Canadian metal legend Devin Townsend, like the rest of us, is mourning the passing of Ozzy Osbourne on July 22. He has shared the following message:

“From a young age, with my Diary Of A Madman poster on the wall and a deep love for heavy metal, I was drawn – like so many of us back then – to Ozzy Osbourne in a big way.

The loss of Ozzy marks a paradigm shift in our genre—a moment that not only signals the end of an era, but in many ways reaffirms the spirit of heavy music by honoring the passing of one of its elder statesmen.

Ozzy Osbourne – along with his family, his body of work, and his legacy – has long been a beacon for kids like me. Without his influence, many of us might have taken a more conventional path instead of learning to protect the nonconformist within.

It’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye. But in our gratitude for the path he carved, he becomes a living part of the music we continue to write.

Thank you, Ozzy.”

In a new interview with Turned Out A Punk, CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin reflected on the experience of opening for RUSH back in 1994 on the Canadian rock legends' "Counterparts" tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They were really kind to us. I remember, we started in Pensacola, the first show, and we met Alex [Lifeson, RUSH guitarist] and Geddy [Lee, RUSH bassist/vocalist]. And then we had maybe Mississippi and Louisiana. And then we got to Austin, Texas, and after our show, Neil Peart [RUSH drummer] came into our dressing room. We were sitting and [there was] a knock on the door. 'Guys, you mind if I come in?' [This was] after we played. And we're, like, sitting there? 'No, no.' And he's, like, 'Hey, so I've been watching you guys past three nights and I think I've got a really good setlist for you.' And we're, like, 'What? Okay.' And he's, like, 'I want you to start with this song.' "Cause he was such a mathematician and a genius when it came to putting songs and lyrics and stuff together, 'cause I think he was really the foundation of most of what RUSH was creating when he joined the band, from that moment on. And we stuck to that setlist for the entire three months. And he was right. It was the perfect opener, it was the perfect middle, a perfect end."

Martin continued: "They were genuinely the kindest musicians that we've ever, ever toured with. And we've toured with some really brilliant ones and a bunch of fucking assholes. But those guys were, and still are… I mean, we were able to go down and see Geddy and Alex shortly after Neil's wife had passed and his daughter. And so we didn't get to say hi to him, but we went down to see them [in Southern California] — it was an outdoor amphitheater — we went down to hang out with them, and we chatted for almost two hours before they went on stage and just caught up. And the fact that they still remembered us from so many years prior and we were able to just kind of catch up, it's something I'll never forget. And they were spectacular every single night. At the end of the tour, we gave them gifts. That's something that used to happen back in the '90s. It doesn't happen so much anymore. But you give the headliner gifts and thank yous for letting us play with you and tour with the guys. And Neil, we got him a right-handed catcher's mitt, because he would throw his drumsticks every night. Sometimes he would catch 'em, sometimes he wouldn't. But he was so good at grabbing one outta the stick bag that it looked like he caught it. And so we got him a right-handed catcher's mitt. He knew exactly what that was, and he laughed his ass off. And the fact that we were able to kind of build that kind of a friendship was pretty special to me."

Last October, original CANDLEBOX members Kevin Martin (vocals),Peter Klett (guitar),Bardi Martin (bass) and Scott Mercado (drums) performed during the San Francisco 49ers-versus-Seattle Seahawks halftime show at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The band's set included abbreviated versions of the songs "You", "Cover Me" and "Far Behind" from CANDLEBOX's multi-platinum self-titled debut album, which came out in 1993.

CANDLEBOX supported BUSH on the 2024 "Loaded: The Greatest Hits Tour" with special guest Jerry Cantrell.

In 2024, CANDLEBOX released "A Little Longer Goodbye (Tour Edition)", the digital deluxe version of the album "The Long Goodbye", via Round Hill Records. The digital release features the 12 tracks on the original record plus two bonus live songs, "Elegante" and "Cellphone Jesus" (recorded at Club Amanda in Santiago, Chile on October 27, 2023),as well as the official launch of the single "Washed Up".

CANDLEBOX had been performing songs from "A Little Longer Goodbye (Tour Edition)" as well as the hits that defined their career, including "Far Behind", "You" and "Cover Me", which propelled their self-titled debut album to sell more than four million copies worldwide.

"A Little Longer Goodbye (Tour Edition)" followed CANDLEBOX's eighth studio album, which was quite a swan song for the veteran band. "The Long Goodbye" was praised by critics for its hard-hitting, groove-infested beats and mature, soul-searching themes of love, loss, redemption, and the journey in between.

CANDLEBOX has been on an extended farewell tour since May 2023. The tour coincided with the 30th anniversary of the band's self-titled debut album.

