In a new interview with NJ.com, Zakk Wylde said that Ozzy Osbourne had ideas for a new album in mind prior to his death, one that would hearken back to their work together in the early 1990s.

"He was texting me, 'Zakk, let's do another record. Because I really loved it when you were going through your ALLMAN BROTHERS, [LYNYRD] SKYNYRD phase when we did 'No More Tears'. It's heavy but it's more melodic. It's not pummeling heavy.'" Wylde said. "So I said, 'All right, Oz. Whatever you want.'"

The guitarist, who had been a member of Ozzy's solo band on and off for nearly four decades, was excluded from the legendary heavy metal singer's 2020 LP "Ordinary Man", which was the first Osbourne effort to be produced by Andrew Watt. The follow-up effort, 2022's "Patient Number 9", was also helmed by Watt and featured Wylde playing on the majority of the tracks. "Ordinary Man" was recorded with Watt playing guitar.

In a 2020 interview with Kerrang!, Ozzy said that there was a simple reason for Zakk's absence from the "Ordinary Man" record. According to the singer, strong musical ideas emerged so quickly during his early jam sessions with Andrew, GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith that the prospect of Zakk joining on guitar didn't come up, because, "we didn't know we were making an album".

Wylde became Osbourne's guitarist in 1987 after sending the singer a demo tape.

This past July, Zakk told Guitar World magazine that Ozzy was "almost like an older brother" to him. "There was almost a 20-year age gap between us," he told Guitar World. "With our relationship, there was the fun drinking — but if I ever needed advice, I could talk to him."

Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate filed in London also said Osbourne suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

Back in 2012, Zakk told Rock Cellar Magazine that he felt welcomed into the heavy metal family when he first joined Ozzy's band. "Oh, totally," he said. "Even those very first shows, everyone was rooting for me because they knew I was on the team, and loved Randy Rhoads as much as they did. They could see I played Randy's stuff exactly his way, and had the highest respect for what he did. There's no way you can fill his shoes, so you just have to give respect to his music and play it accurately. You have to, because this is the house that Rhoads built. And without Randy Rhoads, there never would have been a Zakk Wylde."

On November 3, members of LAMB OF GOD, FEAR FACTORY, CROWBAR, CATEGORY 7, DEVILDRIVER, OBITUARY and NEKROGOBLIKON, among other bands, took part in a 10-song all-star tribute to Ozzy Osbourne during the 2025 Headbangers Boat cruise, which set sail aboard the Norwegian Jewel, departing Miami on October 31 and stopping in Cozumel, Mexico before returning to port on November 4. Fan-filmed video of the various performances can be seen below.

Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate filed in London also said Osbourne suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

A private funeral service for Ozzy was held on July 31 on the 250-acre grounds of the house the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife bought in 1993 in Buckinghamshire, England. Only 110 of the singer's friends and family members attended the service, including his SABBATH bandmates, Robert Trujillo (METALLICA),Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, Marilyn Manson and Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT).

The day before the private funeral, thousands of fans gathered in the streets of Birmingham to pay tribute to Ozzy. Sharon, along with their children Aimée, Kelly and Jack, joined mourners for the emotional tribute.

A little over four months ago, Ozzy reunited with the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — for what was his final performance at the "Back To The Beginning" charity concert in their original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

At "Back To The Beginning", Ozzy played a five-song set with his solo band — consisting of guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Mike Inez, keyboardist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos — before being joined by Iommi, Butler and Ward for four classic SABBATH songs: "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "N.I.B." and "Paranoid".

Ozzy's solo set consisted of four songs from Osbourne's 1980 solo debut album "Blizzard Of Ozz" — "I Don't Know", "Mr. Crowley", "Suicide Solution" and "Crazy Train" — along with his 1991 "No More Tears" ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home".

The 76-year-old heavy metal singer sang while seated on a black throne and appeared overcome with emotion at times. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd.

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English professional football club West Ham United and IRON MAIDEN have proudly collaborated to launch a new football shirt that celebrates the commemorative 50th anniversaries of the Hammers' 1975 FA Cup triumph and the formation of the world-famous band IRON MAIDEN.

The new shirt, which is available to purchase now, is the latest product within the "Die With Your Boots On" football clothing range. The claret and blue shirt is the next milestone in the 50th-anniversary celebrations, which earlier this year saw IRON MAIDEN play an incredible sold-out concert at the Hammers' home, London Stadium.

Steve Harris, founder, bassist, and primary composer for the heavy metal band, is a lifelong Hammer and former youth player, and he was joined on stage by band mascot Eddie where both wore the shirt to the adoration of the 65,000 crowd in east London.

Modeled by current West Ham stars including talisman and captain Jarrod Bowen, the shirt features the iconic 1975 Cup Final badge and the classic claret and blue piping around the neck and arms. The shirt also features the IRON MAIDEN logo emblazoned across the front of the shirt and IMFC on the right breast.

It is made of hexagon polyester and comes with Steve's infamous No. 11 on the back and the collaborative hammer-and-bass-guitar logo with Est.1975 underneath it. The shirt encompasses the incredible connect West Ham United and IRON MAIDEN have through Harris's love for the club. Earlier this year following IRON MAIDEN's blockbuster show, the band took on a West Ham United staff XI at The Foundry, the home of the West Ham United Foundation, which serves as a community hub for 60,000 people each year.

