Julien's Auctions, the world's premier celebrity auction house, struck a powerful chord with collectors and music fans alike this week during the second day of its prestigious "Music Icons" auction. Held at the Hard Rock Cafe in the heart of Times Square, the two-day event concluded Sunday, May 31, showcasing nearly 700 rare pieces tied to some of the most influential figures in music history.

From stage-played guitars to handwritten lyrics, iconic fashion, and personal artifacts, the auction featured an unprecedented collection from music royalty including QUEEN, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Sting, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Madonna, Johnny Cash, THE DOORS, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Britney Spears, Christine McVie, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, THE ROLLING STONES, NIRVANA, AEROSMITH, and more.

Among the standout lots: AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler's stage-played "Dream On" keyboard soared to $130,000, while Eric Clapton's Martin Crossroads limited edition acoustic guitar brought in $52,000. A stunning Patek Philippe Aquanaut wristwatch owned by FLEETWOOD MAC's Christine McVie fetched $35,750, and Django Reinhardt's 1938 Levin De Luxe archtop guitar sold for $35,000.

Also drawing significant interest were a stage-worn Bob Mackie ensemble from Cher's 1975 "Cher" show ($13,000),Dolly Parton's embellished jumpsuit from a 1975 "Hee Haw" appearance ($15,000),and a signed abstract painting by Frank Sinatra, which went for $22,750.

Other highlights included OASIS's "Champagne Supernova" handwritten lyrics by Noel Gallagher ($10,400) and a pencil drawing print by Stevie Nicks ($5,850). Guitar enthusiasts had plenty to celebrate as well, with pieces including a signed 1957 Gretsch 6120 from Chet Atkins ($12,500),a blonde 1953 Fender Telecaster formerly owned by Chips Moman and played by Waylon Jennings ($29,250),and a stage-played Fender Stratocaster with a left-handed neck from Yngwie Malmsteen ($22,750).

From pop stars to rock legends, "Music Icons" once again proved why Julien's Auctions remains at the forefront of music memorabilia, offering a rare chance to own a piece of the stories — and sounds — that shaped generations.

Highlights of the auction included:

* Taylor Swift & Miley Cyrus signed Daisy Rock guitar - $104,000
* AEROSMITH stage-used "Dream On" keyboard - $130,000
* Live Aid - Bob Dylan, Madonna, Neil Young & more signed 1985 US program - $22,750
* Lady Gaga "House of Gucci" screen-worn dress - $5,200
* Elton John 1970s-era custom made suit - $9,100
* Hank Williams Gibson guitar - $21,500
* Dolly Parton worn jumpsuit - $15,000
* Cher custom Bob Mackie ensemble - $13,000
* Alex Lifeson played guitar - $22,750
* Madonna handwritten letter to college roommate - $16,250
* AEROSMITH Joe Perry stage-played and signed Gibson Les Paul - $58,500
* Portions of the MELVINS tour van embellished with artwork by Kurt Cobain - $26,000
* Noel Gallagher "Champagne Supernova" handwritten lyrics - $10,400
* Janet Jackson bedazzled flip phone and case - $1,170
* NIRVANA 1991 concert Kurt Cobain handwritten setlist - $13,000
* Amy Winehouse 2007 interview-worn floral dress - $22,750
* NIRVANA / Kurt Cobain stage-played Boss guitar effects pedal -$16,250

Julien's Auctions continues to solidify its position as the global leader in music, entertainment, and celebrity auctions, uniting collectors and enthusiasts from around the world for this monumental sale. Find out what treasures are next up for auction at Juliensauctions.com.

The Jim Powers channel on YouTube has uploaded video of HEART's entire June 1 concert at Filene Center at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia. Check it out below.

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

01. Bebe Le Strange
02. Never
03. Magic Man
04. These Dreams
05. Little Queen
06. Straight On / Let's Dance (David Bowie cover)
07. Love Mistake
08. Crazy On You
09. 4 Edward (Nancy Wilson song)
10. Love Alive
11. You're The Voice (Chris Thompson cover)
12. The Rain Song (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
13. Alone / What About Love
14. Sand (LOVEMONGERS cover)
15. The Ocean (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
16. Barracuda

In a recent interview with GoToWhitney, HEART guitarist Nancy Wilson spoke about the first 2025 leg of the band's "Royal Flush" tour, which saw her sister, HEART singer Ann Wilson, performing while seated in a wheelchair. Nancy said: "Well, let me clarify. For sure she's okay. She kicked the ass of cancer," referencing the fact that Ann underwent surgery and preventative chemotherapy after announcing her cancer diagnosis in July 2024. "She's completely clear — clear of cancer. The last night of rehearsal [before the first leg of the 2025 tour] in Nashville where it was icy, she fell leaving rehearsal and broke her elbow. So she had to be in a chair with her elbow up on a pillow. So it's, like, not cancer, folks — she broke her elbow. So that's why we sent our friend and our photographer friend Criss Cain in front of the curtain, before the show starts, just to explain that, because people are really rooting for her over the cancer thing. But it's not even that, the reason she's in the wheelchair. So, it just required a little explanation before the show. Hopefully she'll be out of that chair this time out."

Asked what she hopes HEART conveys through its performances, Nancy said: "Well, actually, good question. I really hope that the legacy of HEART can convey an aspirational ethic for younger women and men and young artists and people. Not just young people only, but people, because I think with our band HEART, we're sort of different from a lot of rock bands. There aren't many rock bands left to begin with, and [we have] two sisters, so we have a family ethic. We have kind of a fun-for-the-whole-family, all-ages type of ethic with our band. And a lot of college kids are showing up now, which is awesome. And the word's kind of gotten out with the first leg of the 'Royal Flesh' tour, which was all arenas and hockey rinks and stuff, but a lot of young people are showing up."

She continued: "I guess what's what the message is, really, is a togetherness and a unification of the human spirit, because a lot of these songs are very — they're hardcore rock and roll songs, yes, but there are also some very romantic, sensitive songs. And so that's something that HEART gives really well. We've always been kind of schizophrenic like that. [Laughs]"

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.

