In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, KATATONIA vocalist Jonas Renkse spoke about the Swedish band's recent split with founding guitarist Anders Nyström. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been on our radar for quite some time, and to us it wasn't really a surprise at all. It's unfortunate things like that happen. Obviously, it's something that — I mean, change, it happens to everything at some point. And this is just the way it is. But I usually think about it like I'm so happy that we had so much time together to do and create all these memories that we have that's connected to the band and the things that we have achieved. We had 30-plus years to do it, which is longer than most marriages probably. So, I try to look at it in a different light and try to see something positive coming out of it. So that's the way, for me, how I'm dealing with it. And the rest is just — I mean, I wanna continue making music. That's my drive and I'm still hungry for it. It's something that I — I invested so much time in my life to do it, and I'm in a place where I really like to be, so I just wanna go on."

Hinting at some of the behind-the-scenes issues which might have contributed to Nyström's exit from KATATONIA, Jonas said: "People probably don't understand or have the capacities to see what's going into being in a band because it's a lot of work. I mean, if someone goes to a concert and sees the band perform, and this includes me as well, because I'm still, when I'm seeing other bands perform, I'm thinking to myself, like, 'Wow, they have such a splendid life. They just go up there and play a show and that's it. And then they have a bottle of champagne waiting for them.' But it's not always like that. That's a rare occasion. But we do it because we love it, but it's definitely not easy."

This past March, Anders released a statement via social media confirming he had left KATATONIA and making the claim that "KATATONIA could and should have been mutually laid to rest while exploiting the freedom to continue in any desirable direction under a new name".

In his full statement, Nyström said: "Sad but true. The time has come for me to confirm that the roads ahead Jonas and I have chosen for both KATATONIA and ourselves have grown too wide and far apart, and as a result, our long-term collaboration has drawn to a close.

"With him and I being the duo that founded KATATONIA almost 35 years ago, and owing to the fact that we managed to take our mission this far, it's inevitable that our band's legacy will continue to play a huge role for both of us and always live on, albeit in a different light either captured by our past, future or the many chapters in between.

"To each our own, we may all have our own preferences and different levels of appreciation for either the early, mid or later KATATONIA eras, but it seems like any willingness to embrace them all, in order to honor our history through live activities, has unfortunately failed to sustain. Needless to say, I still love ALL our albums, but with the early stuff being neglected for so many years, a feeling of having 'unfinished business' with a style that goes far back to our roots has just grown stronger and stronger. I can't help feeling adamant that songs from our early-mid discography deserve to be equally acknowledged and likewise targeted for our live show repertoire, the essential medium where the past should always be alive! Unfortunately, that door has been kept shut and left everything we did pre-millennium in a void.

"Avowed, with one of us gone, KATATONIA could and should have been mutually laid to rest while exploiting the freedom to continue in any desirable direction under a new name. But with Jonas now regrouping with new members and navigating further in his own direction, I no longer need to wait and see which way the wind is blowing to enter that void and grab hold of what's been abandonded. After all, KATATONIA's legacy is resting on both ends of the timeline.

"Come what may, I'd like to thank Jonas and the rest of my ex-colleagues for the incredible ride we shared through four compelling decades. Blessed be!"

Renkse announced Nyström's exit from KATATONIA in a statement on March 17. He wrote: "Anders Nyström and I are going our separate ways. A decision not taken lightly, but for everyone to thrive and move forward with their own creative preferences as well as personal schedules this has become the realistic option.

"Anders and I started the band in 1991 and his impact on the band's trademark sound is undeniable.

"As bleak as this sounds, and is, it's further evidence of life getting in the way of our preferred plans. I wish Anders all the best for the future."

KATATONIA will release a new album, "Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State", on June 6 via Napalm Records.

"Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State" marks the next step in KATATONIA's evolution, building upon the foundation of their previous album, "Sky Void Of Stars" (2023),and also is an introduction to their two new guitarists. KATATONIA in 2025 is composed of Renkse, bassist Niklas Sandin, drummer Daniel Moilanen and guitarists Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland.

"Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State" was produced by Renkse, recorded by Lawrence Mackrory at NBS Audio and The City Of Glass, mixed by Adam Noble, and mastered by Robin Schmidt at 24-96 Mastering.

KATATONIA will embark on a headline tour this fall across Europe together with labelmates and Gothenburg's top-notch metal export EVERGREY and KLOGR from Italy. Kicking off on November 11 in Tampere, Finland, the tour will cover 31 major cities in total and culminate in a grand finale in Stockholm, Sweden on December 20.

KATATONIA 2025 is:

Jonas Renkse - Vocals
Niklas Sandin - Bass
Daniel Moilanen - Drums
Nico Elgstrand - Guitar
Sebastian Svalland - Guitar

In a new interview with Guitar Player contributor Jonathan Graham, legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen spoke about some of the offers he had received over the years to join established bands or collaborate with well-known musicians. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it depends on how you mean. When I first came to the States, I was offered to join UFO. And then on the same day as I offered to do the UFO thing, which was a big step from [my then-band] STEELER, I guess, I got contacted by the thing that becameALCATRAZZ. It wasn't called ALCATRAZZ [yet]. They didn't have any songs, nothing. I wrote all the songs. And I chose that situation because I wanted to write songs instead of just… As much as I like UFO, I didn't wanna be stepping into someone else's thing.

"I was asked to join Dave [Lee] Roth's band. What happened was that he was leaving, or left already, VAN HALEN, and I was doing a big American tour [with] AC/DC. And then right after that I did my own tour of America with a band called TALAS opening up, which was Billy Sheehan's band. And Dave would come to the shows all the time. Plus, we would hang out too, at the Troubadour and stuff, back in the party days. And it would've been a great thing, but I think that… I mean, he obviously asked Billy Sheehan too, so Billy took it. I mean, it wasn't officially on a paper like this or something like this, but it was very obvious what he was thinking about. And at the time, I was thinking, 'Oh, no. I'm doing great,' whatever.

"Very early on, I was offered to join KISS, but that was very short-lived because they called me when I was still in Sweden in 1982, 'cause [my] tape had been circulating… I'm six [feet and] three [inches tall]. But I didn't know that, because I'm [familiar with the] metric [system of weights and measures]. I said, 'I don't know.' I said, 'I'm 192 [centimeters tall].' They didn't know what that means, and I didn't know what 'six foot' means."

In a separate interview with Classic Rock magazine, Yngwie stated about Roth's VAN HALEN bandmate, iconic guitarist Eddie Van Halen: "I never said a bad word about him. I never will. Because I think he was amazing. But I used to know a guy that worked in the grocery store where Eddie would shop, and the guy would ask him: 'Hey, what do you think about Yngwie Malmsteen, the new Swedish kid?' And Eddie would say: 'I don't know who that is.' Meanwhile, Dave Roth told me that Eddie would have his ghetto blaster, playing my shit on it all day long."

According to Yngwie, Eddie even ignored him when they both attended the Grammy Awards in 1986. At the time, Malmsteen was nominated in the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" category for his album "Rising Force".

"I go to the show — I had my tux on and everything — and I see Eddie there," Yngwie told Classic Rock. "I'm waving at him, trying to get his attention, and he sees me… and he runs away. He literally ran away."

Malmsteen went on to suggest that Van Halen was so threatened by him that he pulled out of a scheduled VAN HALEN show in the Netherlands where the two guitarists would have finally shared the stage.

"I was doing a concert festival in Holland, and VAN HALEN were headlining," Yngwie recalled. "I'm, like, 'Great. I finally get to meet Eddie and give him my concerto.' Because I'm proud of my concerto, you know?' But I find out they canceled the show. They said Alex Van Halen had broken his little finger or something. And then I hear that the promoter got a phone call from Eddie himself, who said: 'Just to let you know, if Yngwie Malmsteen is playing, I'm not playing. And I will never fucking play the same stage as Yngwie Malmsteen.' I'm, like, 'What?' He obviously felt threatened. Which is crazy to me. You're fucking Eddie Van Halen. No one could threaten you."

Yngwie released a new live album, "Tokyo Live", on April 25 via Music Theories Recordings. The concert was recorded at the Zepp DiverCity, Tokyo on May 11, 2024 as part of Yngwie's 40th-anniversary world tour.

Only four of the songs on Malmsteen's latest album, 2021's "Parabellum", featured vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Kevin Klingenschmid.

Yngwie has a catalog of 22 solo studio albums.

When Florida rapper Gunplay released his "Almost Free" album back in April, the accolades simply rained down. Fresh off the success of his sophomore set and those shattering collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne, it felt like Gunplay couldn't aim any higher.

