At this year's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California, EXODUS singer Rob Dukes spoke to PipemanRadio about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2021's "Persona Non Grata" album, which is tentatively due in March 2026 via Napalm Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We worked our ass off on this record. It's the best thing I've done to date. I know every musician's, 'Oh, my new album's the best,' but it is the best thing I've ever done… Even if it wasn't, I would still say it, even if I thought it was shit, I'd be, like, 'Oh, this is the best album ever.' But truly, man, this is fucking killer. It's fucking epic because it's so different and there's so many different fucking directions that it went in, and they let me just do my thing, man. It was fucking killer."

Asked what he thinks he has brought to the table musically as far as the new EXODUS album is concerned, Rob said: "Well, I've got, like, four or five different voices I can sing in, you know what I mean? I got to use a clean, I got to use a fucking monster fucking growl, I got to use my mid range, my high range, and I was just all over the place. I've never thought I was a one-trick pony — I always thought that I could do more stuff — but thrash metal's kind of limiting, and it's easy to go over the cliff and go into a realm that's, like, 'Uh-oh.' But we didn't do any of that, man; we didn't do that. It's heavy and dark and fast and it's just great, man. There's some MOTÖRHEAD-y rock and roll shit. It's fucking good, man. So that's where this new one is, man, and it's fucking killer."

Also at AftershockEXODUS guitarist Gary Holt told Baby Huey and Chasta of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about the band's upcoming LP:  "New album will be done today. I mean, it's technically been done for a month, but since we have the time, we keep messing with it a little bit… Mark Lewis has been mixing it, and we did some additional overdubs in other spots."

Regarding what fans can expect from the new EXODUS material, Holt said: "It's something else, man… It's crushing, but it's also all anthems. Every song's an anthem. It's awesome. We're super proud of this record."

Gary also confirmed that he and his EXODUS bandmates have recorded nearly two albums' worth of material this time around. "We have 80 percent of the next follow-up done," he said. "We started recording March 2nd, and I've been home four weeks till today. We stopped recording and we were on tour the next day. We went to Europe, and we were home for two weeks. Then we went on [tour] in the States. I was home two weeks, [went] to Europe, and then I went and joined SLAYER for [the summer 2025 shows]. And then I came home for two more weeks. So I'm exhausted."

Lewis had previously worked with MEGADETH, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER and BAD WOLVES, among many others.

The follow-up to "Persona Non Grata" will mark the first time in nearly three decades that an EXODUS album hasn't been mixed by Andy Sneap, who has acted as JUDAS PRIEST's producer and touring guitarist for more than seven years.

Gary previously wrote on Instagram about EXODUS's collaboration with Lewis: "First album since 97 to mix with someone else, and it's crushing. Andy said it's time to venture out of our comfort zone and it's amazing. Mark has CRUSHED IT!"

EXODUS's upcoming LP will be the band's first since the departure of singer Steve "Zetro" Souza and the decision to bring Dukes back.

In a recent interview with Chicago's Rebel Radio 92.5 FM as part of the station's 31st-anniversary celebration, Dukes praised the material on EXODUS's upcoming effort, saying: "It's killer. It's the best thing I've ever done with EXODUS. I thought [2010's] 'Exhibit B: [The Human Condition]' was probably some of my best work, and I think this tops it. It's so different than what we've done. We've added so many little different things that it's still EXODUS, but we've definitely stepped outside the box a little bit and tried a few different things and it worked well… It's fast. it's dark, it's awesome, man. It's gonna be a lot of fun to go play these songs live."

Souza joined EXODUS in 1986 after previously fronting the band LEGACY (which later became TESTAMENT). He remained in the band until their hiatus in 1993, but rejoined them for two years from 2002 to 2004. Dukes had joined EXODUS in 2005 (following Souza's departure) and remained until 2014, when Souza rejoined.

Dukes previously joined EXODUS in January 2005 and appeared on four of the band's studio albums — "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" (2005),"The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A" (2007),"Let There Be Blood" (2008, a re-recording of EXODUS's classic 1985 LP, "Bonded By Blood") and "Exhibit B: The Human Condition" (2010).

EXODUS played its first concert with Dukes in nearly 11 years on April 5 at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This past June, Holt told longtime Serbian hard rock/heavy metal journalist Jadranka Janković Nešić that he and his EXODUS bandmates recorded 18 songs for their next studio album. He said: "It's [going to be released as] two totally separate records, but we kept writing and kept writing and we had so much material that we just [thought], let's work extra hard and so when it's time to start thinking about a [second] new album [after the first new one], we could relax a little bit. I wish we had 20 songs done [instead of 18], 'cause then we would have the next album done, and then I could go on vacation or something. I've never had one."

Holt went on to say that none of the songs EXODUS has recorded so far for the two upcoming albums are "fillers", or tracks that were included simply to add time. "They're all great," he claimed. "They're all amazing. There are 18 songs, and they're all totally awesome. It's hard to pick which ones [will end up on the first new album]. But we did it so we could work less later."

He continued: "We're getting older. I'm 61 years old. By the time we think about releasing the next album, that's gonna be three years [from now], so I'm gonna be that much older. And then I can go on vacation in between albums. Like I said, I've never gone on vacation. I've had vacations where I played guitar to be, but I've never gone on a vacation where I didn't have to play to be there.

"After the whole [second new] album [is done] and all, yeah, I'm gonna go [on vacation] somewhere," Holt added. "I don't know how not to work though. I'm a workaholic. My wife will have to tell me to shut the phone off. At home I relax, though. But at home where I live in the country, it's a lot of work living there in the woods. So, I'm working, but it's working on my house, and I like that. I live in the country, yeah. No city life for me anymore."

Regarding the musical direction of the new EXODUS material, Gary said: "It's 100 percent EXODUS and at times 100 percent different. There's some surprises on it. It's super heavy. There's some moments that are so fast. There's moments that are super slow. Just satanic, evil as fuck."

After Jadranka noted that EXODUS is a band that continues to release full-length albums and isn't putting out standalone singles like more artists are choosing to do nowadays, Holt said: "We write albums. We've never concerned ourselves with singles. That's why in the past some of our songs were 11 minutes long, 'cause we didn't care. A song's done when it's done. If it's three minutes, cool. If it's 11 minutes, that's cool too."

Holt also once again opened up about Souza's departure and Dukes's return. Regarding what happened to cause Zetro's exit from EXODUS, Gary said: "Well, I don't wanna go into any details 'cause there's no bad blood. It's just we're all getting older and we want to be happy. And he was not happy. He was very unhappy. He was awesome on stage and awesome in the studio and awesome to the fans and there's no problem with that. And I loved his performance and his voice is as great as ever. But it's the time when you're not on stage when it became to where it's bringing everybody's spirits down. And this is a hard job to do when you're our age. Every single time I go to the airport to go on tour, I'm sad, 'cause I'm leaving my grandchildren and my kids and my wife and my house, and it's hard. But once I get out here [on tour], I'm with my brothers and I have fun. And if that part isn't fun anymore, then none of it's fun. Maybe on stage — maybe. But we're happy now. Rob's here and all five of us hang out and spend a lot of time together and we have a good time."

When Jadranka said that Rob was "the logical choice" to step in as EXODUS's singer for the band's next phase, Holt concurred. "I'm set in my ways," he explained. "I don't like change. So changing singers was never in my future plans. I don't like change at all. I'm stuck in my ways. And the idea of finding a new person who you don't know and you don't know if your personalities work, that was never an option for me. I mean, I could find someone half my age who's got tons of energy and [is] awesome and has got visible abs muscles and jumps off the top of the drum riser, but I might not have anything in common with him… [Hiring] some kid that's the same age as my youngest daughter, it would be weird. I'd feel like a father telling him to clean up his room all the time. [Laughs]"

Although EXODUS rarely gets mentioned alongside the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — the aforementioned "Bonded By Blood" LP inspired the likes of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE and many others to launch their careers and is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time.

Image credit: Chris Kato

In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, Zakk Wylde was asked if he thinks Ozzy Osbourne knew he would die shortly after performing at the "Back To The Beginning" concert in Birmingham, United Kingdom in early July. Zakk responded: "No, I don't think so. The way I always felt, all the things that I've gone through with them, it was always — if it was a setback or anything like that — it was more of a speed bump and it was just like, 'All right, we'll fix the flat tire on the truck and then we'll just keep moving.' So, I think it was more like that, because I knew he still wanted to make records and things like that. But I was just thinking, 'Who knows, man, hopefully if this thing goes over well, then we might be able to do some other shows or do select shows throughout the year.' Like these Ozzfest-type things, just so Ozz can still keep doing gigs, but maybe not touring in the capacity of doing four shows a week or whatever."

Asked if Ozzy felt indestructible to him, Zakk said: "Yeah, totally. It's just like with THE [ROLLING] STONES, you just always think they're going to be there. I felt like that with us. Even when we were doing that show, I didn't go, 'Oh, this is the last time I'm ever going to play 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' with him or 'Crazy Train' with him' or anything. You're in the moment anyways. You're playing, so my concern was making sure he was okay. I wasn't thinking about any of that, because it's like you're playing a game. You never think it's your last Super Bowl; you're playing and you're playing to win. So, yeah, I didn't think about it, and like I said, I've always been optimistic. I would always tell him, no matter how bummed he got, 'Just keep doing therapy and keep doing everything you've got to do because what's the option? Then you just quit in the corner, and you whine about it. Or you could do something about it, with therapy and hitting the weights and doing everything you got to do.' There was no quit in him. So, that's where we were at. I never thought like, 'Oh, yeah, this was the last gig.' I didn't think after we did the show, two weeks from now, he was gonna be gone. I wasn't thinking that at all."

Zakk, who became Ozzy's guitarist in 1987 after sending the singer a demo tape, previously discussed the legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman's passing this past August in an interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green. He said at the time: "It was so crazy, 'cause when we went back to the house — obviously we went home [in early July after the 'Back To The Beginning' concert], and then Barb [Zakk's wife Barbaranne] called me up [when I was on the road with PANTERA to tell me] that Ozz passed away.

