BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has released a new single, "Broken And Blind", via MNRK Heavy / Spinefarm. This is the band's third single release, preceded by "Lord Humungus" (February 2025) and "The Gallows" (September 2024),leading up to the much-anticipated new BLACK LABEL SOCIETY album scheduled for early 2026. "Broken And Blind" is available across all major digital streaming platforms, and the official music video directed by longtime collaborator Justin Reich can be seen below.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist/vocalist Zakk Wylde states: "What's going on gang? This is Zakk Wylde of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. This is a new song called 'Broken And Blind'. The song is about peanut butter and chocolate and what happens when you don't have any of it. My soul is broken and I'm blind with rage if I don't have any peanut butter and chocolate, so there you go, it's a new song called 'Broken And Blind'. Thank you, have a great day."

In a recent interview with Rock Feed, Zakk spoke about the possibility of more music from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY after the release of "The Gallows" and "Lord Humungus". He said:  "With the format, where it's at now, usually you'd make a record — everybody would — it's just, like, you make an album, then you do a big campaign behind it, and then you tour behind and album. And then you do it again.

"I remember we started recording a new album, like, two years ago, just tracking a whole bunch of stuff … over at [Zakk's home studio] Black Vatican. It was when JD [bassist John DeServio] and Jeffrey [drummer Jeff Fabb] came out and [guitarist] Dario [Lorina], and then we were tracking new stuff, and that was two over two years ago now. And 'Gallows' was a new thing and I think 'Lord Humungus' was a new thing, and then we got some other ones. We just got done doing a new video for another one called 'Broken And Blind'. So I guess that'll be the next one. But there'll probably be maybe six tunes and videos before the album even comes out, which I don't mind, 'cause this way people get a chance to digest the record before we're gonna tour. But probably in 2026 we'll be touring, doing BLACK LABEL, while, obviously, the PANTERA celebration just takes a rest for a while," he added, referencing his involvement in the reformed PANTERA, which has been on the road for much of the past three years. "I think we have some [PANTERA] shows with METALLICA scheduled for Europe nine months from now. So, I guess they made a commitment to that, so we'll knock that out, and that'll, that'll be a great time."

Zakk previously talked about the possibility of new BLACK LABEL SOCIETY music this past May in an interview with Scott Davidson of Chicago's Rebel Radio 92.5 FM. He said at the time: "Well, it's a weird thing, because nowadays, just the way… 'Cause back in the day, it would be, like, you'd make a record… I mean, even back with Ozzy [Osbourne], back in '88 when I first started with the Boss, you would make the album, then you do some videos and then you release the album and then there's this big tour campaign and the whole nine yards. And nowadays, we could just keep putting singles out and videos and then put the album out eventually. So we're already two [singles] deep right now between 'The Gallows' and 'Lord Humungus'. And then in between all the PANTERA celebration stuff, when I get back home, we're in the Vatican and we're tracking new songs. 'Cause 'Lord Humungus' and 'The Gallows', those were all recent songs. So, yeah, we just track 'em and then we box 'em up and then ship 'em out and they're good to go. So in between, by the time BLACK LABEL starts touring in 2026 sometime… 'Cause, obviously, I'm committed to, with the fellas, [touring] with the PANTERA celebration. So we're not gonna be doing anything [touring-wise with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY] until 2026. So just keep writing away… And then, when we're good and ready, we go out."

Regarding how he goes about writing music for BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, Zakk said: "For me, it always starts with the riff. And the riff just inspires you to sing something over it. Actually, most of the time, even when it's the mellow stuff… I mean, whether I'm sitting at the piano, I pick up an acoustic, it's the chord progressions and everything like that. But especially with the heavy stuff, for me it's usually always the riff. And the riff will dictate where the song's going."

Wylde also discussed new BLACK LABEL SOCIETY music in an April 2025 chat with American Musical Supply. He stated at the time:  "We did the 'Lord Humungus' video and then we did 'The Gallows'. And I'm actually enjoying this process of doing the album this way where instead of usually you do the album, it's all done, then you make two videos or whatever and then you put them out and then it's kind of run its course — or maybe three videos. Now I think we're just gonna keep pumping out videos and doing singles and things like that until we're ready to tour in 2026 or whatever. Because everything's right now is dedicated to the PANTERA celebration. So we're doing that. And then in the spots that are in between there, we're having a blast with the ZAKK SABBATH stuff. And then, sometime in 2026, then it's time for the BLACK LABEL [to hit the road again], so we'll throw that one in high gear."

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

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

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

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

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

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

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:

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

Photo credit: Justin Reich

At this past weekend's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California, HATEBREED drummer Matt Byrne spoke to Baby Huey of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for Connecticut hardcore/metal veterans' next studio album. Matt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just released a single ['Make The Demons Obey'] over the summer. We have a new record that'll be coming out next year — not sure when, but it's about 90 percent, 85 percent done. [We're] still tweaking some stuff, but next year's our target [release]. We released a single, 'Make The Demons Obey'. We've been playing it live. We're playing it tonight. It's very fast. It's heavy. It's HATEBREED. It has HATEBREED all over it. So, it's a lot of fun to play. It's always fun playing the new stuff. We've been playing 'I Will Be Heard' since 2002, so as much as you love that song, it's fun to play newer stuff."

Released in July, "Make The Demons Obey" marked the first taste of new HATEBREED material after the group's "Weight Of The False Self" album which came out in 2020.

"Make the Demons Obey" is everything you know, love, want, and expect from HATEBREED. PMA lyrics, sick riffs, singalongs that will make you bumrush to the front of the stage, and some of the deadliest, most ignorant (in the best possible way!) breakdowns known to man.

"Lots of bands say that their newest release will be their heaviest and I guess we are no different," HATEBREED singer Jamey Jasta stated at the time of the song's release. "We've managed to push the envelope and surpass our expectations. We've become tighter, harder and more vicious than ever. This is the most excited I've been for any HATEBREED release."

"Very exciting things are happening in the HATEBREED camp," added Byrne. "It's time to unleash this beast — new music is here! This is the fastest, most vicious, and most aggressive music we have ever created and I'm pumped for the world to hear it."

When "Make the Demons Obey" was made available, HATEBREED was independent and was still deciding what direction it would like to go regarding a record label. But HATEBREED remained open to all options and ideas. In the interim, they will be releasing singles to keep fans satisfied and will self-fund the upcoming album.

HATEBREED guitarist Wayne Lozinak returned to the live stage at Aftershock. He was diagnosed with a meningioma in the brain while on tour in Europe but thankfully, it was benign. He underwent a craniotomy — a surgical procedure that involves opening the skull to access the brain — on August 4.

Lozinak has been a key part of HATEBREED's sound since rejoining the band in 2009.

While Lozinak was away, HATEBREED continued its European and American tours, with touring bassist Matt Bachand stepping in on guitar, and Carl Schwartz of FIRST BLOOD and TERROR joining the group on bass duties.

This past April, HATEBREED announced it was resurrecting the beloved and annual "Summer Slaughter" tour for 2025, which kicked off on July 8 in St. Petersburg, Florida and ran through July 28 in Grand Rapids. Support for this year's run included FUGITIVE, GRIDIRON, INCITE, ESCUELA GRIND and SNUFFED ON SIGHT on select dates.

HATEBREED celebrated its 30th anniversary with a North American tour last fall. Support on the trek came from CARCASS, HARMS WAY and CRYPTA.

HATEBREED has released eight studio albums and has consistently sold out shows the world over. Over the course of its career, the band has gone from playing basements and backyards to being a featured attraction on countless festivals like Graspop Metal Meeting, Ozzfest, Warped and Download.

To date, HATEBREED has sold over 1.5 million albums in North America alone.

This past May, Jasta spoke to Into The Necrosphere about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to "Weight Of The False Self" album. He said: "Yeah, I think creatively the ideas are all there, the lyrics are all there, the music's all there. I've been going around taking different meetings with labels."

He continued: "It was kind of funny and cool — I just mentioned in passing that we were free agents, and then that went kind of semi viral or something, because then we got hit up by every label under the sun. And that was really nice to see that there was interest there from all these labels. 'Cause I am one of those people that I really believe that your next biggest, best song is always in you. You just have to get to that point where you can channel it or you can grab it out of the ether. Anybody can do it. You just have to get there, and you have to figure out the path there. And now that 'Weight Of The False Self' is finding fans, I thought, 'Yeah, I could expand on a lot of these topics. But then there was also new topics that I had never touched on before that I had been writing about and riffing out about."

Jasta added: "The real sort of mother lode of riffs that I wrote that I got inspired was right after Milwaukee [Metal Fest], because you get this post-festival sort of slump where you're, like, 'Damn, now what am I gonna do?' And I had to go to Europe right away. But TESTAMENT had given me a guitar — they did a deal with Dean, and they gave me this beautiful guitar. And so I just started riffing out on that guitar as soon as I got back. And I don't know if it just had good energy from the festival in it or if it had a different feel of the neck, but I started messing around with different frets and different placements… But just having that experience and then listening back to 'Weight Of The False Self' and going, 'All right, yeah, I'm ready. I've got enough.' I had 24 topics kind of written on a vision board, and I thought, 'All right, I've gotta narrow those down to 14. Can I combine?' And then I kept going, kept going, and yeah, now it's… I mean, we'll probably have a single any day now, or maybe even two singles."

After much soul searching through the Canadian wilderness, last month, Anciients kicked off their first U.S. tour in eight years behind their latest Juno Award-winning album. Upon returning home from a hard-hitting run through the American West, Southeast and ProgPower USA, the heavy, heady and heartfelt Canucks were greeted with some shiny new hardware. During the annual BreakOut West music festival and conference, The Western Canadian Music Alliance awarded the band Metal & Hard Music Artist of the Year in honor of their latest prog metal opus, Beyond The Reach Of The Sun.

“We were stoked to get home from tour and receive the news that we won this award at BreakOut West,” says frontman Kenny Cook. “Massive thanks to Factor Canada, Music BC and all of the people who voted for us! We’ve got another month of shows incoming. Then we’re going to start piecing together ideas for the next record”.



Catch Anciients this fall when they bring Beyond The Reach Of The Sun to Eastern Canada, the American Midwest and East Coast for the first time. Joining them for the bulk of these dates are Music City heavy jamming psych-wizards Howling Giant. Confirmed venues are as listed:

Becky Buerkett Meier and Rock Preservation Society have shared video of ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate's September 5 acoustic performance at the Ulrich's Rebellion Room Irish pub in Peoria, Illinois.

Featured songs:

00:00 - Walk In The Shadows
03:57 - Jet City Woman
08:37 - Chasing Blue Sky
12:31 - Suite Sister Mary (featuring Clodagh McCarthy)
22:10 - Eyes Of A Stranger

In a recent interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, Tate spoke about his upcoming third and final chapter in QUEENSRŸCHE's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album series. He said: "We're days away from releasing a new song that's coming out. And we have a whole bunch of new songs that we're gonna kind of release one at a time. Rather than putting everything together in one disc and selling it right off the bat, we're gonna kind of spread it out over the next year and release track by track, kind of thing. And we're actually just days away from [putting out the first song] right now. We're excited. When everything comes out [in the form of several singles], by that time we'll have put it together as a one-piece package."

