During a November 7 question-and-answer session at the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, legendary rocker Alice Cooper was asked what piece of advice he would give to musicians who are just starting out. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Listen to THE BEATLES. Yeah. I'm not kidding. When it comes to writing songs, listen to the simplicity of THE BEATLES. I don't care if you're writing a death metal song. A song, first of all, isn't just a riff and a drum beat. You should be able to sit down — I don't care who it is — and be able to play that melody and sing that song. You could be the most angry person in the world."

Alice continued: "I've had young bands come to me and they go, 'Well, what do you think?' And I say, 'I get it. You're angry.' 'Cause you're just yelling at me. I said, 'Well, where's the song? There's no song there. There's a great beat and there's a great riff, but there's no song.' So I said, 'What I want you to do is, for one week, listen to nothing but the BEACH BOYS, THE BEATLES and THE FOUR SEASONS — any [of the bands] that wrote songs, or Burt Bacharach, that write songs. And then, I don't want you to sound like that, but I want you to get the idea of a verse, a B section, af bridge going into the chorus, going back into the bridge. But it means it has to have a melody. You can't just yell at me. And it's fine if you do yell at me, but you're not gonna stick around very long."

Cooper added: "Why are those songs [from THE BEATLES] still being played on the radio? Because of melody, the melody — we all want to hear the melodies."

Back in 2017, Alice told NME that THE BEATLES was one of his biggest influences. Cooper added that he heard "She Loves You" as a child, saying it was "the first song by THE BEATLES I ever heard and it literally changed something in my brain. It inspired what Alice Cooper became."

In 2020, Alice included "Meet The Beatles!" in his list of top albums of all time, telling Rolling Stone magazine: "It was the first one that totally knocked me out because I'd never heard anything like that before. We were listening to the BEACH BOYS and THE FOUR SEASONS, and all of a sudden, here's this band coming along with all this hair and Beatle boots and these suits, and they were singing these songs that you could hear them one time, and you knew them."

He continued: "I've always said this, and people might disagree with me, but it's easier to write something like 'Bohemian Rhapsody' than it is to write something like 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'. I'm still pretty sure they're aliens. I don't think they're from this planet."

Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. Known as the architect of shock-rock, Cooper (in both the original ALICE COOPER band and as a solo artist) has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where CNN can present real life shocking images.

Few performers in the history of rock and roll have blended music, theater, and pure shock the way Alice Cooper has. For more than five decades, the godfather of shock rock has terrified, thrilled, and captivated audiences around the globe with a stage show unlike anything else in music. From the guillotines and snakes to unforgettable anthems like "School's Out" and "Poison", Alice Cooper turned concerts into experiences that blurred the line between rock and horror.

Video below filmed and uploaded to YouTube by Robert Moseley

EPICA's previously announced Asian tour, which was scheduled to take place in early December 2025, has been postponed to September 2026.

Earlier today (Tuesday, November 11),EPICA released the following statement via social media: "With great regret, we must inform you that we have had to reschedule our upcoming Asian Tour to September 2026.

"After dealing with multiple health issues, doctors have advised Simone [Simons, EPICA singer] not to tour until the end of the year. As much as it pains us, health comes first.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

EPICA's newly rescheduled 2026 dates:

Sep. 14 - Tokyo, JP
Sep. 15 - Osaka, JP
Sep. 17 - Shenzhen, CN
Sep. 18 - Guangzhou, CN
Sep. 20 - Beijing, CN
Sep. 22 - Shanghai, CN

All purchased tickets will remain valid for the new dates.

Simons is married to KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai. They share one child, Vincent G. Palotai, who was born in October 2013.

In a January 2021 interview with the "Scars And Guitars" podcast, Simone said that she was missing the touring lifestyle during the pandemic. She said: "You have two kind of musicians: one that love to be in the studio — like my husband; he loves it — but I also love to travel and be on stage. If I'm in the studio for too long, it's too much of the same for me. So I am itching to go back on tour, and some musicians are not. I know a couple of my close friends in the music business, they are also — you see that everybody is kind of venturing out into new directions, trying to keep themselves busy creatively, but we all have this big loss, or we miss something, that nothing, actually, can replace except for being on stage."

Simons's debut solo album, "Vermillion", on which she collaborated with her longtime musical partner Arjen Lucassen (AYREON),was released in August 2024.