"Whenever any of this stuff [about Ozzy's health issues] would always come up with us [in the past], just 'cause Ozz was just so tough and resilient, it would just be, 'Oh, it's just another bump in the road or another hurdle. We'll get through it.' So it was just always that. So you just always — not that you take anything for granted ever, but it'd be like Ozzy being Evel Knievel [American stunt performer and entertainer] —it's, like, he survives, he makes a jump, or even if he gets into an accident, we get him to the hospital, [and] he'll be fine. And then he gets out and he's all right, and then we'll do another jump. You know what I mean? So you never think, like, 'This is the end.' You're just, like, 'Ah, Ozz will be fine.' Then we'll either do another record or whatever until Ozz gets better. But truly it was just like he willed himself to hang in there long enough to knock that [final] show [at the Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom] out. 'Cause I was just saying, like, what happens if the show was [scheduled to take place] this month [in August]? He doesn't make it. That's what's crazy about the whole thing. And you just always had that sense that he's gonna be around forever, just kind of like Keith Richards and Mick Jagger and all the guys."

When podcast host Jason Green noted that Osbourne's health issues didn't keep him from making music in recent years, Zakk concurred. "Obviously until he get his health back, it was just, like, 'Ah, just keep plugging away, man,'" he said. "And either you quit or you keep conquering and climbing. And he never had any quit in them. So, yeah, it was just, like, all right, well, then in the meantime, until you can get better, well, we'll write and make records or whatever you wanna do, man. I mean, that's what I just figured. It was, like, 'Ah, I'll see Ozz on Tuesday,' and we'll start working again or whatever."

In late July, Zakk spoke to Guitar World about the final text he received from Ozzy before the singer died. Wylde performed during the aforementioned "Back To The Beginning" farewell concert on July 5, and according to the guitarist, Osbourne reached out to him after the show.

"Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break," Wylde said. "I figured we'd see him later on — the next day or whatever. But no. The last text I got from Ozz was saying, 'Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn't see you.' He goes, 'Thanks for everything.' It was just us talking, saying, 'I love you, buddy.' That was it."

Wylde added that the singer 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."

Wylde also told Guitar World that his priority with Osbourne's farewell show was "making sure that Ozz was okay."

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, 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.

RAVEN frontman John Gallagher has shared a new video update on his health, less than two months after it was announced that the British/American metal trio was postponing its previously announced summer/fall 2025 European tour so that the bassist/vocalist could undergo emergency brain surgery.

In the video message, which was uploaded to RAVEN's social media on Monday (October 6),John said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hey, I'd just like to give everyone an update on how I'm doing. But before we get to that, I'd like to put out a huge, huge 'thank you' to everyone who wished me well, sent me messages, kept my spirits up, sent me jokes, but basically were there for me through the whole hospital ordeal and all that stuff. So thank you very, very much. Thank you to my family, to my close friends who were right there for me. I couldn't have done it without you.

"But I'm getting better," he continued. "It's taking time. I'm still seeing doctors, getting tests done and all that good stuff, but we're getting there. Unfortunately, not fast enough for us to do the Frost And Fire festival on October 24th in Ventura, California. We've had to cancel, and I'm sorry, but I'm just not strong enough to pull off doing what we do at the level that you expect us to do. It's a shame, and it adds even more debt to what we've got from the European tour, but that can't be helped. If we're gonna do it, we're gonna do it right. But, on the positive side, like I said, I am getting better. We've got loads of new material that we've been putting together before I had the accident, and I'm starting to review it and add to it. We'll be doing a new album and we will be touring. So 2026 is going to be a banner year for RAVEN. We'll be out there and we'll see you very, very soon to kick your ass in 2026. So watch out."

When the RAVEN tour postponement was first announced on August 23, RAVEN members John, guitarist Mark Gallagher and drummer Mike Heller wrote in a statement: "Raven Lunatics, got some unfortunate news for you! We are very sad to say that we have to postpone the upcoming European Tour due to John's health. He was admitted to hospital with a massive headache on August 12th. Following a CAT scan, it was determined that he was suffering from a bleed on the brain, Subdural Hematoma. Surgery was planned for the next day, then a further, more invasive surgery was performed on the 19th. He is now doing good, but of course, needs to recuperate and will not be able to fly on a plane.

"Very few shows have ever been cancelled in our 50 year career.

"We are working with our agency Dragon Productions, as well as the promoters to reschedule these dates.

"We would like to thank our booking agent Bart Gabriel, the promoters and of course all the Raven Lunatics who were coming to the shows for your understanding.

"We will be BACK – STRONGER than ever! Rock Until You Drop!"

Considered part of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" movement of the early '80s, RAVEN is perhaps best remembered for its trailblazing tours in America in the early '80s that gave groups like METALLICA and ANTHRAX their first taste of the road.

In a 2014 interview with CantonRep.com, John stated about RAVEN's tour with METALLICA, dubbed the "Kill 'Em All For One Tour", the moniker coming from the combination of the bands' two albums at the time: "It was like guerilla warfare. There were 17 people in a six-person Winnebago. We ended up spending most of our time traveling in the back of one of the trucks, because it was more sanitary! You'd turn up in places like Oklahoma City going, 'Doesn't this remind you of the 'Blues Brothers?' And it was except there was no chicken wire, so when people were throwing (crap) around, it would hit you! But we'd played for punks in workingman's clubs in the North of England, so we just gave it back, kicked their beers over, jumped on the tables, and said, 'Are you with us or against us?' That was our job. It was METALLICA's first tour. We showed them the ropes, and they were completely out of control. It was great. It was like this big gang traveling across America."

RAVEN's classic albums "Rock Until You Drop", "Wiped Out" and "All For One" virtually invented both the speed metal and power metal genres, with the band consistently pushing the envelope while retaining its unique sound and attack — both in the studio and in their true element: onstage.

In a 2005 post on RAVEN's official message board, John stated about RAVEN's influence on other pioneering metal bands: "Anyone ever listen to the middle of 'Aces High' by IRON MAIDEN and compare it to part of 'Faster Than The Speed Of Light' [by RAVEN]? How about the chorus riff of METALLICA's 'No Remorse' to [RAVEN's] 'Lambs To The Slaughter'?? Makes me laugh...!"

RAVEN's latest EP, "Can't Take Away The Fire", came out in February via Silver Lining Music.

This past Thursday (October 9),former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson joined KINGS OF THRASH, the band featuring former MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jeff Young (guitar),on stage at Piper's Pub in Pompano Beach, Florida to perform covers of BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid" and THIN LIZZY's "Cold Sweat". Video of his appearance can be seen below.

Back in July 2019, Gustafson said that he didn't regret turning down an opportunity to join MEGADETH in 1987 while OVERKILL and MEGADETH were on a joint U.S. tour. "I think it was the right thing to do — definitely at the time," Gustafson told the "Talk Toomey" podcast. "It was an honor that [MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine] had asked, and I've seen how many great musicians — guitar players and drummers — have gone in and out of the band since then. So I was definitely flattered. But [OVERKILL's second album] 'Taking Over' had just come out, and my thinking was, 'This album is much better than the first one.' And we were together with [MEGADETH] on the 'Peace Sells' tour, and they kind of looked a little chaotic and dysfunctional. And I'm, like, 'Well, I'm not gonna leave something that I'm in control of to be in something where I'm not in control.' And I just declined that night that he asked. I didn't really sit there and think about it. And then, unfortunately, by the end of that tour, we didn't even know this was coming, but Rat [Skates, OVERKILL drummer] left, and that was the last show that we did with him, was on that tour, and then he was gone. So then now we were in a weird situation; it kind of threw us all for a loop. But I look back and I wound up doing 'Under The Influence', which I love, and then 'The Years Of Decay', which is just, like, our sort of swan song type of album. And I'm glad that I stuck it out and just at least got those four albums — the classic OVERKILL albums — underneath my belt."

Gustafson said that he "stayed close" with Ellefson. "I did a little quote for his new book that's coming out, and we cross paths here and there," he revealed.

Bobby went on to say that he "would love" to do something with Mustaine once Dave had successfully completed his treatment for the throat cancer with which he was diagnosed earlier in 2019. "It would be nice," Gustafson said. "I'd like to see him go back to doing something pretty heavy again, real thrashy."

Gustafson joined OVERKILL in 1982 and played on the group's first four albums — "Feel The Fire" (1985),"Taking Over" (1987),"Under The Influence" (1988) and "The Years Of Decay" (1989) — before departing in 1990 amid growing tension between him and OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni.

OVERKILL's current lineup includes Verni and vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth alongside guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer, plus the band's latest addition, drummer Jeramie Kling.

In addition to Ellefson and Young, KINGS OF THRASH features Chaz Leon (vocals, guitar) and DEAD GROOVE/BULLETBOYS drummer Fred Aching.

In May 2025, KINGS OF THRASH released a new single, "Lockdown", which Ellefson said "captures the true spirit of old-school thrash metal, with a lyric that can be seen as timely in this chaotic world we now live in."

During its 2023 "Thrashin' USA" tour, KINGS OF THRASH played another new original song called "Bridges Burned".

KINGS OF THRASH preciously completed a couple of tours during which it performed MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good" and "So Far...So Good... So What!" A live CD/DVD package called "Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go" was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 15, 2022 and was released in March 2023 via Cleopatra Records. The DVD, which was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment, included an appearance by another former MEGADETH member, guitarist Chris Poland.

Posted by Piper's Pub on Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Almost five months after Kelly Hansen announced he was stepping down as lead singer of FOREIGNER, he performed his final two shows with the band this past Friday (October 10) and Saturday (October 11) at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

During FOREIGNER's performance on the May 20 season finale of NBC singing competition "The Voice", Hansen announced his departure with a "passing of the torch" to the band's guitarist Luis Maldonado.

Jeff Pilson, bassist and musical director for FOREIGNER, addressed Hansen's exit during last night's concert in Atlantic City, telling the crowd before a performance of the classic FOREIGNER song "I Want To Know What Love Is" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You  just saw, we are very ready for the future but very excited about the future. But before we do, before we get there, let's acknowledge tonight. This is a big night for us, and in many ways it's very special for me personally because I've been with this guy for 20 years. And usually I talk about what an amazing singer he is, 'cause he is. I talk about what an incredible performer he is, because he really, really, I think, is one of the finest performers in rock. But what I'd like to talk about right now briefly is about what a great human being he is."

Pilson continued: "You guys know how great he sings and performs, but what you don't know is how funny he is, how much he plays my straight man when I prank everybody, which I do as much as I can. You don't know about the in jokes that we have all the time. I mean, this band has its own language. And Kelly and I have 20 years of it. Most of the rest of the band has close to that. So we are a brotherhood, we are a family, and we're a really lucky family because we've got Lou [Gramm, original FOREIGNER singer] and [original FOREIGNER keyboardist] Al [Greenwood] and [classic-era FOREIGNER bass player] Rick [Wills] and everybody who oftentimes comes out and hangs with us and is part of our family. But tonight we are saying a very loving goodbye to someone who has made such a difference with this band, and he's been so important in helping take it to where it's right now. So please help me — a very emotional me, a very emotional all of us — say, one last time, thank you to the man that I'm about to introduce, Mr. Kelly Hansen."