Then George Lynch arrived. A staple of the same late 1970s Sunset Strip scene that bred QUIET RIOT and VAN HALEN, Lynch was a member of the classic lineup of the mighty DOKKEN and has been ranked among Gibson's "Top 10 Metal Guitarists Of All Time" and Guitar World's "50 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time".

And still "Ain't No Love", the stunning collaboration that pairs Lynch with Gunplay, can be rated one of his greatest performances ever.

"I cannot tell you how much fun I had with this track," exclaims Lynch. "That week we got three different projects to work on and two of them were, you know, straight-up rock tracks that I did some solos and maybe a little rhythm on and it was fine. They came out great. Then I got to the third track, Gunplay, and I just lit up, smiled ear to ear and I played over everything I could get my hands and guitar on. I probably overdid it, but you know what? I would've kept playing if we hadn't run out of time in the studio. I've been really craving to get on a track like this and see what I can do with it, put my style of riffage on it."

Dramatically overseen by Derek Hughes (MISSING PERSONS, DEAD GROOVE, CHERIE CURRIE),"Ain't No Love" manifests today in two startling incarnations, the Mobbed Mix and the Recoil Mix. Both, needless to say, are very aptly titled.

In addition, the single includes instrumental versions of both, with Lynch's shredding guitar solidly to the forefront, but without losing an iota of Gunplay's personal passion and power.

Track listing:

01. Ain't No Love (Mobbed Mix)
02. Ain't No Love (Mobbed Mix - Instrumental)
03. Ain't No Love (Recoil Mix)
04. Ain't No Love (Recoil Mix - Instrumental)

Gunplay, whose real name is Richard Morales, embarked on his career in hip-hop as a member of fellow Florida-based rapper Rick Ross's Southern hip-hop group TRIPLE C'S. He was also previously a cast member of "Love & Hip Hop: Miami".

British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH have released the official music video for the song "Demagoguery". The track is featured on the band's 14th studio album, "The Screaming Of The Valkyries", which arrived on March 21 via Napalm Records,

"Demagoguery" director Shaun Hodson says about the video's concept: "Subject Eleven, a marionette puppet, is controlled by the media, government and television, her every move dictated by their unseen strings. As a charismatic world leader rises, cloaked in promises of peace, the truth behind her manipulation becomes clear: she is part of a dark orchestration guiding the world toward the rise of the Antichrist."

CRADLE OF FILTH reigns supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in music — from the depths of the extreme metal underground to the peaks of mainstream pop culture itself — and is responsible for breaking ground for many of today's top metal artists with their trademark mixture of blackened heaviness, macabre theatricality and scintillating gothic style.

On "The Screaming Of The Valkyries", frontman Dani Filth's recognizable scream and equally identifiable growl stand mightily alongside twin guitar attacks, symphonic flourishes and explosive rhythm section, implemented by drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka, bassist Daniel Firth, guitarists Marek "Ashok" Smerda and Donny Burbage and keyboardist/vocalist Zoe Federoff.

After album opener "To Live Deliciously" hits immediately, second track "Demagoguery" blends dark beauty, blast beats and slaytanic groove as only CRADLE can combine. Across the album’s blunt and unforgiving yet inviting expanse, CRADLE summons the succulent flavors of classic albums like "Dusk… And Her Embrace" and "Cruelty And The Beast" with the galloping (but no less fierce) thunder of recent entries "Hammer Of The Witches" and "Existence Is Futile". Flashes of early metal influences coalesce with carnivorous glee into unapologetic death 'n' roll. "White Hellebore" is CRADLE OF FILTH at its most devilishly straightforward, juxtaposing traditional heavy metal with blasts of thrashing fury, spinning back to operatic goth without sounding disjointed. Anchored by arguably the most mournful melody in their catalog, "Non Omnis Moriar" ("I shall not wholly die") could be a cousin to PARADISE LOST or ANATHEMA, inverted through CRADLE's thorny prism. "You Are My Nautilus" is the darkest song IRON MAIDEN never wrote, spinning an epic tale with dueling guitars, while "Ex Sanguine Draculae" conjures "Dusk"-era atmosphere with imaginative new colors.

Produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England, "The Screaming Of The Valkyries" beckons the brave into a new era of CRADLE OF FILTH misadventure, celebrating massive melancholic melody, blackened thrash, and apocalyptic existential dread with a grinning smattering of unbridled revelry. "The Screaming Of The Valkyries" is a bloody dark love letter to the longtime legion of CRADLE OF FILTH faithful and a stunning entryway for fresh lambs to the sonic slaughter.

"The Screaming Of The Valkyries" track listing:

01. To Live Deliciously
02. Demagoguery
03. The Trinity Of Shadows
04. Non Omnis Moriar
05. White Hellebore
06. You Are My Nautilus
07. Malignant Perfection
08. Ex Sanguine Draculae
09. When Misery Was A Stranger

In a recent interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Dani stated about "The Screaming Of The Valkyries": "It's got elements of everything we've done, really. It has a few head nods to works like 'Midian' and 'Dusk[... And Her Embrace]', especially in the atmosphere and the subject matter. It's also got a very brilliant production, courtesy of Scott Atkins."

Asked if there is any overarching theme to it, Dani said: "No, I wouldn't say so. They're tricky things, concept records. You have to have tunnel vision and you can't veer from that path. So this is just an album. It's not an album with filly bits attached, like intros and outros. No guest appearances. Just nine songs. It's still quite a lengthy running time, obviously. We can't write a short song to save our fucking lives."

Last November, Dani told Portugal's Look Mag about the musical direction of the new CRADLE OF FILTH material: "It's very hard to talk about it. I don't really wanna talk about it because I can't do it justice. Every album has a lot of things going on. It's just a very, very great record. It's the next stage of our evolutionary step as CRADLE OF FILTH, moving on from the [two new songs] we debuted on [the 2023 live album] 'Trouble And Their Double Lives'. It has elements of old-school CRADLE, elements of new-school CRADLE. It's catchy, it's fast, it's slow, it's romantic, it's heavy, it's theatrical."

In October 2024, CRADLE OF FILTH released a new single, "Malignant Perfection", along with a music video directed by Vicente Cordero, who has previously worked with FILTER, DEVILDRIVER, IN FLAMES and BLACK VEIL BRIDES, among others.

In 2023, CRADLE OF FILTH released its first live album in over 20 years, the aforementioned "Trouble And Their Double Lives", via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during the band's "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following. Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios, with recording captured by Danny B, the effort not only featured a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band's discography but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, "She Is A Fire" and "Demon Prince Regent".

CRADLE OF FILTH is:

Dani Filth - Vocals
Marek "Ashok" Smerda - Guitars
Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka - Drums
Daniel Firth - Bass
Donny Burbage - Guitars
Zoe Federoff - Vocals, Keys

Photo credit: Jakub Alexandrowicz

Swedish metallers SABATON will release a new single, "Hordes Of Khan", on June 6 via Better Noise Music.

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Hordes Of Khan", SABATON said: "SABATON fans are always sharing topics they'd love to hear songs about, and Genghis Khan — one of history's most legendary conquerors — has been a frequent request over the years. At the time, it didn't quite fit within the scope of our World War I era, but once we decided to shift our direction, we revisited the idea.

"Before we fully commit to any song suggestion, we need to feel inspired by the story behind it. And that's where the research begins…

"As we searched for topics for the new album, we were on the lookout for epic stories that deserved equally epic music. Genghis Khan instantly stood out as the perfect fit. His story checked all the boxes and proved to be very inspiring. He was a master of horseback warfare and united the Mongol tribes through diplomacy and military might. This man built the largest contiguous empire stretching far beyond Mongolia. It bridged East and West through the Silk Road and left a lasting impact on global history. How could we not write about Genghis Khan? And so, 'Hordes Of Khan' was born!

"The music for 'Hordes Of Khan' was composed by Joakim [Brodén, SABATON singer] and the lyrics to the song were written by Pär [Sundström, SABATON bassist]. It carries a galloping rhythm that evokes images of a warrior charging on horseback. The song's energy and movement make it an ideal fit for this topic, capturing the spirit of Genghis Khan and his legendary conquests.

"Born as Temujin, son of Yesugei, Genghis Khan was a brilliant strategist and a master of horseback warfare. He united the fiercely independent Mongol tribes through a mix of diplomacy and relentless military power. Khan forged the largest contiguous empire in history which stretched far beyond the steppes of Mongolia, bridging East and West via the Silk Road and leaving a profound and lasting impact on global history, culture and trade. He united civilizations, fostering commerce and sharing knowledge."

A 33-minute documentary about the making of the yet-to-be-released official "Hordes Of Khan" music can video can be seen below.