EPICA's ninth studio album, "Aspiral", came out in April via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP title is derived from the eponymous bronze sculpture made by Polish sculptor and painter Stanisław Szukalski back in 1965 and stands for renewal and inspiration — key words that define EPICA in 2025.

The album, featuring stunning cover artwork by Hedi Xandt (RAMMSTEIN, GHOST, PARKWAY DRIVE),was recorded once again at Sandlane Studios and expertly mixed and produced by Joost Van Den Broek.

To celebrate the "Aspiral" release, EPICA played three exclusive shows in the United States in early May: in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe (courtesy of Nuclear Blast Records)

EPICA postpone their Asian Tour to September 2026

With great regret, we must inform you that we have had to reschedule...

Posted by Epica on Tuesday, November 11, 2025

In a new interview with Altars Of Metal, POWER TRIP guitarist Blake Ibanez spoke about the Texas thrashers' return to the live stage and decision to begin work on their first new music since the tragic passing of frontman Riley Gale.

POWER TRIP's longtime friend and collaborator Seth Gilmore has stepped in for Gale to handle vocals for the band. Gilmore is embedded in Texas's hardcore and punk communities and is well known as the vocalist of SKOURGE and as the frontman of Dallas thrash metal band FUGITIVE, which he founded in 2021 alongside Ibanez.

Regarding how the collaboration with Gilmore came about, Ibanez said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, obviously, we started FUGITIVE and it was kind of just to experiment. 'Cause Seth was one of my closest friends. He lives in my town, so I think it was, like, 'Well, I don't have anything to do. Do you wanna try to write some songs together for fun?' And he had been fronting hardcore bands as long as POWER TRIP has been a band. But he just played hardcore shows and sang in those types of bands. So he wasn't what you would call like — I don't know how you'd put it — a professional, full-time band guy. He played in bands for fun. But he'd been around a long time and been doing it a long time, so I knew he had a natural ability and he was comfortable in that role."

Blake continued: "I think I had mentioned to him, after Riley passed away, I had talked about, 'Would you wanna mess around with some of this POWER TRIP stuff?' And I think at that point it was so fresh and so new, it was just kind of, like, 'I don't know. Maybe down the road.' And I was, like, 'Yeah, I get it.' He's in a band called SKOURGE, which is a hardcore band that has some crossover influences, some death metal influence. So I'd heard the evolution of his voice and everything in that band. And I think around this time they had done a new EP or something, and his voice — he started to showcase what he could do, his depth to his voice, his range. And I was, like, 'Whoa. Oh, I didn't know you could do all that stuff.' And not just that, but me and him having such a good relationship and him being such a nice guy that's easy to work with, I was, like, 'Well, why don't we just try to write some songs and see what happens?'"

Ibanez added: "I've always been pretty involved when it comes to POWER TRIP in the studio. I didn't write anything for Riley, but just me and him having to write songs together, we had to be on the same page and understand how to… He knew what I wanted him to do in terms of where I wanted things to be, and I know the formula and I know how I like to write songs and how we've always written songs. And I have some of those instincts as well. So I was, like, 'Well, I'm gonna take what I know from what we've always done and what I did with Riley and everything I learned from him and we learned working together, and let's try to write songs. I think we can do it.' And so I didn't know if it was gonna work at all. And then, obviously, we started working together and it was fun. And he's a talented lyricist and singer in his own right. And there wasn't the pressure of, 'We're making a POWER TRIP record,' or something. It's, like, 'Let's just start a new band and have it be different and have it be its own thing.' And that kind of just led to playing more shows and bigger shows and having some success with FUGITIVE out of the gate and building his confidence — playing bigger shows and playing his own songs and songs with me. And I think over a couple years, I think by the next time the POWER TRIP idea came around, like, 'Hey, do you wanna try to sing these songs and see what happens?', he was ready and he was, like, 'Yeah. Why not? I'm comfortable playing with you, and I feel good with what I'm doing right now. Why don't we give it a shot?' And he was down. And he had to be, because it's a lot to put on your shoulders. And he has a good head on his shoulders."

Regarding Gilmore's approach to singing the POWER TRIP material, Ibanez said: "It's not about being him or being anybody [else]. Just be yourself. Just sing [the songs] with intention and with passion or whatever, and he does. So, I think it was a natural progression. And I think he's done a really amazing job.

