there's no muscle memory with new stuff. So we're getting it. It's getting better and better. But that song also has vocal harmonies, so that's why that's the one to do in the 'Act III' set. Don't get me wrong. People are gonna go, like, 'That doesn't sound like anything from 'Act III'.' I'm not saying it sounds like something from 'Act III'. Just for our new stuff, to me, it's complementary to that set."

Regarding the possibility of a new DEATH ANGEL album seeing the light of day in the not-too-distant future, Rob said: "The timing needs to be right. We need a big chunk of clearance of time to properly support a full-length album and for all the effort it takes to release a full-length album. That being said, our next album will be our tenth album, and I'll be damned if we stop short of ten. I'll be damned if we stop shore of ten. And most of it's written already… I can say that we haven't begun recording the album, but there are absolutely demos, recordings of the music and songs that are being created. And it's been happening for years. The songs that are being released, the singles that we have, they were made to be singles. So those were a different mindset from the album that has its own entirety of the collection of songs that belong together for a record. We're not rushing the process. And also just due to life and scheduling and things, the timing wasn't right. We need clearance to do the full thing going, and it just hasn't happened as of yet. And then now it was the 35th anniversary of 'Act III' this year. Next year's the 40th anniversary of our debut album, 'The Ultra-Violence'. So these things kind of like inspire us to do some live activity based on those records, because of those milestone celebrations of those birthdays."

Asked if he thinks fans can expect to see a new DEATH ANGEL album in 2026, Rob said: "Released in '26? I'd have to say that might be wishful thinking. But it's not impossible. And I'm dying, dying, dying to record these songs. So we're really trying to make it happen."

Rob also addressed the fact that DEATH ANGEL pulled out of its fall 2024 tour as the support act for W.A.S.P. because of scheduling conflicts with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's solo band, which features Mark as the lead singer. He said :"You kind of learn to pivot instead of sit there just in anguish that things aren't going exactly how you want them to go. So, during this time I've come to evolve myself in such a way, and I think the whole band has had to, because of all the stuff. So, we're in a good space. We did have a moment there of being very antsy and kind of upset that we weren't able to do this or that, or things went this way or that… But you come to accept that. Such is the way, especially in this business. We're not the only ones that have to deal with changing circumstances. And you need to get through it, pick your sorry ass up off the ground, slap yourself around, take some deep breaths and then just see what you're gonna do next."

Rob was also asked if there are now more open communication lines between the DEATH ANGEL bandmembers, particularly since Mark publicly admitted he didn't inform his DEATH ANGEL bandmates of his involvement with Kerry's group until right before it was officially announced. Rob said: "Yes. The communication has definitely improved as of late. But again, like Gilda Radner said on 'Saturday Night Live', if it's not one thing, it's another. And damn if that ain't true. So, if it isn't one thing, it's another. So we're used to that by now. And it actually does make you grow as a person, if you utilize it the right way and keep your head together, and it does make you better at dealing with shit, because there's always stuff to deal with. And then you also realize that it's kind of weird because these things inadvertently send you down different paths. So if things didn't happen as they did, we wouldn't even be doing [a tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of] 'Act III' right now. But the idea came out of because of one thing to the other, and then so since we weren't able to deal with our new album right now, like, what are we gonna do? And then through our conversations, it came up. I must admit I was a hard sell at the beginning. It was never a plan to do this. It wasn't, like, "Eventually we're gonna do that.' It was just, like, we just move forward. I'm not trying to milk stuff from the past or whatever. But it just happened. And, actually, Ted [Aguilar, DEATH ANGEL guitarist] was very instrumental in convincing me."

As for what fans can expect to see on the "Act III" 35th-anniversary tour, Rob said: "It's [gonna be] 'Act III' [performed] in its entirety, meaning from front to back. It's the whole album in a row. So it's really exciting, to do it that way. It's cool, 'cause it sounds like the album. We're still working out exactly how we're gonna do it. And then, to be cute, we are doing it in like three acts. So there's act one, then there's a slight pause, then the second act of songs, pause, and then the third. So I don't even wanna say, because we're still dealing with how we're gonna present it. So I'm not even saying necessarily that we're starting with 'Act III'. It may or may not go that way, but 'Act III' will happen in its entirety."

He added: "Me and Mark are definitely in the idea of moving forward — not to deny your past, but we just were very adamant about not being stuck on living from your past. Like, you've got a couple new songs? Oh, well — everyone just wants to hear the song from 1980, whatever. So we wanted to make sure that our new material would be relevant and people would like it. And then we'd play the old stuff and mix it up, and you get one or the other, you get a combination."