The Hammers' triumph in the 1975 FA Cup Final was one that lives long in founder and bass player Harris's memory even though he wasn't actually there on the day. "I wasn't at the game but what great memories," he said. "Two goals from Alan Taylor and we won it! Frank Lampard and Pat Holland were in the team who used to coach me as a junior as well! Come On You Irons!"

A similarly joyous moment was in June of this year when Steve appeared on stage wearing this shirt for the three-song encore to the delight of the sold-out crowd — many of whom were wearing West Ham colors or the special art worked event shirt depicting Eddie and Steve at the Hammers' home.

"The day really was something special and I didn't really take it all in until much later," recollects Steve. "We'd been wearing that shirt in all our football matches this season across Europe including the game at West Ham United's amazing, redeveloped community hub 'The Foundry', so it just felt like the right thing to do. There were so many of our previous football shirts in the crowd — I hope fans grab this one too to remind them of that day."

The day was complete when Eddie appeared wearing the shirt too. "I didn't know about that," laughs Steve, "but I should have guessed… it was so great how they replaced West Ham team stuff in the dressing room (it had been stripped for the off-season in preparation for the new 25/26 decorations),how they made the match day programme and how the after party in the Great Briton Suite was all dressed with IMFC stuff. It was a day I'll always remember."

The shirt is available for immediate shipping and available to purchase through both West Ham United's in-person and online stores, as well as via the MAIDENstore.

BAD COMPANY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Saturday (November 8) at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Mick Fleetwood inducted the legendary hard rock band into the Rock Hall, telling the audience: "[BAD COMPANY singer] Paul [Rodgers] is the voice that every rock singer holds as their north star. To listen to a BAD COMPANY song is to hear a once-in-a-lifetime voice take rock music to new heights. ... BAD COMPANY was grounded in the blues, but also created uniform, unforgettable pop melodies. They helped define the musical path ahead for rock music."

Founding BAD COMPANY drummer Simon Kirke was then joined onstage by THE BLACK CROWES' Chris Robinson, HEART's Nancy Wilson and AEROSMITH's Joe Perry for a performance of "Feel Like Makin' Love", before Bryan Adams then took over the mic for "Can't Get Enough".

After the performance, Kirke gave an acceptance speech, joking, "I've never played 'Can't Get Enough' in a tuxedo" and acknowledging Rodgers, who opted out of attending the ceremony a week earlier due to health reasons. The drummer also paid tribute to late member Mick Ralphs, who died earlier this year, and Boz Burrell, who passed away in 2006.

In a video message, Rodgers dedicated the honor to the BAD COMPANY fans, ending with, "My prayer for us is that we all choose love."

Prior to BAD COMPANY's Rock Hall induction, the estate of the group's former singer Brian Howe issued a statement expressing disappointment over the fact that the Rock Hall chose not to induct Howe along with the rest of the bandmembers. Howe served as BAD COMPANY's vocalist from 1986 to 1994 and appeared on four of the band's studio albums.

The now-75-year-old Rodgers suffered his first major stroke in 2016 and a second in October 2019, which required him to undergo a major surgery to recover from. At the time, Rodgers underwent a carotid endarterectomy, a procedure to remove plaque from the arteries running through your neck to your brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

This past June, Ralphs died at the age of 81 due to complications from a stroke he suffered in 2016.

BAD COMPANY had been eligible for induction since 1999 and received its first nomination this year.

In a new interview with J.J. Caithcart of Different Stages Radio, QUEENSRŸCHE bassist Eddie Jackson spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're still in the writing process. We actually started it last January, beginning of this year, before we embarked on a month tour over in Europe. And then last summer we got together again. And we're just continuing to write now that we have [fall 2025 North American] tour with ACCEPT. We won't be able to get together as a band in one location. We will be on tour, but it's not like a studio. But we still kind of bring our little recording devices with us to come up with more ideas."

Jackson added: "We're hoping to get in the studio sometime, maybe beginning of spring next year, and hopefully we'll have a late fall release. And that would be nice."

Eddie also confirmed that the new QUEENSRŸCHE LP will once again be helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and "Digital Noise Alliance" LPs. He said: "Yeah, he's just awesome. He's great to work with and bounce ideas with. He's a great guy, and he's actually a good musician too; he plays guitar and all that. But if it's still working, why not continue working with him?"

As for QUEENSRŸCHE's touring plans for the coming months, Eddie said: "Well, that's an unknown, but I know for now we're locked in with [ACCEPT] for this fall tour. But there are some dates being scheduled for European festivals end of spring, early summer of next year. So there's actually some dates already scheduled, but that's kind of what the schedule is for now. Once the year is over, we're really gonna try to focus on the new album — get the songs ready to record, record them, get 'em mixed, released and follow it up with a tour."

This past April, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre was asked by Brazil's Monsters Of Rock which "unexplored musical directions" he would like to see the band go in on its next LP. He said: "[We're] kind of [doing] the same thing as what we've been doing. I mean, we don't go in writing a record with a preconceived idea. We just get in a room and [go], 'Hey, show me your guitar parts. What do you have in your mind?' And we kind of all get together in a room and just see what happens in real time. So as far as unexplored musical directions… Personally, I'd love to hear more clean guitar on the next record, maybe some more spacious stuff, some more clean guitar. Orchestration is always fun to work with. It's very huge and cinematic sounding. So those are fun things to play with. Maybe some different percussion things would be interesting to play around with again.