Kelly then stepped up to the front of the stage and told the audience: "Thank you. Thank you very much. I just wanna take a couple of minutes… And I had to bring my phone out with me so I could look at my notes. If I can, I'd like to get all the bandmembers up here. I just wanna do one group hug. Secondly, I just wanna thank the crew. There are many people who, every day, drive long hours in the middle of the night to get here very early in the morning to set up this gear, to set up these lights to make us look and sound as good as we possibly can. And I just wanna take a moment to thank all of the crew, many of whom have been with us a really long time. And I thank you guys. And then, after that, I wanna thank the management of this band.

"So when you're in a band, you want a manager, or managers — Phil Carson and Stewart Young are our managers — and you want managers who push to get things for you as opposed to a guy who doesn't push to get things for you," Hansen continued. "Phil Carson's over here. He's English. And many times we've clashed because he wants to do some crazy bullshit thing and I have to call him out and I have to say, 'No, we can't do it.' And he's still here. This man is a fucking juggernaut and he's 80 years old and he's a motherfucker. Along with Merrie Hart and Stewart, they've just done amazing things for this band over 20 years.

"Still on my list — you guys," Kelly added, referring to the crowd. "If I could even string together the number of times that I've had experiences with fans — or I don't like to call you guys fans; I like to call you guys people who love music, appreciate music. My whole life, since I was 17, it's been great people who come to shows. Thank you for that.

"I have a whole bunch of friends who support me. I have many friends who have traveled a long way to be here tonight, and I wanna say thank you to all of them, because when it comes down to it, it's friends and family — it's friends and family, really.

"And one last thing: I wanna thank my wife. [She] changed my life. I got married for the first time at 59 years old.

"So that's my list," Kelly concluded, while fighting back tears. "And just thank you, guys, for being here. Thank you, guys. And I'm speaking collectively to not only you guys who are here tonight, but whoever might be viewing this on the Internet sometime later. Thank you all for all of your support.

"I've been in this business, I think, about 48, 49 years. I put in my time. I spent 20 years with this fantastic band singing a catalog of songs that a singer couldn't dream of. And thank you."

Hansen told People that he started thinking about leaving FOREIGNER during COVID when he spent more than a year at home, away from the touring lifestyle.

"I started to have the sense of being home," he explained. "I started to say, 'Wow, this is something I haven't had in my life for a very long time. I had this feeling of what it's like to be home and also with a sense of, I feel I have some kind of stability financially and otherwise, where I could start thinking about making a choice that's different than what I'm doing. Although I love what I do, I've been in this business nearly 50 years, and I put in my time."

He added: "I think that Americans, in a way, have a work ethic that says, work till you die, and I thought to myself, I've traveled the world, I've seen a lot of places, I've seen a lot of cultures and I've experienced how other people in other countries approach living and the style of living. I said to myself, I want to enjoy and live my life. I have many other passions and pursuits."

Looking ahead to what his like post-FOREIGNER might look like, Hansen said: "I really am not troubled by living a smaller life. I really am not. I mean, I've lived, my whole life has been loud music and bright lights and a lot of shit and I spent a lot of my time trying to avoid fucking landmines, and I don't want to have to do that. I just want to live my life with my friends and my family and just dig it."

This past May, Kelly told Terrie Carr of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM about his decision to retire from FOREIGNER: "Well, let me just be clear — for me, it's gonna stop. I'm doing all the shows through the end of the summer, and then our rhythm guitar player [Luis Maldonado], who's very talented guy, great singer, great musician, he's been in the band almost five years, he's going to be the new lead vocalist of the band. So I'm stepping away. I'm passing the mic. So this will be my last year as the lead singer of the band, but I am gonna do all the shows through the summer."

Asked by Carr when he knew that "this is gonna be it for me", Hansen said: "Well, I brought the idea of me finally letting go to [FOREIGNER's founding guitarist] Mick Jones in 2022. So we talked about it, and he was very supportive. He didn't want me to leave. And we've done so many great things together. But I felt like [since] I've been in this business almost 50 years, I've been in the band 20 years and I'm singing a catalog of songs that every singer couldn't even dream of having. But it's a very demanding catalog of songs, and it doesn't get easier. I mean, the song demand never changes, but as you age, you change. And I don't wanna be out there doing these songs less than the best I can or that the songs deserve. So what we decided to do was when we started kind of putting things in motion, it made all the sense in the world to go inside the band to a guy who's been with the band almost five years, who's an amazing vocalist, and have him be the singer. And it just all made sense to do it that way. And then we were talking about how we were gonna make this transition, and 'The Voice' called us and they said, 'We want you to play on our finale show.' And I had the idea. I called my manager, I said, 'Why don't we do the handoff live on 'The Voice'?' And he thought that was a great idea, and 'The Voice' just thought that was a great idea. And so that's how we made it happen. It was really serendipitous."

Asked how he thinks it's going to feel for him to play his final FOREIGNER concert, Kelly said: "I don't even wanna think about it, because I know the whole tour's gonna be emotionally up and down. It's gonna be a blast and I know there's gonna be some surprises and it's gonna be really fun.

"When you play a show, at least for me, in order to communicate the music and the songs and the lyrics, you have to open yourself up emotionally to get that out," he explained. "But what that does is that also opens it for stuff to come in, and so you're very raw, and that means that any emotion you feel will be right on top, just bubbling right on the top. So hopefully I can hold it together and do it."

Kelly also talked about his future plans, including a possible continuation of some of the philanthropic work that he has done with FOREIGNER. He said: "I don't have any concrete plans for right now. First thing I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take a break. And then I'm looking forward to where the wind takes me. There are a lot of possibilities. I mean, the band has been working with Shriners [Hospitals For Children] and the Grammy Foundation for 15 years, bringing choirs on stage during 'I Want To Know What Love Is', which I've really loved. And I think we get the better end of the deal because they raised recognition about the lack of funding for school music programs, and we get to see the looks on their faces when they're on stage, maybe for the first time in front of thousands of people. And it's really amazing to see that. So I hope maybe that will happen for me in some way. But like I said, for right now, no concrete plans."

When Hansen announced his departure from FOREIGNER on May 20, he said in a statement: "Being the voice of FOREIGNER has been one of the greatest honors of my life. But it's time to pass the mic. Luis has the voice, the energy and the soul to carry these songs into the future. I couldn't be prouder to hand this off to him."

Jones said that "in 1976, my goal was to assemble the finest group of musicians I could find" and "Results have shown that it worked!" He added that "about thirty years later, Jason Bonham encouraged me to do it all over again and create a brand-new FOREIGNER, and the magic was still there," explaining that "I was especially fortunate in the choice of lead singer."

In the statement, Jones called Hansen "one of the best" frontmen in music and said he "breathed new life into our songs" over a 20-year span. "His boundless energy and flawless talent has helped us climb the mountain and set up the opportunity for FOREIGNER vocalist and guitarist Luis Maldonado to bring us home," Jones said. "I wish Kelly great happiness in his next endeavors after our summer tour, and I look forward to welcoming Luis to his new position."

Before Luis joined FOREIGNER, he was best known as the guitarist for TRAIN and for his work with Lisa Marie Presley. He now steps into the spotlight as FOREIGNER's new lead singer. Maldonado brings a rich blend of vocal power, stage charisma, and musical versatility that makes him a natural fit to lead the next chapter of the band's journey.

"This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember," said Maldonado. "I'm ready to honor FOREIGNER's legacy and bring my heart to every performance."

Hansen joined FOREIGNER in 2005 and played a crucial role in revitalizing the band's live presence. His powerful vocals and magnetic stage presence helped introduce FOREIGNER's timeless hits to a new generation of fans across the globe.

FOREIGNER replaced original singer Lou Gramm with Hansen. 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.

Fan-filmed video of Tim "Ripper" Owens's (JUDAS PRIEST, KK'S PRIEST, ICED EARTH) entire October 8 concert at Revi Live in Madrid, Spain during his fall 2025 tour of Spain and Portugal can be seen below. Joining him on the trek is a backing band of José Pineda on guitar, Miguel Salvatierra on guitar, Rafael Vázquez on bass and Fran Santamaría on drums,

Featured songs:

00:10 Jugulator (JUDAS PRIEST song)
05:38 The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
10:04 The Ripper (JUDAS PRIEST song)
13:28 Burn In Hell (JUDAS PRIEST song)
19:10 Children Of The Grave (BLACK SABBATH cover)
24:16 Guitar Solo (José Pineda)
25:36 Hellfire Thunderbolt (KK'S PRIEST song)
29:45 Beyond The Realms Of Death (JUDAS PRIEST song)
37:05 Blood Stained (JUDAS PRIEST song)
42:34 When The Eagle Cries (ICED EARTH song)
49:30 One More Shot At Glory (KK'S PRIEST song)
55:33 Wrathchild (IRON MAIDEN cover)
59:28 Hell Is Home (JUDAS PRIEST song)
1:04:38 Drum Solo (Fran Santamaría)
1:08:30 Electric Eye (JUDAS PRIEST song)
1:13:40 Living After Midnight (JUDAS PRIEST song)
1:18:50 One On One (JUDAS PRIEST song)

In a recent interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast, Owens was asked if he has ever thought about writing an autobiography. Tim responded:  "Yeah, I'd like to do one. I just don't know if I can talk about everything in my career. I don't know if it's right. There's bands that can do that because they were known as being — they'd come up in the '70s and '80s, so there's there's things they'd done and in their career and they like to talk about it because they were into that. But I don't know. I don't necessarily wanna throw people under the bus.

"I think it might be a little bit boring 'cause I'm not gonna talk about everything. On the other hand, I guess I do have a lot to talk about, and maybe talking about everything would be a pretty good idea. It could make me look a little more adventurous, too. I can make things up.

"I've said this: I will write a book, but I'm not writing a book that's not paying me. 'Cause I see so many musicians and so many people write books, and I know they haven't made much money from it. I'm not saying I'm gonna be super rich, but I've always said if I'm writing a book, it's paying me — it's paying me to write the book. I'm not just putting it out there to put it out there. I've gotta retire at some point.