Earlier in the month, DEATH ANGEL released the official music video for "Wrath (Bring Fire)" . The clip, which can be seen below, was filmed by Edgar Salazar during the "Summer Of Wrath Tour 2025" in Europe.

DEATH ANGEL's fall 2025 U.S. tour will feature support from VIO-LENCE (replacing originally announced support act TOXIC HOLOCAUST),LIONS AT THE GATE and MISFIRE. The trek will kick off on November 26 at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado and wrap with two Christmas shows on December 18-19 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

Osegueda is the featured singer on King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which arrived in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

DEATH ANGEL released a live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" was described in a press release as "a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog" that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

DEATH ANGEL's latest album, "Humanicide", was released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The LP saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

In March 2020, DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

Carroll joined DEATH ANGEL in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original drummer, Andy Galeon.

Brian "Head" Welch, co-founder of the nu metal band KORN who left the group in 2005 after becoming a Christian amid his struggle with drug addiction, only to rejoin KORN eight years later, took to his social media earlier today (Sunday, November 9) to share a two-minute video dubbed "What if? What if the self-righteous were never more special than anyone else?". In the clip, which can be seen below, Welch said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I had a thought. What if all of the judgmental Christian religious base are completely wrong in how they're going about things? What if most of the political Christians are acting in the exact opposite character of how they should be? What if they're getting it all wrong? What if, at the end of their life, and I hope this doesn't happen, but what if they discover that all they did was use their faith as a weapon for division? A lot of it looks like that to me, and I'm completely sick of it, man. And what if you were given every single spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ? What if you personally were chosen in Christ before the creation of the world to be completely blameless? No blame can be thrown at you — free from accusations; no accusations can be thrown at you and completely perfect in God's sight. What if you were given that as a gift? And the only reason you were given that is so God can be so good to you, and the only motive is to display the riches of his kindness towards you forever. What if he just wanted to lavish on you gift after gift after gift forever? And the gifts start in this life. And then when you walk through death's door, you get the fullness of it. So what if you get a down payment now in this life? What if you were chosen for all of this?"

Welch's latest video comes just a week after he shared a clip in which he stressed the importance of having a "real heart-to-heart relationship" with Jesus Christ and not listening to those who are "self-righteous." In a November 2 video dubbed "Religious people will pile guilt on you, I've seen it countless times… But Christ is different", Welch said: "Religion versus relationship. Religion and religious people will pile on you — loads and loads of guilt. They tower over you with their self-righteousness to make you feel that you are way beneath them in order to keep you in that spirit of control over your life. I've seen it countless times. It's a cancer to spirituality and chases so many people away from even the thought of a relationship with Christ. Now, Christ, on the other hand, is a real heart-to-heart relationship. It's your heart connected spiritually in union with Christ's heart. He leads you to himself by kindness while acknowledging your flaws. He will definitely ask by leading you spiritually to lay down some things in order to take away the fun in your life. It's never about taking the fun away in your life. It's about getting the things in your life out, completely out of your life, so that you can have a healthier form of existence on this planet. It's never about taking things away from you so that you have a more boring life. But he leads you by kindness, he leads you to acknowledge your flaws, and then he empowers you to lay those flaws down."

Welch continued: "That's the whole thing. We don't have to do it in our own strength. Christ empowers us, through his spirit, to live a better life, to live a healthier life. And that's what grace is — it's the empowerment of God through the spirit that gives us the ability to do this.

"Religion is corrupting this world; it has been for countless centuries," Brian added. "But there there is a lot of people waking up to the true fact of relationship, especially in the last, like, 20 years. I just see so many people latch on to the real."

This past April, Welch was asked by the Stand Up Dude podcast to name one reminder that he would give men, especially young men, out there that would enable them to be the men that they're created to be. Welch said: "I think just developing and actually spending time to develop a relationship with Christ one on one. That has been the pivotal piece of my journey. Going to church and praying before you go to bed during the week, going to church on Sunday, it's not enough, in my opinion, for what Jesus died for. He wants to lead and guide you, and he wants you to talk to him. It is a mystery, and we're getting guided, but we sometimes miss it. And that chasing and that trying to hear his voice or his messages, his signs, trying to see his signs and wonders of what we're supposed to do, where we're supposed to go, is the most important thing."

