VAN HALEN's final studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", has returned to streaming platforms.

The 2012 LP was removed from streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music in October 2022, without an explanation.

Last October, VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that VAN HALEN's 2012 LP the band's only studio record Wolfgang played on — was no longer on streaming platforms because of "some people involved" who "do not like that record".

"The contract ran out on putting it up on streaming services," Wolfgang said. "So we've been working on getting it back, but there are some people involved who do not like that record and are not making it easy to get it back up."

Asked if these "people" who are making things difficult "were involved in the record," Wolfgang confirmed: "Yeah." When host Eddie Trunk prompted, "Might that person commonly be known by three initials?", apparently referring to singer David Lee Roth, Wolfgang replied, "Probably. I mean, yeah, you can put it together.

"I hate to say it, because people will think I'm making stuff up, but it's, like, man, I'd love to have the record back up there, but [Roth] doesn't like it and he's not working with us to get it back up there," Wolfgang explained. "So I hope people who like it have a physical version of it. [Laughs]"

A week after blasting Wolfgang for allegedly "throwing out" some of Roth's invited guests at a couple of the concerts during VAN HALEN's final tour, David has shared a new YouTube video titled "Family Therapy.." in which he started off by mock-apologizing for "upset[ting] some people" and insisting that he "loves" his "old rock band" and misses VAN HALEN's late guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who was Wolfgang's father. He then proceeded to hold a mock therapy session between Wolfgang and a therapist in which Wolfgang complained that he had been unable to get any "streams" for his LP, presumably referring to "A Different Kind Of Truth", with the therapist telling the former VAN HALEN bassist that his album was "DOA (dead on arrival)", "KTC (kicked to the curb) and "a complete FP (faceplant)." The therapist told Wolfgang: "Son, commercially speaking, you got your ass handed to you." Roth then proceeded to imply that he and VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen did not want to spend a lot of money on attorney fees to negotiate a better deal with the record company and streaming platforms for an album that is not one of the band's finest moments.

"Do you remember Leon Spinks? How about Larry Holmes or Trevor Berbick?" the mock therapist asks "Wolfgang" in Roth's video. "Well, these were the last couple of Muhammad Ali's fights, and nobody wants to remember them because they were no fun… And your albums with VAN HALEN are a lot like those last two fights."

With Wolfgang on bass, VAN HALEN embarked on lengthy tours in 2007, 2012 and 2015. The band's final run of shows took place in the summer and fall of 2015. The North American trek included 41 concerts beginning on July 5, 2015 and ending on October 4, 2015.

Back in December 2021, Wolfgang, who joined his father Eddie Van Halen in VAN HALEN at the age of 16 for the band's 2007 reunion tour with Roth, replacing Michael Anthony, was asked about David's retirement in an interview with Consequence. He said: "Dave is a… he's very much a one-of-a-kind [chuckles] sort of guy. We don't really talk, if ever. We were always cordial on tour together, but it's not like I've spoken to him at all in the last six years. But, I mean, he's fucking David Lee Roth. I'm so happy for him and for everything that he's accomplished. And he's just a phenomenal… He'll always be one of the best."

In November 2020, Wolfgang told Rolling Stone about his relationship with Roth: "We're cordial. But it was very business-related. You know, we were always cool, but we really only ever saw each other onstage."

In 2022, Wolfgang implied in an interview that David Lee Roth was largely to blame for a proposed Eddie Van Halen tribute concert never materializing. He told Rolling Stone at the time: "What I can say is that there was an attempt at doing something. But, you know, I don't like to speak negatively about people, but there are some people that make it very difficult to do anything when it comes to VAN HALEN. After being in VAN HALEN for a long time, I really have strived to have an environment where there is no walking on eggshells and there is no personality that you have to deal with. It's just guys having fun making music and just having a good time. But, you know, from my time in VAN HALEN, there was always some stuff that gets in the way from just making music and having a good time. And, I think, that's what happened.

"I would love to just sit here and say everything and say the truth," he continued. "There are plenty of interviews my dad did, where he straight up just said everything. And people hated him for it and thought he was lying. So I could just say shit, but people have already decided how they feel about things, facts or not. So I can say the facts. But that may not align with how certain people feel. I know how VAN HALEN fans get. They are very motivated by which specific people they like in the band. And it's just not worth it. Just, we made an attempt, and some people can be hard to work with, and made it not happen."

Wolfgang went on to say that he "would really like to do something" for his father, but that the tribute concert idea "never even got off the ground."

"Look at anything that's happened with VAN HALEN," he said. "And look how things have fallen apart. You know? The fact that in my tenure, in VAN HALEN, we managed to do three tours, put an album of original material and a live album out is a fucking miracle.

"People love to pin every decision VAN HALEN has ever made on Dad," he continued. "But Al's [drummer Alex Van Halen] the brain. Al has been the guy forever. He's the dude. When it comes to VAN HALEN, Dad just wanted to play guitar. But, you know, Al's mentality, and it's the mentality that VAN HALEN took for the entirety of its band, is that there's nothing worth talking about unless it's happening. So the reason that nothing has been talked about from VAN HALEN, the official channels, is because nothing's happened. And I know how that will stir people up and piss them off. But that's how the operation is run."

Asked what he would say if someone were to assume that the main problem was a certain singer with three initials — referring to David Lee Roth — Wolfgang replied: "I would say 'Do your research on the history of VAN HALEN, and come to your conclusions.'"

Eddie passed away in October 2020 at the age of 65. He had been battling throat cancer and died surrounded by friends and family at a Santa Monica, California hospital.

VAN HALEN had been inactive since it completed its U.S. tour nearly nine years ago.

In early 2019, rumors were rampant that the classic-era lineup of VAN HALEN would reunite for the first time since 1984. It has since been revealed that a health setback involving Eddie was responsible for the tour not materializing.

Guitar virtuoso John 5 is giving fans a look into his life and career with a brand-new song called "A Hollywood Story". The track, and accompanying video, details John 5's incredible journey, from picking up his first guitar at the age of 7 to recording acclaimed solo material and touring the world with the likes of Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and — currently — MÖTLEY CRÜE.

Says John 5 of the song: "'A Hollywood Story' is a look back on my career and how lucky I am to have had the experiences that I've had. When you're a little kid, in your room, dreaming of your future, I never could've dreamt of what has happened to me in real life. I'm so appreciative and so happy. So go after your dreams whatever they may be."

The new track comes after the release of the instrumental masterpiece "The Ghost" last October as well as a series of sold-out tour dates in 2023. John 5 will hit the road again this fall on the "Strung Out" tour, with special guest TURNING JANE, beginning September 1 in Boston, Massachusetts and ending October 24 in Novato, California, with a number of Canadian dates. These new solo appearances will be in addition to John 5's confirmed dates with MÖTLEY CRÜE, including Summerfest, Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals.

Tickets for John 5's fall tour go on sale this Friday, June 14.

John 5 "Strung Out" 2024 tour dates:

Sept. 01 - Boston, MA @ City Winery
Sept. 02 - Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally's
Sept. 04 - Albany, NY @ Empire Live
Sept. 05 - Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD
Sept. 06 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
Sept. 07 - Cadillac, MI @ Venue Event Center
Sept. 08 - Westland, MI @ Token Lounge
Sept. 09 - Chicago, IL @ City Winery
Sept. 10 - Madison, WI @Majestic Theater
Sept. 12 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Bigs Bar
Sept. 13 - Fargo, ND @ Sanctuary Events Center
Sept. 14 - Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theatre
Sept. 15 - Regina, SK @ The Exchange
Sept. 17 - Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
Sept. 18 - [to be announced]
Sept. 19 - Kelowna, BC @ The Revelry
Sept. 20 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
Sept. 21 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Sept. 22 - Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom
Oct. 23 - Menlo Park, CA @ The Guild Theater
Oct. 24 - Novato, CA @ Hopmonk

For over 30 years, John 5 has been one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet. As well as being a songwriter/guitarist for hire, John 5 has shared the stage as axe-man for Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Rob Halford. He has also worked with an impressive array of names, from all walks of music, including KD Lang, Rod Stewart, David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Tina Guo, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Meat Loaf, Dolly Parton and Ricky Martin. In October 2022, it was revealed that John 5 would be joining MÖTLEY CRÜE as their guitarist following the announcement that Mick Mars would be retiring. John 5 continues to tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE on their 2024 world tour.

Photo credit: Matt Wilson

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", TESLA bassist Brian Wheat was asked which METALLICA album he thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's 'Master Of Puppets', hands down. It's just more — I think the songs were better, the performances were better. I don't know — it just spoke to me. You know what I mean? I mean, you'd be hard pressed to find a better record than 'Master Of Puppets'. And you can go on about the 'Black Album' and any other record. In their catalog, my favorite record of theirs all time is 'Master Of Puppets'… I mean, '[Welcome Home] (Sanitarium)', [the] 'Master Of Puppets' [title track] — come on. It's tough. But, for me, I'm gonna stick with 'Master Of Puppets'."

Wheat, whose band shared management with METALLICA early in their respective careers, said that he has "nothing but the highest respect for all those guys [in METALLICA]. I'm such an admirer of what they've accomplished and how they've stayed true to what they do. And [I have] nothing but the utmost respect for every one of those guys. And they're all great guys."

Asked to pick a METALLICA song to play as part of the KCAL "Mandatory Metallica" segment, Wheat said: "If you're gonna play anything, play 'Sad But True'. I think it's the greatest groove song they ever did. Just the groove is just so deep and fat and wide."

TESLA will release a new single, "It's All About Love", this summer. It will be the follow-up to the band's previous standalone singles "Cold Blue Steel", which came out in the summer of 2021, and "Time To Rock!", which arrived a year later.

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

Keeping the tradition of releasing new music every three years alive, vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Myles Kennedy — known for his work with rockers ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS — is back with his third solo album, "The Art Of Letting Go". The album marks the return of Myles, backed by his band comprised of Zia Uddin on drums and Tim Tournier on bass. The album is scheduled for release via longtime label home Napalm Records on October 11, 2024, and is available for pre-order in multiple configurations.

From the opening guitar riff of the title track "The Art Of Letting Go" to the haunting melody of album closer "How The Story Ends", Myles Kennedy is back with a collection of songs that is sure to cater to old and new fans alike. Songs like "Mr. Downside", "Miss You When You're Gone" and "Saving Face" showcase the memorable storytelling that has become synonymous throughout all of Myles's projects. The debut single — currently impacting radio around the globe — is the upbeat rocker "Say What You Will". The song is now available via all DSPs.

