Former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Jake E. Lee spoke to Guitar World magazine about his participation in the upcoming "Back To The Beginning" charity event on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The concert will mark the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH's last-ever performance and Ozzy's final appearance as a solo artist. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello will serve as the "musical director" at the show.

Each artist taking part in the concert is expected to will play a classic Ozzy track or two, with Jake telling the magazine about his selection: "I know people are expecting 'Bark At The Moon', but I don't know. Right now, with my wrist, the arthritis and everything, that would be very challenging. I have a couple of months to get up to it, so I'll practice it just in case that's the one. But that's going to be pretty challenging for me physically."

He added: "I'm shooting for 'Ultimate Sin' [the title track from his second and final Ozzy album]. It's heavy, and I like the solo in it."

Lee also paid tribute to the original BLACK SABBATH lineup during the Guitar World chat, telling the magazine: "SABBATH was one of my three favorite bands. It was just chemistry between the players that you can't plan on or make happen. If any one of those guys aren't in SABBATH, it's just not as good. [Ronnie James] Dio [who replaced Ozzy in SABBATH] did a good job, but it just wasn't SABBATH to me. And Bill Ward just had that swing that made them sound so different from every other band that was trying to play metal."

Lee, who was tapped by Ozzy Osbourne to replace the late Randy Rhoads in the singer's solo band, played on two Ozzy records: 1983's "Bark At The Moon" and 1986's "The Ultimate Sin".

After performing with Ozzy, Lee formed the hard rock band BADLANDS. He released the solo albums "Retraced" and "Guitar Warrior" in 2005 and 2007, respectively. After a self-imposed exile from the music industry and the public eye, Lee returned with a new band called RED DRAGON CARTEL, releasing a self-titled album in 2013 followed by "Patina" in 2018.

Last October, Lee was shot multiple times in Las Vegas while walking his dog.

In a statement shared with TMZ on the day of the shooting, Osbourne expressed his sympathy for his onetime guitarist. "It's been 37 years since I've seen Jake E. Lee, but that still doesn't take away from the shock of hearing what happened to him today," the BLACK SABBATH frontman said. "It's just another senseless act of gun violence.

"I send my thoughts to him and his beautiful daughter, Jade," Osbourne added. "I just hope he'll be okay."

Back in October 2018, Jake opened up about exactly how he found out he was fired from Ozzy's band. Contradicting a clam found on Wikipedia, the guitarist laughed and told Eonmusic: "I had no idea it was coming, but it wasn't by telegram. I mean, it was the '80s, and I guess people sent telegrams back then, but I didn't get it via telegram."

Going on to reveal that it was Sharon Osbourne's job to tell him, the former BADLANDS man said that the manager didn't have the heart to tell him the news.

"Sharon Osbourne called me, and said she wanted to have dinner with me," he recalled. "I suppose there was clues in there, because she was talking about how, 'Someday, Jake, when you have your own band.' I think her major piece of advice was to be on time: 'When you're leader of a band, you kind of need to set an example, and you need to be on time,' and that was the only clue I had, really."

Continuing, Jake said that although there were clues, Osbourne didn't actually tell him he was out of the band. "My roommate at the time was also my guitar tech, and he came back from the Rainbow, and he'd seen [Ozzy bandmates] Phil [Soussan, bass], and Randy Castillo [drums], and he said they came up to him and said, 'So, what are you going to do now that Jake's out of the band?' So he ran back home and told me, and said, 'Dude, did you just get fired?' and I went, 'No.' And he went, 'I think you did.' [And I said] 'No. I just saw Sharon, I just had dinner with her, and we talked and talked — I think she would have told me if I was fired.' And he said, 'Well, that's not what Randy and Phil said.' And I was, like, 'Oh, come on!'"

He went on: "So I picked the phone up, and I called Sharon back and said, 'I just heard the weirdest rumor, 'and she broke down and said, 'Yes, it's true.' And I said, 'What, do you mean I'm fired?' And she goes, 'Yes, that's why I took you out to dinner.' [Laughs]"

Contradicting popular perception that there was animosity between the two camps, Lee concluded: "We got along very well when I was in the band. I considered us friends back then, and just the fact that she was supposed to fire me and couldn't, it's hilarious in retrospect. That night, it wasn't so hilarious."

Ozzy Osbourne photo credit: Ross Halfin / Jake E. Lee photo credit: Joseph Gorelick

In a new interview with Anthony Bryant of link textThe Hair Metal Guru, legendary drummer Carmine Appice, best known for his work with VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS and Rod Stewart, spoke about VAN HALEN supposedly drawing inspiration from CACTUS's music in the David Lee Roth-fronted band's early days. When Bryant noted that the CACTUS song "Let Me Swim" was an obvious influence on legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen's classic instrumental "Eruption", Carmine concurred. "Oh, that's 'Eruption'," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And what about the [other CACTUS] song 'Parchman Farm'? That's [VAN HALEN's] 'Hot For Teacher'."

Appice continued: "In the days when [VAN HALEN first] came out, I was [touring and recording] with Rod, so I never really had time to listen to the radio and see what was happening. But after a while, and not a long while, I used to hear about this thing of 'Eruption', 'Eruption', 'Eruption'. When I heard it, I said, 'Oh my God. That's the intro for 'Swim'.' So on this CACTUS album we did last year ['Temple Of Blues - Influences & Friends'], we had Doug Aldrich on [a reworked version of 'Let Me Swim'] and Marco Mendoza, and I did the intro [to 'Let Me Swim'] longer. I said, 'Doug, just do your thing, man.' Yeah. So he did it… So I wanted it to blatantly sound like 'Eruption', so we can talk about it in the interviews, which I did. And it's amazing. But you should listen to that [new version of] 'Let Me Swim' with Doug Aldrich. And you'll hear it. We really extended it. Doug's a monster player."

Less than four years ago, Carmine spoke about his friendship with the members of VAN HALEN in an interview with IndiePower.com. He said at the time: "I was friends with all of 'em — [including] Michael Anthony and David [Lee Roth]. I insulted [David], not knowing it. When he came to the rehearsal wearing this outfit, it looked like a pajama set. It looked like it was made out of the Holiday Inn bedspread and curtain set. So I said that. I said, 'Is that the Holiday Inn? Did you take the Holiday Inn curtain and bedspread and make an outfit?' And he got insulted. That was the end of the band. [Laughs] It's funny.

"But, yeah, I knew all those guys," he continued. "As a matter of fact, when we did a VANILLA FUDGE reunion in 2005, Eddie [Van Halen] was on the phone with me, and he said, 'What are you doing that for? Screw that. Get CACTUS together.' He loved [CACTUS guitarist Jim] McCarty, and he loved CACTUS. And Alex [Van Halen] told me [VAN HALEN's] 'Hot For Teacher' really came from the idea we did with 'Parchman Farm'; that was like the template. And 'Eruption' was the beginning of our song 'Let Me Swim' extended — same kind of thing."

In a separate interview with "The Jeremy White Podcast" from September 2021, Carmine took the VAN HALEN comparison further, saying: "If you put 'Hot For Teacher' on and put our song 'Parchman Farm', you'll hear the same kind of groove. And if you put our song called 'Let Me Swim', the beginning of that, and you put 'Eruption', it's the same."

CACTUS has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of VANILLA FUDGE by Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial lineup also featured McCarty and vocalist Rusty Day. (Appice and Bogert had originally planned a new band with Jeff Beck which was put off until 1973, because of Beck's near-fatal car crash in 1969.) Jim McCarty had come from MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS and was playing with THE BUDDY MILES EXPRESS. Tim and Carmine also found vocalist Day in THE AMBOY DUKES with Ted Nugent. Together, the four musicians formed CACTUS, named after the peyote cactus, which provided a key ingredient in mind-altering drugs.

While CACTUS saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973, the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label, and the fact that Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim. It would not be until 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day, that the group reformed with Pratt and Kunes. When Tim Bogert was forced into retirement after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy jumped in both in CACTUS and VANILLA FUDGE.

Carmine's autobiography, "Stick It!: My Life Of Sex, Drums, And Rock 'N' Roll", was released in May 2016 by Chicago Review Press.

Although DEATH is considered to be one of the most important and influential death metal acts of all time, the Florida-based band did not release its debut album, "Scream Bloody Gore", until 1987 — two years after the arrival of "Seven Churches" by California's POSSESSED, whose bassist/vocalist, Jeff Becerra, is credited by some with initially creating the term "death metal" in 1983.

In a new interview with Conexión Rock Radio, Becerra, who was shot in a robbery in 1989, leaving him partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound, weighed in on the never-ending debate on who can lay claim to being the first "true" death metal band: DEATH or POSSESSED. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As you know, Chuck was a good friend. And I don't see death metal as just being one thing or ever being perfected. I see it as a spiritual freedom. It's not necessarily a combination of certain elements that make a predictable outcome. And Chuck and me were very much similar on our thoughts there.

"I don't know if you know this, but Chuck, before 'Scream Bloody Gore', he moved down [to the San Francisco Bay Area] into the POSSESSED fan club president's house to be nearer to us, to be nearer to me," Jeff explained. "And so I remember when Chuck was showing me the precursors of 'Scream Bloody Gore', he was very, very into POSSESSED. He said, 'Listen, Jeff. I sound just like you.' And he said, 'Is that okay?' And I said, 'Hell yeah, it's okay.' And it was that moment I realized that there would be more than one death metal band because it was really branding. We knew that there was thrash metal, we knew VENOM was black metal, we knew there was speed metal, and we said, 'We wanna make…' POSSESSED was very unique. At that time we were carte blanche the heaviest band on the planet. And we said, 'Let's call ourselves death metal. And that will separate us from the other bands, 'cause people will say, 'POSSESSED is that death metal band.'' So naively, I thought that POSSESSED would be the only death metal band and would be known as 'that death metal band'. But then when Chuck came around, just really, really enamored and coming, wanting to be closer to the scene, I knew it would take off. And so I think that without Chuck, I don't think it would've ever become a 'genre genre'. I think that was a combination of me and Chuck and what followed after that, that that really made it take off.

"To put things in perspective, DEATH was probably quadruple as big as POSSESSED," Jeff added. "We pretty much ended when they were hitting their heyday, and they just took off. They were wildly successful. And so they were a much more commercially viable band that was sellable, and POSSESSED has always been kind of a weird 'nichey' band that doesn't sell as much. So, yeah, it took that. And I, honest to God, don't think that… I think it was a combination. I don't think that death metal would've had the staying power if it wasn't for Chuck. And he was a good friend — a really good friend and a great guy."

