Following the raw emotional power of their 2023 debut album Your Lie, released via Worm Hole Death Records, genre-defying metal outfit The Fixer returns with a new single, “It Will End Tonight”, as they gear up for a tour across five Canadian provinces with fellow Thunder Bay comrades Teknosis this coming October.

Performed live as a set closer, the single has already become a fan-favourite and now finally gets its official release. Written with live performance in mind, “It Will End Tonight” channels the band’s roots in hardcore, screamo, and punk, while weaving in their signature industrial and gothic textures. Drawing sonic inspiration from acts like Alexisonfire, Holly Springs Disaster, Rammstein, and Type O Negative, the single delivers a raw, melodic intensity that captures the cathartic energy of The Fixer’s live shows. Lyrically, the song explores the painful clarity of realizing a situation won’t change, no matter how tightly you hold on. It’s about the strength it takes to walk away when staying only causes more harm.

“We’ve always written from a heartfelt lens. This track is no exception. It’s about fighting through darkness with love, and we think fans who connect with our emotional honesty will resonate deeply with it,” says the band. The single’s artwork, created by Vicki Nerino, reflects this fiery emotional core, an elemental reinterpretation of The Fixer’s logo, inspired directly by the song’s intensity.

For fans of emotionally driven metal with theatrical flair, this tour is not to be missed. “It Will End Tonight” is just the beginning of what promises to be a transformative new chapter for The Fixer.

BraveWords is premiering the new single – listen now!



The Fixer hits the road with fellow Thunder Bay heavyweights Teknosis for the Ugly Knots Tour, a cross-Canada metal blitz that promises to be nothing short of explosive. Fans can expect new material, revived deep cuts, and the kind of emotionally charged performances that have become The Fixer’s trademark.

“Touring is something we all look forward to in The Fixer. The most rewarding part of being in a band is seeing people connect with something you’ve created, and our favourite way to do that is in the live setting. We will be heading out with fresh songs, as well as bringing a couple of songs back into the set that we haven’t played in some time. Similarly, we are excited to be playing some places we haven’t played before and some of the first places we ever played outside of our hometown,” says Vic Sin, Guitar – The Fixer

“We are incredibly pleased with our first EP, Return to Civilization. These 5 songs are the perfect introduction to the sound of Teknosis. Fans of all genres of metal will enjoy our hybrid of metal genres. We are now beyond thrilled to be bringing these songs and more on tour this October with The Fixer,” adds bassist Travis Doggett – Teknosis.

Classic rock legends, Supertramp, have shared the following tribute to founding, lead singer and songwriter, Rick Davies, who passed away on Saturday, September 6, 2025. Davies is responsible for writing some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Bloody Well Right,” and “Goodbye Stranger.”



Rick Davies, founder, lead singer and songwriter of Supertramp, passed away on Saturday, September 6th at the age of 81 after battling Multiple Myeloma for over 10 years.

Born in Swindon, England in 1944, Rick’s love of music began in his childhood listening to Gene Krupa’s “Drummin’ Man” which grew into a lifelong passion for jazz, blues and rock’n’roll. As co-writer, along with partner Roger Hodgson, he was the voice and pianist behind Supertramp’s most iconic songs, leaving an indelible mark on rock music history. His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the bands’ sound.

Beyond the stage, Rick was known for his warmth, resilience, and devotion to his wife Sue, with whom he shared over five decades. After facing serious health challenges, which kept him unable to continue touring as Supertramp, he enjoyed performing with his hometown buds as Ricky and the Rockets.

Rick’s music and legacy continue to inspire many and bears testament to the fact that great songs never die, they live on.

Silver Lining Music will release "No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" on November 14. The second single from the all-star compilation is former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson's monumental cover of METALLICA's instrumental epic "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth".

Ellefson comments: "It was a total honor to be asked to participate in this album, especially to record the iconic bass composition '(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth' by the one and only Cliff Burton [late METALLICA bassist]. I was able to borrow one of Cliff's Aria Pro signature bass guitars and signature Morley fuzz/wah pedal for the session to replicate his sharp-yet-thunderous tone he created on the original recording. It is my hope that this homage will highlight Cliff's larger-than-life personality and that his music will always live on through this unique and iconic song he gave to the world."

Ellefson and Dave Mustaine formed MEGADETH in 1983, after Mustaine got kicked out of METALLICA. METALLICA recruited Kirk Hammett and went on to record its debut album, "Kill 'Em All", later that year, while Ellefson and Mustaine began work on MEGADETH's first LP, "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!"

During a 2019 ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE conversation with moderator Ryan J. Downey at the MI Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Ellefson was asked if Burton was an inspiration on his bass playing during MEGADETH's formative years. Ellefson responded: " I met Dave [Mustaine] in June of 1983. He had just left METALLICA literally not more than eight weeks before that, in April. So I didn't know anything about METALLICA, didn't know who Dave was, heard nothing about Cliff Burton — knew nothing about it, coming from the Midwest. And I didn't know anything about Cliff. And because the only recording Dave had of METALLICA was 'No Life 'Til Leather', and that had another bass player on it named Ron McGovney. So when we did a cover of 'Mechanix', I played Ron McGovney's basslines."

He continued: "Really, quite honestly, my METALLICA bass player was Ron, believe it or not, and I kind of modeled what we did off of that 'No Life 'Til Leather' demo. And I remember the day when 'Kill 'Em All' and we sat… There was complete silence in the room, and we sat and we listened to the album. And the differences — tempos were pulled back. And obviously the bass solo, 'Anesthesia'. That was really my first experience hearing Cliff. And at that point, we were two months into… MEGADETH was well on its way.

"So, long answer to your short question is I didn't really have an influence [from Cliff]… That was not where my influence came from. And quite honestly, growing up in a rural area of Minnesota, bass players in rock and roll were cool, but when I started hearing some jazz players… Those guys were more of my influence, along with Steve Harris [IRON MAIDEN] and Geddy Lee [RUSH] and Ian Hill [JUDAS PRIEST] and the metal guys. But, for me, I went more into the jazz world… But those were the things that I brought in, and I think that made, me and Dave, our participation together with the MEGADETH sound something that was… And even then with Gar Samuelson and Chris Poland — they were jazz-fusion musicians. We really had a very different sound — different even from ANTHRAX, from METALLICA, from SLAYER — a very different sound. And I think that probably is what sort of set us apart as our own pillar of the 'Big Four.'"

The first single from "No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" was THE ALMIGHTY's blistering, full-throttle cover of METALLICA's legendary "The Four Horsemen", THE ALMIGHTY's first recorded work with their founding lineup since 1991, chosen by the band as both a nod to their roots and a declaration of intent.

THE ALMIGHTY guitarist Ricky Warwick commented: "'The Four Horsemen' by METALLICA got us back into the studio with the original lineup for the first time since 1991… Unbelievable.

"When the opportunity presented itself, it was really a no-brainer. METALLICA has been a huge influence for us. It was a bit nerve-racking because we had not been in the studio for such a long time. We did the whole thing in a day and a half with as much power and passion as you would expect from THE ALMIGHTY. It is such a powerful track. I think it turned out great, make sure you turn it up really, really loud!"

Watch THE ALMIGHTY's video for the band's cover of "The Four Horsemen", edited by Freakshot Film, below.

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" is a colossal celebration of the most propulsive debut album in heavy metal history, reimagined by the legends who inspired it and the generations that came in its wake!

The veteran likes of SAXON, DIAMOND HEAD and MOTÖRHEAD — three of METALLICA's favorite bands — are joined by rising stars such as TAILGUNNER and Swedish prog metallers SOEN to create a who's who of heavy music, with each performer lending their unique sound to one classic track. Contributions from thrash giants TESTAMENT, ex-MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal linchpins TYGERS OF PAN TANG show the label looking beyond their own artists to amass the greatest lineup possible. Joining the superstar lineup are the legendary RAVEN (closing with the thundering anthemic "Metal Militia") who were part of METALLICA's first-ever tour, 1983's famous "Kill 'Em All For One" venture.

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" is an ambitious achievement worthy of METALLICA's game-changing legacy. By the fans and for the fans, it reaffirms the Four Horsemen's ironclad status — and its stacked roster continues the band's mission to shove metal up your ass.

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" will be available on vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

"No Life 'Til Leather - A Tribute To Metallica's Kill 'Em All" track listing:

01. Hit The Lights - TAILGUNNER
02. The Four Horsemen - THE ALMIGHTY
03. Motorbreath - SOEN
04. Jump In The Fire - TYGERS OF PAN TANG
05. (Anesthesia - Pulling Teeth - DAVID ELLEFSON
06. Whiplash - MOTÖRHEAD
07. Phantom Lord - SAXON
08. No Remorse - DIAMOND HEAD
09. Seek & Destroy - TESTAMENT
10. Metal Militia - RAVEN

DIAMOND HEAD's version of METALLICA's "No Remorse" was originally included on a reimagined and re-recorded version of DIAMOND HEAD's "Lightning To The Nations" album, which was released in 2020 via Silver Lining Music.

"I wanted to cover a song from METALLICA's debut album, 'Kill 'Em All'," DIAMOND HEAD guitarist Brian Tatler explained, "partly because METALLICA covered songs from DIAMOND HEAD's debut album 'Lightning To The Nations' and it felt like things have come full circle to me. None of the band members knew how to play any of the songs from 'Kill 'Em All', and I eventually decided we should all learn 'No Remorse'. Then when we got into the rehearsal room, we played 'No Remorse' and immediately it just sounded great; it was very 'DIAMOND HEAD' and it really suited us as a band. Of the four covers we ended up doing, 'No Remorse' sounded the best straight away. I've seen METALLICA live over twenty times and they don't play 'No Remorse' very often, but it's always great when they do."