"But, gosh, after 40-plus years, I think without completely changing the band, the band's style of music, I don't know that there's really any too much unexplored musical directions," he continued. "I mean, QUEENSRŸCHE's kind of done a lot within the large space that QUEENSRŸCHE has to run around in. I mean, if we were to do something — we wouldn't write a hip-hop song, we wouldn't write a death metal song. So within the confines of what QUEENSRŸCHE kind of is, as diverse as it as it is, I don't know what kind of unexplored musical directions there would be. On the next one, I mean, I would love to, like I say, play around with some other clean guitar sounds, maybe some more interesting percussion things — like the song 'I Am I' had some really neat percussion things going on."

Guitarist Mike Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2021, contributed guitar solos to the band's latest studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past eight and a half years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Jackson and guitarist Michael Wilton filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit. That dispute has since been settled out of court.

In a recent interview with The Joel Martin Mastery Podcast, Wilton stated about QUEENSRŸCHE's next studio album: "We do have one record left with our contract with Century Media and Sony. And yeah, we're putting together demos right now. So, when will it get done? I don't know. QUEENSRŸCHE has a lot of touring to do, and you've gotta schedule with your producer. But yeah, we've started writing demos, and we've got a good bunch of tunes."

Wilton also talked about the QUEENSRŸCHE songwriting process, explaining: "Well, the last few albums we've kind of wanted to write fresh, so kind of on the spot. So I'm not looking at anything I've done in the past. I'm looking at just the inspiration of the day and getting something recorded and live with it for a couple of days and then come back and go, 'Okay, yeah, this is pretty cool,' or, 'Nah, I'm gonna delete this.' But I think it's something that is special to a group of guys that everything that you create is new or kind of new. We're probably ripping ourselves off blind with all the riffs and melodies, but that seems to be the fresh approach. I mean, the stuff that goes by the wayside, that's stuff that goes on solo albums. [Laughs]"

Wilton previously discussed the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to "Digital Noise Alliance" in February in an interview with Marko Syrjala of Metal-Rules.com. Michael said at the time: "We're currently working on demos for the next album, which is really important for us.

"The thing is, to do a proper QUEENSRŸCHE album, we need about six weeks of uninterrupted time," he added. "But it's harder now because we have to juggle these gigs — weekends here and there — before coming back to focus. Zeuss has had to adapt; he's very mobile now. He's learned to be because we’re not the only band that does this; all bands do. He works with Rob Zombie — 'Hey, come on over for the weekend. Let's work on some stuff.' Or with SHADOWS FALL — 'Let's work on some stuff.' So, he's used to it. It's just a matter of someone organizing it all."

Wilton went on to say that he and his QUEENSRŸCHE bandmates are "following the same process" this time around as they did for "Digital Noise Alliance". "With ['Digital Noise Alliance'], the recording and writing sessions were meant to feel fresh — nothing was e-mailed back and forth," he said. "Everything was built during the writing process. In that sense, it was about going back to the days when we'd be in a room writing the [debut QUEENSRŸCHE] EP in the morning. Back then, we didn't have technology like we do now. No cell phones, no computers — maybe, if you were lucky, you had a four-track recorder. The way we worked was simple: 'Hey, Chris [DeGarmo], you got a riff?' And I'd say, 'Okay, I like that. Let me add something to it.' It was a real band effort because everyone was in the room, giving input. That's exactly what we did with ['Digital Noise Alliance']. Everyone was involved — 'Oh, I like that,' 'Oh, I don't like that' — and the songs evolved a little more each day. Some songs we dissected and reworked completely. Take 'Tormentum', for example — that's like four songs merged into one! [Laughs]"

Asked if it's "correct to say" that recording the "Digital Noise Alliance" album was "a fresh start" for QUEENSRŸCHE, with drummer Casey Grillo becoming a permanent bandmember and guitarist Mike Stone returning to the fold for the studio sessions, Michael said: "Yeah, I think so. This next one will be even better because, with ['Digital Noise Alliance'], Mike didn't come in until the end of the process. But now, he's here from the beginning of the process. He's writing with me, and I'm writing with him, so it should be a bit more cohesive, I think… He knows the ways of the RŸCHE. He knows the guitar style and how to stay within that area. But, like I said, the stuff we've written so far sounds pretty cool."

ALICE IN CHAINS will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band's 1995 self-titled album by reissuing it as a deluxe version in early 2026.

The deluxe package will include the original record across two vinyl LPs, plus three seven-inch singles, posters, 10 custom art prints, a hardcover cover book, 12 tarot cards, a cassette, two double-sided 24x24" posters, a double-sided zoetrope slip mat and a 3D ballerina plus a zoetrope coin record topper.

You can preorder your copy now via the ALICE IN CHAINS webstore.

"Alice In Chains" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and stayed on the chart for nearly a year. The tracks "Grind", "Heaven Beside You" and "Again" were released as singles. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA and has sold over three million copies worldwide. The album was the band's last to feature singer Layne Staley, who died from a drug overdose in 2002.

Over the course of its remarkable career, ALICE IN CHAINS has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, toured to sold-out audiences and earned multiple Grammy Award nominations. They have amassed a diehard international fanbase numbering in the millions and are a household name worldwide.

ALICE IN CHAINS' discography features some of the biggest and most important albums in rock history, including 1990's triple-platinum-certified "Facelift", 1992's quadruple-platinum-certified "Dirt", 1994's triple-platinum-certified EP "Jar Of Flies", which was the first EP in music history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and the aforementioned self-titled LP.