Elaborating on the musical connection he had with Chuck, Jeff said: "It's weird because I was very much into… And remember, I was just a kid back then. We were young teenagers. And so when I met Chuck, I didn't know who he was. He was just some kid sitting on the couch. And he was really, like, 'Hey, Jeff, come here.' So I sat there and he's, like, 'Check out this riff.' And I was, like, 'Hey, whatever. I'm doing whatever.' 'Hey, check out this riff.' And then pretty soon he just kept riffing and riffing, and I was taking notes. I was, like, 'Dude, this is a riff lord.' He was just busting out with riff after riff after riff. And so I just kind of witnessed the way his mind worked. He was just very intense and very into his craft. And, of course, that was really inspiring. We were both very individual and doing what we're doing, but Chuck, he was noticeably amazing right from the get-go. Chuck was a genius in his creations. And I think that I was in good company. It was good that he was sitting on our couch at the right time. It seemed like a normal day back then, but now that I look at it, it's like — there are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Like when I broke up with my first band BLIZZARD, I just happened to meet [early POSSESSED guitarist] Mike Torrao, who was of a similar mindset to be the heaviest band in the world. That shit is amazingly coincidental, because nobody was thinking that back then. I just happened to meet that one guy that's like-minded. And so it's crazy. I think it was destined to be. I think that bands like POSSESSED and DEATH, it was just something that was happening… I wanted to be heavier, and I couldn't get heavy enough. And I think that Chuck saw that in me, and he heard it in our music and he wanted to be closer. And it was just really cool to be part of that scene. And then, of course, you [later] had bands like SADUS and AUTOPSY, and it just kind of snowballed from there. And it's been a really neat history and just visceral and organic, the way it went."

Less than two years ago, Becerra was asked by Jerry Kurunen of Finland's Rauta if POSSESSED is rightfully credited with initially creating the term "death metal" in 1983. He said: "One hundred percent. I had the copyright in 1983. POSSESSED was the very first death metal band. That doesn't mean we created death metal; it just means we were the first [to call ourselves death metal]. 'Cause every band after that does their own shit. So, yeah, we were just the first, man. And I'm surprised somebody didn't think of it before, to be honest. It's so obvious.

"Back then, you've gotta realize, with very few exceptions — maybe SLAYER, KREATOR, SODOM, DESTRUCTION, EXODUS — most thrash metal bands were — and with all due respect — were kind of bouncy kind of hair bands," he explained. "They would say, 'Oh, we're so heavy,' but they were never really heavy. 'We're so evil.' And there was nothing wrong with that, but that just isn't what blew our skirts up.

"I happened to meet Mike Torrao at a very pivotal moment in our life, and we were just, like, 'Fuck the world. Fuck everything. And let's just make the heaviest, most Satanic music in the world.' And trash metal was taken, black metal was taken, speed metal was taken, fucking power metal was taken. Why not death metal? Like, 'Okay.' So then I wrote a song called 'Death Metal', and that was it. But it was more about the music and then the title, but the title seemed to outweigh the music. I don't know.

"These days POSSESSED get a lot more recognition, but we're not one of those famous bands; we're still underground. You're really lucky to be recognized within your lifetime."

Becerra previously weighed in on the debate about DEATH or POSSESSED being the first death metal band during a June 2022 appearance on "The Haunting Chapel" podcast. He said at the time: "We [POSSESSED] were selling ourselves as a death metal band, and that was what we went with. And to this day, it's both a blessing and a curse because it's highly debated and contested. And we literally, after I got shot, certain revisionists tried to block me out of history. The POSSESSED Wiki is the most vandalized page of Wikipedia. There was a certain person — he recently passed away — that was just relentlessly retitling our YouTube, moving our dates forward, messing with the timeline. It was like a battle. When I left, we were the death metal guys. When I came back, it was no more. So I had to fight for my own history back, which was weird. 'Cause there's no cool way to do that, because it sounds like you're tooting your own horn.

"I'm not saying I created death metal; I'm saying POSSESSED was the first death metal band," Jeff explained. "And it's a bone of contention with many DEATH fans. And because of the way that their management spun it and the way that the magazines spun it… Remember, me and Chuck were friends. He literally was like my protégé. He moved out to Antioch [California from Orlando]; he lived at the [house of the then-]POSSESSED fan club [president Krystal Mahoney]. He was pen paling for a while and tape trading. And he very much modeled himself after me. I was so honored because, remember, I'm just a young teenager. But he was the first person to really get what we were doing, what I was doing, and he was the first person that really understood what it was about. And he was so smart that way because it was undefined and so hard to explain what it is, without putting rules on it, because the last thing you wanna do is put rules on anything and stifle it. But he would just grasp it; he loved it. He said, 'Listen, Jeff. I sound just like you.' And he was proud of that. And I was proud of him. And there was a bromance going there. It was a respect.

"I've never been jealous of another band," Becerra clarified. "I've never claimed anything that wasn't mine. And it's just so obscure to see people trying to claim what they know they wouldn't do in front of me. They know what they didn't do; I was fucking there. And I'm not hating on anybody, but it's a very coveted position.

"What makes me mad is when the magazines spin this 'DEATH or POSSESSED, DEATH versus POSSESSED.' And it even tainted the relationship between DEATH and POSSESSED, and that pisses me off, because we were friends.

"I realize that metal is supposed to be fun," Jeff added. "But there's also something very valid about true history and not revising stuff — not just with POSSESSED but any band. And the way it's spun is, like, bands will exaggerate what they did and the writers will be eager to impress who they're writing about, because the last thing a writer wants is for the band to go, 'This is fucking fucked up.'

"In the old days, it was very truthful. People did their research. They didn't have clickbait. There was no 'POSSESSED versus DEATH.' I hate that shit. Because if Chuck was alive today, I'd like [us to] collaborate. And I don't like it fucking with my remembrance of what it really was. I like the history. Maybe I'm being weird about it, but I think that the truth is so much better than the tale."

Becerra told Antihero in 2017 that Schuldiner cited POSSESSED as a "primary influence" in "countless" magazine interviews. But even though DEATH was inspired by POSSESSED, "they ran with it and went in their own direction and created their own vibe," Jeff said. "To go a step further: Chuck used ['80s death/thrash producer] Randy Burns, who did 'Seven Churches' to do 'Scream Bloody Gore', his first album. He also did a cover of [POSSESSED's] 'The Exorcist'."

Schuldiner died in December 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.

POSSESSED originally split in 1987, leaving behind a short but highly influential legacy, most notably "Seven Churches". Internal tensions after the release of 1987's "The Eyes Of Horror" EP led to the band's dissolution, with guitarist Larry Lalonde joining Bay Area tech-thrashers BLIND ILLUSION, then PRIMUS, while Becerra, Torrao and drummer Mike Sus each going separate directions.

Two years after POSSESSED's split, Becerra was the victim of the aforementioned failed armed robbery attempt, sending him into a spiral of drug and alcohol abuse. POSSESSED was reactivated by Torrao in 1990 with a completely different lineup, but only released two demos before dissolving in 1993. Becerra then reformed POSSESSED in 2007 with his own lineup, which released its first studio album in 33 years, "Revelations Of Oblivion", in 2019. A follow-up LP is currently in the works for a tentative 2026 release.

Former BULLETBOYS guitarist Mick Sweda spoke to the Nothing Shocking podcast about his involvement with THE ROCKETT MAFIA, the new band featuring POISON drummer Rikki Rockett alongside Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was really interesting how it came about. My friend Bryan [Kimes], who is playing with me in THE HOT SUMMERS, ran into Rikki, and Rikki was looking for some guys to flesh out this idea that he had for this band. And my friend recommended me for the guitar spot, and Rikki and I got together and hit it off pretty well and had a great time playing. And it's been progressing ever since. We've got some gigs in early July in the Midwest and around the Pennsylvania area, and we hope we'll have many more to come."

Regarding the other musicians who are involved in the peoject, Mick said: "Well, Brandon Gibbs, the singer, I think he's pretty well known for touring a little bit with Joel Hoekstra. I think they have an acoustic thing that they do. I guess it sometimes goes electric. So he and Rikki have been friends for a long time, and he's a very talented cat, a great guitar player. And at this point, we haven't totally fleshed out the bass part. We're going through some guys right now. And hopefully we'll settle on someone on a permanent basis."

Asked if there is "a certain era" he and his THE ROCKETT MAFIA bandmates are "trying to stick to" when it comes to choosing which songs to cover, Mick said: "Yeah, we definitely wanted to do the more obscure stuff, and we tried a couple of things out. There's a song called 'Baby Blue' that I've always loved since I was a kid, by BADFINGER. And we love playing that song. However, you have to sort of gauge how things go over. Not everybody is familiar with material like that. So even though we're trying things… For example, we put together a track called 'I Think I Love You' [a 1970 song by Tony Romeo, written as the debut single for fictional musical TV family 'The Partridge Family'], which was actually the first single I ever had as a kid by 'The Partridge Family'. And it's kind of a challenging track to cover, at least from the outset, but I think we had a lot of fun with it. And it's out there for people to listen to now.

"But the song list is kind of evolving," Mick explained. "We start out with what's in our hearts, between Rikki and I, which is the '70s for that matter. So, it's kind of branching out from there. And we're just making sure that the tunes are fun and energetic and entertaining."

Regarding whether THE ROCKETT MAFIA is "pretty genre specific" to the "1970s classic rock era" or if they are "kind of wide open as far as experimenting with different genres of music," Sweda said: "It's the latter. In fact, one of the things that Rikki and I talked about doing was taking songs that you would never expect to hear and kind of revamping them in a way that allows us to interject our personalities into them. So, although we haven't really got to the stage of finding too many songs to do that with, 'cause it is a challenge — it's a lot easier to just pick up a song and play it as it's written. So for us to find something unique and exciting and turn it into our own, it takes a little bit more time, but that is ultimately the goal."

THE ROCKETT MAFIA, with Bryan Kimes on bass and backing vocals, played its first official show on February 21 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

This past February, THE ROCKETT MAFIA released its first single, the aforementioned cover of "I Think I Love You".

Regarding how THE ROCKETT MAFIA came together, Rikki stated during a February 19 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "I always had Brandon Gibbs in the back of my mind for any project that I do, which hasn't been many. I mean, I did DEVIL CITY ANGELS [with him]. When I played The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride [motorcycle charity event], which I am one of the city co-hosts for — that's a worldwide ride that takes place in 300-some cities across the world — they didn't have entertainment. And I said, 'It's time to have entertainment at this thing.' And they said, 'Well, any suggestions? Can you play?' And I went, 'Well, I don't have a band.' [Laughs] 'So I'll have to put one together.' I had done a couple of shows with CHEVY METAL — me and Kenny Aronoff had done a couple shows with them — so I reached out to those guys, and I just basically had them come and play the show… So after that, I just said, 'I need my own band.' First person I met was Bryan who was working at a salon that I was in, and we started talking. And this guy is from Maryland, and we have the same circle of friends, but didn't know each other. He's played all that tri-state area back there, the same places we played, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, all that. And so we got along great. And I said, 'Let's get together. I've gotta find a guitar player.' And he mentioned Mick Sweda. and I was like, 'Is he busy? Is he doing something? I mean, that guy's a monster. Is this something that would interest him?' And the first thing Mick said when I called him up, he said, 'Look, if you're just gonna have me for one or two gigs and then get rid of me, I'm not interested.' I said, 'Well, Mick, I don't know. I've never played with you, but I think we should at least get together and play.' And we did. And we were playing AEROSMITH songs, VAN HALEN, everything, and we're just sitting there going, 'Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. We're cut from the same cloth.' And I was amazed at how good of a player this guy is. And then, of course, I brought Brandon into the thing. And I said the whole idea is something that Taylor Hawkins [late FOO FIGHTERS drummer] told me that I should have been doing a long time ago. And I always got super serious with a band, like, 'I've gotta, right away, write a record and do all-original material.' And he's, like, 'No, just go play for a while. Get used to everybody. Make sure you wanna have a good time. POISON's your baby, just like FOO FIGHTERS are mine.' So I took his advice, God rest his soul, and several years later, I'm actually doing this thing. It's been so much fun, just in the rehearsal phase."