Regarding the decision to call it quits, Martin told SPIN: "I've always been kind of the reluctant lead singer of this band. All of the time I've spent with CANDLEBOX has been obviously rewarding and enjoyable and the experience has been amazing, but when COVID hit, being home with my son and my wife was just eye-opening. It was everything I had realized I really wanted and had missed so much of."

Image credit: DFW Rocks Live

Today, melodic hard rockers, Laguna, have released their debut album, The Ghost Of Katrina, via Frontiers Music Srl. In addition, the focus track, “Electric High”, is out now accompanied by a visualizer, available to view below.

Vocalist Andrés Espada describes the track: “This song is an unrelenting, high-octane ride from start to finish, with intensity cranked up to ten. It’s all about unleashing raw energy, losing control, and breaking down doors.”



Hailing from the northern part of Mexico, from the arid desert of Torreón, Coahuila, Laguna is a five-piece hard rock band ready to take the world by storm with their debut album, The Ghost Of Katrina.

Drawing from the European and Scandinavian melodic hard rock scene, Laguna’s sound is an electrifying blend of powerful production, anthemic choruses, and in-your-face guitar riffs deriving from influences like One Desire, H.E.A.T., and other renowned acts from the scene.

The Ghost Of Katrina is produced by Jimmy Westerlund (known for his work with One Desire and more recently Giant), and perfectly captures Laguna’s high-energy and dynamic style, bringing to life a heavy yet melodic sound that’s both thrilling and emotionally charged. The songs feature strong hooks, vibrant instrumentation, and an intensity that reflects the band’s unrelenting passion for hard rock.

Order The Ghost Of Katrina here.



The Ghost Of Katrina tracklisting:

Intro – “Katrina”
“Ghost Behind The Mask”
“Living On The Line”
“Punk Boy” (ft. Jimmy Westerlund)
“Wildfire”
“These Chains”
“Electric High”
“My Syndrome”
“Bring Me To Life”
“Sinner Of Tomorrow”

McFarlane Toys has announced a new 6" scale "Music Maniacs" action figure of JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford.

Product features:

* Incredibly detailed 6" scale figure featuring Rob Halford of JUDAS PRIEST likeness
* Designed with up to 12 points of articulation for posing and play
* Accessories include microphone and base
* Includes art card with numbered certificate of authenticity
* Showcased in "Music Maniacs"-themed window box packaging

The highly detailed statue is available for pre-order at Mcfarlane.com.

Grammy-and Emmy-winning producer/director Todd McFarlaneSpawn's creator, is the creative force behind McFarlane Toys, one of America's top action figure manufacturers. Todd is also the CEO of McFarlane Films and president of Image Comics. Best known for his work as the artist on "The Amazing Spiderman", where he co-created Marvel's top villain Venom, McFarlane went on to create his own title "Spawn". Todd McFarlane's "Spawn" is one of the world's best-selling comic books. "Spawn"'s 1992 debut sold 1.7 million copies. McFarlane made history with "Spawn#300" and record-breaking "Spawn#301", earning the Guinness World Record of "longest-running creator-owned superhero comic book series." In 2024, McFarlane celebrated another milestone with "Spawn" issue No. 350. "Spawn" became an Emmy Award-winning animated series on HBO and live-action feature film, grossing more than $100 million.

McFarlane Toys has become an industry leader, redefining the action figure market's standards and a licensee of world-class brands and leading global franchises. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, McFarlane has offices in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Montreal.

Halford is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band JUDAS PRIEST. He is considered one of the most consistently powerful singers in rock, possessing a wide vocal range, and is particularly known for his trademark high-pitched, operatic, soaring screams. His vocal range currently spans nearly four octaves.

In addition to his work with JUDAS PRIEST, he has been involved with several side projects, including FIGHT, 2WO and HALFORD. He is credited as the first openly gay heavy metal musician, having come out in 1998.

Halford's latest book, "Biblical: Rob Halford's Heavy Metal Scriptures", arrived in November 2022 via Hachette Books. It was the follow-up to his 2020 autobiography, "Confess".

Three years ago, Halford publicly revealed that he battled prostate cancer during the pandemic. He previously mentioned his cancer battle in the new chapter added to the updated paperback edition of "Confess". In "Confess", Halford revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer after experiencing symptoms for at least a couple of years.

In July 2020, Rob underwent prostatectomy, an operation where the entire prostate gland is removed plus some of the tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles. After more cancer was found last year, he went through radiation treatments in April and May 2021 and eventually got then all-clear in June 2021. He also had an appendectomy after a tumor was discovered on his appendix.

Rob Halford 6” scale Music Maniacs action figure is available for pre-order NOW at select retailers!
➡️...