"You're never gonna be able to replace anybody that was their own person, an individual, like someone really talented like Riley, but that's not what anybody's doing," Blake explained. "He's always gonna be a special person and a force in his own right. And I wouldn't want anybody to replace him. But Seth is his own own guy, and he brings something different to the table. And we just are here to continue doing what we did and not let it die. 'Cause I think that would've been even more sad. And I think to play the songs and say Riley's name on stage every night and have people remember how special he was and all the great songs we wrote, I think, is amazing. And it was really sad when we were in a time where it didn't seem like that was gonna happen again. So, it's just about kind of, like, let's see what we can do now. And I think based on the relationship that me and Seth have and what we've been able to do, I feel really confident about writing more together and opening a new chapter that's maybe not exactly the same, but it's awesome and inspiring in a different way. And we're gonna do the best we can to do that. We would never do anything that we didn't feel supremely confident in and feel like it was the right thing. But none of that is ever gonna take away from anything Riley did or anything we did with him. That's always gonna be special and always gonna be something we did with him. Those were his words and it was our music, and it's always gonna be special. But as we've seen with other bands — AC/DC and VAN HALEN and all these other bands [who have changed singers] —you can do something new that's different. It's not the same, but it's an exciting part of [a band's evolution]… Something that could have ended tragically and never heard from again."

Blake also talked about some of the pushback he and his POWER TRIP bandmates had initially received for deciding to carry on following Riley's passing. He said: "Obviously, there were some people that were terrible, people that decided to try to take advantage of whatever they could with whatever relationship they thought they had with him or whatever place they thought they had in our story. There were plenty of people that were awful to us and treated us like we were traitors because of just trying to play songs we wrote. But that was a very, very tiny part of the story. Everything else has been amazing. And people have been really receptive. I think most people understand the circumstances. We didn't fire anybody. This was a horrible situation, and we're just trying to continue doing something that can bring people happiness and can be fun and contribute something to the heavy music landscape."

He continued: "I don't know if I would say I was nervous in that sense, because I'd played with Seth so long, I've heard how he sang the songs, I know how he is, so I felt confident. It was just another show with him. And I think the energy from the people at the shows and everything and the feedback was so great that it was just hard to feel that way. It's always in the back of your mind. You want to offer something that is good in a similar way, but that's not really for me to decide. I can't control that, because Riley's not here anymore, and this is what we have. So I can't really dwell on it too much, because I can't do anything to play with him again. But I love playing with Seth, and I'm gonna do that because that's how we continue, that's how we move forward. But I'll always be thinking about how fun that was to play with Riley and how talented he was to write with and all that. I learned a lot. And the reason I'm here is that I got to be in a band with him. So, I'll always, always cherish that."

Asked if the new POWER TRIP material will be more "experimental" than what the band has done in the past or it will follow the "same recipe" as what he and his bandmates had done with Riley, Blake said: "I think it's a little of everything you mentioned. Of course we'll always honor him when we can. We are moving forward, we have to focus on the future, but that doesn't mean that we'll forget him or not honor him. Of course that's always gonna be a thing that we'll do and we'll try to make sure of. But when it comes to moving forward, we're gonna write music how we wanna write it. Obviously, like I said before, all the things and the elements of the formula that we've always had, I wanna try to keep those as much as I can, obviously, but Seth's a different person, he's a different singer, he's a different lyricist. So, is he gonna try to write lyrics exactly like Riley would? Well, I would hope he wouldn't. Those were Riley's words, that was his personality. It doesn't mean that we don't believe in everything and still wanna be in that realm anymore — of course we do — but I don't write the lyrics, so I can't really control that. I want Seth to write about what he feels strongly about and what he wants to put his name on and sing every night. So that's not really for me to decide. I think he's his own person.

"We all come from the same world musically, and we have similar tastes and everything," Blake explained. "We want it to sound like POWER TRIP, we want it to sound like something we would do. But I would never tell him to write about this or that. Riley, he was always thinking and changing, and I don't know what he would be writing about in this day and age either. I don't know what he would wanna talk about. I can't really speculate on that. He's not with us anymore, sadly. I would feel that would be like trying to fill his shoes, and that doesn't feel right. I think he deserves that space. I think with Seth, he's his own guy. He can handle his own thoughts and ideas. I don't think we would do anything that would, for any reason, go in opposition to anything that he wrote about. But he's not gonna try to write the same songs or anything like that, so it'll be something different. But I can't imagine it'd be anything that people that like us wouldn't be interested in or be stoked on. But [it's] not really my call."

