During an appearance on the latest episode of The Mistress Carrie Podcast, guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen of Danish rock and rollers VOLBEAT was asked what the music of heavy metal legends BLACK SABBATH has meant to him over the years. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Everything. Because BLACK SABBATH was the main reason why I started playing guitar. That was listening and discovering BLACK SABBATH. And it's still that band that keeps inspiring, no matter what music I do for whatever band. They are eternal and they are the godfathers for a reason. [They have had] so many great albums, classic albums, and very interesting lineups as well. So they meant a lot to me and still do."

In a December 2021 interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Poulsen credited BLACK SABBATH with inspiring some of the music on VOLBEAT's eighth studio album, "Servant Of The Mind", which came out earlier that month via Republic Records.

"If you look at the more heavy side of the material, it's obvious that's a lot of old BLACK SABBATH inspiration — more from the [Ronnie James] Dio past and from the Tony Martin [era] of BLACK SABBATH," he said. "I do love the Ozzy [Osbourne] material, but you can definitely hear the inspiration from the BLACK SABBATH Dio and Tony Martin era."

Back in January 2020, Poulsen picked BLACK SABBATH's "Black Sabbath" a one of the 10 songs that changed his life. He explained to Kerrang! magazine: "My mom's brother lived next door to us, so I went through his record collection and found an album with a sleeve that scared the crap out of me. It was a woman in a graveyard or something, and he told me I was way too young to listen to it. So when he was out, I snuck into his house and put the record on, and that was my introduction to BLACK SABBATH. That was the song that made me want to dig into that scene. Hearing that opening riff made me want my first guitar."

VOLBEAT's ninth album, "God Of Angels Trust", will be released on June 6 via longtime label Vertigo/Universal. The LP's arrival will coincide with plenty of summer touring on the band's "Greatest Of All Tours Worldwide".

Poulsen started working on songs for the follow-up to 2021's "Servant Of The Mind" in the summer of 2024. VOLBEAT was taking a year-long break from touring to give Michael a chance to recover from throat surgery and to tour with his death metal band ASINHELL. Driven equally by his excitement to record a new VOLBEAT album and by his determination not to follow convention, Poulsen worked on songs for a mere three weeks with bandmates drummer Jon Larsen and bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen. Amazingly, they worked on a new song at every rehearsal. Three weeks into the process, VOLBEAT had arranged half of "God Of Angels Trust". That's when Poulsen decided that having no rules meant he could follow his muse wherever it took him, and he veered off on a different path. He and the band still wrote and rehearsed two songs a week, but they started composing more familiar rock songs that drew from traditional elements.

The band entered the studio with their longtime producer Jacob Hansen in the fall of 2024. As with the songwriting, Poulsen wanted to work quickly and rely on instinct, so they just plugged in and started to play. To keep the music sounding urgent and immediate, VOLBEAT recorded live in the studio, playing as few takes as possible before moving from one song to the next.

When it came time to add lead guitar, there was no question that VOLBEAT would tap Flemming C. Lund, who currently tours with the band and worked with Michael in ASINHELL. A mere 13 days after they started working with Hansen, VOLBEAT were finished.

VOLBEAT will return to the road on the "Greatest Of All Tours Worldwide", beginning in June and running throughout 2025. The tour begins in June with a co-headline Canadian run with THREE DAYS GRACE and special guests WAGE WAR, which will be followed by headline treks in the U.S. with special guests HALESTORM and THE GHOST INSIDE, and Europe with special guests BUSH and WITCH FEVER, including a second show at Copenhagen's Royal Arena on September 20.

Photo credit: Brittany Bowman (courtesy of Atom Splitter PR + Republic/Universal)

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

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

KING DIAMOND's setlist for last night's concert was as follows:

01. Arrival
02. A Mansion In Darkness
03. Halloween
04. Voodoo
05. Spider Lilly
06. Sleepless Nights
07. Welcome Home
08. The Invisible Guests
09. The Candle
10. Masquerade Of Madness
11. Electro Therapy
12. Eye Of The Witch
13. Burn
14. Abigail

Fan-filmed video of the entire performance can be seen below.

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

In a separate interview with Guitar World, La Rocque spoke about KING DIAMOND's forthcoming horror trilogy, part one of which is titled "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920". Asked about his previous comment that the new KING DIAMOND songs would be, in some form, a return to the band's earliest records, Andy said: "It's mainly to get that organic sound back, where everything doesn't have to be… placed perfectly in time, or even in pitch. There's got to be some rock 'n' roll to it. [Laughs] If you listen to an album that's totally perfect, it gets boring. We wanted to make an album where it's a little bit more alive, like it was in the '80s.

"We're trying to avoid the stiffness of the albums of the '90s and early 2000s," he explained. "Really, we're just trying to loosen it up a little bit. Then again, we also had a talk about going back to the roots with the songwriting. Some parts are going back to 'Fatal Portrait' and 'Abigail' when it comes to the riffing style, but it's also going to be totally different from what you've ever heard from us before."

As for a possible timeline for the next KING DIAMOND album, Andy said: "We're going to do some festivals in Europe [this] summer, so everything has to be recorded and done before we do that, that's for sure. We're still working on some of the other stuff we have. It's going to be eight or nine songs on the album, I believe."

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

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

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

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

KING DIAMOND's setlist for the fall 2024 tour included two new songs, "Electro Therapy" and the aforementioned "Spider Lilly".

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

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

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

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

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

Canadian sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD performed with the Orchestre Symphonique De Québec, conducted by Dina Gilbert, on June 4 at Grand Théâtre de Québec in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The show was recorded for a possible album.

Fan-filmed video of last night's concert can be seen below.

The setlist for the show was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Experiment
02. Holographic Thinking
03. The Unknown Knows
04. The End Of Dormancy
05. Into My Hypercube
06. Forgotten In Space
07. Cosmic Drama
08. Pre-Ignition
09. Nuclear War
10. Fall
11. Tribal Convictions
12. Astronomy Domine (PINK FLOYD cover)

Late last month, VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin told Le Soleil about the Quebec City performance: "The problem with making a record is that you have to pay a lot of royalties, because there are a lot of musicians and it costs a fortune. However, we're working on recording the Quebec City show and eventually releasing it on vinyl or CD. We really want to do that."

According to Langevin, there are no plans to release a professionally filmed video of the concert. "A DVD costs much, much more, so we forgot about that idea and focused on the audio," he said. "We haven't yet decided to turn this performance into a live album, but we're working very hard on this major project."