"But, yeah, I've had one hell of a career. Just a kid from Akron, Ohio that's done and played with the musicians that I have, and all because of JUDAS PRIEST giving me a break and a chance to sing for 'em. And, yeah, just a book on who I've played with and when I've jammed with them, whether it was Ace Frehley [KISS] or Scott Ian [ANTHRAX] or whoever it's been, it's pretty crazy 'cause, again, I'm still just a fan and a kid from Akron, Ohio that gets to do what I do."

Owens previously discussed the possibility of writing a book in January 2025 in an interview with Australia's "Everblack" podcast. He said at the time: "I've never been offered [a book deal]. I'm not writing a book unless I get paid money, 'cause they loosely made a movie about me; I didn't get paid nothing for that. So, they would have to pay me some money. But I don't know how to do it 'cause I don't wanna… I'll probably hurt some feelings doing that book. But I won't spill all the beans. I might be in trouble if I spill all the beans."

He continued: "I would be nice about it. But it is a great story, isn't it? I mean, it's an amazing story. And it's continued to be. I love when people go, 'What have you done since JUDAS PRIEST?' More? I don't know. I've toured the world more. I've played in front of the same amount of crowds, sold more records. This is all after JUDAS PRIEST. So I think it's pretty crazy when someone says, 'What have you done?' Or they diss me by saying, 'Oh, the guy that used to be somebody.' I'm, like, 'What do you mean used…?' I'm doing more now than I ever did in my life. So it's kind of, like, 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

"I've done a lot," Owens added. "I said I've been fired from more bands than people have been in, so it's kind of funny. But, yeah, I've met so many great people. And I always say JUDAS PRIEST was my college, and they opened up the door for me to make a living out of it. And I've worked hard at trying to make sure I'm in top form and ready to go."

The 2001 Warner Bros. movie "Rock Star", starring Mark Wahlberg as a salesman-turned-rock star, was loosely based on Owens, who fronted a JUDAS PRIEST cover band before being tapped to become the new lead singer of the actual group.

Asked in a 2014 interview with Russia's Classic Rock magazine how much of "Rock Star" was styled after him, Tim said: "When they first [got the idea to do] the 'Rock Star' movie [under its original name 'Metal God'], it was really gonna be about me. And then JUDAS PRIEST pulled away from it, because they didn't like some things. So [the producers] really made their own movie, I think. The similarities were that I auditioned for JUDAS PRIEST and I sang one line of a song and hit a note and made the band. But then a lot of the things, they kind of went out… I mean, I wasn't that kind of fan when I made the band, because I was that kind of crazy kid in high school in the '80s. But this was 1996, so I wasn't living at my parents' with posters on the walls. I mean, it was still pretty cool. I mean, to have a movie loosely based on you is pretty cool."

Regarding whether it was ironic that the "Rock Star" movie became almost prophetic in the sense that Mark Wahlberg's character in the film ends up playing small clubs with his own material after the band's original lead singer rejoins the group, Owens said: "For me, the movie was almost [like real life]. Rob [Halford] came back [to JUDAS PRIEST], which was good for me, to be honest. My career, I went on to do a lot of stuff. It was better for the band, it was better for Rob. So it was kind of funny. I think I became a little bit bigger than the coffee shop singer that Mark Wahlberg was in the movie in the end, just playing there. I still get to play in front of thousands of people in Russia. But it is similar how he went on to do his own thing."

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 after being discovered when PRIEST drummer Scott Travis was given a videotape of Tim performing with the PRIEST cover band BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Halford, who has since rejoined the band. Asked in an interview with The Vinyl Guide podcast what kind of advice or preparation he had for stepping into those shoes, Owens said: "Well, listen, I was confident. They were confident with my voice. I knew some fans wouldn't like me, but I also knew that I could sing really good, and I could sing really good live. One advantage I felt I had as a singer was I could sing what I recorded in the studio; whatever I recorded, I'm gonna be able to sing that live. And I felt when fans came to the show, they would be happy that they have someone who's coming in the JUDAS PRIEST that could still keep the voice going. So if someone didn't like me, there's nothing I could do. K.K. [Downing, then-PRIEST guitarist] used to always say, ''The proof is in the pudding. Come to the show and see.' And I think a lot of people used to come to the shows and they just couldn't wait to hate me. They hated me showing up and wanted me to fail. And so many of 'em, I'd win 'em over when I started singing, because they could tell that I loved it; I loved what I was singing, and I wanted to do the songs justice. So I always felt confident."

Addressing the fact that the two albums PRIEST recorded with Owens — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — sold poorly, and he was ultimately pushed out to clear the way for the return of Halford, Tim said: "It was a really bad time of heavy metal. So it wasn't like I joined them in the heyday. I mean, when Rob left JUDAS PRIEST, they were playing in front of a couple thousand people on the 'Painkiller' tour, a lot of shows So, it really wasn't a great time of heavy metal. So I understood that, and I understood people would want Rob back. But all I cared about was getting on stage and sound[ing good]. I just wanted the band to be happy and me to be happy with me doing it. That's all I worried about."

He added: "I know a lot of the the musicians at the time, especially the hair metal bands, because hair metal was gone at that time, they hated me in L.A., 'cause they were, like, 'Who's this guy? He comes from Akron, Ohio. What's he done? How's he here?' And I still am the same Ohio guy, [with the] same friends. I have the same attitude. And all of us are the same. I tell musicians this all the time: we're all the same. I mean, nothing different."

Asked if he had any sort of communication or relation with Halford at that time, Owens said: "No, just in the press. They always tried to get us to say mean things and bad things. And every now and then, one of us would say something. Now, this was pre-Internet. So, I couldn't imagine doing that nowadays, how screwed up it would be. But, no, because there was a respect. I don't think Rob liked me much, probably at the time, because someone's going to his band, his songs and singing this, but we always had this respect. And when we met each other, we always had great talks. And I think it made a lot of people mad that we liked each other. I think it made a lot of people mad, and I think it still does. But whenever I've seen him, I love talking to him, and he knows what's going on with me, and he's, like, 'Oh, I see that you're playing in Russia,' whatever."

Tim continued: "Back in those days, [journalists] would have the old tape recorder hidden. Now they could just turn their phone on, and no one would know it. But you would do an interview, and then they go, 'All right, the interview's over.' And then they'd turn the tape recorder off, but they'd have another one going in their pocket trying to get you to say stuff. And you know this, doing interviews, you get people to feel comfortable so you talk like you're friends. And then you just start saying stuff. And I put my foot in my mouth a few times. Oh, now I do all the time, because now — I always do."

In 2019, Owens told Ultimate Guitar that he believes his era of JUDAS PRIEST is largely overlooked. "Yeah, I think it definitely deserves more [attention]," he said. "I mean, they don't do anything. [Laughs] It's kind of amazing that they just totally erased it that they won't play... I mean, 'Burn In Hell' [off 'Jugulator'], the crowd would like to hear 'Burn In Hell'.

"They don't have to give me a tribute or anything, but it would be nice to play a song from... You know, that was a pretty big thing, I did two studio records, two live records, and a DVD, starting from '96 to 2004. So it's kind of crazy that it's just been erased and they won't even play a song from it live, because it is JUDAS PRIEST."

"Demolition" and "Jugulator" are included on "50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music", JUDAS PRIEST's limited-edition box set which contains every official live and studio album to date plus 13 unreleased discs. Released in October 2021, it is the most extensive release of previously unreleased music the band has made from its vast archives.

RIPPER Screaming In Spain-Portugal 2025
**SEPTEMBER
Friday 26th..Seville @Supra Sevilla
Saturday 27th..Ceuta @Factory...

Posted by Tim Ripper Owens "Official Page" on Wednesday, August 13, 2025

In a new interview with Joe Rock of Long Island's rock station 102.3 WBAB, TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French was asked if there is any chance of the reunited band releasing at least one new song to coincide with the group's upcoming shows in 2026. The last new track French and the rest of TWISTED SISTER recorded was "30", which TWISTED SISTER laid down for the 25th-anniversary reissue of the "Stay Hungry" album in 2009. Jay Jay said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):
"We played ['30' live]. I love the track. We made a video. It's a great song. And Dee [Snider, TWISTED SISTER singer] predicted that nobody would care. We played it several times on the tour following the release, and Dee said, 'This is the bathroom song coming up, everybody.' People were looking around going, 'What's that bathroom song?' You know the point in the show where someone says, 'This is a new track,' and you all get up and go to the bathroom? He goes, 'We have a bathroom song that's coming up. I'll give you plenty of warning.' And so he made such a point of saying it that nobody would get up and go to the bathroom, 'cause now they were completely humiliated. So he'd say, 'Coming up in two songs is the bathroom song.' And we would play it, [and] everyone was there, everybody clapped."

French continued: "But I guess here's the important point. If you're gonna play 15 songs or 16 songs, whatever the amount songs are, and you laid them out on a grid and you said to a fan, a real fan, 'Okay, we're gonna play this, this, this, but we're gonna put this new track in and we're gonna take this track out.' How do you think the vote would go? You know the answer to that question would be 95-5 against or maybe 99-1 against. And that's the truth. That is simply the truth. I don't care how you wanna cut it, but when you're a classic band like us who's had a ton of product out there and we have five albums and everybody knows who they are, and with [returning TWISTED SISTER drummer] Joe Franco on drums, we're gonna play songs from the album that he played drums on, 'cause he was a bonafide member of the band, it becomes a situation where if we did, what are we taking out to put that in? And that becomes a Dee issue. I trust his vibe as a frontman to control the audience, 'cause he's great at it, have control of the ebb and flow of the night. Now, having said that, he wrote a song and he presented it to us and we're considering recording it. We're considering it, and if we do, then we may play it. But we haven't done it yet. It could happen. However, like I said, if you asked a hundred fans what they wanna hear, you would get a response of almost zero on a song they didn't know."

TWISTED SISTER recently announced several shows as part of its 50th-anniversary reunion in 2026, including appearances at Spain's Rock Fest, Denmark's Copenhell and Norway's Tons Of Rock festivals.

TWISTED SISTER's 2026 shows will feature the band's three core members: Snider, French and longtime lead guitarist Eddie Ojeda. Bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza won't be joining the celebration. Russell Pzütto, who has toured with Snider's solo projects, will replace Mendoza on bass. Joe Franco, who briefly played with the group in the mid-1980s, will sit behind the drum kit, stepping in for A.J. Pero, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 55.