Posted by McFarlane Toys on Tuesday, July 15, 2025

In a new interview with Hakos Pervanidis of the Metal Hammer Greece TV program TV War, guitarist Chris Caffery and drummer Jeff Plate of reactivated American progressive metallers SAVATAGE were asked for their opinion about what makes the band's music so timeless. Jeff responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, a big part of that is [late SAVATAGE producer and lyricist] Paul O'Neill's lyrics. I mean, those lyrics have touched thousands of people all across the world. We hear it all the time. The song 'Believe' is a song that time after time, night after night, people approach us and say, 'That song literally saved my life, or, 'I cried listening to that song.' But Paul had a way of writing that just connected with so many people in an individual way. You match that with one of the most unique-sounding bands ever."

Added Chris: "I mean, you have a guitar player that is right there, in my opinion and in a lot of people's opinion, right there with somebody like a Dimebag and Eddie Van Halen, with Criss [Oliva, late SAVATAGE guitarist]. And I think that the music that the Oliva brothers [Criss and Jon] had written [for SAVATAGE] is as timeless as the [BLACK] SABBATH and the [JUDAS] PRIEST and [IRON] MAIDEN stuff. So it hits as a complete package, especially in the heavy metal world. You have a record like '[Hall Of The] Mountain King', which is, I think, on a lot of people's lists, if not the top 10, at least the top 20 classic metal records ever. And you have a riff like 'Hall Of The Mountain King'. So [as] Jeff said, [a big factor is] the really human-to-human element of Paul's lyrics, kind of the same way that [QUEEN's] Freddie Mercury could sing to 70,000 people and it seemed like one. That one-on-one element exists in those lyrics and with that music, and it just managed to survive the test of time. And that's something that, for us, we're seeing it's not just the fans that liked us then, it's new fans. It's picking up a whole new audience. So it's really exciting to know that we're not just bringing back the music to the people who wanted to see it. We're bringing that music to a whole new audience."

Jeff continued: "And musically, the band sounds like no one. Even back in the four-piece metal days, with the original four, so to speak, nobody sounded like that lineup. And then over the years. Chris came aboard during 'Gutter Ballet' and the band just kept progressing in sound. It never sounded like anybody. And I don't think there's a band out there that really sounds like SAVATAGE. So that originality, along with the lyrics, has kind of kept the band just cutting through all the different genres in the different phases that have happened over music throughout the years. I mean, when grunge came along in the early '90s, it just about killed off a lot of bands, put a lot of people out of work. SAVATAGE kind of maintained its course. And one thing that Paul O'Neill taught me by just watching him was, like, you, you stick to what you do. You believe in what you're creating and you stick to it. And here we all these years later, and we are this legacy act that hasn't played in 23 years. So there's a newness to what we're doing all over again. But add to that just how unique the band is and how it sounds — the lyrics, the stories around it — it's a complete package. And going back to earlier what Chris said about the maturity, we're not kids anymore. We approach this a little bit differently than we had 25, 30 years ago, where it was so much fun to just go out there and play and rock. Now we're on stage doing that, but we're really paying attention to every single thing that we're doing up there. And the response has been tremendous — it really has. And we are so happy with the response, but also just working together on stage and how good this whole thing sounds and feels. It's awesome — it really is."

Joining Chris and Jeff in SAVATAGE's 2025 touring lineup are Al Pitrelli on guitar, Johnny Lee Middleton on bass and Zak Stevens on lead vocals.

SAVATAGE played four shows in South America in April and kicked off a 10-date European tour on June 13 at the Into The Grave festival in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

SAVATAGE played its first non-festival headlining concert in more than 20 years on April 21 at the Espaço Unimed in São Paulo, Brazil. The show took place two days after SAVATAGE performed at the Monsters Of Rock festival at Allianz Parque in São Paulo.

Appearing with Middleton, Caffery, Pitrelli, Plate and Stevens are SAVATAGE's two new touring keyboardists, Paulo Cuevas and Shawn McNair.

Zak joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air, which marked the band's first appearance on stage since they went on hiatus back in 2002.

SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of guitarist Al Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.

In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Jon Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.

Jon's brother Criss, who was one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.

Photo credit: Josh Ruzansky

In a new interview with The Times, legendary rocker Alice Cooper addressed his previous comment that U.S. president Donald Trump cheated at golf when they played the game together in the past. Asked if Trump was the worst golf cheat he had ever encountered, the 77-year-old musician said: "No, Trump is not the biggest cheat. I can think of a few worse. But if any president who plays golf says he doesn't cheat, don't vote for them. I'm not talking about in competition; if you're playing an everyday game among friends for bragging rights, then everyone cheats, right? But Trump was good. He can play."

Asked if he liked Trump when they spent time together, Cooper responded: "We got along okay. Look, America has been having a slow-motion nervous breakdown for a while now. It got so 'woke' with the [Joe] Biden people, even they thought it was crazy. If a guy says to a coworker, 'I like your new dress,' that means he now gets fired? That's crazy. It got so over the top that whoever ran against the Democrats was going to win. America got sick of the stupidness, and all I can say is, in a shooting war, you don't want a poodle; you want a pitbull."