This past April, SABATON released a music video for the band's latest single, "Templars". The cinematic clip was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia (Belgrade Fortress within Kalemegdan Park and Smederevo Fortress),both of which provided a striking and authentic backdrop for the epic battle scenes.

In an interview with El Cuartel Del Metal, Brodén spoke about SABATON's decision to sign with Better Noise Music after a decade-and-a-half-long run with Nuclear Blast. Regarding what prompted the label switch, Joakim said: "Basically, they've gone through some changes, Nuclear Blast, over the years, [having] been bought up by [global digital music company] Believe [in 2018], and while I have no hard feelings towards any one of them, this felt like the next logical step. Because for the past two albums, it seemed like we had hit the roof, to us sometimes, of our reach with Nuclear Blast. With that said, we have good friends still, and we have good friends and lovely people who work there. So this is more of a — what do you call it? — intellectual decision of what's the best next step for SABATON and not emotional, 'Oh, we've been fucked over by a label.' No, we haven't."

The Nuclear Blast relationship with SABATON dated back to 2010's World War II-themed "Coat Of Arms" album.

"Templars" will appear on SABATON's soon-to-be-announced eleventh studio album, to be released later in the year.

Along with the digital release of "Templars", SABATON is offering its fans a special one-sided 12-inch vinyl single which is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide and set to be released on June 27.

Since SABATON's 2005 debut LP, the band has released 10 studio albums (some of which have been certified as gold, platinum, and even quadruple platinum),seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.

2022's "The War to End All Wars" was the last SABATON album to feature guitarist Tommy Johansson. He has since been replaced by a returning Englund.

Thobbe originally joined SABATON in April 2012 and amicably parted ways with the band in July 2016 to focus on his personal life and expand his creativity. He rejoined SABATON in February 2024.

Englund recorded two studio albums with SABATON, namely "Heroes" (2014) and "The Last Stand" (2016),and assisted with the songwriting of some very popular songs including "Shiroyama" and "Fields Of Verdun", among others.

In November 2025, SABATON will embark on a 20-city European run dubbed "The Legendary Tour". The band teased the trek as "a huge celebration of SABATON's music, storytelling and the incredible bond they share with their fans", featuring "The Legendary Orchestra and other surprises," resulting in "something unprecedented."

Last fall, SABATON served as main support to JUDAS PRIEST on the legendary heavy metal band's North American tour.

In the more than two decades since their launch, SABATON has achieved quadruple-platinum sales, headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts across the globe, and earned a legion of loyal fans by being self-managed and carving out a reputation as one of the most innovative bands in rock. SABATON combines standout stage design and production with epic concept albums, linking real-life historical war events with classic kick-ass metal. To date, the band has released ten studio albums, amassed six gold, two platinum, and one four-times-platinum awards, seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.

When SABATON hit the 20-year mark, they headlined both stages at Wacken 2019 — the biggest metal festival in the world — simultaneously. Meanwhile, in 2023 as part of a charity initiative, SABATON donated their full-length animated movie to museums around the world in order to increase awareness and visitor numbers, and successfully encouraged people to support the preservation of history in these establishments. During SABATON's 25th-anniversary year, the band released the "Tour To End All Tours" concert film, and through independent distribution, it was screened in more than 1,200 cinemas spanning 28 territories.

Photo credit: Ben Alexis

During a May 30 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", FASTER PUSSYCAT frontman Taime Downe opened up about the recent death of his fiancée, Kimberly Burch. Burch was reportedly seen going overboard from the Royal Caribbean ship Explorer Of The Seas during the first day of this year's edition of The 80s Cruise. It is unclear whether Burch, who had been in a relationship with Downe for nearly a decade, fell or jumped.

Speaking about his current emotional state, considering the fact that FASTER PUSSYCAT just launched a U.S. tour, Taime said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a roller coaster. I'm hanging in there. I'm just taking it a day at a time. And everybody thought going out on the road and doing what I do and being with my family in my band would be good for me. So I've taken their advice and [I'm] doing this. We're going out with some cool bands. Tonight we'll be with VAIN, and we're doing a whole run with SUPERSUCKERS and THE RUMOURS and THE LONELY ONES, I think. They're all cool bands too, so it's gonna be a lot of fun, especially playing with Eddie [Daly] and Chris [Von Streicher] and Marty [Chandler] and the SUPERSUCKERS. We've been wanting to do that for decades, and finally, finally we get a chance to do it. So I just think it'll be very therapeutic, and [I'll] get to see a bunch of fans and a bunch of friends across the country. So I think it'll be helpful."

Asked if he personally feels like it will be therapeutic for him to be on the road so soon after the death of his fiancée, Downe said: "My fingers are crossed. I think so. I hope so. I'm just going out and doing what I love to do with the people I love. So, I think it can't be anything but therapeutic, you know what I mean?"

He added: "This is just heavy shit, and I'm just looking forward to playing shows and having fun."

As for whether he would prefer not to talk about what happened with his fiancée and not have people ask him about it, Taime said: "No, it's good to talk about it. It's good to talk about it with my friends, my close-knit friends. But I don't really wanna talk about it with strangers, 'cause it doesn't seem appropriate. It is what it is."

Downe went on to say that there is no chance of his fiancée's tragic death jeopardizing his sobriety, as some people have expressed their concern that he would go back to drinking after witnessing such a devastating event.

"What happened with Kimberly too, it was alcohol and prescription related," he said. "So I blame alcohol and pills on it. There's no way I'd touch booze. For me, that's just completely disgusting in my brain, you know what I mean? So I've got some hatred for booze, 'cause I loved the hell out of Kimberly, and it was just hard to deal with. We spent basically nine years together."

"I don't wanna get into what her psyche was at the time, but there's a lot of things that make up people's lives at a certain time of their life," he added. "It's been hard on everybody."

Since the Explorer of the Seas is registered in the Bahamas, the Nassau police came aboard to review the case and subsequently cleared Downe of any wrongdoing, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Riki Rachtman, former host of MTV's "Headbangers Ball", who says he has been friends with Downe for 38 years, went on Facebook Live on March 7 to criticize social media users who have been speculating about what happened that night off the coast of the Bahamas. Saying that he had been in touch with his "best friend" Taime in the days following the incident, Riki added: "I know that I would not the career that I have now if it wasn't for Taime Downe. I also know Kimberly Burch because I've been with Taime and Kimberly many, many, many times, to the point — I mean, Kimberly and Taime have been at my house many times."

He went on to say that "Kimberly and Taime have always had a very toxic relationship. They have been fighting a lot. They have always fought a lot. A lot of it had to with drugs and alcohol." But he insisted that "Taime loved Kimberly very, very much" and "Kimberly loved Taime very, very much. However, they fought all the time. That is the true story."

Riki added: "There is video of [Burch] committing suicide and Taime was cleared of all charges."

He continued: "How's Taime doing? Well, how do you think he's doing? The woman that he's in love with, that he's lived with for the past eight years, committed suicide in front of him. And I feel horrible for Kimberly … that she had been in so much pain that she had to commit suicide. I know to be fact that Taime did absolutely nothing wrong, but Taime is going to be scarred for the rest of his life."

The 80s Cruise, a nostalgia music cruise featuring such acts as FASTER PUSSYCAT, WARRANT, DOKKEN, FIREHOUSE, SQUEEZE, Adam Ant, Tiffany and MEN AT WORK, began on March 2 and returned on March 9.

A search operation involving several ships was conducted after Burch went overboard around 11 p.m. on March 3. She fell to her death after a heated argument with Downe aboard the ship, according to Kimberly's mother. But Carnell Burch told TMZ Kimberly wouldn't purposefully hurt herself.

Like Carnell, Kimberly's sister-in-law, Kellie Burch, said that she didn't believe Kimberly would intentionally harm herself. "She wouldn't do that," Kellie told DailyMail.com. "It's just not her.

"We just want to know what happened," Kellie added. "We just want answers… All we want is answers. We've had absolutely zero contact with the cruise company. We've emailed, we've called, and nobody has gotten back to us."

Kimberly's family announced her death in a statement on Facebook.

"It is with broken hearts that we share the sad news that Kimberly Burch has passed away," they wrote. "She was a beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law and aunt. She will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her. We ask for prayers during this time for our family as we try to wrap our minds around this heartbreaking tragedy. We love and miss you Kimberly Burch!!"

A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said in a statement: "Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest's family, we have no additional details to share."

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson told TMZ the incident happened roughly 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas.

The ship's captain informed passengers of the situation via the public address system, and crew members promptly deployed a speedboat to search for the missing individual. Two nearby vessels also joined the search efforts.

