In a new interview with Lou Brutus of HardDrive, GHOST leader Tobias Forge spoke about the band's upcoming North American 2026 leg of the "Skeletour" world tour, which will kick off January 21 at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida and run through February 23 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Asked if it's "impossible" to change things up from night to night because of "everything that goes" into the stage production for "Skeletour", Forge said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "In the past and, and this happens to bands all the time, you get criticized because you don't change the set just for that specific show, which is insane. You want us to reconfigure the whole thing every night? We are simply not that kind of band; we don't do that. So we figured that, well, a whole lot of people have not seen the show now, so we will continue this tour and just present the tour. 'Here's the tour.' I mean, just because people in Europe have seen it… If you live in Baltimore, you have not seen it, so you're gonna get the same thing. The only thing that we added was a little bit of circulating slots. Each and every night there's a slot over here — I think it's number four and number five, and then there's one later where there's a circulation of songs — it rotates. So it's never really the same show. And we added more songs now, so that becomes a little bit of a roulette every night. And that is for fans, yes, but that's also for us, because that keeps you on your toe a little, and that keeps everybody fresh a little. And if you wanna play yourself a little game, you don't look at the setlist and you're just sort of, like, 'Oh, we're playing that tonight. Oh, cool.' And for me, mentally, that's a little bit of a good thing."

Asked how he decides which new songs are going to make the setlist when he starts a tour, Forge said: "Usually when I make a record, I always write a song to fit the start of the record, but that start of the record has always then gone on to be the beginning of the tour, the beginning of the set for the tour. So that's usually my M.O. going into an album cycle. Of course, we're gonna start with 'Rats' on that tour, or 'Kaisarion' on the previous one and now 'Peacefield', as per normal. But what ends up happening at a certain points — it has happened to us a few times, because planning out a tour in advance usually is advanced lot more time beforehand. Then you settle on a release date, so you end up with a starting date of the tour thinking that, 'Oh, the record will be out by then,' and by the time that you're closing in on the tour, the release date for the record gets pushed. And this happened again this time around, which [was] a third time in a row, I think. So the tour started before the record ['Skeletá'] came out, and that did affect how many [new] songs we put into the set."

On the topic of how he goes about designing the stage and the presentation for each GHOST tour, Tobias said: "The actual blueprint of the stage is… I have always been very interested in drawing stages. So, I basically got myself a — what do you call it? — squared paper, and I started drawing away. And a lot of the design of this show is based on our previous show, but expanded upon from there.

"For years, I've had this idea that I wanted to have the show change and alter throughout the show," he explained. "So you started in one form and gradually transformed into another. Practically, you can't — or you can, but if you're gonna do like a transformer setup where you physically transform things, there's a limit to that. So, what I've always had in mind was that… For years we've used something called inflatables, and that's exactly what they sound like — it's something that you blow up, inflate them with air and they look huge and robust. [It's] very common in pop and heavy metal, because they don't take a whole lot of space. But when they are inflated, they look big."

This past August, GHOST completed the U.S. leg of the "Skeletour" in support of the group's sixth studio album, "Skeletá", which came out in April. Marking a bold evolution in GHOST's live performances, the tour was the band's most theatrical and cinematic production yet. Designed by creative director Tobias Rylander and Forge, the tour embraced a grander and more ambitious scale than ever before.

The set design was a striking blend of gothic symbolism and brutalist architecture, melding the ornate drama of cathedrals with the stark lines of modernist concrete forms. Inspired by brutalist cathedrals across Europe, the stage transformed into a sanctum of dark majesty: part sacred temple and part rock coliseum.

At the core of the design was the "Grucifix" — GHOST's reimagined crucifix inspired by their iconic logo. Suspended above the band, this colossal structure functioned as both a visual centerpiece and a dynamic lighting rig, casting an ethereal glow over the stage.

Rylander's design included sculptural scenic facades on the lighting pods, echoing the textures and verticality of cathedral interiors, further reinforcing the ecclesiastical themes central to GHOST's identity.

The lighting leans into a retro-rock aesthetic, with visual nods to classical QUEEN and VAN HALEN. The tour also represented a milestone for the band as it's the first time a full-scale video production led by Rylander and video director Amir Chamdin. With video content by Green Wall Designs, the creative direction transcended the physical stage, evolving into a fully immersive multimedia experience.