In a recent interview with John "JP" Parise of Long Island, New York's 102.3 WBAB and Tampa, Florida's 102.5 The Bone radio stations, Snider stated about why he changed his mind about returning to the road, nine years after the completion of TWISTED SISTER's "40 And Fuck It!" farewell tour, and after he repeatedly slammed KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE farewell tours and subsequent reunions as mere cash grabs: "First of all, I own [my previous] statements [about not wanting to stage a TWISTED SISTER reunion]. I said that and more. I singled out bands. I named names. I ranted and raved about this, and I expected to get excrements for this, but I'm getting hit hard.

"I'm not gonna lie, and I can only tell you so much, but this is the total truth," he continued. "I turned 70 this year and I had a health scare. And I'm okay… And it shook me up… I won't say [exactly what it was], and I'm okay. But it really made me re-evaluate a lot of things. [When I was] 40, 50, 60, I thought I was superhuman. TWISTED SISTER retired 10 years ago when I was ripped to shreds. And then [at] 70, something happened and it was a re-evaluation, quite honestly. And part of that re-evaluation was looking and saying… Am I ready to go? Well, you never know when you're gonna go quietly to the night. You never know when your time is up. And do I really wanna do that without rocking one more time. And I stopped doing solo stuff a few years back as well. I mean, I go out and I join [POISON frontman] Bret Michaels or Lita Ford on stage [during their shows] for a couple songs, but I don't go out and perform. And upon talking to my wife and re-evaluating, it was I, me, who called the [other] guys [in TWISTED SISTER]. I called them. They never called. I mean, we talk, but they never brought it up because I was, like, 'This is not happening, guys. It is done. It is over, just like I told everybody.' But, like I said, I had a life-changing experience and re-evaluation of a lot of things, and I reached out. I said, 'Guys, what do you think about doing it one more time?'"

According to Dee, Jay Jay and Eddie didn't immediately jump at the opportunity to return to playing live shows with TWISTED SISTER. "It was a conversation," Snider explained. "At this point, do we wanna take this, for lack of a better word, victory lap, so to speak? But it was a conversation. And then everybody goes, 'Well, how can you not, with Alice [Cooper] out there [at the age of 77]?' Alice told me... I said, 'Dude, when are you gonna retire?' He says, 'I'm looking forward to singing when I'm 80.' So he's got no plans. [Mick] Jagger's out there [playing shows at age 82]. Paul McCartney's doing three hours [at age 83]. Now I know he doesn't run around like I do, but the same time, you go, well, there's precedents. People are out there into — there are octogenarians out there [touring] now. So we decided to go for it and go out on a high note."

After JP criticized some of the media's coverage of TWISTED SISTER's return, particularly as it relates to reports of the band "touring" again, Dee said: "It doesn't say that in the press release. I checked. I'm seeing, 'Tour.' 'They're hitting the road again.' Wait a minute — who's hitting the road? We're flying first class on an air jet airplane. Private plane.

"I'm sorry, folks. People are saying, 'Come to this town, come to that town.' No, man," he clarified. "This is a handful of dates — I'm thinking it's about 20, 25 shows around the world, festivals almost exclusively. And it's not a full-blown tour or anything like that. It's a celebration for us, and I hope you're celebrating with us for the fact that 50 years ago, next year, we got together — me, Eddie and Jay Jay — and we, against all odds, we had success."

Asked by JP "how big the dump truck full of money" was "that showed up in [Dee's] driveway" that convinced the singer to reunite TWISTED SISTER for the band's 50th anniversary, Snider said: "I'm gonna be honest. The numbers are getting higher and higher and higher, but it wasn't really where I — I had this place in mind, and it wasn't there. But like I said, honestly, it wasn't about the money. Yeah, if there was no money, I'm not gonna do it. I'm not gonna lie about that. But it really was this sort of looking in the mirror going, 'Hey, man, that was scary. And I don't wanna go out like that.' I do not wanna go out quietly. Kicking and screaming, man — that's the way I wanna go."

Dee also talked about the challenges of preparing for TWISTED SISTER live performances, particularly as it relates to the physical demands of stepping on a stage for an hour and a half. He said: "I always had a mixed relationship with the concerts. I did so much prep and I got so into it, it was so intense, I made myself miserable. When I go out there, it's the greatest moment in my life for 90 minutes, and I get off the stage and I feel really good for about 15 minutes, half hour, and then I start [to think], 'Oh no. I've gotta do this again tomorrow.' And I start getting manic. And [my wife] Suzette would never come out the road with me. She said, 'You're miserable. You sit in the room, you obsess.' I sit there, and I'm not one of those people, but I sit there writing a list of the exact time I've gotta eat my protein and what time I've gotta do my neck stretches and a hot bath and vocalizing. I write it down on a sheet, and I check it off. I'm, like, manic. And so that's another reason why going back to it, there's a lot of discomfort in the whole — and being away from the family and being away from my wife, 'cause she doesn't wanna be anywhere near me, which I understand. So, this way of doing it, going out and doing a show on a weekend and going out, there'll still be that day of getting ready for the show because it's sort of my method. But at least after the show, Suzette will be out there and we'll go and we'll enjoy wherever we are for a few days and relax until the next one comes. So it'll be one day of intensity as opposed to just an endless day after day after day of obsessing and making myself crazy."

During a September 10 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Dee stated about Mark's absence from the TWISTED SISTER 2026 tour: "I can only simply say irreconcilable differences and leave it at that. I can't get into the weeds and I can't go down that path. And I won't. But irreconcilable differences. People change, and however it is, and I'm not saying he changed; maybe we changed whatever it is. So in deciding who to use on bass, my bass player on the last two Dee Snider albums, 'For The Love Of Metal' and 'Leave A Scar', was Russ Pzütto. And he was Mark Mendoza's bass tech, and a great bass player… So, he did an amazing job on those two albums. He was a great guy to tour with. The band all knew him from years of working with TWISTED, and again, he seemed like a likely choice. As a matter of fact, one time he was Mark's choice to fill in for him. And one gig, it was in Belgium at Graspop, and Mark couldn't make it, and Russ stepped in and played with TWISTED. So he actually has performed with TWISTED once before."

Asked if he thinks the door is open for Mark to play with TWISTED SISTER again at some point during the reunion tour, Dee said: "I can't imagine it right now. I can't imagine it right now. I mean — I plead the fifth. I can't go beyond that. But things have happened that I don't see being reconciled, hence the term 'irreconcilable differences.'"

French previously addressed Mendoza's departure in a statement to Rolling Stone, explaining: "Me, Dee and Eddie have performed as TWISTED SISTER for nearly 50 years with 10 different bass players and drummers. The band has never discussed internal realignment before and has no intention of doing it now. Suffice to say that almost all bands with a 50-year history have gone through realignment as a byproduct of time. We wish Mark well in his future endeavors."

Franco played on TWISTED SISTER's 1987 album "Love Is For Suckers". Mike Portnoy, who took over for Pero after he died near the end of TWISTED SISTER's 2016 run, is busy touring with DREAM THEATER and is unable to participate in the upcoming TWISTED SISTER live activities.

Two and a half years ago, TWISTED SISTER staged a one-off reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, French, Mendoza and Portnoy. Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War. TWISTED SISTER played a highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

GHOST leader Tobias Forge joined Swedish singer-songwriter Lars Winnerbäck on stage Friday night (October 10) at SAAB Arena in Linköping, Sweden to provide backing vocals and additional guitar for Winnerbäck's 2003 track "Dunkla Rum". Tobias's appearance, which was not announced prior to last night's gig, marked a rare instance in which he has performed without donning a mask or face paint.

Forge, who was publicly unmasked in 2017 when former GHOST bandmembers sued him, forcing him to reveal his identity, talked about the mixed emotions he felt about having his anonymity taken away in a recent interview with Aziz Bentot of Dealer 2 Metal. He said: "I came to, at a certain point, even though there was, obviously, a literal process that sort of forced me to put my name on to my work, which is itself is kind of not very strange, I felt for a long time that it kind of defeats the purpose. It's a paradox working actively towards making your band bigger and more popular whilst remaining less known. So for a long time it really felt like this paradoxical, like, 'What are we doing? Why are we doing this?' I mean, maybe not so much now, but in the past. Obviously, one of the greatest examples here in France is DAFT PUNK. But people know who they are. Everybody knows who they are. If you're interested in DAFT PUNK, you know who they are. And another band that people have often referred to when they were talking about us was THE RESIDENTS… But only fucking record collectors listen to THE RESIDENTS. I have their records. I like THE RESIDENTS, but people in general don't know what the fuck they are. So that's easy. It's easy to remain anonymous if you're like this really small niche band. And I'm sure there are a lot of RESIDENTS fans who know exactly who they are, because that's what fans do. So I sort of gave that up."

Forge continued: "I think that a lot of fans and a lot of people around me were way more upset or more anxious about those things remaining or how to maintain that than I was, because I felt… I never felt really anonymous before, because in a micro format, I was, to a certain degree, known within a really, really, really niche little group of people who liked old-school death metal, who knew who I was. And that group stays together. They all talk. So as soon as GHOST happened, all of them knew who was in GHOST. And so I never felt as, 'Oh, before the spring of 2017, I was completely unknown. And then I became a really known person.' I'm not a known person. Maybe a lot of people know about GHOST, but people in general do not know who I am."

Back in April 2017, Forge was sued by four ex-members of GHOST who accused Tobias of cheating them out of their rightful share of the profits from the band's album releases and world tours.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the district court of Linköping, Sweden, where GHOST was originally based, claimed that Forge solely controlled the band's business affairs without input from anyone else in the group. The four musicians furthermore stated that a partnership agreement existed between them and Forge which put Tobias in charge of carrying out the company's management duties.

GHOST's latest album, "Skeletá", arrived in April via Loma Vista Recordings.

One of Sweden's most popular artists, Winnerbäck released his first album, "Dans Med Svåra Steg", in 1996. According to Wikipedia, the influence of songwriters like Carl Michael Bellman, Evert Taube, Bob Dylan, Ulf Lundell and Cornelis Vreeswijk shines through in Winnerbäck's exclusively Swedish lyrics, which deal with shallowness, prejudice in society, as well as romance, relationships and anxiety. Several songs depict the difference between living in small town Linköping, which Forge also hails from, and the capital Stockholm.

Winnerbäck has been the subject of two full-length documentary films, "Solen I Ögonen – En Film Om Lars Winnerbäck" and "Winnerbäck - Ett Slags Liv".

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Multi-platinum-selling rock band PUDDLE OF MUDD has released a lyric video for the song "Firefly". The track comes from the band's latest album, "Kiss The Machine", which was released in May via Pavement Entertainment.