This past March, the 74-year-old Ann explained on an episode of her "After Dinner Thinks" podcast why she has been performing in a wheelchair: "I think some people thought that I was in a wheelchair because of cancer, which I just kicked its ass and I'm nice and clear now. It's not about cancer. It's about me being a klutz and missing a step and falling into a parking lot and busting my elbow in three places and then having to have it pinned back together with screws and all that kind of stuff."

Ann added that she doesn't "have the use of my left arm right now," which has proven difficult as she tries to sing while one of her arms is "in a sling. You don't have the same balance," she explained. "So, I had to get used to that. And singing on stage, I really think that the pain level is still way too high for me to take it out of the sling. So I chose to sit because then I can just concentrate on singing and not on keeping my balance and having somebody out there catching me when I reel to the side."

Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Ann said her arm "hurts too much" to stand on stage at the moment, as there's "some pain involved with this injury."

Earlier in 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.

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.

'00s metal faves DRY KILL LOGIC played their first concert in nearly 19 years on May 18 at the Welcome To Rockville festival at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Earlier last month, DRY KILL LOGIC released a new single, "Now You Belong With The Dead", produced by Greg Thomas (END, SHAI HULUD, MISERY SIGNALS) and mastered by Will Putney (FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, BETTER LOVERS).

Asked in a new interview with The Chuck Shute Podcast what he and his bandmates have been up to, DRY KILL LOGIC singer Cliff Rigano said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, man. It's just wild living life, like everybody else. We're all still good friends, so we'd still hang out and see each other. But we just weren't jamming. And we decided, gosh, maybe back in 2016, 2017 to start writing again, which produced a collection of singles. And then invariably it led us back to the stage, which leads us here, you and I talking together."

Regarding whether "Now You Belong With The Dead" was written about "someone specific", Cliff said: "No. It's about everything and everyone. That's the way most songs are these days. But the title is actually taken from a line in the horror movie 'The Mummy'. The full line is, 'I loved you once, but now you belong with the dead.'"

Rigano went on to say that he is "not necessarily the hugest" fan of horror films, "but that line stuck out to me when watching it. There was just an eloquence about it," he explained. "It summed up so many emotions. It summed up the emotion of rage. It sums up the emotion of closure. It sums up the emotion of moving on, and I just thought it to be an incredibly poetic way to express yourself. So the line just stuck with me once I heard it."

Cliff also talked about the possibility of DRY KILL LOGIC releasing a new full-length album after putting out several standalone singles. He said: "People digest as they go instead of releasing everything. I think it's twofold for us. Number one, the industry doesn't seem to be receptive to the idea of a singles-based artist release schedule to just kind of do it at whim. People pay attention to bodies of work, people pay attention to record releases. It's easier to wrap your mind around, it's easier to promote, it's easier to talk about. So it seems like a full body of work still gets more runway than just singles. But I think within that, to be honest, what I would like to have is not so much an album as releasing 11 songs at once. I think we need a body of work. And I think we're excited now to create a body of work. You release it four releases of three songs each, 12 releases of singles, one 12-song album. However you do it, you just need the body of work. You need the songs. So that's the part that we're most excited to think about now, is how do we just go in and start writing the best songs possible? Then people far smarter than us will be, like, 'Hey, this is the right way to release it out into the world.' So [we're] less married to the format, more married to the idea that even if you're gonna dribble out singles, you've gotta have 'em all recorded first. So that's what we're angling towards."

Rigano added that he is open to the idea of making the next DRY KILL LOGIC album available in special formats in order to cater to hardcore music fans and collectors.

"For us, I think we're twofold," he said. "Number one, we don't really know what people want. Again, we just don't know. We have no context. They've been living with the music digitally for a generation now essentially. So as you start to think about different ways to consume that music, are you interested in those physical items? Is the digital stuff, do you kind of have that married into your mind? We need to learn a little bit more about what our audience would like from us, and then I think we're totally cool with making it.

"If there's anything that we're somewhat conscious of in all of this, it's… I might not be able to tell you the one definitive reason why we're doing any of this, but I can tell you one definitive reason that we're not doing any of this, and we're not doing this for money," he continued. "None of us, 20 years later, are, like, 'Hey, let's go make some money off some fans.' We don't give a shit. We all have jobs, we have lives. We're gonna pay our bills. It's gonna be just fine. So we're also a little cautious about looking greedy and, like, 'Hey, I'm here in a 300-cap room and you have 73 t-shirts and 45 different vinyls and 63 different mezcals that you're offering with a partner of a CD and a cassette.' People would be, like, 'What, did you make all this stuff just to sell it to us?' So we're conscious and somewhat cognizant of that. I mean, again, people want stuff. They're, like, 'Hey, make us things.' We're just trying to be respectful of the dollar and just, like, 'Hey, what would you like? Would you like merch? We'll make you like some awesome merch. Would you like vinyl? Then we'll get to the vinyl.' I don't know. We're just kind of cautious about that stuff. Maybe it's just our Italian guilt, or my Italian guilt that kicks in when I start to think about the commercialization of it. It just freaks me out sometimes."

2025 will also see DRY KILL LOGIC performing at other major rock festivals, including Rock Fest (Cadott, Wisconsin),Inkcarceration (Mansfield, Ohio) and Aftershock (Sacramento, California).

There are also two special headline performances planned in June — at Monarch in Brooklyn, New York on June 13 and at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey on June 14. These shows will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the band's seminal sophomore album "The Dead & Dreaming".

Formed in late 1994, DRY KILL LOGIC quickly established themselves as a force in the heavy music scene. Under their initial moniker of HINGE, the band garnered a dedicated fanbase with their aggressive sound and straightforward lyrics. Produced by Eddie Wohl (PRIMER 55, ILL NINO) and Rob Caggiano (ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT, CRADLE OF FILTH),their 2001 debut album "The Darker Side Of Nonsense" was an essential part of the alternative metal landscape, with tracks like "Nightmare" and "Rot" still echoing in the memories of fans worldwide. The band built their live show on worldwide tours and festivals alongside FEAR FACTORY, SLAYER, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SPINESHANK, MASTODON, and many more.