In keeping with the show's theatricality, the stage itself had been engineered to perform as much as the artist. Multiple elevated performance platforms, mechanical lifts, and concealed entrances are strategically placed to accommodate dramatic reveals and character transitions. A living, breathing cathedral of performance, "Skeletour" redefined the GHOST live experience, where sacred architecture collides with the raw energy of rock and roll.

Renowned for his work across live music world tours, fashion, theatre and art installations, Rylander has collaborated with artists such as Beyoncé, THE 1975, Childish Gambino, Chappell Roan, The XX and FKA Twigs. "Skeletour" marks his first creative partnership with the Grammy Award-winning band, bringing a new dimension to GHOST's already-iconic stage presence.

The European leg of GHOST's 2025 world tour kicked off on April 15 in Manchester, United Kingdom and concluded on May 24 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour launched on July 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and wrapped up on August 16 in Houston, Texas.

This past May, "Skeletá" landed at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 86,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the LP's first week of release. According to Billboard, 89% of that figure (77,000) consisted of traditional album sales, with vinyl purchases accounting for over 44,000 copies. Notably, "Skeletá" was the first hard rock album to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 since AC/DC's "Power Up" in 2020.

The music video for the LP's first single, "Satanized", introduced the new character who is fronting GHOST for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua.

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

GHOST! Tobias Forge of Ghost returns tonight as Featured Artist of the Week on HardDrive Radio XL. We'll also speak to Michael Pousen of Volbeat. #TobiasForge #GHOST #thebandGHOST

Posted by HardDrive Radio on Friday, October 17, 2025

In a new interview with Belgian Jasper, SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera spoke about the band's upcoming thirteenth album, "Chama", which will be released on October 24 via Nuclear Blast Records. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I think this album is more about the attitude than anything else. When I mentioned [last year] that SOULFLY was gonna return to the roots of the early records [on this upcoming LP], I didn't mean that sonically; I was talking more about the attitude.

"I feel this record, in a weird, unique way, the attitude of it is very punk in its essence," he explained. "It's a short record, shorter songs. It's full of meaning between the tracks, 'Storm The Gates', 'No Pain = No Power', 'Nihilist' — it's, like, the message is there. I'm singing with conviction. I'm saying the words because I believe in them and I'm screaming them with truly fully convinced about what I'm saying."

Max went on to say that his previous work on such side projects as GO AHEAD AND DIE and NAILBOMB "gave me this kind of influence, that, yeah, it's cool to do shit like that. Not everything needs to be so professional all the time," he noted. "Sometimes the greatest, coolest shit is the shit that you just thought of it in a second and then just went for it, spur of the moment. So there's a lot of spur-of-the-moment things on this record, and there's some more thought out things like, I think, 'No Pain = No Power' actually kind of stands out in the record as kind of a standout track, because of the guests. You have Dino [Cazares from FEAR FACTORY], you have Gabe [Franco of UNTO OTHERS] and Ben [Cook from NO WARNING] doing the melodic vocals. It felt like a different song from the rest. But then you have something like 'Ghenna' right after, which is a total fucking — it's a mindfuck of a song, man. It's crazy. Even today, I listened back to that song and I go, 'What is going on here?' I don't know what the hell is going on. It's chaotic. There's no verse, there's no chorus. It's a very unorthodox song, but I love that. It's kind of like throwing caution to the air. Like, 'Fuck it, let's just do it.' And then you have 'Storm The Gates'. It's very SOULFLY '90s — this is like '99. We're back in '99 right now, jumping and fucking bouncing with the crowd, just missing the dreadlocks. [Laughs]"

SOULFLY drummer — and Max's son — Zyon Cavalera co-produced "Chama", which was recorded at the Platinum Underground Studio in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino. John has worked with Max and company multiple times before and is not only a talented engineer but a family friend. The album was produced by Zyon and Arthur Rizk. The latter was also responsible for the mixing and mastering. Rizk has not only worked with the Cavalera family numerous times before, but has also helped to shape the world of heavy metal in the modern day. SOULFLY enlisted Carletta Parrish to create the album artwork. For the album, Igor Amadeus Cavalera (GO AHEAD & DIE, NAILBOMB, HEALING MAGIC) played bass and Mike De Leon played guitar. The album also features Dino Cazares (FEAR FACTORY) on one of the tracks.

