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.

BLACK SABBATH legend Geezer Butler is selling a collection of amps used at the band's final show. All 15 of the Head Of Doom amps were hand-signed by Geezer himself, and are only available on Reverb.

In July, iconic U.K. rockers BLACK SABBATH reunited for what would be their final show: "Back To The Beginning". Held in the band's hometown of Birmingham, the show was streamed by over five million viewers online, in addition to the sold-out crowd of more than forty thousand. Now, musicians and fellow fans alike have the opportunity to own a piece of history.

Beginning on 10:00 a.m. U.S. Central Time on October 7, music lovers can preview the incredible signed and used amp heads via U.K.-based musical instrument maker Ashdown's Reverb shop. Then, at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Central Time on October 14, fans can purchase the signed/used amp heads from Ashdown.

For those that want to sound like Geezer without breaking the bank, Ashdown will also create made-to-order speaker cabinets that help fellow musicians replicate Geezer's sound. The 2x15" and 2x12" cabinets, dubbed the COD-212-8 and COD-215-8, will be handcrafted in the UK to the same specs as those at the final show, allowing musicians to get Geezer's sound via 300 watts RMS at 8 Ohms and a custom medal grill screen-printed with Geezer's artwork.

For more information about both the signed/used amp heads and the replica cabinets, visit Reverb.com.

At "Back To The Beginning", Ozzy Osbourne played a five-song set with his solo band before being joined by fellow original BLACK SABBATH members Butler, Tony Iommi (guitar) and Bill Ward (drums) for four classic SABBATH songs: "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "N.I.B." and "Paranoid".

A livestream of the daylong event was announced in June. While it was called a livestream, the video was delayed two hours from the in-arena start time.

Livestream tickets were priced $29.99, which got you live viewing and access to video for 48 hours. The livestream and T-shirt bundle was priced $64.98. It got you event viewing and a "Back To The Beginning" T-shirt.

"Back To The Beginning" was captured, produced and distributed by Mercury Studios ("One To One: John & Yoko", "American Symphony", "Metallica Saved My Life"). Mercury had partnered with Kiswe — the global D2C streaming partner behind the record-breaking BTS concert livestream — to deliver this moment of music history to fans across the globe.

The all-day event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, was hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa.

Curated by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, the event featured arguably the greatest lineup of rock and metal bands ever assembled on one day.

For nearly 25 years, vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen has been spearheading Danish rock and roll machine VOLBEAT, releasing nine full-lengths, selling millions of albums, and filling stadiums worldwide. Before fronting VOLBEAT, however, Poulsen formed death metal band DOMINUS, which recorded four fast, brutal albums in the mid-'90s.

Unless you have a copy of the long out-of-print CDs or found a low-res bootleg online, chances are you've only heard about DOMINUS, but never heard DOMINUS. Well, that changes today.

All four full-length DOMINUS albums — "View To The Dim" (1994),"The First 9" (1996),"Vol. Beat" (1997) and "Godfallos" (2000) — are now finally available on all major streaming platforms, each with audio remastered by Michael's friend Adam Boose at Cauliflower Audio.

So whether you loved DOMINUS going all the way back to the Ringsted days, are curious to finally hear them, or are just now finding out that Michael had a band before VOLBEAT, it's all available on your favorite streaming service, any time you want. And who knows? If you like it, maybe there will be some physical repressings down the road… Until then, enjoy DOMINUS remastered, now streaming everywhere."

In a video message announcing the DOMINUS release on streaming music services, Michael said: "Some of you might know that back in the days I had a death metal band called DOMINUS. We released a couple of demos, I believe, 30 years ago and a seven-inch vinyl, and we did have four albums out. But that was from a time with no Internet and social medias and all that [crap]. That was street credibility, street work, exchanging flyers, demos, cassette tapes and supporting underground magazines. I truly miss those days. But listen, those recordings will now be available on your favorite streaming service, whatever that is. And hopefully the next plan will be to release those things on vinyl, something I personally would love to do. Back in the days, it was only out on CD, and, as I said, personally I'd like to change that and make them available on vinyl. But that's another story — it'll come later. For now, you can get them on those streaming services that you use.