In 2002, the band parted ways with Roadrunner Records and was joined by guitarist Jason Bozzi who took the band's signature sound to the next level. Once again with Wohl and Caggiano at the helm, the band released their sophomore album, "The Dead And Dreaming", on Repossession Records in the U.S. and SPV globally. Seamlessly traversing the lines of metalcore, post-hardcore and alternative metal the band stretched their wings, embracing melody, dynamics and more complex songwriting. Tracks like "Paper Tiger", "200 Years", "Neither Here Nor Missed" and "With Deepest Regrets…" showcases the depth and character of the new lineup, as well as a newfound live ferocity after years of nonstop touring. Co-headline U.S. tours with NONPOINT, DROWNING POOL and HED P.E. followed, along with a slot on the inaugural 2005 Gigantour featuring MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER, and many others. The band wound down the album cycle with a run of headline shows in the U.S. and shows supporting DISTURBED and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY.

In 2006, the group was joined by bassist Brendan Kane (100 DEMONS, A THOUSAND FALLING SKIES) and released both their live DVD "The Magellan Complex" and their third album, "Of Vengeance And Violence". Produced by Wohl and Caggiano and mixed by legendary engineer Paul Orofino (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, BLEEDING THROUGH, AHMAD JAMAL),the band again evolved, pushing the limits of metalcore aggression with songs like "My Dying Heart", "Dead Man's Eyes" and "Boneyard". It was at this time the band found itself as a headline act across Europe, returning twice in the year due to demand. The band also played its first shows in Australia as support for FEAR FACTORY and DEVILDRIVER.

Following a series of challenges within the ever-evolving dynamics of the music industry, the band went on hiatus in 2007. Despite sporadic rumors of a reunion, DRY KILL LOGIC remained silent, with fans wondering if they'd ever see the band return to the stage.

In 2018, the group surprised their fans by releasing "Vices", the ferocious first single from the group in 13 years. Produced by Greg Thomas (END, MISERY SIGNALS, SHAI HULUD),the track was celebrated by fans worldwide as a triumphant return to form. In 2020, the band worked with Thomas and released "Don't See Ghosts", a hauntingly relentless track filled with the group's signature guitar work and pummeling breakdowns.

Image and video courtesy of IFM RAW

In a new interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast, TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson spoke about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2020's "Titans Of Creation" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I'm really excited about the new record. There's some 'Gathering'[-style] stuff on there, there's some New Wave Of British Heavy Metal stuff that's like in A that's got that typical kind of old — I don't wanna say SAXON, but some of those cool music that's in A. [There's a] really good ballad. There's some really crazy black metal stuff on there, but TESTAMENT. Yeah, it's gonna be a good one."

Asked if it's true that NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen makes a guest appearance on the new TESTAMENT album, Eric said: "No, that's not gonna happen. It was something that was being discussed, and I think it got out there before it was agreeable. And I think she got a little upset — from what I was told. I don't know. This is all hearsay for me. But I think it was too much. And she's, like, 'I didn't even… I mean, I was talking about [doing it], yeah, but I don't…' She would've been great on this song, by the way. This song would've been perfect for her. And then we were, like, 'Let's find someone else.' And I'm, like, 'If anybody's gonna do it, it's gonna be her. And if not…' Chuck [Billy, TESTAMENT singer] sounds great on his own on it. It's a ballad. It's really good. It doesn't really need another singer, but it could have been cool with Floor."

Eric added: "I really like Floor on the live at Wacken 2013 [NIGHTWISH's 'Showtime, Storytime' Blu-ray, DVD, CD and LP], when she came into NIGHTWISH and the end of the tour, they ended it at the Wacken [Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany]. That was my first [introduction to her with NIGHTWISH], 'cause I followed her with the NIGHTWISH stuff, and I was, like, 'I like NIGHTWISH.' But when I watched that show, man, she just killed it on those songs. It's just, like, hair on your arm standing up, like, 'Wow.'"

Last November, Billy told Australia's Jaimunji about the TESTAMENT song which was supposed to be a duet with Jansen: "Yeah, I reached out to her. Me and Floor became friends maybe under 10 years ago. Me and her, Joey Belladonna [ANTHRAX], Udo Dirkschneider [ex-ACCEPT], we all did this Christmas performance show through Europe. And we were singing our songs, but with a Christmas theme with an orchestra. And so we all traveled together and became friends. And she's a powerhouse of a vocalist. Great voice. And when we wrote the song and the lyrics, first thing I thought was, 'Okay, this song, it, it needs a strong girl's voice,' and, of course, Floor is the first one that came to mind."

He continued at the time: "This song, it's gonna be pretty epic. We're gonna put a string section on it, acoustic guitars. It's gonna have a lot going on, but it's a really, really beautiful song. It's really deep. And with Floor, it's kind of me and her kind of singing the lyrics kind of to each other, and the meaning of the song and what we're saying, it's kind of, like, I'll say my part and she's answering me through the vocal. So it's gonna be very strong, very cool. And I can't wait to hear what she's gonna do on it… We haven't sent it to her because we haven't laid down the acoustic guitars yet for it, but the song's done. I tracked it all. I tracked her parts. And I wanna wait till she hears it for the first time with the acoustics and get the vibe — I want her to be in the vibe once she gets it… And Alex [Skolnick, TESTAMENT guitarist] has a connection to some guys that are gonna do the strings on it, who played on some huge records, so what we've heard so far, it's pretty cool."

Last January, Chuck spoke to Belgian Jasper about being open to new influences and not staying musically stagnant over the course of TESTAMENT's nearly four-decade career. He said: "Well, we've always had a sense of being TESTAMENT because Eric doesn't like venture out and try to listen to new bands. He sticks to the classics that he likes and also he likes a lot of black metal. So he kind of listens to his niche of music, but he doesn't listen to something… Like Sirius [XM] radio, that's where we all find what's new and modern and coming out now — he doesn't listen to any of that, so he's not influenced by that, but [new TESTAMENT drummer] Chris [Dovas], being with Chris and spending so much time with him, Chris has turned him on to some newer bands, and Eric's, like, 'Whoa. Wow, that's brutal.' So I know his gears are turning when he's creating songs with Chris. And I know that since Eric didn't follow the leader all the time, he's always had his own style of writing, and it's staying true to TESTAMENT."

Billy went on to say that fans will be able to hear a noticeable musical evolution on TESTAMENT's upcoming LP.

