In a new interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Dave Mustaine insisted that MEGADETH won't be like other veteran hard rock and heavy metal bands, such as MÖTLEY CRÜE and SLAYER, who had announced farewell tours, only to return to the live stage a few years later. "I don't think so," he said. "You see the scuttlebutt that is associated with bands like that. You know they never follow through with it and stick to their word."

Although MEGADETH is not planning on releasing any studio album the band's upcoming self-titled effort, which is due in January 2026, Mustaine didn't rule out the possibility of a live album documenting MEGADETH's final tour.

"Look, it all depends on how the statements are crafted," he said. "So, we're doing no more studio albums. Does that mean there might be a live album at the end of all of this? Yeah, it certainly looks that way."

As for how he plans to keep himself busy after MEGADETH has stopped performing live, Mustaine said: "Well, there's so much still going on now that I don't really want to think about that too much. I can't really conceive of an end right now."

He added: "I don't think there is going to be a morning after. I think for all of us, we're always going to be in MEGADETH. We're always going to be brothers now and best friends, and we're always going to be responsible for making some of the most fun music that bassists and guitarists and drummers will ever want to play."

Earlier this month, Mustaine was asked by Spain's MariskalRockTV if he remembers the day that he decided it was time to announce the final round of his career. Mustaine responded: "No. No, 'cause I just brought it up. I didn't decide. We were working in the studio [on MEGADETH's upcoming self-titled album], and it just had been a really difficult few weeks. We were trying to get everything done, and it obviously was important to us to make sure that the record was done right. And we had a bunch of deadlines we ran up against that was making it hard and stuff like that. And my hands were hurting really bad. And then I just said one day to my management, 'You know, I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be able to do this.' I didn't say, 'Hey, I wanna retire right now.'"

Elaborating on the issue with his hands which is preventing him from playing his guitar at a hundred percent, Mustaine said: "Yeah, you can look right here on this hand. There's a line right there that's sticking up. That's something called Dupuytren's contracture, and it's gonna make my finger come down like this. It's already started, where it's kind of bunching up a little bit. And then if you look at the tips of my fingers, they're severely arthritic. So, all those bumps makes it really painful to play."

Asked if he has contemplated undergoing surgery to correct the issue or if he has already done that, Dave said: "I'm gonna wait for that until I'm ready to try it, because if I try it now and I'm 95 percent, and I do a surgery and it sets me back, that would've been a bad decision. If I wait until my hands are causing a problem and I try it and it doesn't work, well then I've toured everywhere, I've said farewell to everybody and I'm not leaving stuff unsaid or unfinished."

According to the Mayo Clinic, Dupuytren contracture is a condition that causes one or more fingers to bend toward the palm of the hand. The affected fingers can't straighten completely.

There's no cure for Dupuytren contracture. Treatments can relieve symptoms and slow how quickly the condition gets worse.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

In a new interview with Veil Of Sound, U.S. doom and heavy metal icon Scott "Wino" Weinrich — the voice of THE OBSESSED, SAINT VITUS and SPIRIT CARAVAN — spoke about his appreciation for some of the early musical output of MOTÖRHEAD. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Here's what I like about MOTÖRHEAD. Before I knew who MOTÖRHEAD was — I'd never heard of 'em before in my life — I was at the mall, and I was pretty young. And I was thumbing through the records, and I was in in the 'M' [section], and I pulled out 'On Parole'. And on the cover of the American version of 'On Parole', it's just Lemmy [MOTÖRHEAD leader] standing there, playing his bass. He's got the big Maltese cross on his bass. And I was, like, 'Wow, look at that motherfucker.' I bought that record sight unseen just because of the way he looked. And I didn't like anything on the whole record except for that version of 'Iron Horse'/'Born To Lose' — that slow, bluesy version of 'Iron Horse'."

Wino continued: " MOTÖRHEAD is sort of like SAINT VITUS. It's more about a feeling. It's a feeling. The music is there, it's raw, it's great. The early shit was great. Philthy's [former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor] meter count came apart there for a while, and Mikkey Dee, of course, stepped in. But, to be honest with you, I never bought anything after 'No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith'. I mean, after that it became too much of the same shit. I wasn't the biggest 'Fast' Eddie Clarke [then-MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] fan, really, of his style or his stuff at all. I think he was pretty limited. And Lemmy, to a point — Lemmy was so rich and stuff, but after a certain point, Lemmy just kind of like… I can't listen to any of that 'Hellraiser' shit. My wife likes a lot of that shit, but I can't listen to any that shit, man. The only song I like from the newer stuff after, after 'No Sleep'... It's not on 'Ace Of Spades', but it's my favorite MOTÖRHEAD song. It's that song 'Just 'Cos You Got the Power'. Two guitars, man. Würzel [former MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] — honestly, I think Würzel was a better guitar player than Phil Campbell [MOTÖRHEAD guitarist]. I spent some time with Phil Campbell personally, driving around, trying to score speed for him and shit, getting high with him. And he was really jealous of Würzel, man. That was funny."

Weinrich released his fourth solo album, "Create Or Die", in October via Ripple Music.

"Create Or Die" was produced and engineered by Frank Marchand and Wino. Mastered by Alan Douches, it was issued on vinyl, CD and digital formats.

Wino formed his first band THE OBSESSED in 1978, starting the reign of "heavy and slow" decades before doom grew into a flourishing worldwide genre unto itself. A few years later, he moved to California to join SAINT VITUS, with whom he released the seminal "Born Too Late" (1986),one of the most powerful statements in doom's early history, with Wino's raspy, heartfelt and punk-charged vocals booming loudly above the crowd of howling, gimmicky Ozzy Osbourne copycats.

Following a reformation of THE OBSESSED and a brief major-label flirtation in the early 1990s, which included a piledriving update of BLACK SABBATH's "The Wizard" alongside Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Rob Halford, Wino formed yet another influential outfit, SPIRIT CARAVAN. The new band fused his trademark sludgy churn with an increased soulfulness, beginning to lay the groundwork for his eventual exploration of acoustic and expansive songwriting. During this time, Dave Grohl also invited Wino to join his all-star PROBOT project alongside Lemmy Kilmister, King Diamond, Max Cavalera and other notables.

Numerous world tours with his various bands later, the creative source remained inexhaustible as Wino embarked on a new direction with the release of his solo debut, "Punctuated Equilibrium", quickly followed by a second solo LP, "Adrift", in 2010, a series of collaborations with German folk songwriter Conny Ochs, and "Forever Gone" in 2020. Wino embarked on extensive European and North American tours as a solo act, continuing to maintain his thriving solo output even with the arrival of a much-heralded and welcomed re-constitution of THE OBSESSED formed for the third time in 2017. THE OBSESSED, now a four-piece, has toured extensively since 2020, and released its latest studio album, "Gilded Sorrow", to great acclaim in 2023 on Ripple Music.

Today, Wino is respected all over the world as the godfather of doom and one of underground heavy music's most revered lifers. Worldwide festivals like Roadburn, Hellfest, Psycho Las Vegas, Desertfest, Maryland Deathfest, Rock Hard Festival, Monolith On The Mesa and countless others keep inviting Wino back through his various sonic incarnations year after year.

Photo courtesy of Purple Sage PR

On a recent episode of TWISTED SISTER guitarist John "Jay Jay" French's "The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond The Music" podcast, Jay Jay was joined by legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, TRAPEZE). During the 44-minute chat, which can be seen below, these two rock legends do a deep dive into their ongoing musical legacies and the life experiences that come with it. Glenn shares stories from his illustrious career, giving us a glimpse of what it was like to be part of legendary bands like DEEP PURPLE and TRAPEZE — the extensive performances, creative breakthroughs, and unforgettable moments. He gets into the evolution of his sound and the challenges that artists face in today's music landscape. Their discussion touches on the impact of streaming, with Glenn expressing his thoughts on how it has transformed the way music is both consumed and created. They discuss Glenn's latest work and listen to two recent singles "Voice In My Head" and "Chosen". The conversation wraps on a hopeful note, as they discuss the importance of live music and the connection it fosters among fans and artists alike.

Regarding his latest studio album, "Chosen", which came out on September 5, 2025 via Frontiers Music Srl, Glenn said  (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, you can see I'm kind of smiling and kind of sad because this probably will be my last solo album. Because, as you know, yourself being in the industry, nobody really buys 'em anymore. I don't like streaming. People buy an album, listen to one or two songs, and it's done. It's painful sometimes for me to write these albums. I mean, these songs are very personal to me, these lyrics are very personal. I don't think I can continue to do that anymore. I think the live work is way more important for me.

"We don't live in a longplayer world anymore, do we, Jay Jay?" Glenn continued. "We don't live there anymore. Maybe [you can release] a single here and there, maybe a live thing coming out. Albums don't really mean anything unless you have a huge fanbase."

Elaborating on his mindset when performing live in 2025 and beyond, Hughes said: "The way I feel about it, Jay Jay, is, look, I've been playing the legacy songs for a couple of years now. I don't know if you know — I've been doing this DEEP PURPLE classic show, and I've come to the point, well, I've done that now, and I've done it years ago. I'm gonna go back to being simply Glenn with all those other great songs. I've done 18 solo albums. They've done really well. I've got [material from] TRAPEZE, I've got HUGHES/THRALL, I've got other things to play. I'm getting into a new era when I wanna play new songs. I look different, I feel different. I'm happy. I can't keep regurgitating these old catalog [songs]. I love them — don't get me wrong — people wanna hear them, but my audience now is ready for something new. They're ready for something more dangerous and more exciting, and I am the man to do that."

Glenn recorded the long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "Resonate" in June 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Glenn previously talked about his reluctance to make a new full-length album this past October in an interview with Marko Syrjälä of Chaoszine. He said at the time: "I don't think I'll make another rock album. You know why? Nobody buys albums anymore… I'm talking in general. You do, people like you, sure, but in general, nobody buys. Nobody buys. I write this stuff, I record it, I do a lot of interviews, and then the album comes out. It's great. It charts the first week, and then it's like, it's over. I'm laughing because I'm like, 'What… what the fuck?' You know, it's the same for everyone. It's not just me. Everybody… you see it. It's not just me. I have to ask the question myself: Is it me? No. I look at THE DARKNESS and my friends and all other people. My friends say it's like… new albums are now like 'in and out.' But I'm really happy with 'Chosen'. If it's the last Glenn rock album, I think it's a great way to finish."

Asked if he has ever thought about releasing his music independently and not working with traditional record labels anymore, Glenn said: "Yeah, I mean, there have been talks about that. I could do it on my own because I've got a great team with me. Right now, I don't have any plans to make another album — but I will, I believe I will. The stuff I'm writing at the moment isn't rock, but it's also not really pure black music. I love doing that kind of stuff, but I'm not black — I'm white, and most of my fans are white too."

Hughes previously floated the possibility of not releasing another rock album this past August in an interview with Phil Aston of Now Spinning Magazine. On the topic of where "Chosen" sits in his discography and what might be coming next, Glenn said: "I can give you an exclusive. I think this will be the last rock album I make, but it might not be the last album I make. I'm not saying I've got plans, but I am thinking about things that won't be too far away from what I've been doing. And if you like albums like 'Feel' and 'First Underground [Nuclear Kitchen]', you'll know what I'm hinting at. It'll be more for the vocals than heavy guitar. But at some point — I think you might un understand me here — it's always been about that voice, and when you take away disrupting instruments so you can hear that voice…"

He continued: "When I did the Jon Lord tribute at the Albert Hall, when you had myself and you had a 73-piece orchestra and that was it, and no drums and no guitar, that's what I consider to be the pure Glenn Hughes voice. And as I close out my career, whenever that's going to be, I want my voice to be… The only thing you wanna hear, if you're coming to see Glenn, is that voice. I'm not being disrespectful to anybody I'm working with, but this voice [which] has been given to me is really a humbling gift sent to me. It's not really me. I'm just portraying what God has given to me."

Elaborating on how he wants his voice to be the focal point in his music going forward, Hughes said: "In the production quality of the ['Chosen'] album, Søren [Andersen], my guitar player, helped me do it. But he also understands the predicament we're in right now, realizing my age, and how many years have I got left to do this? I think what I and the people around me want to portray is that we've got this voice.

"People say, 'Is Glenn the last man standing from his peer group?'" he continued. "I can't say that myself. I have a lot of good friends, and you know who they are in my age group. But if I am the last man standing, please just listen to that voice. I'm talking in the third person. I'm not saying anything about how good it is or bad it is, but let's just take a listen to the voice.

"When we talk about the stratospheric voice, and if you understand R&B music and black music like I do, if you think about Smokey Robinson or Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and Prince, for example, those guys use their voice in the same kind of fashion," Hughes added. "They just sing R&B falsettos. And that's the way I do it. But it's something I only do feel when I feel it necessary in the moment. And by the way, each night I sing live, I might be doing it in places I never did it before. But I don't really think about those moments. All I'm only thinking about is delivering the song. The people know the melody. I never change the melody. I never change the lyric. But I really do enjoy being Glenn."

Glenn, a native of Cannock, England, absorbed all kinds of influences, including early British hard rock, THE BEATLES and, most importantly, American soul and R&B. The sleek Motown sound from Detroit and the gritty Stax/Volt sound from Memphis left their mark on him.

Hughes first found success in the early '70s with the band TRAPEZE before joining DEEP PURPLE in 1973 during a pivotal lineup change that introduced him and David Coverdale to the group. Despite initial skepticism, the revamped band silenced critics with the release of "Burn" (1974),a powerful album that revitalized PURPLE's sound and remains a classic. During this era, the band headlined the iconic California Jam in front of over 300,000 fans, toured the world aboard their private jet The Starship, and released two more studio albums, "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste The Band", before disbanding in 1976.

