Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes joined BAD MARRIAGE, the band featuring former TESLA guitarist Tommy Skeoch, on stage this past Saturday (December 6) at The Rockin' Buffalo in West Seneca, New York to perform a cover of the Neil Young classic "Rockin' In The Free World". Video of Holmes's appearance can be seen below, courtesy of Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series.

As previously reported, Skeoch and Holmes have teamed up with TESLA bassist and founding member Brian Wheat and original SALIVA singer Josey Scott in a new band called TERMINAL.

This past Friday (December 5),Wheat shared a picture of him with Skeoch and Holmes and he included the following message: "Been working on the new TERMINAL record this week. #newmusiccomingsoon #terminalband #chrisholmes #brianwheat #tommyskeoch".

When Wheat announced TERMINAL's formation in September, he wrote: "We look forward to presenting you with our new brand of music." He then clarified: "No, I am not leaving TESLA. I'm just starting another new band with my old friend."

This past July, Wheat joined BAD MARRIAGE on stage in Webster, New York, marking the first time in nearly 20 years that Wheat and Skeoch had performed live together. Wheat, Skeoch and the rest of BAD MARRIAGE ripped through the TESLA classics "Rock Me To The Top" and "Little Suzi".

Ten months ago, Wheat brought up his current relationship with Skeoch while speaking to Ernest Skinner of Canada's Border City Rock Talk about his friendship with Holmes. He said:  "Me and Chris are gonna do a band or a project, whatever you wanna call it, together. And Tommy has agreed to do it as well. So the three of us have talked about putting together a project, band, whatever you wanna call it this day and age, but me and Chris have already started to work on some songs. And I know me and Tommy know how to write songs together 'cause we did a lot in TESLA. So the next step would be to get me and Tommy and Chris together, whether it's on a Zoom, working together like that or whatever, and write some material, and then find a singer that would be the right singer for that project.

"But, yeah, me and Chris are pretty good buddies," Brian continued. "We see each other when I'm at my house in Italy. He's there all the time. He lives in France. And I'm in Florida now for the winter. Tommy's in Florida. So we've all talked about it. So it's just when we get around to doing it. And it's just carving out a time where Chris isn't busy doing MEAN MAN, I'm not doing TESLA or VIOLET BREED, and Tommy's not doing BAD MARRIAGE.

"I'm looking forward to it, because I like Chris and I wanna work with Tommy again," Wheat added.

In February 2022, Skeoch, who left TESLA in 2006 to receive treatment for substance-abuse issues, reconnected with Wheat for the first time in more than a decade and a half aboard that year's Monsters Of Rock cruise. The charter cruise featured performances by Skeoch's then-band RESIST & BITE while Wheat was onboard showing his art.

In an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Skeoch was asked if he exited TESLA of his own accord or if he was asked to leave. Tommy said: "I was fired. I was getting fucked up and I was definitely in the wrong about a lot of stuff, and they put up with it for a long time. But at the same time, none of us were angels, and we put up with a lot of stuff from the other guys for a long time too, and they're still there. So I felt like a little scapegoated by the thing. And the other thing is they didn't want people — I guess for the benefit of my family, so it wouldn't look bad — they said, 'Tommy's just gonna spend time [with his family].' That's why nobody knows, and that's why you're asking this question. Everyone's confused on even what happened. Basically, I was fired. I was getting fucked up, and I kept fucking up, and I kept telling 'em I wouldn't, and I just couldn't stop."

Skeoch added that he accepts responsibility for the circumstances that led to his departure from TESLA. "I do, of course," he said. "But I also believe we put up with a lot of shit for a long time from almost every other guy in the band, and they're still there. So I don't know what's up with that; that's a little weird to me."

Skeoch was a founding member of TESLA and played on the Sacramento five-piece defining albums, including 1986 debut "Mechanical Resonance" and 1990's "Five Man Acoustical Jam".

Tommy, who was fired due to substance abuse issues in 1994, rejoined when TESLA reformed more than two and a half decades ago following a brief hiatus.

TESLA bassist and founding member Brian Wheat recently teamed up with original TESLA guitarist Tommy Skeoch in a new band called TERMINAL. Joining the duo in the new group are former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes and original SALIVA singer Josey Scott.

Earlier today (Friday, December 5),Wheat shared a picture of him with Skeoch and Holmes and he included the following message: "Been working on the new TERMINAL record this week. #newmusiccomingsoon #terminalband #chrisholmes #brianwheat #tommyskeoch".

When Wheat announced TERMINAL's formation in September, he wrote: "We look forward to presenting you with our new brand of music." He then clarified: "No, I am not leaving TESLA. I'm just starting another new band with my old friend."

This past July, Wheat joined BAD MARRIAGE on stage in Webster, New York, marking the first time in nearly 20 years that Wheat and Skeoch — who is also BAD MARRIAGE lead guitarist — had performed live together. Wheat, Skeoch and the rest of BAD MARRIAGE ripped through the TESLA classics "Rock Me To The Top" and "Little Suzi".

Ten months ago, Wheat brought up his current relationship with Skeoch while speaking to Ernest Skinner of Canada's Border City Rock Talk about his friendship with Holmes. He said:  "Me and Chris are gonna do a band or a project, whatever you wanna call it, together. And Tommy has agreed to do it as well. So the three of us have talked about putting together a project, band, whatever you wanna call it this day and age, but me and Chris have already started to work on some songs. And I know me and Tommy know how to write songs together 'cause we did a lot in TESLA. So the next step would be to get me and Tommy and Chris together, whether it's on a Zoom, working together like that or whatever, and write some material, and then find a singer that would be the right singer for that project.

"But, yeah, me and Chris are pretty good buddies," Brian continued. "We see each other when I'm at my house in Italy. He's there all the time. He lives in France. And I'm in Florida now for the winter. Tommy's in Florida. So we've all talked about it. So it's just when we get around to doing it. And it's just carving out a time where Chris isn't busy doing MEAN MAN, I'm not doing TESLA or VIOLET BREED, and Tommy's not doing BAD MARRIAGE.

"I'm looking forward to it, because I like Chris and I wanna work with Tommy again," Wheat added.

In February 2022, Skeoch, who left TESLA in 2006 to receive treatment for substance-abuse issues, reconnected with Wheat for the first time in more than a decade and a half aboard that year's Monsters Of Rock cruise. The charter cruise featured performances by Skeoch's then-band RESIST & BITE while Wheat was onboard showing his art.

In an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Skeoch was asked if he exited TESLA of his own accord or if he was asked to leave. Tommy said: "I was fired. I was getting fucked up and I was definitely in the wrong about a lot of stuff, and they put up with it for a long time. But at the same time, none of us were angels, and we put up with a lot of stuff from the other guys for a long time too, and they're still there. So I felt like a little scapegoated by the thing. And the other thing is they didn't want people — I guess for the benefit of my family, so it wouldn't look bad — they said, 'Tommy's just gonna spend time [with his family].' That's why nobody knows, and that's why you're asking this question. Everyone's confused on even what happened. Basically, I was fired. I was getting fucked up, and I kept fucking up, and I kept telling 'em I wouldn't, and I just couldn't stop."

Skeoch added that he accepts responsibility for the circumstances that led to his departure from TESLA. "I do, of course," he said. "But I also believe we put up with a lot of shit for a long time from almost every other guy in the band, and they're still there. So I don't know what's up with that; that's a little weird to me."

Skeoch was a founding member of TESLA and played on the Sacramento five-piece defining albums, including 1986 debut "Mechanical Resonance" and 1990's "Five Man Acoustical Jam".

Tommy, who was fired due to substance abuse issues in 1994, rejoined when TESLA reformed more than two and a half decades ago following a brief hiatus.

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GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash joined his SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS bandmate Myles Kennedy on stage last night (Sunday, December 7) at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California to perform the song "Behind The Veil".

The original version of "Behind The Veil" was featured on Myles's critically acclaimed third solo album, "The Art Of Letting Go", which was released in October 2024 via Napalm Records.

Myles is currently touring North America as the support act for MAMMOTH, the band led by former VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen.

During an October 23 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Slash spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the new album from his long-running project SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS. He said: "It's done. We still have to mix it. I'm gonna mix it in January. I think it's in January — somewhere in there when I get back — and mix it and finish it up. But it doesn't come out till 2027. But then we're gonna do a full-blown tour. And that's the thing, is I had to find a window where I could do a full-scale tour with the CONSPIRATORS. And I didn't wanna release it until I was able to do that, and 2027 is the real window for it. So that's when the record comes out."

As for how the new SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS LP turned out, Slash said: "It's really cool — the record's badass. All things considered, I don't like to hype a record up, but I'm excited about it."

Slash previously revealed in an August 2025 social media post that the recording sessions for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS were completed. He wrote at the time: "Recording for #SMKC record number 5 is done today. Album title [to be confirmed]. This has been a super cool session all around. & we all agree it's one of, if not the best one yet. Unfortunately you'll have to wait till 2027 to weigh in, too much going on next year to put it out. But it will be worth the wait. Full blown world tour to follow!"