An anonymous ship passenger told The Hollywood Reporter the incident occurred at the end of the evening when SQUEEZE was on stage.

"There was an announcement over the PA saying someone went overboard so the ship was going to stop and turn around to try and locate the person," the ship passenger said.

The passenger added that the ship stopped for a few hours deploying safety boats and floodlights to search. Eventually, the Explorer Of The Seas continued, arriving at its next destination at Nassau, Bahamas just a few hours behind schedule.

For this year's Valentine's Day, Kimberly shared a series of photos of her with Taime and she wrote in an accompanying caption: "Happy Every Day! From your first hello to me I fell head over heels in love. You are my Valentine every day of my life. We are a tornado at times and pure raw love. I wouldn't have it any other way. We do us like no other. I love you with my entire heart and soul".

Originally formed during the mid-1980s glam rock era, FASTER PUSSYCAT has gone on to have a triumph of success, with over two million albums sold worldwide, and has accompanied some of rocks most distinguished names on tour, such as ALICE COOPER, OZZY OSBOURNE, MÖTLEY CRÜE, GUNS N' ROSES and KISS.

Image credit: Joel Steele

SHINEDOWN has hit No. 1 on the Alternative Radio chart with its hit single "Three Six Five". This marks a major milestone for the song, which is currently charting in four separate formats, including now No. 1 at Alternative, No. 11 at Hot AC, No. 32 at Top 40 and Top 20 at Mainstream AC. The unprecedented rise at radio is, well, preceded by SHINEDOWN themselves as they previously pulled off a similar feat with their song "A Symptom of Being Human".

"Three Six Five" is an example of SHINEDOWN's ability to tackle the tough subjects through impeccable songwriting. Anyone who has ever experienced loss knows that every day we draw breath is an opportunity to live out loud — to live for those we have lost. At its core, "Three Six Five" is a reminder to stop wasting time and focus on the moments we have right now and treasure time with the ones you love the most. The song honors the people in our lives who aren't with us anymore. It reminds us to stop taking time for granted, because it's not promised. Take chances, be bold, and don't sweat the small stuff, because as the song says: a lot can happen in a year. SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith sings in the track: "Even though I said all the things that mattered most, while I held on tight to the end of the rope, I could keep you close, but I couldn't keep you here, a lot can happen in a year."

Earlier this spring, SHINEDOWN kicked off its "Dance, Kid, Dance" tour at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The 36-date trek is one of the largest run of shows (and venues) the band has ever put on. It will be the first time the band has ever headlined some of the country's most legendary venues, including Madison Square Garden (July 20),Boston's TD Garden (July 19),Los Angeles's Kia Forum (August 3) and more. Joining them on the tour are BEARTOOTH and BUSH (on select dates) and Morgan Wade for all shows.

SHINEDOWN recently released an official music video for its No. 1 song "Dance, Kid, Dance". The clip was directed by Lewis Cater, choreographed by Julissa Bond, and edited by Samuel Halleen.

This year has also come with some historic wins for SHINEDOWN as they recently took home two trophies at the iHeartRadio Music Awards where they won "Rock Artist Of The Year" and "Rock Song Of The Year" for "A Symptom Of Being Human".

The awards were in celebration of the banner year they've had as "A Symptom Of Being Human" has hit nearly 125 million global streams and charted at five radio formats, including a No. 1 at Active, Top 10 at Alternative, Top 10 at AC, Top 15 at Hot AC and a Top 20 at Top 40. To date, SHINEDOWN is the very first artist to get a song Top 10 at Active, Alternative, and Hot AC Radio on Mediabase with one song. The song, off SHINEDOWN's "Planet Zero" album, resonated with fans across the globe for the unifying message of its lyrics: that it is our human connections that matter the most.

SHINEDOWN has already had a packed 2025 as its latest single "Dance, Kid, Dance" has made history, reaching No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart, which marks their 22nd song to reach No. 1 on the chart, and on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. SHINEDOWN has become the only band in the chart's history to reach 20 No. 1s on the chart. Not to mention when the song entered the Top 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, SHINEDOWN tied with the FOO FIGHTERS for the artists with the most songs to hit the top 10 in the chart's history with 32 songs each. All these incredible accomplishments continue to solidify that SHINEDOWN have made a name for themselves in rock. On Mediabase, SHINEDOWN hold the record for the most No. 1s, No. 5s and No. 10s on the Active Rock chart, with a total of 24 No. 1s on the Mediabase charts.

Smith and Eric Bass co-wrote "Three Six Five", and "Dance, Kid, Dance" was co-written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass and Dave Bassett. The songs were produced by Eric Bass at his own Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina.

Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz

In a new interview with The Hair Metal Guru, guitarist Steve Brown, who has been performing semi-acoustic TRIXTER shows with TRIXTER bandmate P.J. Farley on bass, backed by Ben Hans on percussion, was asked if there are any plans a new TRIXTER album in the not-too-distant future. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've been doing the 'Spirit Of 1989' tour. We did 56 shows last year. This year we're probably gonna do over 60. And it's been so cool to be out there, of course, with my best friend, my brother P.J. and Ben Hans, playing drums and vocals. We're doing it as a trio now, and I'm singing mostly all the songs. And the response has just been unbelievable, and we're having so much fun with it. And, to what you were asking about new music — yes, and I've been posting little snippets of stuff. So I have about 15 songs worked up and I'm really, really excited. I think when we do get around to making the record, it is gonna blow people away, I can honestly say, because I know I'm excited about it. So I know when I'm excited, by the time you hear it and the fans all around the world, they're gonna be blown away."

Brown continued: "The problem is that I always get booked to do other stuff. And it's, like, I've gotta make money. But also, P.J. and I, we started filming a documentary that's gonna be a partner with the record. And it's not a TRIXTER documentary, though it has a lot of TRIXTER in it. It's about the story of P.J. and I, of our musical journey together, that we've been playing together close to 40 years now. And though we still are in TRIXTER, he's done so many different things — he was in the band RA, he was in Lita Ford, he's in FOZZY, he's in this, he's in that. And likewise with me, whether it's playing with DEF LEPPARD, Dennis DeYoung, Eric Martin, all the stuff that we do. But we always come back together and that brotherhood and that bond that we have. So that's also the other thing. So there's a lot of great stuff happening. I tell all the fans, you've just gotta be patient."

This past March, Steve told Youngstown Studio's B.J. Lisko about the progress of the songwriting sessions for a new TRIXTER album: "Yeah, I'm actively working on songs right now. P.J. has got some ideas. We have some stuff in the works. We started shooting some documentary footage — not for a TRIXTER documentary, but something about P.J. and I, our journey together. It's gonna be really unique. And hopefully we're gonna have that done for next year or maybe the year after. And we're definitely gonna have a new TRIXTER record that accompanies that."

He continued: "I could easily put out another TRIXTER record in another couple of weeks, if I had to. It needs to be something that has more special meaning. And especially because it's sort of a different configuration now. So it needs to be that much more extra special for me to wanna commit to do that. But it's definitely in motion. And I will say I probably have 15 new songs that are that I'm extremely excited about and I can't wait for the world to hear it. Because, like everything that I do, I try to make it the best thing that I've ever done. So I'm really happy with this, where it's coming. And P.J. has come up with some great ideas, and I actually had him sing on a song that I wrote that I thought would be perfect. And it came out a hundred percent better than I thought it was gonna be."

Asked what, in his opinion, makes a good TRIXTER song, Brown said:"I think all the classic stuff. What I love is I love pop music that's got great guitars, of course. It's what I always tell people — it's like if you took VAN HALEN, KISS, CHEAP TRICK, BON JOVI and DEF LEPPARD, put it all together, those are probably my biggest influences as far as making records and what I envisioned TRIXTER to be when I was a little kid. That was the concoction that I put in the cauldron. And over the years, that's really it. So I think for me, it's always about melody, a great vocal hook melody, a lyric that you can get behind. I definitely think I took a strong influence from BON JOVI. And I remember when I started getting TRIXTER going, Jon's [Bon Jovi] advice was always, 'Make sure you have a good lyric and something that's powerful.'"

