US/Canadian melodic death metal syndicate, Kataklysm, performed “As I Slither” on the Sophie Lancaster Stage at Bloodstock Open Air 2025 – filmed on August 8, 2025 at Catton Park, Derbyshire, England. Pulled straight from their headline set, this cut spotlights one song so you can re-experience the moment at full, unbroken intensity.

“As I Slither” hits with serrated, muscular riffing, precision hyperblast drums, and Maurizio Iacono’s unmistakable, commanding roar. The mix keeps the live impact intact – tight guitars, present bass, and crowd energy swelling into the hooks – so it feels like you’re pressed up against the barrier. Expect whiplash switches, headbang-primed grooves, and a closing crush that detonates.

Kataklysm are lifers in extremity, and this track shows how they fuse relentlessness with memorable hooks. The Bloodstock crowd fires back on every breakdown and chant, highlighting what makes this festival special: a community that turns heavy music into shared catharsis. Whether you were in the pit or watching from home, this video delivers the adrenaline, atmosphere, and connection that define BOA.



Kataklysm are currently out on the Carnival Of Death Tour 2025 co-headlining tour with Polish death metal veterans, Vader. The trek concludes on October 26 in Brooklyn, NY. For ticket links, consult Vader’s Facebook post below.

In a recent interview with Portugal's Underground's Voice, guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka of Polish extreme metal veterans DECAPITATED was asked if he has commenced work on material for the follow-up to the band's 2022 album "Cancer Culture". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm working [on] new songs by myself so far. So it'll be time to get to the studio together, but because we are constantly touring and touring, and it's like a never-ending touring cycle after the last record — we have the festival summers still, plus the European tour in October, November and December — so after that, probably we're gonna focus more on the composition of the new songs."

On the topic of the musical direction of the new DECAPITATED songs, Vogg said: "Well, it will be probably kind of like a mix of the styles I did before. I have a few ideas, a few songs already, and each song is completely different. There's not some kind of line that connects it. I mean, [it's] my guitar sound and my style of writing the riffs, but so far each song is in kind of a different style and different character and different style of metal music."

In October 2024, DECAPITATED announced that it had parted ways with vocalist Rafał "Rasta" Piotrowski and replaced him with Eemeli Bodde of Finnish metallers MORS SUBITA. Regarding what Bodde has added to DECAPITATED, Vogg told Underground's Voice: "He brought a new voice, for sure — different voice. And he's a cool guy. He's easy going. He's a nice guy, a smart and intelligent person. So far we don't have any problems between us, any misunderstandings or anything like that. The chemistry, it's very positive between the bandmembers right now. He brought a fresh air to the band."

During this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, Vogg of told the Brutally Delicious podcast about his songwriting process: "I'm working at home. I have my room, so I can separate from the family, from kids. But still I can hear them. So it's not maybe perfect place, but I learned during the years. I already made, I think, four albums at home, with the small kids, with the family life, all these things, which I needed to somehow learn how to take my head out of the [everyday life]. But after the tour I have a plan to just go to our rehearsal space and just work on the material there, to be completely out of everything, separated. And I believe it will work well for that."

Asked if he approaches writing a new album with a theme in mind or a topic or if he just kind of sees where it ends up, Vogg said: "Something like [the latter]. Yeah. Anything can inspire me. And just hunting, fishing for the riff. I just spend time with guitar, playing and listening what's going on. And then suddenly, 'Oh, maybe this is gonna be a good idea.' And then work around this and add new ideas around. It's a long process.

"It's weird, because I'm performing," he continued. "I'm a guitar player, so I'm an instrumental guy. Plus I'm composing the stuff. I'm performing on stage. It's a few things you need to connect. And it's not that easy, and you need to find the time for this, for this. Also, I need to practice a lot to keep in shape myself, and it's not possible. If you play DECAPITATED, you can't stop to practice. You can stop practice for one week, but then you need to practice even more to go on stage and perform this kind of stuff."

Regarding how much time he spends "trying not to rewrite" his previous records, Vogg said: "I don't really think about it. And actually every DECAPITATED record is different… I don't have to [put much effort into making sure they're not the same kind of ideas as what we've done in the past]. Somehow it becomes naturally that it's different.

"I had a moment that I was in trouble because I thought it's, like, this is something like a completely different band right now, and what would be the reaction for the fans? Like how [would] they take it?

"Every record is different, but with 'Blood Mantra', for example, we started to do something really different, something groovy, something thrashy — I don't know," he added. "And [our] new record will be, I think, also bringing in new, fresh ideas, which will be surprising [to fans]. And you know what? It always worked that way. You play traditional kind of classic death metal, and then [come out] with an album which is different — it's modern, it's completely alternative to that. And you can see some kind of voices that, 'This is not the band anymore. I don't like it. I'm quitting to be your fan.' And then after five or eight or ten years, these people are, like, 'Oh, this album is like your classic. It's the best album.' It's like — I don't know — when METALLICA released the 'Load' album, or SEPULTURA released 'Roots Bloody Roots', I was, like, 'That's it. I'm done with this band.' And then right now, it's, like, 'Holy shit. It's a good jam.'"

In January 2025, DECAPITATED released two new performance videos, featuring the tracks "Names" and "Eternity Too Short". The clips were filmed live from the band's rehearsal room.

"Names" and "Eternity Too Short" are both seminal tracks from DECAPITATED's acclaimed album "Nihility", which was played in its entirety on the band's recent tour.

Bodde made his live debut with DECAPITATED on November 1, 2024 at Damnation Festival's "A Night Of Salvation" at BEC Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom. Also joining DECAPITATED at the gig for several "classic" tracks was the group's original vocalist Wojciech "Sauron" Wąsowicz, who was previously a member of DECAPITATED between 1996 and 2005.

"Cancer Culture" featured guest appearances by JINJER vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk and MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn. Flynn contributed a hauntingly beautiful vocal to the "Cancer Culture" track "Iconoclast", with Shmayluk, a formidable screamer, going the clean vocal route on track "Hello Death".

Former Trivium drummer Paul Wandtke, who played with the band in 2015-2016, reflects on his time with the Orlando metallers and offers comments on new drummer Greyson Nekrutman going behind the kit after the departure of longtime member Alex Bent.

Wandtke says:

“After seeing the announcements about Trivium’s new drummer (which I’m a huge fan of) and Alex Bent (damn can he play) leaving. It brought memories of my time leaving Trivium. I just want people to know this Trivium story! I’ll never forget when Matt Heafy said to me, ‘We are giving you the world’ when I had asked for any small type of tour bonus post tour and any kind of minimal retainer for off time from touring after being announced into the band. I mean, I was announced as an official member of the band so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“I was only making $600 a week after taxes. Their solution was for me to move to Florida so they could save on flights. After that, I got fired and the worst part was they tried to steal my TAMA drum set. Yes, it’s true. I had to contact my TAMA rep at the time who now works for Evans Drum Heads to help me with getting my kit back! They then asked me to sign a non-disclosure agreement…I politely declined signing the NDA because I believe in freedom of speech. Other than that, I had a killer time!