In a recent interview with J.J. Caithcart of Different Stages Radio, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS drummer Brent Fitz stated about the band's next album: "Slash has the greatest work ethic of any musician I've ever worked with. So, we got busy. We toured together in 2024, and then we were out doing other things, and then Slash did a blues record and tour. And then, as soon as that was done, we got right into the studio in L.A. He has an amazing working studio. We can be busy there in L.A. We did that for a month, and then we went out to Florida and recorded most of all the bed tracks, the music parts of it."

Asked if there was a working title for the upcoming SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album, Brent said: "Nothing. No, no. It's always gonna be a Myles thing, or Slash, just songtitles and lyric ideas. I will say that what's fun is when we do write these songs, and this'll be our fifth record together, but we always have comedic working titles. And Todd's [SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS bassist and backing vocalist Todd Kerns] usually good — Todd and Slash — good for coming up with things that won't be the final title, 'cause obviously with lyrics with Myles, it'll be something completely different. But we usually just give something a title so we can go, 'Hey, let's work on that song.' 'What song?' 'Oh, the song in E.' No, we'll give it a title. But over time we've had these goofy titles, I'll just say, that sometimes they stick. And to this day, some of our songs, I go, 'Oh, it's called 'Wicked Stone'.' And I'm, like, 'But it used to be something completely ridiculous.' And I still think sometimes when I look at our setlist live, I go, 'Oh, that's the 'Elephant Disorder' song.' It's just funny how… We have a whole bunch of goofy working titles for the songs right now."

This past January, Kennedy told Heavy Consequence about the next SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album: "As far as the progress goes, I think a lot of it is well on its way. I have to get my vocals recorded. Just have to find a window of time to do that in between the touring and whatnot. I have my vocals written and melodies and lyrics and all that stuff. I just need to get in to the studio and knock it out."

He continued: "As for the direction of the record, it's still riff-based rock 'n' roll with a heavy dose of the blues element that Slash brings, like only he does. It's some really great stuff. I think it's going to be another fun one to tour live."

In December 2024, Myles told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that "the demoing and all that, the writing" for the next SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album "was done before I even embarked on this last [solo] tour. The easy part is the recording; the hard part is the writing. Slash and I were — he was sending me demos of the tunes. Then I was spending time with him, coming up with melodies and lyrics. And so that's all done — I think with the exception of one song. Now I just have to find a moment to get in the studio and all that, knock that out. But I will say that just even in the demo process and where we stood there before they went in to actually make the record musically, it is really exciting stuff. I'm really, really stoked about where this one's going. It's gonna be cool."

Asked if he writes any of the music for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS or if he is mostly in charge of coming up with the lyrics and the melodies, Myles said: "Yeah, most of what I'm doing is lyrics and melodies. Occasionally if something comes in and I'm, like, 'Hey, can we change this chord progression for the sake of the melody?' But it's interesting 'cause more so on [2012's] 'Apocalyptic Love', when I played guitar on that record, there was a little bit more of, 'Hey, try this part. See what this sounds like, if we utilize this to help the arrangement somehow.' But it's funny — I was thinking about that the other day, and I was just, like… It just highlights how cool [Slash] is. I [was] coming in, it was [my] second record [with Slash] and I've got my guitar, and I'm, like, 'What do you think? What if we tried this?' And I'm, like, 'You're sitting there with Slash. He doesn't need any help, man.' But he was so cool and so accommodating. But as the years have gone on and we've made all these records, one thing that continues to amaze me is just how much he understands, not just the riff thing, but coming up with chord progressions that really lend themselves to coming up with compelling melodies for me. It's, like, he knows how to sequence the chords where it's gonna really leave room for a melody, which I appreciate. And, like I said, occasionally I'd be, like, 'Hey, can we try a G here instead of a D 'cause I hear the melody doing this?' Or I'll send the melody back and he'll go, 'I'm gonna change this chord because I feel like it suits the melody better.' I'm, like, 'Great.' So yeah, he totally gets it."

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS entered the studio in November 2024 to begin recording its fifth album.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS kicked off "The River Is Rising - Rest Of The World Tour '24" on January 23, 2024 with the band's return to Mexico City's Pepsi Centre WTC. The group's 24-song setlist included the live debut of a deep GUNS N' ROSES cut, "Don't Damn Me", featuring Kerns on lead vocals.

Support on various dates of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS's "The River Is Rising - Rest Of The World Tour '24" came from MAMMOTH WVH.

Prior to the launch of "The River Is Rising – Rest Of The World Tour '24", SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS last performed in February and March 2022 as part of a U.S. tour.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "4", was released in February 2022 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.

"4" was Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Kennedy, Fitz, Kerns and guitarist Frank Sidoris.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS released "Live At Studios 60", their first-ever double live LP, for the 2022 Record Store Day. The effort contained a performance of "4", plus four additional songs from the group. Recorded live in Los Angeles at Studios 60, the "Live At Studios 60" double LP exclusive Record Store Day release was limited to only 2,250 copies. The full concert featured all the songs from "4". Additional performances of the group's Top 5 rock radio hits, including "You're A Lie", "World On Fire", "Anastasia" and "Driving Rain" are also included in the double vinyl package.

For "4", Slash and the band traveled across the country together to Nashville, Tennessee and recorded the new album at the historic RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile),revealing a stunning new sound and style all captured live in the studio. Cobb shared the band's desire to lay down the tracks live, in the studio including guitar solos and vocals — a first for the group.

Slash released a blues album called "Orgy Of The Damned" in May 2024 via Gibson Records.

In the summer of 2024, Slash brought his brand-new "S.E.R.P.E.N.T." festival to cities across the U.S.. On all dates, Slash performed alongside his blues band featuring bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy "ZigZag" Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.

During BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward's December 2025 radio show as part of the LA Radio Sessions, which airs Sundays at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time) on 99.1 KLBP-FM in Long Beach and also online at KLBP.org, he played METALLICA's "Enter Sandman". Bill later discussed METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and their longtime relationship and mutual respect. Ward said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Lars, first of all, he's the most huggable man. [Laughs] Of course I was with him recently [at the 'Back To The Beginning' event], and I was so happy that we could spend time together earlier when we did the last show with BLACK SABBATH, and we talked, I think, for about an hour nonstop. I mean, when me and him start talking — it's a bit like when I'm with Johnny Kelly from TYPE O [NEGATIVE], to be honest with you. As a matter of fact, you know what?! That can go for all the drummers that I meet. But we gave each other big hugs all the time. And we passed a lot of things between us. There's a lot of history between us. There's a lot of honor between us. I know that he's a huge fan of BLACK SABBATH and I'm a huge fan of METALLICA. I just love METALLICA. I love Lars's drumming. He's had to find himself, as have all the band, they've found a niche or a place where they can exist and dominate in heavy metal."

Bill continued: "When I first met them, they were really young — all the guys [were] really [young]. I think I first met Lars when he was about 18 years old, 19 years old at the most. So, they have created their own society and a musical genre that is unto themselves. And it's such a great name, METALLICA.

"Lars is a brilliant drummer," Ward added. "He's persevering, he works hard. I've seen him work hard. And he's such a nice man. And again, I don't know what it is with fucking drummers, but everybody rattles — 'rattles' is Astonian for 'talks a lot' — and so when we get together, he does all the talking, to be honest, and then I try to find a gap where, if he goes silent while he's taking a breath, I try to find a gap where I can get in a word.

"I love him to death," Bill said. "When I put my arms around him, he could stay there forever. I love his family. I love how he plays. So, he's just one of the best people to know."

Back in October 2014, Ward paid tribute to Ulrich on his "Rock 50" radio show. He said at the time: "Lars is an exceptional drummer. He's spiritually sound. I really like that.

"A lot of the paths that Lars has passed through I've travelled myself. And I ended up with being able to take whatever my abilities are, and I was able to utilize that in whatever music we did with SABBATH or we're doing with my own bands now, or if I jam out with anybody, I just play whatever shows up. So it's, like, 'This is what I've got.' But I can remember going through a period over 20, probably 28, 25 or 26 years ago, where I stopped competing, so I had to find out what I could do and make good use of it. And it sounds like Lars has reached that settling ground as well. And I think he does such a good job of it.

"His drum creations have brought the sound of METALLICA to the very edge of metal spearhead, and he's worthy of much praise. He's inspirational and a must-listen for the students. So go ahead, students. If you are learning drums or need to learn the new techniques and stuff like that, listen to Lars, man. He's got some really good stuff that you can learn from."