Geoff confirmed that his upcoming album will be released under the "Operation: Mindcrime III" banner, explaining: "It's the continuation and the final chapter of 'Operation: Mindcrime'. And it's the story told from Dr. X's perspective. So the previous two albums were from the perspective of Nikki, the lead character. And this is Dr. X's perspective, so it's quite interesting."

This past January, Tate told 96.1 KLPX afternoon jock Larry Mac about the upcoming third chapter in the "Operation: Mindcrime" album series: "Well, I wouldn't call it a sequel. I'd call it a continuation of the story. We're doing it in kind of an interesting way. We're not gonna release an album, so to speak, right off the bat. We're going to release the album once all the songs are released, if that makes sense. We're gonna release a song a month or every quarter, and then when it's all finished, we're gonna do a special presentation with all the songs included."

Regarding how he comes up with the musical and lyrical ideas for his albums, Geoff said: "It's all different, really. Sometimes it's a musical figure that you're fiddling around with in the studio that leads to a complete song or a few songs. And sometimes it's the lyrical idea. Sometimes it's a sentence that just sparks your imagination and gets you rolling on something. With the 'Operation: Mindcrime' albums, it was a story that came about really quickly, actually — I wrote it very quickly — and then expanded on it over the years to explain a little bit more in depth as to what was happening within the story. 'Cause the first album is a little bit vague in what it's talking about in it. The second album explains even more as to what the characters are going through. And the third album, again, will be even more explanation, but taken from a number of different viewpoints, which kind of is interesting, I think."

Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant."

The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.

Tate previously discussed his plans for "Operation: Mindcrime III" in a November 2024 interview with "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern". Speaking about the musical direction of his new solo material, Geoff said: "I would say it has more of an early QUEENSRŸCHE feel. [The new songs are] super heavy, and some of 'em are incredibly technical. They're like algebra. [Laughs] You need a calculator when you're listening to the song. [Laughs] And, of course, some of them are very emotional. It's the last chapter in the 'Mindcrime' series. So it's following the exploits of Dr. X and Nikki and Sister Mary, and picks up at a particular point in their story and kind of does the microscope of what is happening at that particular time with them. And I am just in love with it. I am so happy with everything so far, and I can't wait for people to hear it."

Asked if there will once again be "some of those political interplays" within the lyrical themes on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Tate said: "Oh, I think so. Yeah, I think that people will be able to detect little bits of what's happening around them. And it's an interesting time right now — very interesting. Especially next week [after the 2024 U.S. presidential election], it's gonna be really interesting [laughs] what happens. So, we'll see."

Pressed about whether "a familiar voice" will play Dr. X on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Geoff said: "I can't tell you, actually. But thanks for asking. [Laughs]"

In a 2016 interview with East Valley Tribune, Tate said that he looked back fondly on "Operation: Mindcrime II". "I haven't listened to that album since I recorded it," he admitted. "However, it was a new story. Overall, it went down well live with the audience. I have no complaints or regrets about it."

During QUEENSRŸCHE's 2012 legal battle with Tate over the rights to the band's name, guitarist Michael Wilton submitted a sworn declaration in which he said the idea to make "Operation: Mindcrime II" was first brought to the table by Geoff's wife and QUEENSRŸCHE's then-manager Susan Tate. "The band was hesitant and did not want to lessen the original," the guitarist claimed. "But Susan Tate and Geoff Tate hired a budget producer and took control without really any other input. Scott Rockenfield [drums], Eddie Jackson [bass] and I were squeezed out of having any input in the musical direction or business decisions, thus the project suffered. During the initial writing phase, I would show up to bring my input to the creative process only to find that the producer, the new guitar player (who were both staying with the Tates at the time),along with Geoff Tate had been up late the night before or up early that morning and had written the songs without me. I was then told my ideas were not needed as the songs were now done. I could, however, 'bring my own style' in during the recording after learning to play what they wrote for me. In frustration, I gave up on the writing process knowing that I would at least get to make changes in the studio to bring back the QUEENSRŸCHE sound into these songs that we were known for. The final straw was when they refused to let me to be a part of the final recordings and mixes. I was shut out and they had the nerve to replace some of my parts on my songs. They denied me flying to San Francisco to be a part of my band, telling me that everything was ready to go and I was not needed. Had the communication been better, and had I been aware that parts needed to be recorded or rewritten, I would have been there. It was not until years later that I even became aware of the issues during the final recording and mixing of 'Operation: Mindcrime II'. It was all under the control of Geoff and Susan Tate. Call it delusions of grandeur, but they were convinced that this was going to sell three times more than the original, and to date (six years later) this album has sold fewer than 150,000 copies. The original album sold over 500,000 copies within a year."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate's replacement, Todd La Torre, has released four albums thus far with QUEENSRŸCHE: 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance".

IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson sang the U.S. national anthem when the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, October 7 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles as part of the NHL's (National Hockey League) first day of regular-season play. The game was the third of three games broadcast on ESPN. Video of Dickinson's rendition can be seen below.

Bruce previously sang the U.S. national anthem on September 14 prior to Pittsburgh Steelers' home opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Video of his appearance can be seen below.

Dickinson first revealed that he would sing the U.S. national anthem at an NFL game during a recent interview with soprano Elizabeth Zharoff. He said at the time: "I'll let you in to a secret. So, I've got to sing the national anthem in Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They've asked me to do this. I'm going to do it a cappella and stuff, and as long as you start at the right place, you're good to go."

Bruce first sang the U.S. national anthem during his September 11 solo concert at the House Of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to launching into the U.S. national anthem, Dickinson told the audience at the House Of Blues:  "So I'm gonna let you in to a dirty little secret that is gonna happen on Sunday. I've been asked to sing the American national anthem at a Pittsburgh Steelers game. Now, I've never done this before in my fucking life, and I'm trying to avoid the embarrassment of reading the fucking words off the back of my hand. Look, no writing on the back of my hand, or failure to read the auto cue because, fuck me, there is no auto cue, all right?! So because today is the kind of — it can't have escaped your attention that today is 9/11, right? And on this day, on that day, I was in New York City and I witnessed all the shit that happened.

"So normally I do a little bit of like an a cappella — that's just me singing on my own — a bit of [the IRON MAIDEN song] 'Revelations'," he continued. "But I thought, with your kind permission, I would have a go at the American national anthem, because it's the only fucking time I'm gonna practice it.

"We were down in Brazil [a few days ago for a festival appearance] and I was talking to the punk band, mates of mine, BAD RELIGION," Dickinson added. "And the guy went, 'Oh, you're gonna sing the anthem?' He said, 'Fucking make sure you start low.'"

Bruce then sang a few lines of "The Star-Spangled Banner", occasionally accompanied by fans in the crowd.

Dickinson told Travel Trade Gazette back in 2012 about his experience on September 11, 2001: "I'd just completed my line training and was all signed off to fly, and was in New York with the band. It was a really sunny day, and I was sitting on the roof of the hotel by the pool. I had a Boeing 757 manual on my lap, reading up, when a little old lady walked up to the pool attendant and asked if it was true that a plane had flown into the twin towers. I thought it must have been a small private plane, and went back to my reading. Then more people arrived, and someone said it was some sort of airliner, and I thought, 'Oh boy…'"

In 2015, the singer described to "Nights With Alice Cooper" the scene he witnessed shortly after the World Trade Center towers came down. He said: "It was strange, because there was no panic of anybody. Everybody was just… There was just an air of 'unreality.' There was no traffic. It was a lovely day — a beautiful day — and I was just walking around and looking at people. People were drinking at bars, having a beer. And it got to the evening, and it was obviously pretty somber. Nobody was cracking any jokes; there were no funnies about this one. And to this day, I can't think of any."

He continued: "I wandered around the next day and I thought, 'I don't know what to do now. I'll go and give some blood.' So I had a wander around and found some way to go and give blood. And it was queuing around the block. And all they were doing was the guy was coming around saying, 'Okay, here you go. Come back tomorrow. We don't need any blood. There are no survivors.' So I went and wrote a piece of paper saying, 'If we need your blood, we'll give you a call.'"

Dickinson went on to say: "Then the wind changed. And this, kind of, pall of gray shit started slowly advancing up towards Midtown. And up 'till then, upper Manhattan up by Central Park, you couldn't smell it. And I was out taking a walk, just walking around, because there was nothing else to do. And I could smell this acrid smell and I thought, "I'm not sure whether or not being in an air-conditioned building is better for you or it makes no difference whatsoever, but you know what? I'm gonna go sit in my room, 'cause this has got bad shit in it, this stuff.' And, of course, they're now discovering exactly how much awful stuff was in it. I mean, I just got a quick sniff of it."

Joining the IRON MAIDEN singer on "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour was once again his 2024 backing band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who played on Dickinson's "Rain On The Graves" single). Bruce's longtime guitarist and collaborator Roy "Z" Ramirez is not part of the touring lineup.

Dickinson kicked off "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour on August 22 at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California.

Bruce was touring in support of his latest solo album, "The Mandrake Project", which arrived on March 1, 2024 via BMG.

Dickinson's reworked version of his classic 1994 album "Balls To Picasso", now titled "More Balls To Picasso", arrived on July 25.

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith.
Iron Maiden's lead singer Bruce Dickinson performed the national anthem for the Los Angeles Kings' season opener
A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one#GoKingsGo#GoAvsGo#NHLpic.twitter.com/6gc0YgP2al

— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) October 8, 2025

After an explosive 2025 that saw the band's first live performances in nearly two decades, DRY KILL LOGIC — the hard-hitting, genre-defying act known for its unique fusion of nu-metal, hardcore, and metalcore — has officially begun work on a new full-length album. The record will mark the group's first LP since 2006's "Of Vengeance & Violence".

In addition, DRY KILL LOGIC has announced the "Decades Of Distance Tour" 2026, a headline run that will return them to markets and venues they have not performed in for over 20 years.

Formed in 1994 under the name HINGE, DRY KILL LOGIC quickly carved out a place in the heavy music scene. Their 2001 debut, "The Darker Side Of Nonsense", remains a touchstone of the alternative metal era, with songs like "Nightmare" and "Rot" still resonating with fans worldwide. Subsequent releases — including "The Dead And Dreaming" (2004) and "Of Vengeance & Violence" (2006) — saw the band evolve their sound, sharing stages with heavyweights like SLAYER, FEAR FACTORY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, DISTURBED and MASTODON while solidifying their reputation as a ferocious live act.

After a hiatus beginning in 2007, the band re-emerged with new singles "Vices" (2019) and "Don't See Ghosts" (2020),reigniting fan anticipation. In 2025, DRY KILL LOGIC made a thunderous return with appearances at Welcome To Rockville, Inkcarceration, Aftershock, Rock Fest and a pair of sold-out headline shows. Their latest single, "Now You Belong With The Dead", bridges their classic heaviness with new atmospheric intensity.