“I think the guys genuinely are very cool cool people! Especially Palo (Gregoletto, bassist) and Corey (Beaulieu, guitarist) and even (Matt, vocalist, guitarist) Heafy was very cool. I thought we got along nicely, and it felt like a brotherhood starting. Which of course I diminished. Was I the best drummer no! My double bass playing gradually got worse and worse as the touring cycles progressed because I couldn’t handle it. It’s exhausting playing doubles for 90-120 minute sets for months at a time! I’m more of a metal-rock drummer!

“And I really really enjoy singing grunge inspired music with my Nirvana tribute and original project Dead Original, we are working on album two finally! I think America should grunge again and so should the world grunge again! Anyway, that’s how it ended for me. I wish the guys the best forever! Woo hoo stay metal!”

On October 5, SPINESHANK vocalist Jonny Santos and drummer Tommy Decker were interviewed by Rock News Weekly at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California. Asked if the reunited Los Angeles-based nu metal/industrial metal band — in which Santos and Decker are joined by drummer Tommy Decker, bassist/vocalist Robert Garcia and new recruits Tommy Decker, Jr. (Tommy Decker's son) and Jason Hager (ex-CHIMAIRA) on guitar — is planning to release a new EP or a full-length album, Jonny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Right now, I think we're just gonna start releasing songs. Let's test the waters. Let's see how people react.

"We really wanted to [celebrate the 25th] anniversary of [SPINESHANK's sophomore studio album] 'The Height Of Callousness' [on tour]," Jonny explained. "It's important to us and, obviously, the fans love it. And then the talk of new music came around. Because we were kind of seeing this resurgence or renaissance of bands from our era doing really well. And if we wanna keep going, we probably should put some new music out. So we're gonna start small and then we'll see where that goes. But if everything keeps going the way that it is, I could definitely see us putting out a full-length or keep releasing [singles] over the next year and then compiling all of them on to one record and putting that out. As soon as we get home [from playing Aftershock], we're gonna be working on something while we're home."

Last month, Santos told Rock Music, Man about the fan response to the SPINESHANK reunion:  "It's unreal. The last time we toured, it was a very bad climate for new metal bands of our era, and it was almost demoralizing. When we went out on tour, bands like us, we were like a fucking pariah. And so we came off that last tour, and the morale was just low — low ticket sales, and just we were struggling out there. And that's when we kind of thought that it was over. So when they asked us to get back together to do this [reunion], we were, like, 'Are you guys crazy? Do you know what happened on our last tour?' And now we're coming out, and the fucking shows — it's insane. The people are coming out in droves. Our U.K. tour is half sold out already. We just sold out fucking London the other night, and it's, like, 'What the fuck is going on?' So we are extremely blown away."

Looking ahead to SPINESHANK's future, Santos said: "If we decide to go forward and maybe do some new music, that'd be one thing, but if we decide not to, at least we get to give the band a warrior's death. I would like to see the band go forward with a couple songs and see how they do. But I think that at this point, this tour has shown me so far is we've solidified our place in this community. And so I think we could still continue to tour once a year or every now and then. And it's just very vindicating, because a lot of bands like us got thrown away during that whole 'fuck nu metal' era. So it's really vindicating. I see you people out there, the motherfuckers, you were talking shit, and now I see you out there going, 'Oh, SPINESHANK's back.' I fucking see you. [Laughs]"

Earlier in September, Decker spoke to Discoveringbands by Michael Nagy < spoke about the possibility of new SPINESHANK music. He said at the time: "There's some stuff [in the works]. There's some stuff. It might be a little while [before it's released]. We've gotta Tommy Junior and Hager, the new additions to the band, [on it]. So we got a few songs. We'll see what happens. [It will arrive] probably sometime next year."

Asked about the musical direction of the new SPINESHANK material, Decker said: "It's more SPINESHANK. We like to have the heaviness. We like to have the melody. Everyone wants the electronics. So it's just SPINESHANK 13 years later. It's always gonna be heavy. It's always gonna be a nice hook and there's always gonna be electronics. So it's who we are."

SPINESHANK played its first show in nearly 13 years on July 9 at Jake's Sports Cafe & Backroom in Lubbock, Texas.

SPINESHANK teamed up with THE UNION UNDERGROUND for the "25 Years Of Rebellion & Callousness" tour this summer. This commemorative, co-headline trek, with special guests ADEMA and SICKSENSE, celebrated the 25th anniversaries of "The Height Of Callousness" and THE UNION UNDERGROUND sole studio LP, "…An Education In Rebellion".

This past June, Santos confirmed to Rock Feed that a new song from SPINESHANK would arrive in the coming weeks. "We're literally in the studio trying to finish right now," he said. "The song has been recorded. Right now it's in the final process of being edited. We're gonna actually start listening to roughs this week."

Santos also addressed the reason he and the rest of SPINESHANK's 2025 lineup have decided to release one track as opposed to focusing on making a full-length record. "People are, like, well, why are we only doing one song?' Jonny said. "'Cause we don't know. We haven't put a record out in 12 years. "Cause let's face it, the SHINESHANK thing right now, [the upcoming tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of] 'The Height Of Callousness', this is nostalgic. We're not out there pumping a new record. We're celebrating one of our best records. That's what we're doing. So what we decided to do is… Do we wanna do a new record? 'Cause now we have little Tommy playing guitar, which is fucking awesome; he shreds. And we've got Jason Hager; everybody knows Jason. He's from CHIMAIRA. So we get these two new guys, and they obviously wanna do a new record. But five months ago, we didn't even know people even cared about SPINESHANK. So let's hold on here a second before we start putting new records out. I said, 'Let's do one song. Let's put this song out there. We'll get it out to the masses, and let's see how it's received.' That's gonna tell us right there — I feel it'll tell us if we are just a nostalgic act, that people just wanna come hear the hits and feel like they're 18 again, or we put this new song out. Does it trend? Does it fucking blow up? Then that will indicate right there, 'Okay, guys, let's go do a new record and start putting new songs out.' And I think that's a fair way to look at it instead of just assuming that since we're doing well and shows are selling out right now, that we're just gonna put an album and everybody's gonna love it."