After airing several METALLICA songs — including "Enter Sandman", "Master Of Puppets", "Until It Sleeps" and "All Nightmare Long" — Ward said: "There are so many things, drum-wise, in all of those songs that are departure points, where other drummers can look at it and go, 'Well, this didn't exist before.' Then Lars created it and we can all listen to it and go, 'Wow!' We can nick some stuff as well, you know. [Laughs] But I love the guy. I think he's just absolutely incredible."

He continued: "I sighed a deep sigh of relief when I heard [METALLICA's] 'black' album. Everything musically had seemed to be distorted feng shui until I heard Lars and METALLICA landing firmly with a statement that announced, 'This way.' And that's how it felt."

Ward added: "You know where the music scene was during the early '80s. Things were kind of, like, 'Oh, we've got this band, and we've got that going on.' And I was in bad shape. I was coming off SABBATH and we'd been through all the SABBATH years and touring and grinding. And so it was 1980 and I was just waking up into a new life, I guess, and I was listening around, looking around for music, and [a short time later] I heard a couple of METALLICA's early albums and then I heard the 'black' album, and I thought, 'Oh my god.' And it seemed to be like that was… it had the same effect that the 'white' album, THE BEATLES' 'white' album had on me. METALLICA's 'black' album, when I heard that and I heard Lars' playing, and I just was, like, you know, 'Wow! Something really neat's been accomplished here.' It pointed, 'This way, guys. This is the way we're going.' And it seemed like there was a multitude of music that followed that, and we've got this incredible heavy metal thing that we have today."

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — Ward, singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler — played its final concert this past summer. Dubbed "Back To The Beginning", the charity show was held at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom on July 5.

"Accountable Beasts", Ward's first solo album in 18 years, was released in 2015 via iTunes. The CD featured Ward's drumming on seven of the album's nine tracks, as well as contributions from Bill's longtime collaborators Keith Lynch (guitar, keyboards),Paul Ill (bass) and Ronnie Ciago (drums),alongside drummer Walter Earl and an array of session singers, including Ward's daughter Emily.

Ward in May 2012 announced that he was declining to join his former SABBATH bandmates for its scheduled dates, as well as the recording of the new album, due to a contractual dispute. After SABBATH shot down producer Rick Rubin's suggestion to replace Ward with Ginger Baker (CREAM) ("I thought, 'Bloody hell?'" Iommi told Rolling Stone magazine. "I just couldn't see that.") for the LP recording sessions, Rick suggested RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio during SABBATH's last tour that Ward was not in shape to participate. "Bill Ward has got the most physically demanding job of the lot of us, 'cause he's the timekeeper," he said. "I don't think personally he had the chops to pull it off, you know. The saddest thing is that he needed to own up to that, and we could have worked around it, whether we had a drummer on the side with him or something."

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed in 2017 during a question-and-answer session about SABBATH's "Ten Year War" box set.

The iconic and highly influential punk rock band BAD BRAINS announced today that they have partnered with Trust Records, the company formed to ensure that classic punk and hardcore music continues to endure. Under the new deal, Trust Records will continue to ensure that the band's music is available for generations to come.

Additionally, Trust Records has established an Artist Advisory Board upon which BAD BRAINS' bassist Darryl Jenifer will serve. The Artist Advisory Board will help to guide the future creative vision of Trust.

The partnership will govern and administer the entirety of BAD BRAINS-owned and -controlled intellectual property, including music publishing, recorded music, name and likeness, trademark, and visual IP, including the self-titled debut album as well as seminal albums "Rock For Light", "I Against I" and "Quickness".

Jenifer said in a statement: "After 40-plus years of forging the spirit PMA through our brand of progressive punk rock a.k.a. hardcore, I'm happy that BAD BRAINS will be sharing the wheel with Trust in our ongoing quest to keep BAD BRAINS alive in the hearts and minds of our supporters as we step into the future. Trust's love and knowledge of BAD BRAINS and the PMA ethos makes them a perfect match to partner with as we keep BAD BRAINS 'Sailin' On.' Stay tuned for what's next to come. One love and a hefty dose of PMA."

Formed in 1978 in Washington, D.C., BAD BRAINS is one of the most influential American recording artists with roots in the punk and hardcore scene. BAD BRAINS' pioneering artistry, strong ethics, and virtuosic musicianship that has had a profound effect on global culture. The band is cited as an influence by countless global artists (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, BEASTIE BOYS, METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, NO DOUBT, SUBLIME, GREEN DAY, PEARL JAM, FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES). The original lineup consisted of H.R. (vocals),Dr. Know (guitar),Darryl Jenifer (bass) and Earl Hudson (drums).

"We started Trust Records to promote, preserve, and protect punk and hardcore music and the culture that surrounds it," said Trust Records founder Matt Pincus. "BAD BRAINS is the absolute top of the mountain in punk and hardcore. They taught the rest of us how to do it. It is the highest honor partner with Darryl and BAD BRAINS in the stewardship of their iconic work."

Joe Nelson, co-founder of Trust Records, commented: "BAD BRAINS' are an iconic and legendary band whose impact on global culture cannot be overstated. We are thrilled that they've chosen Trust Records as their home and we look forward to working with them to continue to build their fan base around the world."

Trust Records, launched in 2020, was formed to give classic punk and hardcore records the home that they deserve. The great records of this genre sprung from DIY roots to influence millions of disaffected kids around the world. As we now move into the "streaming age", it's crucial to keep their spirit and legacy alive. Trust's focus is to ensure this music is available for all future generations while also getting the story and quality right.

Trust's catalog so far includes 40th-anniversary deluxe versions of CIRCLE JERKS' iconic albums "Group Sex", "Wild In The Streets" and 7SECONDS' 1984 landmark punk record "The Crew" in addition to reissues of YOUTH BRIGADE's "Sound And Fury" and DFL's "My Crazy Life", SSD's "The Kids Will Have Their Say", INK & DAGGER's "The Complete Works" and more.

In a new interview with Chile's SonarFM, AVANTASIA mastermind Tobias Sammet was asked if he was personally affected by the recent losses of Ace Frehley and Ozzy Osbourne, "either as someone who grew up with that lineage or as an artist who spent decades reshaping what metal can be." Tobias responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely. Because whenever somebody leaves that has played a huge part or a huge role in your childhood, as was the case with both Ace Frehley and Ozzy Osbourne, you always realize — I mean, I don't wanna sound too sentimental, because it may be devastating, way more devastating for the people close to those stars who knew them as persons, as fathers, as husbands, as family members and close friends — but for me, it always feels like a part of my childhood leaves with them. Because I remember both Ozzy Osbourne and a Ace Frehley in particular — those two losses this year were really affecting me personally as a music lover and as somebody who was looking back at his childhood, realizing they were there always. I mean, Ace Frehley, he was an original member of KISS, and KISS has been a huge part of my life. Without those guys, I probably would never have picked up a microphone or entered a stage myself. It was the dream of living my life independently from the mainstream world, so to speak, and doing my thing, doing the greatest thing in the world — music — and being on a stage and becoming a rock musician, a traveling troubadour. And, yeah, Ace Frehley was there. 'Shock Me', 'Cold Gin', 'Rock Bottom'. 'Rip It Out' — those songs are the soundtrack of my childhood. And also Ozzy Osbourne, he was there. He was, to me, the epitome of heavy metal, of what heavy metal is all about, with a sense of humor. It was scary. Whatever Ozzy did was unpredictable, in a way. He was different. He was a rebel, a rock and roll rebel, as he sang himself. And at the same time he was taking it with a certain bit of humor. He was always tongue in cheek, and you could always sense that between the lines he was taking the piss, and that was something that I really adored about Ozzy. And, yeah, whenever somebody with that impact leaves, as I say, a part of your childhood goes, and those two losses affected me personally."

Tobias continued: "Last year [we lost] Tony Clarkin of MAGNUM, which was even much worse for me personally, because I knew Tony and, and I have a very special relationship to the whole MAGNUM camp, that was — it was devastating, but it is what it is. It doesn't really ease the pain much, but they have left us a great legacy. And whenever I put on MAGNUM music today, it still gives me great comfort that he has had that impact on the world and he had lived a great life and created great music for us. And nowadays I can listen to MAGNUM without being sad, but rather celebrate Tony's legacy."

Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate also reportedly said the 76-year-old musician suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

Ace, whose real name was Paul Daniel Frehley, died on October 16 of blunt trauma injuries to his head due to a fall. The Morris County Medical Examiner revealed the cause of death in a report obtained by TMZ. Ace's manner of death was ruled an accident. He was 74 years old.

Clarkin died in January 2024 at the age of 77. The news of his death came just weeks after it was announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare and incurable spinal condition. As a result of his diagnosis, MAGNUM canceled its previously announced spring 2024 tour.

AVANTASIA's tenth studio album, "Here Be Dragons", was released in February via Napalm Records. The 10-track offering was written and composed in its entirety by Sammet himself, produced and recorded by Sammet together with Sascha Paeth, mixed by Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg. The cover art was once again created by acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews.