Glenn's first solo album "Play Me Out" was released in 1977. He joined former Pat Travers guitarist Pat Thrall to form HUGHES/THRALL, which released an acclaimed self-titled album in 1982. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Glenn Hughes made countless guest appearances (both credited and un-credited) as a vocalist, bass guitarist or songwriter on other artists' albums. The endless list includes — among others — Gary Moore, John Norum and Tony Iommi of BLACK SABBATH.

Since 1992, Glenn has started a prolific solo career with a dozen studio albums where he explored all the different sides of his songwriting and influences: from hard rock to funk and more contemporary sounds. He collaborated — among others — with such musicians as Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),Dave Navarro, John Frusciante and many others. He also founded or took part in some amazing musical alliances such as CALIFORNIA BREED (with Jason Bonham and Andrew Watt),BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION (with Joe Bonamassa and Jason Bonham) and THE DEAD DAISIES.

Glenn has collaborated with Robbie Williams on his new single "Rocket", which was released in May. The track also features a collaboration from Iommi and is the first time Glenn has been featured on a record with Tony since 2005, when they released "Fused" together.

Glenn also recently joined forces with SATCHVAI, a new collaboration by legendary guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, by writing and singing on their single "I Wanna Play My Guitar".

Fan-filmed video of the East Coast production of the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA performing a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Changes" as a mash-up with SAVATAGE's "Sleep" during TSO's December 21 concert at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania can be seen below. The mash-up was a salute to late TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA producer, composer and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who died in 2017, and SABBATH frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away in July.

TSO was created to push the boundaries of what was possible for a band to create — both musically and visually. O'Neill dreamed of a different kind of "band" that is not limited by the confines of traditional rock acts and instead established one with multiple singers who could inhabit the various characters he was writing into his rock operas.

Although TSO is best known for their Capra-esque trilogy of holiday records — "Christmas Eve & Other Stories", "The Christmas Attic" and "The Lost Christmas Eve" — they have also released several other rock operas. "Beethoven's Last Night" (2000) was the first of these non-holiday rock operas and tells a compelling tale of a battle for Beethoven's soul between good and evil. It features instrumental crossovers between classical composers and contemporary rock, along with original vocal tracks featuring Patti Russo as the character Teresa, Beethoven's love. Later albums take on great themes such as war and redemption, namely "Night Castle" (2009). "Night Castle" was TSO's first Top 5 album debut and included a bonus track featuring Greg Lake (EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, KING CRIMSON),who was one of TSO's greatest influences. TSO's latest album, "Letters From The Labyrinth" (2015),was another Top 10 release for the band. In total, TSO has sold in excess of 12 million albums and DVDs.

Consistently one of the Top 25 touring acts in the country, TSO shows no signs of slowing down. Since its touring debut in 1999, TSO has played over 2,000 Winter Tour shows for more than 20 million fans. So far TSO has also donated over $20 million from these tours to local charities.

At the time of his passing, O'Neill had several TSO projects in various stages of completion at his recording studio in Florida. He also had two finalized rock operas: "Romanov: When Kings Must Whisper", about the 1917 Russian Revolution, along with a live concert adaptation of "Night Castle". O'Neill also planned to eventually bring the TSO experience to Broadway. Nearly 30 years after the release of their first album, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA continues to create and live on.

With an incredible $1 billion in gross sales, TSO's remarkable and consistent appeal is reflected in recent industry accolades: Pollstar recognized TSO at No. 4 for Top North America Tours and at No. 6 on their Top 100 Worldwide Tours chart by gross for Midyear 2025, while Billboard placed them at No. 5 in Midyear 2025 Top Ticket Sales and No. 13 on the Midyear 2025 Top Tours chart. Adding to their impressive achievements, their iconic hit "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" has surpassed 100 million streams across digital platforms, further cementing its status as a timeless holiday classic.

In a new interview with Robb Chavez of Robbs MetalWorks, VIO-LENCE singer Sean Killian spoke about the 2024 departure of the band's founding guitarist Phil Demmel. Phil's final concert with the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans took place in February 2024 at Carioca Club in São Paulo, Brazil. Asked if he was "adamant" about wanting to keep VIO-LENCE going after Phil's exit, Sean said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Phil] wanted me to shelve the band. And then we sold out the Whisky [A Go Go in February 2023] in L.A., and he brought it up in the green room after we played. And I was, like, 'No, I'm not shelving anything.' 'Cause we never really toured back in the day, so there's so many places around the world that haven't seen VIO-LENCE or heard it live. For him, it's a garage thing that — I don't know… He's kind of a selfish guy. And if you've seen some of his interviews. he even brings it up himself."

Asked why VIO-LENCE's previous reunion in 2001-2003 didn't last, Sean said: "Well, we actually were writing music at the time, so we had Perry [Strickland] on drums and Phil [on guitar], Deen [Dell] playing bass, me singing and we had Ray Vegas playing guitar to fill in, 'cause Robb [Flynn, former VIO-LENCE guitarist] was already taking off with MACHINE HEAD. And we wrote some music and then Robb, he came to Phil and tapped him and said, 'You wanna play [with MACHINE HEAD]?' And then Phil called me and I was, like, 'Look, dude, I'm just a guy that loves to play music. You're a musician.' I've never told him, 'You can't do this' or 'you can't do that,' 'cause he's filled in for LAMB OF GOD [in later years] and a bunch of stuff. And I've always supported him a hundred percent. But when he told me that he wanted me to shelve it [two and a half years ago], that's when I was just kind of, like, 'This relationship…' Like [THE MENTORS legend] El Duce would say, 'This relationship is over.' [Laughs]"

After Chavez noted that it's "really surprising" to hear that Demmel wanted Killian to stop playing shows with VIO-LENCE in 2023, Sean said: "It's an internal thing with him. It's not about me. It's when he started doing interviews. So when [VIO-LENCE] played the Mystic Festival [in June 2024] in Poland, MACHINE HEAD was playing [at the same event], so I text Robb, 'Hey, man, why don't you play [the classic VIO-LENCE song] 'World In A World' with us?' 'Cause he always shows up a day before [MACHINE HEAD is scheduled to play]. And [Robb was], like, 'Fuck yeah.' So we did it. And so then the next week [Phil] does an interview, and it's just nothing but him talking bad about [VIO-LENCE]. And I just finally had it with him and told him, 'Man, you got issues. And I don't want any part of it.' I'm 61. I don't want people like that in my life. And so here we are today. And I'm happy. And the group that I'm playing with are enjoying themselves, and the fans really respond every time."

VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reformed soon after Demmel acrimoniously left MACHINE HEAD seven years ago.

Formed in 1985, VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they reformed briefly a couple of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time going concern once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet started to think about new music and delivered "Let The World Burn", showcasing their first new material in 29 years.

Filling out the band's ranks on "Let The World Burn" alongside Killian and Demmel were drummer Perry Strickland, ex-FEAR FACTORY bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson.

Killian is the only VIO-LENCE member from the "Let The World Burn" recording lineup who is still touring with the band.

For VIO-LENCE's recent U.S. tour as the support act for DEATH ANGEL, Killian was joined on stage by Ira Black (LIZZY BORDEN, VICIOUS RUMORS, METAL CHURCH) on guitar, Jeff Salgado (PSYCHOSOMATIC) on bass, Nick Souza (HATRIOT) on drums and Toby Swope on guitar.

"I've got a great group of guys," Sean told Robbs MetalWorks. "Claudeous Creamer's usually [playing guitar] with us, but POSSESSED is in Europe right now, and so anytime POSSESSED plays, we have Toby join us. And he's a great guitar player. He also plays drums. He tells me he plays drums better than guitar. And they're all professionals — Ira, Jeff, Nick Souza, Zetro's son. Great drummer, great attitude. And so it's, like, I'm happy that I have the guys we have because now it's finally, like, okay, this is my band and we're moving forward. And we're taking it to places that people haven't seen it before."

Killian continued: "Look at my Instagram. I'm not constantly on it. I'm not a hound for attention. When we do our tours, you see video or live pictures of us and stuff like that, but in between, you really don't see a whole lot. I don't post a whole lot about stuff. So that's kind of the difference. I'm not a social media rock star. I'm just a guy that fucking loves to play thrash metal."

In June 2024, Demmel told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco Bay Area radio station 107.7 The Bone about his decision to leave VIO-LENCE, the band that he formed nearly four decades earlier: "The VIO-LENCE thing just became… Perry left, or Perry's no longer in the band, and it just became — and I love Christian — it just became something not familiar anymore. And it hit me when we played the Whisky [A Go Go in February 2023 in West Hollywood, California] and it was Adrian [Aguilar], the drummer's first show. And we were having this kid Miles Dimitri Baker, who plays in ICE NINE KILLS right now, come down, and he was gonna be my fill-in [for some dates]. And so he was gonna play on a song or two. And I show up to the show and I walk backstage and, man, there was 50 people backstage and I knew maybe [the guys in] the band and a couple of other people. It was just, like, 'Man, this isn't my home anymore. This doesn't feel like home.' And no slight against the dudes, 'cause I loved playing with Adrian, I loved playing with Christian, and Ira really worked hard for the band and was a big — he was a big fighter for the band. He worked hard. He cared a lot. Ira was a very productive member of VIO-LENCE. But with everything that was happening, it was just time for me to go… The Kerry [King] thing was firing up, the CATEGORY 7 thing was firing up, and [I] just [did] not [want to] let that be a distraction from [the other stuff I was doing]."

Demmel added: "I loved the VIO-LENCE EP ['Let The World Burn'] that I wrote, and me and Sean wrote and we recorded with the dudes. And I'm super proud of those songs and the way that the recording came out. [Producer/engineer] Juan [Urteaga] did a tremendous job."

Circling back to the high turnover of members in VIO-LENCE, Demmel said: "Bobby [Gustafson was in the band for a couple of years] and Miles and this kid Jesse's playing now. Ira, Adrian, Nick Souza has played, [former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current EXHORDER guitarist] Pat O'Brien's been in. And this is all within the past couple years. So it just wasn't the thing that I started in high school, and the songs meaning the same."

Phil added that "it was cool traveling and doing the stuff that we did. And Sean wants to continue and travel and do the fun stuff. I'm still a partner with him in the business."

As for the possibility of VIO-LENCE making new music without Demmel being an official member of the band, Phil said: "That's all something that remains to be [seen]."

When Demmel announced his exit from VIO-LENCE a few days before the São Paulo concert, he said in a video message he shared to his social media: "It's been, I guess, in the works for a bit. My status has been undefined for a while. I'm kind of doing things that I felt comfortable or fell into my schedule or whatever. But given just the latest state of the band and where I feel I belong with it or feel tied to it, I just think that my time is at an end."

Demmel continued: "I'll always identify with the band. Me and [drummer] Perry started this band in high school. It's cool to be going to places that we haven't been.

"I'm feeling that Sean is… We've gone far on different pages. I guess we've always been on different pages. But I don't feel like I fit in with what the objective of this is anymore. And in light of some current events [laughs], I felt compelled to make the break."

Phil went on to say that he "thought about maybe doing a home show" with VIO-LENCE as a way of "saying goodbye," but ultimately concluded that "I don't feel like I need that. I feel like playing those [comeback shows in Oakland in April 2019] with Perry and Deen and Ray and having those two magical days and doing some other stuff that we've done, writing the five songs, doing the EP, I feel fulfilled," he said. "And anything further kind of feels forced. Actually, before this [Latin American] tour [kicked off], I honestly didn't wanna come. [But] I was committed to it. I wasn't gonna back out. I'm committed to the dudes. But I think I'm done. I think that I've done what I wanted to do with this band."

Demmel added: "June 1st, 1985 to February, what will be 11th, 2024. 39, almost 40 years. So, never say never again. Try not to say that. Sometimes you do. It's been life defining, it's been a pleasure, it's been an honor being Phil from VIO-LENCE."

VIO-LENCE played the São Paulo concert as a four-piece after an alleged altercation between Black and Olde Wolbers resulted in Ira being sent home from the tour a few days early.

In February 2023, Demmel addressed VIO-LENCE's future in an Instagram Live video, saying it was "kind of weird playing these shows" with "a bunch of fill-ins and me and Sean." He added that while Adrian is "awesome" and the Whisky gig "was packed", he is "just kind of really torn right now in the sense of what VIO-LENCE is and what it's gonna be and what my role is gonna be in that and how I feel about that." Demmel went on to say that he told Killian he "wanted to shut [VIO-LENCE] down," but then he realized "that to ask that of those dudes to not do it anymore is selfish on my part."

Released in March 2022, "Let The World Burn" was VIO-LENCE's first original release since 1993's "Nothing To Gain".

Demmel was in MACHINE HEAD for nearly 16 years, during which time he played on five of the group's studio albums: "Through The Ashes Of Empires" (2003),"The Blackening" (2007),"Unto The Locust" (2011),"Bloodstone & Diamonds" (2014) and "Catharsis" (2018).

Although Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", he wasn't approached about taking part in of VIO-LENCE's 2018 reunion.