VOIVOD previously played two shows with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal on January 29 and January 30 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletie in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Regarding how the collaboration with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal came about, Langevin told The Metal Voice in a December 2024 interview: "Oh my God, I think we've been dreaming about that forever. But it came through a strange chain of circumstances, where I did an interview for the magazine L'Itinéraire, for homeless people selling magazines on the street, and then I did an interview with one of the journalists for the magazine, and it ended up being published online by La Presse. And then the people directing the orchestra, the organization, they were made aware of that by one of the musicians from the orchestra, which is a metal dude and he's a fan."

The drummer continued: "It's funny because since my cousin Richard Langevin is married to Diane Dufresne, a famous singer from Montreal, and she had done the orchestra before, so they got in touch with him, because I was mentioning him in the article because he showed me how to draw. [Laughs] And anyhow, they phoned Richard, my cousin, and he phoned my mother. [Laughs] And when I came back from touring with VOIVOD, I had a message on my answering machine saying that the orchestra were looking for us. So, quite amazing."

Langevin added: "We didn't approach [the orchestra], but we always talked about either doing symphonic shows or doing a soundtrack for a sci-fi movie or something like that. It's part of the dreams we have."

VOIVOD guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain, who previously wrote an eight-minute arrangement for the brass quintet that performed with VOIVOD at the Montreal International Jazz Festival (Festival International de Jazz de Montréal) in June 2019, went on to say that the collaboration with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal is "a dream come true."

"I never tried to write for a whole orchestra," he explained. "I know a little bit about it, studying orchestration at university and knowing my music theory and all that. But what happened is that my help with the project was to provide the music sheets to the arranger, Hugo Bégin. He did an amazing work. He took the music sheet that I wrote for guitar and bass. So he had a template to work on. And so he orchestrated it for the whole orchestra and added his own color to it. And it's very efficient. It's like a movie soundtrack, like the movie we used to watch, like 'Planet Of The Apes' and 'Ben-Hur' and 'Mad Max' and all that. VOIVOD has been influenced since the beginning by those movies, so you can hear it, but with the whole orchestra, it's very exciting. So I exchanged a lot of e-mails and messages with Hugo, the arranger, and we worked really hard on it and he was really, really fast and efficient. And until the last minute, the last day, there was little modifications here and there, but it's gonna be amazing. It's a dream come true, but it's so big that you only imagine something like that in your wildest dreams, but you know it's not gonna happen. So this is just a life-changing experience, a bonus in a career. It's gonna be grandiose."

Added Langevin: "We're also gonna put a lot of work into the visuals with a company called Noisy Head. They're really high tech. It's gonna be spectacular. They did stuff for Lizzo or CHEMICAL BROTHERS. And also they did a symphonic show with the music of Harmonium. And so, yeah, it's gonna be pretty sci-fi visually as well."

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

VOIVOD's long-awaited official documentary, "We Are Connected", received its world premiere on July 29, 2024 at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Canada.

"We Are Connected" dives deep into the 40-plus-year legacy of one of the most original and influential metal bands in history. From their explosive beginnings in Jonquière to their groundbreaking global journey, VOIVOD's story is one of unparalleled creativity, resilience, and evolution. The film covers VOIVOD's history from unlikely origins in northern Québec at the height of the Cold War to underground success to sharing tours and stages with IRON MAIDEN, RUSH and METALLICA. Included in the documentary are high and lows throughout those 40 years, from major-label support and Billboard recognition to seismic lineup changes and an event many critics claimed to be the end of VOIVOD: the death of co-founding guitarist and composer Dennis "Piggy" D'Amour.

Directed by Felipe Belalcazar and produced with full access to the band's archives, this film features exclusive insights and appearances by metal icons like Tobias Forge (GHOST),Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH),Jason Newsted (METALLICA),Zach Blair (RISE AGAINST, GWAR),Tom G. Warrior (CELTIC FROST, TRIPTYKON) and Ivan Doroschuk (MEN WITHOUT HATS),among many others.

VOIVOD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Morgöth Tales", which was released via Century Media, The Orchard and Sony Music.

The band's 2022 release, "Synchro Anarchy", garnered significant acclaim, winning the 2023 Juno Award for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Album" in Canada.

Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by VOIVOD, "Morgöth Tales" includes fresh studio re-recordings by the band's current lineup of nine especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band's hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song and the album's title track, "Morgöth Tales".



Posted by Jason Lee Rockman on Thursday, June 5, 2025

Voivod en concert symphonique avec Orchestre symphonique de Québec – Une rencontre épique entre métal et orchestre !

Un...

Posted by Voivod on Thursday, May 29, 2025

Christian rockers STRYPER have been forced to cancel their appearance at the 2025 edition of the Sweden Rock Festival on Thursday, June 5 in Sölvesborg, Sweden.

Earlier today, STRYPER released the following statement via social media: "We regret to announce that STRYPER will be unable to perform at Sweden Rock Festival this year.

"Midway through our flight to Copenhagen last night, a malfunctioning smoke detector system and power failure, forced the plane to return to the U.S., preventing us from making the trip.

"We're deeply disappointed. We were truly looking forward to returning to Sweden. To all our fans, friends, and fellow bands at the festival, we wish you an incredible weekend and hope to see you again soon.

"God bless, STRYPER".

STRYPER entered the studio in late April to begin recording their first-ever full-length Christmas album. The 10-song effort will include five original Christmas tracks and five traditional Christmas cuts, including remakes of "Reason For The Season" and "Winter Wonderland", both of which originally appeared on a 1985 single and were also made available on the 1986 re-release of STRYPER's debut EP, "The Yellow And Black Attack".

STRYPER's latest studio album, "When We Were Kings", came out in September 2024.

The band recently completed the U.S. leg of its 40th-anniversary tour, which was described as "a celebration of both classic hits and new-era fan favorites, including outfit changes and an exciting new show production."

In December 2023, STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet underwent partial thyroidectomy, the surgery to remove part of his thyroid gland. It is the most common surgery for thyroid cancer.

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

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

Tyvärr måste vi meddela att Stryper, som skulle ha spelat imorgon på Sweden Rock Festival, tvingas ställa in sin...