Photo credit: Kevin Nixon

During a December 5 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine spoke about the band's recently announced "farewell" tour, which will officially launch in 2026. The trek, dubbed the "This Was Our Life" tour, will be in support of MEGADETH's upcoming "final", self-titled album, which will arrive in January, and will mark the end of more than four decades of musical history for the 64-year-old musician.

Asked why "Megadeth" will be the band's final album and why he decided to embark on a "farewell" tour at this point of his career, Mustaine said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It had been a long time coming — just physical stuff that was going on with my hands… My hands were letting me down. And there were other things that were difficult because of all the stuff going on in my neck and my trunk. All that area there has arthritis and it has discs that are bulging. I've got a broken lumbar bone. Of course, you know I have my back fused, up by my shoulders, by my neck. And just a lot of stuff."

Mustaine continued: "I always said when it got to the point where I was unable to give a hundred percent every night, that's when I was gonna start considering winding down. And it wasn't that I was unable to give a hundred percent, because we finished the record, and I think we did a good job on it, but there was a period when we were working and I said to my manager, I said, 'I don't know how much longer I can do this. My hands are really hurting.' And I didn't mean to set the ball rolling. Honestly, I just was making conversation, and it turned into me talking to the band guys and sleeping on it and talking to my family and praying on it. And the answer was clear to me that by the time we're done with the record, I'm gonna know how the record's gonna do. If the record does really well, then I'll be able to have one last really good tour. And the part about the farewell thing, it's kind of like the same thing, isn't it? We've got some dates that we wanna play to say goodbye to our friends."

Dave added: "The thing is we're an American band, but we play everywhere. So it's not like we just are weekend warriors, like country acts here in the States. We've got a lot of touring to do in order to do our farewell properly."

After host Eddie Trunk noted that a lot of veteran artists overstay their welcome and don't gracefully bow out of the music scene after they are no longer able to perform their songs properly, Mustaine concurred.  "I don't think there's any reason [for us] to [keep playing when we are not able to deliver a hundred percent]," he said. "I mean, unless you're financially in a bad way and you need to keep playing, which, by the grace of God, I've been successful. I've been able to pay all my bills. All the band guys, they all get their paychecks on time. We do everything right by the book. So, some people, like I said, they may have to keep playing, because there's nothing else for them to do. Now, when I think about, what am I gonna do after I hang the guitar up, that's in relation to touring, and I believe that I'm going to keep doing music in some way, shape or form. But not in the fashion that I was doing with MEGS because if I can't do it and I need to stop playing with my first love, I'm not gonna go out and try and do it again with someone else."

Last month, Mustaine told Kerrang! magazine that MEGADETH's farewell run of shows could last a long time. "We're easily talking about touring for another three to five years," Dave said. "And if we're going to be doing it for that long then, shit, I'll be looking at the birthday I don't even want to think about," he added, referencing the fact that he will turn 70 in 2031.

As someone who overcame addiction to drugs and alcohol and beat throat cancer, Mustaine added: "I'm not caught up in longevity and stuff like that, and being one of those guys who can play until he's in his 80s. I have to remember that people live and they die. And I need to take good care of myself."

"Megadeth" will be released on January 23, 2026. The follow-up to 2022's "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" will be made available via Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label.

In a press release announcing MEGADETH's final album and farewell tour, Mustaine thanked fans for their commitment and love while celebrating the band's impact on the music world.

"There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional," Mustaine said. "Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them."

He continued. "We can't wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it's now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it's now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it's our last studio album. We've made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour.

"Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything."

For its final album, MEGADETH once again worked with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on MEGADETH's last two LPs, the aforementioned "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

Guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari joined MEGADETH two years ago. He stepped in as the replacement for Brazilian-born guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who announced in September 2023 that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that the now-38-year-old Finnish musician would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Released in September 2022, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!", sold 48,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked MEGADETH's eighth top 10-charting album.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown To Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

Led by the growled vocals and razor-wire riffing of Mustaine, MEGADETH are one of the "Big Four" thrash titans. Shortly after being kicked out of METALLICA in 1983, Mustaine met bassist David Ellefson, and the pair bonded quickly, forming the core of MEGADETH. Drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland later joined, and MEGADETH released their underground-hit debut "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" in 1985. Its follow-up, "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", solidified the band's status with sprawling yet tightly wound songs like the uneasy opener "Wake Up Dead" and the fiery title track.

"So Far, So Good... So What!", released in 1988, featured a new lineup as well as a thrashy cover of the SEX PISTOLS' "Anarchy In The U.K." and the anti-PMRC broadside "Hook In Mouth". In 1990 they released "Rust In Peace", with Nick Menza on drums and technical wizard Marty Friedman on guitar; songs such as "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Hangar 18" blended pummeling riffs and suspicion-fueled lyrics with a stadium-rock ambition that matched the era's metal-embracing tendencies.

"Countdown To Extinction", released in 1992, and "Youthanasia", released in 1994, continued the band's dominance of metal and emergence in rock's mainstream, with the latter album's "À Tout Le Monde" being a rare thrash ballad. After a brief breakup in the early 2000s, MEGADETH returned as a de facto Mustaine solo project with 2004's "The System Has Failed". Ellefson rejoined in 2010 prior to the album "Th1rt3en" and remained in the MEGADETH lineup until 2021, when he was fired.

In addition to Mustaine and Mäntysaari, MEGADETH's current lineup includes drummer Dirk Verbeuren and bassist James LoMenzo.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

METALLICA, BON JOVI, IRON MAIDEN and GUNS N' ROSES have made concert trade publication Pollstar's list of the top 25 "Most Popular Touring Artists Of The Millennium", based on ticket sales from January 1, 2001 to the end of 2025.

METALLICA came in at No. 8 with over 15.5 million tickets sold at 562 concerts since 2001. BON JOVI is ranked No. 9 with over 13.9 million tickets sold at 587 shows, while GUNS N' ROSES is at No. 16 with 10.7 million tickets sold at 486 concerts and IRON MAIDEN is No. 19 with 10 million tickets sold at 620 shows.

COLDPLAY topped the list with 24.8 million tickets sold, followed by U2, with 20.2 million tickets sold, and Ed Sheeran, with 19.6 million.

This landmark quarter-century-spanning chart release is a special advance feature leading up to Pollstar's highly anticipated 2025 year-end special issue, set for publication December 12.

The year-end issue will contain the definitive rankings of the Top 200 Worldwide, North American Top Touring Artists of 2025, and The Year's Top Venues providing the essential metrics and analysis that shape the industry's future.

"Congratulations to COLDPLAY, U2, Ed Sheeran, DAVE MATTHEWS BAND and all the top 25 acts of the last 25 years as well as their teams, their fans, and this entire industry who work tirelessly to make these shows happen," said Andy Gensler, Pollstar editor-in-chief. "It is staggering to consider the exponential growth this industry has undergone over the last quarter century with more superstar acts playing more shows in more territories than ever. This list is the perfect prelude to our 2025 Year End Special Issue in which touring continues to reach new creative and commercial heights across every genre."

Pollstar Live!, the world's largest gathering of concert industry professionals, will return April 14–16, 2026, at the Loews Hollywood Hotel. From talent booking to ticketing, sponsorships to sustainability, marketing to fan engagement — this is where the industry comes together to shape what's next in live entertainment. New in 2026, Pollstar Live! expands to a third full day, answering the demand for deeper content with more sessions, more conversations, and more opportunities to learn, connect, and grow — running alongside the powerhouse Production Live! A highlight of the week, the 37th annual Pollstar Awards will celebrate excellence across the industry, honoring the artists, venues, executives and events that define the business.

Pollstar, "The Voice Of Live", is the premier trade publication dedicated to covering the worldwide concert industry. Pollstar data is the leading resource for the touring industry encompassing box office numbers, event listings and contact directories. Pollstar produces a monthly magazine, weekly and daily e-newsletters, and produces the world's largest gathering of live music industry professionals — Pollstar Live! and VenuesNow conference.

On December 3 and December 4, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm joined the band's current lineup on stage at Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York to perform several songs, including "Luanne", "Girl On The Moon", "Urgent" and "I Want To Know What Love Is". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

FOREIGNER's ongoing tour features Gramm on guest vocals for some of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group's biggest hits. Gramm is sharing the stage with Luis Maldonado, who stepped in for longtime FOREIGNER frontman Kelly Hansen on lead vocals.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

During a recent appearance on the "Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show" on New York City's Q104.3 radio station, Gramm stated about performing with FOREIGNER's current lineup:  "Honestly, to step on stage as part of FOREIGNER again after a lot of years of being away from it, it still has that magic. And the current lineup is fantastic. They're great players and a great bunch of guys. We get along famously, and they're a lot of fun and they have a great deal of respect for the songs and the way they should be played. And I have no bones about being on stage with them at all. They do the name proud."