"This new record, it's still staying true to TESTAMENT, but it is influenced by what's going on, which I'm kind of excited [about], because [Eric's] always kept it in the same vein but always trying to improve what TESTAMENT's doing, where this one, it's pushing me vocally, pushing Alex [Skolnick, TESTAMENT guitarist] solo-wise — everybody's getting pushed to the limits of trying something different and new and fresh and not making the same old record. We don't ever wanna do that. We wanna make something that we enjoy and we feel that we're confident to put this out there to the public and I think they're gonna react to it.

"Eric's always been the guy that had to, like, kind of tell the drummer, 'Play this beat, play that beat, try this,' where I think with Chris, Chris was just ready to go," Chuck explained. "Chris was ahead of him, like doing stuff where Eric's, like, 'Whoa, what was that? Oh, wow. I like that.' And just getting to be Eric and just play guitar. [And] it's been so good that now that we wrote the songs for this record, January, February and March [of 2025], Eric and Chris are getting back together to work on the next record already, because they had such a great time and it just clicked. And we're, like, we don't have time to sit around and wait anymore. Let's just keep carrying on. Don't waste time and stretch us out for two, three years, four years. Let's write another record, put this [new one] out [first] and be ready to go, get ahead of the curve."

Last November, Billy told Australia's The Rockpit, about TESTAMENT's upcoming LP: "Well, this [album is] gonna be very special. I think I'm more excited about this one, just because of the fact — the timing of everything. I'm a big person believer in things happen for reasons. And Chris Dovas jamming with us and having a lot of time to come up and spend with Eric at Eric's place, just jamming, coming up a lot of music and working on it hard and tracking it at home and doing demos. And I could tell, when I first started getting the songs and the riffs sent, that it was something different. It's still Eric and I recognize it, but he was being pushed and inspired 'cause Chris is a very fast, aggressive drummer, and I can tell that it just inspired Eric just to be Eric and play guitar instead of trying to think about building a song or making a song — 'Let's just jam.' And that's the kind of way they approached it. And next thing you know, they had 10, 11, 12 jams that were sounding pretty strong, but individually identified just different vibes. And I was, like, 'Okay, this is what it is.' And then, as it just built vocally and everything, that's when we were kind of, 'Wow. It just feels fresh and new and challenging again. Vocally, for me, I've got a wide range of tones on this one — I'm screaming again, which I haven't done that a lot on a lot of records in the past, but a lot on this one. And we are still writing for ourselves, but we're still excited that when we write a song, how it hits live, and that's always been the payoff, is do these songs we write in the studio hit live like we want 'em to? And that's the fun part."

In June 2024, Chuck told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone about the lyrical themes covered in the new TESTAMENT songs: "[It's] not as focused [on], like, the aliens, creating mankind and that kind of stuff, but there is some of that. There's a lot. Each song definitely has its own identity lyrically. And again, we're writing stuff that is real, that happens with the environment; we're singing about that again. A.I., we're singing stuff about that. That's a big thing. So, there's always an inspiration for songs. I think it's a little easier. There's so much going on in our world to write about now. It's a crazy world today, so there's a lot of stuff to talk about. And I like singing about what's real and what's going on instead of some fantasy lyrics, because, for me, I think when I sing 'em, I have more conviction, I believe in 'em a little more. And maybe it's easier for me to remember the lyrics live. [Laughs]"

Naming specific tracks, Chuck said: "There's a song, 'Havana Syndrome', which is about the Havana Syndrome. People, look that up. There's 'Infanticide A.I.', which is another song going A.I. direction. And there's actually a slower song. We haven't done a slower song. I'm not gonna say 'ballad', but I'm gonna say a slower song that has a lot of groove and soul, called 'Meant To Be'. And it's like a classic TESTAMENT-type ballad, I guess, if you wanna use that word. But we've got a little bit of everything, but, again, I think it's really sticking to TESTAMENT, having to have some melodic stuff, even though there's some really brutal lyrics and real brutal, more of a death voice. I still put the hook in with more of a melodic hook or something. It's still classic TESTAMENT. If you listen to it, you'll go, 'That's TESTAMENT, but a little more octane to it.'"

Image credit: Walter Morgan

In a new interview with United Rock Nations, drummer Jon Larsen of Danish rock and rollers VOLBEAT was asked how the 2023 departure of guitarist Rob Caggiano affected the musical direction of the band's upcoming ninth studio album, "God Of Angels Trust", and the personal dynamics within the group. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, for the musical direction, it didn't affect anything. More or less everything was made by Michael [Poulsen, VOLBEAT guitarist/vocalist] anyway. [As for the dynamics within the band], it really hasn't changed that much. Because you've gotta remember, Rob is based in the U.S., so he would only be here [in Denmark] for a certain amount of time anyway. And when we were rehearsing the songs, even though Rob appears on them and did both rhythm and leads and whatever he would do, he wasn't really there for the longest part until we actually had the songs. And then Rob would usually come in and we would show him the songs or send the songs to him, and then he would add his part to it. So, it hasn't really affected that much anything. Obviously, [VOLBEAT's current touring and recording lead guitarist] Flemming [C. Lund] is a different guitar player than Rob was, and Flemming is a different personality. But I will say, and that's no disrespect to Rob or anything, but Flemming is Danish, and we have a very, very strange, sick sense of humor within the band. We love to pick on each other. Even now as an adult, we still pick on each other. And Rob being an American, the American humor is just different. And I think even now, sometimes he had trouble understanding what we were doing and saying, even though, of course, we would speak English with him; that's obvious. But I think sometimes he actually hated that we were speaking Danish because he thought we were talking about him — which we weren't."

Asked if Flemming is a "permanent" member of VOLBEAT now, Jon said: "Right now, Flemming has committed himself to be touring with us for this year. So right now he's as much a member of the band as anybody else. But he's not 'permanent permanent', so to speak. But Flemming was kind enough to help us out on the tours that we did in '23. He also did, of course, the two [IRON] MAIDEN shows with us [last December], and he has committed himself to be touring with us for this year. So right now, yes, Flemming is a member of the band."

Caggiano's exit from VOLBEAT was officially announced on June 5, 2023.

On June 12, 2023, Rob — who played on VOLBEAT's last four studio albums: 2013's "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", 2016's "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie", 2019's "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" and 2021's "Servant Of The Mind" — issued a statement in which he said he was "extremely proud of everything" he and how now-former bandmates "accomplished together over the last 10 years."