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with singer William DuVall joining the band and returned in grand style in 2009 with the critically acclaimed "Black Gives Way To Blue", which hit No. 1 across the rock and alternative charts, earned a Grammy nomination, was certified gold and hailed by Vice as "a record that’s as powerful as anything the band has done."

ALICE IN CHAINS' latest album released in 2018, "Rainier Fog", hit No. 1 across Billboard's Rock, Alternative and Hard Music charts and No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Album chart and earned them a Grammy nod for "Best Rock Album".

SOUNDGARDEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Saturday (November 8) at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. The Seattle grunge legends were inducted by actor-comedian Jim Carrey, who told the crowd: "Spank you kindly, spank you all. You might ask why would SOUNDGARDEN — the heaviest of rock and roll royalty — want Jim Carrey to induct them into the Hall Of Fame? Is there some deep, cosmic connection between them, or was the 'Spoonman' not available?

"When the Seattle music scene exploded, it resurrected rock and roll for me," Carrey said. "When I heard SOUNDGARDEN for the first time, I wasn't just excited. I wanted to put a flannel shirt on and run into the streets screaming, 'My mother smoked during pregnancy!'"

He added: "I met the band in 1996 when I was hosting 'Saturday Night Live' for the very first time, and I insisted on SOUNDGARDEN as the musical guest. By then, the lineup was Chris [Cornell on vocals], Kim Thayil [on guitar], Matt Cameron on drums, and Ben Shepherd on bass. They launched into the dark, epic beauty of 'Pretty Noose'. I stood right in front of them, letting the waves of electricity wash over me, like an audio baptism. They pushed me under and when I came up I was free. After the show, they handed me what is to this day one of my most prized possessions, the Fender Telecaster [guitar] Chris played on the show, signed by the whole band."

Cornell's daughter Lily then took the stage, stating about her father: "I am just really, really happy that he got to make music with his friends. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. I know how much purpose that gave him, and how much it's meant to people who have heard that music. That's what I'll be holding in my heart tonight."

The surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN — Cameron, Thayil and Shepherd, as well as original bassist Hiro Yamamoto, who left the group in 1989 — were joined by PEARL JAM guitarist Mike McCready and THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen for a performance of "Rusty Cage", while Brandi Carlile and ALICE IN CHAINS' Jerry Cantrell came out for a rendition of "Black Hole Sun".

After SOUNDGARDEN acceptance speeches, Cornell's daughter Toni was joined by HEART's Nancy Wilson for an acoustic rendition of "Fell On Black Days".

Thayil, Cameron, Shepherd and Yamomoto all delivered induction speeches. "Chris Cornell, we are so missing you tonight on this stage," Yamomoto said. "We've heard so many stories of how the music we created became your own, and that is the greatest recognition of all. To everyone else out there — especially all you brown kids — let's rock!"

Thayil said: "If one of us ever hesitated in sharing an idea, Chris would be the first to say, 'Let's just try it out and see.' I miss him. I love him, and I love all my [SOUNDGARDEN] brothers."

Regarding the artists who were chosen to participate in SOUNDGARDEN's performance at the Rock Hall, Cameron told Seattle Times: "We wanted to keep it as Seattle-centric as possible and include some people that were there with us in the beginning." Thayil added: "To have our peers, friends and creative collaborators from here share that with us is very important. It's very important because it's part of our identity. We're not simply 'rock guys' in this band SOUNDGARDEN. We're rock guys in this band SOUNDGARDEN that helped establish the Seattle scene and the sound. The geography is very important to our identity. It's where we are. It's where we came from. It's who we are."

SOUNDGARDEN was first nominated for the Rock Hall in 2020 and again in 2023 before finally being inducted this year.

The band finished sixth in the fan vote with 233,205 votes.

This marked the second induction for Cameron, who previously got the nod with PEARL JAM in 2017.

Regarding being inducted twice, Cameron told Cleveland.com: "It's a huge honor. I haven't really wrapped my head around it, and it's not lost upon me that it's pretty rare to get in there two times. I'm feeling great about everything. It's just been really exciting to gather up all these people we worked with over the years that helped us create the band, create our legacy, and it's going to be a really great night."

Asked if one of his inductions means more than the other, Cameron said: "They're both huge honors, of course. For me, personally, I helped build SOUNDGARDEN from the ground up, and I helped create the sound, I think, a little bit more than I did with PEARL JAM, which was definitely more of an established thing that I came into. So in that sense [SOUNDGARDEN's induction] is a little more meaningful for me as an artist and musician and songwriter to go in with a band that I helped establish itself."

DREAM THEATER, GHOST, SLEEP TOKEN, SPIRITBOX and TURNSTILE have been announced as the "Best Metal Performance" nominees at the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will broadcast live on February 1, 2026 from Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles on the CBS television network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.

A total of 95 categories were unveiled this morning. The Recording Academy enlisted a lineup of star presenters, including Sharon Osbourne and her children, who paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal singer and BLACK SABBATH frontman who died in July.

The Grammy Awards celebrate the best music released within the window of eligibility, which this year is August 31, 2024-August 30, 2025.

Winners will be determined by the Recording Academy's Voting Members — a peer group composed of music creators, including artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, and more. Their Grammy votes decide every Grammy nominee and Grammy winner revealed on Music's Biggest Night, reinforcing the Grammy Award as music's only industry-recognized, peer-voted honor.

Final-round voting runs from December 12 through January 5.