"This year has been an unbelievable dream, and we're so grateful for the opportunities we've been given," says vocalist Cliff Rigano. "Now the time has come to write new music."

DRY KILL LOGIC has officially began writing its fourth full-length album, titled "Your Sins Will Find You". Drawing inspiration from recent collaborations with producer Greg Thomas (END, MISERY SIGNALS, SHAI HULUD) and fueled by their return to the stage, the record promises to both honor their roots and push their sound forward. Fans can expect a dynamic blend of ferocity and melody — building on tracks like "Vices", "Don't See Ghosts" and "Now You Belong With The Dead", while staying true to the raw aggression of classics like "200 Years", "Boneyard" and "Nightmare".

In support of the upcoming album, DRY KILL LOGIC will hit the road in 2026 for the "Decades Of Distance Tour", returning to long-absent markets. Select shows will feature support from New Jersey metal heavyweights DIZASTERPIECE.

"The excitement and anticipation are overwhelming," says DRY KILL LOGIC guitarist Jason Bozzi. "To finally return to these cities after all these years is something we never thought would happen. We're incredibly excited to see everyone."

2026 "Decades Of Distance Tour" dates:

March 27 - Austin, TX - Come & Take It Live
March 28 - Dallas, TX - Puzzles Deep Ellum
April 18 - New Kensington, PA - Preserving Underground*
April 19 - Millersville, PA - Phantom Power *
May 08 - Lakewood, OH - Mercury Music Lounge *
May 09 - West Chicago, IL - WC Social Club *

* With DIZASTERPIECE

Black Cross Hotel, the Chicago-based industrial quintet featuring members of The Atlas Moth and Stabbing Westward, unleash “Eyes From Nowhere,” the opening track from their forthcoming album, Songs For Switches, out on October 31 via Someoddpilot Records. Pre-orders, including a limited edition blood red swirl vinyl variant, are available here.

The dystopian anthem “Eyes From Nowhere” arrives with an accompanying lyric video. Watch below.

“’Eyes From Nowhere’ started with me channeling a raw, Jesus Lizard-type energy, then Marcus and Andrew pulled it in a completely unexpected direction – right into dark, punk-fueled Depeche Mode,” explains Sanford Parker, bassist and producer of the new album.

“To me, this track screams “RoboCop (1987),’” keyboardist Andrew Ragin adds. “It’s a sophisticated blend of elements that explores identity, humanity, and the consequences of unchecked corporatism through the story of a murdered police officer transformed into a cyborg.”

Black Cross Hotel celebrate Songs For Switches’ upcoming release with two Chicago events: an intimate album listening party on October 24 at Public Works, followed by their hometown record release show on October 29 at Empty Bottle.

Born as a horror-inspired industrial-metal side project from synth alchemist Ragin (The Atlas Moth) and guitarist Marcus Eliopulos (Stabbing Westward), Black Cross Hotel quickly grew into a full band with Mike Miczek (Earthburner, Broken Hope, The Atlas Moth) on drums, producer/engineer Parker (Minsk, Corrections House) on bass, and DeEmme (Whipped) on vocals.

Songs For Switches was recorded at Electrical Audio studio and completed at Parker’s own Hypercube studio, both in Chicago. The album arrives via Someoddpilot Records, an offshoot of the acclaimed Chicago branding studio responsible for creative campaigns and logos for Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, Empty Bottle, and other cornerstones of the city’s music culture.



Songs For Switches tracklisting:

“Eyes From Nowhere”
“Rot Together”
“The House God Doesn’t Visit”
“Song for Switches”
“Typo”
“Blood Dance”
“Church Basement”
“Teeth”
“How To Be Unburdened”
“2AFPT”

In a new interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Taylor Momsen spoke about THE PRETTY RECKLESS's support slot on AC/DC's massive "Power Up" 2024 and 2025 stadium tour across Europe and North America, which saw her outfit play to over three million people in iconic venues such as Los Angeles's Rose Bowl, Chicago's Soldier Field, London's Wembley Stadium, and Paris's Stade De France, among others. Asked what "lessons" she and her THE PRETTY RECKLESS bandmates learned through touring with AC/DC, Taylor said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Honestly, it's unbelievable. Getting to watch them every night was just a schooling. You just got schooled by AC/DC every night, in the best way possible, where you watch the show and you watch Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] up there running around and you just go, 'They're one of the inventors of this. This is what this is.' And they're everything you want them to be and more, as people and the show they deliver."

She continued: "I think they're on fire right now. They have something extra that they're giving to the audience, and it's just incredible to see every night. It's so loud, it's obscene — in the best way possible. Angus's amps are — I think they're, like, 110 dB [decibels] on stage before they even turn the P.A. on. So just that alone is so fucking rock and roll… It's so loud. And the fact that he controls that volume like it's nothing is insane. I mean, he's driving the race car of electric guitars on stage every night. They're just awesome. And then as people, they're awesome. They're as rock and roll as you can get. They're as kind as you can get. Just the whole camp, the whole everything was so welcoming and so gracious and supportive and just cool. And I think I can genuinely say after being out with them for so long now — I've had two birthdays on tour with AC/DC; I've been three different ages — that we've made a really special connection and I think we've made some lifelong friends. And that's just very surreal to say out loud, but also just awesome because at the end of the day, we're all people and we all love rock and roll. And that's your common thread."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS released a new single, "For I Am Death", in August. An accompanying music video, directed by Lewis Cater, was released alongside the single, which sees Taylor transform into a malevolent and haunting figure. Surrounded by sinister forces, she represents the personification of death that she embodied when writing the song.

In January 2024, THE PRETTY RECKLESS shared a photo of Taylor in the studio with Jonathan Wyman, who co-produced THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest album, 2021's "Death By Rock And Roll", apparently confirming that Wyman has re-teamed with the group for the upcoming LP.

In November 2022, THE PRETTY RECKLESS released a new collection of music, "Other Worlds", via Fearless Records. The effort saw the group delivering its first proper acoustic recordings, unexpected covers and other reimaginings.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was made available in February 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital charts. The record also yielded three back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll", "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and "Only Love Can Save Me Now" (featuring Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN). The band has tallied seven No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.

"Death By Rock And Roll" was THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS formed in 2009 and consists of Momsen, guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.

In 2021, Momsen — who rose to fame portraying the character of edgy little sister Jenny Humphrey on The CW's "Gossip Girl" — described "Death By Rock And Roll" in an interview with ABC Audio as a "battle cry for life and for hope."

Back in August, the Ayreon camp shared a message from vocalist / longtime collaborator Edward Reekers, who has been a part of the Ayreon legacy as a guest singer since the project’s first record, The Final Experiment, released in 1995.

Reekers issued the following statement:

“Dear all, I have some very sad news.

I was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. A cure is not an option anymore, only life-prolonging treatment(s). I will, with the utmost reluctance, have to withdraw from public life. The doctors are working on a treatment schedule and I expect to have some more clarity in the beginning of September.

I would like to thank all my friends and fans for their support and enthusiasm during the time I was given to do what I love to do most : making music.

And all my colleagues who accompanied me on my musical journey : thank you so much. Without you it wouldn’t have been half as much fun.”

Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen has shared the following message with the fans:

“My friend Edward Reekers has lost his battle with cancer. He is not here anymore… it’s so hard to imagine. Of course we all know he was an amazingly talented singer with a golden voice. But more than that, he was an incredibly nice guy! Always positive, and always so excited about music. We missed him so much during the last Ayreon shows. But now… the voice of Ayreon is not here anymore. Lots of warm hugs to his family. And to all of you. Edward lives on in our hearts and minds.”

Reekers appeared on the following Ayreon releases: The Final Experiment (1995), Actual Fantasy (1996), Into The Electric Castle (1998), Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer (2000), Ayreonauts Only (2000), Ayreon Universe (2018) and Electric Castle Live And Other Tales (2020).

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, Grammy® Award-nominated icons, and Rush co-founders Geddy Lee [bass, keys, vocals] and Alex Lifeson [guitar, vocals] have announced their return to the stage for a very special 2026 headline tour, Fifty Something, in celebration of Rush’s music, legacy, and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. It notably marks the first time Lee and Lifeson have toured together in eleven years since the finale of Rush’s R40 Tour on August 1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles, CA, bringing it full circle with a return to the Forum to embark upon these special shows.

Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, whom fans know of as a huge fan of Rush and Neil Peart, quite naturally weighed in on the news:

“Incredible!!! I am soooo happy for Geddy & Alex!! And so excited for all of us Rush fanatics around the world! Congrats to Anika Nilles, who I’m sure will be amazing… she’s awesome! This will be a beautiful way to pay tribute to Neil and to honor his and the bands legacy! I can’t wait to see this…”

Of the tour, Geddy Lee says: “It’s been over 10 years since Alex and I have performed the music of Rush alongside our fallen bandmate and friend Neil. A lifetime’s worth of songs that we had put our cumulative hearts and souls into writing, recording and playing together onstage. And so, after all that has gone down since that last show, Alex and I have done some serious soul searching and come to the decision that we fucking miss it, and that it’s time for a celebration of 50-something years of Rush music. So in 2026 my BFF Lerxst (aka Alex Lifeson) and I are going to hit the road once again to pay tribute to our past and to Neil by performing a vast selection of Rush songs in a handful of cities. No small task, because as we all know Neil was irreplaceable.

Yet life is full of surprises, and we have been introduced to another remarkable person; an incredible drummer and musician who is adding another chapter to our story while continuing her own fascinating musical journey. Her name is Anika Nilles, and we could not be more excited to introduce her to our loyal and dedicated Rush fanbase, whom, we know, will give her every chance to live up to that near impossible role. Before we hit the stage, we also hope to add another musician or two to expand our sound a wee bit and free up Alex and I, in order to show off some of our new fancy dance steps.

Lerxst, Anika and myself, along with many of our longstanding crew members have been hard at work rehearsing and designing the kind of Rush show you’ve grown accustomed to expect from us. We dearly hope you will come along and help us celebrate our history together.”

Carrie Nuttall-Peart and Olivia Peart, Neil’s widow and daughter share: “We are thrilled to support the Fifty Something tour, celebrating a band whose music has resonated and inspired fans for generations, and to honor Neil’s extraordinary legacy as both a drummer and lyricist.



Neil’s musicianship was singular. Compositions of intricacy and power that expanded what rhythm itself could express. As both drummer and lyricist, he was irreplaceable. Inimitable in his artistry, and unmatched in the depth and imagination he brought to the lyrics that inspired and moved so many, he profoundly shaped how fans connected with him and the band, giving voice and meaning to their own lives.

As the band enters this new chapter, it promises to be truly unforgettable. We are excited to see how their new vision unfolds, and to hear this legendary music played live once again.”

Earlier today, fans got the news via a Rush newsletter from a home video that announced the celebration of upcoming dates with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson at Geddy Lee’s home studio. Watch below. Last night the band celebrated in a private event at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland with this on-stage interview and Q&A. Watch the full clip below.