SOULFLY's lineup on "Chama" is:

Max Cavalera - Vocals, Guitar
Igor Amadeus Cavalera - Bass
Zyon Cavalera - Drums
Mike De Leon – Guitar

In a recent interview with MetalUnderground.com, Max stated about the musical direction of the new SOULFLY material: "The record, it's cool. It feels to me [like it] has the adventurous spirit of the first record [1998's 'Soulfly']. Sonically, it's pretty different from the first record — it's more intricate and maybe even heavier, heavier grooves. But in terms of spirit and attitude, it's similar to the first record, which I think is cool that I got to figure out a way to put my mind back at that time and what made me create that record and use it again on a new record. It's pretty fun. It's kind of hard to do, but I think it was an exciting thing to tackle. It was kind of, like, 'Let's try to do this. Let's see if you can use your first album as somehow some kind of inspiration for your thirteenth record. [Laughs] And that was great, man. I love that. I love that kind of vibe that the record has."

Cavalera continued: "That's the cool thing about this record. It's kind of, in a way, a return to what me and fans of SOULFLY fell in love with SOULFLY for. And then throughout the years, many of the other records had a lot of different vibes in it. Some of them went more thrashy with stuff like 'Dark Ages' [2005], 'Omen' [2010], 'Conquer' [2008]. So, to me, making a record that sonically is inspired by the first thing that you did as a band, it was a challenge — there's a challenge in that — 'cause it's easier said than done. Because I don't wanna just copy that first record either. There's no point in doing that. I'm just using it as inspiration. It's really just full on for metal inspiration. The songs [themselves], they're gonna have their own personality and their own vibe."

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Jim Louvau

On October 21, two former members of thrash pioneers MEGADETH, bassist David Ellefson and guitarist Jeff Young, were guests in the studio of Fox Rochester's "ARC Rochester" to promote a show in Rochester, New York from their new band KINGS OF THRASH. Speaking about MEGADETH's enduring musical influence, Ellefson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There was a benchmark we had when we started MEGADETH, is to write very epic-oriented music stuff that could really be a soundtrack. If you closed your eyes, you could almost have a visual to it. And also stuff that was timeless. And I think the music has really stood the test of time. It doesn't sound dated. You don't go, 'Oh, yeah, that's something from the '80s,' or 'Oh, yeah, that's something from the '90s.' I think the MEGADETH music, out of everybody in the thrash genre, I will go on record as saying, I think is probably the most timeless and will probably stand the test of time the most and be the most listened to by people that aren't even just metalheads."

On the topic of how heavy music has evolved over the decades, particularly as it pertains to some of the newer, more extreme metal acts, David said: "I remember when we were on tour with Ronnie James Dio, who is an icon — this was 1988 — talking with him one day on tour about how the next generation comes up. And our thrash metal was really heavy compared to what he was doing. Then the masked bands come out — SLIPKNOT, MUDVAYNE and all this stuff — so it gets heavier and heavier.

"Look, rock and roll has always been about pushing the limits, starting with Elvis [Presley]," he explained. "That's just the nature of what it's supposed to be.

"I remember seeing the KISS reunion in 1996. Me and [then-MEGADETH guitarist] Marty Friedman went down, and I was looking at us going, as heavy and dark and daunting as this was, and our parents didn't want us to listen to it, it was like family entertainment by then because of what had progressed past it. And probably thrash metal might be the same thing. Our music's actually pretty melodic. It's heavy, but it's melodic. It's listenable. So I think that's just the nature of rock and roll. The young generations are always the creators and they're always pushing the envelope a little farther."

In addition to Ellefson and Young, KINGS OF THRASH features Chaz Leon (vocals, guitar) and DEAD GROOVE/BULLETBOYS drummer Fred Aching, along with an occasional guest appearance by another ex-MEGADETH member, guitarist Chris Poland.

KINGS OF THRASH recently completed a couple of tours during which it performed MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good" an "So Far...So Good... So What!" A live CD/DVD package called "Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go" was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 15, 2022 and was released in March 2023 via Cleopatra Records. The DVD, which was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment, includes an appearance by Poland.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH more than four years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.

BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch spoke to Canada's The Metal Voice about the band's plans for the follow-up to 2022's "The God Machine" album. After co-host Jimmy Kay noted that BLIND GUARDIAN's sound and overall production approach can't get "much bigger" than it was on some of the group's most recent efforts, Hansi concurred. "Yeah. That was my feeling after '[Twilight Orchestra:] Legacy of The Dark Lands', and I was happy when we went into a direction which we have taken with 'The God Machine', though from the basic songwriting, it was not too far away from 'Beyond The Red Mirror'," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "The way we treated it during the production and in the mixing has transformed it into something like a hybrid. This is what I meant when I said, well, 'The God Machine' has a bit of references of what we did in the past. So .. my impression [is that] we shouldn't go further down the road when it comes to orchestration. There will be classical composing, I'm pretty sure, in the future, but we won't take it as far as 'Legacy Of The Dark Lands', at least not in a long time. And, yeah, you know how long it took us to produce and accomplish 'Legacy Of The Dark Lands'. So, I doubt there will be anything like that, but we all feel it is time for the let-your-hair-down stuff. Even though I have to say once we're in the studio, we do not have that much control where the journey is finally leading us. So, that is open to a certain extent, but the passion for, I'd say, easygoing music is there in the band. And we felt encouraged by that also by the touring we did for the last now almost three years. That also fills us up with energy. And once we finish all this touring and we get back to the songwriting, usually there is a bit of this [same kind of] sense in the new songwriting. So I'm quite confident it will be more into such a direction."

Asked if the next BLIND GUARDIAN album will arrive sometime after the completion of the band's fall 2025 North American tour, Hansi clarified: "There won't be a new album coming out after the tour directly because we have to compose the album. We will take that momentum after North America and do the break, which everyone in the band is desperately looking for. We traveled around the world twice, I think, and it is about time now to really keep our focus on songwriting and on family life. We all want that privacy back for a while — not for too long, but I think give us a year, maybe one and a half, and then you'll have your new album As said, I believe it's in the tradition of what BLIND GUARDIAN stands for and maybe has a bit of the more melodic, old-fashioned style, but I cannot promise it. It's just a feeling."

Regarding a possible release date for the next BLIND GUARDIAN album, Hansi said: "[It will be] 2027, I'd say. Give us 2026 to compose songs. We go for quality. I mean, we could technically do an album, including production, within nine months. We did that in the very early stages of the band, but I wanna take my time, and so want the other guys. So give us the beginning of 2027 for maybe finishing the production and releasing the album, and then another tour hopefully at the end of 2027."

BLIND GUARDIAN's fall 2025 North American tour will see the band bring its celebrated album "Somewhere Far Beyond" to life on stage. The trek will kick off on November 19 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will make stops in major markets, including New York, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles and more, before concluding on December 13 in Los Angeles, CA, at The Wiltern. Support for the tour will come from special guests ENSIFERUM and SEVEN KINGDOMS, offering fans a full evening of epic metal performances.

In the summer of 2024, Kürsch told MetalMasterKingdom.com about the progress of the songwriting sessions for BLIND GUARDIAN's next studio album: "We started songwriting a while ago, but I think we skipped all the ideas we've had. We do that from time to time, because if the span in between the real songwriting and the ones we did before is so big, then it doesn't make sense to keep on working on these songs because you do not get back into the mode, and so it's better to just put them aside. And some of this stuff really got forgotten over the years, and we never touched it again. So, we will start from scratch zero right now. We are still in the mode of 'live band' [due to all the touring we have done]. So I would expect the next songs to be heavy — heavy and aggressive."

Asked if the next BLIND GUARDIAN album will be musically similar to "The God Machine", Hansi said: "That's difficult to say, because 'The God Machine' is more of a production result than it is in the songwriting itself. The songwriting is not too different from what we did on [2015's] 'Beyond The Red Mirror', but the way we treated the songs in the studio is so different. So the result turns out to be, obviously, differently impressive to people. I would say, yes, we go for individual [songs]. With the lyrics, I am more focused on this than having a conceptual album. When having a conceptual album, you may go musically in one direction also. So we go freestyle."

In February 2024, Hansi was asked by Australia's Metal Roos if he thinks there will be "a shorter turnaround time" for the band's next studio album, considering that "The God Machine" was the first regular studio LP from BLIND GUARDIAN in seven years. He responded: "I'm pretty sure it's going to be…. I'm not sure how it will look like exactly. We did the re-recordings for 'Somewhere Far Beyond' for the anniversary album, and we did the live recordings in 2022, so this is something certainly to come up very soon. But we're talking about new material. That is still on hold then, because after that we do some acoustic playings, which we also worked on because we had to kill some time. And then, yeah, after Wacken [Open Air] and after these shows we're going to play within this year, we keep our focus on regular songwriting. And I don't know — I would be very surprised to find out that there's no new BLIND GUARDIAN album before '27, which is an accomplishment already, but I'm hoping for either late '25 or '26."