Photo credit: James Willard (courtesy of Metal Blade Records)

In an interview with Brazil's Heavy Metal On Line, bassist Jørn "Necrobutcher" Stubberud of Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM spoke about the band's recently completed 40th-anniversary tour of Latin America. Asked if he and his MAYHEM are planning to keep making albums and touring until they are physically unable to do it, Stubberud replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think, yes. I think that is the truth, because I've been thinking about it. And I'm thinking that — take an example. Attila [Csihar, MAYHEM singer] said a couple years ago that maybe we should take a little break, a year or two, just to chill out. But everybody got the same thought as I had, and that was, no, it's stupid to stop now because you never know what's gonna happen. And we are not getting younger either. So it's better to do it now.

"I think if something happens with the three main members — me, Hellhammer [MAYHEM drummer Jan Axel Blomberg] or Attila — I'm not sure if there's any point going on, and maybe that would be the end. You could replace any of us, but then again, really? I mean, of course if it could work and if — I don't know. It's hard to say, really, but I think if any of those two guys can't do it anymore, I think I will quit the band. Also, I will finish the band. And not 'finish' as in [completely] finish [doing stuff related to MAYHEM]. We are [still] gonna have a merch shop going.

"Here's another thing. I'm 57 now. We are 42 years and two months [old now as a band]. New carrot for me: if we can stick it [out for another] eight [years], so [in] eight more years, we will have [our] 50-year anniversary. In Norway, you get your state pension when you're 67, and that will be the year I get my state pension. Sorry, the year later. So if we make it next eight years, then I would be like all the people who work their whole life until they retire and get the state pension. And I would be happy with that. That would be a lifetime achievement for me. So everything works out.

"So, to tell you why I think this is gonna happen, that is, we [will] release a new album now in 2026. [There's] gonna be two, two and a half years touring to finish the [touring cycle] of 65 countries and 200 shows. And then we still have one record left on a record deal with Century Media under Sony Music. And it's a progressive deal, so it means that we made a deal for 'Daemon' and then for two more albums. So we come up with a new one now, and we still have another one [to record under the deal]. So if you think that we are able to do it and have inspiration enough to do it, that in three years now we stop the touring circle, we take a year off to write and record the next album, and then we go into the next [touring cycle], it's gonna take us two, three years — boom, we are 50 years old and it's a lifetime achievement. And then if we made it there, I mean, what are we gonna look like in 10 years from now? Are we gonna be in fucking wheelchairs or are we gonna be in diapers? Are we gonna be with a white cane? Are we gonna shake? Who the fuck knows? But this is what happens to people when they start to get to the end of 60 years, 70 years old… And then again, we are not just a guy with a guitar that can come up on stage and do some Johnny Cash songs and play until you're 85. This is high-energy movements and techniques that you need to be on your fucking game to be able to get the fingers around the thing or the drums. I can see people now that are still touring, but everybody knows that they shouldn't. We are not there yet, but I don't wanna be there. I don't wanna come there. I would rather give up when the game is good still."

Last month, Necrobutcher was asked by Mexico's Metal Memes Mx if he thought, when MAYHEM was first formed in 1984, that the band would still be around 40 years later. Stubberud replied: "Yes. And the reason why I can say that very quickly, without even thinking about it, is that I think, as in most things, to put it in perspective so people understand that, if you find something that you believe a lot in, and so you think this is it. And then just with that, you already believe that this is gonna be so great that it's gonna last forever. So, I think that you even need this kind of way of thinking to be able to succeed. You tell yourself, 'This is fucking great. This is gonna go fucking straight up there. We're gonna make it. This is good music.'"

He continued: "I told in many interviews over the years that me and Manheim, the guy I started the band with, we had different bands before we met Øystein [Aarseth, a.k.a. Euronymous]. And I think Øystein was our fifth guitarist at that time, when he came along in 1984. And so when he plugged in and we started jamming with us, he knew some of the same cover songs. We did some VENOM covers. We did some MOTÖRHEAD covers. I think we did a JUDAS PRIEST cover, and we knew some BLACK SABBATH. So we kind of knew the same cover tracks. So when we started to jam on that, I immediately felt — and I never forgot it — the feeling of euphoria. It was, like, This is it. This is what we were looking for.' And I always felt that, and I felt so strongly for this project my whole life. This is my life's work. This is the essence of all my work, my whole life. So, I always believed in it."

Necrobutcher went on to clarify that MAYHEM has never achieved the kind of commercial success that would allow him and his bandmates to stop working. "We are not METALLICA — we are still an underground band — so it's not like achieved everything and now I can retire," he explained. "It's not that kind of achievement. It's more like we made it and we are doing what we are supposed to do. We are now playing live concerts 'cause we are live musicians. We are not studio musicians. We are that, too, but most and foremost, we are a live band and we have been since 1984. And I don't see any reason to stop."

Asked if he would like to see MAYHEM continue as a band even after he is no longer involved in the group, Necrobutcher said: "I think, personally, that there should at least be one original member. Otherwise, it could be watered out, and then maybe it will lose the essence of it.

"I don't see us continuing without, let's say, the old members that are in the band today, and I don't think, let's say, if anything would happen to me, Hellhammer or Attila, we might say, 'Okay, we'll call it quits.' But here's the thing. We're still able to do it. And I'm 57 now. I'm the oldest in the band, so everybody was born two years or more, younger than me, but they are getting there at some point. But here is my philosophy. We go on as long as we can because you never know when you're forced to stop… You never know what's gonna happen. And this is my perspective, and I haven't thought about it, but since you just asked the question, I would think if the core members, something happened to them that they were not able to do it anymore, maybe then we will say that we have met the end of the line. Now, MAYHEM will live on anyway, but there wouldn't be any touring, there wouldn't be any recording of new albums. But the will be there as long as people are interested in listening."

MAYHEM will release its seventh studio album, "Liturgy Of Death", on February 6, 2026 via Century Media.

"Liturgy Of Death" is the follow-up to MAYHEM's sixth studio album, "Daemon", which came out in October 2019 via Century Media. A live album, "Daemonic Rites", arrived in September 2023.

MAYHEM's current lineup consists of Necrobutcher (bass),Hellhammer (drums),Attila Csihar (vocals),Teloch (guitars) and Ghul (guitars).

MAYHEM will embark on the "Death Over Europe" European headlining tour in February 2026. Support on the trek will come from MARDUK and IMMOLATION.

In the fall of 2024, MAYHEM canceled its previously announced North American 40th-anniversary tour "due to a member of the band having a medical emergency that requires immediate surgery."

The North American dates were scheduled to kick off on November 12, 2024 in Montreal, with stops in Toronto; Queens, New York; Chicago; and Los Angeles before and wrapping up November 23, 2024 in Denver.

MAYHEM launched a short European tour on December 4, 2024 in Paris, France. An Australian tour followed in January.

When MAYHEM's North American tour was first announced in August 2024, the band said that its 40th-anniversary show would be "a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans, featuring a setlist that spans their illustrious career, from their groundbreaking debut album, 'Deathcrush', to present day."

In a new interview with Matt Bingham of the Z93 radio station, FINGER ELEVEN frontman Scott Anderson spoke about the long gap between the band's last two albums.

Released in November, "Last Night On Earth" marked the first new full-length effort from the Canadian rockers in 10 years, following 2015's "Five Crooked Lines".

Regarding why it took a decade for FINGER ELEVEN to release a new LP, Scott said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Look, we're all dads and we're all husbands. And we didn't do well with remote recording. We tried, but everybody's schedules, it's pretty full up. So the only thing that really worked is — and still — the only effective thing is getting together. So what we would do — always traditionally — we'll rent a cottage and spend a week or two up there and grind the ideas out. Now, that's great because the ideas get developed and they get better and better and better. But the old-school system is you rent a big studio for a month or two, and then when the time runs out, your album is done. Well, we had the exact opposite problem — there was kind of no time limit. We didn't rent the big studio. We would go to cottages and then we would go to Steve's [Molella] house, who is the drummer in the band and the producer on this album. And we would just improve the material. We would break it down and keep what's cool about this song and write it and rewrite it again over and over and over. So that kept the song quality up, but it just took forever. And then last summer rolled around and we had that big tour with CREED and there was some interest in the band. And so we were, like, 'Look, man, we gotta strike while the iron is kind of sort of hot. We need to figure out how to finish this record.' And so we eventually did. But, yeah, I can't believe it took that long, but in a way I can sort of account for the time. But I don't wanna take that long again, that's for sure."

Scott went on to say that being able to take 10 years to fine-tune the material is "great for musical quality" but "it's murder for your career. It's terrible. Don't do it. Finish the record. My advice to any musician out there: finish your dang record earlier than 10 years, please. Don't do this."

After Bingham noted that a lot of FINGER ELEVEN fans were probably getting impatient while waiting for a new full-length album from the band, Scott said: "Well, I think that's true, but I also think it's difficult to get excited about an older band's new record, let's say. Sometimes those don't turn out so good. And I think this one will be a surprising one because of the circumstances, because the quality control is there. The sacrifice was all this time, but the result is that it's a really solid record for a band that's been around for a minute."

Anderson also talked about the FINGER ELEVEN songwriting process, explaining: "Not only is it a collective effort, it's more open than it ever has been, which is pretty magical. And anybody gets to chime in on anything. 'What about this riff?' Or, 'Scott, what's that lyric?' 'Oh, okay.' It's much more open than it ever used to be. That's creatively satisfying, but it takes a very, very long time for everybody to be happy, because if you've got one person saying, 'No, no, no. You play this, you play this, you play this,' your album's gonna be done in, like, a week. But that's not really a satisfying vision, that's not what keep bands together, in my opinion. It's not what keeps them happy, at least. So, it's great. You're not afraid to say anything in the room."

"Last Night On Earth" came out on November 7 via Better Noise Music.

Released in September, the "Last Night On Earth" title track was the follow-up to the album's second single and video which was released in August, the thunderous "Blue Sky Mystery" featuring Richard Patrick from FILTER.

Last year, fans got the first taste of "Last Night On Earth" via the high-octane "Adrenaline" (which reached the Top 20 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart) and a video that's garnered nearly 200,000 views on YouTube. The song also reached No. 2 on the Active Rock chart in Canada, where the song held strong in the Top 5 for over four months.

FINGER ELEVEN have always amalgamated their musical influences from the 1960s forward into their rock mix. They acknowledge that Phil Collins and GENESIS were a big melodic influence on "Last Night On Earth". And the new tunes explore time-honored FINGER ELEVEN concepts with fresh twists. While "Adrenaline" is a rousing, intense anthem about pushing forward against adversity, "Blue Sky Mystery" is another hard-hitting rocker about being beguiled by something just out of reach. Further into the album, "The Mountain" rides musical peaks and valleys in its quest to chase the song, about the creative process expressed in a fantasy setting. Then there is the acoustic number "Last Night On Earth", which tackles relationship turmoil. It's the most personal new track for Anderson.

Originally from Burlington, Ontario and now based mostly out of Toronto, FINGER ELEVEN has released a series of consecutive hit albums and become among the greatest live bands to ever emerge from the great White North. Their self-titled debut album broke the band into the international mainstream, achieving gold status in the United States and platinum in Canada, and smashing the first single "One Thing" across the radio and Billboard charts. Their 2007 album "Them Vs. You Vs. Me" launched the single "Paralyzer", setting radio records in the U.S., peaking at No. 1 internationally and going five times platinum, the band's second million-plus seller. They won the Juno Award for "Rock Album" the following year and set an incredible run at rock radio, with an unbeaten 14 weeks at the top spot. "Life Turns Electric" was nominated for a Juno Award for "Best Rock Album Of The Year". 2015's "Five Crooked Lines" continued to electrify audiences the world over and their 2023 "Greatest Hits" includes their biggest smash hit in a decade, "Together Right", which topped the radio charts for an amazing five-week run at No. 1.

In a recent interview with Chas Byrne of Express FM, HALESTORM bassist Josh Smith spoke about how he and his bandmates — guitarist/vocalist Lzzy Hale, drummer Arejay Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger — have managed to stay together and remain successful for more than two decades. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "When I joined it, it was — it is, but it was — this family thing. Arejay was, I think, 18 when I joined. I was, 20, just turning 21. Their parents would still come out, and their mom was tour managing it for a few years. And it was just always this family vibe. And it still feels like that. It feels like they're my brothers and sisters. And we've certainly had our disagreements, and it's like we're best friends. Lzzy and Arejay are siblings. Lzzy and Joe are in a relationship; they have been. And so you're juggling that with also, 'Hey, we're bandmates, we're business partners.' You're wearing a lot of different hats."

Josh continued: "I think in any situation, whether it's your brother and sister or your wife, you live with someone long enough, you know what buttons you can push to upset someone. You know that — you know what to do to push buttons or to not. And I think that's a big part of it, is — I don't wanna say 'compromise', but just being truthful and respectful to each other. And I don't know — to all of us, we just made up our minds quickly: this is what we're doing. And so going back to that mantra thing, it's, like, let's make it work. And we've worked hard at that, we've worked hard at our relationships with each other and as musicians on stage. It's something we put a lot of time and effort into. And when we go home, we're still getting together to work, to prep for tour or anything, but very early on, it became an absolute: 'There's no backup plan. This is what we're doing.' I don't know. It sort of left any question behind about what we're doing and how we're going to work together."

HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has built a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

"Love Bites (So Do I)", from HALESTORM's second album in 2012, won the Grammy Award that year for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance".

In 2019, HALESTORM was nominated for "Best Rock Performance" Grammy for the song "Uncomfortable".

HALESTORM worked with producer Dave Cobb on the band's latest studio album, "Everest", after making three records with Nick Raskulinecz.