"DOMINUS, support it. Have a good day. See you soon."

When Poulsen was putting together songs for VOLBEAT's 2021 album "Servant Of The Mind", he wrote a bunch of death metal riffs and saved them on his phone. Then, when he was done with the VOLBEAT record, he reopened the rusty gates to Armageddon and started putting together songs for his new death metal band ASINHELL, whose debut album "Impii Hora" (Latin for "Ungodly Hour"),was released in September 2023 via Metal Blade.

While Poulsen sings in VOLBEAT and sang for DOMINUS, he didn't want to front ASINHELL. So, in March 2022, he called his old friend, ex-MORGOTH singer Marc Grewe (also of INSIDIOUS DISEASE) and invited him to join the party.

After considering drummer friends from established bands, Poulsen asked Morten Toft Hansen from Danish group RAUNCHY to join. Not only does Morten play like a fiend possessed, his and Poulsen's daughters are good friends… and, it takes just 10 minutes to drive to Morten's place.

The two veteran musicians started practicing and completed a full song almost every time they got together. Grewe was tied up at home in Germany when it came time to write the vocals, so Poulsen sent the singer phone recordings from rehearsals to start the process. Through Poulsen and Toft Hansen's years of experience and renewed hunger to destroy, they captured a firestorm in a bottle.

ASINHELL went from being a mere idea to recording the piledriving full-length "Impii Hora" in about a year. Poulsen asked VOLBEAT's management to help find a home for ASINHELL and was thrilled when they mentioned that Metal Blade founder Brian Slagel would love the band. As soon as he heard "Impii Hora", Slagel made ASINHELL a top priority.

In a new interview with "The Garza Podcast", hosted by SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza, CHEVELLE singer/guitarist Pete Loeffler and drummer Sam Loeffler spoke about their 2005 decision to part ways with their younger brother Joe, who played bass for the band for the first 10 years of its existence. Pete said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a certain amount of turmoil and a certain amount of poking you can do at each other. And if you can't work through those times and become closer, you're not gonna last. And that's something that's rare for us, is that we've been in it together. And it didn't work with our other brother. It couldn't get very far."

Sam chimed in: "He was not open to anything, any bit of criticism, even just development. It was, 'Hey, man, that's a little flat. We've gotta do that again.' 'No, I'm not.' This doesn't have to be an argument. Let's just do it till it's right. And then the fucking shit hits the fan, and then it's, like, 'Oh my God, what's happening? The world is ending.'"

Added Pete: "Every other week he was quitting the band. The fourth time we just said, 'No, it's done.' And those were the big ones. 'Cause he would complain about starting every tour. It was, like, 'I don't wanna fly. I'll take a train there.' So it was a battle every time we started a tour. But it was not sustainable. We started out as three brothers, but we couldn't do it for very long."

Sam concurred, saying: "It was never going to work. And who he is today, we don't know. We have no idea."

Pete went on to say that he and Sam haven't spoken to Joe since 2005. He added: "We should have a cake tonight and celebrate because our lives have been that much better."

After Garza noted that Pete and Sam's family situation is particularly "complicated" because it includes seven siblings, Sam said: "But we get along with everybody for the most part." Pete chimed in: "Other than one. That's not bad, right? Six of us get along out of seven." Sam added: "I don't know anything about it. I don't have anything to say about him or that at all, because we have no ties or interaction, whatever."

In July 2005, CHEVELLE issued a statement officially confirming Joe's departure. The band had previously posted a message on their web site claiming that Joe had decided to "take a break to be home with family" while they headed out on the road with 30 SECONDS TO MARS and TAPROOT. But in their follow-up statement, CHEVELLE claimed that "irreconcilable differences" led to Joe's exit.