This past July, Gramm was asked by Ryan Vacey, music photographer and host of the Beyond The Vibe podcast, why now is the right time for him to return to FOREIGNER as a guest singer, Gramm said: "Well, I know that since we were inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame, there's been a lot reinterest in the band — the early band and the band as it currently is. And I know Mick is not in good health. I think if he was in good health, he would be out there with this band, and maybe I would be joining him. But he's not well enough to play, and I feel like I wanna help fly the flag for the band — the original band, and the current band right now, in these waning moments and moments when we're getting so much attention for what we've accomplished over the years. I wanna be out there as one of the original members to wave the flag."

Released in 1977, FOREIGNER's debut album produced the hits "Feels Like The First Time", "Cold As Ice" and "Long, Long Way From Home". The albums "Double Vision" and "Head Games" followed with more hits including "Hot Blooded", "Blue Morning, Blue Day" and "Dirty White Boy". Then came "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero" and "Waiting For A Girl Like You". Those songs helped give FOREIGNER's next album, "4", its impressive 10-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. At the zenith of 1980s sound, FOREIGNER's fifth album, "Agent Provocateur", gave the world the incredible No. 1 global hit "I Want To Know What Love Is". This musical milestone followed the record-breaking song "Waiting For A Girl Like You".

VIP MEET AND GREET BOOK SIGNING
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Posted by Lou Gramm on Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Introducing ALWAYS JOVI — the ultimate BON JOVI tribute experience that brings the anthems, energy, and excitement of one of rock's most iconic bands to the stage with unmatched authenticity and passion.

ALWAYS JOVI is a tribute like no other, featuring million-selling New Jersey rock legend Steve Brown — known for his work with TRIXTER, DEF LEPPARD and Ace Frehley. With his powerhouse vocal delivery, electrifying stage presence and deep-rooted connection to the Jersey rock scene, Brown leads this all-star lineup in delivering the timeless hits that defined a generation.

From arena-shaking anthems like "Livin' On A Prayer" and "You Give Love A Bad Name" to heartfelt ballads like "Always" and "Bed Of Roses", ALWAYS JOVI captures the heart and soul of BON JOVI's music in every performance.

Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering the magic for the first time, ALWAYS JOVI invites you to relive the glory days and sing along to the soundtrack of your life.

ALWAYS JOVI is:

Steve Brown - Vocals, Guitar
Joey Cassata - Drums
Devon Marie - Vocals, Percussion
Kevin Humphris - Bass, Vocals
Fred Gorhau - Guitar, Vocals
Chris McCoy - Keyboards & Vocals

Brown comments: "It's been a long time in the making building this musical extravaganza… but now it's finally ready for the world to see and hear. A tribute band like no other to one of my biggest influences and inspirations… friends of mine too, but most importantly it's a tribute to one of the greatest rock groups ever. Friends, I give you ALWAYS JOVI, and we are celebrating the music of BON JOVI… It's time, so c'mon, CHECK THIS OUT!!!"

SiriusXM radio personality Eddie Trunk commented: "As someone who grew up in New Jersey and saw BON JOVI on their earliest days, I can tell you that ALWAYS JOVI captures the true spirit and energy of the band they are paying tribute to. Steve Brown nails it vocally, as does the rest of the band. With the original [BON JOVI] band not being active currently, ALWAYS JOVI is the next best thing!"

Brown was born and raised in New Jersey destined to live a life submersed in music. The mostly self-taught artist picked up his first guitar at nine years old and never looked back. Steve began his lifelong love affair with live performing at the ripe old age of 12, when he became a regular on the voltaic New Jersey rock scene of the 1980s. At 12 years old, he began writing music, lyrics and founded his first band, TRIXTER. It wasn't long before Steve led the mighty TRIXTER to a record deal with MCA, sold out arena tours and lived every aspect of the rock and roll dream.

In his 40-plus-year career, Steve has sold millions of records worldwide (RIAA certified gold album),written three Billboard Top 100 singles, starred in three No. 1 MTV videos, and shared the stage with the likes of KISS, JOURNEY, Alice Cooper, SCORPIONS, POISON, CHEAP TRICK, STYX, BOSTON, NIGHT RANGER, Rick Springfield and TESLA. As not only a master guitarist, but as an accomplished songwriter, singer, engineer, producer, and performer. Steve has become one of the music industry's most sought-after and entrusted talents. From personal endorsements by Eddie Van Halen to churning out original music for some of television’s most popular hits, to regularly hitting the stage with an ever-growing list of rock and roll greats, Steve Brown is in constant demand.

In 2013, Steve was invited to be the temporary replacement guitarist for Vivian Campbell of the legendary DEF LEPPARD, which led to him joining the band at the historic Wembley Stadium along with other arena and stadium shows throughout North America. In May of 2018 he pulled off a job never done before when he was called in with 24 hours' notice to fill in Phil Collen for three shows, thus giving him the distinct honor of covering duties for both DEF LEPPARD guitarists.

ALWAYS JOVI photo courtesy of Steve Brown / bio courtesy of Headrush

Posted by Always Jovi on Wednesday, August 13, 2025

In a new interview with Estonia's AlteRock, THREE DAYS GRACE singers Adam Gontier and Matt Walst spoke about the band's ongoing tour in support of its latest album, "Alienation", which arrived in August via RCA Records. For the first time in over a decade, original THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam is back, joining Matt on vocals along with Neil Sanderson (drums),Brad Walst (bass) and Barry Stock (guitars). Asked if "there was a little bit of a destiny" in how his return came to be, Adam said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think so. I think things probably happened for a reason, for the most part. Yeah, that was a long time ago. Lots of things have changed, I guess, over the last 10 years or so. And I think we're kind of better than ever at the moment."

Regarding whether they were "a little bit anxious" about the possibility of there being "some competition" at THREE DAYS GRACE shows, like the fans being divided into Team Matt and Team Adam, Adam: "No, not at all. We did this mainly for the fans. Obviously, we're doing it 'cause we're having fun doing it, but the whole idea was just to — we felt like the fans kind of deserved to see something like this. And so, yeah, there's never any kind of competition or anything like that."

Added Matt: "We play as a team. We're big sports fans, and, yeah, we just put the best team together and we're all on the same team with the same goal — to win."

When the interviewer noted that some THREE DAYS GRACE fans feel Matt was "the savior of the band" when he stepped in following Adam's departure in 2013, Walst said: "I don't know about the savior, but, yeah, it was a life-changing event. And, yeah, here we are now, better than ever, and it's more fun than ever."

Adam chimed in: "I think also just to add to that, if anybody else had to come in, when I did leave the band, if it had it been anybody else that came in, we wouldn't be doing this now, because we grew up as friends and stuff together in a pretty small town. So, yeah, you're absolutely right — if it wasn't for Matt, none of this would be happening. So, yeah, it's pretty amazing."

2025 has been a big year for THREE DAYS GRACE with the release of "Alienation", with No. 1 songs "Mayday" and "Apologies" along with sold-out shows in Canada (co-headline with VOLBEAT) and the U.S. (co-headline with BREAKING BENJAMIN) and an ongoing sold-out European tour (with BADFLOWER).

Last month, THREE DAYS GRACE announced the 2026 "Alienation" tour, kicking off in Fort Wayne, Indiana in February, before hitting Canada and Europe and wrapping up the tour in November for the final show in Los Angeles, California. The U.S. tour dates will receive support from I PREVAIL and THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT, and Canada will see support from FINGER ELEVEN and ROYAL TUSK on select dates.

THREE DAYS GRACE played its first full show with Gontier in 12 years on February 25 as the support act for DISTURBED on the U.S. leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho.

In a recent interview with Nik Nocturnal, Adam was asked how it feels to be back in THREE DAYS GRACE after such a long absence. He responded: "Well, I think more excitement than anything, man. 'Cause it's just been so long. And it just felt like the right time — it felt like the right time for everybody. So, yeah, just excitement and kind of ready to go."

He continued: "It took a little while to connect with the guys and do a couple shows together, a couple things, but, yeah — just more excitement than anything, and definitely some nostalgia, obviously. But, yeah, I think everybody's really, really excited about this next chapter. It's gonna be quite the year, I think."

Regarding the prospect of sharing lead vocals with Matt in THREE DAYS GRACE's new lineup, Adam said: "Yeah, I was just talking with somebody about that. We got sort of — not lucky, but our voices do blend really well together. And we've noticed it obviously way more now with making the record and recording and all this stuff that, yeah, our voices really blend well. Yeah, so we're fortunate for that, that it's working out the way we had hoped."

Gontier added: "It's been great, man. It's cool. Matt grew up with the band. He's Brad's little brother, and I knew Matt from when he was just a little guy. So I think for them it was a natural fit to get him to take my spot there. And, yeah, now [we're just, like] — let's do it together."