Last month, HALESTORM shared a new two-track bundle of singles, the retrospective ballad "How Will You Remember Me?" and the sultry tribute to bisexuality "Like A Woman Can". Recorded live from the road on the Pennsylvania-bred and Nashville-based quartet's recent "nEVEREST" tour, the songs are taken from "Everest", out on Atlantic Records. Lending orchestration to the tracks are tour buddies and Finnish symphonic metallers APOCALYPTICA.

Awarding "Everest" four stars, The Times declared, "There is fantastical appeal throughout." The Daily Star concurred, reminding fans about the band’'s upcoming tour with their four-star review, stating "headlining arenas in November, every track here is sure to get phones out en masse."

"Everest" came hot on the heels of HALESTORM's fiery European tour with metal icons IRON MAIDEN. The U.K.'s Metal Hammer said of opening night, "Before all that, it falls to HALESTORM to take on the famously unenviable task of warming up an IRON MAIDEN crowd — a task they ace pretty effortlessly, in fairness. Decades in and arena headliners themselves at this point, the Pennsylvania rockers also have the ace in the hole that is Lzzy Hale, whose screams, croons, cries and shrieks reaffirm her status as one of the best singers of her generation. Half of their support set is comprised of tracks from imminent album 'Everest', and you can understand why they're feeling confident about it: the new material sounds excellent."

After wrapping the IRON MAIDEN tour, the band had the honor of performing at BLACK SABBATH's "Back To The Beginning", Ozzy Osbourne's last show.

Earlier this year, SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch was asked by My Weekly Mixtape if he was disappointed or relieved to know that the band's upcoming follow-up to 2022's "Planet Zero" album won't be another concept LP. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Thank God it's not a concept record. [Laughs] I had a great time with [2018's] 'Attention [Attention]' and 'Planet Zero'. 'Attention' was purposely a concept record. 'Planet Zero' just happened to become one because of the time period, recording it during COVID. We were talking about what's going on in the world, and, 'Oh, shit. We wrote another concept record.' We purposely said, 'Can we just get a collection of songs together that are fun and put out a record, like old-school rock and roll record?' And that's what this one will be."

Asked if SHINEDOWN's recently released singles "Three Six Five", "Dance, Kid, Dance", , "Killing Fields" and "Searchlight" are "a strong representation of the sound and style that fans can expect" from SHINEDOWN's upcoming eighth album, Barry said: "No, not at all. It's as eclectic as we always do. There's gonna be things that you're gonna be, like, 'Oh, I didn't expect that.' And there's gonna be some that are, like, 'Oh, that took my head off.' Is it a reflection of where we're at right now? Sure. But every song is its own little animal, and I think that's kind of the excitement of it. I think there's gonna be some fun stuff that comes out that fans are gonna really glom on to. And there's certain ones I'm thinking of in the back of my head that are, like, it's different, that one's different, but I love it. And then there's some that, oh, yeah, that's just a straight-ahead, hit-you-over-the-face SHINEDOWN rock song, which I think 'Dance, Kid' is, in a lot of ways. Get ready for a ride, just like we always do."

Asked if "Eight" is the working title for the new SHINEDOWN album or if he and his bandmates have an actual title in mind for the upcoming LP, Barry said: "That's literally the working title, is 'Eight'. [Laughs] We have no idea what we're gonna name it yet. Initially there was talks of 'Dance, Kid, Dance' being the title of it, 'cause it kind of had that vibe in some respects. With 'Planet Zero' and even with 'Attention Attention', they just quickly raised their hands. It was, like, 'Oh, yep, that's gotta be the album title. That just fits.' This one also not being a concept and just being a collection of songs, that one thing hasn't raised its hand yet. And each one of us, 'cause SHINEDOWN is a democracy — we're all 25-percenters, but we're all very opinionated 25-percenters — we'll see what happens. I'll give Brent [Smith, SHINEDOWN singer] the 26 [percent], 'cause you have to have a leader, and he is the leader of SHINEDOWN proudly, and should be. He's got the vision more so than anybody."

Last month, SHINEDOWN released a new single, "Searchlight", via Atlantic Records. The song was first performed live during the band's Opry debut in October where SHINEDOWN's fans packed the infamous venue and the song became the most talked-about moment of the night.

Written by Smith, SHINEDOWN bassist/producer Eric Bass and Dave Bassett and produced by Bass at his Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina, "Searchlight" channels the emotional depth and anthemic power that have become SHINEDOWN's signature but with new sonic elements fitting of the Opry's stage. In the song's music video, shot by Andrew Donoho, you can see each member performing their own instruments including a steel pedal guitar and banjo. Filmed in Nashville, Tennessee the day after their Opry debut, the video showcases the band's live performance as well as the emotional power behind the song.

2025 was a defining year for SHINEDOWN, with "Searchlight" following their powerful global hit "Three Six Five", which topped multiple radio formats including No. 1 at Alternative, Top 10 at Hot AC and AC, and Top 20 at Top 40. The band also released "Dance, Kid, Dance" and "Killing Fields" — both of which hit No. 1 — further cementing their dominance at radio. SHINEDOWN currently holds the record for the most No. 1 songs on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart (21 No. 1s to date),making them the top artist in the chart's history, as well as the most No. 1s on the Mediabase Active Rock chart (23 No. 1s to date),along with the records for the most Top 5s and Top 10s in the chart's history.

In addition, this year SHINEDOWN sold out and performed at Madison Square Garden for the first time during the band's "Dance, Kid, Dance" arena tour — a career milestone for the band. As part of the tour, they donated $1 from every ticket sold to Musicians On Call, resulting in a $300,000 contribution that helped launch a new bedside music program in partnership with HCA Florida Healthcare. Smith and SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers recently performed at the program's kickoff event. Earlier this year, the band also took home multiple iHeartRadio Awards, further solidifying their standing as one of the most impactful bands of today.

Recently the band announced their first-ever curated festival event — Shinedown's Lunatic Ball Beach Weekend, taking place October 23-25, 2026 in Miramar Beach, Florida. The three-day destination experience will feature performances from SHINEDOWN (two headlining sets),BUSH, HANSON, FLYLEAF (with Lacey Sturm),LIVING COLOUR, FROM ASHES TO NEW, GUARDIANS OF THE JUKEBOX, NEON MOONERS and more.

Not to mention, SHINEDOWN recently announced they will be headlining the unparalleled Sonic Temple festival. They'll take the main stage on Friday, May 15, 2026, marking their first time headlining the iconic Ohio event. Their momentous performance will anchor the festival's second night, with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, BRING ME THE HORIZON and TOOL leading the other days of the lineup.

Photo credit: Ryan Camp

Norwegian singer Silje Wergeland, who has been fronting Dutch rockers THE GATHERING since early 2009, has announced her departure from the band.

Earlier today (Sunday, December 28),Silje shared the following statement via her social media: "It's a new dawn and a new year. After 16 years of creating and playing great music with THE GATHERING, it's time to move on to new ventures.

"I have had so many awesome experiences and made great memories with this band that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

"I wish my band mates all the best for the future.

"Thanks for all the great support and the lovely conversations with all you wonderful [THE GATHERING] fans around the globe.

"Lots of love, Silje".

Prior to joining THE GATHERING, Silje sang for the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their "Mandylion" album, THE GATHERING musicians who recorded the LP — including singer Anneke Van Giersbergen — reunited for several shows in their home country this past summer.

The "Mandylion" lineup of THE GATHERING has already announced more than two dozen concerts for 2026, including in Europe, South America and at the ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta in September.

The lineup for the concerts will consist of the following musicians:

* Anneke Van Giersbergen - vocals
* Hugo Prinsen Geerligs - bass
* Frank Boeijen - keyboards, backing vocals
* Hans Rutten - drums
* René Rutten - guitar
* Jelmer Wiersma - guitar

This past September, René Rutten was asked by Chile's Radio Futuro if he had always kept in contact with Anneke during her time away from the band. René said: "Yeah, sometimes, because you've made albums together, so you have some moments that you talk a bit. But not that much. Only last year, the old record label, finally they said, 'Okay, we can't hold it anymore, but your album become a gold record here in the Netherlands.' So we got a gold record last year. So then we saw all the bandmembers again. And I keep contact with Anneke — sometimes we did some lunch, just meeting — and then one moment we said, like, 'Yeah, let's do something next year, if the album becomes 30 years old.' And that's what now is gonna happen with the five shows here in Nijmegen. But we had contact with all the other members as well. Hugo [Prinsen Geerligs] came back earlier already for being playing bass guitar. Frank [Boeijen, keyboards] was always there. And Jelmer [Wiersma, guitar], we asked him, like, 'Hey, do you like to join us in this?' And yeah, he loves it. So he also is very enthusiastic about it to play this album ['Mandylion' in its entirety] and more."

After the interviewer noted that it's unusual for a band like THE GATHERING — which is known for constantly moving forward musically and evolving its sound — to celebrate a moment from the group's past by performing it in its entirety live, René concurred. "I can't make music with the same kind of feeling [as something we have already done]," he explained. "That's not into me. You make that chapter. It's like you're writing a book, and you wrote that part, and then you start with something new. And that's more what my feeling is about music. I can't make two albums — no, I can't make it twice."

THE GATHERING's "Mandylion" lineup officially kicked off its run of five reunion shows on August 27 at Doornroosje in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

The "Mandylion" lineup of THE GATHERING previously played a kick-off "try-out" concert on June 29 at Dynamo in Eindhoven.

THE GATHERING's third studio album, "Mandylion" was released in August 1995 via Century Media Records. It was the band's first LP to feature Van Giersbergen.

In a recent interview with Femmetal - Goddesses Of Metal, Anneke spoke about THE GATHERING's 2025 reunion concerts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Mandylion". She said: "Well, actually, I'm quite excited… This idea came kind of spontaneous. We were having conversations, we had just coffee and talking about life, other things, and then we talked about 'Mandylion' turning 30 and because time flies, we didn't really think about it. And then we said, 'Maybe we can do something nice with it,' because it's such an important album for us personally because we had a great time at the beginning of THE GATHERING career with me, of course. And we said, 'Well, if we do something, we have to do it now, because next year it's not such a good reason because now 'Mandylion' is 30 years old, and let's do something nice.' And so we made this plan, and we made these ideas for these shows. And then a lot of people wanted to come to the shows. I mean, I know THE GATHERING is still a popular band and I know it's alive — people really like THE GATHERING's music now and back then. But we didn't expect this many people to react on it and want [to buy] a ticket [to see us perform live again]. And so we are so happy. And we're gonna make a few beautiful shows and gonna have lots of fun playing together again, 'cause it's been a long time. It's been 10 years, I think."

When the interviewer inquired about the possibility of a show from THE GATHERING in Spain, Anneke said: "Everybody's asking. I mean, it's fantastic. It's a great problem to have, that a lot of people want us to come to their country. But we focus on these shows here, and a lot of people are traveling for it, so that's really, really wonderful. And then we'll see. But we just focus on these shows and take it from there."

Asked which THE GATHERING song she was most excited to play again, Anneke said: "It's kind of a wide variety of atmospheres on this album ['Mandylion'], but I like songs like 'On Most Surfaces' [from 1997's 'Nighttime Birds'], because they're heavy and we can let all the energy flow on this one. I like the more heavy songs as well, but 'In Motion #1' and '[In Motion] #2' are, for instance, very, very melodic — they're carrying you through a story — and I also like that so much. So, different vibes on the album, and I like all of it. But I like also the heavy songs, especially for playing live, 'cause I can sing really loud and headbang and have fun."

THE GATHERING previously said in a statement: "After so many years, we are very excited to celebrate this anniversary together, an album that still means so much to us."

In November 2014, THE GATHERING celebrated its 25th anniversary with a one-time special show at Doornroosje in Nijmegen. All past and present members of THE GATHERING — from 1989 until 2014 — appeared on stage and performed in this unique show together.

Van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released several albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project.

In 2005, Century Media celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Mandylion" by releasing a special deluxe edition of the album. The double-CD set featured new artwork, a 16-page booklet with song-by-song liner notes from the band and never-before-seen photos from the album's recording sessions. CD2 contained the first demo recordings THE GATHERING did with Van Giersbergen in June 1994 and early 1995. "Solar Glider" was a previously unreleased instrumental while "Third Chance" appeared two years later in a different version on the "Nighttime Birds" album.

In a 2007 interview with PopMatters, Van Giersbergen stated about her decision to leave THE GATHERING and launch AGUA DE ANNIQUE: "I had been in THE GATHERING for 13 years, and I had never done anything for 13 years in my life. It's been my whole adult life, so to leave that, on one hand, was a very clear decision and a very strong feeling, and I was ready. In 13 years, things had changed in my personal and musical life. It was difficult as well, because the guys, they were like brothers, so to leave that and to change that relationship has been a long process and was probably one of the hardest things I did.

"I told them at the beginning of March, and so we really took some time to assess the situation," she continued. "Also, the guys, they wanted to see what their plans would be next. Of course they were not happy with my decision, but they are respectful and they have good spirits to continue. Of course, I put a big stamp on the sound and the look of THE GATHERING, but on the other hand I'm not the only singer in the world, so it's going to change, but it's not going to stop."

Regarding her reasons for leaving, Anneke said, "There were a lot of physical reasons, but they all came out of one big feeling in my heart that it was time to change. I was supposed to do this record besides THE GATHERING, and I was given time and it was all okay, but I like to do other small projects and work with other people a lot. I had some plans, and the feeling became stronger to develop that more seriously and also especially to be with my family a little bit more. Now, I can direct everything I do from this one agenda, and it feels very good to be the director of your own life. In a way THE GATHERING was officially a bigger band, and we were day and night constantly working with it, and it was quite intense, all the processes. So a lot of small things became one big feeling, like, 'Okay, I'm ready.'"