In announcing POWER TRIP's return to the live stage in February 2024, surviving members Ibanez, Nick Stewart (guitar, vocals), Chris Whetzel (bass) and Ulsh wrote on social media: "Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as POWER TRIP. It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley.

"We know this can't be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of POWER TRIP and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way.

"We'll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we've received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who've been there throughout our existence as a band."

Regarding Gilmore's addition to the POWER TRIP lineup, the band said: "It feels right playing our songs with Seth, who's been a longtime figure in Texas hardcore, and we've had the pleasure of watching and playing alongside his bands since the origins of POWER TRIP. We're grateful for his dedication to this project and can't wait to see everyone."

Gilmore stated: "I'm honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of POWER TRIP and deliver these songs to the fans of past and current generations. I would not be who I am today without the massive influence that both the band and its members have had on my life, and I look forward to celebrating their work alongside them while giving it my all to honor the spirit of Riley's memory."

Ibanez, Stewart, Whetzel and Ulsh played a surprise five-song set with Gilmore on December 1, 2023 at Mohawk in Austin, Texas.

Riley died on August 25, 2020. An autopsy report for Gale ruled that he died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, while the manner of death was ruled accidental.

Following the news of Gale's death, a number of other artists shared tributes to the frontman, including members of CODE ORANGE, ANTHRAX and COHEED AND CAMBRIA.

Riley guested on the track "Point The Finger" on BODY COUNT's "Carnivore" album, released in March 2020, and BODY COUNT frontman Ice-T later suggested in an interview with Stereogum that Gale's death was opioid-related. Ice-T said in December 2020: "When we shot the video [for 'Point The Finger'], he looked healthy. It was a good vibe. That's why I got blindsided when I got the call from his dad, who said that Riley passed away. Apparently, he was dealing with the same bullshit everyone is — this opioid stuff. He'd gotten clean, and when you relapse, you go back to the same dose you're used to and it kills you. It was a really sad thing."

Gale's autopsy report noted that he died from pulmonary edema — a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. This was caused by "the toxic effects of fentanyl" in Gale's system. The fentanyl in Gale's blood was measured at 22.5 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter),and he tested negative for all other drugs and alcohol.

The report went on to note that Gale had a "history of Xanax abuse" and a "history of depression," and revealed Riley was found "unresponsive on the floor at home."

In October 2020, plans were announced for the Riley Gale Library at the Dallas Hope Center — the city's sole shelter for LGBTQ+ youth.

POWER TRIP released two albums on Southern Lord, 2013's "Manifest Decimation" and 2017's "Nightmare Logic". A rarities compilation, "Opening Fire: 2008-2014", followed in 2018.

"Nightmare Logic" peaked at No. 22 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart.

POWER TRIP was said to be working on its third album at the time of Riley's death.

Photo credit: Adam Cedillo

In a new interview with Neeka Rogers of Metal Nation, Jeffrey Hatrix, also known as Jeffrey Nothing (born Jeffrey Lewis Hetrick),formerly the haunting voice and co-founder behind Cleveland's pioneering alterna-metal and industrial collective MUSHROOMHEAD, spoke about his ongoing battle with cancer. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET) "I, unfortunately, lost my wife Stacy [to cancer] in April of 2024, and within a month I had been diagnosed myself. And I right then made the decision I was gonna fully natural [in my treatment for the disease]. I sometimes got messages from people, 'Rest in peace. Then you won't be here next year at this time.' But I don't believe in the big medicine way of treatment. I think it's what a lot of people end up being scared into. And I think if you do a little searching, you might find something that keeps you here without taking so much away."

Jeffrey, who is now a born-again Christian, continued: "So I did that treatment, and for one week I actually lived on grapes and grape juice — nine tinctures, two capsules three times a day for eight weeks. But I had, in that same time, spent time in my sauna. And a little while later I started hiking a lot. And I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life, but I also just like the exercise. Getting off the couch is very important. And I'm not gonna get to where I'm running marathons — I ran a lot when I was young, but I'm not really a fan now — but walking a lot, it helps you physically a lot, but it's also a cool thing just getting out in nature and experiencing life that way."

This past March, just two months after revealing he was battling cancer, Hatrix took to his Facebook to write: "Just wanted to give an update on my situation and say Thank You All Sincerely, so much for the caring and help. Yesterday started the 7th of my 8 week Alternative Medicine treatment journey. I am pain free since the start and I truly believe that this is Working. I hope you and yours are all doing well. If you aren't, they can help with a multitude of conditions. (Read the testimonials). Contact: morseshealthcenter.com".