Posted by Sweden Rock Festival on Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Swedish progressive metallers OPETH have unveiled a full-on band performance video for "§1". The track is taken from their latest album, "The Last Will And Testament", which came out last November through Moderbolaget/Reigning Phoenix Music. The LP was highly praised by press and fans alike and saw OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt return to growling vocal territory for the first time in 16 years. OPETH's new material has additionally been warmly welcomed during the band's ongoing world tour, which is why the video arrives right in time as their touring cycle commences today at the legendary Sweden Rock Festival.

Åkerfeldt states: "So here's a video (of sorts) for your 'enjoyment.' We had requests left, right and center to do one of them measly 'lyric videos' or 'visualizers' for 'content.' Now, right there are three words I despise! I've made it clear in our circle of trust that we shouldn't use the word 'content', even if that's exactly what we're working on. We're not some goddamn influencers, now are we? So can we please settle on the old-fashioned word 'video' without meddling with modern online lingo? And a video is what it really is. A performance video, no less. We figured it's a bit more happening to look at (should you decide to do so) than a lyric video.

"'§1' is the opener on 'The Last Will And Testament'," he continues. "A good song. I like it! The video looks good. As good as it can look when involving five middle-aged, slightly hungover geezers miming along to something. We shot it in some industrial area in Birmingham (U.K.) on the latest Euro tour. Everyone (well, the band and crew) were quite eager to get out of there as we had dinner planned at a fancy curry house locally. Much thanks to Ash Pears and ASH TV, who were really professional (ie: quick!) and made the whole experience rather easy on us. Hope you dig it, people!"

OPETH was honored in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" category at this year's edition of the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent),which was held on March 27 at Annexet in Stockholm. The bands were nominated for their most recent releases, all of which came out during 2024.

"The Last Will And Testament", OPETH's fourteenth studio album, was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). "The Last Will And Testament" was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the rest of OPETH mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on "The Last Will And Testament" were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returned to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) also revisited mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolled out the red carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, EUROPE's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2", while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

"The Last Will And Testament" is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The narrative weaves through the patriarch's confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family have taken care of. The album begins with the reading of the father's will in his mansion. Among those in attendance is a young girl, who, despite being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by the family. Her presence at the will reading raises suspicions and questions among the twins.

"The Last Will And Testament" is the darkest and heaviest record OPETH has made in decades, and it is also the band's most fearlessly progressive. A concept album recounting the reading of one recently deceased man's will to an audience of his surviving family members, it brims with haunting melodrama, shocking revelations and some of the wildest and most unpredictable music that Åkerfeldt has ever written.

The follow-up to 2019's widely acclaimed "In Cauda Venenum", "The Last Will And Testament" is set in the shadowy, sepia-stained 1920s. It slowly reveals its secrets like some classic thriller from the distant, cobwebbed past, with each successive song shining more light on the stated machinations of our dead (but definitely not harmless) protagonist. The emotional chaos of the story is perfectly matched by OPETH's vivid but claustrophobic soundtrack, which artfully winds its way towards a crestfallen but sumptuous finale. Masters of their own idiosyncratic musical domain, OPETH have never sounded more unique.

"The Last Will And Testament" is destined to be a milestone in OPETH's illustrious recorded history. The band's first out-and-out concept record, it features guest cameos from JETHRO TULL legend Ian Anderson and Joey Tempest, frontman with Swedish rock gods EUROPE. Only one of the album's eight songs has a title: closing ballad "A Story Never Told". The rest are simply labeled as numbered chapters in this slowly unfolding saga of deceit, recrimination and betrayal. Enigmatic, unsettling and immersive, "The Last Will And Testament" is a turbulent, prog metal tale like no other.

Making his recorded debut alongside OPETH's long-established lineup of Mikael Åkerfeldt, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, bassist Martin Mendez and keyboard maestro Joakim Svalberg on "The Last Will And Testament" is new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who joined the band in 2022.

In a recent interview with Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne, Åkerfeldt stated about the "The Last Will And Testament" album title: "Yeah, well, it is a concept record that basically starts with the… The whole record is about the reading of the last will and testament of this main character that's passed away — a rich, old fuck. Conservative, old, stern, noble patriarch who passed away, and the record starts when he summoned his three children to go through with solicitors, his last will and testament."

Asked how he came up with the concept for the new OPETH album, Mikael said: "It's not completely my idea. I got interested in the topic even on the last record. There's a song on there called, the English title was 'Universal Truth' — I think we did a video for that one — which also dealt with kind of those types of, like how blood's not always thicker than water, how money can drive family members into chaos. So I got interested in that topic. And also along comes the TV series 'Succession', which is, I'm not sure if you've seen it, but a great TV series about a power struggle between siblings taking over after their Murdoch-type father."

He added: "It's interesting. And it also helps me if I have a theme of sorts if I'm gonna write lyrics. Otherwise, I end up writing stuff, I don't even know what they mean."

In a separate interview with Marcus Schleutermann of EMP, Åkerfeldt was asked how "The Last Will And Testament" is different from other OPETH albums. Mikael said: "I don't know. It's weird. That's not really different for us, I guess. But I'm doing some of the screams again, which I haven't done for a long time. And there's some guests on there. Ian Anderson from JETHRO TULL is on there doing spoken word and playing flute. And Joey Tempest [of EUROPE] is on it. But, yeah, it's a concept record. Somebody said it sounds claustrophobic. It's a claustrophobic-sounding record. And there's a lot of ideas. It's a restless record. There's not meandering stuff happening all the time. Even I don't really know the songs yet. But, of course, I would say that, but I think it's good — it's a good record."

Regarding Joey's contributions to "The Last Will And Testament", Mikael said: "Tempest doesn't sound like Tempest on [EUROPE's biggest hit] 'The Final Countdown'. I had him over at my house. I asked him, 'Could you sing a few lines?' 'Let's push the record button,' he said. At the time I didn't have the lyrics ready, so I was, like, 'I'm sorry. I have to record it from somewhere else.' But he's really going for it. He sounds amazing. I mean, I'm a big EUROPE fan, being Swedish. I love them. And I think for him to be on this record, it's a bit different by his standards because it doesn't really sound like a EUROPE record at all."

Asked if the songs on "The Last Will And Testament" all stand on their own or if they are all connected in some way, Mikael said: "They are connected lyrically, but also to a certain extent that one song bleeds into the other, which I always liked anyways. It's basically the reading of a testament. So it's like paragraphs. There are no real songtitles on there. It's a bit odd by our standards even. But you could, of course, extract any song from — we don't have to play the whole record."

