In a new interview with Rob Cass of dopeYEAH talk, former DIO and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell reflected on his friendship with THIN LIZZY legend Phil Lynott. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, obviously, we met him a bunch of times. I never felt like I knew Phil because, to me, like with the Ronnie [James] Dio thing, these people were icons to us. So I always kind of felt like they were so far ahead of where we were at that point in our lives. And that feeling carried through with me personally with my entire career with DIO. I always felt like a bit of an imposter. This guy, I was listening to him since I was — whatever — 11, 12, 13 years old, and then all of a sudden you're in L.A. and you're in a band with him and you're sitting on the couch with him and writing songs and stuff. And I kind of felt the same way with Phil Lynott. Plus, Phil was the most charismatic person. Still, to this day, I have never met any rock star or movie star or any celebrity who carries himself in the same way. When Phil walked into the room, it was like, 'Oh my God.' You didn't even have to know that he was the bass player, singer, frontman of THIN LIZZY. I mean, the guy just had so much presence and so much charisma. And that was magnified a hundred times when he stepped on stage and fronted THIN LIZZY. He was such a star. So I always felt when I was around Phil, I was just in awe. It was just, like, 'Oh my God. This is Phil Lynott.' And to a lesser extent, I felt that way with Ronnie. I'd be on stage with Ronnie, and I knew that I was his musical partner; I was his guitar guy. And he was very proud of me."

Vivian continued: "Ronnie was a very complicated person. People always say, 'What was Ronnie Dio like?' You can't really encapsulate what a human being is like in a couple of sentences. But there were times when Ronnie and I really got along great. And there were, unfortunately, many times when we were just butting heads. But I knew that he was very proud of me. And I remember one European tour, we were on a ferry somewhere, obviously in Scandinavia, going somewhere from somewhere, and we were just both standing out on the deck, wind in the hair, watching the water. And he said to me, he said, 'I met Ozzy Osbourne a few weeks ago. I was talking to Ozzy and I said you were my Randy Rhoads.' 'Cause he said Ozzy was going, 'Oh, that guitar player guy you got.' [Dio] said [to Ozzy], 'Yeah, that's, to me, what Randy was to you, someone I could really work with.' And I just remember thinking, 'Wow.' I just felt, at that moment, like, 'Okay, I can work with this guy.' I felt like I belonged there. But then the next day I'm still thinking, 'Oh my God. I'm in a band with Ronnie Dio. Holy shit.' So I never really could let go of that."

Elaborating on the complexities of his relationship with Dio, Campbell said: "There was a generational thing. I mean, he was so much older than me, and I was so young at that time. And just being in L.A., the whole culture shock of that coming from northern Ireland. And it was interesting. But it was a difficult relationship I had with Ronnie because of his temperament, which ran really hot or really cold, and because of my uncertainty about my position and my place there. Those two elements made it difficult for us to communicate. And I've said this many times before, it was kind of like being in a band with your stepfather, because there's this weird dynamic, culturally and generationally. Except your stepfather happened to be Ronnie Dio. But he did have that sort of a paternal affection for me. I could tell he was very proud of me. He used to take me to the Rainbow Bar & Grill in L.A. and Hollywood and go there on a Friday or a Saturday night, and Ronnie would have the big table and the whole entourage would be there. And I could tell that he was very proud, like, 'This is my guy, my guitar player. I found him under a rock in Belfast.' [Laughs]"

Vivian went on to say that he held a grudge against Ronnie for a long time after he exited DIO. "I was fired from the band," Campbell explained. "And for whatever reason, Ronnie went on in the press in the years after that and made that a strong point, like, 'Viv left the band,' is what he always said. And I remember reading this stuff, and this is before Internet and social media. You needed to have a publicist to have a public forum, and I couldn't afford a publicist. But I remember reading this and thinking, 'Why did he say that I left the band?' I never left the band. I was fired. I never wanted to leave that band. I really give a hundred percent to that band. So the whole thing was very, very painful to me. And so I just shut it out. I wanted nothing to do with it. I was also at a point in my career where musically I felt like I was opening up doors to other aspects of my music or my creative side. I really wanted to sing. So this was in my early twenties. I think I was 23, maybe 24 when I was fired from the band. And just to back up a little bit, I remember saying to Ronnie… A couple of things I said to Ronnie, first thing I said was, 'You know what? You remind me of Tom Jones,' because he had that strength, that tonality. I didn't mean it as an insult, but I don't think he took it well… And the look on his face, and I thought, 'Ooh, maybe I shouldn't have said that.' But the other thing I said was, 'Can I sing backup?' And his reaction was this. He said, 'No.' He said, 'Ritchie Blackmore didn't sing. Tony Iommi didn't sing. You're not singing. Guitar players don't sing.' And I went, 'Okay. I'm not gonna ask that again now.' And then I started thinking, 'Well, Rory Gallagher was a singer. Jimi Hendrix was a singer.' I'm thinking of all these guitar players who sing. But I didn't say that to him."

Three years ago, Vivian was asked in an interview with Greg Prato of VintageRock.com if he thought there was ever any possibility of him and Ronnie getting back together or talking after he left DIO. He responded: "I'd like to clarify — I was fired from DIO. I did not leave DIO. And that's a bit of an urban myth, because all these decades after, a lot of people are under that misconception thinking that I left the band. I never wanted to leave DIO. I was fired in the middle of a tour. But I was a squeaky wheel. I was the one who was trying to get Ronnie to uphold his promises and be true to his words, and it didn't work out. So, I don't think there was ever any chance that we were gonna work together again.

"Ronnie's wife, Wendy, right up until the day he died, she was his manager — and she never saw me as being of any value to Ronnie. She always thought I was just a guitar player and I was easily replaceable. I think Ronnie knew a little better. So, I think if Ronnie and I had met each other without Wendy, and we'd gone to the pub and we'd had a pint of beer and talked through our differences, yeah, I think we could have worked together again and it would have been great. But as long as Wendy was controlling his career, that was never going to happen."

Asked if he regretted never getting the opportunity to make amends with Ronnie before his passing, Vivian said at the time: "Yeah. Y'know, we both said ugly things about each other in the media — which is never a good idea. But you get goaded into these things. And everyone makes these mistakes. That was unfortunate. But Ronnie was a complicated guy — like everyone. When people ask me, 'What's so-and-so like?', it's hard to summarize the human experience in a couple of sentences. I mean, we're all complicated beings — we have good days and we have bad days. We have good attributes from our personalities and we have negative ones. And Ronnie was complicated. We had days when he and I got along really well, and there were days where I thought he was a total asshole…and I'm sure he thought exactly the same about me. But the one thing that we did good together was we could make music together. I always found it a very strained relationship because of…and I will own most of the responsibility for that, because I was very bashful around Ronnie. Because I was 20 years old and I'd been listening to Ronnie in RAINBOW and [BLACK] SABBATH for years before I ended up being in a band with them, and finding myself in the studio in L.A., and just in this whole surreal, very different environment that I'd known before. And being in a band with this guy whose albums I'd been listening to since I was about thirteen years old. So, I just had this strange sort of deference towards him — where he was a rock star, in my opinion. Plus, he was so much older than me. You almost wanted to call him 'Mr. Dio.' I didn't, but I kind of felt like it. Like, I probably should be more respectful in that regard. So, it was a little bit strange to have that sort of relationship. I never felt quite comfortable around him. The only time I did was when we were playing music."

In a May 2011 interview with Brazil's Roadie Crew magazine, Wendy stated about the controversy surrounding Ronnie's relationship with Campbell (in 2003, Vivian called Ronnie "an awful businessman and, way more importantly, one of the vilest people in the industry."): "[Vivian] always said that he hated all the albums that he played on with Ronnie, and that was very hurtful to Ronnie. Very hurtful. Would you like someone who said something like that about your albums? He said a lot of things in the press that I don't wanna get into, because it really wasn't Ronnie's feud at all. Ronnie didn't fire him. I fired [Vivian]. He wanted as much money as Ronnie wanted. He thought he was as important as Ronnie was, and that was just wrong. But I don't wanna get into that. It's water under the bridge. It doesn't matter."

A video clip of Ronnie James Dio calling Campbell "a fucking asshole" and saying that "I hope he fucking dies" in reference to his former bandmate was posted on YouTube in October 2007. The two-minute clip was shot on March 30, 2007 while Ronnie was signing autographs for fans after HEAVEN & HELL's show at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. "He's a piece of shit," Dio said. "You ever heard the things he ever said about me? He called me the most despicable human being that ever lived. I went, 'I thought I gave you a chance and made you somebody. And now you're playing with who? DEF fucking who?' There's a fucking rock band for you to fucking have diarrhea with."

Campbell and fellow original DIO members Vinny Appice (drums) and Jimmy Bain (bass) reunited in 2012 alongside singer Andrew Freeman to form LAST IN LINE. The band's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER performed a cover of PINK FLOYD's "Echoes" during their concert Wednesday night (July 2) at Anfiteatro degli Scavi in Pompeii, Italy. A short time after the show, DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy took to his social media to share a photo of the band's setlist for the Pompeii gig, and he included the following message: "So many emotions tonight…will share photos and stuff tomorrow…but just want to leave this here for now. This was tonite's setlist here at Pompeii. Yes indeed: PINK FLOYD's 'Echoes' performed in its entirety (all 25 minutes of it!) on the same hallowed ground that PINK FLOYD performed it over 50 years ago!! It was indeed one for the books…a night I'll always cherish! Wow…"

A few hours before the concert, Mike wrote: "Throughout my teenage years in the 80's, I worshipped the film 'Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii'. I wore out my VHS…(and then my Laserdisc of it, and then my DVD & Blu-rays…and as recent as a few months ago, now have added the newly restored and remixed version that was just released to the collection). Today I check off a MAJOR Bucket list venue for myself playing on the same exact hallowed ground that PINK FLOYD filmed that psychedelic masterpiece over 50 years ago… Tonight is going to be EPIC and I am going to soak in every moment of it!"

PINK FLOYD's 1971 performance at the ancient Roman amphitheater in Pompeii was captured for the 1972 concert film "Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii", directed by Adrian Maben. The main footage in and around the amphitheater was filmed over four days in October 1971. The film was re-released in 1974 with additional studio material of the band working on "The Dark Side Of The Moon", and interviews at Abbey Road Studios.

"Echoes" is the sixth and last track on PINK FLOYD's 1971 album "Meddle". It is 23 and a half minutes long and takes up the entire second side of the original LP.