A week earlier, Joe lashed out at his brothers in a posting on the band's web site, saying, "I was fired, plain and simple; in fact, there wasn't even a discussion about it — they just dropped it on me."

CHEVELLE's latest album, "Bright As Blasphemy", came out on August 15 via Alchemy Recordings. The follow-up to 2021's "Niratias" marked CHEVELLE's first release through Alchemy Recordings following a long run with the Epic label. Alchemy Recordings is a record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings vice president of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States.

This past summer, CHEVELLE embarked on a massive tour with special guests ASKING ALEXANDRIA and DEAD POET SOCIETY. Produced by Live Nation, the 38-city trek kicked off on August 7 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, making stops across North America in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and more before wrapping up in Airway Heights, Washington at BECU Live at Northern Quest on October 2.

Over the course of its career, the Chicago rockers have generated nearly half a billion streams, notched seven No. 1 hits, and sold out shows worldwide. Their catalog spans the double-platinum "Wonder What's Next", which boasts the double-platinum smash "The Red" and the platinum hit "Send The Pain Below". "This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)" attained platinum status, while "Vena Sera" was certified gold. CHEVELLE has landed four Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200, including "Sci-Fi Crimes" (2009),"Hats Off To The Bull" (2011),"La Gárgola" (2014) and "The North Corridor" (2016). The latter two each captured the No. 1 slot on the Top Rock Albums chart.

JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain has announced a new solo single, "No One Else", written in honor of right-wing American activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed in early September at a Utah college event in what has been called a political assassination.

The music video for "No One Else" was premiered during Cain's appearance on the Strang Report, where Jonathan stated about his inspiration for the track (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wanted to honor [Charlie's] movement. I wanted to contribute to what I believe he stood for. And that was righteousness, truth and the gospel. And without being a pastor, I had to stop and think, not since Billy Graham has anybody rocked the world like Charlie, when it comes to just pure amount of how many schools he went to and how ferocious and fearless [he was]."

Cain continued: "When you look at [Charlie's] body of work, he just was unafraid and wanted to have that conversation, wanted kids to open… And as a father, I would always say to my three kids, 'Look at all sides. Look at both sides. Don't get stuck in this liberal noise.' They have professors that have their viewpoints, and I said, 'Don't get brainwashed. Just look at all sides before you get an opinion.' And I think that's what Charlie did. He opened up people's eyes, he removed the veil, and — I don't know— I just respected that so much.

"We need an appreciation song for what he did," Jonathan explained. "And when they described him as irreplaceable, the song I was writing, which is entitled 'No One Else' — no one else could wear the mantle. The calling on his life was so strong. God used him in such a powerful, powerful way in so many layers of different discussions that young people finally got the chance to discuss. There was a one-sided thing, and he saw how one-sided it was. And I admired his courage.

"I was not a big fan of the academia and haven't been for years," Cain added. "I just think it's really lost its shine. Unfortunately, these schools have these very strange professors [who] are bringing in just weird ideas and filling the kids with just not good stuff. And Charlie was the one that questioned it all saying, 'Hey, you know what? This is the greatest country in the world.' [He was] a patriot, a pastor, he was a political pundit. He helped so many people get in office. Even [U.S. vice president] JD Vance will still tell you that he couldn't have gotten to where he got without Charlie Kirk, and Mr. President Trump would say the same. So he believed in the good guys. He believed in our side. He believed in the righteous conservatism that seemed to get drowned out and drummed down by this media."

While U.S. president Donald Trump hailed Kirk as a "great American hero" and "martyr" during a speech at a memorial service in Arizona, Charlie was often criticized for his fiery, combative style. He was a strong supporter of gun rights, vehemently opposed abortion, was critical of transgender rights and famously said empathy was "a made-up, new age term that does a lot of damage".