Regarding the musical direction of the new SPINESHANK song, Jonny said: "Well, I will tell you this much. It's got all the elements that is what is SPINESHANK. One of the biggest complaints we had on the last SPINESHANK record was fans were, like, 'It's not electronic enough.' And I saw that. I felt that in a way. There was a lot of programming on that album; we were just using organic sounds as the loops and stuff. But I understand what the fans meant. So this time around, the SPINESHANK recipe, if you will — the song's gotta have energy. It's gotta be heavy. It's gotta be catchy. It's gotta have a hook. I don't care. I fucking love singing in fucking metal songs. All those people out there [who say], 'That's lame that you sing' — fuck you. You've gotta bring girls to the show too. So you've gotta have energy. It's gotta be heavy. You've gotta have a hook. And with SPINESHANK, it's gotta have that electronic aspect and that dirty, nasty, electronic aspect. Very industrial — 'Antichrist Superstar' [MARILYN MANSON] industrial. I love when you have a cool loop. Distort that motherfucker. So it's that whole ATARI TEENAGE RIOT dirtiness to it."

After releasing three successful albums ("Strictly Diesel", "The Height Of Callousness" and "Self-Destructive Pattern"),performing on countless world tours (including appearances on Ozzfest and the Download festival) and a Grammy nomination in 2004, SPINESHANK went on a hiatus.

SPINESHANK's fourth album, "Anger Denial Acceptance", was released in June 2012 via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by SPINESHANK guitarist Mike Sarkisyan and drummer Tommy Decker and mixed by Mike Plotnikoff (PAPA ROACH, BUCKCHERRY).

SPINESHANK's third LP, "Self-Destructive Pattern", was released in September 2003. The album's lead single, "Smothered", was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Metal Performance".

This past April, Jonny told the "Talk Toomey" podcast about the possibility of SPINESHANK releasing new music to coincide with the current tour:  "We never got a chance to really go out on a high note. And so when we first started getting ready to do all this, doing another record wasn't really even talked about. It was more of just, like, 'Hey, let's just go out and do ['The Height Of Callousness'] in its entirety' and give the band its warrior's death, if you will — going out on a strong note instead of just falling into obscurity.

"Now it's gotten to the point… So right now I'm in the studio finishing up some edits and mixing the first SPINESHANK song since 2012," Santos explained. "So we have one new song coming out. Because I think the way that we feel that we'll know is, let's see how this SPINESHANK song does. If it's accepted well and people are excited about it, if it does well, then maybe there could be another album in the works. Or if anything, maybe even an EP. Who knows?"

Referencing the resurgence of "nu metal" in recent years, Jonny continued: "It's kind of weird how — it's uncharted territory. It's, like, is this here to stay? Is this gonna be a staple in heavy music or is this just a fashion fad for kids today? So I think once we release this new song and tour for the better part of this year, then I think we'll know if we're gonna put a new record out next year or not. I would like to, but I only wanna put a record out if it's gonna matter. I don't wanna put a record out if nobody's gonna give a shit."

Elaborating on his reluctance to release a full-length collection of new material, Jonny said: "Not comparing us to the size of THE ROLLING STONES or anything, but if I was gonna go see THE ROLLING STONES, I'm not too concerned with anything that they've done post 1979. You know what I'm saying? I think you hit a certain point in your career as a band when you have a legitimate and constant following that people just wanna go hear the hits.

"I've noticed, I'll put music out or whatever, and people are, like, 'Oh, man, it doesn't sound like 'The Height Of Callousness'.' It's just, like, dude, me putting out the same record twice is not gonna make you young again," he said. "Because that's how it is.

"Very few bands can get away with putting the same record out. AC/DC's done it. SLAYER's done it. But it works — that works for them, and it's fucking awesome. But for me, it doesn't.

"The thought of putting a new SPINESHANK record out there, it's exciting. But at the same time, we're gonna see how this goes.

"We're going into this with no expectations. This is really fun for us to do, and I think it's a chance for a lot of people that have become SPINESHANK fans in the last decade or so that have never seen us to get to see us. And being that 'The Height Of Callousness' was by far our best-received album, I can't think of a better record to do in its entirety out of our catalog."

Redshark will release their new album Sudden Impact on Halloween (October 31) via Listenable Records. Preorder at shop-listenable.net.

New single “Hypnotized” is now streaming – the lyric video is produced by guitarist Javi Bono.

“Hypnotized” explores deception and how it can warp reality, creating a blurred line between truth and illusion, it is the story of a spell, inspired by Medusa and the Sirens in Greek mythology.

Redshark comments on the album:

“This album is all about power, speed and intensity. No fillers, just pure heavy metal from the first to the last track.

“Some songs hit fast and raw, others bring epic melodies, but everything ties together into a solid, compact sound. We wanted it to feel like a punch in the face, but with just enough melody to make you come back for more.

“It’s the natural follow-up to Digital Race, but more depth, and more identity. If you’re already into Redshark, get ready for the next level. And if this is your first contact, we hope this record drags you in and doesn’t let go.”



Tracklisting:

“Sudden Impact”
“A Place For Disgrace”
“Fire Raider”
“Hypnotized”
“Rip Your Bones”
“Whispers Of Time”
“Beware Of The Shark”
“The Chase”
“Fight The Rules Of Power”

In a new interview with Colombia's Alejandrosis, CELTIC FROST mainman Tom Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom Warrior) once again reflected on the band's much-maligned 1988 album "Cold Lake", an effort he says is "probably the worst" LP of his career. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "[I've been a] musician for 44 years and have done many records. And, of course, in such a long time, in four and a half decades, you also make mistakes. I'm a human being. And I'm very, very far from perfect. And 'Cold Lake' was an experiment at the time that we thought would be interesting. We wanted to have an album that is a little more positive, a little more melodic, and so on and so on, a little more party, but it turned out to be a huge mistake artistically. I think the album is a catastrophe on an artistic level. It has a bad production, it has bad songwriting, it has bad lyrics, it has a bad presentation. We worked with a producer that wasn't really suited for CELTIC FROST, so I think it is probably the worst album of my career. It's the worst album of 44 years as a musician. Having said that, the album was released in 1988, 37 years ago, so that's a very long time. And I've learned a lot since then. I've become a much better musician. I've become a producer myself. And I think 'Cold Lake' was probably an important step in becoming more critical towards myself in analyzing my own work and implementing a higher quality standard towards my own work. So even though musically I think it's a terrible album, it probably made me a more mature human being and a more mature or more experienced musician."