Back in July 2014, Portnoy was critical of David Gilmour's decision to release a new PINK FLOYD album, "The Endless River", without Roger Waters's involvement, writing in a post on his Facebook page: "What's this about a new PINK FLOYD album? Last I checked, Waters is no longer in the band and [Rick] Wright and [Syd] Barrett are dead. If these are leftovers from 'The Division Bell' sessions, then just put 'em on a 'The Division Bell' special-edition release! It's disrespectful to Roger and everything he built for all those years! Just do a solo album, Dave."

He added: "In my opinion, the PINK FLOYD heyday was 'Atom Heart Mother' through 'The Wall', and those were mainly driven by Roger (conceptually, musically, everything). 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason' and 'The Division Bell' are essentially David Gilmour solo albums 'as' PINK FLOYD (granted, just as 'The Final Cut' was a Roger Waters solo album 'as' PINK FLOYD).

"If you really want, I'll meet you, Gilmour fans, halfway and at least concede with saying, okay, 'real' PINK FLOYD is really only when Waters and Gilmour work together."

In a 2011 interview with Greece's Rock Hard magazine, Portnoy compared his departure from DREAM THEATER to the split between Waters and Gilmour. Commenting on some DREAM THEATER fans' opinion that the "magic is gone" from the band's sound and songwriting chemistry now that he is no longer part of the group, Portnoy said: "I always thought that the strongest elements and personalities in DREAM THEATER were me and [guitarist] John Petrucci. And in the early days Kevin Moore [former DREAM THEATER keyboardist] was a big, big part of that chemistry, and then in the later days Jordan Rudess was a big part of that chemistry. But at the end of the day, it was always me and John [Petrucci]. And John Myung, of course, but he's a quieter person, so he's not as strong of an element because he's quiet by nature. But yeah, John Petrucci and myself were, and I think will always be, the sound and the style and the heart and the soul of DREAM THEATER. And I think if you take either one of us out, I think it's like when Roger Waters and David Gilmour split. David Gilmour carried on PINK FLOYD without Roger Waters, but as far as I was concerned, it was never the same. Roger Waters was a big part of the [sound on] all the classic PINK FLOYD albums, and once he left, I think PINK FLOYD sounded like a David Gilmour solo band. I honestly think if John Petrucci came to me [in 2010] and said he needed a break, I wouldn't have continued DREAM THEATER without him; I would have absolutely respected his desire for a break and I would have put the band on hold and waited for him. So it saddens me that he wouldn't do that for me, because I think DREAM THEATER, at the end of the day, was always about the chemistry between me and him."

Portnoy rejoined DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after a 13-year absence.

DREAM THEATER's sixteenth studio album, "Parasomnia", came out in February via InsideOut Music. It marked DREAM THEATER's first release with Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".

So many emotions tonight…will share photos and stuff tomorrow…but just want to leave this here for now. This was...

Posted by Mike Portnoy on Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Throughout my teenage years in the 80’s, I worshipped the film Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii 🙌 I wore out my VHS…(and then...

Posted by Mike Portnoy on Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Reactivated thrash metal legends SLAYER played their second full show of 2025 and their second United Kingdom concert in six years Sunday night (July 6) at the 45,000-capacity Finsbury Park in London. Support at the gig came from AMON AMARTH, ANTHRAX, MASTODON and HATEBREED .

The July 3 concert at the 35,000-capacity Blackweir Fields in Cardiff and Finsbury Park date marked the biggest shows SLAYER had ever played in the U.K. and the only headline shows they will play in Europe in 2025.

SLAYER's setlist for the London concert was as follows:

01. South Of Heaven
02. Repentless
03. Disciple
04. Die By The Sword
05. Jihad
06. War Ensemble
07. Chemical Warfare
08. Reborn
09. Mandatory Suicide
10. Born Of Fire
11. Dead Skin Mask
12. Spirit In Black
13. Hate Worldwide
14. Seasons In The Abyss
15. Hell Awaits
16. 213
17. Wicked World (BLACK SABBATH cover)
18. Postmortem (followed by "Wicked World" reprise)
19. Raining Blood
20. Angel Of Death

Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

On Saturday, July 5, SLAYER performed at Ozzy Osbourne's "Back To The Beginning" farewell concert in BLACK SABBATH's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The nine-hour event, hosted by actor Jason Momoa at Villa Park, saw over a dozen bands play at least one BLACK SABBATH or Ozzy Osbourne cover as they paid homage to the SABBATH singer, who has Parkinson's disease.

In a recent interview with Australia's Metal Roos, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King spoke about the band's future plans, following SLAYER's two festival appearances in September 2024 and October 2024 after a five-year hiatus. He said: "We're never gonna tour again. We're never gonna make a record again. Mark my word: we're never gonna make a record again, we're never gonna tour again. Because that was the last thing. We said [back in 2018], 'This is our final tour.' It took five years for us to come and say, 'Hey, here's a couple of shows, five-year anniversary.'"

Elaborating on the significance of SLAYER's comeback live performances more than four decades after the band's formation, Kerry said: "I think it's really cool. A lot of fans are into it. There's gonna be haters who say, 'Oh, they retired.' Yeah. Whatever. This is all about celebration. Say a kid was 10 years old when we retired. Now he's 15, 16. [It's his] first opportunity to see us. I think that's important."

King also touched upon the fact that SLAYER's reunion shows were announced just a couple of weeks after he went public with the details of his new solo band and debut solo album. He said: "The [SLAYER] announcement timing was not my favorite, but my band was doing its thing. The festivals SLAYER agreed to play, they wanted to release [the information about us playing there], they wanted to announce [it]. So, the timing wasn't in my favor, but everything went [as it did], and here we are in Australia [with my new band] kicking ass."

Kerry reflected on SLAYER's two reunion performances last fall — on September 22, 2024 at the Riot Fest in Chicago, Illinois and on October 10, 2024 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California — during a recent interview with Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade Records, for the recently launched "100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal" podcast. Regarding how he felt going into the Riot Fest gig, King said: "It's kind of like when we did the first 'Big Four' show, I said, 'This is gonna be really cool for the fans, and it'll be good to see the guys.' And that's about all I gave it. But then we actually played the show and a handful more shows, and I said, 'You know what? This is really cool for me.' And I didn't expect that. And I didn't expect that when we did the Chicago show [SLAYER at Riot Fest]. I went with the exact same idea. I'm, like, 'This is gonna be really cool for the fans, especially fans that were too young to see us.' And I hit the stage and I got goosebumps. I'm, like, 'This is way bigger than I ever gave it credit for.' … [And] we've got a lot of history in Chicago too, so for the reunion show to be there, it was pretty epic. And the response was over the top. It was way overwhelming."

At Riot Fest and Aftershock, SLAYER ran through a 20-song set that included opener "South Of Heaven", "Seasons In The Abyss", "Angel Of Death", "Hell Awaits", "Raining Blood" and the title track of SLAYER's final album, "Repentless".

SLAYER was also scheduled to play at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 27, 2024, but that performance was canceled due to severe weather.

The lineup for SLAYER's comeback was the same as the one which last toured in 2019: King and drummer Paul Bostaph, along with Araya and guitarist Gary Holt.

King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", came out in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

In a separate interview with Luiz Cesar Pimentel of Brazil's Cucamonga, King was asked how the 2013 death of the band's founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman affected his relationship with Araya. Kerry responded: "I think Jeff's passing weighed harder on Tom than it did me. And I don't mean that from any kind of friendship perspective. It's just my taking wasn't as bad as Tom took it. Of course it was horrible, and no one ever wanted that to happen, but it really weighed on Tom. I think that's what led to him wanting to retire earlier than me, because I think he felt the band was different. But then, out of nowhere, Tom decided he wanted to play some [SLAYER] shows last year, and I went, 'Well, I never wanted to stop playing shows. So, yeah, let's try it out.'"

King continued: "Just like it was in [the earlier years of] SLAYER, [Tom and I] don't talk on the phone. We rarely text each other. And that's just because when you're together for 40 years — he became a very different person. He's not the guy I started the band with. Not personally — just him; he's a different person. I basically stayed very similar to who I've been in my twenties. And I like Tom. We're cool. We got together [last year to rehearse for the SLAYER reunion concerts]. It wasn't weird. We did those two shows [at Riot Fest in Chicago and Aftershock festival in Sacramento]. He was super happy. We got together after the second one, had a shot after the show. He'll drink tequila and I love tequila, so that's what we had. And I think the first idea to play [with SLAYER again] this year was for the [Louder Than Life festival] show we missed last year 'cause of the hurricane. So we rebooked that and [I] said, 'If we never play another show, I wanna make that right with the promoter,' because it wasn't our fault. But he wanted us to play. So we're playing there this year. And this year we get to play that BLACK SABBATH show [in early July in Birmingham, United Kingdom]. I can't fucking wait."

In January 2011 Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Back in February 2024, Kerry was asked by Rolling Stone how he found out Araya wanted to retire. King said at the time: "We were on tour and some kid was interviewing him, and he said something about, 'I've got to get together with Kerry and talk before we talk about the next record.' He should have just said, 'I'm probably not going to do another record,' or had that conversation with me before he mentioned anything like that. I was just assuming, 'Oh fuck, what's this going to be?' And it was, 'I'm done.' Not what I expected. But if you made that decision, I'm not going to try to talk you out of it because your heart's not going to be in it anyway."

Regarding why Araya had decided to retire, King said: "I think just the wear and tear of the road. I think he wanted to be home. None of us are real spotlight seekers, but he's certainly not. And when Jeff was around, he was like a hermit. He did not want fame. I tolerate fame. Somebody's got to be that guy."

Kerry also confirmed that personality differences contributed to SLAYER's eventual split.

"Me and Tom have never been on the same page," he said. "Like if I want a chocolate shake, he wants a vanilla shake. 'Kerry, what color is the sky?' Blue. 'Tom, what color is the sky?' White. We're just different people. The further on in years we got, it just became more.

"Am I going to hang out with Tom? He likes tequila a little bit and I'm a big tequila-head, so I'll have my shot with him, and we'll part ways," he continued. "We're not going to hang out or anything because we are very different people. And together, we made great music and a great live show."

Rolling Stone asked King if his and Araya's differing political ideologies played a part in SLAYER's split. In 2017, Araya used SLAYER's official Instagram account to make a post about then newly elected U.S. president Donald Trump, stirring up a huge backlash from the band's fanbase.