PUDDLE OF MUDD frontman Wes Scantlin says: "I wrote 'Firefly' as a tribute to Layne Staley [ALICE IN CHAINS], Chester Bennington [LINKIN PARK], Chris Cornell [SOUNDGARDEN] and all the fallen soldiers who gave their lives. Their voices and sacrifices lit a fire in me, and I wanted this song to be a way of keeping their light alive."

Scantlin adds: "They all struggled with demons most people couldn't see, and the song is my way of recognizing that pain while keeping their light alive. I've been through my own battles too, and I'm in a better place now. I feel lucky to still be here. I'm a lucky dude. Music heals me, and I hope it heals others as well."

"Firefly" was cathartic for Scantlin to create, as the song serves as both a tribute and a personal reflection. The track weaves together themes of grief and resilience. "Firefly" had been an idea that Scantlin thought about for several years, but it wasn't until last year when he came up with the guitar part that completed it.

Another important theme of "Firefly" is childhood nostalgia. Scantlin shares: "I miss my grandma. She used to kick us kids out of the kitchen before supper and send us outside, where we'd catch fireflies in jars and turn them into makeshift lanterns. Those sweet, beautiful memories stayed with me and are woven into this song. I wanted that feeling of joy and light to live inside the song alongside the sadness. The Firefly is that spark of hope we hold onto, even in the darkest times."

Scantlin hopes "Firefly" resonates with anyone who has felt loss or struggled in silence. At its core, the song is about connection.

PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band. The group into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".

Photo courtesy of Pavement Music

In a new interview with Mexico's Summa Inferno, STRATOVARIUS vocalist Timo Kotipelto was asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Survive" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The thing is that we changed the whole working progress, the way we compose, with the last album. In the past we used to compose — Matias [Kupiainen, guitar] composed some songs completely, and then he sent the songs to other guys. And I did the same and Jens [Johansson, keyboards] and Lauri [Porra, bass] too. But last time we wanted to get together and start from zero. Basically, it was Matias, me and Jens sitting in my studio for months, and we were, like, starting the morning with a coffee and then asking, 'Do you have any ideas?' And then maybe I had some melodies and Matias had some riffs and then we started working, just building the song from there, whatever comes. And then we tried to check if that song is reasonable. And if it sounded all right, then we worked harder on it. But if it was, like we were already, like, 'Ah, that's shit,' then we just rejected it and then we moved on to a new one. So that's why it took a lot of time. And I think it will take a lot of time this time, but hopefully not seven years."

Timo continued: "We had one get-together last year and we started composing and hopefully we will find some time soon to get together. But this is how we try to compose again. I have already some melodies, but I don't wanna start composing the full song because I want the input from Matias and Jens. And it takes time. But we also think that we don't want to release an album every second year just because somebody says that you need to release an album, that you can get tours and so on. So we wanna have like a masterwork. That's what we are aiming for — very good-quality songs. But it takes time."

Released in September 2022 via earMUSIC, "Survive" marked STRATOVARIUS's first studio album in seven years. The LP showcases the band's evolution and renewed energy while staying true to their symphonic roots.

A blistering comeback from one of Finland's most seminal metal bands, "Survive" was described in a press release as "full of dynamics and drama, feeding on a wide range of emotions along the way. But the core message that this triumphant sonic endeavor conveys is one of struggle, defiance, hope, and victory."

STRATOVARIUS gained international success with albums like "Fourth Dimension" (1995),"Episode" (1996) and the epic project "Elements, Pt. 1" (a peak in the progressive and symphonic style of power metal) and "Elements, Pt. 2", to name just a few of the band's milestones. In 2009, "Polaris" marked a fresh start for STRATOVARIUS as guitarist and band leader Timo Tolkki left the group. Instead of being a difficult re-start, "Polaris" showed STRATOVARIUS in top form and perfectly able to captivate. The album became a hell of a comeback and charted higher than previous releases around the globe. Since then, STRATOVARIUS continue to walk the path of success, inspiring fans and other bands, young and old.

Photo courtesy of Atom Splitter PR

Sammy Hagar has clarified the nature of his recent collaboration with NICKELBACK frontman Chad Kroeger and MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee.

On September 22, the former VAN HALEN frontman shared a video of him posing alongside Kroeger and Lee, the trio wrapping their arms around each other as the Red Rocker shared a cryptic message about their apparent studio session.

"Okay, here we are. The three best singers in rock and roll," joked Hagar, leading Kroeger to hang his head in a fit of laughter.

Charlie Benante also appeared to be involved, according to a post the ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer shared on Instagram.

"When you get a call to come over and play drums on a song that these 2 are doing… you drop whatever it is and go," Charlie wrote. "What a spontaneous thing and so much fun. Thank you both #chadkroeger @sammyhagar @nickelback."

Now, in a new interview with Audacy Music, Hagar offered more information on the session, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We were all a place at the same time. I went to a studio with Chad Kroeger. He wrote a great, great song for the new NICKELBACK [album]. He's got a bunch of great [songs]. I mean, this next NICKELBACK record, from what I heard — oh my God. This guy's an amazing songwriter, and an amazing singer, I gotta tell you. But his songwriting abilities are crazy. So he said, 'Man, I wanted to channel you. You're always writing all these really positive songs, 'Dreams', about making people feel good and lifting their spirits up.' And he said, 'You're like the king of that.' And he goes, 'And I said, 'I'm gonna channel Sammy, and I'm gonna write a song like that.' So he writes this song, and it's very uplifting; it's really awesome. And he said, 'So just for fun, I sang it and I put A.I. your voice on it.' And he goes, 'And you sing it so much different, it blew my mind.' And he goes, 'So would you sing on it?' And I listened to the a A.I. version and I'm going, 'Why don't you just use that?' [Laughs] 'That guy's singing better than me.' It was good. It had all my inflections. I'm not an A.I. guy at all, but this impressed me. Not that I would use it, but it impressed me. But anyway, long story short. So I went in to do it. And the guy from PANTERA was there. And it's a studio complex. And Tommy comes pulling up, and Chad goes, 'Hey man, maybe you wanna play on this song Sammy just sang on.'"

Regarding what the resulting collaboration will be used for, Sammy said: "I don't even know what's gonna happen with this stuff. I probably shouldn't be talking about it that much, but it's not like a project. I'm just gonna co-sing a song on on NICKELBACK's next record. And Tommy, he's always fun. I've known Tommy for a hundred years. And somebody was there with a camera — somebody that works for NICKELBACK — and I said, 'Are you rolling?' And he said 'Yeah.' And I just said what I said. 'Hey, here we are. I guess you wonder what we're doing. Well, so do we,' or whatever I said. It was totally off the cuff. And then the guy sent it to me. He said, 'This is pretty cool. Can we post it?' I said, 'Sure'. I posted it before them. And yeah, it just blew up.

"But no, there's not a project between all of us," Sammy clarified. "I would love it, though. I mean, the first thing I thought of was, 'Wow, how cool would that be? Here we go.' Two lead singers. Projects are always about a guitar player and a singer and a drummer and a bass player and maybe a keyboard player, but having two singers, it'd be great. But NICKELBACK's got a new record they're working on and it's gonna be amazing. And I'm honored tobe a part of one song."

NICKELBACK's first album in five years, "Get Rollin'", which was released in November 2022 via BMG and debuted at No. 2 across the Current Rock, Alternative, Hard Music and Digital Album charts. The record also landed on the ARIA album chart at No. 3 and in the Top 10 in the U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia and Austria. Additionally, "Get Rollin'" debuted at No. 1 in Switzerland, a career first for the band.

NICKELBACK released a new live album, "Live From Nashville", on November 15, 2024 via BMG. The LP was recorded at the band's August 2023 show at Nashville, Tennessee's s Bridgestone Arena as part of NICKELBACK's "Get Rollin'" tour and features special guest appearances from Ernest ("Flower Shops"),Josh Ross and Brantley Gilbert (for a cover of Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road"),Chris Daughtry ("Savin' Me"),Bailey Zimmerman ("Rockstar") and Hardy ("Sold Out").

"Hate To Love: Nickelback", a feature-length documentary film about one of Canada's most iconic and globally celebrated rock bands, premiered in September 2023 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film tells the authentic story of the band from their humble beginnings in Hanna Alberta to their explosive global success in 2001 and the highs and lows that followed.

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On Thursday, October 9, California Film Institute's Mill Valley Film Festival featured "Metallica Saved My Life", a documentary that explores the life-changing impact of the San Francisco Bay Area heavy metal band on its fans, as its Centerpiece Screening on at Sequoia Cinema in Mill Valley, California. METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and "Metallica Saved My Life" director Jonas Åkerlund were on hand for a post-show conversation followed by a reception that evening.

Speaking about METALLICA's enduring connection with the band's fans, Ulrich said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I guess the first thought that comes to mind is because we are fans. And that will always be part of who we are. So when I see these guys out in the front row, that was me and still is me, whether it's music or whether it's film or whether it's any kind of other creative endeavors or art in general."

He continued: "We were just talking at dinner five minutes ago about seeing DEEP PURPLE in 1973 — I actually saw them twice in 1973 — and seeing all these bands around Copenhagen [Denmark], THIN LIZZY and BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW and SWEET and SLADE and STATUS QUO and blah, blah, blah. And I was the guy that somehow ended up outside the Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen next to the main train station waiting for Ritchie Blackmore or Phil Lynott to try to get their autographs. And whenever anything has spoken to me, appealed to me or fascinated me creatively, I've always wanted to try to get close to it. And so I think the answer, really, is that all of us, and Kirk [Hammett], Rob [Trujillo] and James [Hetfield] all are like-minded in that sense, and I think all of us really just so identify with the fans and the people that are out there, because we're just the ones up on stage, but we're all the same. And ultimately, if there's any kind of — I'm not big on manifests or M.O.s or whatever, but if there's anything that METALLICA certainly strives for is to try to break down that barricade, that barrier that exists between a band and an audience and try to do away what with whatever it is that separates us and try to have us all just be one of sharing an experience together. And so that's sort of what's in our head space. That was in our heads when we started 150 years ago, and that's still in our heads now. The only difference is that what we're doing is connecting with more people than it used to."

Regarding what his initial reaction was to seeing "Metallica Saved My Life", Lars said: "It's a lot of different emotions. The first time we saw this in Mexico City about a year ago, we were all just sitting, crying, weeping, proud, just appreciative, grateful.