Legendary rockers HEART have announced that two "irreplaceable" instruments were stolen from the band prior to the launch of the group's spring/summer 2025 "An Evening With Heart" tour.

HEART had set up at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on May 30, the day before the first show on the trek, only to discover that two instruments belonging to Nancy Wilson and Paul Moak went missing: a custom-built, one-of-a-kind purple sparkle baritone Telecaster with a hand-painted headstock, which was made for Wilson, and a vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin, which Moak has played for over 25 years.

"A reward is being offered for any information leading to their return. Anyone with knowledge of the theft or whereabouts of the instruments is urged to come forward," HEART said in a statement posted on social media, with any information asked to be directed to HEART's tour manager, Tony Moon.

"These instruments are more than just tools of our trade — they're extensions of our musical souls," Wilson said. "The baritone Tele was made uniquely for me, and Paul's mandolin has been with him for decades. We're heartbroken, and we're asking for their safe return — no questions asked. Their value to us is immeasurable."

This past March, HEART announced the "An Evening With Heart" spring/summer 2025 U.S. tour. The trek, which sees the band performing two separate sets each night, kicked off May 31 at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City and will conclude on June 28 in Hollywood, Florida.

HEART's "Royal Flush" tour kicked off on February 28 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The trek made stops in cities including Milwaukee, Montreal, Toronto, Boston and more before wrapping April 16 in New York City.

The current members of HEART feature Nancy Wilson (rhythm, lead and acoustic guitar, backing and lead vocals),Ann Wilson (lead vocals and flute),Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar),Ryan Waters (guitars),Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals),Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean Lane (drums and bike).

In December 2023, HEART played its first three concerts in more than four years — in Highland, California, at Greater Palm Springs in Palm Desert, California, and in Seattle, Washington.

Prior to HEART's December 27, 2023 show in Highland, the band's last performance took place in October 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

HEART toured North America in the summer of 2019 after a nasty split that kept the Wilson sisters estranged for three years.

HEART's 2013 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame saw Ann and Nancy reunited with the four musicians who helped HEART achieve its initial success in the mid-1970s — guitarist Roger Fisher, bassist Steve Fossen, drummer Michael DeRosier and longtime guitarist-keyboardist Howard Leese.

The Wilson sisters' reunion with HEART's original lineup at the Rock Hall ceremony marked the first time the group played together in 34 years.

When Ann and Nancy formed HEART, the idea of two women leading a rock band was still groundbreaking. From the moment 1975's "Dreamboat Annie" was released, they became stars. With hits like "Magic Man", "Crazy On You", "Barracuda", "Alone", "What About Love" and "These Dreams", the band became one of the biggest hit-makers in the '70s and '80s, selling more than 35 million records. In 2012, their memoir "Kicking & Dreaming: A Story Of Heart, Soul And Rock & Roll" became a New York Times bestseller.

🚨 STOLEN GEAR – PLEASE SHARE 🚨

Posted by Nancy Wilson on Tuesday, June 3, 2025

In a new interview with Metal-Net, longtime VIXEN bassist Share Ross discussed her February 2022 decision to "take a hiatus" from the band. Her replacement is Julia Lage, formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock group BARRA DE SAIA and wife of Richie Kotzen, who also plays in her husband's SMITH/KOTZEN project. Asked "what inspired" her to leave VIXEN at that point in her life, Share said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A few things kind of came through for me, which was the fly dates. When VIXEN goes out on shows, we don't go on a tour bus or anything. It's just, like, you live your life in airports and hotels. And that was wearing very, very thin for me. Not to sound ungrateful, but it was impacting my health in a really, really, really big way. So that was one part of pie that was, like, 'Oh, man. This is really starting to take its toll. So that was kind of getting to me. And then also just for economic reasons, I had to step away and just focus on making, for lack of a better word, an adult living. I needed to make serious money. Like, 'Okay, I'm not 25. I can't live on this. I need to make real money now.' So that was part of it. And I've always had other jobs. Music has paid for me for maybe five years of my adult life, and the rest of the time it's like work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work. Which is why everybody goes, like, 'Oh, you've done so many things.' It's, like, 'You have no idea.' And then as for the songwriting thing, I think that was another part of it. We were not agreeing on the path forward. And so when I combined all of those pieces together, it just made sense for me to kind of step away. And I wish them the very, very best. And I know they have a new singer in Rosa [Laricchiuta] now, and I think she's phenomenal and totally showing up. And there's no weird feelings; there's none of that. It really was kind of for my sanity and my health both. I really had to make a shift. And it was something that — Roxy [Petrucci, VIXEN drummer] and I definitely talked about it for a while. And she wasn't surprised. When you know somebody for that many years, you know when somebody's not — the cylinder's not firing off in the happiness department. So there was just sort of a feeling of, 'Okay, I need to just step away from this.' And some of it was also just for the interim between when I left VIXEN and — well, when VIXEN broke up in '91, '92, whatever that goofy, messy time was, I immediately started playing with other people and then started running my own band. And I had my own band then from, like — I don't know — '93 onwards. I never stopped. It was band after band after band after band. Some people — not a lot of people, but some people — knew about BUBBLE, but there was also two or three bands even before that. So, I just wanted to get back to that. I just wanna express myself. I don't want a bunch of, like, 'Oh, we don't wanna do that song.' I'd say, 'Okay, fine. I'll do it,' whatever. So I just wanted to get back to doing what I do. I've always played music, and I'm never gonna stop."

Asked if it was "emotionally hard" to leave VIXEN, Share said: "Good question. It was definitely an emotional decision. I was super just, like, 'Oh, my God. What am I doing? And I love these girls. And VIXEN will always be a part of me.' And who knows? I may still go back to it tomorrow. I don't know. I'm definitely a believer in you don't know what the future holds; none of us do. So it was very emotional. And I can tell you I talked with, obviously, Bam, my husband. I talked with Roxy at length, and just really had to sort out my emotions around it. And it also became doing what's — this sounds really stupid, but it became kind of doing what's right for the fans. I felt like I didn't wanna be there, so that's not good for me to go on stage. I felt like I was ripping them off. It was just like this weird feeling. And maybe that's too overthinking and over emotional — I don't know — but needless to say, on my last gig when we brought Julia up and everything, that night I got so drunk and so hammered. I don't drink anymore, by the way, but I got so drunk that night. Oh my God. It was terrible. And I think it was just sort of letting out all of these weird feelings, these conflicting emotions. But I'm not gonna lie — afterwards, there was kind of a sense of relief. Like, 'I've done the right thing. That was the right thing to do.' Sometimes things run their course in your life. I love them and I wish them the very, very best. And it's not like I have negative feelings or anything like that. It's just sometimes you change and you need to move on."