Rush will perform multiple shows in 7 cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico, beginning June 7, 2026 at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. These special “evening with” shows will find the band playing two sets each night. Each show will feature a distinct selection of songs and Rush will build each night’s setlist from a catalogue of 35 songs including their greatest hits and fan favorites.

For Fifty Something, Lee and Lifeson will be accompanied by German drummer, composer, and producer Anika Nilles, who has performed as Jeff Beck’s drummer for over 60 shows and has released four solo albums.

Fans will be able to participate in the Rush Artist Presale by signing up here by Thursday, October 9 at 11:59 PM, ET. Artist Presales for this tour are hosted by multiple ticketing sites but anyone who signs up can join the sale. For Artist Presales on Ticketmaster, no code is needed – access is tied to your account. The Artist Presale on SeatGeek for Cleveland will require a code. The Artist Presale begins on Monday, October 13 at 12 PM, local time in the US and Canada and Thursday, October 16 at 12 PM, local time in Mexico. General onsale begins here on Friday, October 17 at 12 PM, local time for the US & Canada, and 11 AM, local time for Mexico.

Additionally, these pre-sales will be available:

Original SALIVA singer Josey Scott has released two new singles, "Who?" and "Famous", both of which appear to be lyrical jabs at the man who replaced him in the band, Bobby Amaru. The songs arrive less than two months after the current lineup of SALIVA — fronted by Amaru — released a new single, "Hit 'Em Where It Hurts", featuring lyrics which were apparently aimed at Scott.

Nashville producer ScatteredBrains, who worked on both "Who?" and "Famous", took to his Instagram to share about the former track: "Long time coming, about 15 yrs to be exact. The first single 'Who?' from @therealjoseyscott has arrived !!! I am beyond proud of this song and Josey for finding the strength to push back and push forward during a time where he's being bullied out of his own god damn legacy, his creation, his band SALIVA.

"Please listen, like, share and spread the message that there is only one real SALIVA and that is with Josey at the driver seat. If the fans are ready, Josey's ready to give yall that real shit like he never left !!! I know yall tired of watching a cover band play his music, we are too."

When "Hit 'Em Where It Hurts" was first made available in early September, Amaru said in a statement: "'Hit 'Em Where It Hurts' is an anthem about proving people wrong, not with words, but with action."

Apparently referencing Scott, Amaru added: "I sincerely wish him the best, but this song is really for the fans who've stood by us, and for anyone who's ever had to fight for what they believe in. To me, it's about resilience, loyalty, and never backing down. That's exactly what SALIVA should stand for."

Earlier this week, Josey, who left the band in 2011 and was replaced the following year by Bobby, once again blasted his successor, accusing Amaru of "talking out of both sides of his neck" and saying that Bobby has treated Josey like a "former disgruntled employee". He told Rock Feed in part: "The only problem I've had with Bobby is Bobby seems to say one thing in the press and act one way in the press. He acts victimized, like I've done something to him. And that seems to be his M.O., is he does these things behind the scenes, and then when he gets in front of the cameras or gets in front of an interviewer, he acts like it's you that's doing these things. And honest to God, I'm not doing any of any of these things that he's saying that I'm doing." Scott went on to lament the fact that Amaru is "treating me like I'm some kind of former disgruntled employee that I don't have the right to have any kind of voice about this or anything."

Elaborating on the deterioration of his relationship with Amaru over the course of the last three years, Josey said: "See, when I first came back while Wayne [Swinny, original SALIVA guitarist] was alive, Bobby seemed supportive of me. He seemed like he was gonna support me having my own band and me doing my own thing. And then as soon as Wayne dies, he sends me — he still says in the press that he's supportive of me and there's gonna be two SALIVAs or whatever, but at the same time sends me a cease-and-desist [letter] saying I can't even call myself the former lead singer of SALIVA. I couldn't even have the word 'SALIVA' on my poster. It's just ludicrous. It's absolutely ludicrous. And like I said, he talks out of both sides of his neck, is what bothers me so badly. He says one thing and does another. If you'll notice, when he came on Rock Feed with you, he was talking about how I was this sad person with quitter's remorse, and then puts out a diss track about me. And I'm just, like, 'Okay. All right. I see where this is going now.' So I've got two singles coming out now that'll [be me] responding. The first single is called 'Who?', and the other song is called 'Famous'. And I'm dropping them both at once."

Scott went on to say that he was surprised to hear that SALIVA had released a "diss track" about him. "I'm just, like, 'This is something rappers do, dude. This ain't something rocker guys do,'" Josey, whose real name is Joseph Sappington, said. "So I had to [respond] in kind — twice."

This past August, Scott made it clear that he had no intention of rejoining the band he co-founded nearly 30 years ago. Josey explained to Youngstown Studio that he didn't foresee ever teaming up with the current version of SALIVA, noting that he had "butted heads" with Bobby and insisting that he didn't "want to give the fans the Temu version of SALIVA," a reference to the Chinese e-commerce site, "with some kind of a bastardized version that Bobby puts together." Josey went on to say that he wanted to get the SALIVA name back and use it with members of his new band, explaining that he named SALIVA completely on his own and that the SALIVA name's "rightful place" was with him, not with the Amaru-fronted version of the group. "That was what I came to the table with," he said of the SALIVA moniker. "I put that band together one member at a time. That's my name."

Amaru, who has been a member of SALIVA for 13 years, later addressed Scott's comments about the current lineup of the band in an interview with Rock Feed. Bobby said: "I watched that interview that [Josey] did [with Youngstown Studio]. I usually don't pay attention to the  Blabbermouth headlines or any of his interviews and stuff. But so many people were sending it to me that I watched it front to back.

"It doesn't bother me, the things that he says about me — I'm not really bothered by it,"  Bobby insisted. "I just feel like I see a sad man who just has quitter's remorse. And that's what it feels like to me.

"I like to take negative stuff and turn it into positivity and create music and stuff, and some people just like to be negative and bash online or whatever, or take jabs. And for me, I love music, [and] always have. And I love  SALIVA, love the brand."

Referencing  Swinny, who died in March 2023 after suffering a brain hemorrhage while on tour,  Bobby added: " Wayne had a vision. We all had a vision when I got in the band, was to take a broken project and revive it, and that's what I've been doing. And, unfortunately, Wayne's life was cut short. We love and we miss him every day. And I'm only honoring him. I didn't even know that I wanted to do this anymore when he passed away — I didn't feel like I wanted to — and some things started happening and  Josey took it upon himself to just go and call himself [and his solo band]  JOSEY SCOTT'S SALIVA. And I just felt like that was wrong. I felt like it was classless, and  Wayne would be rolling in his grave over that. And people that knew  Wayne and know the situation, they would agree with that. And I think, for me, it's, like I decided to continue on and I just wanna put out killer music. And I feel like the band has been accelerating, and he hates that. It bothers him."

Bobby continued: "I don't know. I mean, I wish the guy well. I just hope the guy could find positivity and put it to the music, just keep doing what he's doing. He has fans, but  SALIVA is gonna keep doing what  SALIVA's doing and what  SALIVA's been doing. 14 years — November will be 14 years for me. And I'm grateful. I am. And we have a lot of cool things on the horizon, a bunch of unannounced festivals for '26. And, hey, man, we're gonna keep putting out music."

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In a new interview with AlternativeNation.net, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was once again asked for his reaction to the band's announcement that its upcoming LP will be the band's last. The Dave Mustaine-led outfit will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026. Asked for his thoughts on MEGADETH calling it quits, Ellefson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Honestly, I don't think about it that much. I think probably everybody else thinks about it more for me than I do for me.

"It's been a rocky road, for sure, obviously, and there have been moments sublime and there have been moments that I just scratch my head over, but at the end of the day… Look, Dave said four and a half years ago he doesn't wanna play music with me anymore, so I just left it there and just moved on. I'm not sitting around waiting for a call. I've already offered, if it should come my way, I'd be happy to participate on some level.

"What we saw in Birmingham [at BLACK SABBATH's 'Back To The Beginning' event], in my opinion, was 100% on point the right way to say goodbye," Ellefson continued. "You bring back the O.G.s — Geezer [Butler], Tony [Iommi], Bill [Ward] and Ozzy [Osbourne]; the four O.G.s — 'cause, obviously, they went through their… Look, they fired Bill [at some point earlier in their career], they fired Ozzy, and at some point they're back together. The four guys that started it all get to say goodbye together, to each other, to the fans, the fans say goodbye to them. So, to me, that is the model of how it's done. I mean, that is a hundred percent the right way to do it."

Circling back to MEGADETH, Ellefson said: "If it really is a farewell, if it really is, and it's not just an attempt to boost ticket sales, 'cause we've seen this movie before — boost ticket sales, go away, then the bigger offers come after everybody's gone away for a couple years; I mean, we've seen how this works — but, look, if Dave needs to shut it down and call it quits because he is just had enough and he's been through it all, then hey, you know what? As a still friend to him, even we haven't spoken almost five years — you know what? God bless you, brother. Put it away with grace and go enjoy the rest of your life. So if he really is shutting it down and he's really gonna put it away, then please do so with dignity and grace and do what you say and mean what you say. 'Cause I think that farewell thing has been thrown around so much by so many people that it doesn't have much weight to it. We've just seen it over and over again. So, if you've really gotta shut it down, shut it down and put it away and go enjoy the rest of your life."

Ellefson previously discussed his reaction to MEGADETH's farewell tour last month during an appearance on the Rock 'N' Blues Experience podcast with host Tim Caple. Asked if it was a shock to him to hear that MEGADETH was ending, Ellefson said: "I knew about it. Obviously, I'm in the business, so I knew about it, which — it was a little shocking. I've known Dave as a workhorse. All things good, bad or indifferent about Dave, he's a pretty fucking tough mule, man. I mean, he's gotten out there and sang and played despite all the odds. And I will give him that. He definitely never backed down to a challenge."

Ellefson continued: "I remember there was a comment some years ago — we were playing a festival in Mexico, and his wife, Pam, had looked over at me, and with him sitting right next to me, [she] goes, 'The old horse is slowing down.' [Laughs] And that was a big gig. It was [with] JUDAS PRIEST and SCORPIONS… And I remember when she said it, it was kind of, like, we are getting up there a little bit, but then I look at the SCORPIONS, and fucking Rudolf Schenker, that guy comes up and hugs you like a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot. You're, like, 'What the fuck did they put in the water in his house?' This guy's well into his 70s, and it's, like, 'Aargh.' Like, Jesus, man. The SCORPIONS are impenetrable; they're strong, like Iron Man."

David added: "I haven't talked to Dave now in four years, so I have no idea the reason or anything about it other than they made their announcement."

Asked what he thinks would happen if he just picked up the phone and called Mustaine, Ellefson said: "Well, even if I had his number — I don't know; he might have changed his number since I [last] talked [to him]. No, but I know what you mean.

"Look, he removed me from the group, so it's not my place to call him to go back," David continued. "I put it out there — I did something on my podcast, I floated it out there and said, hey, look, if it were to be, I'd be up for it. I think it'd be cool. Having just watched what happened in Birmingham [at the 'Back To The Beginning' event] where everybody got together —not only did we get to say goodbye to [BLACK SABBATH], they got to say goodbye to us. And I think that's just as important.