He added: "Church is supposed to be the gas station to fill us up for the rest of the week. We're supposed to read books, listen to books, listen to messages, podcasts. There's so much information out there to help you grow. And so develop that personal daily walk with Christ."

Welch went on to say that opening one's heart to receive God's love is a transformative experience.

"What's God's message in the Bible? It's love. Love. Over and over — love, love, love," he said. "And as guys, it's hard for us, 'cause we think, when we find a woman, we love them, we date them, we hopefully marry them and we open our heart to 'em. It's harder for sometimes guys, for the concept to open our heart to God. But we've gotta remember, Jesus, he walked the earth as a man, but he's more than that. He's the son of God where male and female came from God. He's other than. So we just need to open our heart to learn how to receive his love as a God and give that love back to him.

"When I came to the place where I was ready to open up my heart to God, I didn't necessarily know as opening my heart, but I was begging for help because I was in such a dark place where I wanted my life to be over," he continued. "I wanted to sleep and never wake up. And so I got to that place where I was, like, 'Please, help me.' And that opened my heart a little bit. And then once I started going to church, learning what the Bible was saying, that's when I found out that God is love. It says God actually is love. Not that just God loves us, that he is love. So his very nature is love. And so being a tough guy or trying to portray a tough guy all the time with the heavy metal music and all that, I slowly, by the Holy Spirit's help, started to learn to be able to open my heart. And then I wanted this love, because I did so many drugs and drank so much alcohol over the years that it was like I wanted to escape. And meeting God and learning that God is love, it started to fill that place, the empty place in me that the drugs and the alcohol were trying to fill. And so it was like — sometimes I describe it as the best high I ever felt. It was God's love entering, when I opened my heart. And so it's done spiritually."

Welch left KORN in early 2005, at the same time announcing that he kicked his addictions to drugs and alcohol by becoming a born-again Christian.

Less than a month after leaving KORN, Welch — wearing a white robe and sporting a long beard — was baptized in Israel's Jordan River, along with about 20 other members of the Valley Bible Fellowship, the Bakersfield, California, church in which he spoke two weekends earlier. At the time, Brian told MTV News that he decided to be baptized in the Jordan after receiving a divine message.

Welch officially returned to KORN in 2013, one year after joining the band onstage at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Rockingham, North Carolina to perform "Blind".

Since his conversion to Christ 20 years ago, Welch has been very open about how God changed his lifestyle and restored his relationship with his daughter.

In recent years, Brian has been preaching that people don't have to wait until they die to see if having an encounter with the presence of God is real.

Both Welch and KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu have had highly public, though separate, conversion experiences, ones that have been greeted with a certain amount of skepticism.

In a new interview with Sweden's "Rockpodden" podcast, Mille Petrozza of German/Finnish/French thrash metal veterans KREATOR spoke about the band's upcoming sixteenth studio album, "Krushers Of The World", which will arrive on January 16, 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren. Bogren previously helmed KREATOR's "Phantom Antichrist" (2012) and "Gods Of Violence" (2017) LPs. The "Krushers Of The World" cover artwork was created by Polish genius Zbigniew Bielak (GHOST).

Mille said about "Krushers Of The World" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I'm happy. I'm happy with the way it came out. It took me a while to write it, but I think we have a nice variety of interesting music and nice poetry and lyrics. Hopefully people appreciate it."

When the interviewer noted that "Krushers Of The World" sounds sonically "amazing", Mille responded: "Oh, thank you. Yeah, that's the band being very, very prepared. And the chemistry in the band, within the band is very positive. And also we worked with one of the best producers in the world, Jens. He really put his heart and soul into this production this time, and once we got into the studio, he got so involved in everything."

Mille confirmed that all of "Krushers Of The World" was recorded in Sweden. He said: "I think on 'Gods Of Violence', we went also to Örebro to record guitars, vocals and mix. And this time we did everything in [Jens's] studio because he has a nice setup now. He has a drum room, so it wasn't necessary to move studios for the drums. So, we were there for six weeks or seven weeks, and then he would go on a little vacation, and then he came back and took another three or four weeks to mix the album. [He did] really, really nice work this time."

Mille continued: "The way it's set up [at Fascination Street], you have everything under one roof. You have the mastering, the mixing, the recording, and then you have all these people working there all day. They're all metalheads. So it's almost like Disneyland for metalheads. We stayed there the whole time. We all had our rooms there. So it's very convenient, because you get up in the morning. Jens is already there. We start very early. And overall, it was a very, very focused experience, but also a very fun experience. We had a lot of laughs and really enjoyed the process of doing the album, and I think that really shows on the record. It sounds fresh."