Posted by theGathering on Thursday, December 18, 2025

In a new interview with Bonnie Laufer, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee spoke about the band's longevity. Asked what the "secret" is to the secret to MÖTLEY CRÜE's ability to stay together as a band for 45 years, Lee responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know, sweetheart. I pinch myself on a daily basis. Truly. The fact that we're all still here doing this, and our fans are so awesome. They've stuck with us. We're all very fortunate and blessed because this doesn't happen very often. It just doesn't."

Regarding how he keeps things "fresh" for himself after playing in the same band for more than four decades, Lee said: "That's a really great question. Not a lot of people ask that because, look, if you're out there and you're rehearsing or, whatever, or you're performing, I'm always looking for some way to update it. I would play it differently now than I did when we recorded it. So I'm always constantly pushing the band to, like, 'Let's do a new version of this,' even though some people wanna hear the original version. But I don't know — it inspires me to keep things fresh, because I don't know if people understand. You got these guys that are playing these songs and then playing 'em the same way over and over and over and thousands and thousands of times, we, as artists, we gotta keep it fresh too. There's nothing worse than watching a band phone it in."

Asked if he and his MÖTLEY CRÜE bandmates are "more patient with each other" as they get older, Tommy said: "Well, like any good brotherhood or marriage or whatever you wanna call it, we have our moments, of course. The one thing that is very exciting for us is [MÖTLEY CRÜE's new guitarist] John 5. With all due respect to [original MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist] Mick Mars, when [John 5] came in, he lit a fire under everybody. It was just this new energy, new fire. So I can tell you that that's been really inspirational. And we feed off that — we all feed off that. So, we're actually closer now than we've ever been."

John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE in the fall of 2022 as the replacement for Mars.

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

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

In 2026, MÖTLEY CRÜE will embark on the "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of CRÜE's groundbreaking 2005-2006 "Carnival Of Sins" tour and the 45th anniversary of the band. The 33-city Live Nation-produced trek will kick off on July 17, 2026 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania at the Pavilion at Star Lake and will feature support acts EXTREME and TESLA.

MÖTLEY CRÜE said that $1 from every ticket sold for "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" will be donated to ASAP! (After School Arts Program) through the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative to fund hands-on arts programs for young people.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's Las Vegas residency launched on September 12 and at Dolby Live at Park MGM and ran through October 3. The shows had initially been set for spring but were rescheduled after frontman Vince Neil revealed he had suffered a stroke on Christmas 2024.

In September, Vince said that he had actually had a series of strokes before he suffered the "big one" in his sleep the Christmas night of 2024, rendering him unable to get out of bed when he woke up the next day.

When MÖTLEY CRÜE originally postponed the Las Vegas residency, the band said it was because Neil needed a "medical procedure," but offered no further details.

In a recent interview with Belgische Radio Unie, original AC/DC frontman Dave Evans was once again asked how the band got its name. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we were trying to find a name because the guy that was gonna manage us at the time, he said, 'Look, I've got you a show coming up in two weeks' or something. 'You'd better get a name for yourselves because I've got a gig at the famous Chequers nightclub.' It was the number one nightclub in Australia. And so he said, '[You'd] better get a name.' So at rehearsals we were all tossing around names, and no one could agree with the other one. And I'd come up with a great name, but they didn't like it. And then Malcolm [Young, AC/DC's founding rhythm guitarist] would come up with a name, and I didn't like it. So we couldn't agree on a name. So we said, 'We've gotta get a name. So next rehearsal, we're gonna have three names each. We're gonna put them in a hat. And then we're just gonna pull one out and whatever the name is, that's gonna be the name of the band. 'Cause we've gotta make big posters up all over town for the Chequers nightclub.' We said, 'Okay.' So the next rehearsal, I had three names in my pocket, and we got to rehearsals. And before we could do that, Malcolm said, 'Oh, by the way,' [Malcolm and Angus Young's] sister-in-law, [their older brother] George's wife, I think [her name was] Sandra, 'She has a name that she suggested.' 'So what is it?' And Malcolm said, 'AC/DC.' And it was just went off like that, yeah. Because AC/DC is an easy name to remember. AC/DC, AC/DC, A-B-C-D. It's easy. And it means power — AC/DC, alternate current, battery, direct current, plug it into the wall. And I had an AC/DC record player that I could plug into the wall or take it down the park and be a hippie and sit in the grass and under the tree and be a hippie and play it on batteries. So that's what a AC/DC means. It means you can power it by batteries and take it wherever you want or be at home and just plug it into the wall. And I thought, 'That's great. It means power.' And I thought to myself — this is all going very quickly through my mind — and I thought, 'And we're getting free advertising all over the world because all these appliances have got AC/DC on the side of them.' AC/DC. Yeah. I thought free advertising, it means power, easy to remember. And I remember quickly going, 'Yeah, I like it. I like it.' And then Malcolm goes, 'Okay. What about you, [then-AC/DC drummer] Colin [Burgess]?' And Colin said, 'Yeah, I like it too.' And then, [then-AC/DC bassist] Larry [Van Kriedt], what do you think?' And Larry went, 'Yep. Okay.' So Malcolm said to us, 'Well, shall we call ourselves AC/DC?' And we all put our hand up like that. He said, 'Okay.' And we all shook hands. And he said, 'We are now AC/DC.'"

Asked if he still remembers his first concert with AC/DC, Dave responded: "Yeah, of course I do. You never forget your first. Anyway, yeah, I remember, of course. It was Chequers nightclub, the number one nightclub in Australia, and it was New Year's Eve, which was massive. It was packed to the rafters. It was just everyone, just crazy. And we had to go on at 11:30 on the 31st of December. So it was the 31st of December, 1973, and we're gonna go through midnight into 1974. And I [did the countdown], all that stuff, and blah, blah, blah. So I remember it distinctly because we didn't have enough songs. We had two sets to do. We were gonna do that one and another one. And Malcolm said, 'We haven't got enough songs. What are we gonna do?' And I said, 'Well, look, I'll make up some names of songs, and I'll just announce them during the set. We'll do the ones we know. Then I'll just announce a name.' I said, 'You just start jamming, and I'll make the song up on the spot.' I used to do that when I was a kid. I said, 'I can make songs up right now if you want me to.' It's just something I could always do, just make up a song quickly, and it just happens. So I said, 'I'll just announce the titles and you just start jamming something and I'll sing the song.' So that's what we did."

In the past, it had been reported that AC/DC got its moniker when Malcolm and his brother, AC/DC lead guitarist Angus, were hunting for a catchy name, and their sister Margaret saw the letters AC/DC on either her sewing machine's power adapter or on the back of a vacuum cleaner. The Young brothers reportedly thought it was a good name for their band, because "it had something to do with electricity, so it seemed to fit".

Dave recorded AC/DC's first two singles, "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" and "Baby, Please Don't Go". But in October 1974, less than a year after AC/DC's first gig, Evans was out of the band. He was replaced by Bon Scott, who sang on AC/DC's first six studio albums and became a legend himself after his death in 1980.

Evans discussed his stint with AC/DC in an interview with Brazil's Guarda Volume podcast. Speaking about the way his time with the band ended, Dave said: "We were very young — we were all very, very young. And our ambitions were forever. I didn't go, 'Oh, I'm gonna be in a band.' No. I had my whole career, my whole life to sing. I've been singing since I can remember. It ain't gonna stop because of a band I was with, I split from. I was in bands before AC/DC, of course. I was with bands before AC/DC. I split. VELVET UNDERGROUND [not to be confused with Lou Reed's group] I was with, a top band. AC/DC, Okay, I kept going. RABBIT, my own career. I never thought about splitting or stopping to sing. It was just another band I was with, but a very successful band. We had a hit record, 'Can I Sit Next To You Girl' was named as the best Australian group record of the year. First up. Great. Fantastic. It was a hit record. And to have a young band, first record, against all the other bands in Australia, [named] the best Australian group record of the year. That was fantastic. But there were different reasons why I split from the band, mostly because I wasn't getting paid any money."

He continued: "The manager was the third manager at that time. We weren't getting paid for the shows, and we were doing the biggest shows in Australia. The Sydney Opera House, the famous Sydney Opera House, Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Festival Hall down in Melbourne, all the shows. Where's the money? Show me the money. No money. We toured with Lou Reed from the USA. [We played] the biggest venues, sold out — all sold out. How about some money? No money. So in the end, I couldn't stay with the band, because I was paying off my car in Sydney, paying my car off, my flat, and I'm working hard. So we had a bit of a meeting one night and had a few drinks and stuff. And the manager was there. And he was making money because he was getting money off the top. The rest of the money, I don't know what happened to it. We didn't have any. So, the manager, nice new permed hair, new jeans, bell bottom jeans, leather valise, flying around the country, us in trucks. He had the money. We had no money. So at, I said to him, 'What's happening here?' I confronted him. We were all bitching about it. And he got up and smart-mouthed to me. So I got up and bang, knocked him down. And the other boys got me and pulled me off the manager. So it was decided that when that tour we were on finished that this had to be resolved. This had to be resolved. I said, 'If I'm not getting paid, I am not gonna go on tour again.' So I said, 'I'm not going.' Who would? I'm not stupid. So at the end of the tour, no resolution. They weren't gonna give me what I wanted. So I split from the band. I said, 'Well, that's it.' I said, 'Okay. See you later.' I wasn't gonna take it."

Elaborating on his reasons for walking away from AC/DC, Evans said: "It's like any job. If you're a carpenter or you're a teacher or something, and they don't pay you, what are you gonna do? 'Oh, it's okay.' No. How are you gonna feed your children? No children for me, but if you had children, how would you feed your children? How would you pay your car off? You can't. And you're working hard. [AC/DC founders] Malcolm and Angus Young lived at home with their parents. They lived at home with their parents. They didn't have to pay any money. I did. I had my apartment in Sydney, so I had to pay. Otherwise I was gonna lose it. My car, they'd come and take it away. But Malcolm and Angus, [they had] no car. And they lived at home with their parents. So it didn't matter so much to them, but it mattered to me. And I wasn't gonna take it. So I stood up for myself."

Regarding the iconic singer who replaced him, Dave said: "Poor Bon Scott. Bon Scott joined the band and he went through a lot of crap too. And he ended up dead. He was working, working, working, working, working, working. And he was depressed, sad. He looked happy, 'cause he was drunk all the time. Bon Scott drank all the time. Alcoholic. You see photographs of Bon Scott, he's always got a bottle or a drink all the time. Sad. Sad. But it killed him in the end. But he was going through a lot of hell, too, with the band.

"I spoke to Bon Scott after he joined [AC/DC]," Evans revealed. "We had a private conversation about things, which will remain private. And so when I found out what happened to Bon Scott, when I read about it, and I spoke to his wife about it too — I saw his wife who told me what happened and stuff — I wasn't surprised. I was not surprised."

Evans previously talked about his exit from AC/DC in a 2021 interview with DJ Grant from New Zealand's Galaxy 107 FM. At the time, he said: "You've gotta remember that Bon Scott did a lot of the songs that I already did, like 'Baby, Please Don't Go', we already did that. That's the song that I got Angus up on my shoulders, and, of course, he used to watch us doing our show, so he copied that. I understand that he copied what I was doing. And the songs too, and re-recorded them and re-wrote the lyrics to some of the songs that I had already put down. But he was told to do that. I know that he was under instructions to do this, so I don't really hold it against Bon Scott for that, because when he joined the band, he was washed up at the time, and he got a great chance to do something, and he did too. He did a great job, but his lifestyle just let him down."

Evans also talked about the enduring popularity of "Can I Sit Next To You Girl", which was originally released as a single in July 1974 and featured drums by Colin Burgess and bass by George Young (older brother of AC/DC co-founders Malcolm and Angus Young).

"It's one of those songs, I play it around the world — I still do, of course, every show I do — and people love the song," he said. "And it's amazing how many people say to me that's their favorite AC/DC song. I can't believe it. [AC/DC has] 'T.N.T.' and all those great songs, 'Highway To Hell' and all these other great songs, and fans come up to me and say that that's their favorite song."

Earlier in 2021, Dave was asked in an interview with The Rocker Diaries if he thought "that would be it" for AC/DC after Bon's death in 1980. He responded: "No, not at all. I mean, we all keep going. And AC/DC has had that many players through [the history of] the band. I don't know how many. 20? And three singers, plus a stand-in singer as well.

"We were always ambitious when we first started," he continued. "We always wanted to be the best in the world — all of us. And after me, Bon Scott got his chance. He did great with the band. And when he died, I just thought, 'Who are they gonna get?' I never thought [I would be approached about it] myself, because that's water under the bridge. And I was busy with bands as well at the time, and doing my own music and recording. I was just wondering who it would be. I had heard of [Brian Johnson's pre-AC/DC band] GEORDIE — just the name GEORDIE. I'd never heard of Brian. And then Brian popped up and, of course, the 'Back In Black' album came out, which was a massive album around the world, and they were off and running with Brian. But if Brian quit, they'd get another singer, and another singer. [They've gone through] different bass players [and] different drummers.

"The drive was always Malcolm Young," Dave added. "I remember Malcolm when I first met him. He was such a driving force. Just a tiny little guy — just a little touch over five foot tall — but, boy, he had a big heart and a big personality. And he was tough, too — Malcolm was very tough. And no matter what, he was AC/DC through and through. And, of course, once he passed away, which is very sad, AC/DC, of course, will never, ever be the same without Malcolm. How can it be?"