"Dave's closing up shop on MEGADETH, and he's doing it for him, obviously, for his reasons. I think in a perfect world there would be at least a moment where maybe some of, if not all of, the rest of us got a chance to say goodbye as well," Ellefson added. "I think that's a takeaway from Birmingham, is that there's a moment for everybody to just put everything aside and go, 'You know what? That was a fucking good run, man.' And take the final bow together on some level."

Ellefson's ELLEFSON-SOTO bandmate Jeff Scott Soto, who was also part of the interview, chimed in: "I'm sorry, I have to interject here. I absolutely agree with you, David, that it would be a lovely way for it to end or go out is to have the surviving members of this legendary band all together, at least for one more hurrah. But as far as I'm concerned, MEGADETH, you guys [Ellefson and Mustaine] are the Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of this band. And to end this whole legacy without one or the other, to me, is wrong. And I'll put it right here. You can clickbait and Blabbermouth it all you want, Dave Mustaine, you need to call David Ellefson and you need to put him as part of the end — if this is truly the end and you're calling it a wrap, you need to include David at some point, even if it's one show, one song, something like that. To me, that's the true closure. That's the real way to actually close the book on MEGADETH. They have to at least include David, to include Chris Poland and all the others, Jeff Young, all the others that have been involved. That, to me, would be the ultimate farewell, sayonara, all of the above. That needs to happen, as far as I'm concerned. You need to get the Lennon and McCartney, the Joe Perry and the Steven Tyler of this band together for one final hurrah. That's how I see it."

Ellefson also discussed his reaction to MEGADETH's farewell tour in August in a special episode of his video podcast "The David Ellefson Show". Asked for his "thoughts" on MEGADETH "calling it quits", Ellefson said: "There's a lot, 'cause, of course, it brings up years and years of thoughts, feelings, emotions, some great, some not so great. I always say these gold records on the wall — which, the only reason I have 'em up is 'cause we have a podcast [laughs]; it just makes for a good backdrop — but I look at 'em, 'Countdown [To Extinction]', 'Peace Sells', 'Beavis And Butt-Head', 'Rust In Peace', they all have a story in 'em. And some of the stuff in the '90s were better stories — the band was cohesive, the management was consistent, the music, I think, was collaborative. We went to new heights, we explored new territory that you could only dream of doing, Grammy nominations, festivals, the world for touring was really opening up everywhere. So, really great stuff. In the middle of it, of course, and around it was addictions, rehabs, canceled tours, lost finances in the millions. And so for things to sort of flush out the way that they did with now me not being part of the final farewell of something I started, as one can imagine, [it's] probably not something I'm super happy about. And saying that while still being grateful for all that it was, because I think at some point you have to find a path through it because this is reality."

Referencing Mustaine's debilitating injury in 2002 that caused severe nerve damage to his left arm and hand, and rendered him unable to play the guitar for a while, Ellefson continued: "Look, I feel like Dave Mustaine ended our friendship in 2001, and that was it. And he ended it very loudly, very publicly. He personally signed his name to it. He said we would never play music together again. And that's it. That is it. So from there on, I, I moved on. And I learned from 2002, with the career-ending nerve damage to his arm, and then two years later there's a new album with a new band and new financial terms and I'm not part of it and lawsuits to settle business matters, and just all the things go, there's a whole story there of a lot of this stuff. I was out, then suddenly I was back, and it was great. And he and I tried to mend fences, as I think we did. He was generous to me. Things were good.

"Clearly MEGADETH is a Mustaine family-run business," Ellefson added. "And it started that way, I think, probably a little while after I came back to the band [in 2010]. 'Cause when I came back to the band, it was not — it was Dave. And I kind of became the good friend to Dave. I knew him and he knew me in a way that no one else could. Dave had his friends before me growing up in California, but I've certainly known him one of the longest of most anybody on the planet, at least from inner workings of a band kind of thing. So, as bands go though, there can be tensions, there are all those things. Certainly what was made clear to me in 2004 is, 'Hey, it's a new day. It's a new way. Dave's in charge. It's not gonna be what it was. It's not gonna be collaborative.' [Former MEGADETH drummer] Shawn Drover always used to remind me of that. He goes, 'Dude, those days when of us all getting in a room and writing a record, dude, those days are long gone.' In fact, I remember when I came back and we were doing the 'Th1rt3en' album after about a year on the road, Dave asked me, he said, 'Oh, I'd like to have you write.' I said, 'You know what? No. Why don't you write the songs? I'll play bass for you. Let's just keep it clean. Keep it simple. Let's not even blur the lines.' And that's why I did other musical things. I did the ELLEFSON solo records and various other things to just have a little… I [thought], 'Let me take my creative stuff over there.' I knew in no way was that ever gonna sort of trump the brand, if you will, be bigger than the MEGADETH brand, yet it was a way to have a little creative outlet on the side, kind of get my yayas without interfering with MEGADETH. 'Cause I knew — look, we got it back together. Let's keep it clean, let's keep it simple. Let's just do that. And I think every time we tried to write, it was always a sore spot. It was problematic. And I was, like, 'Oh, I wish we weren't even going down this road.' Now, of course, everybody wants their name on the record, everybody wants to feel some of the financial windfall. And how things are split financially doesn't always have to how they're split with the credits and stuff like that.

"There's a weird thing in bands that how things are financially split… If you're a founding member of a band, to some degree you should be entitled to a piece of every everything and all of it, basically, 'cause it wouldn't exist if you weren't there," David noted. "And that deal got changed in 2004. That immediately changed the landscape. It changed my feelings about it. It drew us into a legal dispute — rightfully so. And no one wins in lawsuits, to some degree, yet sometimes they have to happen because things need to be done the way they need to be done. And I guess the good news for me is financially it landed certainly much better for me, and getting paid directly for my sources rather than… 'Cause sometimes that's what happens, is money goes through the channels of the organization and sometimes people don't get paid. So that needed to happen, and I'm glad I went through the process. It's not a fun process — I didn't sleep for nine months because of it — but that's when I had my little band F5 and I was trying to at least kind of keep my nose creatively involved in some stuff.

"So, there's a lot of history here with this band. This band started with a resentment. It started with a 'fuck you', Dave's sort of revenge against [his former band] METALLICA. And it wasn't entirely that. I mean, that gets a little blown out of proportion. To some degree, Dave was his own artist away from METALLICA. He had 'Mechanix' and some songs before METALLICA, and he certainly wrote songs after. So I think that that's a little unfair to paint that entirely on Dave that MEGADETH was just this revenge toward METALLICA. It may have been often fueled by it, but how could it not be? He was not a founding member of METALLICA. He was there for, as I always call it, a year and a half in the life of METALLICA. And [he] certainly changed the course of what they did. But they went on and had their own successes.

"But, look, for Dave to call it quits or to retire, I should say… Farewell… I don't even know if he's retiring. He's just basically saying MEGADETH's over… Would I like to be a part of it? Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't?" he admitted. "I'm a founding member of it. I'm a 30-plus-year member of it. Is that gonna happen? Who knows? It's too early to tell. I don't know what they have planned. I have no idea what it is. They just made an announcement about it. Do I think there should be some sort of farewell that everybody gets to participate in? I mean, look, [the] 'Back To The Beginning' [concert in Birmingham] with BLACK SABBATH. Look, they made nice. They brought all four of BLACK SABBATH['s original members]. They brought everybody back. You had [former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Jake [E. Lee]. Now, was everybody there? No. There were some key people — Bob Daisley — some people that weren't there. But for the most part, they brought a lot of the people back. And just speaking of BLACK SABBATH, they brought the original, the core four back, and they said goodbye. Not only did they say goodbye, everybody got to say goodbye to them. And I think when you're doing a farewell, that's important, that you get to say goodbye and everybody gets to say goodbye to you. I think that that's an important part of it. But that's me. I'm not in the band anymore. I have no say in it. So that's just me. That's just one guy with an opinion, quite honestly."

After podcast co-host Joshua Toomey opined that "everyone that was ever in MEGADETH should also be able to say their farewell too" and be part of the celebrations in some way, Ellefson said: "Well, I strongly stand against the notion that MEGADETH was only Dave Mustaine, 'cause it wasn't. And everybody knows that. So, if Dave needs to retire, wants to retire, I get it. I understand. He's given a lot. It's taken a lot out of him. It's taken certainly a toll on him, as anyone can imagine. So, look, God bless you, brother. If you're done, this is it, you wanna go do something else with your life, spend time with your family, just not play guitar, I get it. I mean, dude, believe me, I'm 60. There's some days I just kind of go, 'God, really? Should I write another album, another song? Do I really wanna go on stage?' And the answer always comes back to yes, I do. So I do. So I can't speak for him, and I'm not gonna speak for him. But, look, again, I haven't talked to the guy now in four and a half years, so I have no idea what his reasoning is, what the thinking is behind it.

"Someone made a point, they said we're all fans of MEGADETH music, even if we're not maybe fans of a particular lineup of the band, or we're not fans of certain members of the band, we still all love MEGADETH music," he continued. "And I thought, okay, I'm down with that. I can get behind that."

Referencing Mustaine's decision to fire Ellefson in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter, David said: "It's unfortunate that things landed between me and Dave where they did, because as I said right from the beginning, they didn't have to. And I made it very clear on the phone call when they were firing me that they didn't have to do that. It was unnecessary. Whatever those circumstances are were nothing to be feared. We can move on. But whatever. They made their decision, so let the chips fall where they may. I don't really even like going back to that period of time, because I felt like there was a lot leading up to that stuff behind the scenes, conversations that Dave and I were having about things that maybe we just weren't agreeing on. And that's okay. You can agree to disagree. You don't have to agree on everything.

"[OVERKILL singer] Bobby Blitz said something really good to me when I was touring with OVERKILL," Ellefson added. "'Cause he said he and D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist], they're the boss. They run OVERKILL, they run the band. And he said, 'No matter how we go into the room with separate ideas, we come out as one voice.' And I thought, 'Man, that's a great way to put it.' And I always felt like Dave and I did that. No matter what we felt like when we got in the room, we leave this room as one voice. And Dave being the leader, Dave being the self-appointed voice of the group, let him have that voice. So I always felt like I stood behind that. I was unified with him. Whether I agreed with it or not, you get on board with it and that's what it is, and you go with that. And look, for the most part, Dave's way worked pretty good. I wasn't there to defy that."

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Back in October 2022, Mustaine once again said that he was the sole founding member of MEGADETH. The guitarist/vocalist made the comment in an interview with LifeMinute to promote "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!". While discussing the MEGADETH "sound", the now 63-year-old musician said: "There's a misnomer that there were two people that founded MEGADETH. I was the founder; I was the only one in the beginning. There was a bass player before who just was… who just left. So it's been my vision. When I got kicked out of METALLICA, I got kicked out of METALLICA; no one else was with me on the bus coming home."