Back in December 2011, SAXON's Biff Byford joined METALLICA on stage for the first of four intimate shows at the 1,200-capacity Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only. The iconic metal vocalist performed the SAXON classic "Motorcycle Man" with METALLICA.

It wasn't the first time Biff and METALLICA had surprised their fans with a live rendition of the song: in 2009, Byford joined the San Francisco heavy metal giants in Paris, at Palais Omnisport de Bercy.

METALLICA's second-ever gig was opening for SAXON, and Biff has been a longtime friend of the California band; like many other seminal bands of the genre, METALLICA always recognized SAXON as one of their main influences.

When METALLICA played Sheffield Arena on February 28, 2009, they invited as VIP guests former SAXON members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson.

There has always been a strong link between the pioneering MOTÖRHEAD and mighty METALLICA. A unique bond of friendship between the two has stood over the decades, with METALLICA even playing Lemmy's 50th birthday party in 1995. In turn, MOTÖRHEAD have paid homage to some of METALLICA's finest compositions, even winning a Grammy Award for their cover of "Whiplash" in 2004.

METALLICA paid tribute to MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy on its 2016 album "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which came out less than a year after the iconic rocker's death.

Shortly after Lemmy's passing, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich penned a lengthy tribute to the MOTÖRHEAD mainman in which looked back on the influence Lemmy had not just on METALLICA but also on him personally.

On August 28, METALLICA performed an exclusive live show at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York for SiriusXM to celebrate the launch of the band's new year-round channel Maximum Metallica.

The special concert featured the band performing fan favorites, including "Master Of Puppets", "Enter Sandman", "Fade To Black" and more. In the middle of the show, METALLICA's Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett honored Ozzy Osbourne by playing "Crazy Train".

Special VIPs in the audience included Howard and Beth Stern, Paul and Nancy McCartney, Andy Cohen, Colin Jost, Heidi Gardner, Michael J. Fox, Ed Burns, Chris Jericho, Maria Menounos, Sylvester Stallone, Chad Smith and more.

Professionally filmed video of the "Master Of Puppets" performance from the Amagansett concert can be seen below.

Maximum Metallica launched on August 29 on channel 42 and on the SiriusXM app, and is available for free in all SiriusXM-equipped vehicles through the month of September, giving non-subscribers a chance to experience the human-curated, premium service.

METALLICA's exclusive performance in celebration of the channel, recorded live at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York, premiered on September 1. The one-of-a-kind show brought the intensity and power of METALLICA's stadium-filling "M72" world tour to one of the most intimate settings they have played in decades, for a lucky audience of SiriusXM subscribers.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich broke the news of the concert during an appearance on August 6 on SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show".

METALLICA at Stephen Talkhouse setlist:

01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. Kirk And Rob Doodle (Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train")
05. Fuel
06. Fade To Black
07. Sad But True
08. The Unforgiven
09. Whiskey In The Jar
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Seek & Destroy
12. One
13. Master Of Puppets
14. Enter Sandman

Formed in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich and including guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, selling nearly 125 million albums worldwide and generating more than 17 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents — more than 1.3 million of whom belong to the band's fiercely loyal and consistently growing Fifth Member fan club. METALLICA's catalog of multi-platinum studio albums includes "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "…And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album),"Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic", "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" and most recently, the Grammy-winning "72 Seasons", released April 14, 2023, on the band's own Blackened Recordings label. METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, a 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Sweden's Polar Music Prize.

In 2017, METALLICA established its foundation All Within My Hands, to give back to communities that have supported the band. Since its inception, All Within My Hands' collective efforts have raised more than $20 million. The foundation has provided $11.4 million in grants for workforce education, $7.4 million to fight hunger globally, and $5.2 million donated to critical local services worldwide.

SiriusXM is going full throttle with the addition of Maximum Metallica, a new full-time channel dedicated to one of the most celebrated rock bands of all time. "The Most Metallica Anywhere," the exclusive channel delivers continued access to METALLICA's expansive catalog — from mega hits and deep cuts to live shows and behind-the-scenes stories straight from the band. Additionally, fans can expect rare recordings, exclusive interviews, and surprises curated by the bandmembers themselves. Whether you're a lifelong fan or a recent addition to the METALLICA family, this is your front-row seat to all things METALLICA.

METALLICA's performance was the latest in a series of special concerts SiriusXM has presented at Stephen Talkhouse. Artists who have previously performed for SiriusXM listeners at the famed Hamptons music venue include Brandi Carlile, COLDPLAY, Dave Matthews, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, THE KILLERS and MUMFORD & SONS.

On September 6, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna played a solo concert with special guests as part of the Mohegan Sun "Sun Patio Concert Series" at Sun Patio at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Sully's setlist was as follows:

01. Asleep (GODSMACK song)
02. Time (PINK FLOYD cover)
03. Sinner's Prayer
04. No Quarter (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
05. Touché (GODSMACK song)
06. Don't Comfort Me
07. Nothing Else Matters (METALLICA cover)
08. Keep Away (GODSMACK song)
09. Serenity (GODSMACK song)
10. Under Your Scars (GODSMACK song)
11. Bulletproof (GODSMACK song)
12. Man In The Box (ALICE IN CHAINS cover)
13. Come Together (THE BEATLES cover)
14. Long Train Runnin' (THE DOOBIE BROTHERS cover)

Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen in the YouTube playlist below. (Note: After each song, the YouTube player automatically jumps to the next song in the playlist.)

This past April, GODSMACK confirmed the departure of the band's longtime drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola. In a statement at the time, Erna said that Rombola and Larkin "decided to retire from the band permanently, on good terms, but for no other reason than to fulfill their desire to live a more simple and quiet life away from touring."

He added: "Their departure marks the end of an era, but it also opens the door for new and exciting possibilities. We want to assure you that Shannon and Tony will always be part of our family, and their contributions will forever echo in our music. We respect their decisions and support them wholeheartedly as they pursue their own individual paths.

"Robbie [Merrill, GODSMACK bassist] and I are also excited to explore new directions, and although we have not made any permanent decisions about who may replace Tony and Shannon, we will be continuing this journey together, and we look forward to sharing the decisions we make with all of you as they happen.

GODSMACK kicked off its 2025 European tour on March 22 at Arena 8888 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The day before the Sofia concert, Erna told Elena Rozberg of Bulgaria's Z-Rock radio station that "personal things" were preventing Tony and Shannon from taking part in the trek and explained that "a couple of guest musicians" — drummer Will Hunt of EVANESCENCE and guitarist Sam Koltun of DOROTHY — were playing with GODSMACK while he and Merrill were " trying to figure out exactly what's happening".

In a since-deleted video shared on Facebook, Larkin addressed his absence from GODSMACK's tour, saying:  "Well, there's been lots of speculation about [why Tony and I are not on the road].

"First of all, I just wanna thank everybody for the outpouring of texts, all my family and friends. I'm okay. Tony's okay. But we did quit the band last year, after lots of talking to Sully and Robbie. And they understood that we didn't wanna tour anymore — that's the reason — and we understood that they wanted to tour. And so we understood each other. And in the end, GODSMACK's out there touring and we are happily here living our lives.

"Tony turned 60. I'm 58. Look, it's not a physical thing. We wanna be home with everything that we love.

"[It's been] 40 years — think of that; 40 years I've been touring. 28 years for Rombola. And we're getting a little older, so we decided to quit it. And that's it.

"But thanks. And we love you all, the fans and everything.

"This wasn't a bad thing, and I know it looks like it, but I will talk more about it in the future. But it's all love. We're brothers for life with Sully and Robbie, and we wish Will and Sam the best. And all the fans, keep going [to the shows]. They're kicking fucking ass.

"As Sully said at the very end, all good things must come to an end. So GODSMACK didn't come to an end — it's just a new chapter for them — and it's certainly a new chapter for Tony and I. And we're already making music, and everybody's happy. So be happy, people."

Larkin joined GODSMACK in 2002 after cutting his teeth with WRATHCHILD (later WRATCHILD AMERICA and SOULS AT ZERO) before getting picked up by UGLY KID JOE in time for a taste of their zenith.

Tony had been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for GODSMACK since the mid-1990s following the departure of Lee Richards.

GODSMACK's spring 2025 European tour featured support from P.O.D. and DROWNING POOL.

The 14-date trek ended on April 12 in Oberhausen, Germany.

GODSMACK's latest album, "Lighting Up The Sky", was released in February 2023 via BMG. The LP was co-produced by Erna and Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER).

The first single from "Lighting Up The Sky", "Surrender", which arrived in September 2022, marked the first release from GODSMACK in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

The voice of Godsmack is returning to Mohegan Sun! Don't miss Sully Erna at the Sun Patio on September 6th.

🎫 Tickets on sale now at https://bit.ly/4izVbJ7

Posted by Mohegan Sun on Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Darktribe will release the new album Forgotten Reveries on November 21 through Scarlet Records.

The fourth studio album from the cult progressive power metal act, Forgotten Reveries embodies the sonic and lyrical essence of the very own Darktribe universe.