E-FORCE, the band led by ex-VOIVOD vocalist/bassist Eric Forrest, is putting the finishing touches on a new album, "Voivod Revisited". In an interview with Chile's iRock, Forrest said the effort will contain re-recordings of songs from the two VOIVOD albums he appeared on, 1995's "Negatron" and 1997's "Phobos", as well as a new original track and a cover version of an as-yet-unspecified song. Furthermore, current VOIVOD guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain will contribute a guitar solo to E-FORCE's new recording of the "Negatron" track "Nanoman", the lyrics to which were originally written by Ivan Doroschuk of MEN WITHOUT HATS.

Regarding why E-FORCE is re-recording songs from VOIVOD nearly 25 years after his departure from the band, Forrest told iRock (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, throughout the E-FORCE career, I've always played a couple of VOIVOD songs in the set. The majority is E-FORCE [material], and [there are] two three VOIVOD songs in the [set]. I guess it was kind of like going to [see], back in the day or whatever, when he was alive, [former IRON MAIDEN singer] Paul Di'Anno, you wanna hear some IRON MAIDEN, of course. So I've always put a few songs in the set. But, say the last four or five years, since our last release, 'Mindbender' record, with all this COVID shit, it really fucked everything up for us and many bands. And we were kind of doing this 'Voivod Revisited' shows for the last four or five years. So the timing seems right just to do."

Reflecting on his time with VOIVOD, Eric said: "It was a real honor and privilege to be part of it. Many, many great experiences that I really lived and learned a lot from those guys. And what an incredible experience, to say the least. It was the first time I'd seen a drummer do drum tracks with no ghost guitar guides or nothing. [VOIVOD drummer Michel 'Away' Langevin] would do his tracks with just playing the drums. It's just, like, wow, I'd never seen that — ever, because people have the ghost track, the demo to play along with. Away would just play the song, memorize the whole thing in his head and play. It's just, like, wow. That's special. And, of course, riff master Piggy [late VOIVOD guitarist Denis D'Amour] would just come up with these riffs and experiment with stuff. And sometimes he's just fucking around and he creates something [great]. Wow. Really, really really cool."

Regarding how his songwriting approach has evolved since his time with VOIVOD, Forrest said: "Well, it's very similar but yet different. It's kind of what I see my vision of what I wanted to write. I mean, when I was with VOIVOD, I kind of followed those guys and contributed what I could. But in E-FORCE, I'm the boss, so I write what I want lyrically or musically, and it's different. It's more work, but when it's finished, it's very gratifying and a good feeling. So I just roll with it and do what I can."

"Voivod Revisited" is tentatively due next spring via Mighty Music.

E-FORCE's fifth studio album, "Mindbender", was released in November 2021.

E-FORCE was formed in Montreal, Canada in 2001 by Forrest upon his departure from the legendary Canadian cyber metallers VOIVOD. In all, Eric appeared on two VOIVOD studio masterpieces, "Negatron" and "Phobos", on the live album, "Voivod Lives" and on the compilation "Kronik". When leaving VOIVOD, Forrest used his nickname, E-Force, as the name for his new band.

Forrest's wide array of musical influences and vocal capabilities set E-FORCE apart from the pack and ensure that this band is very original. E-FORCE released their debut album "Evil Forces" to widespread critical acclaim in 2003. Soon after, Forrest relocated to France, resulting in a lineup change.

In 2008, E-FORCE released their follow-up, "Modified Poison". The album further expanded the intensity of the band, impressing both fans and critics alike.

In 2014, the band released their third album, "The Curse", on Mausoleum Records. "Curse" was a concept album based on a collection of songs describing the power and temptation of, and obsession with the female race.

The fourth album was released in 2015 on Mausoleum Records: "Demonikhol", lyrically another concept album with alcohol as the subject matter, illustrating the ravages and destruction of all kinds it is capable of causing. Musically, E-FORCE has become an intense and shatteringly percussive killing machine, driven by battering ram guitars, supporting Eric's primal screaming vocal assault.

In 2017, to celebrate the anniversary of VOIVOD's legendary album "Phobos", Forrest led a European tour performing songs from "Negatron" and "Phobos" albums by VOIVOD. The band assembled for that tour was operating under the name "E-FORCE Performing VOIVOD". In 2018 the tour achieved by participating to the Brutal Assault festival (Czech Republic).

Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who is best known for his work with MEGADETH and ANGRA, has shared a trailer for the upcoming film "Theory Of Mind", which he executive produced. Kiko is also responsible for the movie's soundtrack.

Movie synopsis: Seven influencers from around the world (rivals and ideological opposites) are invited to participate in a global social experiment for the launch of the most advanced A.I.-powered smartphone ever created. But when a critical bug is activated, the experiment spirals out of control, turning technology into a deadly psychological test.

Due in 2026, "Theory Of Mind" was created and directed by Leo Liberti. The movie stars Kane Hodder, who portrayed Jason Voorhees in four "Friday The 13th" films, and "Devil's Rejects" star Bill Moseley.

In addition to the "Friday The 13th" series, Hodder portrayed Victor Crowley in the "Hatchet" series. Moseley is best known for playing Chop Top in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2", in addition to his work in Rob Zombie's films.

"Theory Of Mind" was the title of Loureiro's 2024 solo album.

When the "Theory Of Mind" LP was first released, Kiko commented: "When I set out to write this album, 'Theory Of Mind', it felt more like an exploration than a project. Music, for me, has always been about uncovering the hidden layers of thought and emotion, and this album took me into new territories — ones where psychology and technology intersect with the core of what makes us human. But this wasn't just a conceptual or intellectual exercise for me. I had personal experiences that led me to create this music, experiences that reshaped how I see the world and how we understand each other.

"The concept of 'theory of mind' isn't new. It's a psychological term, first developed to describe the unique human ability to recognize and interpret the mental states of others. We use it every day, often unconsciously, to navigate the social world, to empathize, to predict what others might feel or think. It becomes even more profound when applied to those who experience life differently for whom 'theory of mind' may not come naturally. In them, the gaps in understanding can be bridges to deeper ways of seeing the world. This album seeks to capture that complexity — the struggle, the beauty, and the unknown that comes with interpreting the minds of others. I've seen this first-hand, both in my own life and through people close to me. Watching someone struggle to connect with others on an intuitive level or seeing how people are often misunderstood because they process the world differently — it all started to shape my thinking. How do we understand those whose minds work in ways we can't immediately grasp? How do they understand us? These questions weighed heavily on me and became a driving force behind this album. I wanted to reflect on those personal experiences musically, creating an emotional landscape where the listener could step inside that journey, even if just for a moment. But there's another layer to this album that extends beyond psychology and into the future of technology.

"We are on the verge of a new era where machines — artificial intelligence — are approaching what scientists refer to as 'theory of mind'. This marks the moment when A.I. not only calculates and processes information but begins to perceive, empathize, and interact as humans do. What intrigued me is how A.I., now convincingly mimic human understanding of mental states, even outperforming humans in 'theory of mind' tests. It's one thing to create music that evokes human emotion, but what does it mean when a machine can understand and resonate with those emotions too? Imagine a world where technology not only responds but feels.

"Each track on the album is a chapter in this story, and I hope listeners feel the evolution. The opening song begins with an intricate awakening motif, almost like the first realization of self-awareness, like when a child first grasps that other people have thoughts, emotions, and experiences separate from their own. The music builds from there, layering with complexity, much like how we learn to navigate the minds of others — tentative at first, and then more certain, with moments of tension and harmony. There's a rhythmic pulse throughout the album. It represents that shared essence we all have the need to connect, to feel understood. I incorporated melodies and counter-melodies, verses and choruses, peaceful and aggressive, dissonant or consonant that mirror the interplay of thoughts in dialogue, where communication is imperfect but still profound. The tension and release echo the internal conflicts we all experience—wondering if we truly understand others or if we're just projecting our own thoughts onto them.

"There's a vulnerability in the tracks' melodies, a fragile but fierce will to connect. In a way, it's a meditation on empathy, on the effort it can take to truly see someone for who they are. The use of A.I. as an inspiration for some of the album's themes might seem abstract. As I wrote and composed, I kept coming back to the question: What happens when machines learn to understand us on an emotional level? When we teach them to interpret our mental states? Does it make them more human, or does it reveal more about what it means to be human ourselves? Should I let A.I. start making all the music, what about me, how can I express myself?

"'Theory Of Mind' isn't just about understanding — it's about the desire to understand. Whether it's a person who feels misunderstood, or a future A.I. learning to perceive our emotions, the album is an invitation to explore that space. To sit with the complexities, to feel the tension, and ultimately, to wonder — where do we go from here?"

One of the most internationally recognized Brazilian guitarists, Kiko has received the highest rankings in countless polls such as "Best Guitarist" and landed the front cover of major guitar magazines such as Young Guitar, Guitar Player and Guitar World. In early 2017, while still a member of MEGADETH, Kiko became the first Brazilian musician to receive a Grammy for playing in a rock/heavy metal band. He is known as a tireless and complete musician who is constantly looking to push his limits and discover something new.

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY have launched All I'm Dreamin' Of Foundation.

The band states: "This is something we have been passionate about and wanted to make happen for some time, and we thought this was as great a time as any to launch it."
All I'm Dreamin' Of Foundation exists to empower and inspire local artists, musicians, and dreamers alike. The Foundation's mission is help fund and champion community arts and music programs, ensuring that creativity, expression, and opportunity remain accessible to all.

BLACK STONE CHERRY will release a brand-new EP, "Celebrate", digitally on March 6, 2026 via Mascot Records.

"Celebrate" was produced by the BLACK STONE CHERRY bandmembers themselves and recorded at High Street Studios in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The effort consists of six original tracks and a cover of SIMPLE MINDS' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" featuring Tyler Connolly (THEORY OF A DEADMAN).

BLACK STONE CHERRY is an American rock band formed in June 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky. The founding members were Chris Robertson (vocals, guitar),Ben Wells (guitar),Jon Lawhon (bass) and John Fred Young (drums). The band originally rehearsed in a house previously used by THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS and began performing in local clubs.

In 2003, they released their first demo, "Rock N' Roll Tape". Their debut studio album, "Black Stone Cherry", was released in 2006 through Roadrunner Records. This was followed by the albums "Folklore And Superstition" (2008),"Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" (2011),"Magic Mountain" (2014),"Kentucky" (2016),"Family Tree" (2018),"The Human Condition" (2020) and "Screamin' At The Sky" (2023). In addition, the band has released two EPs.

In 2021, bassist Jon Lawhon left the group and was replaced by Steve Jewell Jr. Since 2016, the band has been working with Mascot Label Group.

In October 2024, BLACK STONE CHERRY was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame.

With our hometown shows approaching this weekend, we are incredibly proud to announce that this year’s portion of...

Posted by Black Stone Cherry on Thursday, December 18, 2025

During a December 16 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick was once again asked if he was ever approached to rejoin the band after Ace Frehley left for good back in 2001. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Clearly, when I heard that Ace was probably not showing up [for the gigs in 2001], and all of a sudden the understudy, Tommy [Thayer], who could throw the outfit and the makeup on to pop in on a few things before Ace just left, I was, like, 'Are they gonna ask me?' I remember talking to a couple of my friends that had the inside scoop on the band, and I don't know what they were gonna do, but I thought about it and I was, like, 'Could I do that? Could I become the Spaceman? That seems not really right.' I remember [feeling] conflicted. On the other hand, I was, like, 'I'd really enjoy being back in KISS, playing huge arenas and private jets and all the perks and what fame comes with that. And then, of course, I was not considered, which was a blessing in disguise."

Asked if he was "hurt" by the fact that he wasn't approached to rejoin KISS, Bruce said: "No. I really did understand them going to Tommy. I knew Tommy very well. He used to work a lot with the band creatively — write songs and tour manage, and he worked on 'Kisstory', the big nine-pound book or whatever. And knowing that he was in a tribute band [called] COLD GIN, for KISS, and could play the Ace riffs…"

Bruce continued: "Here's a perfect example: when Paul Stanley told me, 'You're the new guitarist of KISS,' back in '84, days before 'Animalize Live [Uncensored]' [concert video]. 'We want you to play competitive. You know what's going on in the guitar world. You know what we need. You have one foot in the kind of vintage material, and then I need you to play like the modern guitar players.' And clearly Tommy got a little different kind of job application kind of checkbox: 'Play Ace's riffs.' So, in conclusion, knowing that that mine was be me with my face with no confusion, no character, and the other side of it being… I would've pooped on my era if I suddenly did take that job, if it was offered to me. And I couldn't tell you, I swear to you, if they said, 'No, we really want you. And here's the pay and here's your commitment.' I might've said yes. I mean, how could I deny that I would love to be in the band? But at that cost… And you gotta remember, looking back in — what year would that have been? 2000-ish; 2001 or something around there — I don't know where my headspace be. But looking back all these years and seeing how my era has been more embraced and more celebrated, and I also think Pophouse [the Swedish company which bought the KISS catalog, brand name and intellectual property in early 2024] really wants to support all 50 years of the band, meaning my era will get more of a spotlight than during those makeup years where Gene [Simmons] and Paul and Doc [McGhee, KISS's longtime manager] were controlling basically the narrative of the band. Understandably. I was never bitter at them. Why should they do 'Revenge' songs if they don't want to or if it doesn't feel right? I get it. But boy, it makes it special when I play that stuff [with other musicians now]."