As for what fans can expect to hear at THE ROCKETT MAFIA's live shows, Rikki said: "They're getting our original versions of cover songs for right now. Meaning we're taking songs that most rock bands typically don't do — some of 'em we do, but a lot of 'em most hard rock bands don't do — and we're reimagining them. And you'll see [when you hear 'I Think I Love You'] what I mean by that. And it's something that Mick dubbed, I think he called it 'satanic pop.' [Laughs] You'll see what I mean. So we're reimagining some of these songs that had great choruses and really catchy hooks, but were never meant to be necessarily hard rock songs. They were just crafted so well. And we're doing some regular FACES stuff and things like that as well. But we have decided now, and we started to fool around with our own stuff. So that is definitely forthcoming. But for this first little run, you're gonna be hearing a bunch of stuff that you went, 'Oh my God! That's that song. I know that song. I know that song.' That's what we're going for. And we keep adding [new songs] every day. I swear to God, we keep changing the set. We're, like, 'Hey, have you ever thought about doing this song?' 'Yeah, but how would we do that, do it THE ROCKETT MAFIA way?' So we're having a blast with it. It's just been really, really fun."

On the topic of how "I Think I Love You" was chosen to be one of the songs for THE ROCKETT MAFIA to cover, Rikki said: "I think I [suggested that one]. I always thought it was a great song. I had a crush on [actress] Susan Dey growing up, so, of course. But I always thought it was such a well-written song. It was written by Tony Romeo, who I don't know, but he's written other things. He passed away now. And I think David Cassidy was trying so hard at that time to make people realize that he was a really good player and he was a really good writer, and he couldn't extend past that idea of 'The Partridge Family' publicly. And I met him many years ago at an award show — he was super cool — and I told him how much I appreciated all the stuff that he really did reach out and do that he did in a more serious way. And I feel bad for him because he was never taken seriously. I think it made him an alcoholic maybe; I don't know. But I just thought it was a cool song. It was, like, 'This song needs a second spin.' The chord structures, everything is very hard rock, but the way they did it, it wasn't. So you'll see how we did it."

Rockett and Gibbs played their first show as THE ROCKETT MAFIA in May 2024 at the end of the aforementioned The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride motorcycle charity event in Santa Monica, California. They were joined at the gig by guitarist Brent Woods (SEBASTIAN BACH, CHEVY METAL) and bassist Wiley Hodgden.

Rockett and Gibbs previously played together in a band called DEVIL CITY ANGELS, also featuring guitarist Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Eric Brittingham (CINDERELLA). The band released its self-titled debut album in September 2015. Following the recording of "Devil City Angels", Brittingham decided not to continue with the project and his spot was taken by Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE). Around a year later, Rockett, Gibbs and Brittingham joined forces with guitarist Joel Kosche (ex-COLLECTIVE SOUL) to form the LORDS OF DEVIL CITY. Within a few months, Rockett, Gibbs and Brittingham relaunched DEVIL CITY ANGELS, only for Eric to exit the project in the summer of 2017 and be replaced by Topher Nelson. In July 2020, DEVIL CITY ANGELS released a new single, "Testify".

In early 2019, Gibbs and Rockett were embroiled in a public war of words after Gibbs indicated he was no longer involved with DEVIL CITY ANGELS due to the fact that the band was "inactive." Rikki responded that DEVIL CITY ANGELS "went inactive" because he was diagnosed with cancer and suggested possibly moving on without Brandon. This prompted Gibbs to fire back that he had "never seen someone complain about money, perception and 1st class tickets" as much as Rockett allegedly did, "to the point where it gets in the way of doing anything." The two have since resolved their differences.

Back in 2015, Rockett told Sleaze Roxx about Gibbs: "The thing about Brandon is that he's a young guy but he sounds like he's from the '70s. That's what is so appealing for guys like us. That's the reason that I really wanted Brandon involved with us. Brandon doesn't have any baggage, which is good and he has a lot of experience. He's got a great pedigree."

In 2015, Rockett and Gibbs joined forces with Rikki's POISON bandmates Bobby Dall (bass) and C.C. DeVille (guitar) to play several shows as THE SPECIAL GUESTS in what was widely perceived as a not-so-subtle message to POISON singer Bret Michaels that they weren't willing to remain completely inactive while he pursued a solo career.

Photo courtesy of The Rockett Mafia

The four members of METALLICA took part in a question-and-answer session with The New Yorker writer Amanda Petrusich after the screening of their new documentary, "Metallica Saved My Life", which premiered at New York City's Tribeca Festival on Wednesday, June 11 at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Fan-filmed video of the discussion can be seen below (shot and uploaded to YouTube by Lauren Wong).

"Metallica Saved My Life" documents the incredible stories of family, identity, redemption, loss, and salvation that make METALLICA's fans perhaps the most recognized example of why music matters to the world, and of why METALLICA is the kind of band that can literally save lives, including their own.

Filmmaker Jonas Åkerlund, who previously directed METALLICA's music videos for 1998's "Turn The Page", 1999's "Whiskey In The Jar" and 2016's "ManUNkind", interviewed fans from 23 different countries for the documentary, which is slated for release later this year.

Speaking about his connection with the METALLICA fans, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told Petrusich: "When I get up on stage, I feel so much more comfortable up there than I do in regular life a lot of the times. I feel like I'm so easily able to be me with these fans, and the more I'm me, the more they like it. It's just so opposite of how I was brought up. Being yourself wasn't always welcomed for some reason. But speaking my truth up there and other people understanding that truth, the four of us have gone through so much together, and we care about this a lot because a lot is still happening for us even into our fourth decade as a band. It's gotten better every decade."

James explained: "It's okay to be human and to fuck up and learn from it. And that's why we're here. We're here to learn. And we learn from each other. And if you don't try, you don't learn. So, I've grown probably the most in the darkest of times. So accepting the great stuff and the dark stuff as just life… Life isn't happening to me; it's happening with me."

Hetfield added: "I've learned so much about myself and other people on how to live life better and to not take things completely seriously and to be on stage and be yourself. We get to do that. I got the best job in the world. The end."

Asked about the "brutal transition" going from touring the world and playing to millions of adoring fans to returning home and adjusting to regular family life, Hetfield said: "The family around you that has to deal with that as well. You come home and they go out of their way to make you not a premadonna. 'Here's your list of shit to do.' 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. I was just pampered.'

"We know we all have our own rituals that we have to go through," he continued. "The coming down off the tour and the ramping up, all the nightmares of guitars made of rubber and I can't get to the microphone. There's lots of those dreams, anxiety dreams before. And what I've noticed about myself is that I build up stuff in my head so much, but as soon as I get behind that microphone, all is well. And there's a part of the objectification that we have to deal with… And I've really worked on not fighting that, but just accepting it more and just realizing that these people are expressing themselves because of what you've done in their life. I have no idea what they're going through. They think they know me and they really don't. I don't have time to get to know everybody. But it is really great to be able to go home and feel comfortable in whatever our hometowns are. And we just feel, like, 'Okay, we just get to be people again.' But we get the best of both worlds. So no complaints here at all."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett chimed in: "I like to put myself in situations and around people where it's like an instant equalization, and it just knocks me off the pedestal that I might have been on for the last three or four weeks. And that's usually putting a surfboard in the water, going down the beach, surfing, getting beat up by the ocean and getting worried about getting beat up by other surfers. It instantly puts me down to Earth and just brings me back down."

Speaking on the red carpet of the "Metallica Saved My Life" premiere, Hetfield stated about how the idea for the film came together: "It all started with a friend of ours, Jim Breuer, who is a comedian that was opening up for us in the arena tour, and he was traveling around with a lot of these fans and just kind of got to know them staying in the Airbnbs with them. And he says, 'James, you have got to hear these fricking stories. They're unbelievable — where these people came from, how they got into music and why.' … Such deep emotional human stories. So he's the one that inspired this in a way. We didn't know what to do with it at first. What? Do you just do a podcast or blah, blah, blah? It's, like, no. Let's get together. And everyone knows our bio; we wanna get the fans' bios out there."

Regarding why Jonas was the right person to helm "Metallica Saved My Life", Hetfield said: "He's our kind of favorite go-to guy, and he gets us. He's done a couple of our just song videos and whatnot, and he totally gets us. He gets that world. He grew up in a metal band himself from Sweden. He's a big fan of metal, so we knew he was the guy."

James went on to talk about how the METALLICA members' personal stories are intertwined with those of the band's fans. He said: "It's not like we clock in at eight and clock out at five. Our job, it kind of… It's, like, we're leaving home for a month and a half. There's an anxiety, there's a weirdness, there's a ritualistic psycho-ness in our heads that happens. And the winddown after that too. How do you get back into regular life? And, hey, I'm not objectified by my neighbors now. I'm just a dude, which is great. I'm taking the garbage out in my underwear, being a regular guy. And that's what we are at the end of the day. And this is all just wonderful dust. It's not real out here, essentially. So we try to stay as grounded as possible, and I think this movie really shows how we are the same as our fans, and we've got, and they've got, a great story to tell."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was equally excited about sharing the fans' stories, saying:  "This is a celebration of the diversity of our fans. I've said for years, for decades, if you line up 10 METALLICA fans, you get 10 different stories. If you line up a hundred METALLICA fans, you get a hundred different stories. This is 10 to 15 of those stories. We're turning the spotlight away from us and on to the fans and celebrating how unique our fanbase is and all those great human beings. And this is really ultimately about trying to break down that barricade that separates a band from its audience and trying to celebrate the oneness of all of it and how we're all in it together and how we all are METALLICA together."

In a statement announcing "Metallica Saved My Life" in April, the band said: "As a few of you may know, we've been working behind the scenes the last couple of years on a new film that will be released later this year starring you guys! 'Metallica Saved My Life' explores our world through the lives of fans who have supported each other through highs, lows, trials and triumphs for over four decades. And yeah, we're in it a little bit too."