As for why his time with VOLBEAT had come to an end, Rob said: "Sometimes relationships simply run their course. Sometimes certain obstacles, people or circumstances get in the way of the greater good. Sometimes people change and priorities shift. Sometimes it's unavoidable. We had a very special undeniable magic together as a band. It's not something that comes around too often in this life and it's not something to be taken lightly. I certainly do not. However, while this is really a very emotional time for me I'm also extremely excited about what lies ahead in the future. Lots of exciting things happening right now. I really couldn't be more fired up!!"

"God Of Angels Trust" will arrive on June 6 via VOLBEAT's longtime label Vertigo/Universal.

Earlier this month, Larsen told Brazil's A Rádio Rock about the making of the LP: " We were told that we were not supposed to go on the road last year, in '24, at all. And in the beginning we were a bit, like, 'Well, what's the meaning behind that? Because we're always touring, we're always playing somewhere.' And our management said, 'No, you're not [touring] this year.' 'Okay. So are we supposed to take a break or whatever?' And they said, 'Well, you can do whatever you want. You are just not gonna tour.' So I was, like, 'All right. Let's do an album instead.' And Michael had throat surgery a couple of times, so he wasn't really able to sing anyway for live performances because he had to take care of his voice, but, of course, he could write music. So he basically said, 'Let's see what we can come up with.' And within — I think it was within two months or something, we actually had the 10 songs that are now on the album… He was actually going on tour with his other band ASINHELL in the summer of '24, so he said, 'Well, let's see if we can get the songs ready. Then I'm gonna go on tour and you guys can go on vacation or whatever you wanna do. And when I come back, let's go through the songs, see if they work, and then just rehearse them so we can go in the studio in the fall of '24.' And he did, and we did, and so we did. And, yeah, those 10 songs came by really, really quick, actually. And we went into the studio — when was that oc? November, I think, of last year. I think it was November; I can't really remember now. And it took us, like, two and a half weeks. And then we were done. And it was, like, 'Okay, we're done. Then what?' And then we went to Brazil and did the two shows with IRON MAIDEN. And that was the end of '24, actually. And now the album is almost ready to come out. And right now we are still rehearsing, because we've got a tour that starts in two weeks, actually."

Asked what is different about "God Of Angels Trust" compared to VOLBEAT's previous efforts, Jon said: "Well, this one and actually the previous album, [2021's] 'Servant Of The Mind', kind of went the same way, but, yeah this feels more, yeah, a bit more like the old days, like we used to do, when the band was formed and we did those songs that ended up on basically, definitely on the first two albums. It was kind of a little bit going back to how we used to do it. Don't think too much about it — just plug in and play and basically see what happens. And I guess he was extremely inspired, not only probably by doing the ASINHELL thing, but just in general, because he had a constant flow of songs coming in. And like I said, yeah, it was a bit more spontaneous. And that was one of the ideas for this album, to keep it not only a bit like we used to do, but also a bit more spontaneous and get this sort of, you can say kind of a live feel to it. Not that it was recorded 'live live' as such, but one of the things we said to our producer was actually, 'Let's not overthink it. Let's just go in and play and basically see how it sounds. And if, let's say, one of the hits on the snare drum isn't exactly as loud as the other ones, if it sounds good, keep it. And that's a part of the spontaneous thing too. And the same thing for guitar and bass and all that stuff. It had a bit more of a live feeling to it."

In a press release announcing "God Of Angels Trust", Poulsen stated about the making of the effort: "In the past, I've taken a long time to write and obsessed over so many elements of the songs before finishing them. This time, I wanted to make a VOLBEAT record without thinking too much about it. Instead of following any kind of structure I said, 'Okay, there are no rules. I can do anything I want. I can start with a chorus or do songs that are just a bunch of verses stacked on top of each other. Anything goes.' That was freeing for me and made it exciting to write this album."

Poulsen started working on songs for the follow-up to "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 Jon 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 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)

During a May 30 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Jason Bonham spoke about his 2024 exit from Sammy Hagar's band. Drummer Kenny Aronoff replaced Bonham at the end of Hagar's "The Best Of All Worlds" tour over the summer after Jason went home to take care of his mother who had suffered a stroke. Hagar, Aronoff, guitarist Joe Satriani and bassist Michael Anthony also completed a Las Vegas residency earlier this month. Asked if everything is "okay" now between him and Hagar, Bonham said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're good. I was a little upset with him, obviously — when it happened, I was upset, because I had 10 years — great years — with Sam. Love him, love his family, kids, everything, his wife. His wife and my wife are very, very close. So it was a bit of a shock, but I get it. At that time I couldn't commit to the Japanese tour because mom was still in a bad way. And at that time, I'd got everything held for the following year that I was asked to do. So, I'd held everything off. The only one commitment I had, which was BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. So I read recently, there was an article that somebody kind of cornered him on me. And I just wanted to clear that up. I didn't have any dates booked or anything. So I could have done rehearsals. I just wanted it to be out there. I could have done rehearsals. The only thing I had booked was the three weeks in June [with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION]. But so is Joe and Kenny; [they] are gonna be away at that time [as well]. So that was my only thing. I don't know if there's more to it than the eye. And he kind of said Kenny was way more upbeat and I was a bit drama. But oh, well. But I love Sam to bits. Me and Mike, we speak every week. Mikey, I really miss him. But we had a great time. To get where we got playing those songs, who wouldn't want to do that gig? So, we had a great time last year. If that was my swan song with Sam, then we ended up on a high."

Last November, Sammy opened up about his decision to replace Bonham with Aronoff, telling Rolling Stone magazine: "There's two reasons. Number one, [Kenny is] one of the greatest drummers on the planet. I think he's been on more million-selling records than any musician in the world. And he did so well on this tour, and he plays with Joe on a full-time basis... And he blew my mind. I played with Kenny in CHICKENFOOT, and he blew my mind then too, because when we auditioned him, he learns every song. 'Tell me what songs we're playing.' 'Okay, here they are.' He charts them out and he sits there, and he fuckin' can read it and play it with soul and power perfectly, just one time, the first time he plays it. If that don't blow a musician's mind, I don't know what would, especially these kinds of songs. These songs are crazy. They're fuckin' VAN HALEN arrangements."