The "Say What You Will" music video was directed by Gordy De St Jeor (MAMMOTH WVH) and tells the story of a bullied and timid student who breaks out of her shell with the help of a teacher, janitor and lunch person portrayed by Kennedy, Uddin and Tournier in the school talent show.

The track listing for "The Art Of Letting Go" is:

01. The Art Of Letting Go
02. Say What You Will
03. Mr. Downside
04. Miss You When You're Gone
05. Behind The Veil
06. Saving Face
07. Eternal Lullaby
08. Nothing More To Gain
09. Dead To Rights
10. How The Story Ends

To celebrate the release of "The Art Of Letting Go", Myles Kennedy and his trio will be hitting the road in support of the new album. A six-date U.K. run with support from Devin Townsend recently went on sale for November and December. Twenty more newly announced dates are being added to "The Art Of Letting Go" tour 2024 all across Europe starting in October. The additional European dates will feature support from BLACK RIVER DELTA and CARDINAL BLACK. The band will also be bringing the tour to North America with dates set for January and February 2025. The 2025 dates will feature special guest Tim Montana.

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale for Myles Kennedy's 2025 North American tour will begin on Wednesday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. local time and end on Thursday, June 13 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code "BBMMK" to access tickets before the general public. Check back here on Thursday for ticketing links to individual shows. General on-sale will be Friday, June 14 at 10 a.m. local time.

"The Art Of Letting Go" European tour 2024:

October 27 - Hamburg, DE - Gruenspan ^
October 28 - Copenhagen, DK - Pumpehuset ^
October 30 - Gothenburg, SE - Valand ^
November 01 - Stockholm. SE - Debaser ^
November 02 - Oslo, NO - John Dee ^
November 05 - Berlin, DE - Columbia Theater ^
November 07 - Warsaw, PL - Club Progresja ^
November 08 - Prague, CZ - Palac Akropolis ^
November 10 - Budapest, HU - Akvarium Klub ^
November 11 - Vienna, AT - Arena ^
November 13 - Milan, IT - Alcatraz ^
November 14 - Zurich, CH - X-Tra ^
November 16 - Munich, DE - Technikum ^
November 17 - Luxembourg, LU - Rockhal ^
November 19 - Frankfurt, DE - Zoom +
November 20 - Tilburg, NL - 013 +
November 22 - Cologne, DE - Kantine +
November 23 - Paris, FR - Le Cabaret Sauvage +
November 25 - Glasgow, UK - SWG3 #
November 27 - Manchester, UK - Academy #
November 29 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City #
November 30 - Birmingham, UK - O2 Academy Birmingham #
December 02 - Cardiff, UK - The Great Hall, Cardiff Uni Students Union #
December 03 - London, UK - O2 Forum Kentish Town #
December 05 - Dublin, IE - The Academy +
December 06 - Belfast, IE - Limelight +

^ with special guest BLACK RIVER DELTA
+ with special guest CARDINAL BLACK
# Previously announced date with Devin Townsend acoustic performance

"The Art Of Letting Go" North American tour 2025:

January 17 - Joliet, IL - The Forge *
January 18 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater *
January 21 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop *
January 22 - Toronto, ON - The Concert Hall *
January 24 - Uncasville, CT - Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun
January 25 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre *
January 27 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall *
January 28 - Asbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony *
January 30 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage *
January 31 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre *
February 02 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl *
February 03 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
February 05 - Destin, FL - Club LA *
February 07 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center *
February 08 - Dallas, TX - Echo Lounge & Music Hall *
February 11 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall *
February 12 - Denver, CO - Summit *
February 14 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Theater *
February 16 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre *
February 18 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades *
February 20 - Seattle, WA - The Neptune *
February 21 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory *

* with special guest Tim Montana

As a prolific songwriter, powerhouse vocalist, and proficient guitar player, Kennedy tunes into the rhythm of his surroundings and goes with the flow. Fronting ALTER BRIDGE, his soaring vocals, open-hearted lyrics, and airtight riffs have fueled the group's global impact as a gold-certified, arena-filling force of nature over two decades-plus. On the microphone for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, his towering range has consistently stunned audiences since 2010. Becoming a celebrated collaborator, he's the rare presence just as comfortable on a track with DISTURBED, HALESTORM and SEVENDUST as he is with GOV'T MULE and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels. It's why he's generated over one billion cumulative streams, earned gold and platinum certifications worldwide, uplifted countless fans, and Kerrang! christened him "one of rock's finest vocalists." It's also why he's carved out his own lane. 2021 saw him deliver his acclaimed sophomore opus, "The Ides Of March". It impressively notched a total of four No. 1 debuts across three countries, toppling the Billboard U.S. Top Current Hard Music chart, the U.K. Official Rock & Metal chart and Official Independent Album chart, and Canada's Hard Music Albums chart. Beyond generating 10 million-plus streams, it incited unanimous critical applause from American Songwriter, Guitar.com, Loudwire, Guitar World and more. RIFF hailed it as "a fantastic and must-listen record," while Classic Rock magazine awarded it "4.5 out of 5 stars," going on to attest, "'The Ides Of March' confirms Myles Kennedy as a musical powerhouse."

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

ARMORED SAINT has released a brilliant rendition of "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)". The classic track was originally written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and was first released by PEOPLE in 1970. Additional covers include THE FOUR TOPS (1974),SANTANA (1978) and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (1989).

Comments ARMORED SAINT vocalist John Bush: "[Bassist] Joey [Vera] came up with the idea of doing the song. We've always been huge fans of old-school soul and R&B music, so it was a no-brainer. It's got a great groove, perfect for our rhythm section, and Jeff's [Duncan] and Phil's [Sandoval] guitars are screaming. Plus, the cool lyrics make it ideal for the SAINT style. Levi Stubbs [THE FOUR TOPS] was such a rad singer; I just tried to do him justice. I think this would make him a metal fan."

Watch ARMORED SAINT's video for "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)", directed by My Good Eye: Music Visuals, below.

"One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)" was produced by Joey Vera, mixed by Jay Ruston and mastered by Maor Applebaum.

In a recent interview with "THAT Rocks!", Vera stated about ARMORED SAINT's cover version of "One Chain Don't Make No Prison": "We kind of went for this '70s retro R&B thing. There's this tune called 'One Chain Don't Make No Prison' by the FOUR TOPS, and it's been one of my favorite songs forever. I always imagined it with John singing it, so I just did this demo, kind of like a more heavier version of the song. And then we did this demo, and we said, 'Wow, this is, this is amazing. We should just do this as a one-off.' Not really associated with a record per se, but just for fun, kind of. We've never done a single before. It's always been, record 10, 11 songs, put out an album. So all the kids nowadays are doing singles. So we're, like, 'Let's do a single.'"

Added John: "It's cool. It's a really cool version of the song. And I was trying to really pay tribute to Levi Stubbs, who's one of the best R&B singers from that era. He just has a cool soulful, powerful, almost a rock voice, and I think a lot of people — Glenn Hughes probably in particular — would admire his singing. And he just had this vibe. And so I was, like, 'Okay, I'd better pull it out of me.' But we did a great job."

On the topic of the music video for ARMORED SAINT's version of "One Chain Don't Make No Prison", Bush said: "I'm kind of wearing these suits. It's not quite campy, but it does look kind of cool and retro, and it just kind of shows a little different side of the band."

In March, Bush told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about ARMORED SAINT's cover of "One Chain Don't Make No Prison": "[It came out] really cool. It's kind of a throwback. I love that sound from — especially [FOUR TOPS] in the '70s was really cool. That's when they got a little bit more edgy. The '60s stuff was, of course, great, but Levi Stubbs, the main singer, was awesome. He had a cool, just soulful, powerful voice. So Joey had this idea of doing it. We did the song. I don't know when for sure it's coming out. We did a video for it that we're all wearing suits. So it's pretty funny. It's a little different for us. It was really aesthetically looking pretty cool. We filmed it at somebody's house somewhere here in Hollywood. The guy had all these crazy decorations inside of his house that he lived in. So, the director found it. And so we shot it kind of in a circle, which is really cool. It was fun."

ARMORED SAINT was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame last July at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

More than a year ago, ARMORED SAINT's long-awaited documentary, Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers", had its world premiere in the band's hometown at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood, California.

ARMORED SAINT's eighth full-length album, "Punching The Sky", came out in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

ARMORED SAINT released the "Symbol Of Salvation Live" CD/DVD in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. The release came in celebration of the seminal album's 30th anniversary. "Symbol Of Salvation Live" was a combination live album and video of the band playing the album in its entirety at New York City's famed Gramercy Theatre during its 2018 tour.

ARMORED SAINT recently wrapped up a successful North American tour with QUEENSRŸCHE and is currently working on music for its upcoming full-length album. Next month, the band will return to European stages for a 16-date run of shows, which will include appearances at Headbangers Open Air, Wacken Open Air, Fezen, Brutal Assault and more.

Photo by Stephanie Cabral

IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris will play in a charity football match this Saturday, June 15 at 8 p.m. at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal.

MAIDEN said in a social media post: "It's only €2,50 to get in and by participating you will help the most disadvantaged children in the Algarve, so round up your mates and hopefully see you there…"

In a video message announcing his participation in the event, Harris said: "So here I am in the beautiful Algarve, Portugal. Over my shoulder here is the Estadio Algarve or Stadium Algarve or Algarve Stadium, whichever way you wanna put it, and that's where I'm playing for charity on Saturday, 8 p.m. kickoff. And it's for underprivileged children in Portugal. So it's a really good cause. So if you can get there, make it down there. I think it's only like two or three euros to get in, or something like that, but try and round up a few people and get down there and support it. And, yeah, be there or be square."

Five years ago, Harris, an avid soccer fan, told WISH TV that he and some of his bandmates and crew members "try and play a game every six to seven days" while on tour.

"We've lost a few," he said. "We won last week, but we've lost a few so far. We've been playing some really good sides."

According to Harris, he doesn't "really train" for the soccer matches. "I've got a bit of an injury at the moment, so I don't want to train too much before," he said.

Harris said in a 2012 interview that he had given up playing soccer — for the most part. He explained at the time: "I've had so many problems with my back that I can only play the odd match here or there. Unfortunately, it's five years since I've played a full season of football and that's something that I miss a lot. But I had to make a decision. I play a lot of tennis."