Asked how he and his BLIND GUARDIAN bandmates keep their songwriting fresh after all this time, Hansi said: "You gain a bit of expertise over the years. This is helpful. And then in addition, it's a passion on one hand, it's a profession on the other hand, which makes it a bit easier. And the excitement is still there. I believe maybe that's the central point in BLIND GUARDIAN. Everyone is feeling completely relieved because we have accomplished so much. But everyone is also focused because we build up a market in [a country like] Australia and we still see a development into the right direction. So that's encouragement, motivation, and we have plenty of that. What I have to say is I don't see the moment where we are running out of ideas."

BLIND GUARDIAN's "The God Machine" North American 2024 tour commenced on April 18, 2024 at The Fillmore in Silver Springs, Maryland and made its way to Dallas, Seattle, and Toronto before the final performance at Milwaukee Metalfest on May 17, 2024. Joining the band as support was NIGHT DEMON.

"The God Machine" was released in September 2022 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the CD was designed by Peter Mohrbacher.

Prior to "The God Machine"'s arrival, BLIND GUARDIAN's latest release was the all-orchestral album "Twilight Orchestra: Legacy Of The Dark Lands", which came out in November 2019 via Nuclear Blast. To create the concept, lead guitarist André Olbrich and Kürsch worked alongside German bestselling author Markus Heitz, whose novel "Die Dunklen Lande" was released in March 2019. The book is set in 1629 and contains the prequel to "Legacy Of The Dark Lands".

BLIND GUARDIAN's previous "regular" studio album, "Beyond The Red Mirror", was issued in 2015. It was the band's first LP since 2010's "At The Edge Of Time", marking the longest gap between two studio albums in BLIND GUARDIAN's career. It was also the group's first album without bassist Oliver Holzwarth since 1995's "Imaginations From The Other Side".

BLIND GUARDIAN's core trio consists of Kürsch, lead guitarist André Olbrich and rhythm guitarist Marcus Siepen. Drummer Frederik Ehmke has been with the group since 2005.

Drummer Thomen Stauch played on BLIND GUARDIAN's first seven albums before being replaced by Ehmke. Frederik made his recording debut with BLIND GUARDIAN on 2006's "A Twist In The Myth".

Photo credit: Dirk Behlau

Twice Grammy-nominated transcendent singer, songwriter and subversive performance artist Poppy has shared a new single, "Unravel", via Sumerian Records.

"Unravel" is Poppy at her most vulnerable, fusing haunting vocals and intimate lyrics that culminate in a high-octane, passionate chorus. With each new release, Poppy continuously cements herself as a boundary-pushing artist paving her own experimental metalcore lane. "Unravel" was produced by Jordan Fish (BRING ME THE HORIZON) and co-written by Poppy and Jordan Fish.

The accompanying "Unravel" visualizer captures Poppy as she comes face to face with a tornado in the distance. The video was directed by Sam Cannon, a longstanding collaborator who also directed the visualizers for her 2024 album "Negative Spaces".

Poppy is having a monumental year. "Suffocate", her collaboration with KNOCKED LOOSE, was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 2025 Grammy Awards. She previously made history in 2021 as the first-ever female solo nominee in the category for her solo track "Bloodmoney". From performance art provocateur (see new variety show "Improbably Poppy"),to video director, to sci-fi graphic novel author, to a globe-traveling recording artist whose songbook encompasses anything from brutal metal breakdowns and snappy '60s bubblegum, to trap-pop and grunge-punk, absolutely nothing has been off limits when it comes to Poppy masterfully executing her varied artistic vision.

"Unravel" follows an enigmatic cover of WHAM's holiday favorite "Last Christmas", exclusively for Spotify, and a musical tour de force in collaboration with Amy Lee and Courtney LaPlante titled "End Of You". Upon release, "End Of You" was immediately met with widespread praise and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.

Poppy recently finished the second leg of her "They're All Around Us" tour, continuing a nearly year-long celebration of her critically acclaimed album "Negative Spaces". Next, Poppy joins LINKIN PARK as support for several South American shows.

Photo credit: Hector Clark

In a new interview with Music On 11 With Jimmy Black, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares spoke about the band's upcoming studio album, which is tentatively due in 2026 via Nuclear Blast. The LP will mark FEAR FACTORY's first release with the band's latest additions, singer Milo Silvestro and drummer Pete Webber, who have been part of FEAR FACTORY's touring lineup for more than two years. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're 99% into the process [of making the new FEAR FACTORY album]. One of the main things is choosing who we're gonna [get to] mix the record. So all that is information that will be coming out soon."