Mustaine's comments came nearly seven years after he implied in an interview with the Cape Girardeau, Missouri radio station Real Rock 99.3 that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band because, he said, "MEGADETH was already in its formative phase long before I even knew David Ellefson." Ellefson later said that he was "technically" a founding member of MEGADETH because he was "in the room" the day MEGADETH decided to change its name from the previous working moniker of FALLEN ANGEL at the suggestion of the band's then-guitarist Greg Handevidt.

In February 2016, just a month after his original remarks were published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Mustaine was asked by Ticketmaster what it means to have a longtime collaborator like Ellefson back in the band after so many lineup changes. He responded: "David and I have been friends for a long time, even during the lawsuit. I had made it clear that I loved him, and I loved his family. I said that the truth would come out and that it was very unfortunate. The lawsuit was dismissed, I forgave him, and we got back in business again. It's been fun ever since."

He continued: "There's a couple web sites out there that don't like me and they're trying to twist some of my words around about David Ellefson being in the band or not being in the band, or being a founding member or not being a founding member. And that shit don't matter, because it's a gossip web site. The truth is, me and Dave are partners, we make good music together, he's in MEGADETH, we're going on tour. Hopefully people will know when they see him on stage and not think he's somebody else. [Laughs]"

In February 2016, Ellefson was asked by Cranked Up Live about Mustaine's comments to Real Rock 99.3 where the MEGADETH leader implied that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band. Ellefson said: "Well, it's interesting… Yeah, I did see [the article on BLABBERMOUTH.NET]. And it's interesting. The headline was very misleading and was obviously meant… It was very inflammatory. It was meant to be a hamburger bomb thrown over into the middle of our campaign. And I think I saw it as that. So, again, open the story, read it. They didn't even say that. They didn't even say what the headline says. That headline was misconstrued.

"Now, look, when Dave came home from METALLICA, he had another bass player, kind of a kid he was almost teaching how to play bass, and another guitar player he had been working with a little bit, and a singer, named Lor. And those were kind of the first people that, I think, in April and May of 1983 that Dave was just kicking some ideas around [with], seeing if he could get anything going. But the day me and my friend Greg Handevidt knocked on Dave's door and asked him where to buy some cigarettes and beer, that was the day that there was a unity that moved forward, because me, Greg, Dave, that singer Lor and our drummer Dijon Carruthers, who helped create a lot of the lyrics and the concept of 'Black Friday' on the 'Peace Sells' record, that was… we were the group that were rehearsing for a few weeks, working on these new songs Dave was writing. And one day we came back to… I think it was me and Greg's apartment… And it was Greg who suggested… We were talking about band names, and Greg suggested… There was a name kicking around, FALLEN ANGEL, that I think Dave… That was kind of working title that he had. But he had a song called 'Megadeth', which was later retitled to become 'Set The World Afire'. And it was my friend Greg who suggested, 'I think we should call the band MEGADETH.' And it was decided that day, so, I mean, technically, whoever was in the room that day was a founding member of MEGADETH. And, again, I don't know why there has to be so much importance on that. I know, I was there. And quickly, all those other members either scattered or were let go, and within a month or so, it was me and Dave standing next to each other — Dave and Dave of this new group called MEGADETH."

Mötley Crüe recently wrapped up their third Las Vegas residency, which consisted of ten shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM, spanning September 12 – October 3, 2025.

The Crüe – comprised of vocalist Vince Neil, bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, and guitarist John 5 – have since issued the following recap video from their time in Sin City, along with the following statement:

“What a ride 🤘 Huge thank you to everyone who made the Mötley Crüe Las Vegas Residency one for the history books — our killer crew, the entire team at Dolby Live and Park MGM, and our friends at Prince Street Pizza for keeping the Crüe fueled up. 🍕💀

And most of all — to every Crüehead from around the world who came to the shows night after night — we love you.

Until next time…”

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has scrapped the remainder of his previously announced 2025 tour dates due to unspecified "medical issues".

The 74-year-old musician 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.

Earlier today (Monday, October 6),the following statement was posted on Frehley's social media: "Due to some ongoing medical issues, Ace has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of his 2025 dates."

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.

Ace's current backing band consists of Ryan Spencer on bass, Jeremy Asbrock on guitar and Scot Coogan on drums.

During an appearance on the February 27, 2025 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", the now-74-year-old Ace confirmed that he is working on "Origins Vol. 3", the sequel to Frehley's 2016 and 2020 collections of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist. He said: "I decided to reconnect with my old producer Alex Salzman. So, it won't be me and Steve Brown," referencing the TRIXTER guitarist/vocalist who helmed Ace's latest solo album, 2024's "10,000 Volts". "It'll be me and Alex Salzman collaborating on that record since Alex did 'Origins Vo. 1' and 'Vol. 2' and we have a formula that we came up with and it seemed to work."

Ace continued: "I was listening to the [first two 'Origins'] records last night on YouTube in my office on my desk. I have a set of Bose speakers, and the albums sound just as good as the new album, '10,000 Volts'. So, I'm gonna go back to my old formula with Alex. And maybe I'll bring back Steve to do the [next all-original] album since he's a very, very good songwriter and guitar player and engineer as well."

Asked if he has decided which songs he will cover on "Origins Vol. 3" yet, including whether he will once again do remakes of some KISS songs, Ace said: "I haven't decided. I have a list of about 50 songs, so… I really don't wanna give anything away. It's too soon."

Regarding the possibility of "Origins Vol. 3" being released in 2025, Ace said: "I could have it ready [this year]. I can do the album in a month because I don't have to write the songs. That's the beauty of the 'Origins' series. I don't write. So, the recording process is pretty seamless and rapid because all I have to do is Ace-ify it. [Laughs]"

Released in September 2020, "Origins Vol. 2" featured cover versions of THE BEATLES' "I'm Down", DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'", LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appeared as a bonus track. Guests on the set included CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

Released in April 2016, "Origins Vol. 1" debuted at No. 23 on The Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 16,000 equivalent album units. The CD featured KISS frontman Paul Stanley joining Ace on FREE's hit "Fire And Water", Slash trading leads on THIN LIZZY's classic "Emerald", Ford singing and playing lead on THE TROGGS staple "Wild Thing", then-ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 playing guitar alongside Ace on the classic KISS composition "Parasite", and PEARL JAM's Mike McCready playing guitar with Ace on KISS's "Cold Gin".

In a 2016 interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Frehley admitted that doing the first covers album was "the record company's idea. To be honest with you, initially, I wasn't that excited about the project, because I had just come off the high of the success of 'Space Invader', which is all originals except for a cover of 'The Joker'," he said. "It was almost, like, 'Okay, I'm going to go through the motions and get this out of the way and then jump into the studio for my next real studio album.' But I've gotta tell ya, man, once I started the process and started remembering the groups that influenced me, narrowing down which songs I thought were going to be best for the record, and then started the recording process; I really started getting more excited about it."

"10,000 Volts" came out in February 2024 via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music).

The official music video for the "10,000 Volts" track — directed by Alex Kouvatsos from Black Wolf Imaging — was released in late November 2023. A clip for "Cherry Medicine", which was directed by Justin H. Reich of Three Thirty-Three Creative and produced by Reich and Steve Seabury, followed in February 2024.

Due to some ongoing medical issues, Ace has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of his 2025 dates.

Posted by Ace Frehley on Monday, October 6, 2025

With the overwhelming response to their first single in over two years "Silent Divide", acclaimed rockers ALTER BRIDGE are back with another song from their upcoming eighth studio album, "Alter Bridge". "What Lies Within" is now available via all digital service providers from the quartet comprised of Myles Kennedy on vocals/guitars, Mark Tremonti on guitars/vocals, Brian Marshall on bass and Scott Phillips on drums. The song opens with a driving guitar riff from Kennedy and Tremonti as before the rhythmic groove of Marshall and Phillips pushes the song. The lyrics are a cautionary tale of the darkness inside mankind as Kennedy sings "What lies within, beneath the skin, something so dark and foreboding." An animated video for "What Lies Within" was directed by J.T. Ibanez and can be seen below.

With more than two decades performing together, ALTER BRIDGE shows no signs of slowing down. Known for its memorable riffs, infectious vocal melodies and dueling guitar attack, the quartet has garnered massive critical and fan acclaim around the globe. The band looks to continue that trend with the release of its self-titled eighth studio album next year via Napalm Records.

"Alter Bridge" is comprised of 12 all new tracks from the band and features some of its most iconic moments on record. Songs like "Rue The Day", "Disregarded" and "Scales Are Falling" will fit alongside any of the classic songs from ALTER BRIDGE's catalog. "Trust In Me" shows Myles and Mark sharing vocal duties as Myles handles the verse duties while Mark takes the chorus. That strategy is flipped on "Tested And Able" as Mark handles the verses and Myles takes on the choruses behind one of the band's heaviest intros to date, giving way to an unforgettable melody. "Hang By A Thread" is sure to become a show favorite as it hints at some of the most popular songs in the band's catalog. The album closer "Slave To Master" is an epic track that ALTER BRIDGE has come to be known for and is the longest song the quartet has recorded to date.

"Alter Bridge" was once again helmed by the band's longtime collaborator and producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette and was recorded over two months this past spring at the legendary 5150 studio in California and Elvis's recording studio in Florida.

"Alter Bridge" track listing:

01. Silent Divide (5:06)
02. Rue The Day (4:46)
03. Power Down (4:08)
04. Trust In Me (4:48)
05. Disregarded (3:55)
06. Tested And Able (4:36)
07. What Lies Within (5:07)
08. Hang By A Thread (4:11)
09. Scales Are Falling (5:54)
10. Playing Aces (4:05)
11. What Are You Waiting For (5:00)
12. Slave To Master (9:03)

ALTER BRIDGE will be touring in support of the release. The band is heading out on the "What Lies Within" tour. The 31-date European leg of the trek will kick off on January 15 in Germany and will wrap on March 5 in Nottingham, U.K. Support on the tour will come from DAUGHTRY and SEVENDUST. The band also announced a headline U.S. tour featuring FILTER or SEVENDUST and Tim Montana as support in select markets. The tour kicks off on April 25 in Orlando, Florida and runs through May 24 where it wraps in Tampa, Florida.

Back in 2004, four lifelong musicians got together down in Florida. Even though they had traveled separate paths, similar lessons learned, wisdom earned and dues paid united these gentlemen — Myles Kennedy (vocals, guitar),Mark Tremonti (guitar, vocals),Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Phillips (drums) — as ALTER BRIDGE. Over the ensuing two decades, the band endured countless trials and tribulations, defied every odd, and rose to the head of the pack as a hard rock juggernaut, cementing a singular legacy by selling out arenas, gathering nearly one billion streams, inciting international acclaim, and quietly attracting a diehard audience. Beginning with the Top 5 entry of 2004's gold-certified "One Day Remains", the band has scored six consecutive Top 20 debuts on the Billboard 200. Among a myriad of highlights, Guitarist magazine applauded "Blackbird" for the "Greatest Guitar Solo Of All Time," the "ABIII" single "Isolation" vaulted to No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, 2013's "Fortress" received rare perfect scores from Kerrang! and Total Guitar, and "Walk The Sky" shook the Top Rock Albums chart at No. 1. Beyond packing O2 Arena and Royal Albert Hall, Classic Rock hailed 2022's "Pawns & Kings" as "the Rolls-Royce of ALTER BRIDGE records" in a 4.5-out-of-5-star review. Plus, the latter LP garnered praise from American Songwriter, Guitar World and Loudwire, while Billboard christened them "one of America's premiere hard rock quartets." Channeling the same hunger, the band continue to push themselves on their self-titled eighth full-length offering, "Alter Bridge". It embodies everything they're known for such as the precise riffs, towering hooks, and solos that practically break guitar strings as they burst through the clouds.