IRON MAIDEN's 2023 "The Future Past Tour" featured previously unperformed songs from the band's most recent studio album, "Senjutsu", along with a focus on 1986's "Somewhere In Time" LP, plus other classic cuts.

"Senjutsu" came out in September 2021. It marked MAIDEN's second consecutive double album behind 2015's "The Book Of Souls" which is the longest MAIDEN album, with a running time of 92 minutes.

IRON MAIDEN's first album in six years, "Senjutsu" was recorded in 2019 in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by bassist Steve Harris. It features three tracks whose running time exceeds 10 minutes each.

For "Senjutsu" — loosely translated as "tactics and strategy" — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai-themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Harris.

"Senjutsu" bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, charting higher than even the band's early classics like "Powerslave" and "The Number Of The Beast". Nearly 90 percent of the LP's 64,000 equivalent album units earned came from pure album sales. The critically acclaimed double album debuted one place higher than 2015's "The Book Of Souls" and 2010's "The Final Frontier", which both peaked at No. 4.

"Senjutsu" was MAIDEN's 13th album to top in the Top 40 in the U.S.
Steve will be playing in a legend’s charity football match this Saturday at 8pm at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal!

It’s only €2,50 to get in and by participating you will help the most disadvantaged children in the Algarve, so round up your mates and hopefully see you there… pic.twitter.com/SidswUzPH8

— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) June 11, 2024

God Is An Astronaut has mesmerized audiences worldwide with their distinctive sonic tapestry both in dynamic live performances and through their recorded works. Amidst their perpetual whirlwind of touring, the Irish trio emerges once more with a freshly crafted studio album, entitled Embers, set to release on September 6 via Napalm Records.


In support of their upcoming record release, God Is An Astronaut has also announced a busy touring schedule for 2024, with many more shows to be announced soon. Find all dates listed below.


First official single "Falling Leaves", out now on all digital streaming platforms, is "a reflective voyage through the brevity of our existence, spanning from inception to demise," according to the band. Watch the static video below.




Founded by brothers Torsten and Niels Kinsella, the band has once again created an exceptional collection of songs, inviting listeners to explore and interpret it in their own unique ways. Embers represents God Is An Astronaut's most extensive and grandiose production to date. From the very first note to the lingering resonance of its finale, Embers quietly but confidently affirms their mastery of their craft.  


From psych- to excellent krautrock trips, driving rhythms by drummer Lloyd Hanney and collaborations with guest musicians including Dara O'Brien, Jo Quail and Sean Coleman further enrich the album's sonic space, incorporating elements such sitar, cello, zither, shamanic drums, bowed psaltery, chimes and tanpura.


Featuring artwork by the internationally renowned Irish artist David Rooney and mastered by Europe's foremost mastering engineer Streaky, God Is An Astronaut achieves remarkable heights with their forthcoming progressive, psychedelic and instrumental post-rock opus, Embers!





Embers will be available in the following formats:


- 2LP Gatefold Marbled Oxblood Black with Artprint & Slipmat  
- 2LP Gatefold Transparent Yellow (Vinyl 1) / Transilia (Vinyl 2)  
- 2LP Gatefold Glow In The Dark
- 2LP Gatefold Black
- 6 Page Digipak
- Music Cassette Black with Gold Print


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Apparition"
"Falling Leaves"
"Odyssey"
"Heart Of Roots"
"Embers"
"Realms"
"Oscillation"
"Prism"
"Hourglass"


"Falling Leaves" video:





Live dates:


August
1 - Backstage - Munich, Germany
2 - Flex - Vienna, Austria
4 - Rockstadt - Brasov, Romania
6 - Lublin Radio - Lublin, Poland
7 - A2 - Wroclaw, Poland
8 - Brutal Assault - Jaromer, Czech Republic
9 - Kwadrat - Krakow, Poland
10 - Sziget Festival - Budapest, Hungary
11 - Randal Club - Bratislava, Slovakia
15 - Frantic Fest - Francavilla, Italy
16 - Festa di Radio Onda d'Urto - Brescia, Italy





God Is An Astronaut is:


Torsten Kinsella - Guitar, Piano, Synths, Backing Vocals
Niels Kinsella - Bass
Lloyd Hanney - Drums


(Photo - Stuart Wood)

Canadian black metal band Liminal Shroud will release new album, Visions Of Collapse, July 5 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats via Willowtip Records. Preorder on Bandcamp.


Cleansing in collapse, solace in emergence from tunnels of psychic distortion, sanctuary in the dissolution of the spirit, and a salute once again to the worthlessness of it all – Visions Of Collapse is Liminal Shroud's new offering of surging, evocative, and forward-thinking black metal.


"On this record we have elevated everything in our arsenal to new heights. Serpentine songwriting and cathartic conviction reflect again the elemental forces of destruction of the coast, and capturing moments of sorrow, solitude and grandeur, we seek to find ourselves in annihilation. Adherence to tradition and the will to push ever-onward find their fusion in the interplay of melody, rhythmic vigor, and subtle progressive voicing. Primordial oceans churn, searing winds howl, and a baleful void opens above – cast yourself in and submit to the scythe."
 - Liminal Shroud







Tracklisting:


“Nocturnal Phosphoresence”
“Nucleonic Blight”
“Resolve”
“Malaspina”
“The Carving Scythe”


“Nucleonic Blight”:


Visions of Collapse by Liminal Shroud

Drumeo has uploaded video of drummer Mike Portnoy playing the Dream Theater classic “Under A Glass Moon.”


A description reads:


“Watch Mike Portnoy perform ‘Under A Glass Moon’ by Dream Theater. This track is from Dream Theater's second studio album, Images And Words, released in 1992. ‘Under A Glass Moon’ features some of Mike Portnoy's signature drum parts – characterized by rapid-fire double bass patterns, intricate fills, and seamless transitions between time signatures, which showcase his exceptional technical skill and creativity behind the kit.”







Drumeo recently shared a new video featuring Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. Check it out below.


Drumeo: "Watch as drumming legend Mike Portnoy attempts the impossible task of learning Tool's 12-minute masterpiece, 'Pneuma'. This song was released on Tool's Fear Inoculum record in 2019 and is known for featuring some of Danny Carey's most complex drumming to date.


How will Mike go about learning this insane drum part? How does he crack the 'code' of the song? Tune in to find out and watch Mike learn one of the most challenging drum parts ever created over the course of a Drumeo session lasting nearly six hours."





During Modern Drummer's Tribute to Alex Van Halen, Live from Ironshore Studios, at the beginning of the year, Portnoy discussed the origins of Alex's famous shuffle groove that appears in several VH songs. Enjoy this clip of Mike playing "I'm The One" from Van Halen's debut album.

Sweden's Electric Boys have released a video for "Karma’s Gonna Get You", a track from their new album, Grand Explosivos, available via Mighty Music. Watch below:





The new album is available on, CD LP (gatefold 180gr black vinyl, and 180gr turquoise vinyl, limited to 500) and digital formats. Order here, and find a full album audio stream below.







Trackisting:


"When Life Treats You Funky"
"Better Safe Than Sober"
"I’ve Got A Feelin’"
"And The Band Played On (Part 1)"
"Domestic Blitz"
"Karma’s Gonna Get You"
"Missed Her By A Minute"
"Learjet"
"Cozmic Jagger"
"The Great Believer"
"And The Band Played On (Part 2)"














(Photo - Gabrielle Holmberg)

In a new interview with Francisco Zamudio of KNAC.COM, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was asked if putting out a solo album has been on his mind for a while prior to last month's arrival of "From Hell I Rise". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It never occurred to me until Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] said he was done touring. And when he was done touring, I'm, like, 'Well, I'm not gonna try to talk you out of it because it's not cool to talk somebody into it when their heart's not into it.' So I said, 'Well, now I've gotta put my band together and continue.'"

Asked if the riffs and musical ideas on "From Hell I Rise" were things that he came up with specifically for this project or if they were something that he had been playing around for a long time, Kerry said: "There's a little bit of everything. Like [the song] 'Residue', for instance, I think I had the body of that song the last time Paul [Bostaph, SLAYER and KERRY KING drummer] was in [SLAYER]. And it just never had a beginning or an end — it just never had all the parts it needed — but I knew I liked the song. So I just kept it. And then this time, during the pandemic, I made up the intro and the outro and put a little glue in it. And I'm, like, 'That's what I was looking for.' So you've got stuff like that. You've got stuff left over from [SLAYER's final album, 2015's] 'Repentless'. You've got a lot of stuff I wrote during the pandemic. And now, for instance, record two still has stuff from 'Repentless', has leftover stuff from 'From Hell I Rise' and stuff I've written since then. So there's tons of stuff I've gotta get to."

King confirmed that he has already started work on his second solo album. "I've got demos of a lot of songs," he explained. "I don't have any lyrics yet. I've got some titles, but I've got a lot of music."

Asked how the conversation with Paul went when he asked the longtime SLAYER drummer to join him in his solo project, Kerry said: "It was super easy. I knew that Tom was done probably four to six months before the other guys [Bostaph and guitarist Gary Holt] did. 'Cause, for whatever reason, he just never told them. And we were getting ready to go do a photo session with the guys. And I said, 'Listen…' I told my manager, I said, 'I'm not going unless Tom tells these poor guys what's up, 'cause they deserve to know.' So he did. And the next day, we do the photos and I went right to Paul and said, 'Dude, don't worry for a second because I'm continuing. And I assume you wanna continue with me.'"

"From Hell I Rise" was released on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Joining Kerry in his new band are Mark Osegueda (vocals; DEATH ANGEL),Phil Demmel (guitar; MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE),Kyle Sanders (bass; HELLYEAH) and drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS).

Last month, the KERRY KING band performed its first live show at Reggies in Chicago. In the days that followed, the band went from playing an intimate venue to performing at the huge U.S. festivals Welcome To Rockville (Florida) and Sonic Temple (Ohio).

Now the KERRY KING band is ready to embark on a European tour that will start on June 3 — on King's 60th birthday. The trek will combine headline shows in the U.K., The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain but also festival appearances such as Rock Am Ring, Hellfest, Tuska, Download, Sweden Rock Festival and many more.