"Best Metal Performance" nominees:

* DREAM THEATER - "Night Terror"
* GHOST - "Lachryma"
* SLEEP TOKEN - "Emergence"
* SPIRITBOX - "Soft Spine"
* TURNSTILE - "Birds"

"Best Rock Album" nominees:

* DEFTONES - "Private Music"
* HAIM - "I Quit"
* LINKIN PARK - "From Zero"
* TURNSTILE - "Never Enough"
* YUNGBLUD - "Idols"

"Best Rock Performance" nominees:

* AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS - "U Should Not Be Doing That"
* LINKIN PARK - "The Emptiness Machine"
* TURNSTILE - "Never Enough"
* HAYLEY WILLIAMS - "Mirtazapine"
* YUNGBLUD featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II - "Changes" (Live From Villa Park)

"Best Rock Song" nominees:

* NINE INCH NAILS - "As Alive As You Need Me to Be"
* SLEEP TOKEN - "Caramel"
* HAYLEY WILLIAMS - "Glum"
* TURNSTILE - "Never Enough"
* YUNGBLUD - "Zombie"

GOJIRA was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 67th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 2, 2025 at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center) in Los Angeles, California. GOJIRA was nominated for "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!)" — a version of the French Revolution-era standard "Ah! Ça Ira!" — which the band performed at last year's Olympic Games opening ceremony.

This year, the Grammys introduced two new categories: "Best Album Cover" and "Best Traditional Country Album"; the previously titled "Best Country Album" category has been changed to "Best Contemporary Country Album".

"Each year during our Awards & Nominations review, our focus is on refining our rules, uncovering anything that is no longer working, and ensuring we are celebrating our creative community in the most meaningful way," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. recently told Grammy.com. "I'm thrilled that many of this year's changes … allow us to honor even more creators. That's always a positive outcome for me. But even more importantly, these are much-needed updates that ensure those who are making significant contributions to the musical process are properly recognized and have the opportunity to be celebrated on Music's Biggest Night."

After years away from the spotlight, AC/DC's iconic drummer Phil Rudd made his triumphant return to the stage. On July 26, 2025, Rudd appeared at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, performing live as part of the "Full Metal Orchestra" — a massive rock-meets-classical show featuring members of the Auckland Philharmonic, conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams. Together with Jon Toogood (SHIHAD) and a stellar lineup of rock vocalists, Phil delivered versions of AC/DC classics like "Thunderstruck", "Back In Black" and the anthemic "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock 'N' Roll)".

Professionally filmed video of Rudd"Thunderstruck"'s performance from the Spark Arena concert can be seen below. Also available is the previously released "Back In Black" performance from the same show.

"Full Metal Orchestra", which brings together the "raw power" of rock and metal music with the "sheer might" of a 29-piece classical orchestra, was powered by award-winning producer Jol Mulholland.

"Think METALLICA meets Mahler, AC/DC a deux, and [BLACK] SABBATH with strings — this is a symphonic experience like no other," organizers Duco Touring and Liberty Stage said when they announced the concert back in April.

"You'll witness massive metal anthems from the likes of METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH and AC/DC and more — amplified by soaring orchestral arrangements, searing guitars, powerhouse vocals, and epic visuals."

Duco Touring founder David Higgins told Stuff about Rudd's participation in the event: "Phil Rudd was always in my mind as the dream 'get' as one of the world's best known rock stars, living right here in New Zealand."

The now-71-year-old Rudd told Stuff seven months ago: "It's going to be massive, fueled, we'll take off the roof…you wait. It's going to be thumping, boom boom, bang. It's exciting, like nothing else I've ever done, putting the best raw banging rock songs with a classical orchestra."

"Full Metal Orchestra" marked Rudd's first public performance since last November when he played AC/DC's classic song "T.N.T." with a local party act in New Zealand.

In a recent interview with New Zealand's Stuff, Rudd addressed the fact that he laid down the drum tracks on AC/DC's latest album, 2020's "Power Up", but is not part of the accompanying tour.

"There was a time when I thought it was the end of my world," he told Stuff. "I only knew life with AC/DC. Those people I thought loved me like a brother, they haven't even picked up the phone."

Referencing AC/DC's late frontman Bon Scott, who died in 1980 from alcohol poisoning, Rudd added: "But to me AC/DC was always Bon. My favorite album is 'Highway To Hell'. My favorite song — his song 'Touch Too Much'."

"When Bon died, even in AC/DC I felt alone," Phil explained. "But I was never alone. The people who like the music, it always humbles me, but makes me happy too.

"People always ask me if I will play with AC/DC again," he continued. "The only people I would do it for would be the fans. And for Bon. I would do it for Bon."

In a November 2023 interview with New Zealand's Stuff, Rudd said that he was unable to join his AC/DC bandmates at the Power Trip festival in California that year, but that he was "look[ing] forward to playing with them again in the future."

Sitting behind the drum kit for AC/DC's appearance at Power Trip in October 2023, on the spring/summer 2024 European tour, the spring 2025 North American tour and the summer 2025 European tour was Matt Laug. The 57-year-old Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer. In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the "Stiff Upper Lip" tour.

When AC/DC announced in September 2023 that Laug would play drums for the band at Power Trip, it offered no explanation for the absence of Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group's comeback album, "Power Up", which came out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was replaced on the band's "Rock Or Bust" tour by Chris Slade, who had previously served as AC/DC's drummer between 1989 and 1994, playing on the album "The Razor's Edge".