Fischer previously talked about "Cold Lake" during a November 2020 interview with Italy's Poisoned Rock. He stated at the time: "'Cold Lake' is just a complete failure. When we formed CELTIC FROST, we wanted to be very experimental, we wanted to be very courageous, we didn't wanna be afraid of taking a chance. On the other hand, that doesn't guarantee to you that you always do something good. And I think 'Cold Lake' is a monumental failure. We tried a different thing, we tried to do something melodic, but I think in the context of the late 1980s, bands really lost their plot, they lost their path, and I think CELTIC FROST was one of those bands. The album no longer sounds like CELTIC FROST, it no longer has the depth and seriousness that CELTIC FROST had. And it didn't have the sound. There was also different people involved, and I think all these things contribute that the album is really the low point of the entire career of CELTIC FROST. It was an experiment, but it was a bad experiment. It was a failed experiment. I think the album is an embarrassment — it's an artistic embarrassment."

CELTIC FROST reformed in 2001 and released its comeback album "Monotheist" via Century Media/Prowling Death in 2006. The band broke up in 2008, with Fischer going on to form TRIPTYKON.

"Monotheist" was CELTIC FROST's first LP to to enter the national Swiss chart. The group's first album in 13 years sold just under 2,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Former CELTIC FROST bassist Martin Eric Ain died in October 2017 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 50.

Ain handled lead vocals on the song "A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh" on "Monotheist".

TRIPTYKON has released two full-length albums, a live LP, an EP, a single and two box sets in its 17 years as a band.

TRIPTYKON 2025 is Tom Gabriel Warrior (voice/guitar),Vanja Slajh (bass),V. Santura (guitar/vocals) and Hannes Grossmann (drums/percussion).

TRIPTYKON's previous album releases are "Eparistera Daimones" (2010),"Melana Chasmata" (2014) and "Requiem - Live At Roadburn 2019" (2020).

Annihilator leader, Jeff Waters, has amassed a serious collection of guitars over the years, and has announced that he’ll be parting ways with some of them.

Waters shared the following message this morning:

“Gonna make the first 100 or so available soon; amassed quite the collection 🙂 Hey, it’s what I do for a living! ❤ Funny how most of my life was about collecting hundreds of them… and now it’s about picking a half dozen I actually need hahahaha! Last year, my Annihilator kik-ass guitarist, Aaron Homma, spent much of July 2024, cataloguing them all with me! Crazy!”

In the comments section, Waters added, “I just got 6 messages in 2 minutes about buying some of em… hehe… I won’t be selling them individually… only as a 100-Collection sale.”

Cadaver’s legendary Hallucinating Anxiety debut album is being reissued on November 28 via Listenable Records with brand new artwork and a powerfully upgraded sound. Hallucinating Anxiety had deeper intentions than being just an album; it was a declaration of war on polished music and convention.

Recorded on a 4-track cassette player and deliberately mixed in mono to preserve its suffocating atmosphere, this is the sound of pure, unadulterated creativity forged in the underground.

This is the sound that started it all. And Cadaver is now bringing it back.

Pre-order physical editions here. Stream “Erosive Fester” 2025 here, and find a lyric video below.



Hallucinating Anxiety (2025) tracklisting:

“March Of The Collapse” (Intro I)
“Twisted Collapse”
“Corrosive Delirium”
“Abnormal Deformity”
“Erosive Fester”
“Cannibalistic Dissection”
“Hypertrophyan”
“Petrified Faces”
“Mental Abhorrence”
“Tuba Libre” (Intro II)
“Ignominious Eczema”
“Innominate”
“Hallucinating Anxiety”
“Maelstrom”
“Bodily Trauma”
“March Of The Twisted” (Outro)

“Erosive Fester” 2025 lyric video:

It’s been 10 years since Brisbane’s premier progressive metal outfit, Caligula’s Horse, released their 3rd studio album Bloom. To celebrate a decade since its release, Caligula’s Horse presents a 10th anniversary edition of Bloom, which is now available for preorder.

Released on October 16, 2015, Bloom captured the spirit of a band ready to expand beyond boundaries. It marked a turning point for Caligula’s Horse, and an entire wave of modern progressive metal. Bloom is a vivid, emotionally charged record that connects precision, technical mastery and genuine human warmth.

The band comments:

“10 years ago, we released Bloom into the world – an incredibly special album that would become a statement as to who we are as a band and as people. It made manifest the message and the meaning we would carry wherever the music took us on this exhausting and exhilarating ride around the globe. At the time, we could never have imagined the impact that it would have on us and our career, nor could we have predicted the love Bloom would receive as it reached all of you. The number of people we’ve met over the years for whom this album holds a special place has been overwhelming, and we’re truly humbled and gratified as we reach this milestone.

“We hope that in times of struggle, Bloom will continue to be there for you. Remember: You have what you need in you. Just let it grow.”

The anniversary edition of Bloom comes with 4 previously unreleased demo songs that were recorded in 2015 and an alternative cover by Chris Mangos based on the original Bloom artwork design.

Preorders:
Digital
Physical



Tracklisting:

“Bloom”
“Marigold”
“Firelight”
“Dragonfly”
“Rust”
“Turntail”
“Daughter Of The Mountain”
“Undergrowth”
“City Has No Empathy Acoustic”
“Across the Universe (Recorded 2015)”
“Rust (Pre-Production Demo 2015)”
“Turntail (Pre-Production Demo 2015)”
“Undergrowth (Pre-Production Demo 2015)”

In a recent interview with Thomann's Drum Bash, LAMB OF GOD drummer Art Cruz spoke about why he considers legendary Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Carlos Santana to be his "number one" musical inspiration and how he made the transition from Latin grooves to heavy metal drumming. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I grew up in East Los Angeles, a very dominant Mexican American community. Santana is kind of like a household name now for many people, but it's genuinely the household name for a Mexican American family. So, the sound of Santana, not only his guitar but the drums and the percussion that was involved with his music, I just connected with it from a very young age. And the transition happened later in life, because I tried to play the congas first originally."

He continued: "It's been a really interesting time to go back and answer this question like, 'cause I have to think about it, like, where did that transition happen? And, honestly, it was SLAYER — the band SLAYER, which is still a weird transition. But when you're in high school and you're going to school and you're meeting friends and you're trying to fit in and you're trying to just kind of go with the flow of school, music was a big part of school and the type of crowds that you hung out with. 'Cause I came mainly from my childhood of Santana, but I also was into West Coast gangster rap, which is a big deal. So I actually just started to get along more with the rockers, and somebody gave me the 'Reign In Blood' album and it kind of opened my eyes to metal. But it was just kind of one of those moments where there were bands like RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, CYPRESS HILL, where they kind of crossed heavy music into it. So there were so many different options for me to be introduced to heavy music. But school friends and just listening to all that kind of stuff is really what exposed me to metal. And, obviously, the more I listened to to new metal bands in the early 2000s, LAMB OF GOD was a very big influence on me. So it's kind of surreal, obviously, to be in this position, but they proved to be a very important introduction to even more metal. And it's been a quite a journey to jump from Santana to heavy metal, but don't get it messed up — I'm always listening to Santana. It's my heart, it's my soul. And I try to translate that to my drumming. I'm not a, not doing a lot of Latin stuff, but emotionally and the way that I play the drums, I think they come from Santana's emotional perspective."