"I was super pissed off at that — but not enough to fucking quit my band," King said of the incident. "I was like, 'Dude, that's what your personal social media is for. You're the only one in this band that gives a shit about this idiot, and when you put it up there, we're all backing him.' And I am not [backing Trump], Gary's [Holt, SLAYER guitarist] not, Paul [Bostaph, SLAYER drummer] is not. That's your opinion, not ours. I would never do that to you."

Prior to SLAYER's 2024 reunion, King told Rolling Stone that he and Tom had not had any contact since the last show of SLAYER's farewell tour in 2019. "Not even a text. Not even an e-mail," he said. "I've talked to everybody else from the band on the phone, text, or e-mail. If Tom hit me up, I'd probably respond. It probably depends on what he hit me up for, but I don't wish him dead at this moment."

SLAYER's only U.S. East Coast performance in 2025 will take place on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Hershey, Pennsylvania's 30,000-seat Hersheypark Stadium.

Universal Music Japan has announced that all 20 original albums by rock legends Aerosmith, who have won four Grammy Awards and whose best-selling albums have been certified diamond, will be reissued in mini-LP paper jackets. The following is a translated press release.

On August 23, 2021, Aerosmith signed a worldwide distribution deal with Universal Music Group, and two years later, on August 18, 2023, the band released their monumental all-time best album, Greatest Hits, in multi-format format to mark the 50th anniversary of their debut. Released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Aerosmith as America’s greatest rock band, Greatest Hits features a number of innovative hits that the band has released over the past five decades since the 1970s, and has been a worldwide best-seller.

To commemorate the first reissue of their back catalogue in Japan after moving to Universal Music, all 20 of Aerosmith’s original albums will be reissued in mini-LP paper jacket style, with each era divided into four parts. This reissue is based on the original artwork and reproduces the obi specifications from the first release in Japan, making it a must-have for fans. Aerosmith’s back catalogue has been reissued many times and has been listened to by fans around the world across generations, but this time the band has supervised the artwork, and bonus tracks selected by the band will be added to each title. This is the first time that bonus tracks have been added to the reissue of Aerosmith’s original albums. This paper jacket collection officially authorized by Aerosmith has become even more valuable with the addition of various rare tracks as bonus tracks, and it is an item that fans around the world will be paying attention to.

The first wave, scheduled for release on Wednesday, July 30th, will include the first seven albums from their time with Columbia in the US. The original artwork of Aerosmith’s debut album, Aerosmith, released in 1973, will be reproduced as it was when it was first released in the US, and will also include a translation of the English liner notes that were on the back of the LP jacket. All seven albums have been remastered by Ryan Smith in 2013.

After the first wave, which will be released on Wednesday, July 30th, the second wave will include four albums from their time with Geffen, the third wave will include four albums from after their return to Columbia in the US, and the fourth wave will include five live albums.

Additionally, as a bonus for purchasing at Tower Records (including online/excluding some stores), an A4-sized clear file featuring an original illustration by Sumiko Arai, the author of the comic “Kininatte ni Hito ga Otoko Jananai” (“The Guy I’m Into Isn’t a Guy.”). This comic has attracted attention for featuring songs by not only Aerosmith but also Western artists, and is also set to be made into an anime. The original illustration shows the two main characters of the comic listening to an Aerosmith album in a car.

First Wave titles:

Aerosmith (1973)
Get Your Wings (1974)
Toys In The Attic (1975)
Rocks (1976)
Draw The Line (1977)
Night In The Ruts (1979)
Rock In A Hard Place (1982)

Second Wave titles:

Done With Mirrors (1985)
Permanent Vacation (1987)
Pump (1989)
Get A Grip (1993)

Third Wave titles:

Nine Lives (1997)
Just Push Play (2001)
Honkin’ On Bobo (2004)
Music Grom Another Dimension! (2012)

Fourth Wave titles:

Live! Bootleg (1978)
Classics Live I (1986)
Classics Live II (1987)
A Little South Of Sanity (1998)
Rockin’ The Joint (2005)

All titles in the first wave are SHM-CD editions.

First Wave Bonus Tracks:



Aerosmith (1973)

“Movin’ Out” (Alternate Version)
“Write Me A Letter” (Live Version)
“Walkin’ The Dog” (Live Radio Broadcast, WKRQ Cincinnati, 1971)



Get Your Wings (1974)

“Lord Of The Thighs” (Live, Texxas Jam ’78)
“Rattlesnake Shake” (Live Radio Broadcast, WKRQ, 1971)
“Major Barbara” (Recorded in Boston, 1971)



Toys In The Attic (1975)

“Helter Skelter” (Recorded at Great Northern Studios, 1975)
“Big Ten Inch Record” (Live, Texxas Jam ’78)
“Adam’s Apple” (Live, 1977)



Rocks (1976)

“Last Child” (Remix)
“All Your Love”
“Kings And Queens” (Live, Boston Music Hall, March 28, 1978)



Draw The Line (1977)

“Krawhitham”
“I Wanna Know Why” (Live, Texxas Jam ’78)
“Draw The Line” (Remix)



Night In The Ruts (1979)

“I Live In Connecticut” (Rehearsal from 1979)
“Come Together”
“Let It Slide” (Rehearsal from “Cheese Cake” sessions)



Rock In A Hard Place (1982)

“Riff & Roll” (From the Rock In A Hard Place sessions, 1981–1982)

STRYPER guitarist Oz Fox will sit out the band's upcoming Latin American tour on advice of his doctor.

The 64-year-old musician, who underwent a brain surgery in May 2024, will once again be temporarily replaced by Howie Simon (JEFF SCOTT SOTO, GRAHAM BONNET),who previously filled in for Fox on several tours in the past.

Earlier today (Monday, July 7),STRYPER released the following statement via social media: "Following recent medical advice, Oz Fox has been advised to avoid extended or intense touring. With his full support, STRYPER will tour Latin America this summer with guitarist Howie Simon, who has filled in previously. Oz may still be able to join us for occasional one-off or weekend shows, but longer trips are not recommended. We appreciate your prayers for Oz and his medical team, and we look forward to seeing you in July."

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet added in a Facebook post: "Keep up your prayers for Oz Fox".

Oz's brain surgery forced him to sit out STRYPER's spring 2024 "To Hell With The Amps" acoustic tour.

In 2018, Fox fell during an onstage performance as a result of a seizure. Doctors soon discovered the musician had two tumors in his brain. By August 2019, Fox said the tumors had grown.

Fox's two tumors — one by his ear and the other in the back of his brain — were discovered when he suffered his first seizure in August 2018 while performing with SIN CITY SINNERS at Harrah's in Las Vegas.

In October 2020, Fox was briefly hospitalized after suffering another massive seizure.

Within weeks of Fox's original August 2018 seizure, STRYPER toured Australia and Japan as a three-piece, and later recruited Simon to fill in while Fox was unable to go on the road.

STRYPER's latest album, "When We Were Kings", came out last September via Frontiers Music Srl.

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour took place last fall.

Formed 42 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 other albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil", "Even The Devil Believes" and "The Final Battle".

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

Announcement regarding Oz Fox.

Posted by Stryper on Monday, July 7, 2025

In a new interview with Ken Dashow of New York's Q104.3 radio station, BAD COMPANY drummer Simon Kirke spoke about the recent passing of the band's founding guitarist Mick Ralphs. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've got mixed feelings about it, because I loved him, but he had no quality of life. I saw him last year. As most people know, he suffered a stroke about nine years ago that rendered him [paralyzed on] the whole left side. So he couldn't play guitar anymore. His final years were painful and painful to witness. And I called him up on his birthday last March 31st, a couple of months ago. He couldn't talk, but I just told him I loved him. And you can't really say anything more than that."

Simon continued: "[Legendary American guitarist] B.B. King said a great thing years ago. He said when you like a musician, it's much easier to work with him than working with geniuses. And I've worked with geniuses. And B.B. King is a hundred percent right. Mick was a great guitarist — don't get me wrong; he was a very, very good lead guitarist, good rhythm guitarist, wrote great songs — but above all that, I just liked being with him. And we were together pretty much from day one through all the different lineups. Mick was always there. And [he was] one of the funniest guys I'll ever remember."

Kirke also confirmed that Ralphs was aware that he was going to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of BAD COMPANY in November. Simon said: "Well, apparently before [Mick's] speech completely left him, when he got the news, which I think was about six weeks ago, he sort of mumbled to his wife. She said, 'Mick, BAD COMPANY is finally in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.' And Mick said, 'Does that mean we get free hot dogs?' Go figure. After 50 years of waiting, that was his first statement: Does that mean we get free hot dogs?"

Ralphs died last month at the age of 81. He had a stroke days after what would be his final performance with BAD COMPANY at London's O2 Arena in 2016, and had been bedridden ever since.

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

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

Keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman CBE has announced the postponement of his "Strictly Wakeman" U.S. tour so that he can undergo surgery "to correct an ongoing health issue".

The nine-date trek was scheduled to kick off later this month and was slated to feature Hayley Sanderson, who is one of the vocalists on the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing".

In a statement, Wakeman's spokesperson said: "It is with great regret that Rick Wakeman has to postpone his 'Strictly Wakeman' tour of the U.S. with Hayley Sanderson in July, as his doctors have recommended that he undergo surgery this month to correct an ongoing health issue.

"Please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for any rescheduled dates. When further information about the shows is available, ticket holders will be informed. Rick's U.K. tour with the English Rock Ensemble in October and other ongoing commitments are not affected."

Over the decades, the 76-year-old father of six has suffered three heart attacks (all before the age of 25),pleurisy, hepatitis, pneumonia, cirrhosis of the liver, a high-speed motorway crash and a nervous breakdown.

When the July dates were first announced, they were billed as an all-new show featuring "music specially adapted for piano and vocals".

The trek would have marked the first time Wakeman had toured with a female singer.

"Hayley is great to work with, as she has the talent to feel the music in such a way as to make all the arrangements seamless," Rick said at the time.

"Hayley and I have never worked in concert with just the piano and voice, and so it opens up opportunities for new arrangements of pieces from rare albums."

Wakeman's "The Return Of The Caped Crusader Pt. 2" tour will kick off on October 12 at Aylesbury Waterside and run through to October 29 at the Bristol Beacon. On this run of dates, Wakeman will perform his solo albums "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII" and "The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table".