In February, Hatrix's daughter Mea wrote on his Gofundme account that his "alternative medicine treatment" consisted of "9 tinctures and 2 capsules. 3 times a day over the course of 8 weeks, not 6 as his dyslexic brain first told him," she said. "This protocol is from Morse Healthcare out of Florida and it goes with a diet of Fruit and Vegetables and daily visits to his steam sauna."

When Jeffrey revealed his cancer diagnosis in January, he wrote that he "really wanted to keep this to myself" but eventually made the decision to go public it in order to raise funds for his treatment.

"I was diagnosed a couple months ago," he said at the time. "It will be very hard to continue working with the treatment path I have chosen. Thank You for anything you can do to help. I know everyone is going through a lot."

The GoFundMe campaign has a goal of $24,000 and has currently raised more than $23,000.

Jeffrey's wife Stacy died in April 2024 after a long battle with cancer. She was only 38 years old.

In August 2024, Jeffrey Hatrix sued MUSHROOMHEAD's drummer and producer Steve "Skinny" Felton, alleging copyright infringement and failure to pay him royalties that he is owed.

Hatrix, who left MUSHROOMHEAD in 2018, claimed in the lawsuit, which was obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, that he had not received royalties for his music "for several years at least", despite the fact that he wrote or helped write 148 songs during his time with the band.

Hatrix's attorney Ronald Stanley told Cleveland.com that Hatrix was seeking at least $3.5 million, but clarified that "we don't know all what he is entitled to yet."

Jeffrey left MUSHROOMHEAD in March 2018, stating: "I am coming to you today with a heavy heart to announce that I am leaving MUSHROOMHEAD. It is a decision that I did not make easily, but one I made for reasons that are best for me as an artist and musician at this juncture in my career." The vocalist went on to thank "the craziest, fucking loyal and amazing fans" for the "once in a lifetime privilege" of performing for them while touring and recording with the group.

A few months later, Hatrix discussed his exit while appearing on the "ADHD" podcast, saying that "my issue was there was only one chief [Steve Felton], and that's not how it started. That really catapulted us all backwards. I feel like we could have done so much more… Things could have all been different and friendly, but I don't believe my former band has that in their vocabulary. I never wanted it like that. It's odd."

He added: "I left the band because I couldn't do it anymore. I stayed for a long time for the fans and it just got to be like, 'Sorry I just can't do it anymore.' I was trying to leave on semi-amicable terms and then that never happened… I got to the point where I didn't even want to go on tour anymore. There was one tour where I felt like I was in need of having every tooth pulled out of my head. The stress was so bad, it felt like that. That ended up not being the case. Once I got home, I was fine. Sometimes a bus can feel like a prison cell or your bunk can feel like a casket or you're doing time or you're not even alive anymore… When it was cool, I liked it. When it became somebody's little game, for lack of a better word, it became very ugly and something I wanted to get out of as soon as I could."

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal has released the official music video for the song "Moonshine Hootenanny". The track is taken from his latest instrumental album, "Bumblefoot ...Returns!", which came out in January 2025. Thirty years after his debut solo instrumental album, Bumblefoot revisited his roots with a 14-track masterpiece that spans genres from metal to orchestral to blues.

The album's opening track, "Simon In Space", served as its first single, delivering an electrifying ride through chaos and intensity. In addition to the single, an animated music video created by Bumblefoot and animator Radek Grabinski was maade available, as well as a retro-inspired video game.

"Bumblefoot ...Returns!" featured collaborations with iconic musicians, including Brian May, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, Derek Sherinian, Jerry Gaskill and others, showcasing Bumblefoot's innovative guitar techniques, such as his signature fretless guitar and "thimble technique."

On the album, Bumblefoot shared: "It's been 30 years since releasing the debut 'Adventures Of Bumblefoot' on Shrapnel Records, and I haven't done a fully instrumental album since. Writing during the pandemic, these songs became a soundtrack to my life — from heavy fretless growls to bluesy tributes to legends like Lonnie Johnson. It's a reflection of the moments that shaped me."

He added: "Working on WHOM GODS DESTROY's album inspired growling heavy fretless parts like 'Simon In Space'. Watching a blues documentary inspired 'Moonshine Hootenanny'. Losing loved ones led to writing 'Funeral March'. Songs become a soundtrack to our lives."