Join the French band in this whirlwind of catchy riffs and captivating rhythms, an essential call to arms for all fans of swirling, dynamic and melodic prog power metal. Forgotten Reveries explores themes such as fear, solitude, childhood, the journey of life, family, and the cultural heritage unique to each human being.

Powerful, modern and forward-thinking, this record will immerse you in a world where time makes you lose your mind and humanity is left to its own devices.

Mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studios (Wind Rose, Vision Divine, Twilight Force), Forgotten Reveries will be released in the following formats:

– jewel case CD
– digital

Preorder here.

Cover art by Baptiste Araujo:



Tracklisting:

“Paradox”
“I Walk Alone”
“The Fallen World”
“Sicilian Danza”
“Ghost Memories”
“Eden And Eclipse”
“From Star To Dust”
“Reality”
“Kings In The Sand”
“Mornings Of Fear”
“Son Of Illusion”

Darktribe:
Anthony Agnello – vocals
Loïc Manuello – guitars, keyboards
Bruno Caprani – bass
Guillaume Morero – drums

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA — Mike Hranica (vocals),Jeremy DePoyster (guitar, clean vocals),Kyle Sipress (guitar),Jonathan Gering (keys, synths, programming, percussion) and Giuseppe Capolupo (drums) — will unleash its ninth album, "Flowers", on November 14 via Solid State Records. Today, they share the video for new single "So Low". Watch it below.

The "So Low" clip is comprised of clips captured during THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's recent headline tour of Latin America. It's a montage of footage, some of which was shot on Super8 film and giving the video a specific point of view and an almost "vintage" bird's eye view.

Regarding the song, Hranica explains: "To me, 'So Low' is almost fighting the mundane, when everything feels flat or meaningless. You just want to set it all on fire and blow it up to get a reaction. It's about chasing that rush, even if it leaves you feeling worse in the end. The song comes from that place of frustration, when you're desperate to feel alive no matter the cost."

As for the accompanying visual, he elaborates: "I love that we are able to capture Latin American cityscapes and habitation. It was a long time in the works to head back to places we hadn't been in a long time, and I think it adds something extra to the aesthetic of 'So Low'. Visuals that we've never incorporated, different than what's often seen stateside — all in all, it's a nod to our loyal listeners across Mexico and South America."

"Flowers" marks the start of an incredibly epic cycle and phase for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. The global touring scheduling finds the band playing some of the biggest shows of its career. They just wrapped the "Summer Of Loud" tour, which packed amphitheaters through the summer. Additionally, the single "For You" is the band's first-ever track to chart on both the Mediabase and Billboard Active Rock charts.

"Flowers" track listing:

01. That Same Place
02. Where The Flowers Never Grow
03. Everybody Knows
04. So Low
05. For You
06. All Out
07. Ritual
08. When You're Gone
09. The Sky Behind The Rain
10. The Silence
11. Eyes
12. Cure Me
13. Wave
14. My Paradise

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA has a slew of international tour dates on deck, including dates in Australia with BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE; headline shows in South Africa; and a trek across Europe with ICE NINE KILLS and CREEPER. The band will also appear at Warped Tour in Orlando on November 15-16. The band will embark on the Emo's Not Dead cruise in January as well.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have always explored life's extremes in their music. They've never shied away from staring down darkness, dealing with depression, making sense of confusion, soothing anxiety, or grappling with faith, existence, and death. At the same time, they've mirrored life's ups and downs by alternating between crushing heaviness and heart-wrenching melodies. After over two decades of making music, their union as bandmates — but more importantly as friends — is stronger than ever. All of this time and experience ultimately empowered the group to make a statement on their ninth full-length offering, "Flowers" (Solid State). Matching bold themes with equally bold songs, they process grief, weather struggle, and not only heal together, but creatively blossom like never before.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have always been there for audiences. Among a string of seminal releases, Revolver readers named "With Roots Above And Branches Below" (2009) one of the "Five Greatest Metalcore Albums", the "Zombie" EP (2010) and "Dead Throne" (2011) each debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, and 2021's "ZII" marked their sixth straight Top 5 entry on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart. They have also tallied nearly a half a billion streams — unprecedented for most acts this heavy. The group elevated to another stratosphere with "Color Decay" (2022),selling out their biggest shows worldwide and receiving some of the highest praise of its career.

During 2024, the musicians decamped to a VRBO in Rodgers, Arkansas for three weeks where they constructed the foundation for the LP, with Jonathan Gering (keys, synths, programming, percussion) again at the helm as producer. Following their time "in this heavenly corner of Arkansas," Jon, Jeremy and Mike Hranica (vocals) took a handful of trips to Los Angeles. Putting the finishing touches on recording, the guys collaborated with Tyler Smyth (I PREVAIL, FALLING IN REVERSE),Austin Coupe (LØ SPIRIT, MOODRING),Colin Brittain (LINKIN PARK, PAPA ROACH),FIT FOR A KING's Bobby Lynge, and Marshall Gallagher of TEENAGE WRIST. They also enlisted "Color Decay" collaborator Sam Guaiana as an engineer and tapped Zakk Cervini (BRING ME THE HORIZON, SPIRITBOX) for mixing and mastering.

Photo credit: Wyatt Clough

In a new interview with Dawn Osborne of TotalRock, WARRIOR SOUL frontman Kory Clarke confirmed that he is working on the band's new album. The upcoming LP will be the follow-up to "Out On Bail", which arrived in March 2022 via Livewire/Cargo Records UK. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We have a new record coming out in January. It's gonna be called 'Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em'."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for his new album, Kory said: "Well, there's a song about real estate. There's a song about A.I., there's a song about assholes. There's a song about various things. It's not your typical rock record, that's for sure."

Asked what is different about WARRIOR SOUL's upcoming LP, Kory said: "It just doesn't follow any genres. It's WARRIOR SOUL rock. Who knows what it's gonna sound like?"

Clarke also confirmed that he is working on a memoir. "I've been writing a book, because it seems like you've gotta do a book now," he said. "And some people have requested I do a book, so I'm doing a book which will incorporate my paintings and all that stuff. It'll be kind of my life story but done in vignettes of things that happened. It's gonna be funny, it'll be sad, it'll be whatever."

Asked when his book will be released, Kory said: "Please don't ask. Doing a book is brutal, man. Even doing a record is brutal. I'd rather be in my pool and chilling out. So that's what I like to do."

He added: "It'll come out next year. I wanna just — bang! — do it. It doesn't have to be really long. It could be sort of like Iggy Pop's first book, just short, like five stories, whatever, where he grew up and then a couple pictures. I don't know. But I wanna get it out next year, because we've got new booking agents in Europe. We're booking festivals next year in the summer. We're doing a really strong tour in Germany and Benelux in January to coincide with the new record, 'Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em'. And I need to have a book out. And then hopefully the idea is to sell it for a film."

WARRIOR SOUL currently consists of Clarke, guitarists Rille Lundell and Parker Barrow, bassist Christian Kimmett and drummer Iván Tambac.

Shortly before its arrival, "Out On Bail" was described in a press release as "a statement of considerable intent" from Clarke, who is "one of rock 'n' roll's most prolific, prophetic and controversial songwriters." The LP was produced by Clarke, with additional production by Dennis Post. It was mixed and mastered by Rune Buck.

WARRIOR SOUL released a trio of albums on the Geffen major label during the '90s, beginning with its classic 1990 debut, "Last Decade Dead Century".

Having initially split in 1995 following the release of "The Space Age Playboys", WARRIOR SOUL was resurrected in 2007 by Clarke, who has issued several albums since: "Destroy The War Machine" (2008),"Stiff Middle Finger" (2012),"Back On The Lash" (2017),"Rock 'N' Roll Disease" (2019),"Cocaine And Other Good Stuff" (2020) and "Out On Bail".

In a new interview with Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, IN THIS MOMENT singer Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth spoke about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to the band's 2023 album "Godmode". Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's not [done] yet, but it's being worked on. We have, like, 12 to 14 songs already done, and we're working on a few more. So we're thinking mid-next year [for a possible release date]. We're gonna probably be releasing a couple of songs before the album comes out. But we have one going. It's number nine, and we're ready."

Added Maria: "Yeah, it's happening. And this is the first time this ever happened to us where we actually did go in to record our album and came out — well, I guess it happened to us with 'The In-Between' [song] on our 'Mother' album. We did go back in and do another song, which wound up getting us nominated for a Grammy. But we did this album and then stepped back and realized that it wasn't quite done. And that doesn't happen to us a lot. Through our career, we typically do our album, and then we're, like, 'Yes, it's done. This is it.' Where this time, we did realize, like, it needs more. We wanna make sure it's perfect and we wanna make sure it's right and not rush that process."

Asked by Hunter if the new IN THIS MOMENT material feels like "maybe where 'Godmode' left off or a brand new chapter for" the band, Chris said: "Maria and I are always trying to not be boring and not do the same thing and not be normal and not have it be just what everyone expects. So we're always pushing — and I think we pushed really, really hard for this one to be really, really weird. And it is really weird. And so we're now coming back and going, 'Okay, let's figure out a way to balance it.' I think it's weird in a way that it's heavier in some ways, more experimental in some ways, but it also has all those same aspects of it. And that's what we're trying to find the balance. We wanna be super creative and push the boundaries, but also not lose sight of our sound and what we do and what people love about us and all that stuff too."