Rick first started establishing a reputation as one of rock's most original and proficient keyboard players in the late '60s, when he worked with the likes of David Bowie, Cat Stevens, Marc Bolan, Lou Reed, Al Stewart, Elton John and other artists too numerous to mention, as a much-in-demand session player. He stepped out of the recording studio and into the limelight when he first joined THE STRAWBS and then YES, helping to make the latter the most successful progressive rock band in the world by contributing to seminal albums such as "Fragile" and "Close To The Edge".

But outside of YES, Rick was really able to unleash his creativity with a series of groundbreaking concept albums, "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII", "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth" and "The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table", which have been performed in large-scale shows featuring bands, orchestras and choirs.

However, he is equally at home as a solo artist in up close environment of concert halls, performing music on a piano — both his own and tunes that have a special resonance for him — and recounting wickedly funny stories taken from the length of his career. In recent years, he has added a rack of electric keyboards to ring the changes and enable him to enlarge his live solo repertoire.

Wakeman has reportedly played on more than 2,000 records, including such classics as Cat Stevens's "Morning Has Broken" and David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and "Life On Mars".

In a new interview with Clint Switzer of the On The Road To Rock podcast, FEMME FATALE frontwoman Lorraine Lewis spoke about the band's recently released comeback single, "Living Like There's No Tomorrow".

Available on via Cleopatra Records, "Living Like There's No Tomorrow" was written by Lewis and TRIXTER guitarist/vocalist Steve Brown, who also produced the song at his Mojo Vegas 6160 studio in New Jersey. The track was engineered by Brown and Scott Gutierezz and was mixed by Bruno Ravel.

The official Vicente Cordero-directed music video for "Living Like There's No Tomorrow" can be seen below.

Regarding the overall vibe of FEMME FATALE's new single, Lorraine said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This song just amplifies and explains and expresses where I'm at, what I'm doing, how I feel. And I want it to be contagious, because it's a feel-good summer song. And I wanted to come out with something banging."

She continued: "I'm so excited to be working with Steve Brown. He's amazing. And it just feels good. It just feels like you need to be driving with the top down and all of that and meeting your friends and Bartles & Jaymes, whatever it is people drink. I don't know if those are even around anymore, but it's a party song and it's a feel-good song. And the video does amplify and express how I'm feeling. Jumping out of the plane, it just had to happen. I've wanted to do that for a long time. And, yeah, I was happy as hell to do that. Yeah, it was amazing. I'll do it again. I'll definitely do it again… I think everybody should do it. It was so exhilarating. I was completely buzzing."

Lewis added: "I'm just gonna say it — I don't do blow, I don't do cocaine. However, back in the day, in college, definitely did, and that's what it felt like. I felt like I was buzzing, like my whole body was electricity for about an hour and a half after I was done. It was so great. And I almost forgot that I did it because you do it and you're just on such a high, and then, you go on to the next thing. And I kind of forgot until they did that trailer — Cleopatra cut that trailer for the video and I was like, 'Oh, damn, I did that. That's me.' [Laughs]"

Asked if she knew right away after getting fired from VIXEN in early 2024 that she was going to resurrect FEMME FATALE, Lorraine said: "[It was] two-sided. It was a jolt, for sure, and it was, like, I was wobbly for a minute. 'What just happened? Let me hold on to this wall.' And so I did that for a minute. and then in regular 'me' fashion, it's, like, 'Okay. Let's go.' That's what I do. Roadblock, let's go this way. Tree falling down, let's go this way. Fire in the road, let's go this way. And that's just always how I've lived my life.

"When I came onto the planet, when I'm leaving, I'm here to have a good time and I'm here to just live my life to the fullest with my foot on the gas and keep on going," she explained. "And so I was so elated that Steve Brown called me. Steve Brown called me about a year ago. He just said, 'Let's make a record.' And, Steve, you know that you own my heart with that, because a lot of people were reaching out and this and that and 'let's do this'. And I was just not quite sure what to do. But when he called and said, 'Let's make a record,' and he was so confident and just knew what he wanted to do with me, and then he sent the song — he sent me the chorus of this song — and it was a no-brainer. I mean, it's a hook and a half. And then the rest of it really wrote itself. And it really was about a lot of the things I was going through and also that I think other people have gone through. And you just have to remind yourself of who the F you are. The lyric of 'I know how you feel 'cause I've already been there.' Look, I'm getting emotional. [Laughs] But I know what it feels like. I know what it feels like. I know what it's been like. I know what it's like to get people pulled away from you. I've been married a bunch of times, and like I know what that's like. I know what it feels like, and I can be empathetic with people. And that's what that lyric is. It's, like, I do know how you feel, and I'm right here with you. And you know the lyric of 'you can count on me to get you straight in the middle of your nightmare. You can count on me to get you right 'cause I've already been there.'"

On the topic of the musicians who will join her when it's time for FEMME FATALE to hit the road, Lewis said: "My perfect FEMME FATALE band to tour with is Sean McNabb on bass, Matt Starr on drums, [guitarist] Joel Hoekstra, who has agreed to be in the band, although he has told me, Cher takes number one spot and now he's got this thing going on with WHITESNAKE and he's busy. And he does his Christmas deal [with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA]. So he is really busy and he is really sought after. He has played on one track. It is not this one, but he has played on one track, and he's playing on another. And I'm really stoked about that. So, look, I'll get them when I get them. When the touring starts and the stars line up, I'll get them when I get them. But I will need to have different players at different times. When I go overseas, I'll probably use a local band. Steve Brown will come along whenever he can. But it's not like back in the day when you had a band and you are one for all, all for one, and you lived in a band house. I mean, those days are long gone. So I'm just thrilled that I have the music, I have the record deal with Cleopatra. I'm not going anywhere. I can't wait to get back out on tour."

FEMME FATALE released a self-titled MCA album in 1988 which produced two big rock singles and MTV videos: "Waiting For The Big One" and "Falling In And Out of Love".

The 66-year-old Lewis reactivated FEMME FATALE after a nearly six-year run as the lead vocalist of VIXEN, whom she was invited to join in 2019. Lorraine has also been recording with Lou Gramm, the original FOREIGNER lead singer and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer. They have recorded an interpretation of David Bowie's "Heroes" for release later this year.

Lewis was fired from VIXEN in May 2024 and was replaced by Rosa Laricchiuta.

In January 2019, VIXEN recruited Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.

Lewis had already performed with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma while Gardner was recovering from surgery.

A collection of demos for what was supposed to be FEMME FATALE's second album, "One More For The Road", was released in 2016 via FnA Records. The demos were recorded back in 1989/1990 with the original bandmembers and had never seen the light of day until more than a quarter century later.

"One More For The Road" contained 14 tracks, including a version of Janis Joplin's "Piece Of My Heart".

FEMME FATALE released a live album in April 2024, "Demos + Live", that also included five demo tracks and a cover of AC/DC's "It's A Long Way To The Top".

On May 5, 2025, thrash metal legend Gary Holt stopped by Rock City Music Company in Livonia (located in the western suburbs of Metro Detroit),Michigan to celebrate the release of his new memoir "A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage To Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way". Gary participated in a moderated interview which touched on his career with both EXODUS and SLAYER, his struggles with substance abuse and more. Gary also discusses his obsession with bad reality TV, EXODUS road stories, how he got the call for the SLAYER gig, blowing METALLICA off the stage and even offers advice to up-and-coming players.

Regarding how the idea for his memoir came about, Holt said: "I'd been asked several times over the years if I was interested in it, and I always wanted to do it and I wanted to do it entirely my own, writing-wise. But time — how often do you have time to do that when you're doing everything else? And my co-writer, Adem Tepedelen, he hit me up about it. And I said, 'All right, let's kind of sit down and talk and see how it goes. 'Cause you're pulling a lot of scabs off and exposing yourself. And you've gotta be comfortable. And I wanted it written well, for one. I wanted it to make you cringe when it's supposed to make you cringe. I wanted you to laugh when it's funny. And I think we kind of accomplished that. And I was real comfortable with Adem. And when we started it, I gave him two pages of these three-word sentences that would trigger an entire story. So I didn't have to write down these great details — just these little catchphrases that EXODUS has always used to remember things. So he'd ask me, like, 'What about this?' 'Oh, damn, you won't believe it.' And there's so many stories that didn't make this book."

When the interviewer noted that Holt's book is more honest than most rock autobiographies, Gary concurred. "Well, as honest as I can be concerning myself," he said. "I didn't want to like dig up the skeletons for other people. So I left those bodies buried. But I was more than happy to be the grave digger for myself, because I've got nothing to hide. So, yeah, I don't think there's really any secrets in there. Maybe just the level of detail."

"A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage To Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way" — which features a foreword by former EXODUS and current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett — was released on April 1 via Hachette Books.

In the book, Holt presents an entertaining, personal memoir detailing his "destruction-laden" life and the origins of the thrash metal scene from the San Francisco Bay Area to its world dominance.

Since exploding out of the Bay Area heavy metal scene in the 1980s, thrash metal has made its way to every corner of the globe, conquering worldwide charts year after year. As the guitarist and primary songwriter of EXODUS, and an originator of the subgenre and one of its fiercest proponents, Gary Holt watched as his peers — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX — soared to superstardom. As his fellow artists amassed millions of fans and record sales, EXODUS's albums received critical recognition and inspired generations of listeners but struggled to reach the same heights of success, as the band was plagued by years of bad management, bad luck, and bad decision-making.

In "A Fabulous Disaster", written in collaboration with Adem Tepedelen, Holt shares a deeply personal account of what it was like to "live fast, play fast, and crash hard" as thrash metal dominated the globe. Readers witness his highest of highs and lowest of lows as Holt and his bandmates juggle major label contracts, MTV-sponsored tours and festivals, growing addictions to alcohol and meth, and the departures of original members. In the throes of addiction, Holt's own fall from grace is swift: one year he's playing on the MTV "Headbanger's Ball Tour" with ANTHRAX and HELLOWEEN, and the next he's struggling to find minimum wage jobs as he battles drugs, divorce, and the impending collapse of his music career. Ultimately, after the tragic death of one of his closest friends and former bandmates — Holt realizes the only one who can save him is himself.

An "unadulterated odyssey through decades of insanity," punctuated by Holt's unique insight and knack for storytelling, "A Fabulous Disaster" is a thrill ride from start to finish. His story proves that redemption — even from the pits of rock 'n' roll excess — is always possible.

Tepedelen is an award-winning journalist covering metal for over thirty years for Decibel, Revolver, RollingStone.com, and many others. He's written and co-written numerous books, including "The Brewtal Truth to Extreme Beers" and "Mud Ride: A Messy Trip Through the Grunge Explosion" (with MUDHONEY guitarist Steve Turner).