Cruz previously spoke about Santana's influence on his musical upbringing during a 2019 interview with zZounds. Regarding how he first began playing drums, Art said: "It leads to the first time I heard drums. I'm a very family-oriented person. I'm a Mexican American born in L.A. My parents were also born in Los Angeles, but I know where my roots are in that my family is from Mexico. There's a certain lifestyle that comes with being born in L.A. a Mexican; it's its own thing. It's not like I'm just from Los Angeles — I'm from East Los Angeles, El Monte; the San Gabriel Valley is where I come from. It's like a culture of its own. And the sounds of this culture were Santana, Carlos Santana. That's the only dude, the only reason I can tell you why I play drums. The only reason I grew fond to the sound of drums was Santana. Santana was a guitar player, but his music as an entity was all percussion. It sounded African inspired and Latin. It was just thunderous drums. He's my number one inspiration to this day."

This past February, Cruz spoke to Sweetwater about how he joined LAMB OF GOD more than six years ago as the official replacement for Chris Adler. Cruz, who had previously played with PRONG and WINDS OF PLAGUE, filled in for Adler on several LAMB OF GOD tours before being named the latter band's new drummer in July 2019. Art said: "I've been touring for, like, 17 years professionally — not even just as a drummer: merch guy, drum tech, hangout guy. I've done kind of a lot of different aspects of this industry. I was kind of prepared to jump into something. And most of my career evolved always kind of just elevating itself. It just kept getting like, 'Whoa,' next big thing, next big thing, next big thing. And that wasn't a coincidence. It was just my drive — against all the odds.

"I wasn't raised with a ton as a kid," he continued. "I had a great set of parents who it took me a while to convince them, but they supported my music journey from the very beginning for the most part. So I kept jumping from band to band to band, and with all of the time that you spend on the road, like I said about the metal community, you create friends, you create relationships."

Cruz added: "[Me joining LAMB OF GOD] derived from a relationship that I made with my first band, WINDS OF PLAGUE. We toured with LAMB OF GOD in the 2010 Mayhem Fest. And that was the tour that I first met them and became friends. And we were instantly best friends ever since. I didn't realize, fast forward, eight years later that I would be given the opportunity to help them. And that's what it was — that's what friends do. That was the initial plan, was friends helping friends, and that's what I did. When I got that phone call to help them was one thing, but the in-person conversation to actually join the band was a life-changing experience that I will not forget."

A year earlier, Cruz was asked by Drumeo what he would say was the "hardest part" about joining LAMB OF GOD — if it was "something technical, like learning the parts, or it was "dealing with fans who have opinions of the old band configuration". He said at the time: "It's a combination of both. I was so confident with my playing, and not in an egotistical way. I was just very confident with where I was on my skill level. I had been touring for a long time in the trenches, man — from local bands to selling merchandise for bands to being a driver to just being the guy that 'let me help' kind of thing to playing in bands and sleeping on floors and doing all that good stuff. But it wasn't really that — it was wasn't the playing; I was confident enough with my playing. It was a challenge with the fans. It's a big deal. And that goes for anybody. You're [former METALLICA bassist] Jason Newsted, you're [ex-METALLICA bassist] Robert Trujillo; it's crazy how they went back to back to convince fans. And you don't think about that until it's a reality, and you're getting blown up on social media and you're experiencing it. And those are probably the most challenging parts. But with a band and a brotherhood that I have, they've walked me, literally — pun intended — walked me through hell and helped to see me on the other side, so I don't have to really pay attention to that stuff anymore. And I don't. I'm here to inspire. That is my only goal in this world, is to show you where I came from — my vulnerabilities, my weaknesses, and show you how I grow from that and do what I can to be in this position. And thankfully I'm in a better place than I used to be before. It was hard to get through that stuff, man. But thankfully, it's a lot easier to avoid it. Yeah, I just don't go on [social media]. It's fun."

In a 2022 interview with Finland's Chaoszine, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton was asked if Cruz was more involved in the songwriting process on LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "Omens", than he was on 2020's self-titled effort. He responded: "I think so. Yeah, I'd say so. Not that he wasn't involved in the first one — he was very involved in the first one — but I think his confidence was up. And I think psychologically, everyone, especially him, was ready to have a bigger impact sonically on the record and to have more personality in the drums rather than… I think on the last album, the self-titled album, he played phenomenally but he stuck very close to traditional LAMB OF GOD movements, and on this album he stretched out quite a bit."

Morton continued: "I think it's about finding a balance about staying true to the historic sound of the band and how the band has sounded; you don't wanna come in sounding radically different. But I think we're all ready, and have been ready, to allow him to grow within the context of LAMB OF GOD, and he's done that for sure."

Art spoke about his contributions to "Omens" — which arrived in October 2022 via Epic Records — during an appearance in June 2022 on "The Garza Podcast", hosted by SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza. "The first, self-titled one we did, it was great, man — we wrote some great songs," he said, referring to 2020's "Lamb Of God", which marked his recording debut with LAMB OF GOD. "But I was still learning their vibe. I was green to that level of… Those guys had been doing it for 28, 29 years — almost 30 years — and I'm the new guy, a young kid coming in. You have to go through the trenches in every which way. And that first album was a very secure, safe way for all of us to just, 'Here's the tunes. Let's figure it out. Learn how we work.' And this one, 'Omens', they really let me spread my wings and they really let me play me — they let me be me.

"I'm always inspired by LAMB, and LAMB is a signature sound," he continued. "LAMB OF GOD, to me, is that sound as a unit. It's a unit — it's not one individual. It's Randy [Blythe, vocals], it's Mark [Morton, guitar], it's Willie [Adler, guitar], it's John [Campbell, bass], it's Chris. That's, to me, what LAMB OF GOD was. So I'm not far off from that. That's what inspired me to be listening to metal and shit. It's my favorite metal band of all time. So to take that inspiration and then become my own person, my own player, from WINDS OF PLAGUE to AZUSA to my first band ENTHRAL to PRONG, to finally come to this point, and this is the album. It's all of those bands, it's all of those struggles, all of those trenches, all of those challenges, all of those tours — this is the album that I was able to really… And then the last LAMB OF GOD album, that is what built me to be to this 'Omens' album, for real. And we're just getting started, man — we're so just getting started. And I'm ready. And I'm mentally in a better place to do that, and I'm ready to do it. And the band is, they're my brothers."