In an interview Decibel, Bumblefoot stated about his decision to make another instrumental album: "My pursuits from the beginning were as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, founding bandmember, doing our own music. I wasn't looking to be an instrumental guitarist. I signed a record deal in the mid-'90s to do music with vocals, but they asked me to do an instrumental album to start things off. I did 'The Adventures Of Bumblefoot' album [1995], which opened the door to doing video game soundtracks, TV and film music. After that I went back on the path, proggy, quirky hard rock with vocals, and over the decades released albums that would have some instrumental songs, but more in the way a VAN HALEN album would have some between the vocal songs. Since the last Bumblefoot album, I did the first ART OF ANARCHY album in 2015 with Scott Weiland, another in 2017 with Scott Stapp, SONS OF APOLLO's debut that same year, the live SONS OF APOLLO album/video in 2019, an instrumental single that year, released the next SOA album in 2020, while touring and producing bands every moment in-between, including fronting the band ASIA. Then the 2020 lockdown hit, and there was suddenly time, lots of it. I often thought, 'Someday when there's time, I'd like to do another instrumental album like the first 'Adventures' one, another lounge-metal album like 'Uncool' (2002),another acoustic EP like 'Barefoot' (2008).

"During the lockdown I put out an instrumental single, 'Planetary Lockdown', did two acoustic 'Barefoot 2' and '3' EPs, was busy in the studio every day mixing people's songs and albums, laying guest solos, doing online teaching, lots of the things I had missed doing while touring so much. And then got the itch to do another fully instrumental album, and started writing and demoing ideas… It was the gift of time that made it possible, being forced off the touring 'hamster wheel' and having focus and momentum being in the studio every day."

Regarding what had changed about his approach to writing and playing music in the decade after his previous solo album, Bumblefoot said: "In the past ten years there's been lots of collaborating in bands, where I've been a contributing songwriter, co-writer, guitarist, producer, mixing the albums… Now getting back to doing another full album of my own, the big difference I'm feeling is based on now having the guitar as the voice of the song, which allows more possibilities for the melody, more range, different tones. Singing has limits with all of that, you have just one voice, although you also have words to tell the story.

"The previous album, 'Little Brother Is Watching' [2015] was all vocal songs, and having the same voice on the songs makes the overall direction feel more focused. With instrumental music, I tend to get more experimental and every song tends to have more of its own identity. And the guitar lines aren't limited to solo sections; there's a whole song where the guitar gets to do it all, make singable lines, experimental sounds…"

"Bumblefoot ...Returns!" track listing:

01. Simon In Space
02. Planetary Lockdown
03. Moonshine Hootenanny
04. Chopin Waltz Op64 No2
05. Monstruoso (featuring Steve Vai)
06. Monstruoso II – Departure
07. Cintaku
08. Once in Forever (featuring Brian May)
09. Andalusia
10. Anveshana (featuring Guthrie Govan)
11. Funeral March (featuring Ben Karas)
12. Griggstown Crossing
13. The Thread
14. Liftoff

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and appeared on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an effort which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.

Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career and other projects after spending eight years playing in GUNS.

Thal spent a few years recording and touring with SONS OF APOLLO, which also featured drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20),in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

Photo: Andre Tedim

Gene Simmons paid tribute to his longtime KISS bandmate Ace Frehley during GENE SIMMONS BAND's November 9 performance at the 34th installment of the Love Ride powered by Harley-Davidson, which took place at the Castaic Lake in Castaic, California.

Prior to launching into the KISS classic "Cold Gin", Gene told the crowd (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I wanna take a moment just to tell you that somebody I've known for many decades who started the band with us, a guy named Ace Frehley…" After some fans in the audience started screaming out Ace's name, Simmons continued: "Very sad. Paul [Stanley, KISS frontman] and myself and Peter Criss [original KISS drummer], we went to Ace's funeral. He sadly passed. And the saddest part of all, besides the pain and suffering to his friends, family, his daughter, his wife, his whole family, is that Ace didn't live long enough to be with us on December 6th when the president and everybody's gonna get up there and honor KISS in entering the Kennedy Center Honors. And the first person who's gonna walk out there and talk about how KISS changed his life is [country star] Garth Brooks, who's gonna host a little bit. Then he's gonna play 'Shout It Out Loud' and knock it out of the park. And in Ace's memory, we're gonna make sure one of the four chairs is empty with Ace's name, because he deserves to be there in spirit, even if he can't be there physically."