In a 2024 interview with Mike Palm of TribLIVE, Holt said about his memoir: "I had thought about doing a book for a long time. Just my career arc is very different. Most of your rock books involve starting out, mass success, huge drug use and alcoholism and a spiral down, then redemption. Mine's different. I had moderate success, completely out of music, complete drug addict, and then the redemption. It's really close to the finished stages now. I read the latest version of it. It made me cry a couple of times. It made me cringe a bunch of times because there's some really cringy [expletive] going on. And it made me laugh. It's laugh, cry, on the edge of your seat, like any good movie. That's all you could ask for."

Asked if there were any stories that he left out of the book, Holt said: "I left out anything that would be horrible to a lot of people I know, because if I turned it into a tell-all, I know where all the bodies are buried in thrash metal. I could expose everything. But no one would tell me all that stuff anymore, because Gary's a blabbermouth and he just shared it with the world. I peel the layers back on myself heavily, just like I always have. But I'm protecting the innocent to a large degree. I'm not going into detail about other people's stuff. That's for their own books. And that's their own decision, whether they want to share some of that stuff. And anytime it did involve bandmates, I ran it past them. Some stuff is not a secret, the drug use and all that. … I left tons of stuff out, stuff that would have made the most riveting chapters on Earth, but it would've been damaging to people I care about. And I don't mind damaging myself, because it's my story."

When Holt first shared the news of his memoir on social media in March 2023, he wrote: "Super stoked!!! The announcement in book circles has gone out today, so I'm sharing it in MY circle! The book about my life is under way, from the beginnings of EXODUS and thrash metal, to the drug fueled fall, to the unexpected and tragic circumstances that led me to @slayerbandofficial to the bounce back to Madison Square Garden with and @exodusbandofficial charting at number 20 on the MAIN Billboard charts, all will be told! No holds barred, all the lows and highs will be retold! Been a project very close to me, and I'm stoked to be working with @ademtepedelen_ @lauramazer @bschafer714 @hachettebooks and @wendysherman to make this a reality!"

Holt joined EXODUS in 1981, shortly after the band's formation, and has been the group's main songwriter ever since. Holt has performed on every EXODUS album, and is considered highly influential in the world of thrash metal.

Holt began filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at live shows in 2011, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS. Holt played on SLAYER's final album, "Repentless", which came out in 2015.

In a June 2012 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, SLAYER's Kerry King stated about Holt: "I always regard Gary as the Glenn Tipton of our era — really good, really polished and nobody talks about him. To this day, nobody really references [JUDAS] PRIEST and Tipton that much as guitar players and I feel the same way about Gary. EXODUS have a huge following but a little more overlooked than METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX — the 'Big Four,' so to speak, so [it is great] to be able to bring him to the forefront and shove him down people's throats and say, 'Hey, this motherfucker kicks ass. Pay attention.'"

EXODUS's latest album, "Persona Non Grata", came out in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. A follow-up effort is expected in 2026.

"Persona Non Grata" was the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

This past January, Souza was fired from EXODUS and was once again replaced by Dukes.

Rock City Music Company is a music mecca in the metro Detroit area. Offering new and used instruments and vinyl records, repairs, lessons and more. In its nearly 10-year history, Rock City Music Company has hosted over 60 artist in-store signing events with legends such as Geddy Lee (RUSH),Alice Cooper, Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER),Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and Steve Gorman (THE BLACK CROWES),just to name a few.

Who’s ready for an event?!?

We are so excited to welcome back the one and only Gary Holt for a special “Evening With”...

Posted by Rock City Music Company on Monday, April 14, 2025

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, two days after the BLACK SABBATH singer played his final show as part of the "Back To The Beginning" event at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Earlier today (Monday, July 7),Erna took to his social media to share photos of him with Ozzy and Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon, and he included the following message: "Dear @ozzyosbourne & @sharonosbourne, it's hard to believe this moment in time has finally come. Where yet another childhood hero of mine has taken his final bow.

"For all of you who may not know, these two incredible people changed my life and the trajectory of my bands life forever, when they made a decision in 1999 to take a young band called GODSMACK on tour with the Ozzfest," he continued. " Then again, later that same year when we were asked to support BLACK SABBATH, touring the world and gaining more and more popularity through Ozzy's fan base. And a third run on Ozzfest 2000!

"Thank you for giving us that opportunity and changing our lives forever. For helping us find our own life and career in music. Like so many artists, I love you for being a major part of my rock 'n' roll family and memories.

"It's hard to believe we won't see you on stage again, but what an incredible run you have BOTH had," Erna added. "You Ozzy, for being the absolute metal warrior that you have been to all of us our entire lives. Standing tall, mesmerizing and commanding tens of thousands of people every night on stage, fearlessly and unapologetically. And for you Sharon, because we all know you are the mastermind, the rock and the glue that held Ozzy together all these years, keeping him healthy, motivated and focused, so he was able to give us as many decades of absolutely incredible music and performances that he has.

"I'm humbled enough to know that I'm nothing but a tiny grain of sand next to every artist and fan in the world who admires and loves you Ozzy, and how many people you have touched deeply through your music and dedication. But I am so proud and honored to be that little grain of sand that's connected to the mountain that you are!

"With Love & Respect, Hail the Prince of darkness!"

According to The Guardian, "Back To The Beginning" was livestreamed to more than five million fans worldwide.

Ozzy played a five-song set with his solo band — consisting of guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Mike Inez, keyboardist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos — before being joined by fellow original BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar),Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) for four classic SABBATH songs: "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "N.I.B." and "Paranoid".

Ozzy's solo set consisted of four songs from Osbourne's 1980 solo debut album "Blizzard Of Ozz" — "I Don't Know", "Mr. Crowley", "Suicide Solution" and "Crazy Train" — along with his 1991 "No More Tears" ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home".

The 76-year-old heavy metal singer, who has Parkinson's disease, sang while seated on a black throne and appeared overcome with emotion at times. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd.

At the end of SABBATH's set, Ozzy said: "It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts." Osbourne was then presented with a cake, while fireworks lit up the stadium from overhead.

A message on screen then read, "Thank you for everything, you guys are fucking amazing. Birmingham Forever," before the sky lit up with fireworks.

More than 40,000 fans attended the event, which also saw performances from METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, LAMB OF GOD and ANTHRAX, among others. Profits from the show will be shared equally between the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

There was also an online auction benefiting those charities. Items up for bid included two Gibson guitars signed by performers, a GUNS N' ROSES pinball machine, several gold record and CD displays including BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid", LED ZEPPELIN's "Physical Graffiti" and METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets", plus more than a dozen travel packages.

A livestream of the daylong event was announced in June. While it was called a livestream, the video was delayed two hours from the in-arena start time.

Livestream tickets were priced $29.99, which got you live viewing and access to video for 48 hours. The livestream and T-shirt bundle was priced $64.98. It got you event viewing and a "Back To The Beginning" T-shirt.

"Back To The Beginning" was captured, produced and distributed by Mercury Studios ("One To One: John & Yoko", "American Symphony", "Metallica Saved My Life"). Mercury has partnered with Kiswe — the global D2C streaming partner behind the record-breaking BTS concert livestream — to deliver this moment of music history to fans across the globe.

The all-day event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, was hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa.

Curated by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, the event featured arguably the greatest lineup of rock and metal bands ever assembled on one day.

Two hastily assembled supergroups — dubbed Supergroup A and Supergroup B — performed at the event, with EXTREME's Nuno Bettencourt taking part in a five-song set of covers, while ex-Ozzy guitarist Jake E. Lee made an appearance for covers of "The Ultimate Sin" and "Shot In The Dark". Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing joined Morello, Billy Corgan (SMASHING PUMPKINS) and Adam Jones (TOOL) for a rendition of PRIEST's "Breaking The Law", while LIVING COLOUR's Vernon Reid hopped onstage for a cover of Ozzy's "Bark At The Moon", with GHOST's Papa V Perpetua (a.k.a. Tobias Forge) handling lead vocals.

Dear @ozzyosbourne & @sharonosbourne, it's hard to believe this moment in time has finally come. Where yet another...

Posted by Sully Erna on Monday, July 7, 2025

The day after LAMB OF GOD took the stage at Ozzy Osbourne's "Back To The Beginning" farewell concert — where the Richmond, Virginia metallers covered BLACK SABBATH's "Children Of The Grave" — LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe took to his social media to write: "I do not have the words to explain what merely being at, much less performing at, BLACK SABBATH's final show yesterday felt like. I'm still trying to process it- it's crazy.

"I have been in my band for 30 years now, and I have played many, many shows in that time. But the overwhelming energy at this show— in the audience, in the backstage area, and onstage (because I was in all 3 areas at different times)— was something I have never felt before, and I know I never will again. It was something DIFFERENT, something very, very special.

"If you play in a heavy metal band, or are a fan of any heavy metal music, then know that your roots lay in Birmingham, starting way back in 1968 with four working class Englishmen named Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, & Bill Ward. They created this. PERIOD. For those of us who make this music, there will never be another chance to play with the original creators again. That was IT… & it was amazing.

"If you were there in the audience, you should know that every single band member I talked to- from MASTODON who opened the show up all the way to METALLICA who played right before Ozzy- was nervous to go onstage… & I do mean EVERYONE (God knows I was.) It a sign of our respect for the dudes who created this music that we all felt this way. We all wanted to honor them, to show respect, to thank them for this wild-ass life that they have given us, and to do justice to their tunes— all of us get to travel the world & play this music because of what these four guys started. Then to see those four guys give it one last glorious whirl, four songs… it was earth shattering.

"So thank you BLACK SABBATH, thank you Birmingham, & thank you to all the fans who came out yesterday to help us give SABBATH a proper send off. We also raised A LOT of money yesterday for 3 different charities- Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, & Acorn Children's Hospice. None of the bands took a single penny for this gig- hell, none of us even got a guestlist! I am so happy to have witnessed it & beyond grateful to have been asked to be a part of it. A simply unbelievable day…"

"Back To The Beginning" took place on Saturday, July 5 in BLACK SABBATH's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The nine-hour event, hosted by actor Jason Momoa at Villa Park, saw over a dozen bands play at least one BLACK SABBATH or Ozzy Osbourne cover as they paid homage to the SABBATH singer, who has Parkinson's disease.