In a December 2024 interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie,
Matt talked about how the idea for having two singers in THREE DAYS GRACE came about. He said: "I think one day I just talked to my brother Brad about it and was, like, 'It'd be sick if Adam came back. And we could both sing, and I can sing the songs of the past 10 years and Adam can even sing a few of those too.' And yeah, it just seems like a new life to breathe into THREE DAYS GRACE and to make it exciting, like the early days or just to freshen it up and, yeah, make it exciting."

In a separate interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Neil stated about Adam's return to THREE DAYS GRACE: "We had been talking and we've kept in touch. And the band was just talking about, like, how great would this be for us and for the fans and for the nostalgia of THREE DAYS GRACE. And then he got up on stage with us [for a guest appearance], and then we just thought, 'Let's make something new. Let's sit down and write a song.' And once we kind of got into that songwriting process, it just felt really natural and it felt right. And I think for the fans, we're giving them something that we haven't done before and hasn't really been done much in the past."

In April 2023, Gontier reunited with THREE DAYS GRACE onstage during the band's concert in Huntsville, Alabama. Gontier rejoined his former bandmates when they opened for SHINEDOWN at the Probst Arena At The Von Braun Center to perform two classic songs from THREE DAYS GRACE's 2006 album "One-X": "Never Too Late" and "Riot".

THREE DAYS GRACE later shared a post-performance photo with Gontier on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Soooo we did a thing."

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is currently a member of SAINT ASONIA, which also features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).

In a new interview with John The Metal Mailman, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee spoke about the band's latest addition, guitarist John 5, who joined MÖTLEY CRÜE in the fall of 2022 as the replacement for the group's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues. Asked if John 5 has added new energy to MÖTLEY CRÜE, Tommy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Bro, 100 percent. From the second he walked into the rehearsal room, here's a guy who is a fucking insane guitar player, first of all. And second of all — I don't know — other than KISS, MÖTLEY is [one of his favorite bands] — he's a fan. So he literally knew every single song. He's, like, 'What do you wanna play next? Let's go.' And he brought in this insane new fire, honestly, that we all needed. Everybody had to step up their game, man. It's, like, 'Woo, look out. This kid's on fire.'

"That's the beauty of him," Tommy continued. "And it's very much like me. And I heard Sharon Osbourne talking about Ozzy the other day. I'm still a fan. So, I think when you remain a fan of what you do, of other bands that you're inspired by, it's this thing that we just keep sort of giving back. I don't know how else to explain that. It's kind of a weird one, but with John, he's such a huge fan and such a talented guitar player that it literally just lit all of us up on fire. We were, like, 'Oh, man. We are going to kill shit.'"

Two months ago, John 5 told Beyond The Fame With Jason Fraley about how he came to join MÖTLEY CRÜE: "Yeah, [Mick] retired and he gave the band 40-something years. I love Mick Mars and he retired and luckily they asked me to fill in. And I know Mick well and he was very supportive and really happy I was there. And I've known the guys for a long, long time. I mean, I would go to their shows and I'd be in Mick's dressing room the whole time, talking with him and stuff. Of course I'd say hi to the [other] guys, but Mick's my friend, and of course I've known Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] and Tommy forever too. So it just fit really well."

John 5 went on to say that he will continue performing with MÖTLEY CRÜE going forward while still pursuing his solo career on the side. "A hundred percent, yeah," he said. "We just finished up a Las Vegas residency, MÖTLEY CRÜE did, and now I'm gonna go jump and play my crazy instrumental music [on a fall 2025 tour]. And then I'll go back to CRÜE. And so it's wonderful. It really works out well."

In September 2024, John 5 told Matt Pinfield of 95.5 KLOS's "New & Approved" show about his addition to MÖTLEY CRÜE: "When I was asked to join MÖTLEY CRÜE, we didn't really have any bad things going on [in ROB ZOMBIE] or anything like that. So it was tough [for me to leave Rob's band]. I was doing it for 17 years and I loved it. We were friends and laughed, and everything was still the same. But I thought to myself, 'I want to…' 'Cause I always thought about everybody else: 'Let me make sure everything sounds good.' I just wanted to think about myself for a minute and go, 'I really wanna experience this. Life is short and I want to experience as much as possible.' And, of course, I love MÖTLEY CRÜE."

John 5 continued: "I've been friends with Nikki forever — forever. Just really close. And then with Tommy, I've always worked with him. So I was really close with these guys — really, really, really close. And poor Mick, he has a horrible disease. And the poor guy. If I have a weird papercut, I'm, like, 'I don't know if I can do the show.' And you've got Mick Mars out there… I would always say he's the toughest guy I know because he's getting up there and just killing it and in pain, but just playing. And I'm, like, wow, I have such respect for him. And then he didn't want to tour and things like that. So they asked me and I was, like, 'Absolutely. I would love to do it. I would love to do it.' And they gave me the songs, and, of course, I didn't wanna say, but I knew every single song — I knew how to play them all. But I told Rob, and I said, 'Rob, I just want to experience life and I wanna do this.' And he understood. He was cool. He wasn't psyched, but he understood, and that's what was really, really cool."

Regarding what is has been like to tour and record with MÖTLEY CRÜE, John 5 said: "Man, I'm telling you, it has been such an incredible experience to do this. It's a different thing. 'Cause you imagine what it could be like, and then it just goes so far beyond that. It's so crazy in such a fun, incredible way. And it just feels like life is brand new again. It's so exciting. It's like when you get a new girlfriend or something. You're, like, 'Wow, this is great. Look at how blue the sky is.' So it's been absolutely wonderful — absolutely wonderful."

John 5 previously discussed his addition to MÖTLEY CRÜE during a May 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said at the time: "Well, I've been friends with Nikki and Tommy forever — forever and ever and ever. I'm so close to Nikki. We talked, like, probably 80 times a day for a decade. And we've done so much work together. We worked on the Meat Loaf song together, 'The Monster's Loose'; SIXX:A.M., of course; L.A. RATS; 'The Dirt' [soundtrack]. But other than music, we were just always around. I mean, he was the best man at my wedding. And we'd always go to the mall and ride bikes and just do total normal stuff. So when this came about… We were talking to each other on tour, like, 'All right, dude. I'm going on stage.' And he's, like, 'All right, dude. I'm going on stage. I'll talk to you after the show,' and blah blah blah. So we talked pretty much every day when he was on tour and I was on tour at the same time with the Zombie thing. We were doing 'Freaks On Parade'. It was great — great shows, packed to the nines, and having a good time and laughing and making music. And the tour ended. We went home. Actually, I went to do some CREATURES shows, my instrumental thing. And MÖTLEY was finished. They were off tour. And I was still doing some shows. And Nikki called and said, 'Listen, Mick is going to retire. And we have these obligations from Live Nation. We have South America booked. We have Europe booked. Would you wanna come on board?' And I was, 'Absolutely.' I mean, it's just like your brother asking you or something like that. But now the hard part was telling Rob, because we never had a negative word between us. And he's my buddy and we made great music and great live shows together for 17 years, and we never really had a problem. But I was thinking to myself, I was, like, 'Life is short.' And I'm being completely honest with you — 'Life is short. I wanna experience as much as I can in life.' And I was thinking about myself. And I was, like, 'I wanna do this for me, because I'm 51 years old' at the time, and I was, like, 'I wanna do this. I want to experience this.' How many times do you get a new chapter in your life at this magnitude later in life? And I talked to Rob, and he understood. Rob is a smart, rational person. I mean, he wasn't psyched, but he understood. And I think that was amazing of him. And he was just, like, 'Go get 'em.' He was fine about it. And then they got [Mike] Riggs, who I think is a great addition. That's who he was using when Rob did the early solo records, and I think it's a great addition. And they're kicking ass."

Detailing how he told Rob about his decision to leave his band and join MÖTLEY CRÜE, John 5 said: "I told Rob before it got out in the press. But I agreed to Nikki. And I called Rob and I said, 'This is what's happening.' And we did a show, Louder Than Life, together, and that was my last show [with Rob] in Kentucky. And then they got Riggs and were rehearsing with him and did the Aftershock show. And then it was announced — my time frame is not great, but then I believe it was announced a little bit after that. But it was no bad blood or anything; it wasn't anything bad; it wasn't dramatic or anything. And Rob was super cool. He was, like, 'Hey, I get it.' He was cool about it."

Asked if he has spoken with Rob since his announcement that he was joining MÖTLEY CRÜE, John 5 said: "To be honest, I haven't, and I miss talking with him and texting with him. I'm more worried about him not texting me back or not replying. I think that would really break my heart. That's the thing. I think I'd be really bummed out about that. But I haven't. To answer your question, no, I haven't."