Bonham, for his part, told Ultimate Classic Rock that was disappointed to see his time in Hagar's band come to an end. Referencing the fact that he initially confirmed that he would not be rejoining Sammy's group in a social media post, Jason said: "I was trying to answer fans, really, because they were asking me, 'Why aren't you involved with the new thing they're recording?' and saying, 'Aren't you gonna do it again?' 'I was let go, so, no,'" Bonham explained. "Sammy rang me awhile ago. He was asking about my mom, but then he said, 'Y'know, I'm not gonna do much next year,' blah, blah blah, 'and I'm gonna go with Kenny.' I was a little shocked, I must say. I'd be lying to you if I wasn't a little sad, because we were on fire at the end of the tour. And I got a little upset. That was strange, after 10 years of being with him."

Despite the fact that he is no longer playing with Sammy, Bonham insisted that there was no bad blood between the two musicians. "Listen, I love the guy to bits. I don't wish him any ill. I still speak to him," Bonham clarified. "Honestly, the guy has taught me so much — about business, being positive. I'm an English guy; I can be really negative half the time. Even if the sun is shining, 'but it could rain.' He really helped me in that aspect big-time, and business sense and never taking no for an answer, always believing in yourself."

Aronoff, a legendary drummer in his own right, is best known for his work with John Mellencamp and John Fogerty, among other projects. He has also worked with the likes of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and Jon Bon Jovi.

On the heels of a successful tour that brought multiple sellouts, JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING (JBLZE) recently announced another round of dates to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the LED ZEPPELIN classic "Physical Graffiti". The latest 22-city trek is billed as "An Evening With JBLZE Celebrating 50 Years Of Physical Graffiti". The show made headlines as JBLZE has been performing all the songs from the album that fans have been clamoring to hear including classics such as "The Wanton Song" and "Kashmir" live alongside deeper cuts like "In The Light" and "Boogie With Stu". The evening is also made up of other LED ZEPPELIN favorites, including "Good Times Bad Times", "Whole Lotta Love" and, of course, "Stairway To Heaven".

DIO DISCIPLES, which pays tribute to Ronnie James Dio and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager Wendy, played a nine-song set of DIO and Dio-era BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW songs at this year's "Rock For Ronnie: A Concert In The Park" fundraiser, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, which took place on May 18 at the outdoor space adjacent to the Autry Museum of the West in Griffith Park in Los Angeles.

For this performance, DIO DISCIPLES included former DIO members Simon Wright on drums and Scott Warren on keyboards, along with guitarist Ira Black and bassist Bjorn Englen as well as singers Patrick Stone from the Los Angeles band BUDDERSIDE and Gabriel Colon, who is best known for his recent work with LYNCH MOB.

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

This year's "Rock For Ronnie" brought in over $100,000 for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach headlined the event, which also included COUNT'S 77, KILL DEVIL HILL, Jason Charles Miller, Anita Squeeze and an all-star jam. Entrepreneur, author and producer Ahmet Zappa hosted the event.

Dr. David Wong of the UCLA School of Dentistry accepted a check for $25,000 to advance his team's research to develop a simple, non-invasive saliva swab test for early cancer detection. Because cancer fingerprints are seven times more prevalent in saliva than in blood, this research is crucial to early cancer diagnoses.

Billed as a "celebration of the music and legacy of the greatest singer in the world, Ronnie James Dio," DIO DISCIPLES have been playing Ronnie's music on tour in a bid to keep their old bandmate's memory alive.

Five years ago, Wright told The Metal Voice that the proposed DIO DISCIPLES debut album had been put "on hold" so that he and his bandmates could focus on the "Dio Returns" tour. At the time, Simon said that "about four or five demos" had been laid down of "different songs" that he and former DIO guitarist Craig Goldy had been working on. As for the material's musical direction, Wright said: "It's difficult to pin it down, because some of [the tracks] are a little different. Still a little bit of [the] DIO [sound], the way Ronnie would write, obviously, 'cause that's rubbed off on Craig, and I hear things too. But at the moment, it's a little bit eclectic. So that was gonna be one thing we were gonna approach. We need to consolidate it and make it into a DIO DISCIPLES sound. So that was a conversation we were having: 'We need to figure out where we're going with this.' At the moment, it's a bit all over the place. But they sound good. They're great ideas."

Several years ago, Goldy revealed DIO DISCIPLES were planning to start work on a project of original material, and they debuted three of the new songs during their May 2016 appearance at the "Ride For Ronnie" motorcycle rally and concert in Encino.

Craig previously told "Talking Metal" that he has been collaborating with fellow former DIO member Jeff Pilson on the material for the debut DIO DISCIPLES album.

Goldy joined DIO during the "Sacred Heart" tour in 1986 after original guitarist Vivian Campbell was fired from the band following a contentious business disagreement with the singer and Ronnie's management.

Pilson is best known for playing bass with DOKKEN and FOREIGNER, but he also toured with DIO in the 1990s and performed on three of the group's albums — "Strange Highways" (1993),"Angry Machines" (1996) and the group's tenth and final studio release, "Master Of The Moon" (2004).

In a new interview with George Dionne of KNAC.COM, TRIUMPH drummer Gil Moore was asked about the possibility of new music from the band. Gil responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, in the film [TRIUMPH's 2021 documentary 'Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine', which was produced by Banger Films and directed by Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli] we recorded three songs. Not new music, but we re-recorded three of our songs and only there were snippets in the movie. So those three may come out. They were a little rough around the edges because it was so emotional while we were playing."

Referencing the fact that the performance took place at an invite-only event in November 2019 in front of a couple of hundred "superfans" at MetalWorks studio in Mississauga (a suburb of Toronto),Ontario, Canada where Moore, guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett and bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine played a three-song set — consisting of "When The Lights Go Down", "Lay It On The Line" and "Magic Power" — that marked TRIUMPH's first performance in 11 years, as well as its first as a pure three-piece power trio in 31 years, Moore continued: "I mean, you had 150 TRIUMPH fans just completely fooled. When the curtain dropped and we were behind… They were told beforehand — of course, in the movie you can see — they were told there was no Mike and Rik and Gil. And before they even got inside the venue, they were told, 'No, no, no, no. Any rumor that you hear that Mike, Rik and Gil [are gonna be here], no, there's no TRIUMPH.' And then, of course, we fooled 'em. So it was pretty emotional, because the fans, some of them were bawling their eyes out, they were so shocked. And I know that Mike and Rik and I, we could hardly hold it back. Playing with a lump in your throat is something I've never experienced before. So those are three new tracks that perhaps will be made available at some point. I don't know."