During the same chat, the Italian-born Milo, who replaced FEAR FACTORY's original singer Burton C. Bell in early 2023, was asked if he ever thought, before he joined FEAR FACTORY, that he would one day be singing the FF songs on stage with Dino and the rest of the band. He responded: "Never. Dude, the crazy thing about this whole journey is that I've always been a massive FEAR FACTORY fan — I knew every song, every lyric; it was crazy — but I have never thought or even wished that this thing could become true because, to me, it was stupid to even dream about it. It's kind of, like, you go, like, 'Oh, my favorite band is METALLICA and one day I hope that I will fill in for James Hetfield permanently.' I'm, like, [get the] fuck outta here. So, when people go, like, 'You're living a dream,' I'm, like, I'm living something that wasn't even my dream. I'm living something that is way higher than what was my expectations, which my expectations were simply just to make a living with maybe my own band or my own music, whether if it's metal, possibly metal, because it's always been like the genre that spoke to my soul the most. But I've been a musician since I was 12, 'cause of my parents, and so this is way beyond what was my expectation. So, when Dino started messaging me during the pandemic back in 2020, I was just shocked — no pun intended. And the crazy thing is that the video that I put on YouTube wasn't even meant to be in an audition. I just put a cover on YouTube because I was, like, 'Okay, I think I wanna start to be active on social media and just maybe put myself out there and just start a channel.' So the first cover that I did was a medley of 'Soul Of A New Machine' [FEAR FACTORY's debut album] songs, and, and the first guy that commented was Dino, and the rest is history."

Dino chimed in: "[Milo] really didn't know we were looking for anybody. No one really knew we were looking for anybody. I actually had put it out there that I was looking for a vocalist for [Dino's long-running side project] DIVINE HERESY and not necessarily FEAR FACTORY. So he thought that it was for DIVINE HERESY and not FEAR FACTORY at that time."

This past August, Dino spoke to Metalshop TV about what it has been like working with Milo. He said: "Well, it's been almost three years that we've been working with Milo Silvestro. And yeah, definitely he brings a new element to the band. He is reminiscent of what Burton sounded like back in '95, '96, maybe even '98, '99. People wanna hear those songs sang properly live, and Milo definitely delivers every night."

Earlier in August, Dino talked to Neil Jones of TotalRock about the fans' reaction to Milo's addition to FEAR FACTORY, saying the vocalist was "100%" well received by the band's longtime followers. "We took him through rigorous training 'cause he was pretty much fresh off the boat," Cazares explained. "And so, everything from how he performs live on stage, how to handle the media, how to handle the criticism online. I pretty much taught him everything I knew to get through all this and to be prepared for what's to come."

Asked when he knew that he definitely made the right choice by picking Milo to front FEAR FACTORY after a split with Bell, Dino said: "Right in the rehearsal room. He was the only guy that showed up that didn't have to look at his phone for the lyrics, what he sang. I had a P.A. I played instrumentals through the P.A. And whoever was auditioning, I gave him the mic. Everybody was, like, 'Oh…' Milo was prepared. And then he was so prepared, he was saying, 'What about this song? I'm, like, 'Oh, okay.' Put another song. And then through the course of three days, he did 15 songs. And he didn't have to look at the fucking lyrics."

In a separate interview with the Mike James Rock ShowMilo spoke about what it has been like spending most of the last two and a half years on the road with such an internationally acclaimed metal act as FEAR FACTORY. He responded: "Yeah. I'm really thankful for all the fans that are accepting with open arms this new lineup of FEAR FACTORY because it's really not an easy thing… It's a really big legacy and we're trying to honor it as much as we can."

He continued: "I'm a really meticulous, picky individual when it comes to replicating something. We're playing 'Demanufacture' in its entirety [on the current tour], so I went back to the stems of the record and even listened to vocals closely and just tried to replicate every nuance that Burt did. So, yeah, we try to make it right and we appreciate that the fans are supporting this."

Elaborating on the way he approaches singing the parts which were originally written and recorded by Bell, the Italian-born Silvestro said: "I try to sneak in some bits of my vocal personality, but not too much to change it completely. I try to sound like the original singer, because his vocal legacy of the band is such an iconic vocal sound, and you wanna nail that style. I'm still working on playing a cappella and try to nail the sound more and more and more because I think this band deserves it."