Elaborating on his reasons for leaving Zombie's band and joining MÖTLEY CRÜE, John 5 said: "In the 17 years of being with Zombie, I got asked to join a ton of bands — a ton of bands. But, listen, I am so close with the guys, and with Mick too. So close with the guys. Something said, 'You've gotta do it.' It's just something I really wanted to do. Because life is show. I wanna experience everything. I don't wanna be laying in my bed at 126 years old — that's what I plan to live to be — laying in my bed at 126 years old going, 'God, I wish I would have done this, that and the other thing.' But I'll probably say that to myself anyways. But it's been an amazing ride so far."

In April 2023, Sixx spoke with Wyatt of U.K.'s Planet Rock about MÖTLEY CRÜE's decision to hire John 5 to replace Mick, who announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues.

"I've been friends with John forever and I would make jokes, 'As long as you're a 5, I feel good being a Sixx.' Y'know, stupid best buddy jokes. Me and that guy have been either hanging out at each other's houses, writing songs… he plays (guitar) all day long. So, he comes over here and he grabs one of my guitars or brings his own and we just sit around and play and talk about the '70s and how great LYNYRD SKYNYRD and 'Scooby Doo' was."

He continued: "My wife just said that when Mick told us he was leaving the band and I told her I'd talked to Tommy and Vince [Neil, CRÜE singer], and everybody feels that John would be a great fit, and I hadn't called John yet because you had to be sure we were doing everything correctly. My wife said, 'Well, that's great.' I said, 'What do you mean by that?' She goes, 'Well, you'll be going on stage and you'll be on the phone to John.' And they're, like, 'You gotta go on stage!', and he'll be like 'Okay, call me back in an hour and a half.'

"So we're always chatting and jamming and the friendship is so wonderful. Him and Tommy are really close. Vince loves him. He's just a great guy and a great musician and he gives us a great opportunity as a three-piece so to speak to really lock in. He's just such a great guitar player."

Comparing CRÜE 's current musicianship to how it was while Mick was still in the band, Nikki added: "It's nothing against any other musician that you play with, just that when you play with new musicians you play differently. We're still playing the same songs that people wanna hear but it kind of like re-inspires you. And I'm sure the same thing would happen if they got a new bass player. They're like 'oh wow, he's attacking it differently.' So it's never about how bad anybody was.

"It's a nice time [for MÖTLEY CRÜE] and it's kind of inspired us to write a little bit," he added. "We love our history, we're very proud of everything we've done. We've always been really supportive of Mick no matter what Mick was going through. We're just happy with where we're at right now."

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, in April 2023 the now-74-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

In October 2023, Mick was asked if he was still friends with John 5 after the latter guitarist was hired to replace him in CRÜE. He said: "Well, I've never disliked John. I've always liked him and still do. He's been a really good friend of mine for a long time. So I think they've made a very, very wise choice with John."

Regarding Mick's lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE, Nikki told Planet Rock: "If a member of a band tells you that they can't tour because of health reasons, you have two choices. You can quit as a band [after] 42 years of work. Or we could look at each other and go 'are we done yet?!' We're really peaking and we understand [Mick's] health issues.

"We wish him the best and we know that he's a little bit confused and being misled by representatives right now. But we still have to stay focused on why we're here."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

In his lawsuit, Mars also alleged that he was the only band member to play 100 percent live on their 2022 stadium tour, claiming Sixx "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour."

After Mars filed his lawsuit, Sixx responded on Twitter, writing: "Sad day for us and we don't deserve this considering how many years we've been propping him up. We still wish him the best and hope he find's [sic] lawyers and managers who aren't damaging him. We love you Mick."

Press photo credit: Ross Halfin

On Saturday, December 6, IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain performed a set of MAIDEN classics with TITANIUM TART at the 16th-anniversary celebration for Rock N Roll Ribs, the barbecue restaurant owned by McBrain and close friend Mitch Tanne, in Coral Springs, Florida. Also appearing at the event were Nicko's former PAT TRAVERS BAND bandmate Pat Travers, SCHOOL OF ROCK, FEATHER WEIGHT, PEGASUS, CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE, KINLIN and METALUCIOUS.

McBrain recorded two albums with PAT TRAVERS BAND: "Makin' Magic" (1976) and "Putting It Straight" (1977).

A barbecue joint with a musical bent, Rock N Roll Ribs showcases its love for smokey Southern cooking with food like barbecued pork and chicken and clever takes on MAIDEN songs, like "Final Frontier" dog, "Moonchild Mahi" sandwich and "Aces High" fries.

"It's not just MAIDEN fans that come in," McBrain said about the restaurant in a 2010 interview. "We do get a lot of pilgrimages, people come in and look at all the stuff on the walls, but most people that come in always come out satisfied. And it's not major expensive. A rack of ribs is [$29.95], and you get a pound and a quarter to a pound and a half of ribs."

Asked if he has always been a BBQ fan, McBrain told Broward Palm Beach New Times back in 2013: "Yeah. You know, I'm a Brit, and we don't have a very long summer, so it's very few and far between people get out and do a barbie in the backyard. Touring around America, I always used to love buying a rack of baby backs and some cole slaw and French Fries, and that was my main BBQ experience, the baby backs. Then a friend of mine taught me how to make the ribs we make in the restaurant, and I started to make some sauce, and it was very successful and people liked it, and that's where Rock N Roll Ribs was born, really. It was a dream we had and it finally came into fruition. I've got to be honest, it's not a business that's making a lot of money for us, but we make a lot of people smile and a lot of people happy. I'm very happy, it's great! I love it when I meet people and they say things like, 'these are the ribs I've ever had,' or, 'Your pulled pork is to die for,' and it warms the cockles of me heart!"

Rock N Roll Ribs
4651 State Rd. 7 (US441)
Coral Springs, FL 33073
954-345-RIBZ (7429)

Joining Nicko in TITANIUM TART are Rob Stokes on bass, Eldad Kira on keyboards, Mike Rivera and Mitch Tanne on guitar, and Paolo Velazquez on vocals.

McBrain was born in Hackney, East London, on June 5, 1952. His first experience of music came via his father's love of traditional jazz. Young Nicko's hero was Joe Morello, the late, great drummer with the legendary THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET. Nicko would often take to the kitchen, using forks and knives to beat on anything he could find at home. Fed up with him bashing up the kitchen utensils, his parents finally bought him his first drum kit when he was 12.

By the time he left school at 15, he was already a veteran of several part-time pub groups. Musically, however, his tastes had broadened to include more contemporary sixties sounds from THE SHADOWS, THE ANIMALS, THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES. On the recommendation of another drummer he knew, he began to take on session work, playing on countless different recordings.

In 1975, Nicko joined STREETWALKERS, the band formed by ex-FAMILY members, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist Charlie Whitney. From the late seventies until 1982 when he joined IRON MAIDEN, Nicko had spent his time in session work, most memorably with the PAT TRAVERS BAND on their 1976 "Makin' Magic" album, and also appeared in the band MCKITTY in the early 1980's. It was during a MCKITTY gig in Belgium that he first met IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

He officially joined IRON MAIDEN in December 1982 for the 1983 "Piece Of Mind" album and tour, replacing Clive Burr, after McBrain's previous band TRUST had supported IRON MAIDEN during the U.K. leg of the "Killers" tour in 1981.

Nicko, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement from IRON MAIDEN on December 7, 2024 in a statement on the band's web site and social media. He has since been replaced by Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's longtime bandmate in BRITISH LION.

McBrain and his wife still live in the same Boca Raton, Florida home they bought in 1989 when Nicko relocated from England.

Posted by Rock n Roll Ribs on Monday, November 3, 2025

The three living original members of KISS — guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss — reunited on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, December 7 in Washington D.C., less than two months after the death of their longtime bandmate, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley.

Stanley, Simmons and Criss were all clad in black tuxedos and medals as they made their entrance at the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts for the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, which was hosted by U.S. president Donald Trump and also honored songwriter George Strait, actors Michael Crawford and Sylvester Stallone and singer Gloria Gaynor.

Asked what it has been like spending time in Washington D.C. for this year's Kennedy Center Honors, Criss said: "A dream. I'm a big history kid, so we got here early. I wanted to see where Lincoln was assassinated, which was very heavy. I had tears. We went over where he passed. Then we went to the archives, which no one's allowed. And I saw Declaration Of [Independence], all these amazing things, all this great stuff. I'm a big history kid, so it's been cool."

Peter continued: I'm a kid from the streets of Brooklyn. I never thought ever I'd be doing something like this. And it's been such a good year. I have a new album coming out December 19th. My birthday's the 20th. I'm turning 80, and here I am at the Kennedy Center. Wow. So it's been a really 'wow' year for me. I'm a very Catholic kid, so I'm gonna go to church all week next week when I get home… God couldn't have given me more stuff, for a kid from the streets of Brooklyn. I can't believe I was in the White House. Holy mackerel, the White House."

The drummer went on to say: "I wish my parents were here to see it. And we lost our guitarist five weeks ago, Ace. He had a horrible accident. I wish he was here.