Regarding how he and the rest of KREATOR manage to always come up with material that doesn't sound like a rehash of what they have done in the past, Mille said: "What a lot of bands tend to forget is once it turns into a routine and you just record albums in order to go back on tour or to stay relevant or other reasons, it's not natural. You have to question yourself all the time. You have to be very self-critical with your own art. You have to live with the music for a while."

Mille continued: "This time I went into pre-production on a very early stage. I did pre-production for over a year, and I wrote the songs for another year. I mean, I started writing in '22 and up to '25. And it was a process where I had time to have — me and my friend Andy [Posdziech] from the band ANY GIVEN DAY, we would do demos that have a great quality already that people, if they would've listened to the demos, they would've already had heard a very good production. So the demos were very nice to listen to and gave me the opportunity to live with the songs for a while and rewrite stuff that I thought was weak or add stuff when I thought there was something missing. And that process really gave the album time to grow. And when I played it to the band, for me it was already old, but I was confident that these songs are great. And then the band came with their ideas and then Jens came with his ideas. So it's a very, very nice pot-pourri of creativity and passion for the music. And everybody involved gave their 150 percent."

Asked how open he is to new ideas, particularly from an outsider like Jens, Mille said: "It depends. Sometimes [Jens] makes suggestions and they're great. Sometimes we don't like his suggestions. Everything we question is for the better. Nobody that's involved wants the songs to suffer or push their ego. Like, 'This is my idea, so it needs to be on the song.' That sometimes can be a problem with producers or musicians that are thinking, 'Oh, no. I need to put this song part in there. Otherwise the song is not good.' And we were very open. And we discussed a lot. We talked a lot. And this is the third album that we did with Jens, so we kind of know each other well enough to know how we can actually take criticism or joke around if an idea's not good. So we don't get butthurt about things where we will go, like, 'Yeah, but I want my idea there.'"

Asked if he is "a hundred percent sure" that there will be another KREATOR album after "Krushers Of The World", Mille said: "Yeah. I think yes. But it's a nice trick. We could also do like this whole, 'Okay, it might be our last album.' THE CURE's done it for many years, and now I think MEGADETH is putting out their last album. It's a nice — how do I put this? — if they really feel that way, then it's cool.

"I think that I have at least five more albums in me," Mille explained. "I mean, the end is coming eventually. The physical body will disappear. Seriously, I don't really think in these categories. I think once you get on this journey, it ends when it ends. But I wouldn't be surprised if there's even more than five albums in me still, if I live long enough. Now that I'm getting to a certain age, of course, it's not like when you're 20 years old, you're, like, 'I have, a hundred percent, five more albums in me.' But I do — I think I do. But let's see — let's see what the future brings. You never know. But I'm open for whatever happens. But we'll see."

Petrozza added: "Those cryptic thoughts never come to me. I always think that, and also I think on 'Krushers Of The World', you can hear that I think music can be empowering and should be joyful. And this album, even though it has dark stuff on it, and it has like very heavy stuff on it, but it's a very positive energy that we're spreading."

KREATOR has released two singles so far from "Krushers Of The World": "Seven Serpents" and "Tränenpalast". The latter track is an homage to horror maestro Dario Argento's 1977 cult film "Suspiria", which is hailed by fans as one of the most defining genre entries of its era. While the lead melody references the film's original score by Italian prog band GOBLIN, lending it a melodic death metal touch, the lyrics mention "the three mothers," an ancient witch coven from the "Suspiria" universe. In addition, the music video created by acclaimed masters of the macabre Grupa 13 features KREATOR performing in the film's haunted ballet school setting complemented by disturbing images of said witches in various stages of transformation.

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

When "Tränenpalast" was made available in late October, Mille commented: "'Tränenpalast' is our tribute to the great tradition of Italian cinema. We drew inspiration from Dario Argento's classic 'Suspiria' and Luca Guadagnino's epic masterpiece remake. Musically, we bow to the great GOBLIN, in direct conversation with maestro Claudio Simonetti. We hope you enjoy the song as much as we do. Only love to the greats! Hail to the Hordes!"