"When James and I started [METALLICA], I was 17, and so this is the only thing I've ever done in my life. And so when you watch this movie, when we watched it the first time, it's basically like your whole life flashing in front of your eyes. This is not just a part of it… This is everything I've ever done other than the first 16 years of attempting to play tennis. So from 17 on, this is it. You're looking at my life. So it's kind of a bit of a mindfuck. The fact that it's still connecting, the longevity of it, in the purest moments, it's being probably dumbfounded by the fact…

"If you and I were sitting here or sitting anywhere in 1983, 42 years ago, going, 'In 2025, 42 years from now, we'll be sitting in a movie theater looking at all this and [we will be winning] Grammys and [playing in sold-out] stadiums,' that would just not be an option of how that was gonna play out.

"When we started METALLICA, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, all those guys, they were still in their thirties," Ulrich added. "I mean, that's fucking crazy, right? They were still in their thirties. So the idea that you could play rock and roll in your sixties, much less play rock and roll in your eighties, like those guys are doing now, or [Bruce] Springsteen in the seventies, or Neil Young, or all these amazingly, amazingly cool people, that didn't exist. So the idea, it's, like, 'Okay, fine. Let's start a band, and then five years from now we'll get real jobs and whatever else.' And so the fact that 42 years later that this is still connecting with everybody in terms of just such a cross section of people of all the ages and demographics and countries and all the rest of it… that's just insane."

"Metallica Saved My Life" documents the incredible stories of family, identity, redemption, loss, and salvation that make METALLICA's fans perhaps the most recognized example of why music matters to the world, and of why METALLICA is the kind of band that can literally save lives, including their own.

Åkerlund, who previously directed METALLICA's music videos for 1998's "Turn The Page", 1999's "Whiskey In The Jar" and 2016's "ManUNkind", interviewed fans from 23 different countries for the documentary.

This past June, Ulrich and Trujillo were interviewed by Heavy Consequence on the red carpet of the premiere of "Metallica Saved My Life" at New York City's Tribeca Festival at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Asked why it was important to put the spotlight on the METALLICA fans in the documentary, Lars said: " Well, I think that there's so many great stories to be told. There's so much diversity. And I think probably the greatest thing about our fans and all the people that are turned on and inspired and caught up in our music is how different they are. And so if we were standing here, say 40 years ago, it would be much easier to define who they are. But today, 44 years later, it's almost impossible to define. So I always say, if you've got 10 people, you get 10 different stories. You get a hundred people, you get a hundred different stories. And just trying to share some of those stories and get a little bit of a peek into the lives and their points of view, their diversity, what they go through to be part of all of this. And it's just great for us to kind of turn the spotlight away from us and on to the fans and get a chance to hear their stories. And that's been the best part of the last three years on this project."

Robert chimed in: "The fans are as important as the music. They're as important as we are. They're attached to everything that we do, and they're the reason we're here now. They're the reason we're on tour. They mean so much to us and vice versa. So it's amazing to see their stories and hear what they have to tell. And it's very international, and it goes deep."

Asked if there were any fan stories that particularly resonated with them, Lars said: "Well, as an only child, the reason I wanted to be in a band was to belong to something bigger than myself, to belong to a collective, to a group, to a gang, however you wanna phrase it, and every one of the fans who have their version of that are the ones that I just really relate to. There's a girl, a Chilean girl, in the movie, called Camilla, whose story I relate to. There's the Norwegian Vikings, me as a Scandinavian, who I relate to. There's lots of them. I find a connection to pretty much all of 'em. And I think ultimately what we try to do in METALLICA is break down that barricade that separates the band from the fans and try to make it all-inclusive and put us all on an equal pedestal. And everybody's that's got that same objective in mind, I feel a kinship with."

Added Robert: "Absolutely. Same here. Every night on stage, you look in their eyes and you see that sort of happiness that exudes through the music and through what we do. And there's just mutual respect and love. And it's a very powerful thing. I kind of feel it more than ever nowadays, especially on that stage [during the 'M72' tour], 'cause they're right there. And even though it's larger venues, there's a connection that we're feeling, 'cause we get to sort of make the rounds and find the sweet spots with 'em. So it's really fun and exciting."

Also speaking on the red carpet of the "Metallica Saved My Life" premiere, Hetfield stated about how the idea for the film came together: "It all started with a friend of ours, Jim Breuer, who is a comedian that was opening up for us in the arena tour, and he was traveling around with a lot of these fans and just kind of got to know them staying in the Airbnbs with them. And he says, 'James, you have got to hear these fricking stories. They're unbelievable — where these people came from, how they got into music and why.' … Such deep emotional human stories. So he's the one that inspired this in a way. We didn't know what to do with it at first. What? Do you just do a podcast or blah, blah, blah? It's, like, no. Let's get together. And everyone knows our bio; we wanna get the fans' bios out there."

Regarding why Jonas was the right person to helm "Metallica Saved My Life", Hetfield said: "He's our kind of favorite go-to guy, and he gets us. He's done a couple of our just song videos and whatnot, and he totally gets us. He gets that world. He grew up in a metal band himself from Sweden. He's a big fan of metal, so we knew he was the guy."

James went on to talk about how the METALLICA members' personal stories are intertwined with those of the band's fans. He said: "It's not like we clock in at eight and clock out at five. Our job, it kind of… It's, like, we're leaving home for a month and a half. There's an anxiety, there's a weirdness, there's a ritualistic psycho-ness in our heads that happens. And the winddown after that too. How do you get back into regular life? And, hey, I'm not objectified by my neighbors now. I'm just a dude, which is great. I'm taking the garbage out in my underwear, being a regular guy. And that's what we are at the end of the day. And this is all just wonderful dust. It's not real out here, essentially. So we try to stay as grounded as possible, and I think this movie really shows how we are the same as our fans, and we've got, and they've got, a great story to tell."

Ulrich was equally excited about sharing the fans' stories, saying:  "This is a celebration of the diversity of our fans. I've said for years, for decades, if you line up 10 METALLICA fans, you get 10 different stories. If you line up a hundred METALLICA fans, you get a hundred different stories. This is 10 to 15 of those stories. We're turning the spotlight away from us and on to the fans and celebrating how unique our fanbase is and all those great human beings. And this is really ultimately about trying to break down that barricade that separates a band from its audience and trying to celebrate the oneness of all of it and how we're all in it together and how we all are METALLICA together."

In a statement announcing "Metallica Saved My Life" in April, the band said: "As a few of you may know, we've been working behind the scenes the last couple of years on a new film that will be released later this year starring you guys! 'Metallica Saved My Life' explores our world through the lives of fans who have supported each other through highs, lows, trials and triumphs for over four decades. And yeah, we're in it a little bit too."

Back in July 2023, METALLICA put out a casting call for "superfans" of the band to possibly appear in an upcoming documentary. The filmmakers were looking for "big personalities, unique characters and unexpected stories from METALLICA fans who consider METALLICA to be their favorite band, real 'Fifth Member' types. All stories and walks of life" were "welcome and encouraged to reach out."

The documentary was produced by METALLICA and Mercury Studios, powered by Universal Music Group.

We’re excited to share that #MetallicaSavedMyLife will be making another festival appearance this year, and this time...

Posted by Metallica on Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after former LOSTPROPHETS singer Ian Watkins was stabbed to death at a prison in northern England, where he was serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offenses.

The 48-year-old had his throat slashed at British maximum security prison HMP Wakefield after inmates were unlocked from their cells Saturday morning (October 11).

A statement from West Yorkshire police said: "Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield.

"Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39am this morning (October 11) to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner. A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attention he was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Two men aged 25 and 43 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody."

Watkins's attackers reportedly slashed his jugular, causing Ian to die from blood loss.

A source told The Sun: "[Ian] was targeted by another inmate who shanked him in the neck. Guards were nearby and raced to the scene pretty quickly — but there was nothing they could do, and they could not save him. It was a horrific scene, with blood everywhere and alarms and sirens going off. Police and ambulances were called and the whole prison was locked down with all cons confined to their cells."

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident at HMP Wakefield which took place this morning. We are unable to comment further while the police investigate."

Watkins was previously stabbed in an incident at the same prison in 2023. On that occasion, he suffered non life-threatening injuries after he was reportedly taken hostage by three other inmates before being freed by prison officers six hours later.

In 2013, Watkins was convicted of 13 child sex offenses. These crimes only came to light following a drug investigation.

After Watkins was arrested in 2012 for drug charges, which included possession of methamphetamines and cocaine, police searched his property and computer, where they found "overwhelming evidence that he was a pedophile," according to the Guardian. At least 90 photos were found in his possession displaying indecent photos of children ages ranging from 2 to 14 years old.

Six people came forward to make allegations against Watkins before he was finally arrested and jailed for 35 years, the report from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found.

Watkins admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape. He also admitted conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.

Ian initially claimed he was the "victim of a malicious campaign" against him, telling police during interviews he was being stalked by "a crazed fan" and other people had access to his computers.

Watkins's disgusted LOSTPROPHETS bandmates called it quits in 2013, just before the frontman pleaded guilty to his crimes. They subsequently formed a new group, named NO DEVOTION.

LOSTPROPHETS formed in 1997 and sold 3.5 million albums in their 16-year career. They scored a No. 1 hit at Modern Rock radio in 2004 with the track "Last Train Home".

In August 2019, Watkins was found guilty of possessing a mobile phone while in prison. He was found with the phone in his cell at HMP Wakefield.

Watkins allegedly used the phone between March 4, 2018 and March 10, 2018 to contact a woman he previously had a relationship with and later hid the phone inside his anus while serving time at the prison.

Watkins was removed from his cell after officers received intelligence he was illegally storing a phone.

The singer told jurors that he hid the phone in prison because he was threatened by two fellow inmates, but he refused to name the men who allegedly ordered him to look after the device.

Watkins said his fellow inmates at HMP Wakefield were "murderers and handy," adding, "You would not want to mess with them."

Symphonic metallers SIRENIA have released "Nightside Den", the first single from the band's upcoming album, "Amanita Messis". The follow-up 2023's "1977" picks up the trail where the previous LP left off, with SIRENIA continuing to deliver melodic and catchy metal with a symphonic touch. True to the band's signature style the songs are perfectly balanced between the classic past and the modern touch of the future.

"Nightside Den" is a catchy and melodic song, a great first single to let the fans know that the band is back in the game with brand new original material. "Amanita Messis" will be an epic journey through the renowned musical style of the band which will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year. Lots of special anniversary tours and shows are in the works.