According to Moore, having TRIUMPH's classic song "Hold On" chosen by Coalition For Music Education In Canada as the anthem for Music Monday 2025 to raise awareness for music education was a particularly inspiring event that could lead to similar projects in the future. He said: "Being kind of moved by what's happened with 'Hold On' and this project we just finished... I should have mentioned that Rik re-recorded the song and he re-recorded it using music teachers and music students and the kids' choir. So, I'm not part of it, Mike's not part of it, but we were cheering Rik on. He did a fantastic job, and it's a great version of 'Hold On'. I mean, I love the video — the video with all the kids in it, it's very moving. So maybe we'll get some other ideas like that. I don't know, George. Maybe you can think one up and send it to us and say, 'Why don't you guys do this?'"

Gil is currently working on developing a high-tech concept that will bring TRIUMPH's music back to the stage. He previously described the project as "kind of an animated movie" containing "a lot of three-dimensional content" that will insert "the original [TRIUMPH] bandmembers into a new band with new musicians. So basically the best of both worlds — to try to have players that can cut the road and are younger than us and have got the tremendous playing skills, but be able to give fans kind of the throwback that they want. So we thought if we can bring the three bandmembers into this and bring [former TRIUMPH and current BON JOVI guitarist] Phil [X] back to reignite the original band, now we have a six-piece power trio."

Moore has been talking about a possible TRIUMPH live experience for several years, including in a 2021 interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. He said at the time that he was working on a "mixed-reality concept" that it is based on "sort of holography, but not in the traditional sense." He had been collaborating on the project with Paul Dexter, who had worked with TRIUMPH in the past on lighting and set design and was heavily involved with the hologram tours for both Ronnie James Dio and Frank Zappa.

Emmett, who quit TRIUMPH — acrimoniously, in 1988 — over music and business disputes, went on to pursue a solo career, while TRIUMPH carried on with future BON JOVI guitarist Phil X for one more album, 1992's "Edge Of Excess", before calling it a day the following year.

Emmett was estranged, both personally and professionally, from the two other members of the legendary Canadian classic rock power trio for 18 years before they repaired their relationship.

Rik's memoir, "Lay It On The Line - A Backstage Pass To Rock Star Adventure, Conflict And Triumph", came out in October 2023 via ECW Press.

Moore, Levine, and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9.

On June 6, TRIUMPH will be honored with a star-studded tribute album. "Magic Power: All Star Tribute To Triumph" will arrive via Round Hill Records, featuring such renowned rockers as Dorothy, Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW),Nancy Wilson (HEART),Joey Belladonna (ANTHRAX),Slash (GUNS N' ROSES) and Jeff Keith (TESLA) covering classic TRIUMPH tunes. Also appearing on the 15-track album are drummers Kenny Aronoff (CHICKENFOOT) and Tommy Aldridge (WHITESNAKE),and guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES),Paul Gilbert (MR. BIG) and Nita Strauss (ALICE COOPER). The project was conceived by renowned producer Mike Clink, who has produced classic recordings for GUNS N' ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE and WHITESNAKE.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN performed Saturday evening (May 31) at Prague, Czech Republic's Letiště Praha Letňany as part of their "Run For Your Lives" tour, celebrating 50 years since the band's formation. A crowd of 60,000 attended the concert, which marked MAIDEN's third live appearance with new drummer Simon Dawson, who replaced longtime drummer Nicko McBrain last December.

The setlist for the Prague show was as follows:

01. Murders In The Rue Morgue
02. Wrathchild
03. Killers
04. Phantom Of The Opera
05. The Number Of The Beast
06. The Clairvoyant
07. Powerslave
08. 2 Minutes To Midnight
09. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
10. Run To The Hills
11. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
12. The Trooper
13. Hallowed Be Thy Name
14. Iron Maiden

Encore:

15. Aces High
16. Fear Of The Dark
17. Wasted Years

The Prague concert will be followed by 29 further stadium, festival and arena shows around Europe. With over a million tickets already sold, and most shows sold out, fans are advised that additional tickets will be made available closer to the show — and on the day — with the release of venue and production holds.

Last month, MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood took to the band's web site to share a post titled "Put away your phones and get ready to Run For Your Lives!" in which he urged fans to experience the shows "in the moment" rather than on smaller screens at a later date.

"We really want fans to enjoy the shows first hand, rather than on their small screens," Smallwood wrote. "The amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are on stage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers.

"We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans."

"Run For Your Lives" world tour is one part of IRON MAIDEN's 50th-anniversary celebrations and will feature many fan "meet-up" events in the cities the band is playing. As was debuted successfully in Australia on the last tour, these will include Eddie's official pop-up dive bar which will be open for pre-show and post-show gatherings in 20 cities on the tour. They will be serving Trooper beer and Darkest Red wine, with food, exclusive merch and further entertainment. Details are available on ironmaiden.com. But please note the band will not be at these events. Additionally, there is both a feature-length documentary film coming to cinemas worldwide later this year, via Universal Pictures Content Group, and an official hardback book providing a magnificent visual celebration of 50 years of IRON MAIDEN, being published by Thames & Hudson.

Dawson previously played with MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris as a member of his BRITISH LION project.

McBrain played his last-ever gig with MAIDEN six months ago in São Paulo, Brazil.

The 72-year-old British musician, whose real name is Michael Henry McBrain, announced his retirement on December 7, 2024 in a statement on MAIDEN's web site and social media. He also said that night's concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil would mark his final show with the iconic heavy metal act.

Despite the fact that he was stepping away from touring, McBrain said that he would remain closely connected to IRON MAIDEN and continue to be involved in "a variety of projects" with the band, while also focusing on personal ventures and his existing businesses.

On December 8, 2024, IRON MAIDEN announced Dawson as its new touring drummer.