The band tracked "Omens" with longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH) live in the room together at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios) in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, PINK FLOYD, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others.

Image credit: Zildjian

The “Fourth Chapter” of the comprehensive catalogue re-issue campaign for legendary and groundbreaking death metallers Edge Of Sanity as well as versatile prog/hard rock outfit Nightingale, who were both fronted by Swedish vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and acclaimed metal producer Dan Swanö (Opeth, Katatonia, Dissection), has been announced now to be released soon via Century Media Records and InsideOutMusic worldwide.

This final “Fourth Chapter” kicks off on December 5, 2025 with fully remastered reissues of Edge Of Sanity’s Unorthodox (Out on Century Media Records) as well as Nightingale’s White Darkness (Out on InsideOutMusic).



Edge Of Sanity – Unorthodox (Reissue)
– Ltd. Deluxe 2CD Jewelcase in O-Card (Incl. the full session of 15 tracks on 1st disc and a brand-new remix of 12 tracks on 2nd disc)
– Transparent magenta coloured LP (180g, 12 tracks)
– Digital Album (Remaster, 15 tracks)
– Digital Album (Remix, 12 tracks)
Note: The landmark second death metal album from 1992.

Nightingale – White Darkness (Reissue)
– Ltd. Deluxe 2CD Jewelcase in O-Card (Incl. a total of 22 bonus tracks)
– White LP (180g, 10 tracks)
– Digital Album (Remaster, 10 Tracks)
Note: the 6th album from 2007, available for the first time ever on vinyl.

For additional information – head to danswano.com.

Find preorders here.

Dan Swanö comments about these two newly announced reissues as follows:

Edge Of Sanity – Unorthodox (Reissue):

“Unorthodox is my favorite Edge Of Sanity album and therefore the one I looked forward to remix and remaster the most. The reel-to-reel master tapes with the multi-track recordings from Montezuma were baked and transferred by Christian Moos (R.I.P.) and all the reel-to-reel master tapes of Rex Gisslén’s original mix were baked and transferred by Eroc. When I started to work on the remaster it became clear that Peter in de Betou did an incredible mastering job to make this album sound so cohesive the first time around.

“The mixes differ much from track to track, and you can hear us running out of time throughout the album. ‘After Afterlife’, ‘Incipience To The Butchery’ and ‘When All Is Said’ have a much clearer sound since we spent a lot of time on those, but we had to go for more savage approach to be able to get the album mixed in time and that has bugged me a lot over the years. The remaster was no easy feat, but after a while I got all the tracks to sound the way I wanted to, using the tone and vibe of Enigma as the guiding light.

“The LP master is of course made from the 24 bit/96kHz files and the remaster and the remix are available for streaming and downloads as 24 bit/96Khz as well. I started experimenting with the remix many years ago and tried to take it many different directions, but it soon became clear that it had to sound very similar to the original mix, only more defined and with a bit more of Anders Lindberg’s bass cutting through the mix. I had this vision that if someone heard the remix in a pair of speakers, they never had heard the album in before, they should not hear that it is a remix.

“Well, maybe with the exception of ‘Everlasting’ that now has the same guitar sound like the rest of the songs. One of the four master tapes could not be found, even though three different teams searched the Black Mark tape storage room, so ‘A Curfew for the Damned’, ‘Requiscon By Pace’ and the two CD bonus tracks ‘The Day Of Maturity’ and ‘Beyond The Unknown’ could not be remixed. The 1991 re-recording of ‘Human Aberration’ was added to the remix tracklist along with Anders Måreby’s amazing 2025 re-recording of ‘Requiscon By Pace’ (That now also has the correct title ‘Requiescat In Pace’).

“The album’s front and back cover artwork by Bart Meganck were scanned from the original artwork and the font used on the original (rather than the questionable choice on the previous re-issues…) was used again. The CD booklet has a lot of previously unseen photos that were also found at the Black Mark HQ. All photos used in the layout from the LP and the CD have been scanned from the original source. All in all, this is exactly what I hoped the reissue of Unorthodox would be.”

Nightingale – White Darkness (Reissue)

“So great that this awesome album gets a proper release. I had a blast remastering this album and I actually rediscovered the album completely for myself in the process! The original mix sounds good but now it sounds even better, with a bit more warmth to the sound. At one point I thought I could remix this album, but my back-up methods back in 2006 were nothing like they are now, and none of the songs could be recovered in full. But that doesn’t mean that there are no bonus tracks…

“The CD version is packed with cool extras including a lot of rough mixes that I didn’t even know existed until my brother searched his digital vault for goodies! There are seven of Dag’s original versions of the album tracks dating back all the way to 1983. Then there are demos of the album songs, a demo of a track that never made it onto the album and the 2025 version of the title track featuring Dag on lead vocals for a whole song, for the first time ever on a Nightingale track.

“The album cover is slightly updated with an added logo and title. The CD booklet has lots of previously unseen photos and there’s an insane amount of information about the songs in the booklet as well.”

Limited to 110 copies, Iced Earth’s Tribute To The Gods will be released in a luxurious box, embossed in gold, on December 12 via The Circle Music.

Description: Tribute To The Gods is truly an excellent release that pays homage to some of the greatest rock and metal bands of all time. With their signature powerful and melodic sound, Iced Earth takes on classic tracks from iconic bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Blue Öyster Cult, infusing them with their own unique style and energy.

One standout track on the album is their rendition of Iron Maiden’s “Transylvania”. Iced Earth manages to capture the raw intensity and intricate guitar work of the original while adding their own modern twist. The result is a thrilling and dynamic version that is sure to please both die-hard Iron Maiden fans and Iced Earth enthusiasts alike. Another highlight of Tribute To The Gods is the band’s take on Blue Öyster Cult’s “Burnin’ For You”. Iced Earth brings a new level of heaviness to the classic rock anthem, with blistering guitar solos and thunderous drums that give the song a fresh and powerful edge.

Overall, Tribute To The Gods is a masterful homage to rock and metal legends that showcases Iced Earth’s musical prowess and reverence for the genre. Iced Earth has always been known for their ability to blend classic metal influences with their own unique sound, and Tribute To The Gods is a prime example of their talent in this regard. By choosing to honor bands that have greatly influenced their own music, Iced Earth not only pays tribute to their musical roots but also demonstrates their deep respect for the legends that have come before them.

Available a very special deluxe edition in box, including gold vinyl, poster and a special printing signed by the band.