Cooper went on to say that he hates discussing politics and he refused to reveal how he voted in the most recent U.S. presidential election. "I am here to take people away from all that," he said.

Last year, Alice said that he was gearing up for the 2024 presidential election in the only way he knew how — by running for president, something he had done satirically every four years since releasing the song "Elected" back in 1972.

To accompany the announcement, the Godfather of Shock Rock released a "campaign" video in which he touted his qualifications thusly: "Well, I'm Alice Cooper and I'm a troubled man for troubled times. I have absolutely no idea what to do, so I should fit right in."

In an August 2024 interview with the 96.1 KLPX radio station, Alice confirmed that he was selling "Alice For President" t-shirts at all the shows on his 2024 tour. He explained: "I am extremely nonpolitical. I would only do this because the song was a hit — 'Elected' was a huge hit. It was John Lennon's favorite song, 'Elected' was, because it was such a great satire on politics. But you're never gonna see anything political in my show. I just hate politics. But in an election year, yeah, you have to do it — you have to do the satire on the whole situation."

Alice added: "I'm telling you, we're living in such a Kurt Vonnegut world right now, where everything is so absurd. For a person like me or a comedian, it's writing itself."

The original 1972 "Elected" music video is when Cooper first announced his "candidacy" and the formation of the Wild Party.

"Elected" was the first single from Cooper's iconic sixth studio album, "Billion Dollar Babies". The record reached No. 1 in the U.S. and U.K. and was certified platinum by the RIAA.

In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Cooper said that he keeps his political opinions to himself. "I don't like to mix politics and rock 'n' roll," he said. "I don't look at Bono, Sting and Bruce Springsteen as political. I look at them as being humanitarian. I'll contribute to anything humanitarian. Helping people who can't help themselves. But when musicians are telling people who to vote for, I think that's an abuse of power. You're telling your fans not to think for themselves, just to think like you. Rock 'n' roll is about freedom — and that's not freedom."

Nine years ago, Cooper said that rock stars offering their political opinions is "the worst idea ever." "First of all, why do people think rock stars know more than they do?" he said. "That is the biggest fallacy in the world — if anything, we're dumber. We're not smarter than anybody else. I mean, why do you think we're rock stars?

"Trust me, we don't read magazines you don't read. Nobody calls us up and gives us as inside information on politics. We know less than you do. If I watch TV, it's 'Family Guy'.

"Rock 'n' roll was built to go as far away from politics as you could get. When my mom and dad talked about who to vote for, I'd go in the other room and put on THE BEATLES or ROLLING STONES — and I'm still like that."

Cooper, who considers himself a humanitarian, said that he had no problem with artists using their platform to highlight global issues if it benefited others. He said: "I think what Bono does and what [Bruce] Springsteen does, Sting and all the people that raise money for others — that's humanitarian, and I'm all for that. But I don't think that's political."

In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Cooper stated about then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump: "He's an interesting character. It seems like he shoots himself in the foot every single day and gets more popular by doing it. It's the weirdest. It's like [Kurt] Vonnegut: Everything that shouldn't happen is happening."

Cooper previously said that he would even go so far as to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing just to make a point. During the 2004 election season, he said: "When I read the list of people who are supporting Kerry, if I wasn't already a Bush supporter, I would have immediately switched. Linda Ronstadt? Don Henley? Geez, that's a good reason right there to vote for Bush."

He also mused about sitting between such political rocker icons as John Lennon and Harry Nilsson while they argued politics and thinking, "I don't care."

Photo credit: Jenny Risher

Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who died on Tuesday at the age of 76. During an interview on Wednesday (July 23),Fetterman told reporters about Ozzy's passing: " Oh, Goddamn. I mean, I'm a BLACK SABBATH guy… People don't realize how their first album changed everything. Now, all of the giants in the business — METALLICA and others — they all owe debt to [BLACK SABBATH]. I'm a big METALLICA fan. And now he's rode the crazy train to the next world. And, absolutely, he was a treasure. And I grew up on those kinds of music."

A member of the Democratic party, Fetterman served as mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2019. Prior to that, he served in the AmeriCorps and earned an MPP from Harvard.

Born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1969, Fetterman has been advocating for LGBTQ rights, access to abortion and other progressive causes, but he has also expressed a desire to align with conservatives on issues like protecting the U.S. border and defending Israel.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

Ozzy's family reality television show "The Osbournes" won a 2002 Primetime Emmy.

In 2006, Osbourne and the other members of the original BLACK SABBATH were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ozzy was also inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in 2024.