"It's a dream. It's almost surreal," Peter added. "The Oval Office I was in last night with the president. I have not slept. Last night I finally laid my head, I slept nine hours, which was a miracle because I have insomnia, and I couldn't believe today that I was gonna be sitting here and meeting all these [people]."

Asked what it has been like attending the Kennedy Center Honors without Frehley, Stanley said: "Well, it's still a celebration, and we can mourn him and celebrate what we've accomplished. I'm really the child of the American dream. We came here with nothing. Our parents were people who fled during World War II and aspired to something great, worked hard and never expected a handout. And we're the result of that. So it's an honor to be here."

In a separate statement about this year's Kennedy Center Honors, KISS said: "From the very beginning, KISS has been about proving that anything is possible with hard work and passion. We're deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honors, and proudly share this recognition with our fans and all those who have been a part of creating this legacy. This honor would not be possible without the irreplaceable contributions of our founding partner, Ace Frehley. knowing how much this award meant to him, we celebrate this milestone as we mourn his loss."

Trump praised this year's honorees as "perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled."

According to Billboard, Ace became only the third person to receive a Kennedy Center Honor posthumously, following two other group members who likewise died after the groups' awards were first announced: Glenn Frey of EAGLES and Phil Lesh of GRATEFUL DEAD.

Throughout its 48-year history, the annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala has become the highlight of the Washington cultural and society calendar.

The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world. Recipients have each had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts. Whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television, each Kennedy Center honoree has a unique place in the fabric of our nation and their influence has inspired audiences from all walks of life.

The honoree selection process includes solicitation of recommendations from former honorees, the artistic community, the Kennedy Center board of trustees, and the general public. This year's selected honorees were chosen based on the recommendation of the Center's special honors advisory committee.

As in years past, Sunday night's gala will be turned into a broadcast special that will air on CBS and Paramount+ on December 23.

Grammy Award-winning rock band STONE TEMPLE PILOTS took the stage at Las Vegas, Nevada's Allegiant Stadium for halftime when the Las Vegas Raiders hosted the Denver Broncos on Sunday, December 7. The band performed a medley of some of its biggest hits, including "Plush", "Vasoline", "Big Empty", "Interstate Love Song" and "Sex Type Thing".

Fan-filmed video of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' appearance at Allegiant Stadium can be seen below.

This past August, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS guitarist Dean DeLeo told Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast that he and his bandmates would perform at the December 7 Las Vegas Raiders game against the Denver Broncos. He said at the time: "It won't be televised, but we'll go live out to whoever's attending."

Asked how many songs STONE TEMPLE PILOTS would play at the event, Dean told "Let There Be Talk": "Well, ironically, it'll be the first time in our career we have to compile a medley. [Laughs] We have to compile a nine-minute medley. So, I've been kind of laying it out, and I kind of have it laid out. The last gig we did, I had a guitar in my hand and I kind of showed the guys, 'cause you wanna make sure certain keys work going into each other. So I showed 'em what I had in mind. They were, like, 'Ah, yeah, that's gonna be great.'"

In a 2023 interview with Chasta Michaelis of San Francisco's 107.7 The Bone radio station, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo was asked if his group was fairly labeled as part of the grunge movement associated with the U.S. Northwest back the early 1990s when they came out with their debut album, "Core", and follow-up effort, "Purple". He responded: "I don't think the four of us ever put any kind of name on what kind of music we were making. We happened to come out at a time when the people in this business were creating these terms. It's a selling point — it's all a selling point — and we got caught up, as well as other bands, in a selling point for record companies to make money. And I think when you can obviously see that is when they start doing clothing after it. It's all pretty ridiculous.

"'Interstate Love Song' — grunge? I don't think so," he continued. "I actually wrote that as a bossa nova song; that's what it started out as."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — Robert DeLeo, Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz.

Singer Jeff Gutt, a 49-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first all-acoustic album, titled "Perdida", in February 2020. The disc was Gutt's second with STP. His recording debut with the group was on its self-titled seventh album, which arrived in March 2018.

In a new interview with Jai That Aussie Metal Guy, bassist Frédéric Leclercq of German/Finnish/French thrash metal veterans KREATOR was asked how his role in the band has evolved since he joined the group six years ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Very soon in the game, when I joined the band, when we started to work on a song together, the first one was '666 - World Divided'… Before that it was just rehearsing songs that already existed, to be able to perform them together in a live situation. But '666 - World Divided' was just, like, I was getting, 'So, what are the dynamics? Who does what?' And that's how it works. Mille [Petrozza, KREATOR guitarist/vocalist] comes with the material, and then we just arrange everything together, because he needs to be able to sing and perform and to feel the lyrics. So it all comes from him, and it makes total sense. I've tried to send him riffs, and [he tells me] just, like, 'Well, I love the riff, but I need to be able to sing on top.' And it has to come naturally from him. So it makes total sense. And so when we started to work on '666 - World Divided', I was, like, 'Okay, I'm new in the band, but I'm very proactive when it comes to music. I can be very direct, but it's all for the greater good, so don't be surprised.' And that room existed, that space for me to exist, because they were pretty loose and let the producer do the work. But I was there just, like, 'Okay, Sami [Yli-Sirniö, KREATOR guitarist] you're doing this, and Mille, you're doing that. That doesn't work together. And how about we do that?' And they were just, like, 'Oh, great. Good on you, mate.' Just, like, 'That's cool.' So I didn't wanna impose, but also I didn't wanna be in the backseat just doing nothing, because I'm, like, if you join a band, then [the goal is] to improve things. And it's been the same since that day."

He continued: "I know my role, which is checking the harmonies, making sure that everybody knows what they're playing. I try to come up with different melodies and different stuff. And that's what I've been doing with 'Hate Über Alles'. On 'Hate Über Alles', I was doing a lot of the pre-production, and it was just spread out because it was during COVID time, so we had a lot of time to work on stuff. This one [KREATOR's upcoming 'Krushers Of The World' album] was a bit more compact, which was great, but I still obviously came up with my bass lines, but also rearranging, like cutting some… And everybody does anyway… 'Cause I'm the one recording in the rehearsal room. I come with a computer, check the demos, which means I'm the one editing the demos in the afternoon when everybody fucks off… So, yeah, when everyone fucks off, I'm the one working on the songs, which means I can just, in a very subtle way, add an extra guitar or just, like, change that and just [be], like, 'Well, I was thinking…' And it's nice that way, just subtle. So that's what I do. And then when we were in the studio recording, I had set like a little room where we could work on the solos because I'm a guitar player as well, so I come up with melodies for the solos, challenging Sami to bring him new ideas, 'cause he is got his own style, which is great. But he was the one just going, 'Hey, if you have any ideas…' So, I'm contributing on different levels, but like I said, everybody does that in a certain way. But as far as I'm concerned, that's what I do. And that's great. Hopefully people like it. But if they don't, it's fine."

"Krushers Of The World" will arrive on January 16, 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren. Bogren previously helmed KREATOR's "Phantom Antichrist" (2012) and "Gods Of Violence" (2017) LPs. The "Krushers Of The World" cover artwork was created by Polish genius Zbigniew Bielak (GHOST).

KREATOR has released three singles so far from "Krushers Of The World": "Seven Serpents", "Tränenpalast" and "Satanic Anarchy".

"Tränenpalast" features vocal coach Britta Görtz of extreme metal band HIRAES on guest vocals.

KREATOR will promote "Krushers Of The World" with a monumental European tour across 20 countries, joining forces with fellow metal powerhouses CARCASS, EXODUS and NAILS. The trek will kick off on March 20, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal, at MEO Arena and wrap up on April 25, 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark, at Poolen. Highlights include shows in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Stockholm, and more.

The "Krushers Of The World" cover sees Zbigniew Bielak, renowned for his work for GHOST, art and design, offer an interesting twist to KREATOR's history. Transforming classic visual trademarks dedicated fans will recognize from "Coma Of Souls" (1990),"Out Of The Dark... Into The Light" (1988) and "Pleasure To Kill" (the font!) into a highly detailed tapestry garnered with occult symbolism, Bielak crafted an outstanding piece paying homage to a band he loves since his teenager days yet with a daring and unique flair. The cover of "Krushers Of The World" rewards everyone willing to analyze the grandiose sleeve design.

KREATOR's upcoming effort will be the follow-up to 2022's "Hate Über Alles", which was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions for that LP was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

"Hate Über Alles" marked KREATOR's first album with Leclercq.

The official KREATOR documentary, "Hate & Hope", was shown on July 2 at the 42nd Munich International Film Festival and received a theatrical premiere on September 4. The 110-minute film was directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post.

Mille's official German-language autobiography, which he wrote with journalist, author and presenter Torsten Groß, "Your Heaven, My Hell - Mein Leben, Heavy Metal Und Wie Das Alles Passieren Konnte", was published on August 28 via Ullstein Verlag.

Photo credit: Robert Eikelpoth