Asked if they are "pushed more by chaos or calm" as they are writing and recording new IN THIS MOMENT songs, Maria said: "I think it's a balance, really. Because for us, and especially for me, like I live my everyday life up until my album, and for tours, I guess I get to be on stage. But I have to suppress everything, and I've got all kinds of things brewing in me at all times. I'm like a pressure cooker, and once we get into the studio, it's my place to release. And the same with stage. So I think that there is chaos that builds up that needs to be released with an album and stuff. And I think that's what puts us into the metal category, just the emotions, the rawness, the angst, all that stuff we have to release. But I think it depends also on what you're going into an album like as well — like, mentally, where are you? Are you sad? Are you angry? Are you dealing with death? Are you dealing with new beginnings? Because everything you're emotionally going through really resonates into the music."

This past June, Maria told The Mistress Carrie Podcast about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for IN THIS MOMENT's next LP: "We're working on the [new] album. It's just about done. We only probably have, like, two songs left. We thought we were done, and then we kind of had to step away and look back, and it just feels like it needs a little bit more. But we're still gonna actually be releasing a new song soon."

Brink continued: "We wanna get new music out. When you tour for a living and you're out there and you're doing things, you wanna play new music, you wanna bring new energy to the crowds and to everybody. So we will be dropping a new song very soon with a guest vocalist that we can't announce yet, but it's somebody I love and have been inspired by recently. So we're excited for everyone to hear something coming very soon. And yeah, the album is pretty much done. We only have about two more songs left. So we're trying to get it all dialed in. And we don't wanna rush it. We wanna make it the best it can be. And we'll just release songs until the album's ready, 'cause we want it to really be something we're proud of."

Added Chris: "Yeah, we're excited too, because we're on Better Noise [Music] now and they're kind of doing all of our songs and all of our planning and how we roll things out. So we will be releasing songs until the album is ready, which is something kind of new for us, just kind of releasing standalone songs like that."

Howorth went on to call the upcoming IN THIS MOMENT single "a face melter", with Brink saying: "We feel really good and strong about the first [track that we will be putting out]. And so that's what we wanted to lead with. It's really heavy. We wanted to come out with a lot of electricity and make it insane. And then we'll figure out what comes next."

Three months ago, IN THIS MOMENT announced the 2025 "Black Mass Tour" featuring special guests DAYSEEKER on select dates, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT and DED. The 23-city trek kicks off on Thursday, September 18 at 1st Summit Arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, making stops across the U.S. before wrapping up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at Wind Creek Events Center on Friday, October 24.

Formed in 2005, IN THIS MOMENT's current lineup includes Brink, Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel and drummer Kent Diimmel.

To date, in addition to the gold-selling album "Blood" (2012),the quintet has garnered six gold and platinum singles, followed by a trifecta of Top 25 entries on the Billboard 200 with "Black Widow" (2014) and "Ritual" (2017). With a total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, "Ritual" elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. Between selling out headline tours coast to coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside DISTURBED and appeared at countless festivals from Lollapalooza to Sonic Temple. Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled "Mother" (Roadrunner Records) with longtime trusted collaborator Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH). Whereas "Ritual" hinted at a bluesy sonic sorcery, "Mother" breathes the activating mantra of an unbreakable spell, commenced on first single "The In-Between".

In 2022, the band released "Blood 1983" (BMG),a reimagined EP commemorating the tenth anniversary of "Blood". Then in 2023, the longtime staples of heavy music released their eighth studio album "Godmode" (BMG),a 10-song record featuring the powerful lead single "The Purge", the band's stunning cover of Björk's "Army Of Me", the collaborative track "Damaged" which features Spencer Charnas of ICE NINE KILLS, and "I Would Die For You", which appears on the soundtrack for "John Wick: Chapter 4".

A mere two weeks ago, '00s hard rock provocateurs MUDVAYNE — Chad Gray (vocals),Greg Tribbett (guitar),Ryan Martinie (drums) and Matthew McDonough (drums) — thrilled fans by dropping their first new single in 16 years with "Hurt People Hurt People" via Alchemy Recordings. The song has already accumulated over half a million streams and counting. Today, the band has shared another new track. This time, they've issued "Sticks And Stones". Watch and listen via the visualizer below. The official music video is forthcoming.

While "Hurt People Hurt People" immediately clamped down on the jugular and was a primal scream return for the band, "Sticks And Stones" is a bit more measured in its ferocity. It showcases the band's mastery of quiet-loud dynamics and steadily escalates to an utterly monstrous breakdown.

"I was always told 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,'" says Gray. "Well, it's a great nursery rhyme, but I couldn't disagree more. I've carried a lot of words throughout my life as if they were just spoken to me. The reality is — they do hurt. I've tried my best to shed them, but when they come from dear friends, family — people that are suppose to love you — the words have teeth and they won't let go. Blood doesn't wash out; iit stains. I think I'm just trying to remind people to love their children. Don't use them as a bullet to fire into your ex or whomever you're with now. They're innocent and they are impressionable. And trust me, as a child, that was used as a weapon, your words will hurt them...long after you say them."

The band has also launched a pre-order for a double A side seven-inch vinyl featuring both songs. There will be a standard version, as well as a variant that is signed and limited to 500 units. Both are available exclusively through the band's webstore alongside a brand new merch capsule. Additionally, there will be a variant available exclusively through Revolver.

MUDVAYNE is looking toward its future as it also celebrates its impactful past. The song arrives on the eve of the band's "L.D. 50" 25th-anniversary headline tour, which kicks off today, September 11, and runs through October 26. "L.D. 50" was the band's debut studio album, arriving in August 2000 via Epic, and established the band as a new yet major player in the hard rock scene. It eventually went on to achieve a gold certification. Years after its release, both Revolver and Metal Hammer deemed the album an essential of the '00s metal class, rightfully so. The tour will feature support from STATIC-X, while VENDED will open.

"Hurt People Hurt People", which was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (RUSH, KORN, ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES, FOO FIGHTERS, EVANESCENCE) and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM),marked MUDVAYNE's first new release through Alchemy Recordings, a record label created in partnership between Dino Paredes, former American Recordings vice president of A&R, and Danny Wimmer, the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, the premier production company for rock music festivals in the United States. Other Alchemy artists include STAIND and CHEVELLE.

Gray stated about the track: "I think I wrote this song as a reminder to myself to break the cycle. We create our own suffering, our own hurt. It's time for us to create self-love and let go of the pain. It was never ours to begin with."

Prior to the arrival of "Hurt People Hurt People", the reunited metallers hadn't put out any new material since 2009, which means more than a decade and a half had gone by without a single fresh MUDVAYNE song.

MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms.

Gray spent 15 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away seven years ago.

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

In July 2024, Gray was asked by Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X if he and his MUDVAYNE bandmates had done any "file sharing" to create their new music. Chad responded at the time: "We've done it pretty much every fucking way you can do it at this point. But we did some file sharing and stuff like that. Greg sent around some risks and then Matt — 'cause Matt does a lot of like ambient-style music on his own, so he can definitely program. So he programmed some drums, and, obviously, when I get that… All I need is basically the guitar riff and I can start kind of feeling it out for melody and lyrical direction and shit like that. I don't need necessarily the whole thing. I can just have very basic shit for me to start writing… But I'll have the nuts and bolts, and, ultimately, that's what file sharing is all about. It's about getting the nuts and bolts of what you're wanting to do. And then from there, you go in the studio and you fucking tweak it, and you fucking add harmonies and you add fucking layers and fucking overdubs, and you can go crazy and then really make it special. So I'm excited about that."

Addressing the pressure he and his bandmates felt to make music of a high-enough quality to live up to the fans' expectations, Chad said: "Honestly, dude, if we were to go into a studio situation and we were to record something, if every single fucking person on our team — us, the producer, our fucking manager, our fucking lawyer — if everyone on our team is not fucking jumping up and down and high-fiving, then it ain't worth putting out. That's just me — I only wanna put out fucking great shit. And with great shit, [I mean] timeless. You wanna create timeless music, and you have to ask yourself the question, 'Is that timeless? Is this timeless music or is this a fucking fad? Are we following something here or are we leading something here?'"

Gray also talked about the relationship he has with his MUDVAYNE bandmates, particularly as it relates to the creative process. He said: "We are who we are. How we are with our personalities is almost the dynamic of what makes MUDVAYNE great. And it's not conflict or whatever, but we test each other. But I think that that comes across in the music we create. And I think we've always had that since the beginning or whatever. And I think that that's one of the things that kind of makes it great. Obviously, we overcome it and we get through it, but there are like times when we start writing, man, where it's, like, 'Do we want the same thing?' We're trying to mold it. But the good thing is that everybody in the band is really open-minded, and that's what it takes. But when we start, like, I have a vision, Matt has a vision, Ryan has a vision, Greg has a vision, and they're not always the same. Through that, you bring it together, but you've gotta give a little, take a little, give a little, take a little, but you've gotta be willing to do that.

"But, yeah, it's really cool," he continued. "I like the dynamic we have. I like the personalities that we have in the band, and I think that, honestly, that's one of the things that makes it great. And I think that's one of the things that make it special.

"Our music is emotional music, whether it's helplessness or fucking anger or aggression or any fucking gamut — our music definitely covers the gamut of all emotions — and I think that those emotions are what bring people close to our music, because they can build a relationship with it," Chad added. "'Cause I'm not the kind of writer that's, like, 'This is what the song is. This is what the song's about.' I kind of get you going down a road, maybe reel you in a little bit so you kind of get the vibe on where I'm at, but I'm giving you off ramps all the way through it where you can take it and make it applicable to your life. But that's what makes it special, 'cause now you're building your own relationship with it and not what I'm telling you the relationship has to be. There's no boundaries on it, so it's pretty boundless."