Osbourne won several Grammys, including one in 1993 for his solo song "I Don't Want To Change The World".

Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon started their annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what at the time was the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. The first traveling version of Ozzfest in 1997 included MARILYN MANSON and PANTERA as part of the lineup.

Osbourne leaves behind his wife, three children from his first marriage (including an adopted son from his first wife's previous relationship),and three with Sharon: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.

In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of the Pod Scum podcast, UGLY KID JOE guitarist and producer Dave Fortman spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to the "Rad Wings Of Destiny" album, which came out in October 2022. Asked if the songwriting process has gotten easier over the years, Dave responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it's different. Certainly the surprising thing was — who knew? Me and Whit [UGLY KID JOE vocalist Whitfield Crane] just decided — I don't know when; it might have been 2023 — I was just, like, 'Just fucking come down. Let's just fucking go for it.'. And then we just sat and nailed out seven, eight songs in a row within about 12 days or something like that. That could be inaccurate — it might have been shorter, might have been a little longer — but it was pretty quick. We got 'em knocked out. Then we started realizing, wow, this whole translation thing really, really works for me to be able to pull riffs out of his head, make 'em into reality, and then lay 'em down to a drum machine and then just have him come start singing stuff, and we just go over and over and over and over and over. And once we can hear it, then we start correcting parts and doing all that stuff. But, yeah, I would say that part is brand new and really, really easy for us to do. We just did it again. We just wrote two more [songs] in another session that was this last — I don't know when he was here; March, whatever. So that part's really easy."

Fortman added: "Me and Klaus [Eichstadt, UGLY KID JOE guitarist] were majority songwriters from [the early days]. Klaus was on [UGLY KID JOE's full-length debut] 'America's Least Wanted'. Then we both are writing all the way through everything else. So [the process has] been the same for me. It's definitely not gotten easier. It's sort of just I've gotta do whatever I normally do, and it somehow it works out."

Asked if it "makes more sense" for UGLY KID JOE to release a new full-length album or an EP, Dave said: "Right now, an LP, for sure. 'Cause we have the material. Why not? We, like, I think, all of the songs, almost. There's a few we didn't even complete, 'cause me and Whit wrote a gazillion. I think it's probably two other ones we're not using; we didn't finish 'em up. But, man, I think there's, like, 12 songs or something."

"Rad Wings Of Destiny" saw UGLY KID JOE re-teaming producer Mark Dodson who was behind the desk for the band's debut album, "America's Least Wanted", which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022.

UGLY KID JOE will support LIFE OF AGONY on the European leg of the "30 Years Of Ugly" tour in November 2025.

In the spring of 2023, UGLY KID JOE completed its first U.S. tour in 27 years.

After a 15-year hiatus, UGLY KID JOE reformed in 2012 and has toured extensively throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

The band released the EP "Stairway To Hell" in 2012 and the full-length "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" in 2015.

Five years ago, Crane told Eonmusic about UGLY KID JOE's huge success on the back of single "Everything About You" in 1991: "'Eye of the storm' is a good way to put it, because it just was all happening at a deadly fast gait. And it was a lot — it was beautiful and also very challenging, because there's a lot of people that surround the business of music that are full of shit. But when you're 23 [or] 24, you don't know how to negotiate that, so on one hand, it was super fun and we did all the things you should do at that age, and on the other hand, it was too much for me. But we survived it, and I can deal with it all now."

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees and music icons BAD COMPANY will be celebrated with a first ever, star-studded tribute album to be released October 24, 2025 via Primary Wave Music.

"Can't Get Enough: A Tribute To Bad Company" features legendary and contemporary artists from rock, country and Americana — genres deeply influenced by BAD COMPANY — including Hardy, THE PRETTY RECKLESS, Joe Elliott and Phil Collen from DEF LEPPARD, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, Charley Crockett, HALESTORM and more, offering fresh takes on the band's iconic songs. BAD COMPANY singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke also appear on the album, bringing the tribute full circle.

Elliott says: "I've loved BAD COMPANY since the very beginning. A phenomenal combination of two of my favorite bands, FREE and MOTT THE HOOPLE — what's not to love?! What a privilege it is for myself and Phil to cover one of my favorite BAD COMPANY songs withPaul and Simon! Wow!"

Hardy says: "There's a short list of bands my dad played for me as a young boy that shaped my love for rock 'n' roll, and BAD COMPANY is on that list. It's a very cool and surreal moment to be part of this project."

Slash adds: "BAD COMPANY was the background music of an important period in my youth. They were such a great band, and a huge influence on me then and still are today."

Kicking things off is THE STRUTS' "Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy", which was recorded and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. Watch the band's studio session video below.