Tracklisting:

Side A:
“Creatures Of The Night” (KISS)
“The Number Of The Beast” (Iron Maiden)
“Highway To Hell” (AC/DC)
“Burnin’ For You” (Blue Öyster Cult)
“God Of Thunder” (KISS)
“Dead Babies” (Alice Cooper)

Side B:
“Screaming For Vengeance” (Judas Priest)
“Cities On Flame” (Blue Öyster Cult)
“It’s A Long Way To The Top” (AC/DC)
“Black Sabbath” (Black Sabbath)
“Hallowed Be Thy Name” (Iron Maiden)

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5 spoke about the band's Las Vegas residency, which launched on September 12 and at Dolby Live at Park MGM and ran through October 3. The shows had initially been set for spring but were rescheduled after frontman Vince Neil revealed he had suffered a stroke last Christmas. Asked how the residency went, from his point of view, John 5 said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So, here's the thing: I was so excited for it, 'cause I've never done a residency. And I've always wanted to do a residency. I love Vegas. I love the desert. And I was so excited. I was so excited.

"And we get there. And I had my hotel room," he continued. "And the guys were just — after a show, they'd fly home. And I just stayed and I enjoyed — 'cause I love being on the road. I like the hotel, I like the room service, I like the whole thing. I mean, I came back a couple of times here and there.

"The real magic was Vince Neil," John 5 added. "What he went through and his struggles and how he performed and how he sang, I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. He did such a great job, and I was so proud of him because I knew what hell he went through, and I was so happy for the guy. What he said — he even said it — he was in a wheelchair and then he had to learn how to walk again. And I was, like, 'Oh my God.' The struggle and how terrifying that must have been. So that was the real magic of that residency. And I'm telling you right now — every single show was amazing. There wasn't a bad show. And I listen and I read those comments and I listen and I'm so focused in on every show. And every show was awesome. I was so proud of him."

Asked if there was a point, in his mind, when he found out what happened to Vince, that he thought he might never be able to play with MÖTLEY CRÜE again, John 5 said: "Well, I wasn't sure. Nobody really knew anything. And I would text with Vince, and he would say, 'Oh, I'm doing good, I'm doing good,' and things like that. But no one really knew what was going on. You heard rumblings. So it was wild."

Asked what were the highlights of the residency were for him, John 5 said: "So, they had this thing, like in 'Kiss Alive II', where I would go up on these risers at the end of 'Kickstart My Heart', or during the whole song, actually. So you go up on these risers — I don't know if you saw it on my Instagram, 'cause there's a lot of pictures of it — but you go up on these risers, just like in 'Kiss [Alive II]', and you're going up and up. And we were at the top of the venue, me and Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] — Nikki was on one side; I was on the other. And we'd get up there during the song. But what other bands, like KISS, did, they would get strapped in and get all set up before the song starts. Oh, no — not us. During the song, me and Nikki had to get up there while still playing, and we'd have to get up on the risers while we were playing. And I was, like, 'Hey, are we gonna be strapped in?' They're, like, 'No, you're not strapped in.' I'm, like, 'Oh, okay.' So there was this little metal bar that kind of went around, and so I, luckily, just figured out, 'I'm gonna put my arm around the metal bar and play, so I could hold on if something happened, God forbid.' So we're up there. And we did it at rehearsal, and we were, like, we just have to concentrate and hold on. So the first show, I'm going up, going up, going up, and I have my arm around and I'm playing and all this stuff. Then the confetti canons come, and no one told me the confetti cannons were coming. So at the time the confetti cannons go, I'm playing the solo in 'Kickstart My Heart'. So not only am I trying to balance, not fall and kill myself, play on time and in tune, and confetti is in my — I mean, I am covered. I can't see my hand in front of my face. And no safety harness or anything. And it was the greatest… It was awesome. It was so fun. It was just a blast."

John 5 went on to say that he and MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee "had so much fun" during the Las Vegas residency. "His birthday was the last show," John 5 recalled. "For our birthdays — we're always together on our birthdays. So it's like a pact — we have to be together. So it was a show day, and I got him these — we both had these penis squirt guns, which I think is so smart. Why aren't these a thing? But I guess they are a thing, 'cause I got him these penis squirt guns and you hold the balls and you just squeeze the trigger and it comes out of the penis. And so he loves this, so he is just having so much fun and stuff, and he takes it to the meet-and-greet. And so he's squirting everybody at the meet-and-greet. Every day we had a blast. It was just so much fun."

Last month, Vince revealed that he had actually had a series of strokes before he suffered the "big one" in his sleep last Christmas night, rendering him unable to get out of bed when he woke up the next day. Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" on September 24, Neil said he'd had "four strokes throughout the years. Two of 'em I didn't even know I had. One of 'em was a mini stroke that happened and I just lost feeling in my hand. And that was it. And I got over that pretty quickly. But then this last one, it was a big one."

When Trunk asked how doctors could tell that Neil had had previous strokes, the singer explained, "because they could see it in your brain. It's scarred right around the same spot. I had four scars in my brain, and the neurologist said those are all strokes." Neil added that you can have a small stroke and not even realize it.

When MÖTLEY CRÜE originally postponed the Las Vegas residency, the band said it was because Neil needed a "medical procedure," but offered no further details. Neil told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he went to sleep on Christmas night and then woke up and couldn't get out of bed.

"I'm, like, 'What's going on?' And my left leg wouldn't work, and my left arm wouldn't work. So I had to get help out of bed. I couldn't push myself up to get myself comfortable in bed. And I had to have help," he said. "And slowly but surely, the sensation came back in my legs. And I had to learn to walk again. I went from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane to — I can walk now, but for five months it was just off and on, not knowing what's gonna happen. And the doctor said that I probably wouldn't be on stage again. And I was, like, 'No, man. I can't do that.' And so I just tried. I worked my butt off to get back in shape to go on stage. And I was really sad to have to cancel those shows, but I just wasn't ready yet. I wasn't ready to be back on stage yet. It was really sad, but it's really worth it now, 'cause I can get on stage and sing and all that good stuff."

Multi-instrumentalist Snowy Shaw has teamed up with Magnus Daun (Mad Architect) to form the new project “GOD”, and offers a “self interview” to best describe the new project.

GOD will be released on all streaming platforms on Friday, October. Find a preview trailer below.

Taking the concept of the split personality between whom an artist is on and off stage, or in and out of the studio to another level, Snowy Shaw has provided the following “self interview” to best describe the new project, which is available on all streaming platforms this Friday, October 17.



“GOD” by Magnus Daun & Snowy Shaw.

Q: What can be said about this debuting new release?

“If you like real heavy kick ass rock n’ roll or just love brutal fucking true metal that makes you wanna bang your head bloody against a brick wall. – Well, then I suspect this kind of music might not be for you.”

Q: OK, nicely put. So what the hell is this thing then. Emo, Indie-pop, Skate-Punk or what?