Back in July 2023, METALLICA put out a casting call for "superfans" of the band to possibly appear in an upcoming documentary. The filmmakers were looking for "big personalities, unique characters and unexpected stories from METALLICA fans who consider METALLICA to be their favorite band, real 'Fifth Member' types. All stories and walks of life" were "welcome and encouraged to reach out."

The documentary was produced by METALLICA and Mercury Studios, powered by Universal Music Group.

In a new interview with the Go With Elmo Lovano podcast, former JOURNEY drummer Steve Smith reflected on his original departure from the band in 1985. After joining JOURNEY in 1978 as the replacement for original drummer Aynsley Dunbar for the band's fifth album, "Evolution", and subsequent tour, he traveled the world with JOURNEY until the band's "Raised On Radio" album in 1985, when he and bassist Ross Valory were fired by singer Steve Perry. When host Elmo Lovano noted that Smith's exit from JOURNEY "must have been a hard time", the drummer concurred. "It was," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was a hard transition, because I was invested as being a bandmember. I wasn't a sideman. I was an equal member. It was like a divorce, and then there was a lot of legal work to officially separate. But interestingly, I still was part of the JOURNEY corporation. So, even though Ross and I left the group as touring members, we retained our ownership of the trademark JOURNEY and [JOURNEY's corporate entity] Nightmare Inc. And our royalties were all continuing to happen. So, it was more working through the legalities of not being a part of the touring aspect of the group. But it was hard. I did go to therapy to work out, to really work out a lot of those feelings of how hard it was to be in the group at that time and how hard it was to leave. But for me, the music is so important.

He continued: "My identity and my direction, it wasn't connected to being the JOURNEY drummer, being in JOURNEY. It was definitely part of who I was during that time, but it wasn't the entirety of it. And I had all these other musical environments and bands that I was playing in. And that saved me in a way, emotionally. I could go out and play with local jazz guys from San Francisco or go on tour, eventually, with STEPS AHEAD. And, really, my first step was going out and doing clinics. I had been asked to do clinics most of the whole time I was with JOURNEY, but I didn't have time to do any clinics. And so the first thing that I did was let Sonor and Zildjian know that I was available for clinics. So I ended up doing a lot of clinics in late '85 and then '86, which is, in fact, what led me to be playing drums with STEPS AHEAD… It was a difficult transitionary year, but I wasn't gonna let it stop me or derail me from my idea of what I wanted to be as a musician."

Smith added: "I have like a perspective that bands have sort of a creative arc, a beginning, middle and end. And it's really natural for that creative period to — and JOURNEY is a good example of it. I mean, right now, the main body of work that JOURNEY created was during that time, let's say '77 to '85. And even now, that's the music that the band plays, even though they've continued to make albums. The music that stands the test of time was during that one period. And so a lot of bands have that creative arc, and it's totally natural for it to have a beginning, middle and end. And, really, one of the greatest examples is THE BEATLES. They didn't keep going and going. They went until they were done. And then the individual musicians went out and did what they do. And I feel like that is the next step. If you're an evolving musician, you have this experience in a group, and I learned a lot in that. It was like a finishing school. It was like getting a PhD in the music business. But then afterwards I wanted to continue on and focus on doing my own thing. And it feels like a real healthy way to be in life and in music."

Smith most recently rejoined JOURNEY in 2015 when he was asked to tour again with the band as the replacement for drummer Deen Castronovo.

When JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, Smith was honored, along with Dunbar, keyboardists Gregg Rolie and Jonathan Cain, Valory, guitarist Neal Schon and Perry.

In March 2020, Schon and Cain filed a lawsuit against Smith and Valory, who had been members of JOURNEY on and off since the band formed in 1973, claiming the two attempted a "coup" in order to gain control of the JOURNEY trademark. The suit, which sought more than $10 million in damages, accused Smith and Valory of holding an "improper" shareholder and board of directors meetings in February 2020 during which they ousted Cain and Schon from leadership posts at Nightmare Productions under the "incorrect" assumption that the company held the rights to the JOURNEY name. An answer filed by counsel defending Valory against the complaint's allegations and the cross-complaint attempted to dispute and refute these allegations. In April 2021, Schon and Cain "reached an amicable settlement agreement" with Smith and Valory.

Smith has won numerous Modern Drummer magazine readers' polls, including being named one of the "Top 25 Drummers Of All Time". In September 2023, he was inducted into the Zildjian Cymbal Hall Of Fame as part of the Zildjian 400th anniversary.

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has once again defended the band's "Risk" album, saying that the LP served as a gateway for a lot of fans into the world of MEGADETH.

Issued in 1999, "Risk" received a mixed response from critics and alienated hardcore MEGADETH fans due to its departure from the band's heavy thrash metal roots to a more commercial, pop rock sound. The album debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard chart and was later certified gold for selling half a million copies in the United States.

In a new interview with Mark Jackson and Jason Gardner of The Metal Forge podcast, Ellefson reflected on "Risk", saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "The 'Risk' album is probably the most controversial album in the catalog. And admittedly, we did not sort of deliver a record that probably we even wanted to because we kind of took for granted, like, 'Well, we'll write the heavy metal tunes when we get down to Nashville.' And then, of course, what happened is we got so involved in the task of writing the other songs for the album that we didn't have any time to really play the metal tunes. And it's interesting because going through that process, it sort of takes you away from being a metal band. With [MEGADETH's 1997 album] 'Cryptic Writings', it worked because we were very much a metal band writing these, say, four songs — 'Trust', 'Almost Honest', 'Use The Man', 'A Secret Place', for example; those were the four singles — that were gonna be deliberately aimed at the active rock, American FM radio, because metal was changing, music was changing."

Elaborating on MEGADETH's decision to explore a more commercial sound on "Risk", Ellefson said: "Look, if you're in any line of work, whether you're Starbucks or you're MEGADETH or you're Chevrolet or whoever you are, ryou have to be aware of market trends, market changes and be able to adapt to what's going on or else you're out of business. So we played the game on 'Cryptic Writings' and we hit the bullseye and we won. With 'Risk', we played the game, but there was other… The music was actually getting heavier, as a friend pointed out… As we were going lighter, DISTURBED and GODSMACK and Rob Zombie and this heavier kind of modern rock, nu metal sound was coming out. KORN was kind of the new METALLICA for the nu metal; I call 'em the METALLICA of the nu metal movement."

Regarding how some of MEGADETH's contemporaries dealt with the rise of grunge and nu metal in the 1990s, Ellefson said: "Look. SLAYER didn't change. TESTAMENT didn't change. I'll say this: ANTHRAX, kind of, I guess being forced a bit, 'cause they had a singer change, but John Bush packs a punch, man. I mean, when that guy sings, you listen, 'cause he's just such a great singer. And so he sort of gave them a jumpstart and a restart in the '90s just by having that one member change. And when it's the singer, it matters especially, because it's kind of the main thing [you hear in a band's music]. So they also went through it. Out of the 'Big Four' [of 1980s thrash metal], SLAYER didn't really play the game, [while] ANTHRAX, MEGADETH and METALLICA did. And then, finally, by the time we got into the 2000s, it was, like, 'Oh, thank God that decade's over.' And look, I'm not complaining about the '90s. MEGADETH, that was our biggest decade. We were very prolific. We had our most successful, and to this day, probably some of our most applauded work with that lineup."

Circling back to why "Risk" remains an underrated album in MEGADETH's catalog, Ellefson added: "Look, it was what it was. I remember, and I've told this story before, one day a fan hit me, and they said, 'Why do you guys sort of talk down against 'Risk'?' They said, 'I was really young and that was my very first MEGADETH album I ever bought. I fell in love with it and I bought every other album since.' And I thought, 'You know what, man?' I came into KISS at 'Destroyer'. Now I've talked to some people recently, they went, 'Oh, 'Destroyer'.' That was like their 'Risk', you know what I mean? 'Oh, I couldn't take KISS anymore after that,' because they bought 'Hotter Than Hell' and 'Dressed To Kill'. But I thought about it. I thought, whatever age we're born, we have no say in that. So whatever's kind of coming across our plate, culturally, musically, artistically, that's where we are at that time. And like this fan said, they bought 'Risk' and then they went and bought every other MEGADETH album afterwards, just like I bought 'Destroyer', and then I bought KISS 'Alive!', and then I bought 'Dressed To Kill' and 'Hotter Than Hell'… But it was 'Destroyer' that got me in the game. And so I thought the same thing is true. It's, like, people like things for different reasons. And some people don't like things for different reasons, and whatever. It's power of choice. It's what the good Lord made us. So, you're not gonna please everybody all the time, and we're not in that business, to be honest with you. Our businesses is to create and make things that we like, and hopefully there's just enough other sort of black-t-shirt knuckleheads like us who actually are gonna like it too. And then, once the first record comes out, the die is cast. And then from then, it is a bit of a chess game how you traverse the rest of the years of your career because it would be sad if we just made 'Killing Is My Business' 15 more times. It's, like, what person does that? You grow, you experience new things and your music reflects that."

Last October, Ellefson looked back on the making of "Risk" for the album's 25th anniversary, telling Oran O'Beirne of Overdrive.ie: "I think with 'Risk', with MEGADETH, we wrote that record mostly at rehearsal, then we went to Nashville and finished it in the studio and it didn't have time to simmer and percolate and really kind of sink into us.

"Here's what I found: if you're not a fan of your music first, it's hard to convince someone else to be," he explained. "And that album just didn't — and now I listen back to it, and it still remains one of the great MEGADETH records, even though it doesn't sound like a MEGADETH record of the past, leading up to that point. But we didn't have enough time to let it just kind of absorb into us. And then next thing you know, we're right on the road playing these songs and it's, like, 'Oh, shit. These songs aren't really connecting so much.' To just have the time, to let the stuff, to let the material absorb…

"[Former MEGADETH guitarist] Jeff Young is really big on this whole mindset of we're analog creatures, and that's why digital music, it doesn't connect with us, and it doesn't stay with us."

Asked if he would go back in time and do something different with that album if given the chance, he said: "No, because you'd have to start all over on that. You'd have to go back to the rehearsal room.

"Here's the long and the short of it: our manager at the time was really leaning on us to dig deeper into this radio approach, an approach that worked very well on 'Cryptic Writings', because we said, 'Hey, let's make a third of the record… We've gotta reinvent the band in a way that's competitive with what's happening around us.' There's a radio format here in America called active rock radio, and now bands like DISTURBED, SHINEDOWN, GODSMACK, they own that, HALESTORM, they own that format. And we had some success with it, with 'Symphony Of Destruction' and 'Sweating Bullets' and stuff like that in the early '90s. And then with 'Cryptic', a third [of the songs were] radio, a third metal, a third kind of whatever, and it worked. It was the right approach. With 'Risk', there was just kind of this really heavy push, 'If some is good, more must be better.' And our attitude as well, 'When we get down to Nashville [to make the album], we'll crush out these metal tunes. That'll be easy. No problem.' And the truth of it is it took so much time crafting the other songs for the record that we didn't really have the time or the mindset to make those metal songs that the record should have had to sort of balance it out. So it tended it to be a record that was skewed more as a crafted radio album. And admittedly, there's a piece of it that we didn't include, that we just kind of ran out of time, focus and energy for. And that's the part that's on us, for sure. And I think what that taught us was, and then for 'The World Needs A Hero', we started to re-chart the course of the ship again, was we have to like the songs. If we like it, there's gonna be a bunch of other knuckleheads just like us who are gonna like it too. So let's preach to that choir, rather than trying to go out and get a tribe that we aren't a part of and may never get invited into, let's just make our tribe tighter. 'Cause, look, that's ultimately how MEGADETH and thrash, our genre, that's how it grew."