"Can't Get Enough: A Tribute To Bad Company" track listing:

01. Ready For Love - HARDY
02. Shooting Star - HALESTORM (feat. Paul Rodgers)
03. Feel Like Makin' Love - SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS
04. Run With The Pack - BLACKBERRY SMOKE (feat. Paul Rodgers and Brann Dailor)
05. Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy - THE STRUTS
06. Bad Company - CHARLEY CROCKETT
07. Rock Steady - DIRTY HONEY
08. Burnin' Sky - BLACK STONE CHERRY
09. Seagull - Joe Elliott and Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD (feat. Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke)
10. All Right Now - THE PRETTY RECKLESS

BAD COMPANY guitarist Mick Ralphs died in June at the age of 81.

Rodgers of FREE first met Ralphs in 1971. After an inspired jam session and a mutual sharing of songs, Ralphs made the bold decision to leave MOTT THE HOOPLE and form a new band with Rodgers, and BAD COMPANY was born. Adding former KING CRIMSON bassist/vocalist Boz Burrell and drummer Simon Kirke, the band was complete. With the help of LED ZEPPELIN's legendary manager Peter Grant, BAD COMPANY became the first band signed to ZEPPELIN's Swan Song label.

The group's success was meteoric. Their 1974 self-titled debut went five times platinum, producing classic hits like "Can't Get Enough" and "Movin' On", alongside electrifying rock anthems such as "Ready For Love", "Rock Steady" and the title track "Bad Company".

In a fitting tribute to the band' s enduring influence, BAD COMPANY will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame later this year in 2025.

Ralphs gave his final performance with BAD COMPANY on October 29, 2016, at London' s O2 Arena. Just days later, he suffered a debilitating stroke and remained bedridden until his passing.

Nuclear Blast will release a transparent red vinyl edition of Kreator’s Gods Of Violence album on September 19.

Preorder at the Nuclear Blast webshop.



Gods Of Violence was originally released January 2017 and was #3 on our BravePicks 2017 list. Tracks featured are “Satan Is Real”, the title track” and “Hail To The Hordes”. It would be the final album for bassist Christian Giesler – who left Kreator in 2019.

Peaceville Records will release a limited marble vinyl of Katatonia’s Viva Emptiness on August 15.

Katatonia was formed in 1991 by Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse. Their debut album, Dance Of December Souls, was released in 1993, gaining the band recognition for their eclectic brand of gothic doom/death metal & joining acts such as Paradise Lot & My Dying Bride as one of the genre’s defining bands. Over the years, Katatonia evolved beyond their more extreme metal origins to become one of the pinnacles of the progressive metal genre.

Viva Emptiness was Katatonia’s sixth studio album and is considered among the band’s strongest works; a step up even over the seemingly insurmountable greatness of previous release, Last Fair Deal Gone Down. The album was recorded at the famous Soundtrade Studios (part of the 301 group) in Stockholm in October/November 2002 and released the following year; further refining Katatonia’s unique and poignant brand of melodic dark rock and metal .

This edition of Viva Emptiness features the original 2003 audio mix, which has received a new half-speed master courtesy of Abbey Road Studios, London, and is presented on limited marble vinyl. The release contains the original artwork from Travis Smith.

Preorder at burningshed.com.



Tracklisting:

Side A
“Ghost Of The Sun”
“Sleeper”
“Criminals”
“A Premonition”
“Will I Arrive”
“Burn The Remembrance”

Side B
“Wealth”
“One Year From Now”
“Walking By A Wire”
“Complicity”
“Evidence”
“Omerta”
“Inside The City Of Glass”

BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne by opening its July 26 set at the Vans Warped Tour in Long Beach, California with a snippet of the song "Black Sabbath" by BLACK SABBATH. Video of the performance can be seen below.

Earlier this year, Ice-T told Metal Hammer magazine that the first BLACK SABBATH album was his "favorite metal" LP of all time. "It's the one I probably listened to the most growing up," he said. "I've actually sampled songs from SABBATH on my rap albums — and rock, too. I used BLACK SABBATH for [solo rap track] 'Midnight'."

In a 2021 interview with NME, Ice-T said: "The first song on the first BLACK SABBATH album ['Black Sabbath'], I played it 10,000 times. That song was my bridge into metal."

BODY COUNT guitarist Ernie "C" Cunnigan produced BLACK SABBATH's 1995 album "Forbidden", which featured guitarist Tony Iommi alongside singer Tony Martin, drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray, and is often regarded as the SABBATH's worst studio recording. Upon its release, it was lambasted by critics and fans alike for its poor production. The album even featured a guest appearance by Ice-T on the opening track "The Illusion Of Power".

Ozzy died the morning of July 22, his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

Formed in Birmingham in 1968, BLACK SABBATH is widely recognized as one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, with a career spanning decades and over 75 million albums sold worldwide. Their impact on the genre remains as significant today as it was in the early 1970s, with their music shaping generations of metal musicians.