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the 59-year-old SLAYER guitarist. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

KERRY KING will be special guest on the upcoming LAMB OF GOD/MASTODON North American "Ashes Of Leviathan" co-headline tour. The six-week run will launch on July 19 in Grand Prairie, Texas and will wrap on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Five years after SLAYER played the last concert of what was being billed as the band's farewell tour and just days after the SLAYER guitarist unveiled the details of his solo project, Kerry and his longtime bandmates announced that they will reunite to play at the Aftershock, Riot Fest and Louder Than Life festivals in September and October.

A DAY TO REMEMBER has shared a brand-new single, "Feedback", which is available today on all streaming platforms and accompanied by a Jeb Hardwick-directed official music video that features producers Drew Fulk (WZRD BLD) and Zakk Cervini. "Feedback" is co-produced by the band's own Jeremy McKinnon alongside Fulk and Cervini, and marks the first new music from the band in two years, signaling the dawn of a new era for the Florida group.

A DAY TO REMEMBER is currently gearing up to embark on "The Least Anticipated Album Tour", which will see them headlining arenas and amphitheaters across North America this summer. Kicking off June 6 at The Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park, Minnesota, the coast-to-coast run will mark A DAY TO REMEMBER's first headline shows in the U.S. in over a year and with stops at New Jersey's Prudential Center, California's KIA Forum, and Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre along the way. The tour will feature special guests THE STORY SO FAR and FOUR YEAR STRONG with MILITARIE GUN, PAIN OF TRUTH and SCOWL appearing on select dates.

Furthermore, A DAY TO REMEMBER is set for a series of U.S. festival appearances this year, including performances at Four Chord Music Festival (June 22) and When We Were Young (October 19 and October 20).

A DAY TO REMEMBER released its latest studio album, "You're Welcome", in 2021. Largely produced by Colin "DOC" Brittain and the band's own Jeremy McKinnon, the 14-track collection represented another major step forward for the acclaimed group. Highlighted by singles "Brick Wall", "Degenerates", "Resentment", "Mindreader" and the No. 1 Active Rock single "Everything We Need", A DAY TO REMEMBER incited critical praise with "You're Welcome". Revolver declared, "['Brick Wall'] showcases the group's signature mix of post-hardcore heaviness and pop-rock hooks," while Consequence Of Sound declared, "the Florida rockers' new LP will continue their wide-ranging sound that ranges from infectious pop-punk to crushing metalcore." Forbes put it simply, "It seems A DAY TO REMEMBER are only just getting started," and Billboard praised the band's "anthemic hybrid of post-hardcore and pop." Popdust avowed A DAY TO REMEMBER "have all but mastered their niche melding of pop melodies with hardcore music," while Kerrang! attested, "'You're Welcome' is the perfect soundtrack to this strange and uncertain world that we live in."

In 2022 the band returned with the standalone single "Miracle", accompanied by an emotionally charged music video. The band also reignited their "You're Welcome" track "Re-Entry" with a new version featuring Mark Hoppus of BLINK-182.

Since their formation in 2003, A DAY TO REMEMBER quietly emerged as arguably the biggest underground band in the world. The Florida group affirmed this status by achieving one platinum album, two gold albums, one platinum single, and four gold singles. Not to mention, each full-length record ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard Rock, Indie, and/or Alternative charts, with 2016's "Bad Vibrations" bowing at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. They've put up unprecedented numbers for a rock act in the 21st century, generating nearly 2 billion streams worldwide and sales of three million-plus units. They've also packed arenas on continental tours and attracted a global audience consisting of millions.

A DAY TO REMEMBER is: Jeremy McKinnon (vocals),Alex Shelnutt (drums),Kevin Skaff (guitar, vocals),and Neil Westfall (guitar, vocals).

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

In a new interview with Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA, KITTIE guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander was asked if she ever thought that she would still be making music with her bandmates 25 years after the release of their debut album. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, of course not. I think, especially when you're young, you're sort of living in the moment. And a lot of the things that were coming to us early on, I didn't think — I genuinely did not think I would still be doing this at 42 years old. And it's such an honor to feel like we have this second life, second opportunity to do this. And we are so excited. Creating music is what we live for. And it's just an incredible feeling to have new music out and people who've been waiting a long time are excited. So we're along for the ride."

When Carr noted that Morgan and her sister, KITTIE drummer Mercedes Lander have had to overcome various adversities, including label woes, the sudden death of their father/manager Dave and passing of their longtime bassist Trish Doan, Morgan said: "Yeah. I think especially, too, when you're young, things that happen, they feel like the end of the world. And we were doing all of our growing pains in public. So that was sort of, I guess, a little bit detrimental. But if there's one thing about Mercedes and myself, we're very resilient. And when life throws something like that at us, we pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and just keep going. That's all you can do."

She continued: "Music and playing music together is something that has been born in us. I know that this is what we've been meant to do for our entire lives. And sometimes you do have to step away from a situation to sort of understand the impact on your own life and other people's lives. And that's part of what the hiatus that KITTIE was experiencing was sort of all about. But still understanding and seeing our worth and that people wanted the music."

Morgan added: "Our fans have been asking for new KITTIE music for well over 10 years now. And so it's just an honor to be able to be back in this place. We're older, we're wiser, we're feeling a bit more refreshed, and we've come out of some of those lowest, lowest points, I think sort of better for the experiences and wiser. And it also kind of helps to create a bit more excitement. It's like where you know you've been to those places, being able to enjoy and appreciate every little thing that comes with it, the good and the bad. Right now, things feel amazing. I cannot stress that enough. We're very appreciative."

KITTIE's long-awaited new studio album, "Fire", the band's first in over 13 years, is due on June 21 via Sumerian Records.

When "Fire" was first announced last month, Morgan said in a statement: "10 years ago, if someone would have told us that we would be releasing new KITTIE music in 2024, we'd have dismissed them right away. It feels like something deeper than fate that's brought us together again, allowing us to create something fearless and magical for you. We've worked incredibly hard over the past year, and surrounded ourselves with the ultimate dream team to make this album a reality. We cannot wait for you to lose yourselves in the passion and strength of 'Fire'."

"Fire" is available to pre-order now with a variety of merch bundles including exclusive vinyl colorways, t-shirts, a cassette tape, a sticker pack, guitar pick pack, laminate and two metal lunch box designs.

In April, KITTIE announced an exclusive run of North American headline dates. The long-awaited shows will see the band perform in five cities across the U.S. and Canada this July and August, giving fans a very special and rare chance to see the band play a full headline set that will include their recently released singles "We Are Shadows" and "Eyes Wide Open" as well as classic hits and some deep cuts not played live since the band's early days.

Last November, it was revealed that KITTIE was working on a new studio LP with producer Nick Raskulinecz at Nashville's Sienna Studios.

Raskulinecz, who moved to Nashville from Los Angeles around 16 years ago, had previously worked with such acts as RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, RISE AGAINST, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, SKID ROW and the DEFTONES.

KITTIE played its first concert in five years in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Joining Morgan and Mercedes in KITTIE's current lineup guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivana "Ivy" Vujic.

Prior to Blue Ridge, KITTIE had not performed since its reunion show at London Music Hall in the band's native London, Ontario in 2017, celebrating the group's documentary "Kittie: Origins/Evolutions".

Vujic joined KITTIE in 2008 and appeared on the band's fifth studio CD, 2009's "In The Black". She also wrote and recorded bass for KITTIE's sixth album, 2011's "I've Failed You".

In January 2022, the original lineup of KITTIE — Morgan, Mercedes, Fallon Bowman (guitar) and Tanya Candler (bass) — reunited for an online chat to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of its gold-certified 2000 debut album, "Spit".

Candler left KITTIE after the release of "Spit" in order to finish high school and was replaced by Talena Atfield.

Bowman exited KITTIE in 2001 and started her own industrial/electronic project, AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT.

After KITTIE completed the touring cycle for "I've Failed You" album, the band entered a long period of inactivity during which Morgan focused on a marketing job for a chain of fitness clubs while Mercedes worked in real estate and more recently at a software company. The group also began work on a career-spanning documentary, "Origins/Evolutions", which finally saw the light of day in 2018 via Lightyear Entertainment in North America.

"I've Failed You" sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Photo credit: Dante Dellamore

Christian rockers STRYPER performed at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York on Saturday (June 8) as part of their "To Hell With The Amps: The Unplugged Tour". The trek features STRYPER playing the entirety of the band's recently released first-ever acoustic album, "Acousticyzed". The double-disc set features an audio CD and DVD/Blu-ray video recorded and filmed at SpiritHouse Studios in western Massachusetts. The 11-track acoustic collection features stripped-down versions of STRYPER's classic songs — ranging from energized tracks "Loud & Clear" and "Soldiers Under Command" to power ballad "Honestly" — plus a never-before-released version of enduring hymn "Amazing Grace".

STRYPER guitarist Oz Fox is sitting out the "To Hell With The Amps" acoustic tour after recently undergoing another brain surgery.

Joining STRYPER on stage during "To Hell With The Amps" is Will Doughty, a respected Nashville musician and songwriter, best known for his work as the touring keyboardist for POISON since 2007.

Fan-filmed video of STRYPER's Buffalo concert, including a cover version of the BON JOVI smash hit "Livin' On A Prayer", can be seen below.

"We're excited to show people a totally different translation of these songs," STRYPER lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Michael Sweet said in a statement. "Most of the acoustic shows will be set in smaller, more intimate venues, and the set is naturally more toned down. It will feel like a family affair, like everyone is sitting in our living room listening to us play."

Sweet added that the band will follow the acoustic stints with a full-on 40th anniversary tour kicking off September 13, 2024. "The anniversary tour will feature songs ranging across our entire discography," he revealed. "We'll perform a set consisting of our classic songs, then play a second set containing more recent material."

Sweet further shared that the band's live shows will feature everything from heightened production to variations in wardrobe. "We will be changing outfits from a classic look to a modern look, with production to match," he said. "It will definitely be unprecedented because it's important to come up with a unique way for fans to celebrate this milestone anniversary with us."

In addition, the band plans to offer an exclusive pre-show VIP experience for its loyal devotees. A 45-minute encounter with STRYPER will include a private screening of a short film featuring archival footage and photos and a brief question-and-answer session with the bandmates.

As for future endeavors, the band just wrapped recording another full-length studio album Sweet described as "all killer and no filler." The anticipated release date is fall 2024.