Asked if he ever has to "take stock" and realize that he is now actually the vocalist of FEAR FACTORY, a band that he had been listening to for so many years, Milo said: "All the time. I've always been a hardcore FEAR FACTORY fan, and for me, this is beyond crazy. When people are, like, 'This is a dream come true,' I go, like, 'This wasn't even supposed to be a dream.' My dreams were right here [raises his hand to his nose level] — maybe having some kind of success with my own bands. But this is just right here [raises his hand way above his head] or maybe even higher. It's so crazy to the point of fucking with your brain… [It's] so surreal that it's kind of like a drug for my brain. Like, what's going on? I mean, I love it. Also, it wasn't like most of the bands, like Dino, all these artists, they progressively went higher and higher when they were young. In my case, I spent most of my life, up until I was 32, 33, as a local musician in Rome [Italy], and then all of a sudden — boom — big stages and festivals, interviews, being known. And I'm, like, what's going on? But it's cool — don't get me wrong — but sometimes it's just, like, 'Whoa.'"

Also in early August, Cazares told Slovakia's Tomketoviny about Silvestro and Webber: "The fans are reacting great [to the new lineup]. It's been all positive reaction. Milo, obviously, he auditioned 'cause we were looking for a vocalist. We got more than 300 submissions of a videotape of… This was during COVID, so a lot of people couldn't get on a plane and come see me. So a lot of it was just done online. And so we had a lot of submissions, and it was a lot of stuff to go through. But one stood out, and that was Milo. And that was pretty much how he got the gig. When the travel ban was lifted, he was able to fly into L.A. and physically auditioned. So that worked out. And Pete — we had another drummer at the time [Mike Heller], but our drummer had some prior commitments and he couldn't make it. And then Pete filled in and we decided to keep Pete. We liked his attitude, we liked the way he played, and that's really important."

FEAR FACTORY's current lineup features Cazares, Silvestro, Webber and Tony Campos on bass.

Silvestro's addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in February 2023.

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, featured Cazares, Heller and Bell.

In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect, apparently referring to Cazares.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY had been a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it."

It is twenty years since, inspired by director Joel Schumacher epochal vampire movie "Lost Boys", Finnish goth 'n' rollers THE 69 EYES recorded their homage to the 1987 classic.

"The movie came out in the best 80's hard rock and glam times," says THE 69 EYES singer Jyrki 69, "and that's what we wanted to capture — like dreaming what would have happened if Billy Idol, GUNS N' ROSES and MÖTLEY CRÜE had come together to make music for it."

Clearly it was a potent image. Across the decades that followed, "Lost Boys" has become the band's undisputed anthem, topping 20 million streams. As Jyrki continues, "It is the main song THE 69 EYES is known for around the world. We always end our show with it. It is impossible to play any more after that."

And it was impossible to allow the song's birthday to pass by unmarked. Or was it? At first, admits Jyrki, "We really did think that there is no reason to re-record the song." Unless they could add something very, very special to the brew. "The only way we would do it was if Steve Stevens was playing guitar on it." Longtime sideman, collaborator and unique foil for Billy Idol, Stevens epitomizes the image of the 1980s rock guitarist, both visually and musically — it was Stevens's devastating licks that underpinned such Idol classics as "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell", while he was already long-established as a key element in another deathless '80s movie, the theme to "Top Gun".

No wonder, then, that Jyrki describes him as "the mythical rock 'n' roll lead guitarist that you saw on the coolest MTV music videos, continuing the same dark and glamorous style like Link Wray and Johnny Thunders but in the video age. He is a legend."

"So if we were going to celebrate the song's 20th anniversary and re-record it, we'd also have to make our original fantasy come true by having Steve on lead guitar," Jyrki adds. "And it still feels unreal and dreamy that Cleopatra Records were able to make it happen."

Produced by Jyrki and mixed by Cameron Webb — best known from his decade-long production of MOTÖRHEAD — "Lost Boys (20th Anniversary Version)" has been released on all platforms. Also available now is an exclusive 69 EYES video interview, introduced by label head Brian Perera and featuring Webb and the band recalling both the original single (and its still beloved video) and discussing its new incarnation.

"We wanted it to be a Halloween surprise for our fans," says Jyrki. And hopefully, too, "Maybe there's still rock fans out there who do not know the song… maybe we can reach their Halloween parties as well?"

It will certainly be heard at the band's own spooky-time festivities. "We're currently on the road with D.A.D. in Europe, and we'll be playing a special Halloween show on the cruise ship as well," Jyrki concludes.

Photo credit: Marek Sabogal

A memorial service for original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley were reportedly held on Tuesday, October 21 at the Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers, New York. A funeral followed on Wednesday, October 22 at a cemetery in Bronx, New York, in the same neighborhood " where he grew up" and "very close to where his parents were buried, which were his wishes," according to SiriusXM radio personality and Ace's longtime friend Eddie Trunk, who attended both the memorial service and the funeral.