Rudd, who appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 previous studio albums, toured in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

During an appearance on a November 2020 episode of Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, Rudd confirmed that the seed for his return to AC/DC was planted at the funeral of AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017. Rudd, singer Brian Johnson and bassist Cliff Williams all attended the ceremony. At the time, the three musicians were considered former members of AC/DC, with Johnson and Williams both having left in 2016 for health reasons, while Rudd was sidelined in 2015 with various legal issues.

"Angus and I had a good chat at Mal's funeral and caught up," Rudd recalled. "[After I played on the 'Rock Or Bust' record] there was crazy shit going on, but since then, I'd got my shit together and put a little band together, I went to Europe and was doing a bit of playing and stuff and did [a solo] album. The guys knew I was still playing, so when I caught up with Angus at the funeral, we were sort of chatting away and somehow, he just sort of [asked me] if I was up for [doing a new AC/DC] album. And he started writing the next day. He went in the studio and started writing straight away."

Angus told Rolling Stone that it was indeed Malcolm's funeral that helped heal old wounds.

"[Phil] was there and in good shape," the guitarist said. "He was keeping himself well together. He was getting therapy and sorting himself out. It was really good."

Johnson added that he and the rest of AC/DC welcomed Rudd with open arms. "I speak for all the boys with Phil," he said. "We defend Phil to the hilt. What happened up there, that's not the Phil we know. That was just something else. He's really looking brilliant now and doing everything great."

ON SALE NOW 🤘 Mānuka Phuel Full Metal Orchestra brings together the raw power of rock and metal with the sheer might of...

Posted by Ticketmaster New Zealand on Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Pavement Entertainment has announced the signing of THE ROCKETT MAFIA, the dynamic new rock project featuring Rikki Rockett, drummer and founding member of the multi-platinum band POISON. The partnership includes live show engagements, merchandise, and upcoming music releases, expanding Pavement's growing roster of established and rising rock acts.

THE ROCKETT MAFIA unites an impressive lineup of veteran musicians: Rikki Rockett on drums, Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar, Mick Sweda (BULLETBOYS) on guitar and backing vocals and Michael Adams (PUDDLE OF MUDD) on bass. Together, they deliver a high-octane sound that fuses the energy of classic rock with a modern hard-rock edge.

"This band lets me play the kind of rock I grew up loving — loud, raw, and from the heart," said Rockett. "We take the music we love and give it new life, and now with Pavement behind us, we're ready to take it to a whole new level."

THE ROCKETT MAFIA performs a powerful mix of classic rock from the 1970s and 1980s, often reimagining songs from that era with a heavier, more contemporary feel. Their live set also features deep cuts from POISON's catalog — songs the legendary band rarely performs — giving fans a rare and exciting experience.

"We're excited to welcome ROCKETT MAFIA to the Pavement Entertainment family," said Mark Nawara, CEO of Pavement Entertainment. "Rikki Rockett's legacy in rock speaks for itself, and this project captures his continued passion and authenticity. Fans can expect great things from this band."

During an appearance on the Iron City Rocks podcast, Rockett spoke about THE ROCKETT MAFIA, which released its first single in February, a cover of "I Think I Love You", a 1970 song by Tony Romeo, written as the debut single for fictional musical TV family "The Partridge Family". Asked if he and the other members of THE ROCKETT MAFIA have talked about writing and recording original music, Rockett said: "Yes, we have. In fact, Mick and I played yesterday and we've been talking about stuff. And we got a couple of things under our hat now. We're just trying to do it one step at a time and put all the pieces together. So, if we do something, we can actually make a really decent effort out of it and not — pardon the French, but half-ass it. I don't wanna do that."

As for what other covers THE ROCKETT MAFIA is playing at its gigs, Rikki said: "We do a FACES song. We do a Billy Joel song. We do an Elton John song. We've taken some of this stuff and just kind of reimagined it in a hard rock format. And that's the idea of it, rather than take something that was already a rock song and compete with it. I don't wanna redo a BLACK SABBATH song. I'm not gonna do a better job than Bill Ward; I'm just not. To me, that's the pinnacle of BLACK SABBATH. And FACES arguably… But back then, I feel like some of those recordings were rushed… [FACES'] 'Stay With Me', by way of example, I've heard so many versions of that — funky versions and fast versions and slower versions — and it's okay to do our own version. I don't wanna do 'War Pigs' my way."

Asked if he and the other members of THE ROCKETT MAFIA plan on mixing up the setlist night after night, Rikki said: "Yes, we will. It depends. If we're doing like, let's say, a corporate gig where people want a huge variety of stuff, we'll do a bigger variety of stuff. I think at certain rock shows, like Summerfest, by way of example, people are gonna want more of the POISON stuff, they're gonna want more of the straight-ahead rock and roll, so we'll probably do that. But, really, the whole set rocks. We have no ballads at this point — not one. It never slows down. And I was thinking, 'Man, is that a bad idea?' And then so many people came up to me after the show and went, 'Oh, no. It was fun. I love that you guys never stopped.' There was only a couple times where Brandon talked. It was almost like a punk band, like the RAMONES. 1, 2, 3, 4 — bam — right into the next thing."

In June, Sweda told the Nothing Shocking podcast about his involvement with THE ROCKETT MAFIA: "It was really interesting how it came about. My friend Bryan [Kimes], who is playing with me in THE HOT SUMMERS, ran into Rikki, and Rikki was looking for some guys to flesh out this idea that he had for this band. And my friend recommended me for the guitar spot, and Rikki and I got together and hit it off pretty well and had a great time playing. And it's been progressing ever since."