Last November, TRIXTER drummer Mark "Gus" Scott was asked by The Bay Ragni Show if it bothers him that Brown and Farley have been performing acoustic TRIXTER shows without him and TRIXTER singer Pete Loran. He responded: "No, God bless 'em. They're carrying the flag, It bothers me they didn't wanna do more when we were all together. But otherwise, no. They're doing their thing. If they're happy… The only thing that does — I don't want to use the word 'bother' me, but I just don't know why they didn't have that attitude when we were all together instead of doing… They were in favor of doing less as opposed to doing more… And let me tell you something — even if we weren't getting fucking paid, I'd do it anyway. From day one, it wasn't about the paycheck… I wanted to rock. I wanted to beat the shit out of my drums and have a great goddamn time. And the bigger audiences we did, it was freaking, it was great. And when we put it back together in 2008, our first show back was Rocklahoma, 35,000 people. Woohoo! Second show back, 35,000 people opening for POISON and the band BOSTON. Woohoo! You don't wanna do that more? So I mean, now we did some club shows and theater stuff and smaller stuff and whatever, but, man, boy, did we have a fucking blast. And it was like we didn't miss a beat. When we put it back together? Oh my God."

When host Bay Ragni asked Scott if he feels he "did something wrong", apparently alluding to online rumors that Mark tried to trademark the TRIXTER name behind the other members' backs after Brown let it lapse a few years ago, Mark said: "It wasn't right, I'll be the first to admit it. Yep. It could have gone a lot more wrong, let's put it that way.

"Here's the weirdest part of all: for three, three and a half years, no one said a goddamn thing. Then out of nowhere one day, someone decided to light it up. Where the fuck did that come from? It's not like I launched an attack or something. It was very strange. But I think when I redid the [TRIXTER song] 'Give It To Me Good' [as a solo single], or the fact that I acknowledged the fact that it was the 30-year anniversary since TRIXTER released their first record and they did absolutely fucking nothing, which I felt was inexcusable… And I don't profess to be a better singer than Pete Loran. I don't profess to be a better guitar player than anybody in the world. But I wanted to do something as opposed to doing nothing. Not to mention, I also felt that 'Give It To Me Good', the song that was [one of our biggest singles], had a wider demographic footprint than what the song was exposed to. It has a cool country feel. I think that if a real country artist did it, it could really be something. So I said, 'Fuck it. I'm gonna give it a shot.' And I was very happy. It got a lot of attention, that's for sure… I had fun, and again, I did it to have fun and to do something I believe that was right to recognize it as opposed to when nobody else was recognizing anything. I'm, like, what are you fucking talking about? You're not doing anything?"

Circling back to the rumors that he tried to trademark the TRIXTER name, Mark said: "I understand why they were pissed. I'm not angry at them for that. And I was pissed at the time too. My actions were certainly prompted by other things. And I never really wanted to make it public, but I'm not gonna sit here and just be a fucking whipping boy. Those cocksuckers fucking act like a couple of assholes. And now things are okay and it's all right, but it's not like I just woke up one day and decided to be a fucking dick."

Asked if that means that he has spoken to Steve and P.J. and that they have buried the hatchet, Mark clarified: "I have not talked to P.J. or Steve. Pete and I talk all the time. He's the one that got me out to Arizona. He's neutral, and that's cool. And I don't hold anything towards anybody. I didn't hold anything towards anybody really at all until all the badmouthing in the press crap came out and all that stuff."

When Ragni suggested that Mark pick up the phone and get in touch with Steve and P.J. and admit that he "did something wrong" and attempt to repair the friendship, the drummer said: "I am not averse to that idea or taking action to create that scenario. I don't know how receptive they're gonna be. But I would be willing to do that. And honestly, I think it's overdue. If anything, I probably should have done something prior to this point, but then I start channeling my energies towards other areas. We'll see. And I hate to say the reason why I hesitate, it's not exactly the first thing on my priority list. You want honesty? I'll give you honesty. I've got 17 states to conquer," he added, referencing the fact that his American Premium Vodka has joined forces with distribution industry leader Johnson Brothers and currently serves four states. "And I've got some other crap that I have to deal with also. And again, I'll go back to what I said before: those guys are playing more shows now than they really ever have. And my biggest question is why didn't you wanna do that when we had the whole thing intact?"

Both Brown and Farley have been critical of Scott in recent interviews, with Steve saying that the drummer is on "the shit list beyond belief" with the rest of the group, while P.J. compared being in a band with Mark to owning a disobedient dog. "Sometimes you let the dog off a leash and he just goes running to the middle of the street — no good," he said.

Since reuniting in 2008, TRIXTER has released two studio albums via Frontiers Music Srl — 2012's "New Audio Machine" and 2015's "Human Era".

TRIXTER toured extensively in the United States, Canada and Japan in support of its five major label releases. They have performed live in arenas and amphitheaters with crowds up to 35,000 people, appearing with such rock superstars as KISS, SCORPIONS, POISON, TED NUGENT, NIGHT RANGER, CINDERELLA, TWISTED SISTER, DOKKEN, WARRANT, GREAT WHITE and FIREHOUSE.

In a new interview with Are You Ready?, SAVATAGE guitarist and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA guitarist and musical director Al Pitrelli, who played with MEGADETH during 2000-2002, recording "The World Needs A Hero" album, was asked if he remembers his first concert with the Dave Mustaine-fronted outfit. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I do. So [then-MEGADETH guitarist] Marty Friedman wanted to leave. And he was an absolute gentleman. He stuck around and would continue doing shows and then kind of teach me his guitar parts during the day. And I don't know how long he planned on staying, but I remember getting to — I don't remember where the show was, but I remember he didn't come to the show. And I was in the dressing room, just kind of practicing, learning 'Holy Wars', trying to figure all that out. And Dave comes up to me and he goes, 'Marty ain't here. You're playing tonight.' I'm, like, 'Okay, here we go.' Jump in deep end of the pool."

Al continued: "It is like anything else. I mean, I think [the gig] went really well. I don't know that I would've done it that night. I would've loved to have waited a little longer to be better prepared, but what are you gonna do?

"I don't remember what city it was. I remember there was a lot of people in that building," Pitrelli added. "And I didn't even have time to get scared. It was, like, 'All right, here we go.'"

Asked about the writing and recording process for "The World Needs A Hero", Al said: "Well, the interesting thing about that [was] I was only supposed to be there temporarily. I was friends with the drummer, Jimmy DeGrasso, for a long, long, long, long time. He says, 'Can you just fill in until we find a permanent replacement?' I was, like, 'Yeah.' So I was only supposed to be there a month, two months. And, obviously, I was trying to do a very good job. I learned a lot working with Dave. And he goes, 'Hey, listen, why don't you just stick around for a while and let's go write some songs.' And I was, like, 'Absolutely, man. This is fantastic.' So, I remember going to his house a couple times and sitting down with a couple guitars and he had a riff. And then he goes, 'What would you do here?' And I would throw in a riff. I said, 'Well, I don't know. Me being me, I'd do something like this.' [And he would say], 'Yeah, I like that.' And we just developed a really good writing relationship. I mean, he had I'd say — I don't know — 90 percent of the stuff done in his head, but he was very kind and courteous to allow me to have some input, which made me feel real good about that. And I learned an extraordinary amount of information — rhythm guitar and sounds, and how he constructed his music. 'Cause it's really complex. There's a lot going on."

Last October, Pitrelli was asked by Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station how he initially landed the gig with MEGADETH. He responded: "I had met [Dave] a couple times over the years. SAVATAGE was on a few of the festivals with him. I remember when I was with [Alice] Cooper, [Dave] had done the soundtrack — he cut 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' for one of the Wes Craven films; I don't remember the name of the film off the top of my head, but I remember meeting him back then. And, obviously, listening to the music on the first few MEGADETH records. Jimmy DeGrasso, who, he and I played in clubs together back in, I guess, late '70s, early '80s, was the one who recommended me to at least substitute for Marty until they found a permanent replacement. So, that was an education and a half."

Asked if he knew he was only going to be in MEGADETH temporarily when he originally started playing with the band, Al said: "Yeah, that was the original thing. Marty wanted to leave. They were in the middle of a pretty lengthy tour. And they basically needed somebody just to fill in until they found somebody permanent. And I was supposed to be there for three, four, five weeks. And then Dave said, 'Well, would you come…?' I think they had dates booked in Korea. And he's, like, 'Would you come over with us?' I'm, like, 'Yeah, listen, I'm here until I'm not. Let me know.' And then, all of a sudden, [he was], like, 'Well, you're in the band.' I'm, like, 'Okay.' And I think I was with him for a better part of two years, just up until 9/11 kicked in, and then the whole world fell apart for a while."