Hours after LAMB OF GOD's performance at "Back To The Beginning", the band released a studio version of "Children Of The Grave" on streaming music services.

"LAMB OF GOD being invited to perform with BLACK SABBATH at their final show is one of the greatest honors of our career," LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton said in a statement. "As an offering to the celebration, we've recorded our take on their classic 'Children Of The Grave', a protest song with lyrics that are as relevant today as they were in 1971 when the original was released.”

"BLACK SABBATH invented heavy metal and in doing so, they changed the world," Morton continued. "This genre that they created brings immeasurable joy to fans all over the world. We are so grateful to have the heavy metal community to call our home, and so grateful to BLACK SABBATH for the gift of their music that they've given to all of us."

Curated by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, "Back To The Beginning" featured arguably the greatest lineup of rock and metal bands ever assembled on one day.

The concert for Ozzy Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease several years ago and billed the event as his final onstage performance, marked the first time original BLACK SABBATH bandmembers — Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — performed together in 20 years.

More than 40,000 fans attended "Back To The Beginning", which also saw performances from Ozzy's solo band, GUNS N' ROSES, METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX, among others. Profits from the show will be shared equally between the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

There was also an online auction benefiting those charities. Items up for bid included two Gibson guitars signed by performers, a GUNS N' ROSES pinball machine, several gold record and CD displays including BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid", LED ZEPPELIN's "Physical Graffiti" and METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets", plus more than a dozen travel packages.

In the final segment, Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward performed a set of classic SABBATH songs "War Pigs", "N.I.B.", "Iron Man" and "Paranoid". Osbourne, who had performed from a black-winged throne, was then presented with a cake, while fireworks lit up the stadium from overhead.

At the end of the set, Ozzy said: "It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

A message on screen then read, "Thank you for everything, you guys are fucking amazing. Birmingham Forever," before the sky lit up with fireworks.

A livestream of the daylong event was announced in June. While it was called a livestream, the video was delayed two hours from the in-arena start time.

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KING DIAMOND has been forced to cancel four shows on its ongoing spring/summer 2025 European tour after the band's namesake singer was diagnosed with strep throat, the most common bacterial cause of a sore throat.

Earlier today, King Diamond released the following statement via social media: "Hello everyone, King Diamond here. As you may know by now, I was diagnosed with Strep Throat this past Saturday, and told to rest a certain amount of Days. As I have had experience with Strep Throat before, I believe that with the medicine prescribed by the doctor and my own knowledge, I can be back singing before the estimated day. By cutting my recuperation from suggested 14 days to 6, which I feel might work in this case, we could be back performing this Thursday, July 10 in Athens, Greece. Send me a Devil's prayer or two and I shall do my utmost for this to happen."

As a result of King's diagnosis, KING DIAMOND was forced to cancel shows on July 5 at Rockmaraton festival in Dunaújváros, Hungary, July 6 at Arena Wien in Vienna, Austria, July 8 at Arenale Romane in Bucharest, Romania and July 9 at Arena Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria.

KING DIAMOND launched its spring/summer 2025 European tour on June 4 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden.

The band's lineup for the current trek consists of King Diamond on lead vocals, Andy La Rocque and Mike Wead on guitars, Pontus Egberg on the bass, and Matt Thompson on drums. Greek female vocalist Hel Pyre, who previously played bass for NERVOSA, is handling backing vocals on the trek.

In a recent interview with Finland's Chaoszine, La Rocque spoke about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for KING DIAMOND's forthcoming horror trilogy, part one of which is titled "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920". He said: "Right after the [fall 2024] U.S. tour, we talked about, 'Okay, let's just take a short break and we start working on the next few songs right away,' because we have most of the songs like a demo thing of most of the songs. But then we had some issues with… I'm not gonna go into that, but there were some diseases, people were sick for a long time, and then the time just ran out kind of thing. And then we had to start planning the European tour [for the summer of 2025]. It's, like, 'Wow.' We now will, after going back from this European summer tour, we will just have a short break and then go back into recording the stuff."

Asked if all the lyrics for the next KING DIAMOND album have been written, Andy said: "[KING DIAMOND frontman and namesake has] got all the ideas in [his head]. A lot of lyrics are already done. He's got everything in [his head]. A lot of small Post-it notes everywhere with lyric lines and stuff like that. The whole story is pretty much there. So we just need to start recording the music in a proper way. And we've got demos of a lot of things. I mean, I think I have seven or eight songs kind of already. Demo needs to change, drums need to change, a few things, we could use that. But King also has a lot of ideas and songs. So we'll see how many of my songs will end up on the album — maybe three, maybe four. I don't know. We'll see. But we have a lot of music, that's for sure."

Elaborating on the KING DIAMOND songwriting process, Andy said: "I would say me and King write the music. That's how we want it to be. And we try to write it as complete as possible when we present it to each other. Sometimes it's not complete — it's like a guitar riff, maybe a click track or a drum machine. And sometimes it is kind of complete, except for we need real drums on it because usually on the demos it's like a programmed drum machine, things like that. Sometimes I play the bass, and we want [KING DIAMOND bassist] Pontus [Egberg] to play the bass, of course, but for the demos [I sometimes play the bass] to get the complete picture of what we want. And also I try to make as much of the keyboards as possible too. And same with King. And then when we think that, 'Okay, this might be a good song,' so we'll send it to each other. And then we start doing arrangement. King can call me and say, 'I think you should just take that part out or double that section because that's really good.' So that's how we work out things. And maybe I can tell him, like, 'That solo section or that section of the song is really good to play a solo on, so maybe we can use that instead of what yet have.' Things like that, arrangement-wise."

Andy also talked about the new KING DIAMOND songs "Electro Therapy" and "Spider Lilly" which were first performed during the band's fall 2024 U.S. tour. He said: "We were kind of done with these songs. That's why we decided to try to play them live and see how it works out. And that's what we did. So, for example, 'Spider Lilly' is gonna be on the album. And we play that live. And it's also released on video. So, yeah, that's how we do it. We don't have to wait for a whole album. We thought, 'We need to put out something now for the fans.'"

During the chat, La Rocque addressed his previous comment that he wanted the next KING DIAMOND album to have a more organic sound, similar to how it was on some of the band's early efforts. Asked if he and his bandmates will have to do a lot of "tweaking" in the studio to achieve this sound, Andy said: "Not really. That's what we don't do this time around. We don't do a lot of tweaks to it. It's organic also in the way of the playing is not like copied and pasted, stuff like that. It's more relaxed play. And there might be some things you hear that are like, 'Oh, yeah…' We're gonna keep that… Because that's what we had back in the '80s too when we recorded an album. Everything wasn't perfect — more organic, and not everything triggered and sound like everyone else. But we want a more acoustic, kind of more of the acoustic drums, and stuff like that, to make it a little bit more organic. It doesn't have to be perfect everywhere. It's good, but some things might not be a hundred percent, only 99.99, you know what I'm saying? But that's also to make everything like a more loose or organic feel to it. Of course it's gonna be good. We don't release anything that we're not happy with."

As for when "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920" might see the light of day, Andy said: "We have been talking about we have to have it recorded before Christmas. That's the plan we have. Then if someone gets sick or whatever happens, then if that's not the case, we'll see. But that's the plan we have. We have to record everything by Christmas. So that means it's coming out next spring."

On the topic of KING DIAMOND's touring plans in support of "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920", Andy said: "I don't know. Maybe next fall [we will be back on the road]. I don't know yet. We don't really have any plans with that yet. We'll see. When the album's done, we're gonna start working on a new cycle, so that includes touring. But hopefully, yes."

In a separate interview with Fistful Of Metal magazine, King stated about the status of the long-awaited new KING DIAMOND album: "Well, for starters, the original name that we had picked was 'The Institute'. However, that has now changed to, 'St Lucifer's Hospital 1920', since the start of the U.S. tour. There very well may be a track on the album called 'The Institute'. We were supposed to release the album this year, and in fact the album was supposed to be completely finished prior to the live shows, but I just want to make sure that it's the best material I've ever released. Right now, we are gearing up to film the next video for the single 'Lobotomy', which will definitely be released later this year. Other songs that are completed are an intro track called 'Under The Surface', 'The Institute', 'The Nun', 'Faceless' and, of course, 'Spider Lilly'. There's another track, which I'm not sure is going to be on the album yet, called 'Deep In The Darkness 1920'. Andy has been working on at least five tracks, one of which has as monster chorus that we plan to record with a choir. The plan is that this album will be the first of a trilogy, and I already have all three album titles."

Last December, KING DIAMOND released a studio version of "Spider Lilly". It was a first-time mixing collaboration with Arthur Rizk, who also mastered the track. The music and lyrics were written by King Diamond.

The official music video for "Spider Lilly" was directed by My Good Eye Visuals. Part of the clip was filmed at the very haunted Pennhurst Asylum outside of Philadelphia on a travel day during the band's 2024 North American tour, two days before Halloween. It was only King himself and actress Jodi Cachia who could participate on that specific day, together with producer David Brodsky, Allie Woest and their crew.

KING DIAMOND performed "Spider Lilly" live for the first time at the kick-off concert of the band's 2024 North American headlining tour, which launched on October 15 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. The "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920" trek ran through December 6 in Dallas, Texas. Support came from OVERKILL and NIGHT DEMON. Additional backing vocals for the KING DIAMOND set were provided by the special guest Myrkur.

In November 2024, the KING DIAMOND shows in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (November 20 at Edmonton Convention Center),Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (November 21 at TCU Place),Calgary, Alberta Canada (November 22 at Grey Eagle Event Centre),Portland, Oregon (November 24 at Keller Auditorium) and Seattle, Washington (November 25 at The Moore Theatre) were canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances".

In October 2023, KING DIAMOND released a music video for the 2019 single "Masquerade Of Madness". The clip was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest of My Good Eye Visuals.

A month after KING DIAMOND released "Masquerade Of Madness" in November 2019, La Rocque told The Metal Voice that he came up with the music for the track first before passing it off to King, who "needed to arrange a few things and change just a small few things for making it work with his vocals. And then, of course, he wrote the lyrics for it," the guitarist revealed. "So we [went] a little back and forth until he felt like, 'Okay, this is cool, man. This is the right key to sing in,' and all that."

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the band's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

KING DIAMOND released a DVD/Blu-ray, "Songs For The Dead Live", in January 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The set captured 1987's seminal "Abigail" album in its entirety, twice, and in very different locales: Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015. The performances featured KING DIAMOND's current band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and Matt Thompson.