Ozzy's family reality television show "The Osbournes" won a 2002 Primetime Emmy.

In 2006, Osbourne and the other members of the original BLACK SABBATH were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ozzy was also inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in 2024.

Osbourne won several Grammys, including one in 1993 for his solo song "I Don't Want To Change The World".

Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon started their annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what at the time was the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. The first traveling version of Ozzfest in 1997 included MARILYN MANSON and PANTERA as part of the lineup.

Osbourne leaves behind his wife, three children from his first marriage (including an adopted son from his first wife's previous relationship),and three with Sharon: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.

Guitarist Jason Richardson has exited ALL THAT REMAINS after a nearly seven-year run with the band.

Earlier today (Tuesday, July 29),Jason released the following statement via social media: "ALL THAT REMAINS and I have decided to amicably part ways. I'm incredibly proud of the record we made together and grateful for the relationships I've built during my time with the band. With everything happening in my own career and new opportunities that I have ahead, I need to prioritize what makes the most sense for my long-term future.

"There will be updates soon that I'm really excited to share with you all!

"I genuinely wish the rest of the band the absolute best in everything they choose to pursue.

"Excited for my next chapter! I've been grinding on a lot of different things behind the scenes and I'm feeling very optimistic".

Richardson grew up in Manassas, Virginia. His father is a musician, and instruments were all over the house. He took piano lessons in the fourth grade, but gave them up. Though he could emulate what his teacher was doing on the keys, he couldn't learn — yet — to read music. In the fifth grade, he tried violin and drums. The kit became his main instrument for a time, but he wanted to learn guitar in order to be able to write songs. At 12, his father gave him a gothic black Gibson Les Paul. He practiced endlessly. Obsessed with the band DREAM THEATER and in particular the song "This Dying Soul", he began cutting lawns and doing odd jobs in order to purchase a seven-string instrument. He bought his first at 14. His inventive technique began to develop while in a local band called GALLOWS HILL (with future VEIL OF MAYA bassist Danny Hauser). Trying to promote the group, he answered a trade ad to audition for ALL SHALL PERISH, hoping he could shine a light on his own group.

Instead, he won the audition and left high school in February 2009 — with three months left until graduation. He hit the road for 10 months with ALL SHALL PERISH. After touring together with BORN OF OSIRIS, Richardson filled in on a tour for guitarist Tosin Abasi (ANIMALS AS LEADERS),who was playing with the band at the time and had a scheduling conflict. Richardson ended up leaving ALL SHALL PERISH to begin his tenure with BORN OF OSIRIS. He remained with the group for more than two years and played on 2011's "The Discovery".

Richardson then joined deathcore act CHELSEA GRIN following the departure of guitarist Michael Stafford when he was unceremoniously fired from BORN OF OSIRIS in 2011. He remained with the band until 2015, playing on the "Evolve" and "Lilith" EPs and 2014's "Ashes To Ashes" album. His departure was mutual and amicable.

Almost immediately, Richardson launched a crowdfunding effort to finance his debut solo effort. He reached his goal quickly and went into the studio, playing many instruments himself and enlisting help from friends including drummer Luke Holland, vocalists Spencer Sotelo (PERIPHERY) and Lukas Magyar (VEIL OF MAYA) and guest guitarists such as Rick Graham, Jeff Loomis, Nick Johnston, Mark Holcomb (PERIPHERY) and Jacky Vincent. The album I was issued in the summer of 2016.

Richardson joined ALL THAT REMAINS on lead guitar after the tragic passing of their lead guitarist and co-founding member Oli Herbert in late 2018.

The follow-up album to his well-received first solo effort, "II", was released in the summer of 2022 and has Luke Holland on the drums again and a guest spot from POLYPHIA's Tim Henson.

Richardson has also collaborated with such artists as FALLING IN REVERSE, POLYPHIA, AUGUST BURNS RED, VEIL OF MAYA and WITHIN DESTRUCTION.

Less than two weeks ago, Jason shared the video for his version of "Hedwig's Theme". Watch it below.

"I'm so excited to finally have this coming out after working on it for so long," Richardson stated at the time. "I've always wanted to hear this iconic piece from John Williams arranged this way. Studying his music has been such a tedious but unbelievably rewarding and informative journey! I was psycho enough to get my hands on a conductor's book of the orchestra score. I read and recreated the entire thing from the ground up, note-for-note so I could have the entire orchestra in the song as well!"

He finished: "Once I did that, I went in and figured out all the guitar, bass and drum parts I wanted, while still trying to maintain the dynamics and spirit of his music, but with my own spin on it."

All That Remains and I have decided to amicably part ways. I’m incredibly proud of the record we made together and...