Gene added: "So, one day Ace walked in. The very first song he ever wrote we're gonna do now. It's called 'Cold Gin'."

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

U.S. president Donald Trump announced the honorees in August during a press conference at the performing arts center. Trump will also host and produce the show, which recognizes and celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to American culture through performing arts.

When KISS's Kennedy Center Honor was first announced in August, Frehley called the it "a dream come true that I never thought would materialize."

Ace died on October 16 of blunt trauma injuries to his head due to a fall. The Morris County Medical Examiner revealed the cause of death in a report obtained by TMZ.com. 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.

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.

Frehley, whose real name was Paul Daniel Frehley, passed away 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!"

The day of Ace's death, Stanley and Simmons issued a statement in which they said: "We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS's legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world."

Simmons also wrote on X: "Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace's legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn't live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!"

Ace co-founded KISS with Paul, Gene and Peter 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.

Frehley 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.

In a new interview with the Lazer 103.3 radio station, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (TSO) musical director/guitarist Al Pitrelli was asked if there is any chance fans will get new studio material from the band at all in the future. Al responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The easy answer would be, like, 'Yeah, sure.'"

Referencing TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's late rock industry veteran, producer, composer and musician Paul O'Neill, who died in 2017, Pitrelli continued: "Listen, when we lost Paul, not only did I lose my brother and my best friend, his wife lost her husband, his daughter lost her father. We lost the producer, the guy who created this whole thing, the writer, the visionary.

"Yeah, there's plenty of unfinished material that exists," Al confirmed. "But I don't know. I want [Paul] to sit in that chair to make those final decisions, when to hit the 'stop' button. So, out of respect for him, I'm just gonna say I don't know. I think you and so many other people, myself included, would love to have some new material out. I don't know.

"When [Paul] passed away, it was, like, 'Oh my God. How are we going to put a tour out?'" Al added. "I don't think that that punch in the stomach ever really goes away, that hole in your heart. So I haven't given too much thought to newer material. We'll get to it. But I appreciate you bringing that up."

TSO was created to push the boundaries of what was possible for a band to create — both musically and visually. O'Neill dreamed of a different kind of "band" that is not limited by the confines of traditional rock acts and instead established one with multiple singers who could inhabit the various characters he was writing into his rock operas.

Although TSO is best known for their Capra-esque trilogy of holiday records — "Christmas Eve & Other Stories", "The Christmas Attic" and "The Lost Christmas Eve" — they have also released several other rock operas. "Beethoven's Last Night" (2000) was the first of these non-holiday rock operas and tells a compelling tale of a battle for Beethoven's soul between good and evil. It features instrumental crossovers between classical composers and contemporary rock, along with original vocal tracks featuring Patti Russo as the character Teresa, Beethoven's love. Later albums take on great themes such as war and redemption, namely "Night Castle" (2009). "Night Castle" was TSO's first Top 5 album debut and included a bonus track featuring Greg Lake (EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, KING CRIMSON),who was one of TSO's greatest influences. TSO's latest album, "Letters From The Labyrinth" (2015),was another Top 10 release for the band. In total, TSO has sold in excess of 12 million albums and DVDs.

Consistently one of the Top 25 touring acts in the country, TSO shows no signs of slowing down. Since its touring debut in 1999, TSO has played over 2,000 Winter Tour shows for more than 20 million fans. So far TSO has also donated over $20 million from these tours to local charities.

At the time of his passing, O'Neill had several TSO projects in various stages of completion at his recording studio in Florida. He also had two finalized rock operas: "Romanov: When Kings Must Whisper", about the 1917 Russian Revolution, along with a live concert adaptation of "Night Castle". O'Neill also planned to eventually bring the TSO experience to Broadway. Nearly 30 years after the release of their first album, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA continues to create and live on.

With an incredible $1 billion in gross sales, TSO's remarkable and consistent appeal is reflected in recent industry accolades: Pollstar recognized TSO at No. 4 for Top North America Tours and at No. 6 on their Top 100 Worldwide Tours chart by gross for Midyear 2025, while Billboard placed them at No. 5 in Midyear 2025 Top Ticket Sales and No. 13 on the Midyear 2025 Top Tours chart. Adding to their impressive achievements, their iconic hit "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" has surpassed 100 million streams across digital platforms, further cementing its status as a timeless holiday classic.

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.