“No, well this dark, cinematic and epic filmscore music project is not so much a band as a collaboration between two individual composers & musicians. For lack of better comparison, imagine if Danny Elfman and Ennio Morricone would team up to create grand dramatic music for a big Hollywood movie, that never existed,.. yet! Something like that, although I’m certainly not saying we’re in the same league as these masters but instead of coming up with yet another band name or do another Mad Architect album we opted to approach this new concept a little differently and use our own names with highlighted focus on the song title and concept at hand, meanwhile us the creators are subordinated.”

Q: Mad Architect? please tell me a little more about that band.

“Yeah, well me and Magnus have a recorded history under the moniker of Mad Architect, with whom we put out 2 albums some odd 10 years ago. From the get go it was always more of a studio project, than a live act from when I was first contacted via email to do guest vocals on one single track, which I agreed to. Then later came the request to do yet another song, which I thought a bit strange but as it turned out, they had no singer and there was no “they” at all. In reality it was just Magnus hiring people to record his songs, more or less. And I ended up doing all the vocals. The first album recording took place around the time I was out touring the world with Sabaton during 2012-2013 and I tracked the vocals either in my own home studio whenever I had a short break in touring or in the tourbus or backstage somewhere with my laptop, a microphone and a simple recording device. Modern technology is pretty fantastic isn’t it? Pretty damn bizarre actually. So it was a rather strange birth one might say. As a matter of fact I had never met or even talked to the guy (Magnus) over the phone until after the first album had been out for months. Take into consideration that this although we both live in the same city (Gothenburg, Sweden).”

Q: Hahaha! That’s hilarious! And that’s when you decided to team up?

“Like I said, it wasn’t so much of a band as Magnus’ solo album with the difference that, especially on the second album I ended up doing about 95% of all the work. This because all the other musicians had somehow dropped off once the debut was released, and neither him nor I managed to find proper replacements for each position respectively based on his so-called demos, of chorus drenched incoherent instrumental guitar backgrounds. So in the end I figured the only way to make this project to work at all, is if I take charge of the situation and handle the rest of the instruments. Really insane when you think about it. Allow me to be a little witty here, Magnus sure is the “Mad Architect”.”

Q: If what you’re saying is correct then it’s more like your solo album isn’t it?

“Naw, in a way I guess you could say that it was but that’s not the point and I don’t wanna take credit for it because I was hired to do a job and I did my very best and all in my power to make this thing fly and live up to my quality standards given what I had to work with. We’re talking writing, arranging, producing, recording, mixing, designing, promoting etc. And that on top of all vocals and playing the drums and bass etc. Magnus is a great guy and I don’t wanna make it sound like he’s totally incompetent or anything. I saw a guy whose dream & ambition was to make his own music & band although at the time….he didn’t necessarily possess the right kind of skills, competence nor experience required to do so. Very much like myself in my younger days, so I could relate and felt compassionate for him. However, what matters is that I was able to fill in the gaps and help out fulfilling his dream, and I was happy to oblige. And of course be richly compensated for my work.”

Q: Nice of you to help out this young kid though.

“I never said he was young. He’s 3 years older than me I think.

“Anyway, if you’d ask me if I would willingly do it all again under those circumstances and conditions the answer would be a loud and definitive No, not in this lifetime. Which is also why it has taken over 10 years. Whenever approached I have repeatedly explained to Magnus that I was super adamant towards the whole idea and that I simply can’t nor won’t work or operate under such conditions again. I don’t really wanna use the derogatory phrase, “You can’t polish turds,” but then again I can’t think of a better more suitable term. If it’s ever gonna happen it has to be under the right circumstances.”

Q: So how did this new thing come about then, what made you change your mind?

“He learned his lesson and got his shit together, let’s say. Earlier this year Magnus released short pieces of new atmospheric instrumental music under his own name which I thought was a 100 times better than anything I had previously heard from him, and I was really impressed and uttered – Wow! Now we’re talking! This I really, really like. This has harmonic substance and something to build on with a distinct theme which offers tons more possibilities.
Truth be told, I applaud him for having really have made a quantum leap in improvement over the decade that has now passed. I’m mighty impressed with his newfound technical skills and understanding. I dare say that the biggest difference was that now he had composed it all using keyboards with great sounds which was a huge improvement as opposed to all the generic guitar riffing and directionless set of chords that he used to present in the past.

“This was more bombastic symphonic filmscore music, just the way that I love it and I immediately got all these images in my head and envisioned how we could arrange it with voices and menacing dark narration, chimes, marching snares, strings, heavy downtuned distorted bass and shit. And I also added heavy mean guitars to the mix for effect, and personally I think it turned out fantastic.

“Maybe it’s just me who’ve been doing this for too long and have become jaded and disillusioned but to be perfectly honest with you, I haven’t been inspired or influenced by metal or rock bands since I was a teenager. More than anything I’m drawn towards composers like John Barry (James Bond) Danny Elfman, John Carpenter, Vangelis among others. I’m not an adept consumer but that’s the kind of music that triggers me, and over the years I’ve often found out in retrospect that ‘s the kind of music that subconsciously influenced me.

Q: So is this a one off thing or can we expect a full length album any time soon?

“Hell yeah! We just signed a massive 4 album recording deal with Universal Studios worldwide.

“By mid November we’ll be recording our new material with New York philharmonic orchestra for an upcoming 2026 blockbuster Hollywood movie and,… No, I’m just kiddin’, obviously.

“First of all, it’s 2025 and the album format is obsolete and dead for starters, not just physical but overall, which is deeply tragic and immensely sad I think. The world in general is fucked, and not just the music industry and the movie industry but every-fucking-thing that we know of and everything that we all grew up loving is all dead and gone. But yes, let’s try to be a little positive here shall we. We’ll surely be putting out more new music. When and if we feel like it. That’s really all that matters at the end of the day, isn’t it?”

According to the UK’s Mirror, Sharon Osbourne looks set to celebrate her late husband Ozzy’s legacy with an annual gig in his name.

An application has been made to trademark “Back To The Beginning”, the event which marked Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance. The historic, all-day concert featured Ozzy with the original Black Sabbath lineup and a host of other prominent bands.

Now the firm set up by her late husband has applied to trademark the title of the gig in the US. It is registered under “entertainment services in the nature of live musical performance”. Legal documents filed by holding firm Monowise Ltd also seek legal protection for merchandise. A similar application will be made in the UK. The gig at Villa Park in Birmingham, 17 days before Ozzy’s death, raised millions for charity.

All of the proceeds are to be split equally between three charities, Acorns Children’s Hospice, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Cure Parkinson’s. Ozzy, born John Michael Osbourne, died aged 76 in July. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019. Ozzy was buried next to a lake at his Buckinghamshire home.

Read more at mirror.co.uk.