Hello everyone

King Diamond here. As you may know by now, I was diagnosed with Strep Throat this past Saturday, and...

Posted by King Diamond on Monday, July 7, 2025

Canadian rocker Aldo Nova has been forced to cancel his previously announced shows after suffering a "serious" back injury in a fall.

The news of Nova's injury was revealed in a Facebook post on Sunday (July 6) by Nova's wife. She wrote: "Hello, my name is Sylvia Bechard, and I am Aldo Nova's wife. Due to an unfortunate fall down a flight of stairs, Aldo has suffered a cervical spine fracture at the level of C1, which is a serious injury. Fortunately, he does not need spinal surgery but has to wear a special neckbrace for up to a year depending on his progress. I will keep you updated on a regular basis. Thank you all".

Born Aldo Caporuscio, Aldo launched his career more than 40 years ago with his 1982 double-platinum top ten self-titled debut, "Aldo Nova", and its definitive Hot 100 smash single "Fantasy". On the heels of the platinum-selling "Subject…Aldo Nova" and "Twitch", he emerged as a trusted collaborator for some of the biggest stars in the world. He co-wrote the song "Mr. Big Time" for the soundtrack of the movie "Armageddon" and worked closely withJon Bon Jovi on his soundtrack album for the film "Young Guns 2", writing the signature riff from Jon Bon Jovi's "Blaze Of Glory". Bon Jovi returned the favor by collaborating on Aldo's 1991 "Blood On The Bricks". Working closely with Céline Dion, he penned "A New Day Has Come", "Your Light", "I Can't Fight The Feeling" and "You And I", even garnered a Grammy Award in the category of "Album Of The Year" for co-writing and producing three songs from her diamond-selling album "Falling Into You". Not to mention, his discography also includes writing songs for everyone from Faith Hill, Carole King and Clay Aiken to Garou and BLUE ÖYSTER CULT.

In 2008 Nova embarked on a 14-year journey to create his rock opera "The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage", which was finally finished in March of 2022.

In April 2022, he released his 10-song EP "The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage", a rock opera by Aldo that showcased all-new material. He filmed, produced, and edited three videos for three of the songs from the EP: "Free Your Mind", "Burn Like The Sun" and "King Of Deceit". The videos showcase Aldo in full costume and makeup to give a powerful performance in a more theatrical style.

In April 2022, he also released "Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded", which consisted of all his biggest songs completely redone and turbocharged. Aldo didn't stop there. In May 2022, he released his three-song EP of never-before-released songs called "Short Stories". Then, in June 19 2022, he released his tree-song all-instrumental EP "Sonic Hallucinations", which critics described as three symphonies for aliens. All four albums can be found on every major streaming platform and in CD format everywhere.

Hello, my name is Sylvia Bechard, and I am Aldo Nova's wife. Due to an unfortunate fall down a flight of stairs, Aldo...

Posted by Aldo Nova on Sunday, July 6, 2025

Kevin Riddles, a founding member of ANGEL WITCH, TYTAN and BAPHOMET, died on Friday, July 4 after a battle with cancer. He was 68 years old.

Kevin Heybourne, sole remaining founding member of ANGEL WITCH confirmed Riddles's passing in a social media post earlier today (Monday, July 7). He wrote: "It is with immense sadness that I have to report that Kevin Riddles, our original bass player, passed away on Friday 4th July 2025.

"Kevin was a great guy and we remained mates until the end, he will be greatly missed. Our condolences to his wife Julie. Rest in peace Kev".

The Facebook page of Riddles's BAPHOMET also shared the news of his death.

"It is with great sadness that we have to inform you all of the passing of the one and only Kevin Riddles, original ANGEL WITCH member and bass player. We are all utterly devastated.

"Kevin 'Kev' Riddles passed away peacefully in hospital in the early hours of Friday morning 4th July 2025 An absolute legend in the truest sense of the word, a larger than life character, an incredible and dedicated musician and a very fine and wonderful human being.

"Rest easy big fella."

Riddles was an original member of ANGEL WITCH, involved in the conception and recording of the first classic album "Angel Witch" and other material until leaving in 1982 to form TYTAN. He was there at the beginning of the movement now called New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and was present at gigs in the Music Machine, Marquee and Band Wagon.

BAPHOMET was formed in May 2021 as to revisit the idea of performing the first iconic ANGEL WITCH album and tracks from Riddles era with the band, (1977-1982),staying true to the original old-school sound.

BAPHOMET commenced a first series of gigs and festivals, including Blast From The Past, Headbangers Open Air, Metal Maniacs, British Steel and Keep It True Rising 2.

TYTAN was formed in 1982 by Riddles and drummer Dave Dufort, vocalist Norman "Kal" Swan, and guitarists Steve Gibbs and Stuart Adams. They were are a British heavy metal band considered part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, known for their heavy driving riffs overlaid with epic melodic vocals.

Regarding how the idea for BAPHOMET came about, Riddles told Metal Talk: "[My wife] said, 'Why didn't you do something with that first album? There is the first album plus half a dozen extra songs that I was involved with. ANGEL WITCH still have to play a lot of those songs now, but not all of them."

t is with immense sadness that I have to report that Kevin Riddles, our original bass player passed away on Friday 4th...

Posted by Angel Witch on Monday, July 7, 2025

It is with great sadness that we have to inform you all of the passing of the one and only Kevin Riddles, original...

Posted by Kev Riddles' Baphomet on Sunday, July 6, 2025

The first trailer for the highly anticipated feature film "Wind Of Change", which recently started production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in London, is available below.

Dominic West ("The Crown"),Alexander Dreymon ("The Last Kingdom"),Ludwig Trepte ("Generation War"),Ed Speleers ("You"),David Kross ("The Reader") and Luke Brandon Field ("Interview With The Vampire", "Jojo Rabbit") have been cast in lead roles in the film, which is being directed by Alex Ranarivelo and produced by ESX Entertainment for FOX Entertainment Studios in association with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

"Wind Of Change" is a music biopic chronicling the incredible journey of the legendary rock group the SCORPIONS, with the longest-running and most successful lineup of the band including guitarist Rudolf Schenker (Dreymon),Klaus Meine (Trepte),Matthias Jabs (Speleers) and drummer Herman Rarebell (Field). It tells the story of a band united by their passion for music, who sought to inspire change in the world through their powerful sound and meaningful lyrics. At the heart of the film is their iconic anthem "Wind Of Change", which became the soundtrack to the end of the Cold War, symbolizing hope, peace and unity. Through their music, with hits ranging from "Rock You Like A Hurricane" to "Still Loving You", the SCORPIONS helped bridge the divide between East and West, leaving an indelible mark on history and proving the transformative power of art. West is set to play Doc McGhee, the SCORPIONS famous music manager and Kross will star as Andrej, the band's imprisoned friend on the other side of the Berlin wall.

"It's been an unbelievable journey developing this film and bringing it to life feels surreal" says Ali Afshar, founder and president of ESX Entertainment. "Not only did the SCORPIONS' music help me get through tremendous difficulties as an Iranian immigrant in America in the early '80s, but their message of love, peace and rock 'n' roll seems more relevant today than ever. This cast is an amazing ensemble of truly great talent. I can't thank FOX Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment enough for their support and especially the band — Rudolf, Klaus and Matthias — for believing in us and trusting us to tell their life story."

The SCORPIONS have built a remarkable legacy as one of the most enduring rock bands of the past fifty years. With 110 million albums sold worldwide, they remain one of Germany's most successful musical exports. Their breakout hits like "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and "Wind of Change" continue to resonate, the latter surpassing one billion streams across platforms and remaining a cultural touchstone. Even today, their music regularly appears on rock radio and streaming playlists, and they continue to tour globally. Their staying power has earned them a lasting place in rock history.

"Wind Of Change" is produced by ESX Entertainment's Ali Afshar, Christina Moore and Daniel Aspromonte for FOX Entertainment Studios in association with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film is written by Mark Andrews and directed by Alex Ranarivelo. FOX Entertainment Global retains worldwide distribution rights excluding U.S. and global transactional rights, which Warner Bros. Discovery Global Content Sales will manage.

ESX Entertainment is a prolific production company housed on the Warner Bros. lot that has released over two dozen films since 2017. Their gems have been released in theaters, HBO MAX, Netflix and Amazon, with numerous titles becoming number one hits on these platforms.

This past April, Meine spoke to Igor Miranda of Brazil's Rolling Stone about the band's biopic. Klaus said:  "There's a guy, a producer in Los Angeles, who's working on this project for quite a while. It's very close to his heart. So he is in this with all his heart and passion for rock music and for his love for the SCORPIONS and for our music and for our work of life. And so he wants to make, not a documentary, he wants to make a biopic about the band and tell the story of the band. And hopefully they get it done throughout the next couple months so it will work out with the 60th anniversary of the band. It will be wonderful."

Klaus added: "They will tell the story of the SCORPIONS from a different point of view. He's a Persian producer, lives in Los Angeles, works very close with Warner Brothers for many, many years. Very experienced kind of producer, and he has a great team and they're all in this with their heart and souls, and wanna make a great movie about the band for the fans around the world to share it with us."

In February, Meine told Scorpions Brazil, about the status of "Wind Of Change": "Well, movies [are] also something that takes some time until things get rolling. And right now we hope later this year the biopic will be out all over the world. Right now [they are] working on the script and working on the actors, to find the right characters who play the band. It's not so easy to find five Brad Pitts."

Asked if he and the rest of SCORPIONS are involved in the casting and the screenplay, Klaus said: "Yeah, we participate in the script and when they go for the first checking out who can play Rudolf, Matthias and myself. So we stay in close touch with our friend Ali Afshar, who is the producer of this movie. And he has a great team, and he has a big heart, and he loves the band and he will make a very special biopic, because he's in it, together with this team, really with heart and soul. You can tell."

Meine went on to say that he doesn't know exactly when "Wind Of Change" will be released. "Unfortunately, it's too early," he explained. "They start shooting around May, and then I have no idea. Hopefully in the fall. It would be great. But with these filmmaking issues, you really never know. There are a million things that can go great or can go wrong. So what do we know? We're part of it and we support the team. But they have a clear concept about the movie and the script is pretty cool as well. But if there are things to change along the way… We're part of it, but we stand watching with a lot of excitement. And hopefully it will be as great as the filmmakers think it will be."