Regarding whether Mustaine contacted him in 2004 when he put MEGADETH back together after taking a two-year break when he dealt with severe nerve damage in his right arm, Pitrelli said: "No, he didn't re-contact me. He knew that my first love was this thing called the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Because we recorded the first song in '95, '96 we put a record out, I think '97 or '98 we put the second record out. We sold millions and millions of records. And we did the first tour in '99. And that's when Dave asked me to kind of sub for Marty for a little while. And so it was kind of like my home was being established with Paul [O'Neill, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA mastermind], and I mentioned Paul, I said, 'Listen, they offered me this opportunity.' I was going through my first divorce. Financially, I needed some help. He goes, 'Go do what you gotta [do]. Go make money. You come home as soon as you're ready to come home.' Which, that's the heart that Paul O'Neill had. He was like my big brother. And Dave was kind enough to take me, and he knew my heart lied elsewhere. But I tried to do a really good job for Dave to continue on with them. And then, after 9/11, I know he went through a couple of personal issues that he had to contend with. And when he came and put the band back together, I wasn't called, but I was already spoken for. I was back home where I belonged."

Al previously discussed his time in MEGADETH during a 2010 interview with New York Hard Rock Examiner. He said at the time: "I thought [Mustaine and I] got along pretty good as long as I always kept in mind that his work was lore, it was his band, his vision, and he's the boss. You know, it's like anything else — you go to work, and either you like your boss or you dislike your boss, it doesn't really matter, it's whether your boss likes you. I went in there, he pulled me out of a pretty troubled personal life and he helped me get through a lot of things like that, which I was real appreciative of, and he was pretty hard, he's a hard guy to work for. If you don't bring your game every day, you're gonna catch his wrath, and that's something that you probably don't want to do more than once. I had no problem with it. When he was being strict and disciplined me, well, dude, it's your thing, y'know? I mean, he got kicked out of METALLICA and created the second largest metal band on the planet, so, you know, whatever you're doing seems to be working. I'm all ears, let me learn from you, because you did pretty good for yourself. There were nights we'd get along like two brothers, and there were other nights where he'd want to throw me off the bus, so it is what it is."

In a 2007 interview with STLtoday.com, Pitrelli was asked to address Mustaine's previous claim that Al "wasn't fitting" MEGADETH during his time with the band. Pitrelli said: "Dave is a pretty brilliant guy. People used to say he was difficult, but I found that when I was doing the job the right way, he never bothered me. Again, he had his bout with his demons, so he wasn't drinking. I find that at the end of the day, there's nothing better than drinking a beer or a glass of wine, and we didn't see eye to eye on that. There are three sides to that, and the center story is that I'm not into the metal thing. I never was a heavy metal guitar type. I just adapted, and that's how I survived. I loved playing music, and I loved being with the band, but I just didn't like the things that surrounded that."

In a new interview with Cutter's Rockcast, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA guitarist/vocalist Jeremy DePoyster spoke about the band's last couple of singles, "For You", which arrived in April, and "Ritual", which was made available in 2024. Asked if those tracks are "a natural progression" in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's musical evolution, Jeremy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We haven't really said anything about it, but we have an album that we have pretty much finished that's gonna come out later this year. And there's a lot of heavy stuff on there too. Sometimes I just think I like putting out songs like this 'cause it riles people up and they're, like, 'Oh, this is how you are now' and everything. I love it. I like to be hated on. My band is called THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. I've been made fun of my whole life, so I welcome it. [Laughs]"

He continued: "I think you just have to follow that weird feeling of excitement that you get when… I write so many songs. We as a band write so many songs and we don't end up using a lot of 'em, and certain ones just have this, like, oomph to it, you know it's special. And so I can think about the times in our career where things dipped down a little bit. I knew instinctually this isn't right. It's not exactly how I would wanna do it, and I wish I had chased that feeling more. But it's more about just doing that and not listening to your team if they're, like, 'You need to put something out right now.'"

Jeremy added: "We took three years to make this new album, just because I'm, like, 'I wanna wait until all the pieces are correct,' and it actually matters and can have an impact.

"Being in a band 20 years ago was, like, we just wanted to make something new that no one had heard before. And it's hard to do that over and over, but I feel like we finally have the space to be able to do it again."

Elaborating on why it has taken THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA three years to complete the follow-up to 2022's "Color Decay", Jeremy said: "I think we've just been on the road so much, man. We literally are on tour for, like, seven or eight months out of the year, and we've just been hitting it hard here and in Europe and Australia and stuff like that. So it's trying to balance… Basically, every time we would get home from a tour, we'd go out to L.A. and work on a bunch of music. And then I'm, like, 'Well, I need to go home for, like, two or three weeks and hang out with my fiancée and my cat and stuff, 'cause we've been so much,' and then I wanted to take a vacation. So it sounds like a long time, but it probably only was four or five months just spread out over three years. [Laughs]"

When "For You" first came out, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA stated about the song's meaning: "A love story unraveling through the eyes of someone hopelessly devoted to a partner who can never truly give back. It's the sound of desperation meeting blind loyalty — a crushing, cinematic anthem for the heartbroken. This is THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA at our most expansive, with our biggest chorus to date and a fearless step into the next evolution of our sound. We're not just pushing boundaries — we're redefining them."

In an April 2025 video message, DePoyster stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to "Color Decay": "We basically have been, for the last two or three years, spending all of our time not on the road just renting out studios and rental houses and stuff, writing so much music, just kind of working on what comes next after 'Color Decay'. That was such a big moment for us and we really found our voice on the type of songs that we wanted to write and stories we wanted to tell.

"I think we still do have a lot of bad things in our head to say into the world," he continued. "Even a song like 'For You', it's a love song, but it's a really sad love song."

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA vocalist Mike Hranica added: "Jon [keyboardist Jonathan Gering] always makes a point of saying — well, all of us, I guess, make a point of saying — that we can't write happy songs. But I think also just the fact that we've created so many. I think back in the day when making our early albums, we basically would write like 12 tunes and be, like, 'All right, there's our record.' And now we're, like, there's dozens and dozens. And it's certainly different now.

"It's been quite a process since releasing 'Color Decay' and having that moment and doing so much touring around the world and whatnot," Mike said. "And now we're sitting on so many songs and refining and trying to perfect these things. Yeah, always working. And we're excited to keep churning it out and put it out there."

This past February, Hranica told U.K.'s Amped magazine about what fans can expect from the band's upcoming LP: " I think Jeremy's already kind of said this before, but we couldn't make happy songs if our lives depended on it. So when the next record inevitably comes along, and we have a lot of songs we're sitting on, people can expect to feel as sad as ever, because even when we kind of put it to the test to brighten things up, it's, like, that's just not THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA at all. So I don't wanna say more of the same, because that's the last thing that any artist wants to do, but it certainly hasn't gotten brighter, I'll say that."

As for a possible release date for the next THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA LP, Mike said: "I think we'll have a new record this year. We'll see. And then hopefully this time next year back [on the road] in E.U., U.K. and, yeah, doing it all over again. [It will be] year 21 [for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA] by then, if we're not dead. So, we'll see."

Last November, DePoyster confirmed to Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", that he and his bandmates were working on a new THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA album. "We are, definitely," he said. "I mean, it's been about two years since we put ['Color Decay'] out. But we've been working on that record for a couple years since before then. We're really busy, like too busy. We've kind of spent every single moment that we're not on tour going out to California and renting some studios and writing a bunch of stuff. So we're sitting on a big pile of stuff."

Asked if THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA still believes in "the album philosophy" as opposed to focusing on singles, Jeremy said: "Oh my gosh, yeah. Dude, I'm old school, man. I still like records. [Laughs]"

He added: "You know what? A couple of years ago, I had a bunch of people telling me the record is dead. It's all about singles now. It's all about short form. And then a bunch of my friends in other bands just kept putting out records and we kept putting out records. And I'm, like, I don't think the suits really know what's going on. I think the fans and the bands definitely know what's going on. And I think people just, especially with physical media and putting an LP on and listening to it, there's just something about just from start to finish, a really well-curated track listing, and that sets the vibe that I don't think we'll ever go away from."

Asked if there is any sort of theme or direction for the new material that he and his bandmates have been working on so far, Jeremy said: "I think we all, particularly Mike and myself, and Jon, our keyboard player, that we write all the lyrics, and I think we all were, like, 'Man, I'm in a really good headspace. My life's really good. I'm feeling great. We've had a lot of great tours. My relationship's awesome.' And then we started writing, and it was, like, 'Oh, man. This is so depressing and so soul crushing.' And so I think there's just these little demons lurking in there that come out when you put the pen down and you're, like, 'Oh, I didn't even know that was in there.' … I think sonically, maybe I want it a little more upbeat, but it's kind of like a pop song that just destroys your life type of thing — with some breakdowns. You can't get away from the breakdowns."

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's headline "Metalcore Spring Break Tour" kicked off on April 17 in Wichita, Kansas and ran through May 14 in Charleston, South Carolina. ERRA, KINGDOM OF GIANTS and ACRES served as support. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA will also take part in the blockbuster "Summer Of Loud" tour with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, BEARTOOTH, PARKWAY DRIVE, I PREVAIL, and more this June and July.