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

Petrozza commented: "We are beyond excited to kick off the new year with the release of our brand-new album 'Krushers Of The World', dropping January 16. But that's not all! On March 20, we're hitting the road to bring you our biggest tour production ever. This will be a night of unrelenting metal mayhem, featuring our brothers-in-arms CARCASS, EXODUS and the mighty NAILS. This marks an exciting new chapter for the band, and we can't wait for you to experience the new music live, plus a selection of classic KREATOR, old and new. Hail to the hordes! \m/."

"Krushers Of The World" track listing:

01. Seven Serpents
02. Satanic Anarchy
03. Krushers Of The World
04. Tränenpalast
05. Barbarian
06. Blood Of Our Blood
07. Combatants
08. Psychotic Imperator
09. Deathscream
10. Loyal To The Grave

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

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

"Hate Über Alles" marked KREATOR's first album with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

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

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

Photo credit: Robert Eikelpoth

Ignacia Fernández, a 27-year-old model who is also the vocalist and founder of the Chilean progressive death metal band DECESSUS, was crowned Miss World Chile 2025 (Spanish: Miss Mundo Chile) during last night's (November 9) finals of the talent competition.

Fernández, who went viral for performing a death metal song during the Miss World Chile semifinals, beat out 19 other finalists to be named Miss World Chile. She will now prepare for next year's Miss World competition.

Miss World Chile is a national pageant selecting representatives for both Miss World and Miss Universe, with traditional categories alongside a talent segment.

"Couldn't be more [happy] and grateful," Fernández wrote on social media. "I take on this beautiful challenge with all the energy and heart put into representing my country in the best way. I promise to give it my all, with passion, labor and purpose.

"Thank you for the worldwide recognition of my singing, a little piece of my soul that inspires me to keep growing and dreaming big. Let's go all the way Chile.... for that crown!"

Fernández represented the Las Condes district in this year's pageant, choosing to sing one of the original songs from DECESSUS, wearing a ball gown and accompanied by her bandmate, guitarist Carlos Palma.

Both the audience and the judges were taken aback during the first few seconds of the performance. That surprise quickly turned into a standing ovation: one of the judges said he had never seen anything like it in a beauty pageant.

Formed in 2020, DECESSUS, which also features drummer Martín Fénix and bassist Jaime Pepe, has opened for such international acts as INSOMNIUM and JINJER. They have also performed at festivals in Finland and Germany, and in September 2024 they opened for EPICA in Santiago.

In an interview with the Chilean newspaper Las Últimas Noticias, Ignacia said she was nervous about how the public would react. "Television lends itself to people making memes and making fun of you," she explained. The song I sang is by my band. It's my job, my life."

However, the beauty queen received a positive reaction for her performance with Palma.

Regarding how she takes care of her voice, Fernández said: "I studied for more than two years, very focused. I have an ENT [ears, nose and throat] specialist and a speech therapist with whom I constantly make sure that everything is okay. I warm up during the day and before a show I take between 15 and 30 minutes to do several exercises calmly."

Fernández was born and raised in Santiago, Chile, where she combines her modeling career — which she began in 2013 — with her other great passion: extreme music.

As she has shared on her social media, metal "has been a fundamental part" of who she is as a person and of her life. For her, it represents "a refuge, a source of strength and purpose."

The appearance of a death metal singer in a global beauty pageant has not only generated curiosity, but has also sparked a debate about the stereotypes that persist in these types of events, according to the El Independiente newspaper. Fernández stated that this performance was a great opportunity to break down barriers, asserting that one shouldn't fear the prejudices of others.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by International Poll (@international_poll)

Swedish metallers SABATON have released the latest single and accompanying video, "A Tiger Among Dragons", from their eleventh studio album, "Legends", that came out October 17 via Better Noise Music (marking the band's label debut).

"Legends" has garnered impressive debuts on various Luminate U.S. and global chart thanks to their legions of devoted fans, including No. 1 Metal Album (U.S.),No. 1 Rock Album (U.S.),No. 1 Current Hard Albums (U.S.),No. 2 iTunes Album (Global) and No. 10 Spotify Debut (global).

For "A Tiger Among Dragons", SABATON drew upon inspiration for the song based on Lü Bu, known as the "Flying General," one of the fiercest warriors in ancient China. During the chaos of the late Han Dynasty, he rose to legendary status with unmatched strength, insane skill with his halberd Sky Piercer and his lightning-fast horse, Red Hare. His duel at Hulao Pass, where he took on the best fighters of the era, sealed his place as a true legend. He's the kind of larger-than-life character you want to write a song about — brutal battles, epic duels, betrayal and raw power.