Kirk's suspected killer is Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old who grew up in a Utah suburb and briefly attended Utah State University before dropping out and enrolling in an electrical apprenticeship program. Robinson is registered as unaffiliated with a political party and is listed as "inactive", meaning he did not vote in either of the last two general elections. No evidence has emerged connecting Robinson with any outside group.

Cain is a devout born-again Christian whose minister wife Paula White-Cain became the first female clergy member to pray at a presidential inauguration following Trump's latest victory and now serves as the first female primary spiritual adviser to a U.S. president.

This past February, Trump issued an executive order forming a White House faith office and appointed Paula White-Cain to lead it. White-Cain, a pastor at StoryLife Church and president of Paula White Ministries, both based in Apopka, Florida, has been a longtime friend and personal minister to Trump.

Jonathan embraced faith-based music with 2016's "What God Wants To Hear" and released a Christmas LP, "Unsung Noel", the following year.

In 1976, Cain released his first solo record, "Windy City Breakdown". Three years later, he joined the band THE BABYS, and in 1980 became a member of JOURNEY, rounding out the songwriting genius behind the defining album "Escape".

Photo credit: Micah Kandross (courtesy of Hoganson Media Relations)

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In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Metal-Rules.com, SABATON's frontman, co-founder and principal songwriter Joakim Brodén spoke about the band's longevity and multigenerational appeal. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know, but maybe we're the last of a breed in that sense. We didn't think about it because this is the music that was — it was quite common when we started, and it is what we all came from. But this kind of music that has a, yeah, bit of catchy melodies, bit of melodic guitar riffs — the guitar isn't only used as a percussion instrument — there aren't that many doing that left. Obviously we've got IRON MAIDEN, and they're still doing it, but among a younger generation, it's getting rarer and rarer, unfortunately. And I think somehow — well, I shouldn't be complaining when I'm saying this, and I'm not, but I think since there aren't that many bringing that heritage onward, I think we are one of the few bands. If you grew up liking that music, who are you gonna listen to that's around these days? I mean, we are among the youngest ones, for sure, doing this."

Asked how he and his SABATON bandmates allow themselves to experiment with their songwriting while maintaining a sense of familiarity their music, Joakim said: "That's the biggest problem for, I think, most songwriters. I don't think it's a SABATON-specific problem. Some fans — and I'm not saying there's a right or wrong, but we're all different — some people want SABATON on to really be SABATON, and then some people want to see SABATON be 'SABATON plus' and whatever SABATON could be. I don't know how to explain it. And we've always been sort of an evolutionary band rather than a revolutionary band. So we have, over the years, widened our horizons, I guess, brought more stuff in. So if we look at, for example, 'Ghost Division' today, people will say that's core SABATON. Yeah, but in 2008, that was a brutal, straight-on hard song. We hadn't done anything like that. Then those things were brought into the fold — 'To Hell And Back', with a bit of spaghetti western guitar and everything like that being brought in. So that's been the approach so far. I mean, it seems though that we can push, as long as we are not pushing just to push, if you know what I mean."

Earlier in the month, SABATON announced a massive 31-date North American tour set for early 2026. The announcement follows the band's extensive 2025 international run and coincides with rising anticipation for "Legends", SABATON's upcoming album, due October 17 via Better Noise Music.

Kicking off February 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the tour will hit venues across the U.S. and Canada, including major stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston before wrapping April 20 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Support on the trek will come from POP EVIL and WINGS OF STEEL.

A week ago, SABATON released its latest single, "Crossing The Rubicon", featuring singer Jonny Hawkins and guitarist Mark Vollelunga of NOTHING MORE. This special collaborative version of the track hit the radio airwaves on September 12, while the original version will be available as part of the SABATON's upcoming "Legends" album.

"Legends" will be available across various physical formats and retailer exclusives including CD, two-CD digibook, two-CD earbook (both including the exclusive Storyteller Edition),11 unique vinyl editions (including a special vinyl color and exclusive artwork each),additional exclusive vinyl colors, and a limited box set (including another exclusive vinyl color, the two-CD earbook, and a colored cassette as an exclusive format).