"Color Decay" followed 2019's "The Act". As Revolver stated when selecting the record as one of the "50 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2022," "THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have proven time and time again that it's possible to never stop sonically experimenting — with screamo, with spoken word, with atmospheric electronica, with sludge — and never lose their own crushing identity. Anticipating their next successful risk is one of the things that makes being a TDWP fan so rewarding."

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have been consistently delivering since forming in 2005. Fans voted 2009's seminal "With Roots Above And Branches Below" one of the "5 Greatest Metalcore Albums" in a Revolver poll, with the magazine christening it "a true metalcore landmark." The group has notched six consecutive Top 5 debuts on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart, including "Dead Throne" (2011),"8:18" (2013),"Space" EP (2015),"Transit Blues" (2016),"The Act" (2019) and "ZII" EP (2021). The latter served as a sequel to one of their most beloved projects — 2010's "Zombie" EP. In the wake of the EP, the group exceeded a quarter of a billion cumulative streams and views. During 2021, the musicians decamped to remote hideaways together in Wisconsin and Desert Hot Springs, California. This time around, keyboardist/programmer Jonathan Gering took the reins as producer, collaborating closely to assemble a rich sonic architecture for what would become "Color Decay".

Photo credit: Imani Givertz

As otherworldly as FAILURE may often sound, the Los Angeles band is anchored by the distinctly terrestrial union of a long friendship between three musical allies — Ken Andrews (vocals, guitar, bass, programming),Greg Edwards (vocals, guitar, bass, keys) and Kellii Scott (drums, percussion). Today, FAILURE announces the release of "Every Time You Lose Your Mind", the feature-length documentary directed by Andrews that has been a decade in the making. The documentary follows the band from inception to present, and features interviews with David Dastmalchian, Margaret Cho, Hayley Williams, Jason Schwartzman, Tommy Lee, Maynard James Keenan, Butch Vig, Rick Beato and more.

"Every Time You Lose Your Mind" will be available to stream via Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ on June 27, 2025. Watch the film's trailer below.

Like a falling satellite blazing across the musical landscape, FAILURE flamed out in the late '90s — their promising rise derailed by drug addiction and record company inertia. But the pioneering trio left a profound imprint that transcended their affiliation with the L.A. alt-rock scene. "Every Time You Lose Your Mind" documents the origins, downfall and rebirth of a band that's beloved by their peers and multiple generations of fans.

"Our fans have connected with the themes of depression and addiction in our music," notes Andrews. "The film crystallizes those connections and, ultimately, communicates hope. We're a band that faced a specific set of challenges and somehow managed to survive and thrive. It's a story about resilience, finding ways to cope, and not giving up."

To celebrate the streaming release, the film will make its big screen debut on June 26 at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles, California, with the band performing a rare acoustic set before the film starts. Limited tickets are available at www.failurebandvip.com.

FAILURE live dates:

Jun. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Harmony Gold Theater (doc premiere + acoustic set)
Sep. 20 - Louisville, KY - Louder than Life Fest
Oct. 03 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Fest

Over the course of six albums, FAILURE has exerted a similar effect on listeners. Their musical communion has intrigued critics, fans, and peers for nearly three decades. Following "Comfort And Magnified", the trio created what is largely considered one of the '90s most influential and innovative albums: "Fantastic Planet". The 17-track collection not only earned rave reviews and a trove of new fans but saw the band headline Lollapalooza's second stage and craft one of the era's most recognizable videos ("Stuck On You"). The album's legend grew over the ensuing years, eventually spawning retrospective think pieces from the likes of Rolling Stone, Noisey (Vice),Decibel magazine and more. Failure has been honored with covers by A PERFECT CIRCLE, PARAMORE, CAVE IN, Melissa Auf De Maur and more. After a 17-year hiatus, they returned with "The Heart Is A Monster" in 2015, inciting the applause of Pitchfork, Entertainment Weekly and Stereogum who said upon the album's release: "this is a pretty big deal." Their most recent album is 2021's "Wild Type Droid", recorded in the midst of the global pandemic.

In a new interview with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN guitarist and founding member Ben Weinman was asked how he views the band's legacy. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's really weird, because I just got off an interview with a young guy who does a radio show that does predominantly metal and hardcore music, and he said something like he didn't think his show was exist if it wasn't for us, 'cause so many of the bands he felt were influenced by us. And that just sounds impossible to me. It just seems insane to me.

"It's weird to be a band that I felt never reached real commercial success, but also almost every day someone says something that totally blows me away that I can't believe that somebody likes this band or it meant something to them like it does, or it could influence their band or whatever," he added. "So, it's sometimes a tremendous amount of imposter syndrome. It's hard to believe anybody would even like this music, but almost every day I get a really cool kind of reminder that I guess we did do something that was important to some people."

A year ago, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN returned to the stage for the first time since 2017 for special reunion shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band's 1999 debut, "Calculating Infinity". The first THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN comeback gig took place in June 2024 in Brooklyn, New York and saw the band play "Calculating Infinity" in its entirety for the first time, with original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis joining Weinman, bassist Liam Wilson and drummer Billy Rymer.

Regarding how THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN reunion shows came about, Ben > told Australia's Metal-Roos: "Well, we hadn't had any thoughts of doing any kind of shows since the last shows. And then we had gotten an offer to do a special festival [appearance] doing our first album with our original singer. And it just wasn't really the right time. We could never be ready in time. And it was, like, 'Yeah, we never really thought about it. But, yeah, that was a cool thought.' And then I was talking to our booking agent. I was just letting him know. I was, like, 'Yeah, my buddy reached out to me about headlining their festival doing this thing. That's pretty funny.' And then he's, like, 'Well, next year is the 25th anniversary of that album. So if you were gonna do something, that would definitely be cool.' I was, like, 'Hmm, it'd be cool.' And I definitely wanted to do some stuff with our old singer. He's still one of my best friends, and he never really got to really see the band in its full success and stuff like that. So, yeah, it just ended up making sense."

Regarding the setlist for the reunion shows, Ben said: "We're doing these shows with our original singer, who wasn't on the majority of our catalog. He did our first two EPs and our first ful-length. So we're really just doing the entire first album — we're doing 'Calculating Infinity' in its entirety — and then the EP before that in its entirety and then cuts from the first EP plus maybe a cover. It's really just kind of old stuff, but it still feels fresh. It definitely still feels fresh."

Asked what the vibe has been like within the reunited band, Ben said: "We didn't break up because we were fighting, but it was, like, we definitely were tired and we definitely felt like we saw it through. And then we left and didn't hang out too much or talk too much. Dimitri and I continued to always be friends and talk and hang out and stuff. And then when we started getting together to rehearse, it was just so positive and fun.

"I think when you're doing something after many years that you don't feel like you have to do it and you've just grown and matured and moved on in life and we've had kids and we've had all kinds of things happen that just really shape you, which a lot of band guys don't get to do for a very long time 'cause they're just stuck in this cycle of a teenager forever," he explained. "So I think just still feeling hungry and fresh and excited by this music, but having a little more maturity to just really appreciate each other and appreciate the opportunities has made it super fun and enjoyable. Really, really cool. Really fun. We're just having a great time."

This past March, Ben told Australia's Heavy about THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's comeback: "It's been a lot of years [since we last played together], and it was kind of a tough decision to make [to return to the live stage], but we're really glad we did it because we've been having a really good time.

"[In addition to playing all of 'Calculate Infinity'], we've been playing an EP that we put out with the original singer before that called 'Under The Running Board' and then also cuts from our very first early, early stuff that we did when we first started the band. And then we try to do some covers — a different cover every night — and we're just having a good time up there, man. But it is definitely the first time we've done all that kind of early material all back to back like that. So it's been interesting and challenging."

Asked if it was challenging performing some of the early THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN material after so much time had passed, Ben said: "Honestly, when I was writing that stuff, I couldn't play any of it. I just was', like, 'Let me write songs I can't play and then I'd better get good enough to play 'em.' The later incarnation of the band did play some older songs from those albums, but there are a lot of them that we hadn't played in a very, very long time, if ever," he explained. "So those ones were definitely more challenging because we just didn't even have the muscle memory."