Regarding the other musicians who are involved in the peoject, Mick said: "Well, Brandon Gibbs, the singer, I think he's pretty well known for touring a little bit with Joel Hoekstra. I think they have an acoustic thing that they do. I guess it sometimes goes electric. So he and Rikki have been friends for a long time, and he's a very talented cat, a great guitar player."

Asked if there is "a certain era" he and his THE ROCKETT MAFIA bandmates are "trying to stick to" when it comes to choosing which songs to cover, Mick said: "Yeah, we definitely wanted to do the more obscure stuff, and we tried a couple of things out. There's a song called 'Baby Blue' that I've always loved since I was a kid, by BADFINGER. And we love playing that song. However, you have to sort of gauge how things go over. Not everybody is familiar with material like that. So even though we're trying things… For example, we put together a track called 'I Think I Love You' [a 1970 song by Tony Romeo, written as the debut single for fictional musical TV family 'The Partridge Family'], which was actually the first single I ever had as a kid by 'The Partridge Family'. And it's kind of a challenging track to cover, at least from the outset, but I think we had a lot of fun with it. And it's out there for people to listen to now.

"But the song list is kind of evolving," Mick explained. "We start out with what's in our hearts, between Rikki and I, which is the '70s for that matter. So, it's kind of branching out from there. And we're just making sure that the tunes are fun and energetic and entertaining."

On the topic of whether THE ROCKETT MAFIA is "pretty genre specific" to the "1970s classic rock era" or if they are "kind of wide open as far as experimenting with different genres of music," Sweda said: "It's the latter. In fact, one of the things that Rikki and I talked about doing was taking songs that you would never expect to hear and kind of revamping them in a way that allows us to interject our personalities into them. So, although we haven't really got to the stage of finding too many songs to do that with, 'cause it is a challenge — it's a lot easier to just pick up a song and play it as it's written. So for us to find something unique and exciting and turn it into our own, it takes a little bit more time, but that is ultimately the goal."

THE ROCKETT MAFIA, with Bryan Kimes on bass and backing vocals, played its first official show on February 21, 2025 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Regarding how THE ROCKETT MAFIA came together, Rikki stated during a February 19 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "I always had Brandon Gibbs in the back of my mind for any project that I do, which hasn't been many. I mean, I did DEVIL CITY ANGELS [with him]. When I played The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride [motorcycle charity event], which I am one of the city co-hosts for — that's a worldwide ride that takes place in 300-some cities across the world — they didn't have entertainment. And I said, 'It's time to have entertainment at this thing.' And they said, 'Well, any suggestions? Can you play?' And I went, 'Well, I don't have a band.' [Laughs] 'So I'll have to put one together.' I had done a couple of shows with CHEVY METAL — me and Kenny Aronoff had done a couple shows with them — so I reached out to those guys, and I just basically had them come and play the show… So after that, I just said, 'I need my own band.' First person I met was Bryan who was working at a salon that I was in, and we started talking. And this guy is from Maryland, and we have the same circle of friends, but didn't know each other. He's played all that tri-state area back there, the same places we played, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, all that. And so we got along great. And I said, 'Let's get together. I've gotta find a guitar player.' And he mentioned Mick Sweda. and I was like, 'Is he busy? Is he doing something? I mean, that guy's a monster. Is this something that would interest him?' And the first thing Mick said when I called him up, he said, 'Look, if you're just gonna have me for one or two gigs and then get rid of me, I'm not interested.' I said, 'Well, Mick, I don't know. I've never played with you, but I think we should at least get together and play.' And we did. And we were playing AEROSMITH songs, VAN HALEN, everything, and we're just sitting there going, 'Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. We're cut from the same cloth.' And I was amazed at how good of a player this guy is. And then, of course, I brought Brandon into the thing. And I said the whole idea is something that Taylor Hawkins [late FOO FIGHTERS drummer] told me that I should have been doing a long time ago. And I always got super serious with a band, like, 'I've gotta, right away, write a record and do all-original material.' And he's, like, 'No, just go play for a while. Get used to everybody. Make sure you wanna have a good time. POISON's your baby, just like FOO FIGHTERS are mine.' So I took his advice, God rest his soul, and several years later, I'm actually doing this thing. It's been so much fun."

On the topic of how "I Think I Love You" was chosen to be one of the songs for THE ROCKETT MAFIA to cover, Rikki said: "I think I [suggested that one]. I always thought it was a great song. I had a crush on [actress] Susan Dey growing up, so, of course. But I always thought it was such a well-written song. It was written by Tony Romeo, who I don't know, but he's written other things. He passed away now. And I think David Cassidy was trying so hard at that time to make people realize that he was a really good player and he was a really good writer, and he couldn't extend past that idea of 'The Partridge Family' publicly. And I met him many years ago at an award show — he was super cool — and I told him how much I appreciated all the stuff that he really did reach out and do that he did in a more serious way. And I feel bad for him because he was never taken seriously. I think it made him an alcoholic maybe; I don't know. But I just thought it was a cool song. It was, like, 'This song needs a second spin.' The chord structures, everything is very hard rock, but the way they did it, it wasn't. So you'll see how we did it."

Rockett and Gibbs played their first show as THE ROCKETT MAFIA in May 2024 at the end of the aforementioned The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride motorcycle charity event in Santa Monica, California. They were joined at the gig by guitarist Brent Woods (SEBASTIAN BACH, CHEVY METAL) and bassist Wiley Hodgden.