Among 11 unique vinyl editions, each one portraying one legendary figure, "Legends" will be available as the "Julius Caesar Edition."

"Legends" is a rock odyssey that transcends time and borders, with melodic guitar riffs, goosebump-inducing choirs, and epic choruses. It marks a bold evolution in storytelling, plunging headfirst into the heart of history's most formidable and enigmatic figures. These are not just rock songs, they are battle hymns carved from the blood and legacy of warriors, kings, strategists, and revolutionaries. It marks the very first time that every band member has come together to contribute to the songwriting process. This is SABATON as you've never heard them before — relentless and unbound. "Legends" is a global journey through the annals of warfare, leadership and unbreakable will.

SABATON have always had a signature focus on writing songs about historical battles, wars, and acts of heroism that have solidified their impact with their loyal and longtime fans. They've collaborated closely with its network of specialists, developed over the years since the launch of the Sabaton History Channel on YouTube, to make sure this new album is once again as close to reality as possible.

They continue to work with graphic artist Peter Sallai to create the striking album artwork, and producer Jonas Kjellgren is once again behind the boards from his Swedish Black Lounge Studios to create the classic SABATON sound the band is now known for.

Four songs have already been released from "Legends": "The Duelist" and "Lightning At The Gates" (July 25),"Hordes Of Khan" (June 6) and "Templars" (April 25):

"The Duelist" has been streamed over three million times, and the video has been viewed over one million times.

"Lightning At The Gates" has been streamed over 2.6 million times, and the video has been viewed over one million times.

"Hordes Of Khan" has been streamed over 6.3 million times, while the video has been viewed more than 1.4 million times.

"Templars" has been streamed over 19.1 million times, while the official video and lyric video have been viewed more than 5.7 million times.

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

Robert Plant and SAVING GRACE guested on BBC Two's "Later... With Jools Holland" to perform from two songs from their new album, "Saving Grace". The LED ZEPPELIN legend and the new band of distinguished musicians — vocalist Suzi Dian, drummer Oli Jefferson, guitarist Tony Kelsey, banjo and string player Matt Worley, and cellist Barney Morse-Brown — played LOW's "Everybody's Song" and Martha Scanlan's "Higher Rock" from the LP. You can watch both below.

Following his previous acclaimed releases on Nonesuch Records — 2014's "Lullaby And… The Ceaseless Roar" and 2017's "Carry Fire" — "Saving Grace" brings yet another chapter of Robert Plant's ceaseless roar into the daylight. Produced by Robert Plant and SAVING GRACE — and recorded between April 2019 and January 2025 in the Cotswolds and on the Welsh Borders — "Saving Grace" breathes fresh life into a collection of century-old music. A treasury of songs featured back in time by Memphis Minnie, Bob Mosley (MOBY GRAPE),Blind Willie Johnson, The Low Anthem, Martha Scanlan, Sarah Siskind, and Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk's LOW.

Plant told Rolling Stone magazine about the creation of "Saving Grace": "Well, we began with one microphone on a mic stand in a field adjacent to Matt Worley's place. We had a little desk set up. And we would get nowhere nearer than about four yards away from each other, and one by one go up to the microphone, and spray the microphone. On the last track on the record, you can hear some birds singing because we’d individually play a part and come away from the mic. It was an experiment that took me back to 'Physical Graffiti' with LED ZEPPELIN when I did quite a few vocals outside. I really enjoyed the whole idea of being out there rather than in the constraints of a studio. It began with 'Higher Rock', I believe, and maybe even 'Chevrolet'. That was probably about 2019 or '20. And then I'd go off somewhere else, and then we'd come back to it.

"A friend of Steve Winwood's got an old farm down in Gloucestershire, and he used to be quite involved with the very early days of TRAFFIC. And so as the conditions changed [after the pandemic] and the world started to open up, occasionally we'd go down to his barn and see what we would do there. It's really great, very pastoral.