In March 2024, Chad told The Jesea Lee Show that he and his MUDVAYNE bandmates were still "trying to figure out" where they wanted their new material to go. "Right now, we've got some, you can call them whole songs 'cause they have a start and a finish, but I feel like they're kind of half-songs," he said at the time. "I just don't think they're realized yet. I don't think we have figured out exactly how we want this to play out with what we're doing in our business or how we want it to sonically sound."

Gray continued: "Nothing inside of me wants to be the MUDVAYNE of 'L.D. 50'. I think that the more albums we wrote, the better we got as songwriters. A lot of people would probably disagree with me, but [2008's] 'The New Game' is probably one of my favorite fucking albums. It's got like 'Dull Boy' on it, it's got just some really quintessential MUDVAYNE stuff that's not anything like anybody else was doing. I feel like we fucking finally had kind of found our groove. 'L.D. 50', to me, was a very gratuitous, individual workshop, and we put all four pieces together and called it an album."

In October 2023, Gray told Australia's Heavy that he and his MUDVAYNE bandmates had "started putting some new stuff together a little bit and people that have heard [some of the early demo] stuff are really excited about it. Only the people that are closest to us have heard anything, and, like I said, it's really rough; it's demos," he explained. "But you can tell it's special. And I think that we have to make sure it's MUDVAYNE. We have to make sure that it's what we want. So we'll just have to see. We were working on it, working on it, working on it a little bit here and there.

"We all live states away from each other — nobody lives even close to each other — so it makes it a little bit difficult," he explained. "But we were able to get some stuff demoed up or whatever, but with us being so far apart, it's a little slow going. And then we just kind of hit a wall. We were, like, 'Okay, we've gotta get back into touring.' So we put everything together and we went back out [in the] summer [of 2023]."

In August 2023, Chad told The Oakland Press that he and his MUDVAYNE bandmates had "four [songs] in the pipe. I've written each one of them probably three different times, 'cause it's like nothing's good enough," he revealed. "We're gonna keep pushing. We're all getting along really good. We're all talking. Hopefully we all want the same thing from our music, so we'll see. It's definitely the thing that makes the most sense to do now."

Released in 2000 via Epic, "L.D. 50" produced three singles — Dig", "Death Blooms" and "Nothing To Gein". "L.D. 50" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 85 on the Billboard 200. It was certified gold by the RIAA for shipment in excess of half a million copies in the U.S. alone.

MUDVAYNE completed its first headlining tour in over 14 years, "The Psychotherapy Sessions", in the summer of 2023. Support on the 26-city trek, which was produced by Live Nation, came from COAL CHAMBER, along with GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES.

Previously, MUDVAYNE made waves in 2022 when they embarked on the "Freaks On Parade" tour co-headlined with ROB ZOMBIE. The 2023 tour, however, marked MUDVAYNE's first headlining endeavor since 2009.

Gray told The Oakland Press that his "main motivation for putting [MUDVAYNE] back together and coming back was our fans", including those who discovered the band during its absence. "There's so many younger kids that are coming up and coming into our world, the metal world, and they're learning about MUDVAYNE," he said. "So you have this, like, the ground's kind of rumbling and it goes out and touches more and more people, but we weren't out there to scratch that itch. You still have your actual fan base but you're accumulating new people. So when we came back it was very exciting for us. It was about our fans and giving those new fans the experience."

New York hardcore legends CRO-MAGS have announced the return of drummer Pete Hines, skinsman behind the pioneering album "Best Wishes" (1989).

CRO-MAGS founder, frontman and bassist Harley Flanagan comments: "It's so great to be playing with Pete again. It's not often in life that you get the chance to go back and relive a past with friends that was meaningful to you both. I am really looking forward to this."

CRO-MAGS just finished a summer tour of European headline and festival dates, and will return to the U.S., hitting the Midwest and East Coast before closing alongside Iggy Pop, SEX PISTOLS and others at the CBGB Festival in Brooklyn, New York on September 27. With Hines behind the kit, the CRO-MAGS are rounded out by guitarists Dominic DiBenedetto and Dave Sharpe.

Following a successful U.S. theatrical tour this summer, "Wired For Chaos", the documentary based on Flangan's life, will be available on a DVD / Blu-ray package (with unreleased special features) on November 11, with a simultaneous release for video on demand.

In 2020, CRO-MAGS released their first album in twenty years with the critically acclaimed "In The Beginning". To close out the same year, the band dropped the six-song EP "2020".

In 2018, Flanagan, who founded the CRO-MAGS at the age of 14 and toured with the band for some 20 years, sued members of the group for allegedly using the CRO-MAGS name without his permission.

Claiming that CRO-MAGS was his idea when he formed it back in 1981, Flanagan filed a lawsuit against the then-most recent lineup of the group — including singer John Joseph McGowan — in part for copyright infringement, saying he trademarked the "Cro-Mags" name for recording in 2010 and for merchandise in 2009 and then again in 2017.

According to the New York Post, Harley claimed in the lawsuit that the other members of the CRO-MAGS took over the band around 2002 when "Flanagan's first son was about to be born… and Flanagan had to stop touring to help with the baby."

In a new interview with The Break Down With Nath & Johnny, Matt Tuck, frontman of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, was asked to name the thing that he finds the hardest to nail in a song and that gives him the most grief during the songwriting process. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think the most difficult part is always lyrics. I mean, that takes up so much energy and time. Even if you're a very talented, inspirational person that likes writing — I fucking hate writing; it's crap. Because it's so hard and personal, it takes up so much time. I can write an instrumental album probably right now — if you put a gun to my head and [said], 'Write 10 songs for me.' Sit, let's go. Boom. Done. Then you've gotta do the vocals. And that's when things, for me, become really serious and really demanding. Because that's what the song is about, right? You're trying to tell a story, you're trying to be real, you're trying to be authentic. You're trying to connect with an audience. But at the same time, having done it for eight albums, you're, like, 'I've got nothing to say.' It's hard."

Referencing the fact that he and his BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE bandmates are currently working on material for their upcoming eighth album, Tuck added: "A lot's gone on. It's been nearly five years since our last album — a lot's happened, so hopefully I won't find it too hard [to come up with lyrical ideas]. Once I get my head into it, it's really enjoyable, because you start putting together just a story of just you and experiences and all this stuff, and it's really cool. But the thought of having 20 songs to write, 15 songs to write, it's, like, 'Ugh. My God.' The soul drops out of my body. But again, I wouldn't change it for the world. It just is what it is.

"I'm a guitar player before a vocalist," Matt explained. "I never wanted to be a singer in a band. I always wanted to just be up there and rock out."

Circling back to the studio sessions for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's follow-up to its latest, self-titled album, which came out in November 2021, Tuck said: "I'm excited for the next chapter. It's been a long time since our last one; it really has. I can't believe it's been nearly five years. By the time this new one comes out, it'll be five years. So fans are hungry. We're hungry. And, yeah, as of next Friday, we're gonna be getting it on. The studio starts on Friday. And it'll be done when it's done. Yeah, it's exciting, man. We've got a little trip [to Australia this fall] to do in the meantime [for 'The Poison Australia 2025' tour]. But that'll be fun as well. It's always nice to kind of take a break from a five-, six-month studio session. It'll be well deserved and well appreciated when October rolls around."

At this year's Download festival at Leicestershire, United Kingdom's Donington Park, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE guitarist Michael "Padge" Paget spoke to Neil Jones of TotalRock about the band's decision to cut its "The Poisoned Ascendancy" tour with TRIVIUM short in order to focus on making a new album. He said: "Yeah, unfortunately, there's just not enough time. We started writing the [new BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE] album back last year, demos and stuff, which is going really, really well. To finish writing now and record by the end of the year, due to us touring what we've done so far, and then this summer run, to continue writing and finish up all the demos, then record in the studio, then process it to get new music and the album out by next year, we just don't have time. And time seems to be going so fast, so we just had to make our decision to focus on one thing or the other. And the album came first. So we chose the album, and we're gonna get stuck into that now after this festival run in June. We'll have a few weeks off to chill, and then we get straight back in the studio and then hopefully get it all recorded up by Christmas, and hopefully there'll be new music out early next year and the album in the summer sometime."

Regarding the musical direction of the new BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE material, Paget said: "It's gonna be super heavy. We mess around with some crazy tuning on this one, something we haven't done before. So it's gonna be really interesting and fresh for the fans — and us. I think [we have a song in] drop G [tuning]. But, yeah, all of the usual BULLET trademarks are there. It's in our DNA, so hooks, the vocal melodies, the huge choruses, big guitars, all the standard stuff's gonna be there, but definitely different to what we've ever done before."

Michael went on to say that he and his BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE bandmates want to break some new ground on their upcoming eighth album. "We've always said we never wanna make the same album twice," he explained. "One, I think it's cop-out because we've already done it. We'll never do what 'The Poison' did for a debut album. And we like to keep it fresh for ourselves and challenge ourselves, make it interesting for the fans.

"Music changes over time, and there's classic metal, there's metalcore, there's modern metal, there's contemporary metal, this new wave of modern metal as well now coming out," he added. "So we've gotta keep up with the curve and do our thing, but our way. So, so it's gonna be interesting, but I think people are really gonna love it. It's gonna be awesome."