In 1984, Bruce joined KISS, where he remained as their lead guitarist for twelve years, accompanying the band on the "Animalize" tour and continuing with the band until the 1996 reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on "Kissology – Vol. 2" and "Vol. 3", the band's DVDs spanning their historic 45-year career.

Back in November 2024, Bruce was asked by Loaded Radio why he wasn't ever approached to rejoin the band after Ace left for good back in 2001. He responded: "That's a great question. And not everyone's aware of some of the backstory. I would hear things about them having problems with Ace and Ace was getting erratic or difficult. And Tommy Thayer was actually tour managing with them; he was on the road with them. Because even during my era, he was involved with the band, helping with 'Kisstory' and doing things for the group. He wrote some songs with Gene and was always part of the inner circle, shall I say. So from what I understood, there was one or two things that KISS did — not a concert, even though once Ace was almost not gonna make it and they made Tommy get the outfit on. [He had a] similar build — tall and thin — and Ace made it to the show. But there were a couple of other things they needed to do. I believe 'That '70s Show', when they were taping, Ace didn't show up. 'Tommy, get the outfit on.' And then I think there was a private gig, too, that no one would really know about — one of those things where you go to an island and play for some rich people. And Ace wouldn't go. And KISS wasn't gonna say, 'All right, we're not gonna take the gig.' So if they ever had a thought of me, I think they would have known that that probably would have been a lot harder. Tommy was younger, there already, if you know what I mean, working with them. And Tommy, not everybody knows that he was in a tribute band for fun at times called COLD GIN as Ace Frehley."

Bruce continued: "So if they would have went to me, I can't say I absolutely would have said 'no.' I miss being in KISS. I do realize it would have kind of pooped on my era because then I'd have to kind of play the role of the 'Spaceman' and shoot rockets and play more like Ace. I was never given that direction from Gene and Paul, where Tommy knew that it actually was more comfortable with his natural style of guitar playing. He wasn't a Floyd Rose, play-some-flashy-riffs king of the mountain. So I never felt like they made the wrong choice — ever. I always felt that was the right way to go 'cause then Tommy could assume the role of the Spaceman in the group. Eric [Singer, KISS drummer] sometimes gets some criticism, like Tommy has, but Eric being behind the drums and having five years in the band without the makeup, maybe he gets a little less. Neither of them really deserve criticism because they're talented players doing a great job. And it was Gene and Paul's choice to say, 'And now you're the Catman,' 'And now you're the Spaceman.' It wasn't [Tommy and Eric] saying, 'Please, I wanna be the Spaceman.' And to new generations, Tommyis the Spaceman. Even though Eric has a lot of credibility from 'Revenge' and 'MTV Unplugged' and 'Carnival Of Souls' and all the work that we did together for those five years. So, I actually kind of lost the big gig on many levels for the right reasons though. And I was never fired the first time. It was simply, 'Well, we're making all this money. Now we're selling out from arenas to stadiums in makeup.' So my era ran its course."

In an April 2020 interview with Sleaze Roxx, Kulick said that he was "relieved" he wasn't approached to rejoin the band after Frehley left for good back in 2001.

"When I had to leave in '96 after the success of the KISS 'Unplugged' performance, people were aware of the musicianship that existed in the band between Eric Singer [drums] and I, but after 20 years of people hearing about KISS in makeup, it was kind of like 'Star Wars' when it was rebooted people went to see what it was all about," he said. "I understood that it was the original guys, they put the makeup on and people were excited to either see it again or see it for the first time. That carried on, then it carried on and it carried on. [Laughs] It then reached a point where Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] couldn't continue with Peter [Criss] so they called on Eric Singer to step into the role and the makeup.

"Eric is such a tremendous drummer," he continued. "I was genuinely happy for him. I still am. Then when Ace started dropping the ball, it was seamless for them to go with Tommy Thayer who does such a fantastic job as the 'Spaceman.'

"If I had been asked to step into the 'Spaceman' role, it would have been really awkward for me. I get asked by the fans a lot, 'Well, why aren't you there?' I think Tommy stepping into the role was a lot more natural than Bruce Kulick becoming the 'Spaceman' and shooting rockets off of my guitar. I would have had to play the songs note for note like Ace. I don't think I could do that and remain happy in the band. Tommy does that to perfection. I was never required to learn the classic stuff note for note, but if you're going to be the 'Spaceman,' it would have to stay true to the way Ace plays it. That's not to say that I don't play the classic songs with respect. I play the GRAND FUNK RAILROAD songs with respect, while injecting my own style into them, like I did in my time in KISS. I would lose my 'liberties' if I stepped into the 'Spaceman' role.

"I'm friends with Tommy, Bruce added. "We've gotten closer over the years on the 'Kiss Kruise'. We've spoken a lot on the 'Kruise'. He once said to me, 'Hey, I never got into the Floyd Rose whammy bar thing. How do you play 'Crazy Nights'?' I said, 'Don't worry about it. Play it how you play it. It's what works for you. I don't take any offense and you don't need to copy how I do it.'

"Tommy's style is so much closer to Ace's than mine. I have a unique style to my approach you can hear it on 'Tears Are Falling', 'Who Wants To Be Lonely', 'Unholy' and even the acoustic solo on 'Forever'. I am proud of my body of work for that era of KISS. I'm embracing it. The fans are embracing it. It's all good."

Kulick went on to say that he is at peace with the fact that he will never be part of the makeup era of KISS.

"I was relieved [when they didn't ask me to step in after Ace left]," he said. "I think if I had been asked and done it, I think it would hurt. I know that Tommy and Eric avoid… I'm close to both but I'm closer with Eric. They avoid reading things online. Their best medicine is to just do a great job every night and not read that stuff. I'm shocked that sometimes someone will leave a snarky comment toward me. I'm, like, 'Really?' I don't get into that stuff and I don't like anything negative on social media and I never do or post anything negative. I won't allow anything negative. There's times I read something and I choose to ignore it. Everyone has a voice these days. They have a laptop, a tablet or a smartphone.

"I was relieved, but how could I not have 'entertained' the idea if I was asked? At the time when they swooped Tommy right in, I was already in GRAND FUNK RAILROAD and I was pretty happy with my role in the band. Sure, it wasn't KISS, but it's a great gig. Now think of it from this angle. Let's say they made the right proposition and I took it, then Ace wanted back into the band. Where would that have left me? No KISS gig and no gig in GRAND FUNK."

In some of his interviews, Bruce confirmed that he wasn't asked to perform at KISS's final show and wasn't invited to attend the event, which was held in December 2023 at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

In a new interview with Australia's Flying The Metal Flag, vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza of German/Finnish/French thrash metal veterans KREATOR spoke about his recently released official German-language autobiography, which he wrote with journalist, author and presenter Torsten Groß. Titled "Your Heaven, My Hell - Mein Leben, Heavy Metal Und Wie Das Alles Passieren Konnte", the book was published on August 28 via Ullstein Verlag. Mille said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had a co-author, a friend of mine, Torsten Groß, who is a journalist for the German Rolling Stone magazine. There was this publishing company here in Germany, which is one of the bigger ones, Ullstein books, they asked me to write an autobiography. And I was, like, 'You know what? I think it could be a little bit repetitive and it could be a little boring to write like a book with 1,200 pages or something, talking about each album, and anything from 1985 to 2025.' So I asked them, 'You know what? I'm gonna do it different. I'm gonna make it more like a novel-style, coming-of-age book that ends in the year 1993. So it's from my birth to the year 1993, which is when our album 'Renewal' came out, the book ends. So there might be a part two — or maybe not. We'll see. So it keeps it really short.

"Most people, when they talk about metal, they wanna know about the '80s, because, for some people, that's the golden days of metal," he explained. "So we kept it in the '80s. We only went to the beginning of the '90s to make it more exciting, make it more of a unique autobiography.

"No disrespect, but sometimes when you read autobiographies by other artists, and I'm a big sucker for autobiographies — I read a lot of those — sometimes it gets a little boring," Mille added. "There's only so much that happens in the life of a musician. You go into a studio, you go on a tour, and if you do it like for, like, 40 years of career, then it's, like, okay, okay, more of the same. So I wanted to keep it short and sweet. And so the book ends in the year 1993… And like I said, everybody that I talk to and everybody that wants to know about the glory days and the golden age of metal, they always refer to the '80s."

Petrozza also talked about the official KREATOR documentary, "Hate & Hope", which was shown on July 2 at the 42nd Munich International Film Festival and received a theatrical premiere on September 4. The 110-minute film was directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post. Mille said:  "That came out in the summertime. It was in the movie theaters over here in Germany. And it kind of gives you like a little bit of an insight, behind-the-scenes kind of look — you can sneak and see how we work in the studio, how we write songs and life on the road. The director came to us, and she followed us around the world, really. She shot footage in Los Angeles. She followed the band to India and Japan. So, it was exciting. It was pretty cool. I mean, it's same with the book. It's very entertaining. You watch the movie and you're not bored. And to me, that's always the most important thing, that people are enjoying the stuff, that people, when they watch the movie, they go, like, 'Wow, now I wanna go see the band live.' That would be the perfect scenario."

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

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

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

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

KREATOR will also embark on a U.S. tour next spring. The band, which last conquered American audiences and venues in 2024, will embark on a headline tour in 2026, with stops at key festivals, including Welcome To Rockville, Sonic Temple and Maryland Deathfest. The tour kicks off on May 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and runs through May 23 in Huntington, New York.

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

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

"Hate Über Alles" marked KREATOR's first album with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

Photo credit: Robert Eikelpoth

In a recent interview with Kadin McElwain of Autism Digest, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett spoke about the fact that people with autism are highly creative, imaginative individuals who often have special talents in areas such as art and music. Explaining that autism may be disabling for musicians on the spectrum in social settings, but it doesn't hinder them when it comes to making music, Rikki said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think there are artists that are autistic. There's artists that are ADHD [Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder], I think I'm probably ADD [Attention Deficit Disorder] myself.

"Here's the thing: a lot of autistic people can multitask in ways that people that don't [have autism] can't," Rikki continued. "And I've found that sometimes it's a superpower — literally. And you cannot judge a book by its cover. And the cool thing is, is that at least for the most part — and this isn't across the board — but for the most part, I feel like musicians who are a little more open to all kinds of different people, as long as they have something to contribute and they're being creative, I think other musicians listen to other musicians, and if they don't, they usually don't last that long. You can usually pick 'em out. They're usually not the ones that are the cream of the crop. It's the ones that are very open-minded. And I would recommend that artists listened, if a neurodivergent artist had a great song idea, for example, listen to the song. Listen to the song. Maybe it's not good. Maybe it's something that you never, ever would've thought, because it's coming from somebody that perceives things just a little bit different than you do, and that's key."

Rikki's new rock project THE ROCKETT MAFIA recently signed a deal with Pavement Entertainment. The partnership includes live show engagements, merchandise, and upcoming music releases.

In addition to Rockett, THE ROCKETT MAFIA includes Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar, Mick Sweda (BULLETBOYS) on guitar and backing vocals and Michael Adams (PUDDLE OF MUDD) on bass.

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

Rikki's memoir, "Ghost Notes", which was written with writer duo Leif Eriksson and Martin Svensson, is due in April 2026 via Rare Bird Books.

POISON exploded into the highly competitive Los Angeles music scene in the 1980s, making a name for itself in the clubs on the Sunset Strip.

POISON has sold over 50 million records worldwide, releasing eight studio albums, four live albums, and four compilations. The band has charted 10 singles on the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including six Top 10 singles and one Hot 100 number-one smash hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".

In a recent interview with Chris Williamson of the "Modern Wisdom" podcast, Eric Vanlerberghe, vocalist, songwriter and founding member of the band I PREVAIL, was asked for his opinion of artificial intelligence-generated music, particularly since A.I. or A.I.-assisted artists have regularly appeared on the Billboard charts in the past few months. Eric said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, man. Don't get me started. It's a little frightening, man. I just came across… A friend of mine went on a rant and posted all these bands on Spotify that were A.I. bands. And whether it's a band that's feeding prompts and getting it and playing it or it's one guy that just used ChatGPT, Grok, whatever, to create everything, and then you go look at the monthly listeners and there's 700,000 monthly listeners. And it's not the fear that someone's gonna go, 'I'd rather listen to this A.I. band over a real human band,' it's the fact that it's just gonna get slipped into playlisting, and it's just gonna be on your playlist, and it's just gonna just accumulate more and more of all these other fake bands. And by the time you go and look through your playlist, you're, like, 'Oh, who's this? Who's this? Who's this?', and there's no real musicians. But my ultimate worry is that who's to say that someone who owns a streaming platform doesn't just start making music off A.I. himself or herself and feeding it into the playlisting, and now there's even less of the pie. Artists are getting fractions of a penny on the dollar for streams. Well, now that those playlists that these bands are fighting hard for, who's to say the CEOs of Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, whatever, aren't just making their own music, feeding it into the algorithm, putting it into the playlisting. And now how are we supposed to fight that?"

Eric also addressed the dilemma of A.I.-generated music as it relates to A.I.'s ability to enhance creativity, efficiency and personalization in music creation and the significant ethical, legal, and economic challenges it poses to human artistry. He said: "Yeah. That's an interesting slippery slope you get down, 'cause you like to think that inspiration you hear, like these bands [I grew up listening to] — yeah, I loved all those bands and I took influence from them, the style of music we wanna play, from lyrics to melody and all that. But back then there was no A.I., so it was something that they were inspired by and then that band was inspired by, and it just water falls down, cascades down into our creative process. And then it's up to us to put it through our filter and use our own words and generate the same emotion or feel that we're going for, that we are inspired by. But it all ultimately is through the human experience. And then you have the opposite where it's you just go to a computer and be, like, 'I'm sad. Write a sad song like MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE,' and it's, like, here's the options. And it's, like, well, now I'm just picking and choosing, like I'm going down the grocery store and going, 'I'll take that one. I like that brand. I'll take that one. I'll take that one.' Yeah, it's, like, where does artistry stop when you start using tools? But then at the same time Melodyne [pitch correction software] pitch correcting on a track or when you're demoing songs and you program the drums — bands have done that for the last 20 years — and you program the drums, and, 'Oh, man, actually, let's track the drums.' 'Well, the programmed drums, I think, sound better.' Well, you run with it. And well, where's that line? So it's a very blurred line right now."