"Our song 'A Tiger Among Dragons' has a powerful, raw energy to it, but with a more melodic edge," says SABATON frontman Joakim Brodén. "I like to think that it tells Lü Bu's story with intensity and emotion — it's epic, but there's also a sense of drama and depth that really brings the legend to life!"

SABATON bassist Pär Sundström adds: "When Joakim showed me what he, Chris and Thobbe had been working on with this track, I immediately felt that it was a song connected to Asia. The drumming reminded me of those big shows with loads of synchronized drummers. We then needed to find an Asian legend, and although there are many, we decided on China's Lü Bu. He was the kind of warrior who felt more like a myth than a man, and when we saw how he was projected in comics, games and such, we felt that he was deserving of an anthem. We couldn't resist turning his legend into a song, so 'A Tiger Among Dragons' was born!"

For the "A Tiger Among Dragons" music video, the band wanted to create something that looked seriously epic and unmistakably SABATON. They teamed up with specialized costume designers to craft ancient Chinese armor that was inspired by the lore but was also tailored to each band member so they could play their instruments in it. Shot in Belgrade, Serbia (mostly in front of a green screen with layers of CGI and special effects included afterwards),the band is seen backing up Joakim Brodén as he inspires an ancient Chinese army. To help them, they also have two sorceresses who can summon flaming guitars from thin air, and in the end, they get a fiery ally.

"We set out to make this video completely over the top," says the band, "and honestly, we think we nailed it!"

Throughout "Legends", SABATON — Joakim Brodén (vocals),Pär Sundström (bass),Chris Rörland (guitar),Thobbe Englund (guitar),Hannes Van Dahl (drums) — delve into some of history's greatest and most loved characters such as Jeanne D'arc (also known as Joan Of Arc),Hannibal, Genghis Khan, Vlad The Impaler, Julius Caesar, the Knights Templar, and the legendary swordmaster Miyamoto Musashi. It marks a bold evolution in the band's sound and storytelling, plunging headfirst into the heart of history's most formidable and enigmatic figures. These are not just rock songs; they are battle hymns carved from the blood and legacy of warriors, kings, strategists and revolutionaries.

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET describes the new album, "SABATON have carved their own path to glory, and while they show no interest in deviating from it, they still have enough imagination and exuberance to make each album stand apart from its counterparts. 'Legends' is the rightful heir to 'Heroes' — another career high point — and kicks more than enough chainmail-wearing ass to sustain this band's dominance over the traditional metal realm for a few more years at least." Elsewhere, Screamermagazine.com noted, "As expected of SABATON, the album is a crescendo of history and heavy metal, making every song a headbanger that goes beyond the barriers of language."

Building on the multi-platinum-selling band's intense blend of rock and world history for fans of all ages, "Legends" is available worldwide as a digital download, as well as in various physical formats and retailer exclusives including CD, 2-CD digibook, 2-CD earbook (both including the exclusive Storyteller Edition),11 unique vinyl editions (including a special vinyl color and exclusive artwork with each),additional exclusive vinyl colors, and a limited box set (including another exclusive vinyl color, the 2-CD earbook, and a colored cassette as an exclusive format).

Among the 11 unique vinyl editions, each one portraying one legendary figure, "Legends" is available as the "Lü Bu Edition" in connection with "A Tiger Among Dragons" exclusively on SABATON's webstore.

In the more than two decades since the band's launch, SABATON has headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts worldwide, and gained a legion of loyal fans by carving out a reputation for being one of the hardest-working bands in the business. Since their 2005 debut album, they've earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications in territories around the world with their 10 studio albums. Eight of their albums scored Top 10 international chart status, and six claimed the Top 5. SABATON has earned eight Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards nominations, taking home the award for "Breakthrough Artist" in 2011 and "Best Live Band" in three different years, and a Grammis nomination (Swedish equivalent to the U.S. Grammy Award) as "Best Heavy Metal" band. They've accumulated more than three billion streams across all streaming platforms and two billion views on YouTube.

Known for their explosive stage presence and epic concert experience, SABATON is in the midst of a massive worldwide tour that kicked off October 6 in Istanbul, Turkey and continues November 14 in Cologne, Germany. The itinerary will take them through North America for a 32-date tour set kicking off February 9, 2026 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The trek will hit venues across the U.S. and Canada, including major stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston before wrapping April 20 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Tickets are available now at LiveNation.com.

Photo credit: Chris Rörland