"We're hoping it will continue the trend of our music getting better with each release," Sweet said. "It's loaded with high-quality tunes and great energy."

STRYPER also has made solid progress on a much-anticipated Kickstarter-fueled documentary film. More than 1,700 backers pledged $220,000 to help bring this project to life and helped the band far exceed its original funding goal, earning a "Projects We Love" tag on the popular crowdfunding platform.

"We found a brilliant director, Chris Atkins, and it's being filmed now," said Sweet, adding that footage will be captured throughout the rest of this year. "We're excited to see it's finally happening."

Formed 41 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil", "Even The Devil Believes" and the band's latest all-new studio release, 2022's "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bass).

I had a last second change of plans for this evening and ending up at the Town Ballroom to see Stryper. What an...

Posted by Thomas S. Orwat Jr. on Saturday, June 8, 2024

Stryper town ballroom

Posted by Derrick Hornung on Saturday, June 8, 2024

Tomorrow! Don't miss Stryper with Jim Crean at Town Ballroom! Tickets are still online here: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/83783396/stryper-buffalo-town-ballroom-buffalony

Posted by Town Ballroom on Friday, June 7, 2024

ATREYU will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band's 2004 sophomore album "The Curse" by performing the gold-certified LP in its entirety at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California on October 18. Support at the gig will come from EIGHTEEN VISIONS, which will play the group's "Obsession" album in its entirety to celebrate the LP's 20th anniversary, and DEATH BY STEREO, which will kick things off with a 25th-anniversary performance of that band's 1999 debut, "If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die".

In an interview with last month's Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio, ATREYU vocalist Brandon Saller stated about the upcoming "The Curse" celebration concert: "We've been really lucky to have a lot of big wins in our career. 'The Curse' was, I think, our first big win as a band. It put us on the map. So you wanna pay respect to that and you wanna do something cool for fans. And it gives you that opportunity to kind of reinvigorate people in the band.

"A lot of people are really fair-weather with music; not everyone's a diehard," he explained. "So those people that are, like, 'Oh, man, I haven't been to an ATREYU show in a decade, but I'll go to that 'Curse' show. Oh fuck, I forgot how much I love this band.' It's cool for everyone involved. And it's fun for us to kind of mentally go back to that place."

Saller went on to say that "The Curse" anniversary concert will be "like an Orange County reunion show. It's us playing 'The Curse'. It's a legendary Orange County band called EIGHTEEN VISIONS playing their anniversary [show] of their album 'Obsession'. And then it's one of our favorite bands growing up, DEATH BY STEREO, playing their first album. Also Orange County. A show like this hasn't happened in Orange County in 20 years. So, [it's] definitely special."

Back in December 2014, ATREYU celebrated "The Curse"'s tenth anniversary by performing the album in its entirety at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California.

2002's "Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses" established ATREYU as an influential force, while "The Curse" sold more than half a million copies as the group rose to global renown. 2006's "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" and 2007's "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" both bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200, with the latter garnering a gold certification from the RIAA — a highly rare accomplishment for a 21st century rock band.

Following a hiatus post-"Congregation Of The Damned" in 2009, the musicians returned, firing on all cylinders with "Long Live" in 2015. It crashed the Top 30 of the Billboard Top 200 and earned widespread acclaim from Revolver, Loudwire, AXS and Kerrang!, who dubbed it "a hell of a return." Along the way, the boys sold out countless headline shows in addition to sharing the stage with everyone from SLIPKNOT and LINKIN PARK to Chris Cornell and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

ATREYU's latest album, "The Beautiful Dark Of Life", came out last December via Spinefarm.

Photo credit: Micala Austin

In a new interview with Indonesia's Medcom.id, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows was asked if he thinks heavy metal music should incorporate other sounds and styles from outside of what many consider to concretely be heavy metal. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, I don't know. I think metal music — I don't really worry about that. I think people should just play whatever they want. And if you wanna be inspired or if you're hearing things from other genres that you like and you want to incorporate it, you should. But if you also wanna play back-to-basics sort of AC/DC album, then you should do that. I just think a lot of genres have rules, and I think metal should be like the anti-everything, and it should have no rules and you should be able to do whatever you want. I think there's a bunch of artists coming up right now — KIM DRACULA, BRING ME THE HORIZON, BAD OMENS, SLEEP TOKEN — there's a bunch of bands that are incorporating all sorts of stuff. So I think there should just be no rules. Just do whatever you want."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD launched the 2024 leg of the "Life Is But A Dream…" North American tour on March 6 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The band's 2024 run included AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first-ever performances in Manchester, New Hampshire; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Newark. The group performed in Des Moines, Iowa for the first time in 18 years; Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the first time in 15 years.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19, 2023 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12, 2023 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To date, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and earned two consecutive No. 1 albums on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King") to go along with over a billion video views and a billion-plus Spotify streams, as well as multiple No. 1 singles on rock radio.

SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers were guests on a recent episode of the Rock Sugar Magic podcast, hosted by Kerri Kasem, daughter of legendary DJ and media personality Casey Kasem. You can now watch the entire discussion below.

When Kerri told Smith and Myers that SHINEDOWN's music got her friend through her battle with stage four cancer, Brent said: "I've gotta tell you, though, that's something that, especially in the last few years, I've noticed it more like, music is a powerful thing. And especially when you're talking about songs, but exactly what you said — I've seen songs cure cancer. It's pretty powerful. There's just a different level inside of that. Because we're all connected to one another.

"The whole idea of rock and roll as a genre is one aspect, but rock and roll really is a spirit," he continued. "It's more of a way of life for people. I've said this a few times, but in that community, it's not necessarily about a genre; it's about a community of people where anyone from anywhere at any time is welcomed all the time. That's what rock and roll represents.

"I remember when N.W.A. got inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Ice Cube went straight to the mic and was, like, 'Rock and roll is the spirit and we're honored to be here.' It's that inclusivity and not having any… There should be no barriers or any boundaries when it comes to music. And that's the beauty of it is that when you put people together in a room, you're never gonna replace the dynamic of drums, bass, guitar, badass vocals in a killer song. It just will never go out of style."

In a recent interview with "The Mistress Carrie Podcast", SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch said that he has laid down "six songs of drums" for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Planet Zero" album. "We're actually further along than I thought we'd be this early in the year," he added. "So I think new SHINEDOWN music will probably be by the end of the year, early next year. So, it's kind of exciting."

In a separate interview with WMMR's Brent Porche, Kerch spoke about the musical direction of the new SHINEDOWN material. He said: "It's gonna be what SHINEDOWN does, which every record is completely different than the last one. It still sounds like SHINEDOWN. You're never going to change [singer] Brent Smith's voice, but I can't make 'Leave A Whisper' again. I can't make 'Planet Zero' again. I can't make 'Sound Of Madness' again. That was then, that was that snapshot of time… We definitely try to grow and evolve and do something different because at the same time, we're artists, we're musicians. We want to create what we hear in our heads, and that's what we do. So it's coming soon, and it's going to be cool."

Kerch also noted that bassist and producer Eric Bass, who helmed SHINEDOWN's last two albums, is on board to produce the next LP.

SHINEDOWN's "A Symptom Of Being Human" single, taken from "Planet Zero", recently landed at No. 1 at Active Rock. This marked SHINEDOWN's record-breaking 21st No. 1 song on the Mediabase Active Rock chart and extended the band's record for the most No. 1s in the history of Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with 19 total. The "Planet Zero" album also featured the pop-rock anthem and No. 1 rock hit "Daylight", which People called one of "the most powerful of pop-rock songs created to remind us that we are truly all in this together."

SHINEDOWN, who recently appeared at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards where they were nominated for multiple awards including "Rock Artist Of The Year" and presented/introduced their good friend Jelly Roll on the live broadcast, will play select tour dates this summer.

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, ANVIL frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow discussed the lack of political writing in his songs. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I will not, and do not, voice my opinion on actual politics. I'm not gonna do that. Nothing I will say will mean a fucking thing anyway. So why bother? Why isolate myself or be detrimental to myself and say something that would insult people that are my fans? I'm not gonna do it — not over something that I really honestly don't even care about and that I know that I have no jurisdiction or power over. It's pointless. There's no upside. There isn't. I just don't get it. And I would even have this discussion with [outspoken conservative rocker] Ted Nugent. The same thing — I'd say, 'Ted, what are you doing, man? You're making people hate you. As much as you're making people love you, you're making people hate you. Why even bother? If you didn't talk about it, you'd only have people that love you. Why are you bothering?'"

When one of the interviewers noted that while Lips doesn't go into specifics with his lyrics, he will occasionally use his platform to rail against more general issues like assault on our freedom and suppression of the truth by politicians, government agencies, media outlets and people on social media, he explained: "I'm not going to say I'm Democratic or a Republican. Uh-uh. I'm not gonna do it. And I don't think by saying that our liberty is condemned is being Republican or Democratic. It's being observant.

"America is so worried about communism coming, but yet you keep going down this road where you're abolishing this, abolishing that, making this banned, that banned, before you know it, you are a communist," he added. "So, you've gotta watch how far you go, man. We've gotta start really being more diligent and watching where we're going with our freedom and what we're letting slip through our fingers. That's how I feel, but, like I said, I'm just one voice in billions. It's little or no difference. So I'm just observing, and sometimes it's pretty upsetting. And it's cathartic writing about it. I get to expel the demons."

A little over three years ago, Lips was asked by "The Chuck Shute Podcast" if he would ever debate Nugent on some of the issues they are both passionate about. Lips responded: "It's interesting. He's definitely got different views, especially when it comes to marijuana; we'd probably be at each other's throats over that. But a lot of what he says is truth, logic and common sense. You can get angry at me — go ahead — but when you tell people the truth, they usually get pissed off, and that's what a lot of people get when they hear Ted talk.

"I'm an environmentalist and so is he, but we actually have a lot of places where we are in complete fucking sync — there's no question about it," he continued. "There's a lot of things that I completely agree with him — no question about it.

"Certainly, if I was born in Detroit and was raised there, I'd believe that owning a gun is a necessity and a God-given right… I agree with Ted — making guns illegal only puts guns in the hands of criminals… Unarmed and helpless is unarmed and helpless. What can I say?

"There's a lot of things that he says that make sense," Lips added. "The other thing is statistically — he talks about statistics. He never says anything without the backing of real hard statistics. Gun-free zones have the highest fucking murder rates. They do. It's just as simple as that.