Also at this year's Download, Tuck, whose band has spent the first half of 2025 celebrating the 20th anniversary of its debut album, "The Poison", on tours of Europe and North America, spoke to James Wilson-Taylor of Rock Sound about BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's plans for the group's eighth album, tentatively due in 2026. Matt said: "We haven't had a lot of opportunity to get back and focus on it, 'cause since I [last] saw you, we just haven't stopped playing. It's been really intense, but a good intense."

He continued: "There's a lot of love around the world for the band, and we're just trying to kind of make the most of this opportunity, 'cause once [the 20th-anniversary celebration of 'The Poison'] is done, it's done forever. We're not gonna do it again. We're not gonna milk 25, 30, none of that shit.

"But, yeah, I listened to [the new ideas we have come up with so far] a lot when we were [touring] in the States [earlier this year], and, yeah, when I hear it, it still gives me the vibes," Tuck added. "And I think the beginning of August, we're gonna hit the studio for real. And we'll be there until it's done."

Released in 2005, "The Poison" propelled BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE to unimaginable heights. That year saw the Welsh metallers graduate from supporting FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND on their U.K. run in the summer, to ending the year headlining the very same venues just months later. Dropping in October 2005, "The Poison" hit number 21 in the U.K. album charts, becoming a late contender in end of year polls, placing at number seven on Kerrang!'s "Albums Of The Year" list, and since achieving gold status.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and TRIVIUM were on the road together earlier this year to celebrate the joint 20th anniversaries of their respective albums "The Poison" and "Ascendancy".

In May, TRIVIUM revealed that plans were scrapped to have the two bands hit other territories around the world as part of "The Poisoned Ascendancy" tour. Details surrounding the cancelations were unclear, although TRIVIUM bassist Paolo Gregoletto said in a livestream that Tuck had pulled out of the tour early as he "didn't wanna do it." Gregoletto also claimed that Tuck made the move because he is "the sole decision maker of [BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE] and he has no respect for us or our crew."

The members of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE later shared a statement on social media saying that they were "grateful" to the fans who wanted to see them live but explained that they had decided to focus their efforts on making a new album instead.

"We're incredibly grateful to have been given the chance to look back at a pair of life-changing albums for us & TRIVIUM, who we have nothing but respect and admiration for," they said. "With that being said, the four of us collectively feel that the time is right for us to divert our full attention towards the next chapter of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE."

They added: "We can't wait to get back in the studio later this summer and finish what we promise you is our best album to date. To go along with this, we are already starting to make plans for the 2026 & 2027 touring cycles, hitting every corner. We are super excited to drop new music for you all. We value our fans above all else and are forever grateful for your support. We'll be back with all of you very soon."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE released the deluxe version of its latest, self-titled album in August 2022 via Spinefarm/Search & Destroy. This extended release featured four brand new tracks, plus "Stitches", a song previously only available as a Japanese exclusive. Following the CD and digital releases, a vinyl pressing launched in November 2022.

The STEVE MORSE BAND has announced details of their brand-new album, "Triangulation", which will be released on November 14 via Music Theories Recordings. To celebrate, they have unveiled the official video for their new track, "Break Through".

"Break Through" is the first new music since the release of 2009's "Out Standing In Their Field". Talking about the track, Steve Morse shares, "This may start with a guitar riff, but the bass carries the melody. It's just a great feel to play over, and a positive vibe to start the album."

Whenever we think of the greatest guitar players of all time, Steve Morse is a name that's always in the conversation. This album sees Morse teaming up once again with THE DIXIE DREGS, STEVE MORSE BAND and FLYING COLORS bassist Dave LaRue, with Van Romaine (Enrique Iglesias) joining on drums.

Steve beams: "Dave and Van have been the bedrock of this trio, and this recording shows why. These guys are unique and incredible musicians on their own, and together, our chemistry is magical. While making the album, we played together, working through parts, riffing off each other, and collaborating on arrangements. I'd bring an idea, and hear it instantly — and then hear it improved. We made this album together, and you can hear it."

There are also some stellar guest features, from Eric Johnson's majestic contributions to "TexUS" and DREAM THEATER's John Petrucci bringing his inimitable progressive metal thunder and, of course, Kevin Morse joining his father on "Taken By An Angel".

Executive producer Bill Evans noted: "The compositions are among Steve's best. And audiences can finally hear every detail of Van and Dave's performance…the band's collaborative musicality." Steve added, "Brian captured me brilliantly, and Carl Roa created more sonic and performance clarity than we've ever had."

Morse started his career in the mid-1970s, playing mind-melting jazz-rock with THE DIXIE DREGS, which earned him multiple Grammy nominations in the process. The following decade, he formed the STEVE MORSE BAND, grabbing an additional Grammy nod, and joined arena heavyweights KANSAS, before being recruited by rock and roll originals DEEP PURPLE in 1994. And despite being in one of the world's biggest bands, he continued to innovate in other projects like LIVING LOUD, ANGELFIRE and FLYING COLORS — as well as guitar supergroup G3 — showing the world just how much versatility there was in those magic fingers. He announced his departure from DEEP PURPLE in 2022, choosing to care for his wife, who passed away in 2024, by that point having become their longest-serving guitarist.

Naturally, the last few years have been the most personally traumatic of his life, which is perhaps why this year's creative comeback with the new STEVE MORSE BAND album "Triangulation" embodies the spirit of a master returning to do what he does best. Its nine tracks are a thrilling ride through the mind of a musician who seemingly knows no bounds, crossing over into a cornucopia of sounds and styles from funk and blues to classical and metal.

"The album title 'Triangulation' comes from the concept of aviators, navigators, and sailors looking at two points to pinpoint their exact location at a specific moment in time," says Steve. It's a geographical concept that also applies to human life on a broader level, and given the journey Morse has been on in recent years, it's only natural that he's been on a path of self-discovery and reflection.

Perhaps the most poignant of the nine tracks is "Taken By An Angel" — a tribute to Steve's beloved wife Janine. Steve left the music world behind to care for her, remaining by her side until her final days. "That song is new territory for me," explains Morse. "It was put together for my late wife's memorial service, with my son Kevin playing along. It brought tears to many folks' eyes because Janine was a huge part of my life and career. People knew her from the STEVE MORSE BAND tours. She was the smiling face opening CDs for me to sign, selling t-shirts, listening to people's stories in the crowd, and taking photos for VIP visits."

After all the heartache and anguish of the last few years, you can't help but feel grateful Morse is once again ready to share his creative genius with the world around him. Given his stature among the guitar community — often lauded as "your hero's hero" in the same way people spoke about Jeff Beck — his creative return marks a new phase of inspiration and brilliance. In that sense, you can tell the release of this record means a lot to him.

The band hits the road in October bringing the new repertoire to the stage. Steve Morse shares: "Every generation or so, we put out a new album, and the time is now! We'll be doing new material on stage, and have enlisted a special guest, Angel Vivaldi, to allow us to better perform some of the layered tunes in concert. Excited to have a bigger sound and new material! See you on tour!" Van Romaine offers: "I am so thrilled for this brand new major STEVE MORSE BAND chapter with new tour dates and an album that was so much fun to record with Steve and Dave LaRue, and a couple special guests. While music is always subjective this 'Triangulation' album is such a gem to me on many levels."

Upcoming appearances are:

Oct. 09 - Louisville, KY @ Headliner's
Oct. 10 - Nashville, TN @ CMA Theater
Oct. 12 - Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
Oct. 13 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Oct. 14 - Charlotte, NC @ The Neighborhood Theatre
Oct. 15 - Raleigh, NC @ The Rialto Theatre
Oct. 16 - Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
Oct. 18 - Elkton, MD @ Elkton Music Hall
Oct. 19 - Lititz, PA @ Mickey's Black Box
Oct. 20 - Red Bank, NJ @ The Vogel
Oct. 21 - Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater
Oct. 23 - Somerville, MA @ Somerville Theatre
Oct. 25 - Cohoes, NY @ Cohoes Music Hall
Oct. 26 - Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse

The first trailer for "Into The Void: Life, Death & Heavy Metal", a new eight-part docuseries premiering on Hulu on September 22, can be seen below.

"Into The Void" explores the epic struggles and the cultural impacts made by heavy metal's most compelling artists. Their intensely personal stories about finding success offer a unique combination of volume and distortion through tales of murder, addiction, rebellion, and redemption.

The series is created by Jason Eisner and Evan Husney, co-creators of the pro wrestling documentary series "Dark Side Of The Ring", which became Vice TV's most-watched series of all time.

"Into The Void" promises an intimate, unflinching journey behind the curtain of heavy metal — one that reveals a deeper, darker, and far more human side of the genre than most fans have seen. Beneath the high-octane performances and screaming guitars lie raw undercurrents of trauma, loss, identity, resilience, and personal transformation.

Told through archival footage mixed with first-hand accounts and never-before-heard stories, the series vows to go beyond the headlines to explore the emotional sagas that shaped some of the most notable — and misunderstood — figures in music.

Episode 1: Randy Rhoads

Randy Rhoads was a musical prodigy who cemented himself as one of heavy metal’s greatest guitarists. His bandmates and collaborators, including Sharon Osbourne, reflect on his legacy and the horrific accident that took his life.