Last September, Share spoke to CoStar News about her decision to make a career switch from playing sporadic shows with VIXEN to becoming one of the top-producing real estate agents with eXp Realty in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Ross, who earned her real estate license in 2018, said she averages about $10 million to $12 million in sales a year, with the commission typically being 5-6% of the home's selling price. (The commission is usually split 50/50 between the buyer's and seller's agents.)

Before focusing on her real estate career, Share played music part-time and worked as a life coach.

"For every [musician] you see who made it huge, there are probably 100 or 1,000 of us who didn't make it quite to that level," Ross, who works out of her home in Boynton Beach, told CoStar News. "If I continued to carry on traveling and doing wonderful stuff with the band, I just couldn't have paid the bills."

Share added that even though VIXEN made money during the peak of the group's success in the late 1980s, she and her bandmates didn't manage their business as well as they should have.

"We spent it promoting the band and record sales, instead of buying a house, which would have been nice," she said. "I can't blame somebody else. I can't point fingers. It was us. Gene Simmons from KISS and Rick Nielsen from CHEAP TRICK both told me the same thing: 'The only money you can count on in rock and roll is the money you get up front.' They were right."

When Ross finally left VIXEN in 2022, even with platinum album sales and major tours, she told Rolling Stone she "never made a penny."

Share secured her real estate license after being introduced to the industry through a realtor friend, Avery Carl, the wife of SiriusXM Hair Nation DJ Luc Carl.

The only remaining member of VIXEN's "classic" lineup is Petrucci, who is also joined in the group by guitarist Britt Lightning (a.k.a. Brittany Denaro) and Laricchiuta.

Petrucci, Ross and singer Janet Gardner are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988),"Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest full-length release, 2018's live album "Live Fire".

In a new interview with Ethan Dometrius, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm spoke about what it has been like for him to join the band on stage again for the last four songs of FOREIGNER's set on the group's recent Latin American tour. Handling lead vocals for most of the concerts was FOREIGNER guitarist Luis Maldonado. "That was a lot of fun," Gramm said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET),adding that he "would love to" continue playing shows with the current version of FOREIGNER. "I'm enjoying it immensely," he confirmed. "And I'm also doing it to honor Mick [Jones, FOREIGNER's founding guitarist], who also would be there if he was feeling well enough. So I'm waving the original FOREIGNER flag."

Asked about the possibility of singing several songs at every show on FOREIGNER's upcoming tour, Gramm said: "Well, I may do that. I'm sure we're gonna talk about it at some point. And the prospect is good. I don't wanna tour intensely all summer, but I talked to FOREIGNER management and they would like me to pop up for every other show or something."

FOREIGNER kicked off its spring 2025 Latin American tour on April 28 at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico.

Prior to the Mexico City concert, Gramm most recently joined FOREIGNER's current lineup on stage at the end of the band's March 15 concert at the BayCare Sound in Clearwater, Florida to perform two of the legendary rock group's classic songs, "I Want To Know What Love Is" and "Hot Blooded".

Gramm previously said he planned to retire at the end of 2024, but later revealed that he was in talks to make appearances at "select" tour dates with FOREIGNER's current lineup in 2025. Bassist Rick Wills and drummer Dennis Elliott are also expected to appear at some shows, including FOREIGNER's upcoming Las Vegas residency.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

The 74-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. 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.

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 Maldonado as his official successor — a moment that symbolized both an end and a bold new beginning for the powerhouse group.

When Hansen announced his departure from FOREIGNER on May 20, he said in a statement: "Being the voice of FOREIGNER has been one of the greatest honors of my life. But it's time to pass the mic. Luis has the voice, the energy and the soul to carry these songs into the future. I couldn't be prouder to hand this off to him."

Jones said that "in 1976, my goal was to assemble the finest group of musicians I could find" and "Results have shown that it worked!" He added that "about thirty years later, Jason Bonham encouraged me to do it all over again and create a brand-new FOREIGNER, and the magic was still there," explaining that "I was especially fortunate in the choice of lead singer."

In the statement, Jones called Hansen "one of the best" frontmen in music and said he "breathed new life into our songs" over a 20-year span. "His boundless energy and flawless talent has helped us climb the mountain and set up the opportunity for FOREIGNER vocalist and guitarist Luis Maldonado to bring us home," Jones said. "I wish Kelly great happiness in his next endeavors after our summer tour, and I look forward to welcoming Luis to his new position."

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.

"This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember," said Maldonado. "I'm ready to honor FOREIGNER's legacy and bring my heart to every performance."

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.

In a new interview with Metal Journal, DIAMOND HEAD guitarist Brian Tatler, who has been playing with SAXON since early 2023, was asked if there are any plans for DIAMOND HEAD activities beyond the release of a new live album, "Live And Electric", on July 11 via Silver Lining Music. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "At the moment, the live album is the main thing. That comes out July 11th on Silver Lining. And after that, who knows? We haven't got any plans to record a new album. And there are no dates in the book. I just thought once I joined SAXON — and I joined in March 2023 — I just thought it was gonna be difficult to book DIAMOND HEAD gigs because SAXON is so busy that we could easily land right on top of a DIAMOND HEAD gig. 'Cause, as you know, you book six months in advance, nine months in advance, and I didn't wanna be in a position where I said, 'Well, I've gotta do the SAXON gig, so we'll have to cancel the DIAMOND HEAD gig and let people down,' and et cetera, et cetera. So I said, 'Let's just take a break.' And the management advised us the same> 'Take a break. Let's see how the land lies in a year or two years.' And then we'll just see. I'm happy where I am. I'm really enjoying being in SAXON. We've done a lot of gigs already. There's a lot more gigs coming up and we're working on the next record. So I've got a lot on my plate, and I've almost got everything I need to fulfill my needs. So I'm not craving to do DIAMOND HEAD again. I feel like I've been doing DIAMOND HEAD since I was 16, and it's been a long road. But I'm happy where I am at the moment. I'm enjoying the challenge and the change. And playing with different people is fun as well."