When "Wind Of Change" was first announced in June 2024, Afshar said: "The SCORPIONS' music has penetrated our culture in a big way. There is an evocative quality to their sound that is unmatched in the genre, which is one of the reasons hits like 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' and 'Still Loving You' continue to get so much airplay and fill movie soundtracks, and their music continues to connect with a new generation of fans across the globe.

"When my family fled Iran and came to the United States, the SCORPIONS' music changed my life — if not saved it," he continued. "I'm hoping that by telling the SCORPIONS' story, we can bring some of that same inspiration to the world."

SCORPIONS wrote their classic ballad "Wind Of Change" after performing at 1989's Moscow Music Peace Festival in Moscow, where they shared the stage with other hard rock acts like BON JOVI and MÖTLEY CRÜE. The song was inspired by the sight of thousands of Russians cheering them on in 1988 — when they became the first hard rock band to play in Russia — and in 1989, at the aforementioned festival, even though they were a German band.

When the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, "Wind Of Change" accompanied the moving scenes of East Germans passing through the Brandenburg Gate and entering the West for the first time.

In May 2020, a theory that "Wind Of Change" was actually penned by the CIA as a piece of late Cold War propaganda was raised in an eight-part podcast series, also called "Wind Of Change", which premiered on Spotify. The podcast was hosted by New Yorker journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, who said he launched the investigation after hearing a second-hand story from a friend who used to work for the CIA — that "Wind Of Change" was actually written by the CIA to encourage change throughout the Soviet Union.

SCORPIONS' only continuous member has been Schenker, although Meine has appeared on all of the band's studio albums, while Jabs has been a consistent member since 1978, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016, respectively.

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

Photo credit: Marc Theis (courtesy of Wilful Publicity)

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When Rudolf meets Rudolf, Klaus meets and Klaus and Matthias meets Matthias… magic happens!! 🎸
#windofchangemovie @scorpions @warnerbrosentertainment

Posted by Ali Afshar on Thursday, July 3, 2025

In a recent interview with Greece's Keysmash magazine, vocalist Fernando Ribeiro of Portuguese goth overlords MOONSPELL spoke about a possible follow-up to the band's 2021 album "Hermitage". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, material we never stopped writing. But I had a kind of dilemma, because we are 30 years old as a band. This year, it's 30 years of [MOONSPELL's debut album, 1995's] 'Wolfheart', three decades of 'Wolfheart'. Next year is gonna be three decades of [MOONSPELL's second album, 1996's] 'Irreligious'. So I entertained the idea of why not be a legacy band? Why not play some shows? What's the point of making new music? I think that's a question that every musician, every honest musician, has to answer. For instance, when I see METALLICA struggling with a new album… Personally, I didn't like [METALLICA's '72 Seasons'] — I mean, not liking, but I didn't [think] it was like such a special album. I like 'Hardwired[... To Self-Destruct]' but '72 Seasons', I think, 'Well…' But I understand, as a musician, that sometimes, even if you are the biggest band in the world, you are not inspired and you just do it for reasons that I want to understand. So we kind of delayed and delayed the album."

He continued: "'Hermitage', the last [MOONSPELL] album, was from 2021. We had our label saying, 'What's up with the new album?' But we did touring, we did the theater acoustic show in Portugal, we did the orchestra show in Portugal. That's all coming out. And I know it's very romantic sounding, but we had to feel the muse calling. And I went to Pedro [Paixão, MOONSPELL keyboardist] and Ricardo [Amorim, MOONSPELL guitarist], because we write the songs, and I said, 'I think it's time for a new album. I think it's time to man up and do something.' And I think that this is gonna be one of the most important albums of our lives. That's what I'm writing. I wrote a lot of lyrics, like 30 lyrics or more. We wrote a lot of songs. We are now cherrypicking what's coming in the album, what's not coming in the album [and what] can be used later on. And I think we're gonna have a new MOONSPELL album in the first semester of 2026."

Regarding the musical and lyrical direction of the new MOONSPELL material, Fernando said: "It's still in the early days. It's not going to be progressive like 'Hermitage', 'cause we've done that before. But I want make an album that is about pure feeling and an album that will grab [people] immediately as the sound of MOONSPELL. So, as I do more the lyrics than the music, I'm not writing about politics or society, money or ambition. People have this every day in their news, in their feed, so I'm writing a very romantic, even gothic album about love, death, what are we doing here? You know, more existentialism. And I think that's the direction we want to go now. So, wish us luck, because I think we'll need it. There's so many bands coming, but I think it's high time and also as a kind of a reward to the fans that have waited so much for the new album. I think we never spent so much time in between albums, so it's gotta be special. And for us too, because otherwise why make something just to fill the calendar when you have albums like 'Wolfheart', 'Irreligious' or [2015's] 'Extinct'? So the stakes are high. So we have to be on par with the stakes."

In the spring of 2023, MOONSPELL completed the "American Full Moon" 30th-anniversary trek.

Three years ago, MOONSPELL canceled its summer 2022 North American tour due to "unsolvable logistic and transportation problems".

In September 2022, MOONSPELL released a very special Blu-ray/DVD and album, a live performance of their latest studio album, "Hermitage", with "From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep" via Napalm Records.

MOONSPELL's 13th studio album, "Hermitage", was released in February 2021 via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, PRIMORDIAL, GHOST, SÓLSTAFIR) at the Orgone Studios in the U.K.

In 2020, MOONSPELL parted ways with original drummer Miguel "Mike" Gaspar and replaced him with Hugo Ribeiro (no relation to Fernando Ribeiro).

Four years ago, Fernando told Consequence about recording "Hermitage" during the pandemic: "Social distancing wasn't decreed by law, and it's strange because all of Portugal is 10 million people so it was bizarre just seeing structures without people in the cities. We started demoing in 2017, and it wasn't at all about a pandemic. It was more an album about the polarization and atomization of the world — we're all fragments and cannot agree on anything. Especially with social networks, it felt like the authenticity was going away. It was about connectivity, but there were not enough connections.

"For MOONSPELL, we do have a process and it relies on us sitting down, when we could sit down, and talk together. It's about sitting down with the songwriters Ricardo [Amorim] and Pedro [Paixão]. For MOONSPELL, it's not about jamming in a room and then writing about it. When I sit down with the people who are going to write the music and tell them what it's going to be about, that's the start of MOONSPELL painting the canvas. Giving them this information, the music became more melancholic, less layers and more texture.

"When the COVID pandemic came, we were scheduled to record the album in the U.K. We were in anguish sometimes, because we would have our suitcases ready and went to the airport and Portugal was blacklisted, so we had to just be smart and take a window of opportunity to go to the U.K. We couldn't have the whole band together because of COVID restrictions. Everyone lived through the struggle of cancelations and postponements, but I have to say recording was enjoyable. I felt very privileged to be able to even go to the U.K. and record an album. The studio was in the countryside and it was so isolated and it was perfect to record 'Hermitage'."

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH played its final concert together last night (Saturday, July 5) at a star-studded event in their original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Dubbed "Back To The Beginning", the nine-hour event, hosted by actor Jason Momoa at Villa Park, saw over a dozen bands play at least one BLACK SABBATH or Ozzy Osbourne cover as they paid homage to the SABBATH singer, who has Parkinson's disease.

Curated by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, the event featured arguably the greatest lineup of rock and metal bands ever assembled on one day.

Two hastily assembled supergroups — dubbed Supergroup A and Supergroup B — performed at the event, with EXTREME's Nuno Bettencourt taking part in a five-song set of covers, while ex-Ozzy guitarist Jake E. Lee made an appearance for covers of "The Ultimate Sin" and "Shot In The Dark". Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing joined Morello, Billy Corgan (SMASHING PUMPKINS) and Adam Jones (TOOL) for a rendition of PRIEST's "Breaking The Law", while LIVING COLOUR's Vernon Reid hopped onstage for a cover of Ozzy's "Bark At The Moon", with GHOST's Papa V Perpetua (a.k.a. Tobias Forge) handling lead vocals.

Video 1:

* Lzzy Hale (Vocals)
* Jake E. Lee (Guitar)
* Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar)
* David Ellefson (Bass)
* Mike Bordin (Drums)
* Adam Wakeman (Keyboards)

3:05 The Ultimate Sin (Ozzy Osbourne)

* David Draiman (Vocals)
* Jake E. Lee (Guitar)
* Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar)
* David Ellefson (Bass)
* Mike Bordin (Drums)
* Adam Wakeman (Keyboards)

07:35 Shot In The Dark (OZZY OSBOURNE)
12:30 Sweet Leaf (BLACK SABBATH)

* Whitfield Crane (vocals)
* Scott Ian (Guitar)
* Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar)
* Frank Bello (Bass)
* Adam Wakeman (Keys)
* II (Drums)

18:45 Believer (OZZY OSBOURNE)

* Yungblud (vocals)
* Scott Ian (Guitar)
* Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar)
* Frank Bello (Bass)
* Adam Wakeman (Keys)
* II (Drums)

25:20 Changes (BLACK SABBATH)

Video 2:

* Billy Corgan (Vocals)
* Tom Morello (Guitar)
* K.K. Downing (Guitar)
* Adam Jones (Guitar)
* Rudy Sarzo (Bass)
* Danny Carey (Drums)

01:00 - Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST)
04:10 - Snowblind (BLACK SABBATH)

* Sammy Hagar (Vocals)
* Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar)
* Adam Wakeman (Keys)
* Rudy Sarzo (Bass)
* Chad Smith (Drums)
* Vernon Reid (Guitar)

11:50 - Flying High Again (OZZY OSBOURNE)
17:35 - Rock Candy (MONTROSE)

* Papa V Perpetua (Vocals)
* Vernon Reid (Guitar)
* Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar)
* Adam Wakeman (Keys)
* Rudy Sarzo (Bass)
* Travis Barker (Drums)

23:40 - Bark At The Moon (Ozzy Osbourne)

* Steven Tyler (Vocals)
* Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar)
* Tom Morello (Guitar)
* Ronnie Wood (Guitar)
* Andrew Watt (Guitar)
* Rudy Sarzo (Bass)
* Chad Smith (Drums)

28:45 - The Train Kept A-Rollin' (Tiny Bradshaw)

* Steven Tyler (Vocals)
* Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar)
* Tom Morello (Guitar)
* Andrew Watt (Guitar)
* Rudy Sarzo (Bass)
* Chad Smith (Drums)

34:00 - Walk This Way (AEROSMITH)
38:10 - Whole Lotta Love (LED ZEPPELIN)