"Watch [Ted] on Piers Morgan," he said, referring to Nugent's 2013 appearance on CNN where Ted discussed gun control and gun ownership with Piers Morgan. "Piers Morgan tried to argue everything, and Ted walked all over him.

"They can't undo America's history and Constitution. They're trying really hard, but they're not gonna undo it — it ain't gonna happen. I mean, I'm not an American, but I know they're not taking foundational fucking Constitutional rights out — it ain't gonna happen.

"I'm not gonna start waving the flag, 'Take the guns away from everybody.' Fuck that! There's a reason for everything, man. And the whole foundational aspect of America, if it wasn't for the gun… The whole being of America is written into its history due to the gun. How would you have fucking won the land? You didn't beat the First Nation people with bow and arrows. You won the land because you had guns — and they didn't. And the other thing is, we didn't win the Second World War with a pie in the face; we invented the atomic fucking bomb — the ultimate gun.

"What is human philosophy? What are we? We are a fucked-up animal, and we are at the top of the food chain, and the only way that we can keep the numbers down is killing each other."

ANVIL will embark on the "One And Only" U.S tour this summer. Support on the trek will come from PULSIFIER, with additional appearances by ADAMANTIS (July 10-13),VICIOUS BLADE (July 17-21),BLIND OATH (August 1-4),SERPENT RIDER (August 7-15) and OLATHIA (August 21-25).

ANVIL will release its 20th studio album "One And Only", on June 28 via AFM Records. The effort was recorded late last summer with longtime producer Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer and Jörg Uken at Uken's Soundlodge studios in Germany. The same production team was responsible for ANVIL's last four albums, "Anvil Is Anvil" (2016),"Pounding The Pavement" (2018),"Legal At Last" (2019) and "Impact Is Imminent" (2022).

During the latest edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which Ted Nugent offers his take on the news of our world, the outspoken conservative rocker was informed by co-host Keith Mark that eleven NFL (National Football League professional American football league) teams had reportedly not shared a Pride-specific message on social media in the first days of Pride Month. Taking place in June, Pride Month is a time when the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, their supporters, and allies come together to celebrate love, diversity, acceptance, and unashamed self-pride. Ted responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hallelujah. Boy, I knew I felt the love somewhere. But if you're gay, here's the bottom line. Nobody cares. We just wanna know, are you honest? Do you show up on time? Do you put your heart and soul into being the best that you can be? Can your family and friends and your fellow Americans, can we trust you? Nobody cares what your sexual proclivities might be behind closed doors. We hope you keep it behind closed doors. But bottom line is, why would sexuality be some source of pride unless you have a hidden agenda like the drag queens, where they literally twerk fat men's genitals to little boys and girls singing 'it won't lick itself'? You're proud of that? I don't think so."

The NFL has reportedly created a whole Pride Month apparel line, celebrating the LGBTQ community, love and the LGBTQ community's football fandom. This is on the heels of an NFL-sponsored LGBTQ Super Bowl party in Las Vegas. On social media, the league has also shared Pride-inspired messages from various NFL teams.

Last October, the National Football League announced its continued partnership with The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The NFL is continuing to work collaboratively with The Trevor Project on programming, training and more activations as a part of the league's ongoing effort to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization and world.

Two years ago, Nugent defended Florida's controversial so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, saying that it was about giving parents "the right to guide and nurture and educate their children." The law, titled "Parental Rights In Education", was dubbed by critics the "Don't Say Gay" law because it sought to ban discussion of gender and sexuality issues with younger students.

A year ago, Nugent blasted the Los Angeles Dodgers for their decision to feature controversial anti-Catholic LGBTQ+ activist group of "queer and trans nuns" known as the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence at a Pride Night event.

In April 2023, Nugent shared a tweet in which he denounced the existence of transgender people and told people they could "debate" him if they disagreed.

"There is no such thing as transgender. You cannot change your gender. Comfortably numb is actually uncomfortably dumb. Debate me but bring your bib," he wrote.

After Anheuser-Busch announced it was working with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April 2023, Nugent appeared on an episode of Newsmax's "Eric Bolling The Balance" to share his response, saying: "The beauty of my life is that I've never spent one red cent on alcohol. But I made sure that my entire crew and my family will never allow any Anheuser-Busch products anywhere near my world."

After bringing up a Pride-related campaign coming from Jack Daniel's as well, Nugent called out these campaigns for being "disrespectful" to the brands "core consumer demographic," apparently referring to conservatives. "How can they possibly have a meeting around the table and come to the conclusion that they're going to piss in the face of the people who pay their salaries?" he said. "This is the epitome of cultural deprivation in an ongoing tsunami of cultural deprivation."

In a new interview with Rock Hard magazine conducted at last month's Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, FORBIDDEN guitarist Craig Locicero confirmed that he is working on new music from the resurrected band. He is collaborating on the material with the rest of the new FORBIDDEN lineup, consisting of Matt Camacho (bass) and Steve Smyth (guitar),alongside the group's latest additions, Norman Skinner (vocals) and Chris Kontos (drums).

Craig said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've got the beginnings of a lot of songs and everyone's learning 'em and adding their own stamp to 'em. 'Cause I believe everyone should kind of write their own story within it. Even though I write the majority of the riffs, it'll always be everyone adding to it and embellishing to it and making it better. So that whole process is happening. And this will be the first time I ever worked with a singer in FORBIDDEN that's not Russ [Anderson, original FORBIDDEN singer]. I wrote most of the lyrics, but Russ and I wrote all those melodies together. And so Norm and I will be doing that. And I've got full confidence in this guy."

Chris chimed in: "We have a big head start, because me and Craig have such a strong chemistry from being in other bands together, just in THE BONELESS ONES and being in SPIRALARMS. Though they're totally different music, we have this anticipation thing going on, we have this flow that we trust each other, which gives us a head start going into writing new FORBIDDEN music, which is awesome. It's already showing its skin. So that's really cool."

Asked if the new FORBIDDEN material will be "old-school thrash" or "more modern"-sounding, Craig said: "Yeah, it's gonna have old-school thrash elements to it. I tell people, so far, the feeling I'm getting with the things we're writing, I say it's a cross between 'Twisted Into Form' [1990] and 'Omega Wave' [2010] with a little bit of the other stuff between it. Now, people [go], 'What about [FORBIDDEN's 1988 debut] 'Forbidden Evil'?' It's, like, JUDAS PRIEST isn't writing 'Rocka Rolla' over. Your first album is a whole different vibe. And we will have elements of it, but I can say really crystal clear, that 'Twisted Into Form' vibe is really prevalent, 'cause it's a more mature version of it."

Chris added: "Something I've noticed is that the drummers that have been in the band have stayed in in this formula. There's a formula to it, and what Craig says you're learning the language, that I wanna stay true to. I wanna make sure that there's — because each drummer did that. There's something that Paul [Bostaph] did on the first album that's special. And each drummer, whether it was conscious or not, stayed there. So I wanna stay in that 'Forbidden Evil' vibe, but then it will be against music that is not that first album. But there is something very cool with the drums that happens with each drummer. I'm, like, 'Wow, he did that too.' Mark [Hernandez] did that. Even Gene [Hoglan] coming in, and even Sasha [Horn]."

Craig continued: "The common thread is the very unorthodox way I write music and riffs. It makes you syncopate. So each drummer has their own different way of syncopating. And Mark Hernandez had the great feet and that's what he was doing, where Chris syncopates in a different way and has a different communication. Everybody does it differently. And all these guys are great. Everyone that's ever played in FORBIDDEN I feel like is top notch at their fucking job. We're like the minor league baseball team of Bay Area thrash. You had to come through FORBIDDEN to get to the fucking majors. And now here we are. It's crazy to have a chance to even be in this position. It's really something that we don't take for granted. I'm probably more blown away by the positive response by the crowds and the welcoming feeling that we're getting. It's no bullshit. Every night, it's, like, 'Wow, they really are happy we're back.' So it's nothing to be squandered, man."

The new FORBIDDEN lineup made its live debut at a "secret" show in July 2023 at Baltic Kiss in Richmond, California under the TWISTED INTO EVIL banner.

Originally founded in 1985 as FORBIDDEN EVIL by Anderson, guitarists Locicero and Robb Flynn, bassist John Tegio and drummer Jim Pittman, the quintet started playing house parties and Bay Area clubs such as the legendary Ruthie's Inn soon after. After a couple of lineup changes (Paul Bostaph on drums and Matt Camacho on bass) in '86, the band quickly rose through the ranks of Bay Area thrash to gain a massive following and worldwide notoriety. In 1986, the band added Glen Alvelais as the second guitarist. It was this lineup that cemented itself into the Bay Area scene and soon after recorded 1988 release "Forbidden Evil" for Combat Records, changing the band's name to simply FORBIDDEN. In May of '89 while on a European tour with SACRED REICH, FORBIDDEN made their first appearance at the legendary Dynamo Open Air in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It was here that FORBIDDEN made their European mark and recorded the "Raw Evil" EP. The band returned Stateside and replaced Alvelais with Tim Calvert. Calvert was a missing ingredient that brought the band closer together as a team. They continued to tour the U.S. first with EXODUS and then again with SACRED REICH with Calvert on second guitar. The band went on to release "Twisted Into Form" in 1990, "Distortion" in 1994 and "Green" in 1996. However, the band, having gone though many lineup changes, disbanded in 1997.

In 2008 Craig being inspired at a screening of the movie "Get Thrashed", called the other members of the band and suggested getting back on stage to see if they could reignite the FORBIDDEN machine. With Anderson, Locicero, Camacho back in the mix along with new additions Glen Alvelais and Gene Hoglan they played two sold-out DEATH ANGEL shows in San Francisco. Steve Smyth came into the mix in place of Alvelais and Mark Hernandez took Hoglan's place. The band then released "Omega Wave", the fifth in the catalog and went on a U.S. tour with OVERKILL. European festivals were next but afterwards Hernandez had to walk away due to personal reasons leading to a tour cancelation. Sasha Horn was the answer to fill the drummer's spot.

After playing "Bonded By Baloff" with EXODUS and one Bay Area show, FORBIDDEN embarked for Chile to play the Metal Fest in Santiago. It was on this flight back home that Russ informed the band that he couldn't tour anymore because of the physical toll it was taking on him. With that, the band dissolved once again for 11 years.