Episode 2: Kurt Struebing of NME

In 1985, Seattle's NME seemed poised for success — until frontman Kurt Struebing committed an unspeakable crime during a psychotic episode. After prison, his bandmates welcomed him back to the stage until Struebing's mysterious death in 2005.

Episode 3: JUDAS PRIEST on Trial

In 1985, James Vance survived a dual suicide pact that took the life of his best friend. Months later, he blamed the music of JUDAS PRIEST for mesmerizing them into despair. The trial that followed threatened the future of heavy metal music.

Episode 4: Chuck Schuldiner of DEATH

Chuck Schuldiner, revered as a founder of death metal, channeled grief into groundbreaking music. His death at 34, while completing his final work, devastated fans and a family already scarred by the tragic loss of Chuck's older brother.

Episode 5: Wendy O. Williams

In the 1980s, Wendy O. Williams (PLASMATICS) fused punk and metal while railing against consumerism and oppression. Facing obscenity and assault charges only emboldened her defiance, making Wendy an icon in the fight for social justice.

Episode 6: CONFESS - Iranian Metal Crusade

In 2010, Iranian teens Nikan Khosravi and Arash Ilkhani formed anti-establishment thrash metal band CONFESS. Facing the death penalty for blasphemy, the pair attempt daring escapes, hoping to continue making metal and fighting the regime.

Episode 7: Ann Boleyn of HELLION

As the leader of metal pioneers HELLION, Ann "Hull" Boleyn battled misogyny, industry bias, and sexual predators — until a series of frightening encounters led her to law, where she champions workers and women facing exploitation and abuse.

Episode 8: PANTERA's "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott

When a deranged fan killed PANTERA founder and guitar legend "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott in 2004, it marked one of metal's darkest days. The tragedy deepened rifts between friends and bandmates who've recently reunited to honor his enduring legacy.

Knoxville, Tennessee alt-rockers 10 YEARS have released a cover of FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE's "No Light, No Light" via Mascot.

10 YEARS founding guitarist Brian Vodinh shares: "I've been a huge fan of FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE since the 'Lungs' album came out and I still have her 'Ceremonials' record in my Top 5 albums so I've always wanted to cover one of these songs. 'No Light, No Light' felt like something we could really make work for 10 YEARS. I felt like it had the potential to rock and have a lot of energy but the smaller moments would bring out a vulnerability in Jesse's [Hasek] voice that I thought would be awesome and emotional."

10 YEARS' presence on DSPs continues to broaden month to month with cumulative streams now exceeding 1.6 billion plays.

Following a tour with CITIZEN SOLDIER that consisted of 17 shows in August, 10 YEARS will head back out on the road for "The Autumn Effect 20th Anniversary Tour" commencing on September 23 at The Granada in Lawrence, Kansas. Just prior, 10 YEARS will appear at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 21.

10 YEARS' breakthrough 2005 album "The Autumn Effect" yielded the hit "Wasteland", which went gold, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

10 YEARS has toured with such acts as KORN, DISTURBED and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD.

10 YEARS is Jesse Hasek (lead vocals),Brian Vodinh (guitar, backing vocals),Matt Wantland (guitar),Chad Grennor (bass) and Pat Gerasia (drums).

Photo credit: Brian Vodinh

Texan titans KUBLAI KHAN TX have unleashed a crushing new single, "The Mountain Of Corsicana", via Rise Records. The song's accompanying music video directed by Max Moore (KNOCKED LOOSE, SPIRITBOX, A DAY TO REMEMBER) can be seen below.

KUBLAI KHAN TX describes the inspiration behind the punishing track as "a monument to the final man".

KUBLAI KHAN TX will bring the beatdown to a town near you this fall on its U.S. headlining run with DRAIN, GIDEON and GUILT TRIP as support. The tour kicks off on September 18 at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky and wraps on October 26 at the iconic Palladium in Los Angeles, California, with special guest THROWDOWN for the final show.

Speaking about the tour, KUBLAI KHAN TX vocalist Matt Honeycutt commented: "Time to do it bigger and badder than ever on this headliner with our friends in DRAIN, GIDEON and GUILT TRIP. See y'all soon. P.S. Don't forget about THROWDOWN in L.A. too."

This past April, longtime KUBLAI KHAN TX guitarist Nolan Ashley announced his departure from the band. The musician, who had been with the group for the past 13 years, had faced physical challenges following a 2023 disc replacement surgery, and was no longer able to perform live with the band. He is being replaced on the road by Nicholas Adams (JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED).

Ashley explained in a statement: "Since my disc replacement surgery and the extensive physical therapy that followed, I've faced challenges I never anticipated. Unfortunately, my grip strength hasn't returned, and I can no longer play the songs I helped write live. It's a difficult goodbye — not the one I ever imagined for myself — but I know this is the right decision."

KUBLAI KHAN TX is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Exhibition Of Prowess", which came out last fall via Rise Records.

Honeycutt told New Noise Magazine about the effort: "There's never a set theme we go in with. We don't set out to reinvent ourselves or chase what may be popular at the moment. We wanted to write something that represented where we're at now as a band and as people. We've been doing this so long, the formula just never changes. The only changing factor is usually where we're at in our lives at that current moment, and that reflects in what we're writing."

Photo credit: Matt Wojtanik

Heavy metal and punk rock — it's fair to say that these two noisy tribes now have a great deal in common, often melding together, almost indistinguishable, to produce bastard offspring of their own. But it wasn't always this way. Indeed, there was a time when fists were more likely to be thrown than bumped, and beers more likely to be hurled than shared — except when it came to MOTÖRHEAD. That was the one band all could agree on. The one band that was truly ours!

But while MOTÖRHEAD's impact on metal has long been acknowledged, their influence on punk, particularly the post-SEX PISTOLS second wave shouldn't be underestimated. Cause and effect: It's that simple. And such is the case with hundreds, thousands, of other bands, all made faster, dirtier, louder, better, by MOTÖRHEAD. None more so than in punk rock. And that's because MOTÖRHEAD were, in essence, a punk rock band.

Lemmy once said: "The punks loved us. The only reason we weren't in that lot was because we had long hair, so obviously we must be heavy metal. That was the thinking. But a lot of kids heard us without seeing a picture, so they thought we were a punk band."

Across the fourteen tracks on the cunningly titled "Killed By Deaf - A Punk Tribute To Motörhead", due on October 31 via BMG, you'll hear a loving tribute to MOTÖRHEAD from some of punk rock's biggest and most respected bands. Luminaries like RANCID, PENNYWISE, LAGWAGON, GBH, THE BRONX and FEAR all contribute raucous versions of their favorite MOTÖRHEAD tracks… and also up-and-coming upstarts like SLAUGHTERHOUSE contribute, because, let's face it MOTÖRHEAD always loved and championed the underdogs.

Lemmy and MOTÖRHEAD aren't honored with their own space in the Punk Rock Museum for nothing. Long before they covered the SEX PISTOLS' "God Save The Queen" on "We Are Motörhead" and long before writing "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." for the "1916" album in tribute to New York's finest, MOTÖRHEAD were sharing stages with the likes of THE DAMNED, as they would continue to do many times over the years. Hell, Lemmy even joined THE DAMNED (when they were THE DOOMED),albeit briefly, and playing some now infamous shows, and playing bass on a couple of studio tracks. It's only fitting then, that the only non- MOTÖRHEAD song on this album is from when he teamed up with them again in 2002 for a previously unheard and blistering version of THE DAMNED's classic "Neat Neat Neat".

"Killed By Deaf - A Punk Tribute To Motörhead" will be available on vinyl, CD and digitally. Pre-orders are available now at this location.

"Killed By Deaf - A Punk Tribute To Motörhead" track listing:

01. PENNYWISE - Ace of Spades
02. RANCID - Sex & Death
03. THE BRONX - Over The Top
04. LAGWAGON - Rock ‘N' Roll
05. FEAR - The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
06. GBH - Bomber
07. MURPHY'S LAW - Stay Clean
08. SLAUGHTERHOUSE - Love Me Like A Reptile
09. THE CASUALTIES - The Hammer
10. ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE - Born To Raise Hell
11. LOVE CANAL - Voices In The Sky
12. SOLDIERS OF DESTRUCTION - Overkill
13. WISDOM IN CHAINS - Iron Fist
14. MOTÖRHEAD & THE DAMNED - Neat Neat Neat

Progressive rock band COHEED AND CAMBRIA will release the deluxe version of its latest album "The Father Of Make Believe", titled "The Father Of Make Believe: The New Entities Edition", on October 3 via Virgin Music Group. The new version of the LP comes with four new songs and introduces four new characters or "Entities" to COHEED AND CAMBRIA's "Vaxis / The Amory Wars" saga. The first song, or Entity, "Key Entity Extraction VII: Yuko The Trivial", arrives today alongside a lyric video.

In tandem with the announcement, COHEED AND CAMBRIA has put up a limited amount of vinyl of "The Father Of Make Believe", including the four new tracks with two new color options, Quintillian Blue and Purple Optic Distortion. Each option comes in pressings of 1500. A standard and retail exclusive version is also available while supplies last.