Posted by Jason Richardson on Tuesday, July 29, 2025

The official "after-movie" for "Coming Home Live", the upcoming live album from the SCORPIONS, can be seen below.

Throughout their phenomenal career, the SCORPIONS have played in countless stadiums around the world. To mark their 60th anniversary, the band, for the first time, performed at the stadium in their hometown of Hanover, where it all began. The show took place on July 5, 2025 at the Hanover Stadium Arena/Heinz von Heiden Arena in front of a sold-out crowd of 45,000 cans.

Spinefarm/Vertigo/Universal will release this extraordinary concert, featuring all of the band's biggest hits and many musical surprises, as the "Coming Home Live" live album on vinyl and CD on November 14.

Pre-orders are now available here.

"Back then, we just wanted to be part of the global rock family — that was our dream," says SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker, the man who founded the band six decades ago. "Since then, we've shared the stage with AEROSMITH and KISS, with METALLICA, AC/DC, and I don't even remember who else we're fascinated by — to the Berlin Philharmonic."

The band has always felt at home when performing at the world's major arenas. But even more so, over the years, the SCORPIONS have also influenced generations of rock fans, undoubtedly shaping the style and music of younger artists and fellow legends.

"They are the best thing that could have happened to hard rock or heavy metal," says Jon Bon Jovi about the SCORPIONS, while METALLICA's Kirk Hammett confesses, "I still remember being so smitten by the cover of 'Tokyo Tapes'. From then on, I was the biggest SCORPIONS fan and searched everywhere for all possible information about this band."

Members of SMASHING PUMPKINS, MÖTLEY CRÜE and GREEN DAY to GUNS N' ROSES and KISS have all said that the SCORPIONS' songs had a huge influence on their music.

The resources of their career years have now become an overflowing treasure trove, bridging the gap from yesterday to tomorrow, from 1965 to the iconic concert in the Hanover Stadium Arena on July 5. The fuel that spurs the SCORPIONS is the adrenaline that comes with performing live.

"It's the most important element," says SCORPIONS lead singer Klaus Meine. "And the strongest: The SCORPIONS are a band that, from the very beginning, has seen its place on stage and on some of the biggest stages in the world, in the biggest stadiums and arenas. It was always a challenge to win over fans and play a great show live."

But SCORPIONS constantly rose to the occasion and surpassed that challenge every time.

SCORPIONS lead guitarist Matthias Jabs says, "I don't like to think about the past. I prefer to think about what we're doing now or will do. And that's why, for me, the stadium concert in Hanover is the most important thing right now."

On September 26, SCORPIONS will release "From The First Sting", a collection showcasing the unforgettable anthems and iconic moments from their illustrious career. "From The First Sting" will be available on a deluxe 2LP and 2CD bookpack and 2CD format for European and rest-of-the-world fans, as well as 2LP vinyl and 1CD format for fans in the Americas.

During their career, the SCORPIONS viewed their music as a bridge between cultures. They performed in the former Soviet Union, China, and Southeast Asia, thereby fostering international understanding. Commercially, the band are also one of the best-selling hard rock and heavy metal bands of all time — with over 120 million album sales to their name.

"From The First Sting" is a sonic journey through the band's timeless hits, from "Rock You Like A Hurricane" to "Wind Of Change", showcasing SCORPIONS' evolution while honouring the spirit of their classic sound.

"From The First Sting" features two previously unreleased tracks, "This Is My Song" and "Still Loving You", the latter of which features British violinist Vanessa Mae. The physical for European and rest-of-the-world fans comes housed in a carefully crafted 2LP colored vinyl and 2CD 40-page deluxe edition bookpack, comprehensively illustrating the enduring influence of the pioneering masters of their genre.

SCORPIONS' latest album, "Rock Believer", came out in 2022. The LP was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

SCORPIONS' latest album marked their first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.

SCORPIONS' previous full-length collection of new recordings was "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

In January, SCORPIONS postponed their 2025 Las Vegas residency due to Dee's recovery from his recent hospitalization. Promoted by Live Nation and Caesars Entertainment, "Scorpions - Coming Home To Las Vegas 60th Anniversary Las Vegas Residency" was scheduled to kick off on February 27, 2025 at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. SCORPIONS.

The new dates are as follows: August 14, August 16, August 19, August 21 and August 23.

BUCKCHERRY will still provide support for the new SCORPIONS Las Vegas residency dates.

In celebration of SCORPIONS' 60th anniversary, the new show follows the band's two previous sold-out residencies at the venue — "Scorpions - Love at First Sting Las Vegas" in 2024 and "Sin City Nights" in 2022.

Earlier in January, Mikkey, who was previously a member of MOTÖRHEAD for 23 years, revealed that he was recovering after spending most of the holiday season battling a "very serious blood infection (Sepsis)."