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

In a new interview with Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles Live!, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's founding bassist Mike Dean, who announced his departure from the band in 2024, was asked if fans will ever see him back in C.O.C. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Never say never. Never say never. Yeah, it's possible. I'm not opposed to it. It just seemed too cumbersome to make new music. They managed to make some new music [since my exit], so I'm glad for them. And I think their record's gonna sound good."

Referencing the fact that CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recruited onetime DOWN guitarist and current PANTERA bass tech Bobby Landgraf to play bass for the band following Dean's departure, Mike said: "They got Bobby, who played in guitar in DOWN, who, [it] turns out, he's actually a real bass player — he plays a P-bass with his fingers. He used to play bass in a band called SNAKES OF CENTRAL TEXAS, and he's a hard-working dude. He techs for PANTERA and stuff like that. So he really shows up every day, and they're sounding good. So I'm glad for them. But never say never. In the immediate, I've got this band called ARCHAOS, and we're just getting started recording now. So that's kind of [what I'm] focused on, creating some stuff with them. And these are local guys so we can just, 'Hey, you wanna rehearse?' And we rehearse, and we don't have to fly in from far corners of the country."

Dean revealed his decision to leave CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in a statement posted on social media on September 20, 2024. He wrote at the time: "Recently I made a decision to step away from CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, a band started 40-odd years ago by Reed Mullin, Woody Weatherman, and myself.

"I'm extremely proud of everything we've done together, and look forward to hearing more from the band going forward.

"When I rejoined COC for the finishing touches of the 'Deliverance' album, I moved back to Raleigh, NC for an all-in creative campaign, but time, distance and side projects and life in general has changed all of that.

"Ever since Reed drifted away from the band and then passed away, it's been difficult for me to collaborate on new material with bandmates who live hundreds of miles away.

"I look forward to putting together a new Raleigh-based outlet to create new music with more alacrity and with more of an emphasis on my own ideas than in recent times. Also, I look forward to continuing to record and produce other artists.

"All the best to Woodroe, Pepper, and COC crew, and most importantly, many big thanks to the fans of all iterations of the band, who have made this real for all of these years. Salute!"

The remaining members of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY — Pepper Keenan (vocals, guitar) and Woodroe "Woody" Weatherman (guitar) — added in a separate statement: "We, Woodroe and Pepper, are in full support of Dean's future endeavors and wish him all the best in the quest. Thankful for the music made and (R)evolutionary paths created. That being said, this book of CORROSION is not finished, nor will the train stop.

"The opportunity to play music and create is something that we don't take lightly, and we will not waver. New COC recording is well underway and will be released in 2025.

"Much love and respect to all the free thinkin' beer drinkin' friends and fans worldwide, looking to making more. Without you, we are just growing deaf in a garage."

Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.

Last month, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY released a special rendition of "Fire And Water" by English rock band FREE. The classic track was originally released in 1970 on the FREE album of the same name. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's version came spontaneously in the studio during some downtime while recording their forthcoming new full-length, set for release next year, and serves as the first of the "Riffissippi Studio Jam Sessions", a special collection of jammed out interpretations of songs by some of the band's favorite artists.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY is currently on a North American tour supporting JUDAS PRIEST and Alice Cooper. The trek, which commenced on September 16 in Biloxi, Mississippi and runs through October 26 in Houston, Texas, includes several CORROSION OF CONFORMITY one-off headlining shows scattered throughout.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's last full-length album, "No Cross No Crown", was released in 2018 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Photo credit: Dean Karr

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson performed a full-band version of MAIDEN's classic song "Revelations" during his solo concert this past Sunday night (October 5) at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, California. Fan-filmed video of the rendition can be seen below.

Prior to launching into the track, Dickinson told the audience:  'When we started [this tour in August], we were gonna do this next tune, we were gonna do it [at The Town festival] in [São Paulo], Brazil [on September 7] because this tune was the one where I — I went there 40 years ago with IRON MAIDEN… We played this big thing called Rock In Rio, and I cut my head open with a guitar, and suddenly IRON MAIDEN were on the fucking news because I had blood running down my face [in the pictures] in the papers. So I went back [this year], and we were gonna play this song at [The Town] festival. And we didn't do it because my wife had persuaded me to play [IRON MAIDEN's] 'Flash Of The Blade' [at all the shows on the tour]. And it went down so well, we fucking played 'Flash Of The Blade' [in São Paulo instead]. So for the whole of this tour, we haven't played this song. And now Philip [Näslund, guitarist in Bruce's solo band] has got this fucking double-neck guitar. And the only reason he wants to play this fucking song is so he play his fucking double-neck guitar. Is he right? Should we find out? I'm not gonna tell you what it is."

During an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" in August, Bruce talked about the setlist for "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour, saying: "We'll do one [IRON MAIDEN song]. We're gonna prepare a couple. But we'll do one every show. One of them is gonna be 'Revelations'. The reason for that is because we're going down — in the middle of the tour, we go down for one show in Brazil, which is the 40th anniversary of me setting foot in Brazil with MAIDEN. It's São Paulo at this big festival called The Town. And so 'Revelations' is a really kind of seminal track because that was the track in which I split my head open with the guitar blood pouring down my face, that was on the front cover of every newspaper in Brazil the day after [the] Rock In Rio [festival in 1985]."

Asked by Trunk how he ended up splitting his head open, Bruce said: "I played guitar at the beginning of 'Revelations' on that tour. And I was so pissed off with the monitor guy, 'cause the monitors were sounding awful and everything, and it was all disorganized and yada, yada, yada. And only the biggest gig we'd ever done in our lives. So, I'm waving at him, 'Ah.' And then I took the guitar off, and I took it off in such a goofy way that the edge of the guitar hit me across the nose like that and split my head open. And I'm bleeding from a head wound and it's really hot, so it looks impressive — lots of blood. And it's all on TV — so it's on national TV — and I'm bleeding all over the place. And the Brazilians absolutely went bonkers. And the whole of South America saw it went, 'Oh my God. He's bleeding for his art.' And Rod [Smallwood], my manager, came up and I was, like, trying to wipe it off. And this roadie came up and said, 'Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Rod says, can you squeeze it and make it bleed some more? It looks amazing on the cameras.' So to this day, when you talk about that song and that festival in Brazil, they talk about that image and that moment that was like the image of the festival. It was during that song. So when you play that song, it has an extra meaning and weight down there. But it's quite a long song."

"The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour kicked off on August 22 in Anaheim, California and concluded on October 5 in Los Angeles.

Dickinson was touring in support of his latest solo album, "The Mandrake Project", which arrived in March 2024.

Joining the IRON MAIDEN singer on the "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour was once again his 2024 backing band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who played on Dickinson's "Rain On The Graves" single). Bruce's longtime guitarist and collaborator Roy "Z" Ramirez is not part of the touring lineup.

"The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour took the band across North America, including shows in New York, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida and Canada, with festival appearances at Rocklahoma (Oklahoma) and Louder Than Life (Kentucky).

Prior to the April 12, 2024 Whisky A Go Go show, Bruce last performed with his solo band on in August 2002 at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.

Roy played guitar on Dickinson's 1994 album "Balls To Picasso" and went on to produce, co-write and perform multiple instruments on Bruce's subsequent three solo albums, "Accident At Birth" (1997),"The Chemical Wedding" (1998) and "Tyranny Of Souls" (2005).

O'Callaghan is an Irish musician who joined WHITESNAKE in 2021 and toured with the David Coverdale-fronted outfit the following year. She also hit the road with Dickinson in 2023 as part of a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates in Europe and South America.

Californian drummer Moreno previously played on "Tyranny Of Souls" and has worked with BODY COUNT, Jizzy Pearl, Dizzy Reed and Steve Stevens, among others.

Italian keyboard wizard Mistheria has collaborated with an array of artists live and in the studio, including Rob Rock, Mike Portnoy, Jeff Scott Soto and Joel Hoekstra.

Bruce and Roy recorded "The Mandrake Project" largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by Mistheria and Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's previous solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

Dickinson's reworked version of his classic 1994 album "Balls To Picasso", now titled "More Balls To Picasso", arrived on July 25.

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith.

On August 8, 2025, the reunited 1991 lineup of Swedish death metal pioneers GRAVE — Ola Lindgren (guitar, vocals),Jörgen Sandström (vocals, guitar),Jens "Jensa" Paulsson (drums) and Jonas Torndal (bass) — played at this year's edition of the Brutal Assault open-air extreme metal festival in the 18th-century Josefov Fortress in Jaroměř, Czech Republic. GRAVE performed "an exclusive old-school set" consisting of material from the band's first three classic albums: 1991's "Into The Grave", 1992's "You'll Never See..." and 1994's "Soulless". Professionally filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

The first show from the reunited 1991 lineup of GRAVE took place on April 5 at Kulturhuset in Stockholm, Sweden.

GRAVE also played at several other festivals, including Germany's Party.San Metal Open Air, Switzerland's Metal Storm Over Luzern and The Netherlands' Graveland Festival.

A few days after the reunion of the 1991 lineup of GRAVE was announced in August 2024, Lindgren took to the band's social media to offer "some clarity" to what the upcoming shows will entail. He wrote: "Many thanks to all of you who commented on last weeks announcement and who are as excited about this as we are. Lets bring some clarity to what this 'reunion' is about.

"So early this year I was approached by the other 3 original members for a meeting. It resulted in the plan to do a couple of rehearsals for fun to see if we were first of all capable and also of course if we enjoyed jamming again.

"I would say that playing together after all these decades went far beyond anyone's expectations so we decided to try get some shows booked and here we are.

"This is initially a plan for festival shows during 2025. At the moment there are no plans to do any touring or recording new material with this lineup but who knows where this might lead us...

"The GRAVE that imploded last year is not dead and buried, it is simply put on ice.

"Tomas [Lagrén, drums] is definitely not fired from the band and it will be his decision if he wants to be a part of any future GRAVE endevours when that time comes."

One of the very first Swedish death metal bands alongside NIHILIST, MORBID and TREBLINKA, GRAVE released its first demo in 1986 under the band name CORPSE, before they switched to GRAVE in 1988. GRAVE's debut album, "Into The Grave", arrived in August 1991 through the then-young record label Century Media.

Lindgren told the "Swedish Death Metal" book by Daniel Ekeroth about how GRAVE landed its record deal: "We sent our third demo to just every label there was. A lot of them kept in touch, such as Earache and Peaceville. But Century Media was working faster than any of them, so we just went with them without thinking too much about it. Century Media invited us down to Germany to record that single ('Tremendous Pain'),and it was only after that we started to discuss a deal. It felt amazing for us to go abroad, so in a way they lured us into their roster! But it turned out well."