Rockett and Gibbs previously played together in a band called DEVIL CITY ANGELS, also featuring guitarist Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Eric Brittingham (CINDERELLA). The band released its self-titled debut album in September 2015. Following the recording of "Devil City Angels", Brittingham decided not to continue with the project and his spot was taken by Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE). Around a year later, Rockett, Gibbs and Brittingham joined forces with guitarist Joel Kosche (ex-COLLECTIVE SOUL) to form the LORDS OF DEVIL CITY. Within a few months, Rockett, Gibbs and Brittingham relaunched DEVIL CITY ANGELS, only for Eric to exit the project in the summer of 2017 and be replaced by Topher Nelson. In July 2020, DEVIL CITY ANGELS released a new single, "Testify".

In early 2019, Gibbs and Rockett were embroiled in a public war of words after Gibbs indicated he was no longer involved with DEVIL CITY ANGELS due to the fact that the band was "inactive." Rikki responded that DEVIL CITY ANGELS "went inactive" because he was diagnosed with cancer and suggested possibly moving on without Brandon. This prompted Gibbs to fire back that he had "never seen someone complain about money, perception and 1st class tickets" as much as Rockett allegedly did, "to the point where it gets in the way of doing anything." The two have since resolved their differences.

Back in 2015, Rockett told Sleaze Roxx about Gibbs: "The thing about Brandon is that he's a young guy but he sounds like he's from the '70s. That's what is so appealing for guys like us. That's the reason that I really wanted Brandon involved with us. Brandon doesn't have any baggage, which is good and he has a lot of experience. He's got a great pedigree."

In 2015, Rockett and Gibbs joined forces with Rikki's POISON bandmates Bobby Dall (bass) and C.C. DeVille (guitar) to play several shows as THE SPECIAL GUESTS in what was widely perceived as a not-so-subtle message to POISON singer Bret Michaels that they weren't willing to remain completely inactive while he pursued a solo career.

Photo credit: John Salami (courtesy of Pavement Entertainment)

QUEEN recently launched "The Greatest Special" video series celebrating "A Night At The Opera" vinyl reissue and 50th anniversary of "Bohemian Rhapsody".

With QUEEN's classic 1975 album newly reissued on limited-edition crystal-clear vinyl — and its most famous song celebrating a half-century — guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor take us behind the scenes in an exclusive video series released throughout November.

Having previously revealed the songs that paved the way for "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "A Night At The Opera" in exclusive new interviews for "Queen The Greatest", Taylor and May reveal how the technical experiences on the band's first three albums enabled them to realize their outrageous ambitions for their make-or-break fourth album, "A Night At The Opera".

For QUEEN, the recording studio was an instrument in its own right. And while the young band were forced to toe the line while creating 1973's debut album at Trident Studios, their expanding popularity gave them more control on each record — culminating in the unbound experimentation of 1975's "A Night At The Opera".

Now, as that classic fourth album celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new celebratory clear-vinyl reissue, this week's episode of "Queen The Greatest" shares further exclusive new interviews in which May and Taylor recall how the band's early studio experiences shaped their identity.

"Really, I think 'Queen II' was the first time we were allowed a certain amount of freedom in the studio, whereas with the first album we weren't", says Taylor , "so basically it sounds better and more like the way we wanted it to sound. I don't think its perfect by a long way, but we were building our confidence in the studio. It had a lot more light and shade."

As Brian affirms, the shifting balance of power can be heard in the ambitious soundscapes of 1974's "Queen II". "I've always been a big advocate of that album because I think it was a giant step," he says. "We're going from a band that is hardly allowed in the studio — except a few hours in dead time — to a band that actually has studio time. We can indulge ourselves. We can experiment, and we make a giant leap with painting pictures on the canvas of the tapes on 'Queen II'. I love that album."

By contrast, Roger recalls the band largely dialling back the production on third album "Sheer Heart Attack", released in November 1974. "In general, that was a hard-hitting, more simplified album," he says. "And, in my opinion, that was to its credit. The songs were good, they weren't too long, weren't over-elaborate. It was more stuff we could actually play live without getting too much into studio trickery."

But as Brian counters, the band's natural tendency towards the ambitious and grandiose set their course for 1975's "A Night At The Opera". "We go complex again," he remembers of album sessions that at the time were the most ambitious and expensive in history. "You know, let's pursue our dreams a bit further. We've done 'Sheer Heart Attack'; it's done quite well. But, really, our heart is in chiseling out these unusual places. In those days, it was fun, because it's like getting a new car and seeing what you can do with it. It's the four of us — with Mike Stone, the engineer and Roy Baker, our producer — and we're all learning how to use the studio. Pushing things ever further."

While QUEEN's first three albums made them stars, by 1975, the band were still living in penury, and as Brian recalled, had this fourth album failed, "I think we would have just disappeared under the ocean." Thankfully, "A Night At The Opera" flew to a U.K. No. 1, and half a century later, the new vinyl reissue presents a record that broke all the rules, its head-spinning material roaming from the seething rock of "Death On Two Legs" to "Seaside Rendezvous" vaudeville whimsy.

"For any song we took on, no matter who amongst the four of us had brought it in, it was an exhilarating process," remembers Brian, "challenging, sometimes difficult, sometimes argumentative — but really rewarding, because what you got in the end was something so shiny, rounded, adventurous and dangerous. It became QUEEN stuff — and QUEEN stuff was a million times greater than anything that any one of the four of us could come up with on their own…"

The new series "Queen The Greatest" continues weekly throughout November.