According to Tampa Bay Music News, the memorial service "was private, by invitation only, and not open to the public." It was attended by "about 75 people, mostly musicians who had played with Ace, recorded with him, or simply hung out with him over the years. Family, close friends, and all the members of [the original lineup of] KISS were present: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss."

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.

A representative for the Morris County Medical Examiner's office told TMZ that an autopsy was not performed on Frehley. A toxicology screening is underway, along with an external body examination. The medical examiner's office said that a cause of death will be finalized in the coming weeks.

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 this month, 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

Ace Frehley has now been laid to rest in his hometown of Bronx NY. It’s been an emotional couple of days remembering and...

Posted by Eddie Trunk on Wednesday, October 22, 2025

FOO FIGHTERS have confirmed their first stadium tour since the massive 2023-2024 "Everything Or Nothing At All" run that sold out football and baseball fields the world over. Kicking off August 4 at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, the new tour will see FOO FIGHTERS bringing the maximum volume euphoria of the band's recent surprise U.S. club gigs and overseas outdoor / arena spectaculars to a total of 12 North American cities, concluding (for now) September 26 at Las Vegas's Allegiant Stadium. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will be direct support on all dates except September 12 in Fargo. General on-sale for all shows is Friday, October 31 at 10 a.m. local time.

If that's not enough good news for you, today sees the release of new FOO FIGHTERS song "Asking For A Friend". Featuring a decidedly darker melodic approach than the smash hit "Today's Song", "Asking For A Friend" ratchets up the energy and intensity of its predecessor in favor of hypnotic opening verses that build and explode into impassioned refrains of "What is real? I'm asking for a friend…" By the time the song's final breakneck rave-up screeches to a halt with a throat-shredding "Or is this the end?", FF fans of all ages will find themselves joyfully bludgeoned into submission.

Dave Grohl wrote at length about inspiration for the new music and upcoming tour, in a post that read in part: "Since our return to the stage in San Luis Obispo five weeks ago, we have been reminded of why we love and are forever devoted to doing this FOO FIGHTERS thing. From reuniting as a band and staring at a list of 30 years' worth of songs to brush off, to reimagining versions with the incredible blessing of the one and only Ilan Rubin behind the drums, to reconnecting with our amazing fans and blasting them with everything we've got (no matter the size of the venue) because we would not be here without them, we have the most solid core. And the sun is finally rising over the horizon. What better way to share the view than with close friends?

"In 1992 I first saw the legendary KYUSS perform at the Off Ramp in Seattle and met Mr. Josh Homme. The band were friends of a friend, and before long their album 'Blues For The Red Sun' became the soundtrack to that summer. 33 years later and with many miles behind us, I have shared some of my life's most rewarding musical moments with my dear friend Josh. A lifelong bond that goes far beyond the sound we've made together. So it is with great happiness that we can share this next chapter together with his almighty QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.

"But none of this would be complete without new music to share from Pat, Nate, Chris, Rami, Ilan and I. 'Asking For A Friend' is a song for those who have waited patiently in the cold, relying on hope and faith for their horizon to appear. Searching for 'proof' when hanging by a wish until the sun shines again."

"One of many songs to come…"

To read the full statement, go to this location.

FOO FIGHTERS 2026 stadium tour dates:

August 4 - Toronto ON - Rogers Stadium
August 6 - Detroit MI - Ford Field
August 8 - Chicago IL - Soldier Field
August 10 - Cleveland OH - Huntington Bank Field
August 13 - Philadelphia PA - Lincoln Financial Field
August 15 - Nashville TN - Nissan Stadium
August 17 - Washington DC - Nationals Park
September 12 - Fargo ND - Fargodome
September 15 - Regina SK - Mosaic Stadium
September 17 - Edmonton AB - Commonwealth Stadium
September 20 - Vancouver BC - BC Place
September 26 - Las Vegas NV - Allegiant Stadium

Fans can sign up for artist presales now through Sunday, October 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

If you are already on FOO FIGHTERS newsletter, sign up using the same email address at https://livemu.sc/foofighterslist for first access to tickets during the Newsletter Artist Presale. Tickets will be available beginning on Tuesday, October 28 at 10 a.m. local time

If you are not signed up to FOO FIGHTERS newsletter, sign up at https://livemu.sc/foofighters for access to the general artist presale. General artist presale begins on Wednesday, October 29 at 10 a.m. local time.