Asked if he still has any contact with original DIAMOND HEAD singer Sean Harris, Brian said: "No, not really. Well, he does his thing and I do my thing. It's just the way it is. It's just gone that way. We all live nearby. The four original members all live within about a mile and a half of each other, but we rarely see each other. Myself, Colin [Kimberley, bass] and Duncan [Scott, drums] sometimes go for a curry, and we've been doing that for maybe 10 years. But I haven't seen Sean for a while now, a number of years. As I say, we kind of move in different circles and we've just lost touch with each other."

As for whether he has received any substantial financial offer to reunite the original DIAMOND HEAD lineup for a festival appearance or two, Brian said: "No, not really. You get the odd offer, but there's nothing — no big offer… I mean, maybe a couple of people would like that to happen, but it's not a big deal. I don't think it would change the world. I mean, Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] has got closest — hasn't he? — by getting us all to reassemble and play the NEC in Birmingham with METALLICA in 1992. So he's come closest. But having spoken to Colin, the bass player, he doesn't really wanna do DIAMOND HEAD again. When he left the band, he sold all his gear, and he's never played the bass since, other than when we did that NEC show. We once had a rehearsal just for fun in Stourbridge, but that was about 2000. So even that's been 25 years ago. So I can't see the original lineup playing together again."

DIAMOND HEAD influenced a slew of early '80s thrash metal bands, in particular METALLICA, which recorded "Am I Evil?" as a B-side to their 1984 "Creeping Death" single and again included on the band's multi-platinum 1998 covers album "Garage Inc." METALLICA would record three additional DIAMOND HEAD songs: "Helpless" ("Garage Days", 1987),"The Prince" ("One" single B-side, 1989) and "It's Electric" ("Garage Inc.", 1998).

In a 2022 interview with Metal Pilgrim, Tatler was asked if he thinks DIAMOND HEAD would not have been able to continue as a viable business entity had METALLICA covered any of his songs. He responded: "I think if METALLICA hadn't covered DIAMOND HEAD — the first cover was '84 when they did 'Am I Evil?' on the B-side of 'Creeping Death' — so I think if they hadn't, I may have looked elsewhere for employment. I think it would have been harder to keep DIAMOND HEAD going without that introduction to their fanbase. 'Cause that record sold millions of copies — versions of 'Am I Evil?' have sold millions of copies through METALLICA — and so so many more people know DIAMOND HEAD thanks to Lars and Co. And it may be that a lot of the opportunities that we get now would not be there without that METALLICA connection. So I'm eternally grateful. Obviously, myself and Sean [Harris, original DIAMOND HEAD singer] still get writers' royalties, but even so, I just think it's helped DIAMOND HEAD as a name and a brand to get on more and more opportunities — get festivals and supports. Because they link it with METALLICA; they think, 'Okay, well, you're potentially tapping into a huge market.'"

Nearly five years ago, Tatler said during an episode of "Tatler's Tales" about METALLICA's cover versions of his band's classic songs: "They're great. They're always more powerful and a little faster than the DIAMOND HEAD versions. I mean, they're a great band. They [have] their own sound. Of course, it was very flattering. The first song they covered was 'Am I Evil' They were the first band that ever covered a DIAMOND HEAD song. And it came out in 1984; it was on the 'Creeping Death' 12-inch single, which was on Music For Nations. And I was just really flattered that 'Lars's band' had covered one of our songs and done such a respectful job and worked out the guitar solo. Everything was really good — really close to our version, but a bit more modern, a bit tougher, [with] more attitude."

He added: "More power to them. Fantastic. It's done the band a huge favor."

According to Brian, the royalties that he receives from the DIAMOND HEAD back catalog, including the METALLICA recordings of his songs, are enough for him to live on. "It's my biggest source of income," he revealed in a 2019 interview. "It's great and I don't know what I would do without it. It gives me the freedom to do what I like. I'm very grateful."

A reimagined and re-recorded version of DIAMOND HEAD's "Lightning To The Nations" album was released in 2020 via Silver Lining Music. "Lightning To The Nations 2020" included four cover tracks, including METALLICA's "No Remorse".

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

DIAMOND HEAD's latest collection of all-new material, "The Coffin Train", was released in May 2019 via Silver Lining Music. The album was recorded at Vigo Studios in Walsall, Circle Studios in Birmingham and Raw Sound Studio in London.

THREE DAYS GRACE will release its eighth album, "Alienation", on August 22 via RCA Records. For the first time in over a decade, original THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam Gontier is back, joining Matt Walst on vocals along with Neil Sanderson (drums),Brad Walst (bass) and Barry Stock (guitars).

Asked in a new interview with Todo Dia Um Rock what fans can expect from "Alienation", Matt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I feel like it's a pretty diverse album. There's some really heavy songs and some other songs that are pretty heartfelt ballads. And the way it came about, it was just so easy that it just rolled really fast and really easy. So, we could just get back to the drawing board, to be honest, and pump another one out."

Asked if there are any plans for THREE DAYS GRACE to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band's second album, 2006's "One-X", on a special tour in 2026, Adam said: "Yeah. We have been talking about it, for sure, and it seems like something that we all are into doing. Yeah, 20 years goes by fast. We all were kids. So, yeah, I think we're all interested in doing something like that."

"Alienation" track listing:

01. Dominate
02. Apologies
03. Mayday
04. Kill Me Fast
05. In Waves
06. Alienation
07. Never Ordinary (ft. Lindsey Stirling)
08. Deathwish
09. Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight
10. In Cold Blood
11. The Power
12. Another Relapse

Last November, THREE DAYS GRACE released "Mayday", the first single since the return of Gontier.

THREE DAYS GRACE played its first full show with Gontier in 12 years on February 25 as the support act for DISTURBED on the U.S. leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho.

In a recent interview with Nik Nocturnal, Adam was asked how it feels to be back in THREE DAYS GRACE after such a long absence. He responded: "Well, I think more excitement than anything, man. 'Cause it's just been so long. And it just felt like the right time — it felt like the right time for everybody. So, yeah, just excitement and kind of ready to go."

He continued: "It took a little while to connect with the guys and do a couple shows together, a couple things, but, yeah — just more excitement than anything, and definitely some nostalgia, obviously. But, yeah, I think everybody's really, really excited about this next chapter. It's gonna be quite the year, I think."

Regarding the prospect of sharing lead vocals with Matt in THREE DAYS GRACE's new lineup, Adam said: "Yeah, I was just talking with somebody about that. We got sort of — not lucky, but our voices do blend really well together. And we've noticed it obviously way more now with making the record and recording and all this stuff that, yeah, our voices really blend well. Yeah, so we're fortunate for that, that it's working out the way we had hoped."