"The Father Of Make Believe: The New Entities Edition" track listing:

Side I

01. Yesterday's Lost
02. Goodbye, Sunshine
03. Searching for Tomorrow
04. The Father of Make Believe
05. Meri of Mercy

Side II

06. Blind Side Sonny
07. Play the Poet
08. One Last Miracle
09. Corner My Confidence
10. Someone Who Can

Side III

11. The Continuum I: Welcome to Forever, Mr Nobody
12. The Continuum II: The Flood
13. The Continuum III: Tethered Together
14. The Continuum IV: So It Goes

Side IV

15. Key Entity Extraction VI - Melvin The Mistake
16. Key Entity Extraction VII - Yuko The Trivial
17. Key Entity Extraction VIII- Peter The Wishing
18. Key Entity Extraction IX - Shiloh The Selfish

In preparation for the 20th anniversary of its landmark album "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness", COHEED AND CAMBRIA and the Grammy Museum have joined together to announce a very special evening, with an acoustic performance, a question-and-answer session and discussion emceed by famed MTV personality and radio DJ Matt Pinfield, who happened to be the A&R for the album. The evening will celebrate and discuss that album and everything leading up to COHEED AND CAMBRIA's latest release, "The Father Of Make Believe", which is out now. The event will take place in the scenic views of the Grammy Museum's downtown Los Angeles rooftop on September 23.

Currently on its co-headline tour with TAKING BACK SUNDAY, COHEED AND CAMBRIA will perform at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater to a sold-out crowd next Friday, September 12. The band's first time closing out Red Rocks will be streamed live via Veeps. This November, COHEED will embark on its S.S. Neverender 2025 cruise with THURSDAY, L.S. DUNES, THE DEAR HUNTER, ILLUMINATI HOTTIES and more.

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

Dust off your denim and leather and flex your devil horns: TWISTED SISTER is back — bigger, louder, and more unapologetic than ever. The band that gave the world "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" has confirmed they will storm stages worldwide in 2026, celebrating their 50th anniversary.

While full details remain under wraps (because even metal legends love a good tease),founding guitarist and manager Jay Jay French couldn't contain his excitement about reaching a milestone that once seemed impossible:

"Beginning on February 2nd, 1976 in a little bar called The Turtleneck Inn in Hunter Mountain, NY, Dee Snider, Eddie Ojeda and I have called ourselves TWISTED SISTER and stood shoulder to shoulder for nearly five decades, through multiple personnel changes and thousands of performances," he said. "We are proud to celebrate a milestone that once felt unthinkable: a 50-year anniversary!! We have created a music and performance legacy that has and will continue to inspire millions of fans around the world. Twisted Forever, Forever Twisted!"

Lead guitarist Eddie Ojeda added: "Fifty years on, and TWISTED SISTER is still the soundtrack for every rebel with a reason and a reason to turn it up."

But it was frontman Dee Snider who really cranked the volume to 11 with his typically unfiltered announcement: "If you're lucky enough to be in a band that people still want to see after fifty years(!),how can you not answer the call? In 2026, TWISTED Fucking SISTER will hit stages around the world because WE STILL WANNA ROCK!!"

Let that sink in, SMFs. The band that gave us headbanging anthems, legendary MTV videos, and enough eyeliner to keep Max Factor in business, is returning to stages around the world.

For those keeping score at home, TWISTED SISTER last toured with drummer Mike Portnoy in 2016, following the tragic death of drummer A.J. Pero. But 50 years? That's cause for celebration. These guys have survived the club circuit grind of the '70s, MTV domination in the '80s, breakups, makeups, PMRC hearings (shoutout to Dee for that Senate testimony),and enough lineup changes to make SPINAL TAP sweat.

TWISTED SISTER will hit stages around the world in 2026, featuring the return of Joe "Seven" Franco on drums, a former member of TWISTED SISTER who last recorded and performed with the band in 1987 for the "Love Is For Suckers" album and tour. Playing bass will be Russell Pzütto, who has previously appeared in concert with TWISTED SISTER and has been a touring member of Dee Snider's solo projects.

Tour dates and details remain under wraps, tighter than your mom's jeans in the '80s. But if you're a betting person, start saving your pennies and preparing your vocal cords now.

Two and a half years ago, TWISTED SISTER staged a one-off reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California.

In April 2024, Dee was asked by "The Hook Rocks!" podcast if he and the rest of TWISTED SISTER would consider coming back together for special performances. The singer said: "As a result of all the bands retiring and dying, the offers get bigger and bigger for the holdouts to come back. And we retired in 2016, I think it was. So we're on eight years now of not playing, with no intention of coming back. But — my father, he says, 'Everything before the word 'but' is bullshit — but at some point, you've gotta say, 'Well, how can I say no to that?'"

He continued: "Is it there yet? No. Is it getting close? Yeah. Is there talk amongst us, like, 'Well, in the event that the numbers do get there, and they sure as hell seem to be going in that direction, how are we gonna do this?' So there's a little bit of that conversation. And that's both physically how we're gonna do it and on a number of other levels. And that's a recent occurrence, that the conversation has gone from 'never' to 'in the event that they make as an offer we can't refuse, what's the plan?' And there's some very general discussion on that, involving personal trainers [laughs], diets, hair extensions. And that's the first time in eight years that the conversation has changed."

Snider added: "We're all friends, by the way. The surviving guys, we all talk and we're all friends and we love each other. And that was one of the great things that came out of getting back together the first time is that we managed to fix the friendships and be friends and that, to me, is really why I wanted to do it in the first place, getting back [together] last time… So, anyway, we'll see what happens."

On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, French, Mendoza and Portnoy, who has played drums for TWISTED SISTER since the passing of former member Pero. Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War.

The highlight of the ceremony — which also saw FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm, NWOBHM heroes RAVEN, and guitarists Chris Impellitteri and Doug Aldrich honored — was TWISTED SISTER's highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

In January 2023, Snider told Eonmusic that there were no additional TWISTED SISTER reunion performances in the works. "A hard 'no plans'," he said at the time. "No plans at all to do that."

Going on to reference both OZZY OSBOURNE and MÖTLEY CRÜE's retirement and returns, he added: "You know, I've said when people retire, they should leave the stage, and all those bands, I'm tired of buying 'No More Tours' shirts and seeing people signing contracts in blood and then they show up three years later. I don't believe in that bullshit, so I don't think it's going to happen."

In March 2023, French told The Metal Voice that the Metal Hall Of Fame performance shouldn't give fans the impression that there will be more TWISTED SISTER performances to follow.

"There's no reunion to speak of," he said. "I'm not gonna be so cynical and say that it couldn't lead to conversations, but we never had a single conversation about a reunion prior to this. Not one.

"People always go, 'When are you guys getting back together?' I say, 'Well, we talk all the time, but we never talk about playing. But we talk about business,'" Jay Jay added. "Why do we talk about business? Because 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock' are the most licensed songs in the history of the music business; they're in more TV commercials, movie soundtracks… So we do licensing deals all day long. It's really what we do. I'm in the business of music licensing, which is a business I didn't know existed."

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza, along with Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of Pero.

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

The surviving members of the classic lineup of TWISTED SISTER previously reunited virtually in March 2021 for a special episode of Mendoza's Internet TV show "22 Now". The hour-and-a-half-long program was a tribute to Pero, who died exactly six years earlier at the age of 55 while on tour with the band ADRENALINE MOB.

Prior to the March 2021 virtual reunion, the four surviving members of TWISTED SISTER reunited for two days and nights in November 2019 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the band's classic album "Stay Hungry".

In a 2021 interview with the "Metal From The Inside" podcast, Snider was asked if he is still steadfast about not wanting TWISTED SISTER to reunite. He responded: "[I am] one hundred percent committed to not reuniting. Now, let me just be clear: we're friends. I did a [solo] show a couple of weeks ago [on June 11, 2021 at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, New York] and Mendoza showed up, and we did [TWISTED SISTER's] 'Under The Blade', and it was awesome. I talk to the guys all the time. I can show you my text messages. We have a little text group, and we were sending messages back and forth.

"To me, that was the reason to reunite, was to fix the relationships [between the members of the band], and we did fix' em, and we're friends," he explained. "I feel we did what we could do without just doing the same thing over. And I wanted to do some new, challenging things that I couldn't do within TWISTED. And the solo records I've done I could not have done with TWISTED SISTER. I could not have done 'Dee Does Broadway' with TWISTED SISTER — 'Twisted Does Broadway'. And I could not have done 'For The Love Of Metal' with TWISTED SISTER; people would never have accepted it. But as a solo artist, I'm allowed to change and evolve. And some things [fans have] liked; some things they've not liked. But at the same time, I'm allowed; no one's ever questioned [it]. And, again, if TWISTED SISTER did it, it would be, like, 'Hey, it doesn't sound like TWISTED SISTER anymore'; it would have been that kind of thing."

Circling back to the prospect of TWISTED SISTER reuniting, Dee said: "I could see us doing a charity — a couple of songs for charity, for the right reasons. We got [back] together originally for charity, which was a good reason to get together. I could see [talk show host Jimmy] Fallon — he's a big fan — if he said, 'Hey, guys, can you guys come on '[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'] and do 'White Christmas' for us?' Fuck yeah. But to do a tour, to do 90 minutes, two hours on a stage, I don't see that happening. And credit to everybody in the band, and I know some people — without naming names — some guys, they would have kept going; others did not wanna keep going. But I'm sure we get offers. Jay Jay French is the manager of TWISTED, 'cause it's still an entity — there's still royalties and licenses and things like that, and merchandise — he's not presented one offer, and I'm sure we've gotten 'em. 'Cause we're not even considering it. It doesn't matter what they're offering; we're not doing it."