In July 2024, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman once again said that he and his then-bandmates did "the best" they could while making the "Risk" album, saying that the controversial record was "exactly where we were as a band at that time." In an interview with Whiplash.net journalists Gustavo Maiato and Mateus Ribeiro, Friedman was asked how he looked back on "Risk" 25 years after its release. He responded: "I haven't heard it since back then. I don't think it was much of a risk, actually. And I just remember we did the best we could. And it's exactly where we were as a band at that time. And that's all any album is, really. An album is like a yearbook in school or in high school or college or whatever. An album is a yearbook of that period of time. So you can't really go back and say, 'Oh, this sucks' or 'We didn't mean to do that' or 'It was not a good idea,' or whatever, you can't go back and say that, because it is what it is and it was what it was. At the time, we believed in it and we did the best we could and that's all I can say about any album, really. It's the same answer for any album."

Friedman previously discussed "Risk" I na December 2018 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "Well, I think anything that needed to be said from me about that was probably said at the time. I haven't even thought about that since then, so I couldn't give you an intelligent answer. I'm barely thinking about what I did yesterday, much less back then."

He continued: "I'm sure whatever it was at the time that it happened, everybody involved with it was doing the best that they possibly could — I'm sure of that — because that is something that's happened on every record before that and every record since that and every record I'm doing now.

"When you're doing it, you're doing the absolute best that you can. And pretty much if you look at any press of any record, when it comes out, what the people are saying right then, right at that time, that's what it is. And then, depending on the results of that, people's stories change, but at the time, you're doing the best that… You really, really, really believe in that — everybody believes in it — and then that's it. So I definitely wouldn't even begin to think of whatever specifics were going on back then — it's just the farthest thing from my mind — but I can assure you that anything was done with the best of intentions and the hardest work. And everybody was just trying to do their best."

Seven years ago, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine said that "Risk" was the result of him "capitulating" to Friedman's "desires to be more of an alternative band." He told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation LA Invasion: Live From The Rainbow Bar & Grill": "We kept slowing down and slowing down and slowing down. If that record would have been called THE DAVE MUSTAINE PROJECT and not MEGADETH, I think it would have been successful. People wanted a MEGADETH record. They didn't wanna see Dave bending over backwards to keep Marty Friedman happy, 'cause Marty wanted us to sound like fucking DISHWALLA."

At this weekend's Download festival at Leicestershire, United Kingdom's Donington Park, Tim McIlrath — the frontman of RISE AGAINST — spoke to James Wilson-Taylor of Rock Sound about the punk band's upcoming tenth album, "Ricochet", due out August 15 via Loma Vista. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We were ready [with the album] a year ago, just putting together all like the little bits and pieces and artwork and all that kind of stuff. So we've been chomping at the bit for a while, and we're happy to finally get it out. There's only three songs of it out right now. So I really hope people will get to hear the whole thing really soon, which they will — August 15th. We're gonna debut [the latest single] 'I Want It All' in the U.K. for the first time, I believe, here [Friday] afternoon [at Download]. So, yeah, we're excited about that."

Regarding "I Want It All", McIlrath said: "That one was the one that we put together and it sounded most like something different in 2025 for RISE AGAINST. 'Cause I think people will find songs on this album that fit seamlessly into the catalog of RISE AGAINST in a lot of ways. And 'I Want It All' kind of, I feel, stands out in the live show, on the record. It's got its own sort of thing. I think it will be identifiable as this era of RISE AGAINST."

"Ricochet" marks RISE AGAINST's first album in four years, arriving in a world of constant stimuli, where the algorithm wants us all to be angry: like a pile of marbles hit hard and bouncing uncontrollably, continuing to spread further and further. But across these twelve songs, produced by Grammy-winning producer Catherine Marks (BOYGENIUS, FOALS, MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA, ST. VINCENT) and mixed by Alan Moulder (NINE INCH NAILS, PARAMORE, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, THE KILLERS),RISE AGAINST asks listeners to consider who ultimately benefits from this collective division and displeasure — to look before we leap, to think about the consequences our actions have on each other, as the power structures that prod us remain preserved and protected.

Rooted in unification, "Ricochet" is a record massive in sound, but centered around the small parts of the psyche that lead to the biggest positive change. It all starts with oneself, and on the searing lead single "I Want It All", RISE AGAINST revs the engine and jump-starts a mission of self-determinism that is ardent, ambitious and unapologetic.

"I Want It All" follows recent singles "Nod" — hailed as a "particularly potent rallying cry for the moment" (Rolling Stone),and "the anthem we need right now" (VICE) — as well as "Prizefighter", illustrating the internal battle between making art, maintaining autonomy and meeting the demands of our rapidly-shifting attention span. Throughout the rest of "Ricochet", RISE AGAINST dives deeper into the solace we find in community and the chain reaction of our words and actions – how hurt is not something that can be reversed, and that the fight for a better existence begins not with blind allegiance, but through an unpopular opinion from a minority of voices. While so much of the world is designed to feel like we are in a constant state of emergency, bandmembers Tim McIlrath (lead vocals/guitar),Joe Principe (bass/vocals),Zach Blair (guitar/vocals) and Brandon Barnes (drums) urge us to come together to not simply survive, but to save it now.

McIlrath previously said in a statement: "'Ricochet' is about our collective inter-connectedness. We started with the title track and that being about how we're all — whether we like it or not — stuck in the same room, so to speak. Everything you do is going to affect somebody; everything you throw will affect the next person. We're connected to other countries, other economies; we're connected to undocumented immigrants. We're connected to every decision our leaders make. It's all one big ricochet effect. That idea is the backbone of this album."

In the four years since 2021's "Nowhere Generation", the Chicago band's outspoken messages, bulletproof melodies and deep body of multi-gold and platinum hits have reached more fans than ever, uniting millions in a necessary embrace of vital, progressive issues. Whether they are singing about injustice, instability, environmentalism, animal rights or the way the social and economic decks have been stacked against the youth, RISE AGAINST continues to fill arenas, top charts, break records and earn billions of streams.

This summer, they are back bigger than ever. Having already performed at Los Angeles's Kia Forum and toured across three continents this year, RISE AGAINST return to the road hot on the heels of the album announcement, for an impressive European tour and festival headliner run in June, followed by Vans Warped Tour, and dozens of arena and amphitheatre shows in the U.S.

"Ricochet" track listing:

01. Nod
02. I Want It All
03. Ricochet
04. Damage Is Done
05. Us Against The World
06. Black Crown
07. Sink Like A Stone
08. Forty Days
09. State Of Emergency
10. Gold Long Gone
11. Soldier
12. Prizefighter

Photo credit: Mynxii White

PRESTO BALLET, the progressive rock project led by METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, will release its seventh studio album, "Dreamentia", on June 27 via Rat Pak Records.

Founded by Vanderhoof in 2005, PRESTO BALLET combines the melodic and harmonic old-school aspects with the neo-progressive rock sound of today. While their sound is often compared to the early works of KANSAS, RUSH and YES, PRESTO BALLET still maintains its own identity.

In regards to the musical direction of "Dreamentia", Vanderhoof comments: "'Dreamentia' is the continuing story of Andy Rottman. His story began on the album 'Relic Of The Modern World'. It is the story of a regular guy who has gotten fed up with technology and decides to disconnect from modern life and all the digital and cyber way of living. His few friends tell him this will be just like 'disappearing'. And when he gets rid of his cell phone, his computer, social forms of media and disappears. 'Dreamentia' is the story of what happens to Andy after his disappearance. This is what I like to call the 'obligatory prog rock concept album' following the template of my favorite '70s progressive rock heroes. I figured PRESTO BALLET needed one as well. Besides, it's really a lot of fun!!"

"Dreamentia" track listing:

01. Dreamentia Theme
02. Finding Light
03. Into the Silent City
04. Mumbletypeg
05. The God Machine
06. Fanatic In The Attic
07. Meet "Old Harry"
08. The Quiet Prayers Of War
09. Biloxis
10. Thinning The Veil
11. Giving Up The Dangers

PRESTO BALLET 2025 is:

Kurdt Vanderhoof - Guitar
Scott Albright - Vocals
Kerry Shacklett - Keyboards
Bobby Ferkovich - Bass
Charlie Lorme - Drums

When Kurdt first launched PRESTO BALLET two decades ago, he told Sea Of Tranquility: "Basically, PRESTO BALLET is just an extension of the VANDERHOOF solo stuff which I have also been doing for a while, which is more of a '70s-styled straight rock stuff, and within that I think I wanted to just challenge myself as a writer and go down that path. It's basically emulating a lot of the styles that I love and never quit listening to. Along with the straight rock stuff, I've always been a big progressive rock fan."

Norwegian progressive doom metallers THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the two records they released in 1994 with singer Kari Rueslåtten, the acclaimed "Tears Laid In Earth" full-length album and the groundbreaking "Sorrow" EP, by reuniting for select shows in 2025 and 2026, playing songs from these releases.

The first THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL reunion concert took place yesterday (Friday, June 13) at the Ecosystemic festival in Riga, Latvia. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

Earlier today, THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL shared a few photos of the Riga gig and included the following message: "We had a wonderful night in Riga yesterday! Thank you so much for making our first show together such a great experience!"

When THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL reunion was first announced last December, the band said in a statement: "We have had a great time rehearsing together with Kari again after all these years, and we are very much looking forward to meeting fans and friends in the coming!"

"This reunion is about celebrating the music we created together with the friends and wonderful fans who have inspired us all along," said Rueslåtten, whose ethereal voice remains central to the band's identity.

True to their artistic integrity, the six-piece ensemble will deliver their signature sound without pre-recorded enhancements, showcasing the raw talent that established their legacy.

"We cannot wait to get out there again and reconnect with the amazing fans and friends who've supported us over the years," added THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL drummer Rune Hoemsnes, speaking for the entire band.

The THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL reunion performances represent a rare opportunity to witness one of atmospheric doom metal's most influential acts. The band's pioneering fusion of progressive soundscapes and ethereal atmospheres helped shape the landscape of contemporary metal.

THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL concerts in 2025 and 2026 are showcasing material from "Sorrow" and "Tears Laid In Earth". These works not only defined an era but continue to influence artists across the metal spectrum.

In 2013, Rueslåtten released a new version of THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL song "Why So Lonely", featuring a guest appearance by NIGHTWISH mastermind Tuomas Holopainen on piano and keyboards.

In an interview with FestivalBlog.be, Holopainen stated about his guest appearance on the track: "It's just an incredible thing because this album called 'Tears Laid In Earth' from 1994 is my all-time number one album. It's my favorite album of all time, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that listening to this album made me form NIGHTWISH. I wanted to do something similar. That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard — female voice, atmospheric metal; I wanted to do something similar. So I owe everything to this band and this album. And then Kari contacted me saying, 'I'm doing a cover of the song 'Why So Lonely' for my solo album. Would you like to come and play the piano and the keyboard for that song?' And I [said 'yes'], like, immediately, I mean, this is an unbelievable coincidence."

After Rueslåtten's departure from THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL in 1995, the band recruited a new female singer, Ann-Mari Edvardsen. With Edvardsen on vocals, THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL released two full-length albums, 1996's "Painting On Glass" and 1997's "In This Room".

After the departure of Edvardsen and an absence of five years, THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL returned in 2002 with "Memoirs", an album with recordings made during previous years. A new female vocalist was found in Kirsti Huke, with Andreas Elvenes backing her up on a couple of tracks.

We had a wonderful night in Riga yesterday! Thank you so much for making our first show together such a great experience!
Photos: Neils Saksons, Lisa Hanssen Østgaard, Günars Läcis

Posted by The 3rd and the Mortal on Saturday, June 14, 2025

We are proud to announce that we are going to play at Festival Ecosystemic in Latvia, Riga 13th of June in Mežaparka...

Posted by The 3rd and the Mortal on Monday, March 3, 2025

Legendary American progressive metal band SAVATAGE kicked off its first European tour in 23 years Friday night (June 13) at the Into The Grave festival in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

The group's setlist for the show was as follows:

01. The Ocean
02. Welcome
03. Jesus Saves
04. Taunting Cobras
05. Strange Wings
06. The Wake Of Magellan
07. Nothing's Going On (performed live for first time since 1998)
08. Handful Of Rain
09. Chance
10. Dead Winter Dead
11. Turns To Me
12. Sirens
13. Gutter Ballet
14. Edge Of Thorns
15. Power Of The Night
16. Hall Of The Mountain King

Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

SAVATAGE's lineup for the 2025 dates consists of Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Chris Caffery on guitar, Al Pitrelli on guitar, Jeff Plate on drums and Zak Stevens on lead vocals.

Asked by Germany's EMP if he prefers playing festivals or headlining theater shows, Zak said: "Well, I like to start out with festivals. Personally, I feel pretty comfortable on the festival stage. But there's really nothing like the other stages. We just got a taste of this in South America [in April]. We started out, the first show — bang — straight out with [Brazil's] Monsters Of Rock, at a festival, and then the next day we're in a big, I guess, theater-sized event that was our headlining show, which I really found to be fantastic. So I really like both of 'em. I like it to be a little bit more — I like the closeness of the crowd on the smaller stages too, the more intimate setting. So I'm looking forward to both of it. We've got a good mix of both of those settings on this tour. So I'm looking really forward to both of them."

Regarding SAVATAGE's mindset going into the European tour, Jeff said: "The fact that the fans have stuck with us and have wanted this and asked for it for all of these years really kept this whole thing kind of — the possibility was always there, but when word came out about the band actually doing this, and then the response… I mean, I can't believe these shows in Germany that we're playing, they're sold out. It's amazing. We haven't been here in 23 years. The lineup is different, but the fans have hung on to this band. And hey, credit to the music. Paul [O'Neill, SAVATAGE producer and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA founder], Jon [Oliva, SAVATAGE's founding vocalist and keyboardist], Criss Oliva [SAVATAGE's late guitarist], everything these guys created, it's really an honor for us to be able to still continue this. But this is just the beginning. I think things are gonna look really good for the future for us."

SAVATAGE played four shows in South America in April and has 10 dates in Europe scheduled for June, including at France's Hellfest and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting festivals.

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

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

In a recent interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, Caffery spoke about the fact that SAVATAGE's comeback doesn't include Jon Oliva, who in 2023 suffered a T7 vertebra fracture in three places, a severe injury that has left him relying on a wheelchair. Additionally, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Ménière's disease, conditions that have further complicated his health. Chris said: "He's had a lot of punches. He's lost so many people that are close to him. So many people have passed away around Jon. [But] he's the mountain king, man. He had a fall, and then he's had some health stuff and he has his M.S. that he's dealing with and some other things. But I saw him go from being in a wheelchair, a motorized wheelchair, and being with walkers to watching him walking in and out of the studio when we were rehearsing for the [recent SAVATAGE] South American tour. And then I just saw videos of him and pictures online from a ceremony that happened [last week] for Morrisound Studios in Florida. He looked even better than he did when I saw him a month ago. So I think the SAVATAGE thing playing [again] is an inspiration to him. I think it's the best thing that could have happened to all of us in a lot of different ways. But I think Jon, he wants to be there. I want him to be there. I was, like, 'Dude, I've never done a SAVATAGE show without you.' He was, like, 'Just go play the fucking music.' And it's so important to me that he's around. And he had a big part to do with what we were doing [with the SAVATAGE comeback], and he recorded that piece for the video [that we are using in the live show during the performance of the song 'Believe']. But I know Jon — he wants to be there. And I think that seeing just how much people missed him and his music and the legacy of the band, it's inspiring him to get back out there and walk up on that stage and have people fricking say hi to him the way he deserves."

Regarding the possibility of SAVATAGE live shows in the U.S., Chris said:  "The idea is for us to play as many places as we can. I don't have schedules in front of me. I'm taking things a day at a time. But from what I understand, the plan is for us to go. And we are looking at a 10-year plan, and it's gonna include everywhere. That's the idea. So we'll get there. And I think the States will be a lot of fun to get back out and tour around with this band again."

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

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

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

In a new interview with Made In Metal, ex-JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing addressed the fact that PRIEST fans can now enjoy two separate bands playing a similar kind of music — his former group, which is continuing to tour and record new material, and KK'S PRIEST, which Downing launched in 2020 with another ex-PRIEST member, singer Tim "Ripper" Owens. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Next time [KK'S PRIEST goes] out [and plays some shows], we'll probably play [the song] 'Cathedral Spires' [from PRIEST's 1997 album 'Jugulator'] and some other songs, and obviously some early 'Rocka Rolla' stuff.

"We have such a catalog, the whole thing, plus new material. I'm making new material, the guys [in the current PRIEST lineup] are making new material, so there's that as well.

"So I agree [that fans can enjoy both bands]. Two bands it is," Downing continued. "We're different, and there's no doubt that, like I say, I'm very proud of the way we sound because it's the way I always sounded and want to sound. So bands are different. We're different people, different entities, so it can only be good, it can only be a good thing. 'Cause two bands could do more shows, can create more music. There is no conflict, and there shouldn't be.

"I know a lot of the fans, they look down on KK'S PRIEST because they call me a tribute band, and I'm going, 'But I wrote the songs. Surely I have a right to play my own songs wherever I want and whenever I want,'" Downing added. "And I hope that people would be grateful if I go to their town, and it's a small town, they can hear me play these songs after all these years, then that's a good thing.

"So, we'll see what happens," K.K. said. "But one thing's for sure: nothing lasts forever, and us guys from so far back, we're treading a thin line. We only have so long before we fall off the end of the planet. And so I would like to say from the fans, give us the chance and enjoy us and come and have some fun and listen to us play some songs and have a good time."

Asked about KK'S PRIEST's plans for the rest of 2025, Downing said: "This year I'm doing lots of other things. I'm playing on somebody else's album, I'm kind of producing an album, but I'm also looking to make a new album. I'm doing the Ozzy [Osbourne final] show [in Birmingham in early July], the BLACK SABBATH show. I am doing that performance, playing with some guys. That's pretty exciting. But I'm looking to create a new record, ready for a big celebration next year, continue the anniversary with [the recent 50th anniversary of PRIEST's] 'Rocka Rolla', but also of 'Sad Wings Of Destiny'."

Circling back to KK'S PRIEST's ability to coexist with JUDAS PRIEST, K.K. added: "Even though we are two bands, even together we leave so many songs out. It's insane to try and create a setlist. It's mad, but it's gonna be good."

Back in 2023, Tim was also dismissive of any suggestions that KK'S PRIEST is nothing more than a glorified "tribute band." He said: "K.K.'s the founding member of JUDAS PRIEST. I was in JUDAS PRIEST. Half the set now is our own songs, and three-quarters of the set's gonna be our own songs now. I mean, it makes no sense. But [people] have their opinions, and it's great. You get to have it. It's when they're stupid opinions that's funny."

Four years ago, Downing spoke to Planet Rock's "My Planet Rocks" about his decision to call his new band KK'S PRIEST, an obvious nod to his former group. Asked if it's fair to say that KK'S PRIEST is essentially his version of JUDAS PRIEST, Downing said: "Well, the last thing I wanted to be is an offshoot or an offspring, but the thing is that I'm here [and] I've offered up my services [to come back to JUDAS PRIEST], which have been turned down. All I can say is the fact that I didn't wanna just dispense with a PRIEST. I've been a PRIEST since 1968. I've spent my life evolving. JUDAS PRIEST became the archetypal heavy metal band with the leather and the studs, and I was the first one to don the leather and studs, with the image of the band. So I feel justified that I can, with this great band, [approach KK'S PRIEST] as a continuation of this wonderful music and a celebration of rock and metal that I've always been instrumental in and been a part of so proudly. And the fans are there. We've grown older together. Why stop or change? Let's just carry on."

He later added: "I could have called the band something totally obscure and not related, but when you hear the music and everything, you're automatically gonna think of K.K. Downing. And the music will speak for itself and the fans know what they like and I'm here to do what I like and give the fans what I sincerely hope that they like."

KK'S PRIEST has released two albums so far, 2021's "Sermons Of The Sinner" and 2023's "The Sinner Rides Again".

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Downing's autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", was released in September 2018 via Da Capo Press.

DISCIPLES OF VERITY, fronted by the iconic singer Corey Glover of LIVING COLOUR, has released a new single, "Break The Cycle", via TLG | ZOID, with distribution by Virgin Music Group.

The track is the latest preview from DISCIPLES OF VERITY's sophomore album, "Nexus", produced by George Pond and co-produced by Sahaj Ticotin (RA). Alongside the single, the band has released a lyric video that visually amplifies the song's message.

DISCIPLES OF VERITY drummer Corey Pierce (also of GOD FORBID) states: "We all face constant struggle every day and everyone seems to feel overwhelmed by many things that are happening from maintaining work, friends and family as well as the strain of politics and ever changing cultural issues. We all need to band together in order to break this cycle and move forward to a better day."