Gontier added: "It's been great, man. It's cool. Matt grew up with the band. He's [THREE DAYS GRACE bassist] Brad's little brother, and I knew Matt from when he was just a little guy. So I think for them it was a natural fit to get him to take my spot there. And, yeah, now [we're just, like] — let's do it together."

In a December 2024 interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Adam was asked if "Mayday" is a good representation of the material that would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's next studio album. He responded: "I think it's pretty close. I think it was pretty important for us to sort of get some elements in these songs that were super classic THREE DAYS GRACE with some newer elements as well. So I think 'Mayday' is a good representation of that. It's a pretty heavy song, but it's got everything else that we wanted to have in there. So, yeah, I think it's pretty close."

Asked if there was ever any doubt "Mayday" would be the first song to introduce this iteration of the band, Matt said: "We found with 'Mayday' — we listened to, obviously, our ideas and our songs a lot, and with 'Mayday', we kind of all found we never got sick of it. Personally, too, I listened to it over and over again, and I didn't get sick of it. And it takes you on this kind of journey throughout it, and it's not super predictable. And, yeah, [we] just found it was fresh."

Matt also talked about how the idea for having two singers in THREE DAYS GRACE came about. He said: "I think one day I just talked to my brother Brad about it and was, like, 'It'd be sick if Adam came back. And we could both sing, and I can sing the songs of the past 10 years and Adam can even sing a few of those too.' And yeah, it just seems like a new life to breathe into THREE DAYS GRACE and to make it exciting, like the early days or just to freshen it up and, yeah, make it exciting."

In April 2023, Gontier reunited with THREE DAYS GRACE onstage during the band's concert in Huntsville, Alabama. Gontier rejoined his former bandmates when they opened for SHINEDOWN at the Probst Arena At The Von Braun Center to perform two classic songs from THREE DAYS GRACE's 2006 album "One-X": "Never Too Late" and "Riot".

THREE DAYS GRACE later shared a post-performance photo with Gontier on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Soooo we did a thing."

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is currently a member of SAINT ASONIA, which also features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).

Photo credit: Matt Barnes

In a new interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series, BUCKCHERRY frontman Josh Todd spoke about the rising prices of concert tickets. According to recent report by Pollstar, concert tickets have seen an overall 27.38% increase in cost since 2019. This data also showcases a worldwide increase in concert ticket pricing, with the average ticket costs ranging from $40.80 at club venues to $124.47 at stadiums. In 2024, the average cost to attend a concert was $135.92, Pollstar reported. That's up from 1996 when the average ticket costed $25.81.

Asked what he thinks about artists like AC/DC charging hundreds of dollars for a typical concert ticket, Todd responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When people talk about concert tickets and the high price of them, they're talking about artists that are filling up arenas, like the Taylor Swifts and the AC/DCs of the world. And we're in a different level. So I don't know what to say about that. But I do know that AC/DC should be compensated for what they've put into the game and what they've delivered. And they're amazing live, they have an amazing history, and paying whatever to go see them, I think, is a good idea, if we're speaking just about AC/DC. But other than that — I don't know — we're at a different level than that. So it hasn't affected us like that."

In a March 2024 interview with Mexico's ATMósferas Magazine, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was asked if he thought the skyrocketing concert ticket prices were having a negative impact on the music industry. Bruce said at the time: "Well, two things. One, it depends what the show is and kind of who the audience are. I mean, I'm not gonna go around and say specific artists, because most of the artists that are charging, like, 1,200 dollars a ticket — like in Las Vegas, if you wanna go and see the U2 show, I think it was 1,200 dollars per seat in the sphere. I've got no interest in paying 1,200 dollars to go and see U2 in the sphere — none. A hundred bucks, maybe. But for me, what's important is to try and keep, on the one hand, the right type of tickets at the right price. So by that I mean the right type of tickets, I mean, the tickets that are in front of the stage, which everybody says should be the most expensive tickets. Actually, no, they should be the most reasonably priced tickets, 'cause the people who are gonna go there to the front of the stage are gonna be people who are real fans, people who are kids, people who can't afford the crazy money, but they are the people that need to be down the front; they're the people that are gonna keep this music alive. And then you get the people that they might be fans, but they wanna bring their wife and they don't wanna get too hot and sweaty and all the rest of it. So, there's some seats at the top or something else like that, what they're gonna pick, and those get priced differently."

Bruce continued: "I understand how promoters try and do it to try and not lose money, because promoters are part of the whole ecosystem. Without promoters, there would be no shows. The promoters have somehow gotta make their money back. So, it's a delicate balance, but in general, ticket prices have gone through the roof. And some of the ticket prices that people pay, well, some of the prices people pay, for me, it's insane. I would never pay that price, but then again, I'm probably not a fan of that particular artist. People who are, maybe they think it's worth it. I mean, certainly with my shows, we've always tried to keep the ticket prices within the normal, normal boundaries. And the same with MAIDEN."

According to Live Nation, 151 million people attended one of its shows in 2024 — a 50% increase in concert attendance compared to 2019.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index data showed that admission to movies, theaters and concerts jumped 20% since 2021.

Some of the increased cost when it comes to concert tickets is due to dynamic pricing — the tactic of raising prices the more people purchase tickets, and then lowering the prices once the demand dies down.

A December 2024 report by CouponCabin found that concertgoers attended an average of seven shows in 2024, and most planned to see more in 2025.

The survey of more than 1,000 music fans found that nearly 36% said they would spend $100 to $499 on concert tickets in 2025, while more than 17% planned to spend up to $1,000.

Joel Hoekstra says that the upcoming concert by members of WHITESNAKE in Serbia will be "an isolated show and nothing more."

A press conference was held last week in Belgrade, Serbia to announce the participants of the 58th Guitar Festival in Zaječar, scheduled to take place from August 28 to 30 at Kraljevica. The conference featured guests Marco Mendoza, Dino Jelusić (a.k.a. Dino Jelusick) and Ivan Keller, who announced an exclusive performance by the band WHITESNAKE EXPERIENCE BY THE MEMBERS OF WHITESNAKE — a project specially created for the Zaječar Guitar Festival. This will be the only concert in the world featuring members of the legendary band WHITESNAKE: Hoekstra, Jelusić, Mendoza, drummer Tommy Aldridge and keyboardist Michele Luppi.