I PREVAIL's latest album, "Violent Nature", was issued in September via Fearless Records. The LP marked a major turning point for the band as they usher in a new chapter, with Vanlerberghe as the only lead singer tackling both clean and unclean vocals.The entire record was produced by the band's bass player Jon Eberhard, and it boasts a total of ten hard-hitting tracks.

Brian Burkheiser had handled the clean vocals in I PREVAIL since the band's formation but was forced to step away from the group's touring activities due to his battle with Eagle's syndrome, a condition associated with the elongation of the styloid process or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament, clinically characterized by throat and neck pain, radiating into the ear. In Burkheiser's absence, co-vocalist/growler Vanlerberghe had handled the bulk of the singing in I PREVAIL, with the help of guitarist Dylan Bowman.

This past summer, I PREVAIL completed the "Summer Of Loud" tour alongside BEARTOOTH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and PARKWAY DRIVE as co-headliners. Main support on the trek came from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, THE AMITY AFFLICTION and ALPHA WOLF.

In October 2024, I PREVAIL released an expanded edition of its 2022 album "True Power", featuring one new song and three reimagined tracks. The updated version included the new single "Hate This Song", the band's collaborative track with ALL TIME LOW, along with reimagined versions of the album singles "Bad Things", "There's Fear In Letting Go" and "Deep End".

Rising to an arena level and receiving two Grammy nominations — "Best Rock Album" for "Trauma", and "Best Metal Performance" for "Bow Down" — I PREVAIL saw its "Hurricane" single top Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 2020, officially the top song on U.S. rock radio at the time. A number of their singles have since been certified gold and platinum, and they have been praised by press far and wide, including Forbes, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and NPR.

In a recent interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", TRIVIUM bassist Paolo Gregoletto was asked which METALLICA album he thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "'Master', for me. I can see why some people maybe lean towards 'Ride The Lightning', but I'm, like — oh, it's just so hard. I just feel like 'Master Of Puppets' is the ultimate record. So, yeah, that's an easy one for me. It's a perfect record."

Paolo went on to reflect on TRIVIUM's cover of the "Master Of Puppets" title track, which was recorded in 2006 for the Kerrang! magazine 20th-anniversary tribute to the "Master Of Puppets" album.

"We covered 'Master', because when we got the opportunity to do that Kerrang! tribute, I was, like, 'Well, if we're doing that, we've gotta do 'Master'," the bassist recalled. "I'm, like, 'That's the ultimate song and the ultimate record.' And we actually did it this past run in the summer over in Europe. We were dropping in part of our 'Master Of Puppets' cover."

Asked if the "Master Of Puppets" title track is his favorite song on the METALLICA album, Paolo said: "Yeah, I'd probably say so. But it's one of those records where I'm, like, you don't really listen to one song, if you start. You'd better sit down for a bit and be ready to listen to the whole thing. I'm definitely more of a full-record guy with listening to stuff. I mean, I will pop around to singles and stuff here and there, but if I start something I like, I'm just, like, I wanna just go — I wanna hear the whole thing."

TRIVIUM opened for METALLICA at the heavy metal giants' "intimate" concert on November 4, 2021 at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Tickets for the 7,000-seat-theater show went on sale on July 30, 2021 and quickly sold out. Speaking to El Cuartel Del Metal about how the Orlando metallers landed the opening slot at the METALLICA gig, TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy said: "It was Sunday afternoon [four days before the show]. I think we were just about to watch a movie with the kids. And I got an e-mail from our manager. He's, like, 'METALLICA asked if you can be available for this Thursday.' We were, like, 'Yes. Yes, we can. Let's do everything we can.' But we had to keep it quiet 'cause it wasn't fully confirmed yet. It didn't get confirmed until, I think, 30 minutes before we started driving down to South Florida. So we had to get our crew back down to Florida, get our gear back together, rehearse again. Luckily, we all rehearse so much individually, it's not like we're ever sloppy; it's not like we take time off. So we were ready to go. And we made it happen. We got down there. We weren't able to say 'hey' [to the guys METALLICA], but METALLICA left us an amazing handwritten letter and gave us a box of [METALLICA's] Blackened [whiskey]."

He continued: "To be able to see them at a quote[-unquote] small show; I mean, a small show for them is seven thousand people. That's more people than we can do on a big show. So, to be able to watch them that close — I was able to be on the floor and watch them — it was incredible. They're all amazing, but [James] Hetfield's [METALLICA frontman] voice sounds better than ever. I don't know how the hell that happened, but he sounds like a better singer now than he's ever been. And it's just so amazing. The vibe was great."

Heafy added: "They're truly the greatest band in the world and [have] always been the greatest band in the world. And it's awesome that they thought of us. They were, like, 'Hey, let's get TRIVIUM down here.' For METALLICA to have an opening band, that's usually just their decision; it's whatever they wanna do. And the fact that they picked us was really cool."

Asked if TRIVIUM has ever gotten feedback from any members of METALLICA about their music, Heafy said: "Way back in 2006, we did festivals with them. I remember we'd never met them before. Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] pops his head in the dressing room. We were, like, 'Holy crap.' He starts talking to us. He said how they really liked the 'Master Of Puppets' cover we did for Kerrang! [magazine]. They obviously liked the band 'cause they brought us out. I remember they brought us, AVENGED [SEVENFOLD] and BULLET [FOR MY VALENTINE] out for a couple of off dates and they kind of looked at the three of us as the next generation of metal bands, which was really cool. They've always been complimentary. I've been able to hang out with Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] a couple of times. Kirk took us out to an incredible sushi dinner on that tour. Kirk has taken us out to an incredible Chinese place in San Francisco years and years and years later. We've always kept good casual contact with them, and they're the kings. They've always been nothing but truly wonderful, welcoming, amazing people."

Back in April 2021, Gregoletto reflected on what it was like to meet his heroes in METALLICA. Recalling the night in 2006 when he and his bandmates ended up having dinner with Kirk Hammett in Amsterdam, he told Epic Footnote Productions' "There Goes My Hero" podcast: "It was at the hotel they were staying at. It was in Amsterdam. It was at a really fancy place, and they had a fancy sushi restaurant. Kirk really loved [TRIVIUM's] 'Ascendancy' [album], and he just wanted to come out and hang out with us. So we went to dinner at that place in the hotel and pretty much just ordered everything on the menu — like, every single thing… I don't know how long we were there, but it was quite awhile. It was crazy. And then at the end, he kind of jokingly handed me the bill, like, 'Here you go.'

"It was pretty wild to just hang out with this dude," Paolo continued. "I don't even remember what we talked about; that's the craziest thing. It's almost like one of those experiences [where] you know it happened, but you don't really remember. It was like waking up from a dream and being, like, 'Wow, that was wild. What happened?' You don't remember all the details, but you know something happened."

Asked how old he was when he first discovered METALLICA's music, Paolo said: "I think it was '96 — I'm pretty sure that's when I found METALLICA. So I was probably about 11 or 12 when I discovered them. It was right when I started playing bass. I saw [METALLICA's] 'King Nothing' [video] on MTV, and I was just, like, 'That's the band. That's the coolest thing ever. And these dudes are playing in the snow, and they look cool.' At that point, all I knew was pop-punk and whatever was popular on MTV. So they were very different. And, of course, metal in the '90s — this is before I discovered PANTERA and anything like that — metal is not on MTV anymore at that point; it was starting to slowly filter out. And I wasn't watching 'Headbangers Ball', if it was even around in '96. So that was it. METALLICA was kind of flying the flag in the mainstream world, and thank God I found them, 'cause I don't know if I would've gotten into music the way I did. To me, that was what made me serious about it, like, 'Okay, I wanna play this type of music. I wanna do what these guys are doing.' And pretty much after that, that was my homework after school — was to just watch METALLICA videos and watch [METALLICA's] 'Live Shit: Binge & Purge' [concert videos] and all that stuff, and just try to emulate them with my own local band and trying to figure out how to make it work."

Robert DeLeo, bassist and principal songwriter of the iconic band STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, has confirmed that he is working on his second solo album. The upcoming LP, which is tentatively due in 2026, will be the follow-up to "Lessons Learned", which came out in October 2022.

Asked in a recent interview with the "100 Guitarists" podcast which projects he is working on right now, Robert said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I am trying to finish up a second solo record that I'm doing right now. And like I did on my first one, I have different singers that I'm getting to come in. People always ask why I don't sing my own songs, [and it's] 'cause I really can't. And that's why, fortunately, I have some great friends with amazing voices. So I'm trying to finish that up right now. I'm doing all the guitars."

Pressed about the singers that will be involved with the making of his new solo album, Robert said: "I've got Jimmy Gnecco, and I've got Jay Buchanan from RIVAL SONS, Pete Shoulder, who sang on my last record, Tim Bluhm from THE MOTHER HIPS; he'll be singing on there. I've got some other in mind. I'm trying to get Trey Hensley… Trey is an amazing person, an amazing guitar player and an amazing singer. So I got a song for Trey that I sent to him. Great, great talent, great talent that guy. And then there's Jon Regen on some keys, from New York, and Tristan Cappel on some flute, and Omar Velasco. Omar Velasco is a great singer too, a great songwriter. He's singing on there too. Yeah, so, I'm just trying to get that finished up."

Robert played virtually all the instruments on "Lessons Learned", complemented by guest musicians and vocalists, all of which lent to the undeniable intimacy of the music.

Asked in a January 2023 interview with Bass Magazine what inspired him to write a solo album at that point in his career, Robert said: "Really, it was the state of the world these past couple of years. Everyone was allowed a lot of time to sit down and rethink life, which has definitely been rearranged. I had that time to pull out these instruments and not only appreciate them, but start playing all of them again. After touring for so long, I had an urge to get back into my guitar playing again. I play so much bass at all times, but I've written a whole lot of songs on guitar, and I draw a lot of inspiration from that. I got back into my finger playing on my acoustic and got back to where I once was with that. This album basically sparked from all of that. I acquired a couple of new instruments, and every time you get something new, it steers you in a direction or speaks to you in a different way. I was on the hunt for a great couch guitar, and I found an old nylon-string that was perfect. Sitting down with it, I immediately wrote 'She Brings The Rain', which was the first song I tracked for the record. I ended up using that guitar in the studio to record the song. That was the start of this journey."

Regarding the different musical styles covered on "Lessons Learned", Robert said: "For me personally, I've always delved into those areas, even since 'Core' [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, 1992]; 'Creep' was almost a country-inspired song, if you really listen to it. All the way through to now, I've been integrating my inspirations into STP, which is a lot of acoustic-based bossa nova and samba. I hate to label music, but I just wanted to make a record that was purely me and acoustically pure. That's really what acoustic instruments do — they bring out the purity of a song. It's one of the ingredients I appreciate about Brazilian music and country music. The acoustic aspects of these genres speak purely."

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

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

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

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

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

In a recent interview with the I-Rock 93.5 radio station, DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda, who also fronts SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's solo band, was asked what keeps him and his DEATH ANGEL bandmates motivated to make new music and tour, more than four decades into the group's existence. Mark responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's the love of the music, and the love of performing. You're built for it or you're not. I think with this type of music, the adrenaline and the release, it's almost an addiction. But I think you hear that from all performers across the board. With metal, though, it's so grounding to me because I get out my frustrations every night when we play it. And that goes for everyone. And that's why they're going."

Referencing the fact that SLAYER stopped touring in 2019 and that MEGADETH will embark on a "farewell" tour in 2026, Mark continued: "MEGADETH said, yeah, they're calling it quits, but I just recently saw an article where Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] said the farewell tour is gonna last anywhere from three to five years. So I'm, like, well, there you go. So you just kind of go till your body lets you. And SLAYER the same. They're no longer touring, but they're doing a handful of shows every year. And I think that's awesome for SLAYER fans who never got to see them, 'cause there is a young generation of metalheads that keep cropping up every year. And some of them missed opportunity to see these guys and now they get to, so it's pretty awesome. And what keeps us going is pretty much the same thing — just the love for the music and the love for this scene and all this music has brought to us and selfishly how it makes me feel when I'm on stage. I'm gonna go till my body literally can't do it anymore."

DEATH ANGEL released two new singles in 2025, "Wrath (Bring Fire)", which was first made available in May, and "Cult Of The Used", which came out in November.

DEATH ANGEL's fall 2025 U.S. tour featured support from VIO-LENCE (replacing originally announced support act TOXIC HOLOCAUST),LIONS AT THE GATE and MISFIRE. The trek kicked off on November 26 at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado and wrapped with two Christmas shows on December 18-19 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

DEATH ANGEL pulled out of its fall 2024 tour as the support act for W.A.S.P. because of scheduling conflicts with King's solo band.

Osegueda is the featured singer on King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which arrived in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

DEATH ANGEL released a live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" was described in a press release as "a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog" that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

DEATH ANGEL's latest album, "Humanicide", was released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The LP saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.