After Century Media and GRAVE parted ways after seven albums with the release of 2006's "As Rapture Comes", the band launched two highly acclaimed albums, "Dominium VIII" (2008) and "Burial Ground" (2010) through Regain, before reuniting with Century Media for 2012's "Endless Procession Of Souls" and 2015's "Out Of Respect For The Dead".

In 2019, GRAVE teamed up with Century Media Records to bring back the albums "Dominion VIII" and "Burial Ground" as classy, limited colored and black vinyl editions, hand-numbered digipak CDs limited to 3,000 copies each, and digitally. Remastered in 2019 by Lindgren and mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel of Temple Of Disharmony, these records offer crushing and savage GRAVE tracks that fully live up to the group's morbid legacy.

In January 2024, GRAVE parted ways with bassist Tobias Cristiansson and guitarist Mika Lagrén.

Riot Games has released "Ties That Bind", the official cinematic theme for 2XKO, performed by Courtney LaPlante, acclaimed vocalist for two-times-Grammy-nominated progressive metal band SPIRITBOX.

Blending LaPlante's invigorating vocals with Riot Games' cinematic vision, "Ties That Bind" delivers a powerful and anthemic soundscape that crescendos into an epic, soaring finale for players. The single is available on all major streaming platforms today.

The release comes on the heels of 2XKO, Riot Games' 2v2 fighting game featuring champions from League Of Legends and Arcane, entering early access and opening the game to all players on Windows PC.

"Ties That Bind" follows a landmark stretch for LaPlante and SPIRITBOX. She was recently featured on BABYMETAL's "My Queen" from their album "Metal Forth", which debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200. LaPlante also appeared alongside Poppy and Amy Lee of EVANESCENCE on the metalcore power-collab "End Of You", which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs and climbed to No. 6 on Spotify's Viral 50 U.S. chart. SPIRITBOX guitarist and producer Mike Stringer also contributed writing to the track. Meanwhile, SPIRITBOX earned their first RIAA gold certification for breakthrough single "Circle With Me" and continue to tour heavily in support of their latest album "Tsunami Sea". The second leg of the "Tsunami Sea" U.S. tour kicks off November 12.

Riot Games was founded in 2006 to develop, publish, and support the most player-focused games in the world. In 2009, Riot released its debut title, League Of Legends, which has gone on to be one of the most-played PC games in the world. In the years that followed, Riot released Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra and League Of Legends: Wild Rift. Riot's titles have led to the creation of some of the most-watched and widely recognized esports in the world, culminating in events like the League Of Legends World Championship and Valorant Champions Tour (VCT),which are watched by millions of fans each year. Riot has also expanded its IP through multimedia projects across music, comic books, board games, and Arcane, its Emmy-winning animated series.

2XKO is a next-generation 2v2 tag fighter from Riot Games, the studio behind League Of Legends and Valorant. Team up with friends or go solo as you battle it out with a growing roster of League Of Legends champions, each reimagined for explosive fighting game combat. With stunning visuals, fluid mechanics, and deep strategic gameplay, 2XKO blends accessibility and competitive depth like no fighting game has before. Whether you're a longtime competitor or totally new to the genre, this free-to-play fighter offers intense competition and authentic social connection in every match.

SPIRITBOX has emerged as one of the most formidable and forward-thinking bands in heavy music. Since the breakout success of their debut "Eternal Blue" — which debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 — the trio has continued to push genre boundaries. Their "Fear Of Fear" EP earned back-to-back Grammy nominations ("Jaded" in 2024, "Cellar Door" in 2025),while bold collaborations with Megan Thee Stallion, including the viral "Cobra" remix and explosive "TYG" (No. 5 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs),spotlight their fearless crossover vision. Their 2025 sophomore album "Tsunami Sea" (Pale Chord / Rise Records) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums chart and cemented their status as sonic innovators. Known for their incendiary live show, SPIRITBOX delivers a visceral, emotionally charged experience that continues to captivate audiences around the world.

Photo courtesy of Partners And Associates Agency

Metalcore mainstays AS I LAY DYING have roared back with their latest single, "Echoes", a track that signals not only a powerful sonic statement, but the beginning of an inspired new chapter for the band.

Layered in emotion, precision, and melodic depth, "Echoes" explores the internal battles we fight, the shadows we leave behind, and the strength found in forging a new identity. Delivered with unrelenting passion and signature intensity, the song highlights the band's trademark balance of crushing heaviness and poignant introspection.

"Echoes" also marks the debut of a dynamic new AS I LAY DYING lineup, bringing together seasoned talent and fresh energy:

Tim Lambesis - Vocals
Chris Clancy - Bass, Clean Vocals
Bill Hudson - Guitar
Don Vedda - Guitar
Tim Yeung – Drums

Lambesis comments: "As the only primary songwriter on every AS I LAY DYING album, I'm always going to a find a path forward for this catalog of music that I'm so passionate about. But sometimes things come together even better than expected. I'm incredibly grateful for my new bandmates. In addition to being incredibly talented, they genuinely care about my well being and the band we are now all a part of."

Hudson adds: "Tim L and I first met almost 20 years ago and I've been in multiple bands with Tim Y. It's an honor to be a part of the new chapter of AS I LAY DYING. What a great way to get together and play with so many friends of 15+ years at the same time!"

Clancy says: "Excited to finally share this new chapter. Check out the music video for 'Echoes'. Proud of what we've created together. Hope you enjoy it."

This new formation infuses the band with renewed vitality and artistic momentum. Each member brings a unique voice and refined musicianship, helping to craft a sound that's both familiar and forward-thinking, rooted in legacy, but boldly reaching into new territory.

Additionally, AS I LAY DYING will embark on an electrifying European tour this fall, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's landmark album "Shadows Are Security". Fans will experience a career-spanning set, with deep cuts, timeless anthems, and a renewed fire on stage.

Over the past seven years, AS I LAY DYING has gone through a series of lineup changes that have left Lambesis as the only remaining founding member.

Late last year, four members of AS I LAY DYING separately announced that they were leaving the band: longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso, drummer Nick Pierce, guitarist Ken Susi and bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff.

Sgrosso announced his departure from AS I LAY DYING on October 30, 2024. His exit came just six days after Pierce and Susi left the group, and 12 days after Neff said he was also leaving the band.

AS I LAY DYING's 2024 European tour, "Through Storms Ahead", which was scheduled to kick off on November 15, 2024 in Würzburg, Germany, was eventually canceled. TuskaLive and Grey Beard, the promoters of the Helsinki, Finland concert on the trek, which was supposed to take place on November 21, 2024 at Kulttuuritalo, wrote in a social media post that the tour would "not be rescheduled."

This past January, home security camera footage was leaked in which Lambesis was seen appearing to hit and kick his own dog out of frustration.

In November 2024, a series of videos were leaked that showed Lambesis having violent outbursts while around his third wife in their home. Lambesis later released a statement saying he had filed a restraining order against his wife and accusing her of subjecting him to physical and mental abuse for three years.

Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged first wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

This past April, Susi claimed during an appearance on the "BREWtally Speaking" podcast that Lambesis used his incarceration to formulate "this almost-reality TV persona for his fanbase of him portraying himself as his man of redemption or rehabilitation."

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since guitarist Nick Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel has explained the San Diego hard-rock/nu metal veterans' decision to record and release their cover of THE BEATLES classic "Don't Let Me Down". In a short video message released today (Tuesday, October 7),Marcos said:  "A lot of people are curious to why we chose to do a cover version of 'Don't Let Me Down' by THE BEATLES. It's pretty simple. As cliché as it may sound, we're BEATLES fans. Who isn't a BEATLES fan? I'm pretty sure you're out there, and a lot of it would be because you just don't know who THE BEATLES are, and if you do, maybe just don't get it. But we love THE BEATLES, so we thought it'd be kind of cool to do our version of 'Don't Let Me Down'."

He continued: "It's always been there. Even way back when we did the U2 cover of 'Bullet The Blue Sky', it was always in the back of our heads, like, 'Dude, we should do a cover of 'Don't Let Me Down' by THE BEATLES, do our version, obviously, our interpretation.' So that's pretty simple. I mean, we did it 'cause we love it. And we're fans of music, and we're never gonna stop being fans of music. So we hope you dig it, like we do."

When P.O.D.'s version of "Don't Let Me Down" was first released last month, Curiel said in a statement: "As cliché as it may sound, we've always admired THE BEATLES from the very beginning of our songwriting journey. Their melodies, the hooks, and fearless experimentation inspired us to craft our own take on the classic 'Don't Let Me Down', with nothing but the utmost respect. Thank you for helping lay the foundation of what we all know today as rock 'n' roll, pop and metal."

P.O.D.'s version of "Don't Let Me Down" came as the band geared up for a huge fall 2025 run across North America, joining DAUGHTRY and SEETHER on tour. Curiel was raring to get back on stage, commenting: "Touring is a gift, a blessing to share P.O.D.'s music live with the world. Absolutely nothing compares to the energy of a crowd feeling and vibing every note. We're ecstatic to join an amazing lineup that embodies the true essence of rock 'n' roll fusing the familiar with the new — a real evolution. We are proud to be part of it. Let's jam, let's sing, let's rock."

The trek kicked off October 1 in Virginia Beach and will run through mid-November, hitting major cities across the U.S.

P.O.D. joined U.S. hard rockers GODSMACK as special guests on their March/April 2025 European tour. The trek kicked off on March 22 with a sold-out show at the Sofia Arena in Bulgaria and then made stops in Romania (Bucharest),Hungary (Budapest),Poland (Gliwice),Austria (Vienna),Croatia (Zagreb),Czech Republic (Prague),Germany (Munich, Berlin, Offenbach),U.K. (London),Belgium (Brussels),before finishing with two shows in Germany, Hamburg, and finally April 12 at the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen.

In May last year, P.O.D. released its 11th album, "Veritas", via Mascot Records. The album was a Top 10 hit across the U.S. Billboard Current Hard Rock, Current Rock, and Current Alternative album charts, and has already surpassed 48 million streams.

P.O.D. has released several singles from the album including "Drop", "Afraid To Die", "I Got That" and "I Won't Bow Down".

"Drop" features a vicious vocal feature from LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe, while the equally eruptive single "Afraid To Die" features JINJER vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk.

As well as releasing "Veritas", P.O.D. has toured with SKINDRED, who between them brought the party in a major way to the U.K. They bulldozed through Europe with euphoric festival sets at Graspop Metal Meeting, Summerside and Rock For People. They supported MUDVAYNE, took on their blistering U.S. "I Got That" headline tour with special guests BAD WOLVES and NORMA JEAN, and festival stops at Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Sonic Temple, Welcome To Rockville and made waves on the ShipRocked cruise. They spent October 2024 touring Latin America, playing Knotfest and headline shows in Brazil as well as shows in Chile, Colombia and Mexico.