Earlier today (Wednesday, June 4),Hoekstra took to his social media to share a BLABBERMOUTH.NET headline announcing the the Zaječar Guitar Festival performance, and he included the following message: "Just so everyone understands clearly what is happening. This is not a band. This is not a project. This is an isolated show and nothing more.

"We actually did one of these already July 21, 2023 at Guitare-en Scene in France. I believe we were just billed as 'All-Star Band' for that. Tommy Aldridge and Reb Beach were unavailable for that. Perhaps Tommy's involvement in this upcoming show and the decision (by others) to bill it as WHITESNAKE EXPERIENCE has caused the stir.

"I had reached out to [WHITESNAKE leader] David Coverdale regarding Guitare-En Scene (when I was asked to participate) to make sure that the appearance was ok with him. That call was placed out of respect and quite simply, to do the right thing. David essentially replied 'sure, have fun!'

"When this upcoming show in Serbia was booked, I did the same thing and David came back with the same reply. David has not endorsed this as a project or band. He simply gave me permission to participate. Any misleading info making this seem like it's more than one show is inappropriate and sensationalistic in nature.

"I've also seen some people wondering why Reb Beach isn't going to be there and it's my understanding that Reb was unavailable for the show.

"I know this all seems a bit much, but I don't think it's fair to anyone involved to have this appear as if we are doing anything more than a 'show'.

"So, thank you DC for giving your blessing to us to go have some fun and play together!"

At last week's press conference, Mendoza emphasized that he and the other musicians chose to hold this unique global concert in Serbia, specifically in Zaječar, because they have always been warmly welcomed in the country and have sold out shows in Belgrade.

"Tradition and quality are very important to us, and the Guitar Festival, with its 58-year history, is something you must respect and cherish. Your audience is one of the best in the world, and I believe they will enjoy this performance with us," he said.

Dino added: "We're preparing a special setlist of WHITESNAKE's greatest hits. Singing the songs of my childhood idol David Coverdale is a special honor and pleasure for me. Although I've performed with big names in the rock world in the meantime, WHITESNAKE's songs suit me best, and playing with such a fantastic group of musicians is pure hedonism for me."

In a November 2023 interview with Chris Akin Presents, Jelusić, who was enlisted by WHITESNAKE for its last European tour, was asked if there was any truth to the rumor that he was brought in to assist David Coverdale with the lead vocals on the trek. He responded: "Well, since there's no official statement on what everybody was guessing… And I was actually hearing a lot of stories from behind that I'm actually brought in to replace [David]. He never really officially asked me, but I heard from a very close person that he kind of was thinking about that. So I don't wanna say that it is like that 'cause I heard it from a close person, so I don't wanna state that.

"But, to me, WHITESNAKEisDavid Coverdale, and I would never wanna take that spot, to be honest with you," Dino continued. "I don't wanna be a little, young guy that sounds great singing David Coverdale songs. I am myself and I wanna do stuff myself. I wanna do it with my own songs.

"David CoverdaleisWHITESNAKE, and if the band should end because he wants to retire, the band should end because he wants to retire," Jelusić explained. "'Cause this way you can find somebody to replace Steven Tyler, somebody to replace Robert Plant, and the bands can just go on and on and on. I don't think that's the point.

"I sang a lot, obviously, live. If you came to see WHITESNAKE, you noticed — you could notice that. I sang 'Slide It In' half-half with him, and I covered a lot of ground, along with Michele [Luppi], the keyboard player. So there was a lot of work; it was a lot of work. And I enjoyed the tour. We had a great time with [European tourmates] FOREIGNER and EUROPE, both bands that I love. And, yeah, it was really cool."

Jelusić was previously a member of the multi-platinum-selling band TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and DIRTY SHIRLEY (with George Lynch),ANIMAL DRIVE and recorded with many others. Dino has been singing, touring and recording since the age of five. Other than being a frontman, his main instrument are keyboards but he also plays bass, guitar and drums. He finished music academy and did theater work.

When Jelusić's addition to WHITESNAKE was first announced in July 2021, David said in a statement: "I am absolutely delighted to welcome the extremely gifted Dino Jelusick to WHITESNAKE. We've had our eyes and ears on him since we played Zagreb together two years ago. You're going to love him!"

In October 2021, Coverdale spoke about Dino's addition to WHITESNAKE, telling Antihero Magazine: "He's going to be the way I have two guitar players.

"I've always seen WHITESNAKE as an orchestra," he explained. "I don't see it as a band-band. I don't want two guitarists playing exactly the same song, or just harmony guitars, I want two opposing… you've got the incendiary Joel Hoekstra, entirely different to the electrifying Reb Beach. And this is not to overwhelm Michele. Michele's totally secure. I adore him and what he brings to WHITESNAKE.

"In 2019, Dino's band opened for us in Zagreb, and this is very rare for me, and I went, 'Who the fuck is that?' And I was going, 'Wow, that kid's great.' And Joel said, 'Yeah, I worked with him in the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. He's a great guy.' And I said, 'That guy's a 'Snake', dude.' And I said, 'Don't say anything yet. I'm going to keep my eyes and ears on him.'

"So, I think it's going to be fantastic," Coverdale added. "I'm going to have an orchestra of keyboards for a lot of songs on WHITESNAKE which are big epics, that make them even more musically orchestrated without having an orchestra on stage with us.

"I mean, the guy's great, I can't wait to sing with him. I already have [two] singers who are good enough to be frontman singers, with Michele Luppi and Reb Beach; they are really great singers. What's wrong with having another one? And I think he's a super guy… It's got to be exciting to me and adding another spice to an already good cocktail."

WHITESNAKE canceled several European shows in the summer of 2022 and pulled out of a North American tour with the SCORPIONS due to David's "continued treatment for a persistent upper respiratory infection."

In May 2023, Coverdale told Ultimate Classic Rock that the illness that forced him off the road in 2022 was "the worst sinus infection I've ever had in my life. And as a singer, I know them like fucking relatives of mine," Coverdale said. "This was one of the ugliest illnesses I think I've [ever] had. For seven months, I was taking ever-increasingly strong antibiotics and horrifying prednisone steroids."

WHITESNAKE launched its farewell tour on May 10, 2022 at Dublin, Ireland's 3Arena. The band's 14-song set, which was part of a European tour with special guests EUROPE and co-headliners FOREIGNER, marked WHITESNAKE's inaugural performance with the group's two latest two additions, Jelusić and bassist Tanya O'Callaghan.

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

Prior to the pandemic, WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

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