When FORBIDDEN's "rebirth" was first announced in April 2023, Locicero said in a statement: "First off, I did NOT see this coming. When FORBIDDEN quietly disbanded the second time in 2012, I figured it was over. While I always apply the 'never say never' mantra to my life, Russ made it clear that he was completely finished with touring. My wingman and main dude from the conception of FORBIDDEN EVIL, Russ was my mentor and the guy who bought me beer when I was 15! I couldn't imagine FORBIDDEN without him, so I had little hope of a future with FORBIDDEN. Today Russ is happily retired and living the sober life. I have nothing but love for that and him. Everyone needs to respect his wishes like we do.

"So then ….. fast forward 11 years after our last show, Bay Area vocal talent Norman Skinner walks in to help us rehearse and sing a few thrash classics for the BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL set at Dynamo MetalFest 2022. WHAMMO! That's when it all happened by accident. Truly. Then it happens AGAIN when Norman sings 'Chalice Of Blood' onstage alongside WARBRINGER at the one Bay Area show of BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL. Holy fuck!"

In this week's episode of their ongoing Sunday Lunch series, King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, perform the Mötley Crüe classic "Girls, Girls, Girls". Watch below:





On a recent episode of Rob Squad And The Creators featuring Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox is available for streaming below. During the episode with Rob Squad’s Jay + Amber Robinson, Fripp and Willcox react along with the hosts to their live rendition of Metallica's "Enter Sandman".




On playing with her husband, Toyah comments: "I also love seeing my husband on stage. It's such a joy because normally we're on different continents. To be on stage together, it's an absolute joy!"


On Fripp’s connection to Metallica, Fripp added: “To link this song with (King Crimson's) "Frame by Frame," which we went through a little while ago (NOTE: reference to an earlier episode of Rob Squad and the Creators). I read an interview where Kirk Hammett of Metallica said how much he enjoyed the double guitar parts of Adrian (Belew) and Robert on the Discipline album and "Frame by Frame."


On who he listens to and who influenced him, Fripp says: "Well, Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, McLaughlin, Page, and Chuck Berry. In the early days, Scotty Moore, Elvis's player, Little Richard. The sheer power of that man was astonishing."

British guitar sensation, Sophie Lloyd (Machine Gun Kelly), recently announced her first official live show, on October 17 at The Camden Assembly in London.


Sophie has since issued the following update: "Guys 😭 We sold out in under 5 minutes!!! 🤯 Thank you so so so much!!!!! I was not expecting that much demand!! We have now upgraded to Camden's The Underworld! So don't miss out! Grab your tickets while you can!"


Get tickets here.

Meanwhile, Sophie has shared her shred version of Lynyrd Skynrd's "Freebird". Watch the video below:

Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time performing the AC/DC classic, "Highway To Hell".





AC/DC are currently touring in support of their latest album, Power Up. Dates are listed below.







June
9 - Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium
12 - Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium
16 - Dresden, Germany - Rinne
19 - Dresden, Germany - Rinne
23 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadium
26 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadium
29 - Zurich, Switzerland - Letzigrund Stadium


July
3 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
7 - London, England - Wembley Stadium
13 - Hockenheim, Germany - Ring
17 - Stuttgart, Germany - Wasen
21 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Old Airport
27 - Nuremberg, Germany - Zeppelinfeld
31 - Hannover, Germany - Messe


August
4 - Hannover, Germany - Messe
9 - Dessel, Belgium - Festivalpark Stenehei
13 - Paris, France - Hippodrome Paris Longchamp
17 - Dublin, Ireland - Croke Park

The pro-shot clip below features German folk rock champions Saltatio Mortis performing at Wacken Open Air 2023. Check out "Loki", "My Mother Told Me" (featuring Peyton Parrish), "Mittelalter" and "Gardyloo".





In 2021, Germany's electro-core "porno metal" allstars Electric Callboy - then known as Eskimo Callboy - collaborated with Saltatio Mortis for a "Hypa Hypa" cover version from the MMXX – Hypa Hypa Edition EP.  The band took the chance to completely reinterpret their party hit with Saltatio Mortis, who put it into medieval garb with massive bagpipe power. 




Electric Callboy vocalist Kevin Ratajczak commented: "Our friends from Saltatio Mortis did a great job and brought our song 'Hypa Hypa' into their world. Absolute energy, total fun, especially on bagpipes!"

Five Finger Death have released the new video from their 2024 European tour. Check it out below.


"The crowd at Metalfest Open Air in Pilsen never let the rain get in the way of an amazing show!"


Find the band's tour itinerary here.







Five Finger Death Punch recently released the digital deluxe version of their acclaimed album, Afterlife, via Better Noise Records. Stream/download Afterlife: Deluxe here.


In the video below, FFDP take fans behind-the-scenes of their music video for "This Is The Way (Feat. DMX)":





The deluxe edition includes the original 12 tracks recorded with the band’s longtime producer, Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed), in addition to four bonus tracks including three acoustic versions of the album’s songs "The End", "Judgement Day", and "Thanks For Asking", plus the brand new highly anticipated single, "This Is The Way", featuring the late legendary rapper DMX. Five Finger Death Punch recently shared the music video for "This Is The Way (feat. DMX)" directed by none other than highly influential filmmaker Hype Williams, a longtime friend and close collaborator of the late DMX. Hailed by the New York Times in 2024 as "The Nineties Wunderkind", Hype Williams is known for his seminal work with luminaries like Tupac, Wu-Tang Clan, and Jay-Z amongst others. Watch the video below.





“Music is meant to be universal and without boundaries, and it starts at the top with us, the artists,” says Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory. “We have always embraced the mixing of genres, whether it be the remake of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" featuring Tech N9ne as a guest, or our collaboration with blues warrior Kenny Wayne Shepherd, country star Brantley Gilbert, and Brian May, the legendary guitarist of Queen, on the song ‘Blue on Black.’”


“The idea of collaborating with DMX had been in discussion for years, and it was a long and winding road to turn this particular item on our wish list into reality. He was a lyrical warrior, a true original who spoke his mind incorruptibly. We have always viewed DMX as “the metalhead of hip-hop’ because of his aggressive, raw, and untamed style. He growled and snarled, aiming to rattle some cages–an attitude we share, as Five Finger Death Punch has always been drawn to the fearless and the real. It made all the sense in the world, but today this is more than just a song; it's a salute to a legend, a way to honor DMX's memory.”


When playing the song for other hip-hop legends, DMC of Run DMC, one of the originals to do it first with “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith said, “The sound of the music, what Ivan is singing about, and what X is talking about, is how X lived his life. The struggle, the dark with the light, the bad with the good, the pain with the joy. This song is very emotional, very musical, it’s very well rounded.”


Order/save AfterLife: Deluxe here.





AfterLife: Deluxe tracklisting:


"Welcome To The Circus"
"AfterLife"
"Times Like These"
"Roll Dem Bones"
"Pick Up Behind You"
"Judgment Day"
"IOU"
"Thanks For Asking"
"Blood And Tar"
"All I Know"
"Gold Gutter"
"The End"
"This Is The Way" (feat. DMX)
"Judgment Day" (Acoustic)
"The End" (Acoustic)
"Thanks For Asking" (Acoustic)


"Judgement Day" (Acoustic):

During an appearance on the latest episode of Loudwire Nights, BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi was asked to name a riff that, when he wrote it, he just knew it was special. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, without sounding big-headed, [there were] a few. [Laughs] When we'd first done the 'Black Sabbath' riff, straight away I knew — it just had this vibe and a feeling and it was something so different in them days that you'd never heard that sort of thing before. And I don't know how it all happened. It'd just sort of come out. And that was the benchmark for that album. Once we'd done 'Wicked World' and 'Black Sabbath', then the rest of them flowed along. And the same with 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'. And also 'Into The Void'. That was a riff that I really liked, and that was Eddie Van Halen's favorite, to be honest, 'Into The Void'. He'd always say, 'Oh, play 'Into The Void'.' So it was great to hear that. So there's a few that sort of — for me, 'Iron Man'. Oh, there's a lot that really meant something. Well, they've all meant something, but they're the ones that sort of stood out initially."

When interviewer Chuck Armstrong noted that "it all goes back" to the first three notes of the first song on BLACK SABBATH's debut album, a tritone that's become known as "The Devil's interval," Iommi concurred. "Yes, it does, which opened a complete can of worms for us, of course," he said. "You name it, they'd come to the show and, oh, dear. We got so much from the church and Satanists and God knows what else in the early days."

Asked if he has any regrets tied to some of those things, such as the inclusion of religion, Iommi said: "It certainly brought everybody's attention to it. So I think it was great. We did that. It was something very different. I didn't even realize — I didn't even think of it as anything like that. It just appealed to me when I played it. And it's all. And we liked it. And then Ozzy [Osbourne, SABBATH singer] came up with this melody line, and Geezer [Butler, SABBATH bassist] wrote the lyrics for it, so everything just fitted in and it just sounded right. And that was our launch, really. But, of course, in them days, there was no MTV and all that sort of stuff, and no Internet. It was word of mouth, so you really did have to go and play at these places and build up a reputation — either a good reputation or a bad one, whichever way it went — but you had to physically… If it had been Internet in them days, who knows what would have happened? Or MTV."

Back in 2021, Iommi spoke about the creation of the song "Black Sabbath" during an appearance on the "Backstaged: The Devil In Metal" podcast. Tony recalled: "Just one day we were in the rehearsal room and I started playing, as I did, ideas and this riff came out and I thought, 'God.' I really liked it and the other guys said, 'Ah, that's really good. We really like that.' So, I put more to it and that was it, it became 'Black Sabbath'. We built it up, but that was immediate — once we'd done that song, that was the direction and we knew where we were going then from that first riff. It just gave us a certain feeling."

He added: "I remember when I first played that riff, all the hairs stood up on my arm and I knew that was it. 'That's it, this is where we're at, this is what we're doing.' It was just like being told, 'This is what you're doing and this is where you're going.'"

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.

The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.

"13" was the first album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Osbourne and Butler all playing together.

Bill Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced 11 years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its final reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and Osbourne, Iommi and Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.

Fan-filmed video of Kerry King's June 8 concert at the Mystic Festival in Gdansk, Poland can be seen below.