"I think maybe we made one sojourn to Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios to try and see how we would get on with a different drum sound or whatever it was. But it's been pretty organic all the way through. I know that's a very overused word, but that's how it is. Nothing was riding on it, nobody was thinking beyond maybe putting this record out. Some shows in the U.S. later in the year might be about the zenith of anything that anybody ever imagined, really. There's never any sort of aspiration.

"Whereas when I came back after the demise of LED ZEPPELIN, I was in a different place, a different headspace, a different time in my life. I was really quite determined to take my music with a lot more drive, whereas this seems to be, it seems pretty pastoral, really.

"In SAVING GRACE, I don't think any of us live more on about eight miles apart. It's a very familiar combination of people in every respect, because I guess we've come out of the same area completely. There's a coherence even in our humor. We've got a good thing going on without where there's no huge imperatives. It's just really nice."

Plant and SAVING GRACE will soon perform for the first time in the U.S. this fall. Their tour stops in 15 North American cities, including shows at New York City's Brooklyn Paramount, Port Chester's Capitol Theatre, Chicago's Vic, Los Angeles's United Theater, and others, with support from Rosie Flores. Robert Plant and SAVING GRACE will also return to the U.S. in 2026, with the recent announcement of a headline performance at Big Ears festival, following a 10-date U.K. tour just added for December.

"Saving Grace" track listing:

01. Chevrolet
02. As I Roved Out
03. It's A Beautiful Day Today
04. Soul Of A Man
05. Ticket Taker
06. I Never Will Marry
07. Higher Rock
08. Too Far From You
09. Everybody's Song
10. Gospel Plough

To mark the 30th anniversary of Infidel Art – Sigh’s groundbreaking and boldly experimental second album – Peaceville will release a special anniversary limited marble vinyl LP, standard black vinyl LP, 2CD, and cassette. Kickstarting a string of reissues of Sigh’s revered yet hard to find classic early catalogue, this new edition of Infidel Art contains a new master created by Patrick Engel at Temple of Disharmony, featuring a new transfer from the original DAT source.

Speaking on the new edition, bandleader and songwriter Mirai Kawashima shared – “I am well aware that Sigh’s albums released via Cacophonous Records in the ‘90s have been hard to find for a long time. Actually, so many labels tried to re-release those albums, but it never worked. However, finally the wait is over! Soon you can get them on both vinyl and CD via Peaceville Records. Of course, the albums are way more primitive than what we are doing today, but they definitely are the albums that shaped who we are today. And what really surprised me was that those four albums were released within 5 years. How productive we were!”

Infidel Art will also be released as a Double CD Edition and a collectible Cassette Edition. The CD includes a rare first mix of the entire album, as well as additional tracks “The Zombie Terror” from the Far East Gate In Inferno compilation, plus songs originally included for a split release with Kawir, having also received a new transfer from the original DAT source.

Vinyl editions (via a four-page additional insert) and the 2CD edition also include a new and exclusive interview with Mirai Kawashima, conducted by Dayal Patterson of Cult Never Dies.

Following the great reception of Scorn Defeat in the underground, and maintaining the same core line-up of Mirai Kawashima, Shinichi Ishikawa, and Satoshi Fujinami, Infidel Art surfaced in 1995 and became a new milestone for the band, expanding on the symphonic and classical elements to create something more grandiose and monumental in scale, whilst still embracing Sigh’s old school metallic influences and dark mysticism, for epic tracks such as “Zombie Terror” and “Izuna”.

Preorder at burningshed.com.