"Break The Cycle" is now available on all major streaming platforms, and the accompanying lyric video can be viewed on the band's official YouTube channel.

Fueled by an insatiable urge to create and collaborate, this heavy metal incarnation seeks to challenge all that they believe to be true with their project DISCIPLES OF VERITY (DOV). The band features heavy hitters such as Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR),Corey Pierce (GOD FORBID),George Pond (NEGATIVE SKY, SWIM THE CURRENT),Mark Monjoy (SEKOND SKYN) and Zack Miranowic (SEKOND SKYN, RIVERSEND). This all-star band unleashes an onslaught to the senses with a new sound that can only be described as "a new breed of crossover metal."

DISCIPLES OF VERITY formed just over four years ago after mutual projects brought the five members together. With Pond as the common denominator, having played with each of these artists throughout his career, his songs with Corey Glover were quickly embraced by the others, which evolved into their debut album, "Pragmatic Sanction".

Over the next eight months, DOV feverishly cranked out eight heavy, hook-laden songs with one distinct element — their infectious, melodic grooves. Ranging from hardcore, metalcore and even active rock, the band knew that their debut would be like nothing else in the industry and brought in a veritable "who's who" of the hard rock and metal industry to up the ante.

Four years have passed since the release of their first single from "Pragmatic Sanction". However, now comes the dawn of a new age. They have been quietly working on 12 new tracks for their sophomore album titled "Nexus". The band worked with producer Sahaj Ticcotin, who has worked with STARSET, MÖTLEY CRÜE, RA, BAD WOLVES, and many more. This monster of a record is set to be released in 2025 through TLG | ZOID, and distributed through Virgin Music Group.

DISCIPLES OF VERITY is:

Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR) - Vocals
Corey Pierce (GOD FORBID) - Drums
George Pond (SWIM THE CURRENT, NEGATIVE SKY) - Bass
Mark Monjoy (SEKOND SKYN) - Guitar
Zack Miranowic (SEKOND SKYN, RIVERSEND) - Guitar

During a June 11 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell confirmed that he and his bandmates in the LAST IN LINE project — frontman Andrew Freeman, bassist Phil Soussan and fellow original DIO member Vinny Appice (ex-BLACK SABBATH) — are working on material for a posible fourth studio album. Asked what is going on with LAST IN LINE at the moment, Vivian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not a lot, actually. There hasn't a lot been going on. Our last show was the first week of May last year at the M3 festival in Baltimore. Then right after that, I went touring with LEPPARD all through the summer, and, obviously, right after the summer tour with LEPPARD, I was dealing with [undergoing a bone marrow] transplant [as part of Vivian's battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma] and the chemo and stuff. So it's basically my fault [we haven't done more]. [Laughs] I've gotta kind of schedule things and get us back up and started again."

He continued: "But the short answer is we probably won't do anything this year. We're working on a record. We actually wrote the songs so long ago, I've practically forgotten them, but we do have an album written. We have four master tracks that we're currently working on. And the ball is in my court. I've gotta do guitar on those tracks. I've only done one so far. So once those four are finished, we'll probably release 'em, actually. I mean, we did write an album's worth of music, but I'm not sure if we'll put it all out as one thing. We might release it piecemeal, because getting back to albums and stuff, when you put out a record, it's just got such a short shelf life nowadays. So maybe it might be more beneficial for us to release two, three or four tracks at a time. And hopefully next year we'll get back into doing some shows. But it's been rough since our last show. We lost our road manager, roadie guy. It's not like DEF LEPPARD. We travel in sprinter vans and we have one roadie. And his name was Mark Weber, and, unfortunately, he passed away last July. And so next time we do go play, we'll be playing without Mark."

Campbell added: "It's been a rough ride with LAST IN LINE with the attrition rate. We lost [original LAST IN LINE bassist] Jimmy Bain to cancer on the eve of the release of our debut album. And we lost our manager, Steve Strange, three years ago to cancer. And now we lost Mark. But having said all of that, it is very, very cathartic for me to play on stage with LAST IN LINE. It really exercises the muscle of guitar playing furiously. It keeps me sharp and on top of my ga.me And the travel's hard, back-to-back shows, five or six hours every day in a sprinter van, cheese sandwiches, no sleep, but when we're on stage, it is just electrifying for me to play. It just kind of recharges my batteries. And then when I go back to DEF LEPPARD, I feel so, so confident about my playing again. So, yeah, I'd like to get back at it. I do miss it, to be honest. And there will be new music."

LAST IN LINE's third album, "Jericho", came out in March 2023 via earMUSIC. The LP was helmed by Chris Collier, who has previously worked with KORN and WHITESNAKE, among other bands. LAST IN LINE's first two albums were produced by former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson.

In 2022, LAST IN LINE surprised fans by releasing a unique version of THE BEATLES classic "A Day In The Life", which was made available on the limited 12-inch silver collector's EP with the same name.

Formed in 2012 by Appice, Campbell and bassist Jimmy Bain — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — LAST IN LINE'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.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released in February 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when Bain unexpectedly died at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in Soussan and committed to sustained touring in support of the album before beginning work on the follow-up release, 2019's "II", which was also made available through Frontiers Music Srl.

Last fall, Soussantold Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series about the progress of the songwriting sessions for LAST IN LINE's fourth studio album: "We had got together, and in the crazy way that we do, we usually get together and get into a room. And we don't really bring in ideas. We just get into a room and plug in and start banging around and seeing what comes out, seeing what sounds cool. And we've got a whole bunch of embryonic ideas, and so we're working that at the moment. We do have to work around the DEF LEPPARD schedule, obviously; that's part of the parcel of what we do, and it's fine. And Viv has some personal things that he has to do as well, which is not my business to talk about. So that's going to mean where it's gonna be a little hard for us to get together as much to do this record. However, the 'Jericho' album, we got together and recorded half of those ideas just before the pandemic. It wasn't a plan. We found ourselves in L.A. 'Let's go into a studio and let's just do that.' And it turned out to be somewhat prophetic because of what happened with the pandemic. At least we had half an album to work on. But in the process of doing that, we found that we were able to work on a record remotely, using file transfers and doing things. So, half of 'Jericho' was done that way. And a lot of this album is probably going to be done in a similar kind of way as well. And the plan is probably to get back out on the road again after the summer of '25."

Asked if there has been any thoughts of maybe going out on a tour opening for a bigger band and getting more exposure to LAST IN LINE, Phil said: "It would be great, if it would work out and if everything made sense. Just prior to the pandemic, we were really on a good roll, and we had been going to Europe quite a lot and we had done tours opening for SAXON, for example, that was just terrific. It was a lot of fun for everyone on the tour together, and we had a great time. When that whole period came along, it really disrupted a lot of our plans. We had plans to go to South America, to Japan and back to Europe, a bunch of festivals in Europe, and all of that vaporized. And it's been hard trying to get that impetus back on track again. Not for any crazy reasons. One of the reasons, which is no secret, it's extremely expensive to try to get to Europe now, what with the kind of costs involved in touring — the fuel costs and the transportation costs and the way that the exchange rates have been, it's almost been a little prohibitive. And we've sort of been waiting for an opportunity to be able to go there and do that. We'd love to, sooner rather than later, I hope. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed."

Regarding how difficult is it for a band at the level of LAST IN LINE to make a profit going out on the road, Phil said: "It's not really about making a profit. It's about, basically, being able to cover everything, cover all the expenses. We're very passionate about what we do, and I think I am personally, and that's always been my mantra, is to be passionate about what I'm doing and let the money take care of itself. So it's not just about trying to make money, but sometimes it's just cost prohibitive to be able to do something. I mean, if you figure the expenses of — I don't wanna get into details, but once you start adding these numbers up, then you realize it's going to be really in the whole to do a tour. But if we can cover it and get close to covering it, then that's fine. I mean, thank God that we don't all live paycheck to paycheck and we're able to be able to do these things and get together with our fans in a way that works for everyone. I mean, that's the most important thing, is getting the music in front of the people who love our band and being able to find a way to do it."

In 2023, Vivian told Classic Rock magazine about the "Jericho" songwriting process: "One thing we insist on in LAST IN LINE is that we have to be in the room together when we cut the tracks, old school, because that's how we did the early DIO records with Ronnie [James Dio]. We started this record in January 2020 in L.A., intending to finish it that April, and then obviously COVID happened and things got… discombobulated. It wasn't until February 2022 that we were able to get back into the studio, but that break only made the record stronger."

Photo credit: Jim Wright (courtesy of earMUSIC)

Swedish modern metal band LIV SIN has signed a worldwide record deal with Seek And Strike for the release of its new album, "Close Your Eyes", due on August 8.

Fronted by Liv Jagrell (ex-SISTER SIN),LIV SIN blends aggressive riff-driven metal with soaring melodies, steadily building its presence on the international metal scene.

The album's title track, "Close Your Eyes", is streaming now and offers a first glimpse of what fans can expect from the LP. Tackling the harrowing subject of human trafficking, the song features a guest performance from Lars Palmqvist of SCAR SYMMETRY. The album was mixed by the renowned Tue Madsen, known for his work with BABYMETAL and MESHUGGAH.

LIV SIN states: "We chose the album's title track, 'Close Your Eyes', as the first single/video for mainly two reasons. We got the amazing vocalist Lars Palmqvist from SCAR SYMMETRY to join us, and the song has a straight-up melodic chorus that everyone was instantly hooked on. The song also has a darker edge to it, since it covers the topic of human trafficking.

"Liv got the idea for the lyrics after watching a documentary about people being tricked into trafficking across eastern Europe.

"In the video, we tried to recreate the feeling of being all alone in a dark room with different strangers coming and going. Liv sings and screams out her inner frustrations reflecting on the world today with a deep longing for a better world."

A dynamic five-piece born from the ashes of SISTER SIN, LIV SIN delivers a sound steeped in modern metal, melodic hooks and uncompromising intensity. Since LIV SIN's formation, the band has built a reputation for soul-stirring live shows and an authentic connection with fans.

Joining Jagrell in LIV SIN are Per Bjevoluk (drums),Daniel Skoglund (bass),Sonny Larsson (lead guitar) and Ante Mäkelä (rhythm guitar),each bringing unique musical influences and personal passions to the table, from painting and folk music to animal rescue, yoga and music education. Their collective energy is channeled into creating cathartic anthems for a global audience.

Rooted deeply in Swedish culture, several members of LIV SIN are dedicated to preserving the nation's rich tradition of folk music, community art and craftsmanship. Sonny is an accomplished folk guitarist and painter, while Ante works in cultural education, championing the music and arts institutions that have helped define "the Swedish music wonder". Their love for traditional sounds and storytelling often seeps into their songwriting and creative aesthetic.