The setlist for the gig included SLAYER tracks as well as several of the 13 songs that appear on King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which came out on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the concert was as follows:

01. Where I Reign
02. Toxic
03. Trophies Of The Tyrant
04. Two Fists
05. Idle Hands
06. Residue
07. Disciple (SLAYER song)
08. Crucifixation
09. Shrapnel
10. Raining Blood (SLAYER song)
11. Black Magic (SLAYER song)
12. From Hell I Rise

Mystic Festival was the fifth show of Kerry's 2024 European tour, which launched on June 3 — King's 60th birthday — in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer magazine, King stated about the setlist for his solo band's shows: "For this coming summer in Europe, we're gonna do like nine or 10 tracks from the album and, depending on set length, fill it with stuff I've done — something I wrote in SLAYER or co-wrote. So nobody can say 'he's playing Jeff [Hanneman, late SLAYER guitarist] songs,' because although I love Jeff songs and he was such a big part of my life, I don't want to rely on it this year, this album cycle. At some point, I will play 'Angel Of Death', but there's so many fucking faceless haters on the Internet, I don't want to give them ammunition."

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the 60-year-old SLAYER guitarist, who was accompanied during the recording sessions by the rest of his solo band, consisting of drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) on vocals. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

In an interview with Martha Wingen of the Bleeding Metal podcast, King was asked to name "the most important message" on "From Hell I Rise". He said: "I don't know that there's a message on the album. I'm not that kind of person. I like to bring things to a conversation. Say, for instance, I've been talking today about, I think a lot of people are born into a religious belief based on being handed down from their parents, friends, whatever. What I like to present to people is ideas that if that makes them question what they believe, what they were taught… I think everybody should make up their own mind. And at the end of the day, that would be my message. Make up your own mind, be it politics, be it religion. Just be your own self."

Asked if he was able to realize something in his music he always wanted to do, like new influences or new styles, on "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Realistically, my influences were influences 40 years ago and they still are my influences. And along that way, did I pick up more? Yeah, absolutely. But I think in doing this project, it's just the next record for me. I didn't have anything that I wanted to achieve that necessarily I hadn't achieved. I just wanna make up the next batch of music for people that I think are my fans, that I think they would like, because SLAYER has a gigantic amount of fans, and if I make 95 percent of them happy with what I do, I think I had a good day."

Pressed about whether there is anything he wants to achieve musically and personally with his solo project, King said: "Musically, not really. Just keep putting out music that translates between me writing it and the fans liking it. The thing that I can't wait for, which is a lot closer than I expected — I was told today our first show is in, like, 10 days [laughs], so I gotta go home and rehearse. But I'm looking forward to playing with the guys, 'cause even though we've done a video, we've never actually played together all at once. So, that's gonna be pretty exciting. And that happens Sunday. I fly home Saturday, and then I gotta fly to the West Coast Sunday and start rehearsing. So I've got a big week, but that's what I look most forward to these days, is getting in the rehearsal room and then finally getting on stage and showing the new band to everybody."

In a separate interview with with France's Loud TV, Kerry said about the prospect of launching a solo career: "It's kind of funny, right? It's kind of funny to have 40 years in this business at all, let alone be starting a new band. It's funny, our first show in Europe is gonna be on my 60th birthday at the only venue I've ever canceled in my life, which is super ironic."

Referencing the fact that SLAYER hasn't released a new studio album since 2015 and hasn't played any live shows since 2019, King added: "I'm obviously not done. I've got lots more music and lots more things to say, a lot more people to piss off and argue about. So, let's start this new endeavor now. Move on."

When the interviewer noted that it takes "courage" to launch a new project several decades into his career, King concurred: "It is a lot more difficult than I thought. I've been kind of pampered for the last at least three decades. And starting over, even though I have a gigantic history in SLAYER, starting over, you're still starting over — you're lower on the bills, you're not making the [same kind of] money. Having to figure out how to make sure everybody in my band makes money so it's worth their time. But, yeah, never for a second did I consider not going on, because at this point in life, any record could be your last. I don't think this is my last record, but I have to move on like it is. So put it out, hope the fans like it, hope the fans show up. I like it. I think the fans are gonna like it, and I think we're gonna have a lot of good times."

Asked if the lineup for his solo band is made up of "friends", Kerry said: "Absolutely. The thing that meant the most to me about moving forward in this project was getting my friends. I could get anybody in the biz — I can get people I don't know, people I've never met, but I have enough friends in this business to know that I could put a band together of outstanding musicians that are friends that, after the show, we can get on the bus and have a drink and just have fun. No drama. Nothing weird is gonna happen that we don't foresee. I look forward to getting out on the road with these guys and having a good time."

Pressed about which member of his solo band was "the most surprised" when Kerry called him to offer him a spot in the group, Kerry said: "I think the most surprising moment was when I finally gave Mark the gig. Mark put his name in the hat very early, and he's the only one that did demos with me and Paul. We had him come down every six weeks or so, and he would just come down and sing the songs he'd already sang and just every time he'd come down, make 'em better. But I didn't tell him until, like, 14 months ago that he got the gig. And I was super nonchalant about it. He was at my place in [Las] Vegas, and I said, 'Dude, if you still want the gig, I guess you can have it.' And he was super excited, super excited, like almost fan excited. He was so excited, he texted his mom and texted me by accident. [Laughs] And I said, 'I love you too, man. It's cool. It's cool.' So we went in and recorded, like, two months after that."

When the interviewer remarked that Mark sounds like he is really pushing himself vocally on "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Like I said, we did demos, and we always made the demos better. And then we got to the studio in Hollywood, and I was in another room doing something, and he sang 'Residue'. And the producer got me and says, 'Hey, I want you to hear where the song is.' And I went, 'Okay, cool,' expecting to hear what I was used to hearing. And I hear the first verse and I'm going, 'How did you guys get to this register?' It's, like, I'd never heard that before. He was, like, 'Well, that's where he started singing and felt comfortable.' So I went to Mark immediately and I said, 'Hey, dude, you can recreate this, right?' It's, like, 'You're not setting yourself up to fail the first show and blow your voice out and be canceling shows all over the place.' And he assured me he can do it. So, he carried on and went on and did even crazier performances on the later songs that he sang. So, apparently, he's very confident in what he can do. And I think it sounds great. So, I'm anxious to get out and start doing it."

King told Rolling Stone about the decision to call the band KERRY KING: "It was going to be KING'S REIGN for a long time, which is really cool. But even with that one, I went to the guys, like, 'I'm not a vain dude. I don't want my name to be a part of it.' We talked about BLOOD REIGN for a while, but it didn't work. Every time I came up with anything remotely cool, it was taken by some obscure band in Eastern Europe. It became KERRY KING because I love that logo."

King said the album is about "various religious topics, some war entries, heavy stuff, punky stuff, doomy stuff, and spooky stuff, with Herculean speeds achieved," adding, "If you've ever liked any SLAYER throughout any part of our history, there's something on this record that you'll get into, be it classic punk, fast punk, thrash, or just plain heavy metal."

King added there's more to come, too. "Even with a record in the can, I've still got so many songs that need to be finished," he said. "This is what I know how to do…number one being music, number two being metal. It's been a part of my life for 40 years, and I'm nowhere near being done."

KERRY KING will be special guest on the upcoming LAMB OF GOD/MASTODON North American "Ashes Of Leviathan" co-headline tour. The six-week run will launch on July 19 in Grand Prairie, Texas and will wrap on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD performed "Dear God", a song from the band's self-titled fourth album, live for the first time in 15 years during AVENGED's May 25 concert in Jakarta, Indonesia. Speaking to Medcom.id, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows stated about the decision to play the track (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, Indonesia is very far away. And the fact that there's such a big community of AVENGED SEVENFOLD fans here is pretty special to us. We also know that 'Dear God', for some reason, really struck a chord here and people seem to enjoy it. I know they listened to it in their Internet cafés in the early 2000s. And there was a time when we sort of didn't wanna accept that, and when we came here, we didn't play it a couple of times. But now we think it's become something larger than us almost, and so we're really excited to play it for the first time in 15 years."

Regarding the musical and lyrical inspiration for "Dear God", M. Shadows said: "When we wrote it, we were actually inspired by a couple of different country artists in America. We were kind of in this situation where we were writing up in this city called Big Bear, California, and we were drinking a little bit. And Brian [Elwin Haner Jr., a.k.a. guitarist Synyster Gates) and Jimmy ['The Rev' Sullivan, drummer] were saying how they could make a hit pop country song easily. And they just started playing those chords and singing that song. And we liked it, so we left it on the record. But lyrically, it's just about leaving your family and being on the road. I have kids now, so it more pertains to my kids, but at the time, my wife, leaving my wife and just being gone for months at a time and missing someone, and it could translate to anything — being at war, being far away for your work or just being on tour. So just missing loved ones."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD launched the 2024 leg of the "Life Is But A Dream…" North American tour on March 6 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The band's 2024 run included AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first-ever performances in Manchester, New Hampshire; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Newark. The group performed in Des Moines, Iowa for the first time in 18 years; Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the first time in 15 years.

During a recent appearance on the "Marvin" podcast, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows was asked which he prefers: headlining arenas or performing at huge festivals. "I think both have their perks," the singer, whose real name is Matt Sanders, said. "Both are interesting. I think in terms of knowing that you sound good and having control over everything, it's gotta be smaller places. Even if you do some of those like warehouse sort of like — something like the Forum [in Los Angeles], which is built out for music now or things that are smaller than that, those have the sweat and the energy, and you know it sounds good 'cause you can kind of get a vibe. Some of those festivals, it's just being projected and then projected again and then projected again, and you're seeing like the fist raise up and then everyone's on like a four-second delay and you're just, like, 'I don't know what these people are hearing. Maybe it's good, maybe it's not.'"

He continued: "A lot of stuff for artists is just confidence, and if you know it sounds good and you know you're killing it, then that that feeds into this sort of circular energy back to the audience. And festivals, you can get it, but I definitely find myself questioning while I'm on stage, like, 'What is even going on here?', 'cause sometimes stuff's just getting hit back at you. But there's great festivals and then there's ones that you just know are just awful, and you're just, like, 'Please get me out of here.' I can tell by our sound guy back there just… You can tell if he's doing this [makes vigorous motion with both of his hands over an imaginary sound board], we're in trouble."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19, 2023 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12, 2023 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To date, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and earned two consecutive No. 1 albums on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King") to go along with over a billion video views and a billion-plus Spotify streams, as well as multiple No. 1 singles on rock radio.