SIRENIA bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter Morten Veland states: "We are very excited to be back again with some brand new SIRENIA material. 'Nightside Den' is in many ways a typical SIRENIA song; it has a lot of those typical elements that the band loves to include in their songs. It's a melodic and groovy midtempo song with a very catchy chorus and a nice symphonic touch.

"This is our first song from the upcoming album 'Amanita Messis'. We are very pleased to share this song with you all, make sure to head over to your favorite digital platform and check it out."

SIRENIA was formed by Veland in January 2001. Morten's musical work was already well known through his work with his former band TRISTANIA, which he co-founded back in the mid-'90s. Being the main songwriter for TRISTANIA, he was a part of defining the gothic metal sound from a very early time on.

With SIRENIA, Morten's intention was to bring it to the next level, a task he succeeded to fulfil. Up to date SIRENIA has released 11 albums, an EP and several singles. Their albums have made it to the charts in multiple countries, receiving great reviews worldwide. Meanwhile their singles have topped radio charts in several countries.

SIRENIA has also toured extensively in Europe, Latin America, North America, Asia and Australia for 20 years and counting and performed at the biggest festivals in Europe on the same billing as huge acts like OZZY OSBOURNE, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH and KORN, to mention a few.

SIRENIA sounds like a mixture of gothic metal and rock with classical orchestrations, in addition to some elements from more extreme metal genres. Their sound has a solid base in the powerful drums and bass supported by massive rhythm guitars, dressed with atmospheric keyboards and spiced with melancholic violins and 12-string guitars. The music is at all times melodic and groovy. The vocal styles are diverse and consist of female vocals, choirs, growls, screams, clean male vocals, whispers and samples. The songs are very intense and dynamic. The lyrics are based on reflections on life, death, love, hate, paranoia, anxiety and mental decline in general.

JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain has shot down as "inaccurate" reports that he has announced his departure from the band.

The news of Cain's alleged exit was first shared by JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon in a post Thursday night (October 9) on X (formerly Twitter),where Neal wrote: "Jonathan Cain announced his farewell to JOURNEY tonight. I'm nowhere near done!" He added, "JOURNEY has so much more life ahead! I'm sure we will have a great tour!"

Schon later explained why Cain was supposedly leaving in a response to a fan comment, writing, "He wants to do his ministry." The guitarist later clarified that Jonathan will still tour with JOURNEY for the foreseeable future. "Jon is playing," Schon wrote. "He's saying at the end of 26-27 he will move on. We will have a great couple of years."

Earlier today, after the rock music media reported on Schon's comments, Cain's spokesperson released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "Jonathan Cain remains an active member of JOURNEY, and any reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate. He is fully dedicated to touring with the band over the next couple of years and has only expressed plans to retire at a later time."

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

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

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

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

Schon and Cain have publicly feuded over several issues, including Neal allegedly causing over $1 million in personal expenses to be charged to the band's shared American Express card and Schon demanding that Cain stop playing events for Trump.

Earlier this month, Schon said that "everything" was "cool" between him and Cain, adding that he has "had some great conversations with Jonathan lately and some great meetings with him for the first time in many years."

Back in December 2022, Schon blasted Cain as a "hypocrite" after the JOURNEY keyboardist performed the band's 1981 hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property. Cain played the track with a backup chorus of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump Jr.'s then-fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

In the past, Schon has also publicly voiced his opposition to having JOURNEY's music associated with political or religious causes. Back in 2017, he derided Cain on social media after the keyboardist, singer Arnel Pineda and then-bassist Ross Valory were photographed with Trump in the White House.

In a 2017 video interview conducted in the studios of the radio station ONE FM 91.3, Cain could be heard saying: "We're not political; we don't get into politics. We try to stay in our lane, and I just think that's the best answer we can give you."

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

At last weekend's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California, PRONG guitarist/vocalist Tommy Victor spoke to Rock News Weekly about the band's plans for 2026. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We've got a live record — it's called 'Live And Uncleansed' — and that's coming out in, like, late February. It's from the last tour we did. We picked and chose from a European tour — picked and chose from a selection of 14 different shows. They really centered around — it came down to four shows that were good, and we picked from them. It's a short record, though. It's gonna be just a single vinyl and a single CD. And then we're going in — we signed to Napalm Records, and the [new PRONG] studio album will be out in October next year."

Formed in 1986 by Victor and cemented into American metal legend, PRONG have never released their grip on the scene. From the '80s club basements of New York City to the MTV "Headbangers Ball" era with '90s classics "Beg To Differ", "Prove You Wrong", "Cleansing" and "Rude Awakening", to their official return in the late aughts and today, PRONG have stood their ground as household names in the metal universe, continuing to put out grippingly gritty, provocative and vital records for the next generation of heavy music fans.

PRONG's new partnership with Napalm Records was announced in June. It came on the heels of the band's European headline tour celebrating 31 years of their aforementioned 1994 album "Cleansing".

Asked by Metal Insider if he had any fond memories of making "Cleansing", Victor said: "Yeah, in the studio, there's a lot of fond memories. The preparation for it and the chaos that consumed the whole pre-production period, and I've been through it so many times in my career. Member changes, namely Troy Gregory leaving, and again the bulk of the work being thrown on me to solve all these problems while handling the business and personal matters. I remember that being extremely stressful. I think it catered to the inevitable/possible disappointment with 'Rude Awakening', and I just remembered how much work and how much sacrifices I had to make in order for those records to come into fruition. But the process was great. I mean, working with Terry Date was always a pleasure, more so on 'Cleansing'. I got to mix a record with him at Electric Lady Studios in New York, which is an experience I will never forget. We had a lot of fun with the guitar tracks, and again with PRONG, it wound up being a solitary experience. That's just the way it is. I mean, people tend to think a lot of times that when you're making records, and I guess if you're a rap artist this may not apply, you're surrounded by this posse and everyone's partying, you're in the studio listening to the same track over and over again, bringing your buddies in to hear stuff, like as if that was the '90s. It wasn't like that for PRONG at all. I was in the studio all day long with Terry, making decisions, laying guitar tracks on it, vocals, and the traveling. At that point, the budget was enough where we did sessions in multiple places. Then when you finish the mixes, there's always the mastering problem. That record was mastered four times before we settled on the brilliant mastering that we inevitably had. So, I mean, it's a great-sounding record. There is an amazing magic to that record, and a lot of that record came together by accident. It was just one of those great moments in my life."

"State Of Emergency" came out in October 2023 via Steamhammer/SPV. The LP was helmed by producer Steve Evetts (SEPULTURA, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and included a cover of "Working Man", originally written and recorded by the legendary RUSH.

Prior to "State Of Emergency"'s arrival, Victor stated about the LP's stylistic direction: "It's a very PRONG record. I think it's totally genre-transcending and definitely ignores what's going on out there these days."

Commenting on his artistic approach, he said: "I like all kinds of music. This record totally reflects that because it covers lots of different angles. At the same time, 'State Of Emergency' is very guitar-oriented and a typical example of my style.'"

LYNCH MOB, the band led by former DOKKEN guitar legend George Lynch, will release its ninth and final full-length studio album, "Dancing With The Devil", on November 28, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl, marking the final chapter in the group's storied career.

To mark the announcement, the band share the title track, along with an official visualizer, available below.

George Lynch commented: "All the other records of done in my life led me to this one. 'Dancing With With The Devil' is pretty much my magnum opus and swan song."

The album follows the success of their previous effort "Babylon" and showcases elements of classic LYNCH MOB with a modern edge, fusing hard rock, blues, and soulful grooves with an unmistakable passion and energy.

"We've always been about pushing boundaries and staying true to the fans", said Lynch, the band's founding member. "This new album is a reflection of where we are now, both as individuals and as a band. We've taken everything we've learned over the years and poured it into these songs."

With "Dancing With The Devil", Lynch and his band LYNCH MOB deliver a bold and uncompromising last word, a completion of the musical legacy, closing the curtain on a storied chapter in American hard rock history. This album marks the band's definitive farewell, following the conclusion of all touring and live activity — a fitting final act from a group whose impact on the genre has been both lasting and influential.

Sonically, "Dancing With The Devil" revisits the classic LYNCH MOB sound: a potent mix of blues-based hard rock, razor-sharp guitar work, and soulful vocals, delivered with the swagger and confidence of a band that has nothing left to prove. Fans of the early "Wicked Sensation" era will find familiar fire here — but with a modern edge that reflects decades of evolution and road-tested chemistry.

Reuniting the same lineup that lit up 2023's "Babylon" — vocalist Gabriel Colón, bassist Jaron Gulino, drummer Jimmy D'Anda and Lynch himself — this final studio effort captures the chemistry of a band playing at full force.

Together, they've crafted a collection that balances raw intensity with veteran finesse, all under the expert guidance of producer and mixing engineer Chris Collier (known for his work with KXM, PRONG, JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13). Collier's production brings clarity and punch, allowing the band's dynamic interplay and Lynch's signature tone to shine through every track.

As a special bonus for European fans, this edition of the album includes the exclusive track "Somewhere", not available on the U.S. version — a parting gift to a fanbase that has supported the band throughout their journey.

"Dancing With The Devil" isn't just another release — it's a farewell with force, a record that honors the past while asserting the band's place in rock history one final time. For LYNCH MOB, the devil may have had the last dance... but they set the floor on fire.

"Dancing With The Devil" track listing:

01. Dancing With The Devil
02. Pictures Of The Dead
03. Saints And Sinners
04. Lift Up Your Soul
05. Love In Denial
06. Machine Bone
07. Follow Me Down
08. Golden Mirror
09. Sea Of Stones
10. The Stranger
11. Somewhere (bonus track)

Recording lineup:

George Lynch - guitar
Gabriel Colón - vocals
Jaron Gulino - bass
Jimmy D'Anda - drums

LYNCH MOB was formed in 1989 after Lynch parted ways with his former band DOKKEN. Their debut release, "Wicked Sensation", was met with critical and fan acclaim and went on to be certified gold in sales by the RIAA. The band would continue on through the years with a cast of talented players joining Lynch throughout their musical journey over the course of seven more studio albums.

In August 2020, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker, saying he would no longer record or perform under that name. Two years later, George had a change of heart, explaining that he had to "live with the fact that [the name LYNCH MOB] has some negative connotations that I probably have to continue explaining for the rest of my life, and I don't mind doing that. But it is a brand that I built, and I'm just gonna stick with it. As far as a marketing thing and a brand thing and a business thing and a working thing, and it keeps my band guys working and it keeps the fans happy, it makes sense."

Photo credit: Frank Lopez