"Close Your Eyes" track listing:

01. Praise The Winners
02. Run
03. Close Your Eyes
04. Louder
05. It's Not Your Life
06. Above The Line
07. The Shadow March
08. Shades Of The Sun
09. Raven
10. I Refuse
11. The Mask
12. Hold It Together

Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers FOREIGNER hit the ground running with a sold-out show at the acclaimed Yaamava Theater in Highland, California on June 11, 2025. The 46-date tour continues through mid-October 2025. Tickets and full details are on ticketmaster.com and foreigneronline.com.

At the Yaamava show, FOREIGNER recorded an extra-special version of their smash hit "I Want To Know What Love Is" with members of the Inland Master Chorale, which will be shown exclusively on this year's KTLA telethon for Project Angel Food on June 28 (check local listings for info).

KTLA's on-air personality Jacob Burch was on hand to present FOREIGNER with a brand-new RIAA-certified gold plaque for their 2009 album "Can't Slow Down". The record was released on Rhino and contained two Top 20 radio hits, "In Pieces" and "When It Comes To Love". FOREIGNER is one of only three heritage bands (including EAGLES and JOURNEY) to have been currently certified gold for albums containing newly written and recorded songs.

FOREIGNER lead singer Kelly Hansen said: "What a stellar opportunity to help KTLA amplify the wonderful work of Project Angel Food. We are thrilled to be part of the telethon. The presentation of an official RIAA gold album for 'Can't Slow Down" makes this event even more special."

Project Angel Food nourishes the health and spirit of individuals facing critical illnesses by preparing and delivering medically tailored meals with compassion and dignity. Since 1989, they have provided over 19 million meals across Los Angeles County and currently serve more than 1.5 million meals annually to 6,240 clients. During the Los Angeles fires, they delivered meals, hygiene kits, and water to seriously ill individuals throughout L.A. County and assisted hundreds of critically ill and vulnerable seniors in areas impacted by the fires with the help of thousands of volunteers. And now there is a new threat. Funding from the Ryan White CARE Act, intended to feed 547 people we serve living with HIV/AIDS, has been abruptly blocked by the current administration. Only 16% of the promised $1.3 million has been delivered, leaving a critical shortfall of $1,092,000 and threatening our ability to provide life-saving meals. Last year, they raised nearly $1 million. They know they can surpass $1.1 million and bridge this critical funding gap as we face rising inflation. Produce costs are up 19%, beef 11%, poultry 40%, eggs 33%, and gas prices are ticking up.

Donations can be made on the organization's official web site: www.angelfood.org.

FOREIGNER will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026 with a new round of headlining tour dates, which will include a special five-show engagement at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas on March 6, 7, 11, 13 and 14, 2026. The band will be joined by a 20-piece orchestra, conducted by Juilliard-trained musician and orchestral arranger Dave Eggar.

Hansen announced he's stepping down rom FOREIGNER last month live during a special appearance on NBC's "The Voice". In a moving segment that aired nationally, Hansen introduced FOREIGNER guitarist and backing vocalist Luis Maldonado as his official successor — a moment that symbolized both an end and a bold new beginning for the powerhouse group.

Before Luis joined FOREIGNER, he was best known as the guitarist for TRAIN and for his work with Lisa Marie Presley. He now steps into the spotlight as FOREIGNER's new lead singer. Maldonado brings a rich blend of vocal power, stage charisma, and musical versatility that makes him a natural fit to lead the next chapter of the band's journey.

Hansen joined FOREIGNER in 2005 and played a crucial role in revitalizing the band's live presence. His powerful vocals and magnetic stage presence helped introduce FOREIGNER's timeless hits to a new generation of fans across the globe.

FOREIGNER's tour continues through 2025 and will feature both Hansen and Maldonado on stage in a symbolic handoff. The transition coincides with major milestones for the band, including next year's 50th anniversary of its formation in New York in 1976.

FOREIGNER replaced original singer Lou Gramm with Hansen. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

Arizona quartet BLESSTHEFALL — Beau Bokan (vocals),Eric Lambert (guitar),Jared Warth (bass) and Elliott Gruenberg (guitar) — has announced "Gallows", the band's first album in seven years. It arrives September 5 via Rise Records. Accompanying this news is the release of the new single "Mallxcore". Watch the visualizer below.

"You ever hear a song from a band and go, 'Holy fucking shit, they nailed it?,'" Bokan mused. "That's what 'Mallxcore' will make you feel. This song was so fun to write as we went in with no intentions other than writing the most BLESSTHEFALL song possible. The song title is a poke at the r/Metalcore reddit haters."

The official video for the track will arrive on Thursday, June 19.

Bokan offered an advance tease about the video, saying: "We knew the music video for 'Mallxcore' needed to be as fun as the song was. We hand-picked Tanner Gordon to direct because of his amazing work with bands like SPIRITBOX. In the video, we all have normal, mundane jobs then I'm recruited by an over-dramatic party host who needs a band to perform at her shindig...STAT. As a bonus, there are some really cool easter eggs throughout the video that we dropped in there for the hardcore fans!"

Bokan shared this additional insight about the album: "'Gallows' is a culmination of everything we love about writing music. We took our time and only wrote when we felt inspired. Every song you hear on this album was written from a place of excitement and freedom and you can hear that shine on every track. From the visceral screams over some of the most disgustingly heavy parts we've ever written to the massive sing-along choruses, there's something for everyone. If you're a die-hard BLESSTHEFALL fan since Day One or a first-time listener, 'Gallows' will end up on your Top 3 metalcore albums for 2025."

"Gallows" also features guest appearances from members of STORY OF THE YEAR, ALPHA WOLF and CASKETS.

"Gallows" track listing:

01. Mallxcore
02. Wake The Dead
03. Venom
04. Somebody Else
05. Drag Me Under
06. Gallows
07. Light The Flame
08. Fell So Hard, Felt So Right
09. Y.S.A.B.
10. This Ends With Us

Half Sumo, the Brooklyn-born art collective that blends the ferocity of combat sports with the rebellious spirit of streetwear, today announced a landmark collaboration with thrash metal architects MEGADETH. This ground-breaking partnership celebrates the 40th anniversary of the band's genre-defining debut album, "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!"

The alliance is a testament to the shared discipline and aggressive artistry that fuels both worlds. MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine, a lifelong martial artist, holds black belts in Taekwondo and Ukidokan Karate, as well as a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, making this collaboration a deeply authentic one.

Forty years after its release, the raw power of "Killing Is My Business…" remains a benchmark in metal. The Megadeth x Half Sumo capsule honors this legacy with a collection of wearable art that reimagines the album's iconic imagery through the lens of samurai lore, urban warfare, and underground resistance. For the first time ever, MEGADETH's iconic mascot, Vic Rattlehead, will be emblazoned across a full range of premium fightwear, including custom nogi rashguards, shorts, and a highly anticipated, master-crafted kimono.

"To see the raw energy of our first album translated into gear that's built for the mat is a thrilling moment," said Mustaine. "Half Sumo honored the spirit of 'Killing Is My Business...' perfectly."

"MEGADETH's debut was a declaration of war on the status quo," said Half Sumo founders Luigi Scarcella Perino and Alberto Marchetti. "It was technically brilliant, unapologetically aggressive, and it set a new standard for heavy music. That is the same energy we inject into our gear — the spirit of the underdog fighting a bigger battle. This collection is for them."

The Megadeth x Half Sumo "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" 40th-anniversary capsule will be released in four highly limited waves at HalfSumo.com.

Wave 1: The Streets (available today, June 12)

Marking 40 years to the day of the album's original release, the first drop unleashes a limited run of premium streetwear.

"Katana Vic" Tee: A fearless graphic tee showcasing a reimagined Vic Rattlehead, drawn in signature Half Sumo style — bold, raw, and battle-ready.

Rattlehead Ronin Tee: A throwback-style tee with a bold front graphic of the Ronin Vic design, printed on an off-white sand tee for an old-school, battle-worn vibe.

Half Sumo x Megadeth Anniversary Logo Tee: An iconic crossover piece celebrating 40 years of thrash. This tee features an oversized Vic Rattlehead face reinterpreted through the Half Sumo lens, with the vintage MEGADETH logo blazing across the chest.

"Katana Vic" Pullover Zip Hoodie: A premium heavyweight zip hoodie engineered for durability, featuring the "Katana Vic" artwork in full glory — ready for war, but made to chill.

Rattlehead Ronin Hoodie: Vic Rattlehead goes full ronin in an intricately detailed graphic printed on a vintage shiitake-colored heavyweight hoodie. Built like armor.

"Mechanix" Tech Joggers: Heavyweight fleece joggers built for grit and comfort, finished with the anniversary logo printed cleanly under the knee — subtle, but loud.

Wave 2: The Mats (to be released in July 2025)

The second wave delivers high-performance gear engineered for combat.

"Rattlehead" Nogi Fightwear Kit: A fully sublimated rashguard and shorts set, designed for intense MMA and Jiu-Jitsu training, featuring anti-odor and moisture-wicking technology.

Wave 3: The Dojo (to be released in August 2025)

The centerpiece of the collection arrives.

"Chosen Ones" Custom Kimono: A master-crafted pearl weave kimono built for the discerning Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Features intricate, direct embroidery of MEGADETH and Half Sumo iconography, a custom-printed interior lining, and a collector's edition gi bag.

Wave 4: The Arsenal (to be released in September 2025)

The final wave delivers unique accessories forged from signature materials.

"Looking Down the Cross" Bomber Jacket: A satin-lined bomber jacket constructed from premium, heavyweight kimono fabric—the same signature material used in high-performance BJJ gis—and finished with intricate, full-back embroidery.

Vic Rattlehead Tactical Backpack: A rugged backpack forged from ultra-durable kimono gi fabric. Built for the mission, it features custom anniversary patches and reinforced compartments.

Every item in this collection is a collector's piece, individually hand-numbered with no restocks planned. Surprise "flash drops" of unannounced items may occur. This is not for the faint of heart; it is for the dedicated who have followed every riff and every round.

To receive immediate alerts for each drop, fans are urged to subscribe to the official mailing list at halfsumo.com/collections/megadeth and follow @halfsumo_collective on Instagram. When these items sell out, they are gone forever.

About Half Sumo: Half Sumo is a Brooklyn-based independent fightwear brand blending martial arts, combat culture, and conceptual streetwear. Known for its narrative-driven collections, limited drops, cult art direction, and one-of-a-kind pieces, Half Sumo collaborates with legends across combat sports, music, and design to tell stories that hit like a roundhouse to the face. For Jiu Jitsu practitioners, Half Sumo captures the soul of the art: a place where technique beats size, where David can take on Goliath — and submit him with a rear naked choke. It's for anyone facing a challenge bigger than themselves and refusing to back down. Because let's face it, the underdog is always more fun to root for.

TODAY MARKS 40 YEARS OF METAL.
June 12, 1985 → June 12, 2025
Happy anniversary to Killing Is My Business…

The Half Sumo...

Posted by Half Sumo Collective on Thursday, June 12, 2025