On the topic of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's future plans, Ben said: "Well, we put the first [Brooklyn] show on sale, and it was really quickly that we decided — it wasn't even that much time between agreeing to do this and actually announcing it. And we knew we might do two nights if it did well, but it ended up selling out three nights in, like, an hour or something — just instantly. And that was super surprising, because it ended up doing far better than even our final DILLINGER shows. So the fact that there were so many people who wanted to see this, even in this form of the band, and there was so much more movement… I mean, the final shows were exciting and the tickets sold quick and it was amazing, but to see that there was even more interest now than there was when we fully announced, 'This is it. This is your last chance to see us,' that felt pretty crazy. And so I think the additional shows we've been playing is definitely because of the fans and the fact that we're having a good time. We're just having a good time together as friends and enjoying it. We're hanging out together and we're enjoying it and we're playing music that was important to our youth and there's a lot of people who still wanna see it. So it's kind of like we're playing it by ear — if there's a real need for it and people really want it, we entertain it. There's no plan — we don't have a plan with it — but we're definitely not closing the door to playing shows here and there."

Minakakis originally exited THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN in 2001 and was replaced by Greg Puciato, who is now a solo artist also known as a member of Jerry Cantrell's backing band, as well as his involvement with the groups BETTER LOVERS, KILLER BE KILLED and THE BLACK QUEEN. Minakakis joined THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN onstage in December 2017 during that lineup's three final performances at Terminal 5 in New York City.

In May 2024, Puciato was asked how he felt about the announcement that Minakakis was reuniting with Weinman, the group's lone consistent member over the years, along with fellow alumni Wilson and Rymer, for shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of "Calculating Infinity". He responded: "It doesn't bother me at all. When people ask me that, as if I'm gonna be bummed, I'm, like, why would I be bummed? I'm not on the record. To me, if the band was still a band, and some of those guys, obviously [original members Brian] Benoit [rhythm guitar], [Chris] Pennie [drums] and Adam [Doll, bass] aren't [part of the reunion shows], but if, if Dimitri and Ben were, like, 'Hey, we wanna do some 'Calculating Infinity' shows, what am I gonna do? Be, like, 'No!' That doesn't make any sense. I wasn't on the record."

Greg continued: "So, I hope they're wildly successful with it, and I hope that it does a lot of good for them — I hope it makes them feel good personally, those two. 'Cause, obviously, Liam and Billy were not on that record, but the ending of them before I joined, I don't think it was — it wasn't fulfilling. It wasn't a fulfilling closure. It wasn't exactly on everybody's terms involved. So I think them being able to go back and do this and celebrate what is non-arguably a fucking genre-changing milestone record that many bands would not exist if it wasn't for. They should play everywhere. They should come to London, they should go play festivals, they should do everything. Like I said, I'm all for it, man."

Puciato then quipped, "Don't play 'Miss Machine'," referencing THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's second studio album, which marked his first recorded appearance with the band.

"Calculating Infinity" stands as a genre-defining masterpiece, marking a pivotal moment not only for THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN but for the entire genre. It landed on countless "Best Of The Year" lists the year it dropped including Best Metal Album of the Year by Revolver magazine. It was later listed among the Top 10 Metal Albums of All Time by Metal Injection. Loudwire has since placed the record third on their list of "25 Best Metalcore Albums Of All-Time" with writer Stephen Hill stating that "the influence of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN is present at every major rock festival in the shape of any forward-thinking, heavy band and even in the current metalcore or tech-metal production line (who have aped elements of their sound in the most piss-weak and desperate way). But the fact that these bands are here at all and able to appeal to a wider audience is in no small part due to the trail blazed by 'Calculating Infinity' and its utter contempt for compromise and uniformity." In 2017 Rolling Stone called the LP "one of the greatest metal albums of all time" and despite disbanding that same year, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's legacy continues to inspire musicians and fans alike.

Grammy Award-winning rock band EVANESCENCE and alt-rock visionary K.Flay have teamed up for their first-ever collaboration on the explosive new song "Fight Like A Girl" (BMG). The track is featured as the first end title song in "Ballerina", the hotly anticipated film set in the world of John Wick. Both the song and the film are out this Friday, June 6.

Co-written by EVANESCENCE lead singer Amy Lee, K.Flay, Dylan Eiland and "Ballerina" film composer Tyler Bates, who also produced the track, "Fight Like A Girl" follows the release of Halsey and Lee's thunderous track "Hand That Feeds", the first original song recently revealed from the film in early May.

Fueled by fierce energy and defiance, "Fight Like A Girl" channels the film's themes of vengeance, resilience, and female empowerment, mirroring its adrenaline-pumping intensity and emotional depth. "Ballerina", starring Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves, is set to electrify audiences with its high-octane action and raw emotional stakes. Directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten, based on characters by Derek Kolstad, the film is produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Chad Stahelski.

"Tyler calling me up to create this song for 'Ballerina' couldn't have come at a more perfect time, I know I'm not the only girl out there ready to dig my heels in and show the world what we're made of," said Lee. "I really wanted this song to be a collab, and K.Flay is one of my favorite artists. It is literally a dream come true to do this together!"

"Amy sent me the demo and I was immediately so energized, so inspired," said K.Flay. "I was on tour at the time, and I wrote my verse backstage after a show, when my adrenaline was still super high. For me, the film and the song are both about how we channel our pain and how we choose to define ourselves. What separates the hero from the villain?"

Taking place during the events of "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum", "Ballerina" follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.

EVANESCENCE will kick off a run of live shows later this fall, making stops on "My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade" tour and Louder Than Life festival before joining METALLICA on their "M72" world tour.

In 2003, when the rock charts were dominated by predominantly male nü-metal and post-grunge acts, a young female-fronted band from Arkansas stood out from the crowd, offering something entirely new. They were EVANESCENCE — and with their debut album, "Fallen", they transformed the rock landscape. Led by Lee, EVANESCENCE's cinematic blend of metal and symphonic, piano-driven melodies captured a generation, while "Fallen" set the band on a path to global superstardom, earning them multiple Grammys, and becoming one of the highest-selling albums of all time.

Released in the spring of 2003, "Fallen" resonated deeply with fans, selling more than 141,000 copies in its first week and peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it spent an astonishing 43 weeks in the Top 10. Within a month, "Fallen" was certified platinum by the RIAA, while it was a Top 10 hit in more than ten countries, reaching No. 1 in the U.K., Canada, Australia, and across Europe. Much of the album's initial success can be attributed to its stratospheric singles, including "Bring Me to Life", which broke the Top 10 in more than 15 countries and topped Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 and Alternative Airplay charts. "My Immortal" was a Top 10 hit in over ten countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

At the 2004 Grammys, EVANESCENCE received five nominations, including "Album Of The Year", "Best Rock Album", "Best Hard Rock Performance" for "Bring Me To Life", and "Best New Artist", taking home the latter two. The following year, "My Immortal" received a nod for "Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals".

Today, "Fallen" holds steady as the sixth best-selling album of the 21st century (ranking just behind Lady Gaga's "The Fame" and ahead of COLDPLAY's "A Rush Of Blood To The Head") and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time, with more than 17 million copies sold worldwide. In 2022, "Fallen" received a rare diamond certification from the RIAA, which recognizes 10 million units in U.S. album sales. As a testament to the album's enduring appeal, the video for "Bring Me To Life" surpassed 1.2 billion views on YouTube, making it one of the most-watched rock videos of all-time while "My Immortal" follows close behind.

To date, EVANESCENCE has released a total of five studio albums, including the multi-platinum "The Open Door" (2004) and "Evanescence" (2011),both of which topped the Billboard 200. In 2021, the band thrilled fans with their first album of new material in a decade, "The Bitter Truth". Now 20 years on, EVANESCENCE continues to scale new heights. Featuring a lineup of Amy Lee (vocals, keyboards),Tim McCord (guitar/bass),Will Hunt (drums),Troy McLawhorn (guitars) and Emma Anzai (bass, backing vocals),the band continues to travel the globe, staging some of the most successful shows of their career, including Allianz Parque, a soccer stadium in Sāo Paulo, Brasil, which was the biggest headline show of EVANESCENCE's career to date, drawing 40,000 fans. EVANESCENCE's most recent single, "Afterlife" from the Netflix series "Devil May Cry", has had great success, with over 20 million streams and over 10 million views on YouTube in just the first few weeks. "Afterlife" is the fastest-moving single of the band's career.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

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: drummer Tommy Aldridge, guitarist Joel Hoekstra, bassist Marco Mendoza, keyboardist Michele Luppi and the increasingly popular Croatian vocalist Dino Jelusić.

Mendoza emphasized that they 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."

Coverdale gave his approval for this project, adding a special exclusivity to the Guitar Festival. As a result, a large number of visitors from Serbia and the region are expected.

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.

Whitesnake Experience was announced yesterday in Belgrade – a killer new project with Whitesnake members: Tommy Aldrige,...

Posted by Jelusick on Saturday, May 31, 2025