Tracklisting:

CD1
“Izuna”
“The Zombie Terror”
“Desolation”
“The Last Elegy”
“Suicidogenic”
“Beyond Centuries”

CD2
“Izuna (first mix)”
“The Zombie Terror (first mix)”
“Desolation (first mix)”
“The Last Elegy (first mix)”
“Suicidogenic (first mix)”
“Beyond Centuries (first mix)”
“The Zombie Terror (Far East Gate Inferno version)”
“Suicidogenic” (Kawir split EP version)
“Schizo” (Kawir split EP version)

At this past weekend's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California, KITTIE drummer Mercedes Lander guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander spoke to Baby Huey and Chasta of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about the band's decision to reunite in 2022, initially just for a couple of festival appearances. Mercedes said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We could not ignore the e-mails from [concert promoter] Live Nation in our inbox any longer. Because we didn't have any representation for management, we didn't have any representation for our booking agents or anything like that. So these people's last-ditch effort to try and get us on these festivals was to e-mail us, e-mail the band e-mail, and then they were so persistent, like, 'Hey, I've got this festival. Come on.' And every couple of months they'd e-mail us. And I remember writing Morgan and being, like, 'Hey, just so you know, we should probably reply back to this guy, 'cause he's written us at least three times.'"

Referencing the fact that KITTIE eventually released a new studio album, "Fire", which came out in June 2024 via Sumerian Records, Morgan added: "But it wasn't just that — it was that more people were listening. Spotify numbers [were growing], and people just asking for new music. And the voices just continued to get louder and louder."

Continued Mercedes: "And we couldn't ignore them anymore. And our plan was just to play a couple of shows and then be, like, 'Okay, bye.' That's the KITTIE universe — so it always ends up taking on a life of its own. And then that morphed into us getting an offer for a record deal, and then getting, obviously, to write new music. And we were, like, 'Well, we don't have any new music, but I guess we'll write some music.' So, again, everything kind of spiraled out control. We got to work with like dream-list people for 'Fire'. It was amazing. We felt so lucky to be able to work with somebody like [producers] Nick Raskulinecz and Josh Wilbur. Like, wow. Those are the guys. It was the dream team. We have the dream team."

Asked what is coming up next for KITTIE, Morgan said: "Well, Aftershock is our wrap-up show of the year. So that's it for us. We get to go home and relax. We've got a few things brewing next year. There'll probably be some more festivals, more shows, maybe some headline stuff. We do have a few things announced, but there'll probably be more. And maybe start thinking about new music too, just for fun."

On September 19, KITTIE released "Spit XXV" EP, a four-track effort celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band's gold-certified debut album. The collection featured freshly updated and re-recorded versions of four of the albums biggest tracks, "Brackish", "Charlotte", "Do You Think I'm A Whore?" and the title track, "Spit", all produced, once again, by Garth Richardson who helmed the original 1999 sessions at EMAC Studios.

Released on January 11, 2000, "Spit" transformed KITTIE from four Canadian teenagers into international heavyweights, achieving gold certification with over 660,000 U.S. sales. The album became a defining moment for women in heavy music, with its aggressive sound and uncompromising attitude proving that metal made by women could achieve both critical respect and commercial success during nu-metal's completely male-dominated peak era.

The original "Spit" earned critical recognition from Rolling Stone, who ranked the title track No. 82 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs Of All Time" in 2023. The album's influence continues rippling through generations of musicians, with artists like Serena Cherry of SVALBARD crediting it as "the reason she became a metal musician," while experimental artist Poppy covered the title track in 2023.

"Fire", KITTIE's first new material in 13 years, reached No. 13 on U.K. Rock & Metal Albums charts and No. 20 on Billboard Top Album Sales, while single "We Are Shadows" became the band's highest-charting song on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart at No. 20. The album earned the band a 2025 Juno Award nomination for "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year".

Since returning from their hiatus in 2022, KITTIE has experienced a remarkable resurgence across demographics, with their 920,000 monthly Spotify listeners spanning longtime fans and new generations discovering their music through social media. Their performances at major festivals including Sick New World, Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple have demonstrated the band's enduring live power, while their successful 2024 North American headline tour proved their enduring and undeniable ability to command stages as headliners.

Photo credit: Dante Dellamore