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach joined FASTER PUSSYCAT on stage this past Friday, May 30 at Count's Vamp'd Rock Bar & Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada to perform the FP classic "Bathroom Wall". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Count's Vamp'd is closing on June 28 after a 16-year run. Owner Danny Koker is selling the club, with an asking price of $4.3 million.

FASTER PUSSYCAT founder and frontman Taime Downe's fiancée went overboard this past March from the Royal Caribbean ship Explorer Of The Seas during the first day of this year's edition of The 80s Cruise.

Although it was initially unclear if Downe's fiancée fell or jumped from the Explorer Of The Seas, a source told The Hollywood Reporter a few days later that security video appeared to show she jumped, dying by suicide. Insiders told TMZ that the footage showed the woman climbing the cruise ship's railing before stepping off. Downe was subsequently cleared of wrongdoing in the matter.

FASTER PUSSYCAT was performing on the 1980s-themed cruise from March 2 to March 9, traveling from Miami to Nassau, San Juan and Puerto Plata.

Originally formed during the mid-1980s glam rock era, FASTER PUSSYCAT has gone on to sell over two million albums 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.

FASTER PUSSYCAT is best known for its late 1980s hits "House Of Pain" and "Bathroom Wall".

The band broke up in 1993 but reformed in 2001 with Downe as the sole remaining original member.

They have released four albums: "Faster Pussycat" (1987),"Wake Me When It's Over" (1989),"Whipped!" (1992) and "The Power And The Glory Hole" (2006).

Last month, FASTER PUSSYCAT released a new single, "Motorbike".

A limited-edition seven-inch of "Motorbike" printed on "Pussycat Purple" vinyl is available to order now. The vinyl B-side is FASTER PUSSYCAT's take on the INXS classic "Don't Change".

Posted by Count's Vamp'd on Tuesday, May 20, 2025

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Sammy Hagar was asked if he has any regrets about his time as the lead singer of VAN HALEN. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, hell no. Oh, no regrets whatsoever. I regret that we broke up, just to see what else we could have done. I would've loved to have made another record or two with [legendary VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie [Van Halen] writing.

"Eddie and I wrote some great songs together, and I think the best stuff was yet to come; it could have been yet to come, because Eddie was really reaching out on instruments," he continued.

"Last time I talked to Eddie before he passed, I said, 'Man, what are you playing?' He said, 'Oh, man, I've really been playing a lot of cello.' And I'm going, 'Cello? Holy shit.' [Laughs] 'Play me something, dude. I'm ready to write a song with you on cello.'

"As artists, Eddie and I were really capable of doing a lot of stuff that he couldn't do before me because the other guy didn't want keyboards," Sammy added, apparently referring to VAN HALEN's original singer David Lee Roth. "And when I walked in the room with Eddie, he showed me two guitar songs when I joined, on [the] '5150' [album] — he showed me 'Good Enough' and he showed me 'Summer Nights'. Those are two riffs he had. And then what did he do? He went and sat down at the piano and he started playing all this stuff. And I'm going, 'Whoa. What?' He starts playing to riff to 'Dreams'. He's sitting there playing 'Love Walks In'. He's just playing all these things on keyboards, and I'm going, 'Whoa, I had no idea he was that good of a keyboard player.' So, he really wanted to expand as a musician. To me, I think that's what his dream would've been. And it was always held back by the record companies and the people around him. I think we would've broke out of that within a year and start doing some really crazy stuff.

"Now, all the hardcore VAN HALEN fans are out there saying, 'No, no. You would've ruined it. We want 'Poundcake'.' But it's all good, man. It's all good.

"That's the only regret I have," Hagar concluded. "I regret nothing about being in that band. It's the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I will never reach that pinnacle again in my musical career, and I don't even try for it. It's, like, why even try? I can't do it. Those times are gone and I'm proud to have been there."

Hagar replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band — "5150", "OU812", "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Balance" — all of which topped the U.S. chart.

Sammy, Eddie, Alex Van Halen (drums) and Michael Anthony (bass) last teamed up in 2004 for a U.S. summer tour. In exchange for taking part in the tour, Anthony reportedly had to agree to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the band name and logo.

Hagar mended his relationship with Eddie Van Halen months prior to the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's October 2020 passing.

In his autobiography, "Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock", Hagar slammed Eddie, saying the guitarist was unkempt, hunched over, frighteningly skinny, drinking wine straight out of a bottle, missing part of his tongue (after a cancer scare) and several teeth. He told an interviewer in 2012: "What happened on that reunion tour in '04 was some of the most miserable, back-stabbing dark crap I've ever been involved with my whole life."

In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Eddie questioned an "embellished" portion of "Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock" that painted the guitarist as a "very angry drunk" during the group's 2004 reunion tour.

In November 2020, Eddie's son Wolfgang revealed that his father had contemplated a "kitchen-sink tour" that would have included Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Hagar and Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with VAN HALEN on one poorly received album, 1998's "Van Halen III".

Eddie died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

In the latest issue of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked to name the album from his career on which he thinks he nailed his playing the most. He responded: "It's weird, because my opinion of that changes all the time. I don't sit around listening to METALLICA, so sometimes something comes on and I'm, like, 'I haven't heard this in fucking five years. I forgot about that sound.' I don't look in the rear-view mirror too often. The whole band is like that — we just move on. What's the next cool thing we can do? It's just how we are. But I will say, there was a period where I thought my playing was fucking spot on, and that was The Black Album [METALLICA's 1991 self-titled effort]. Those solos wrote themselves. Almost all of them worked out instantly.

"There were only a few things I wasn't prepared for, and that was 'The Unforgiven' solo, which is pretty well documented," he added. "And the solo for 'My Friend Of Misery'. But because the solo of 'The Unforgiven' ended up being so spontaneous, that made me want to do them all like that from that point on."

Back in 2021, Hammett told U.K.'s Total Guitar magazine that "The Unforgiven" guitar solo sparked a change in the way he approached his lead guitar playing. He said about the song's recording sessions: "It wasn't happening and then [producer] Bob Rock accused me of not doing my homework. I don't know what he was talking about, because I arrived into the studio with all these ideas, but they just didn't work. I had to throw them all out. I was bare naked with no idea what to do. Bob told me he would try to tweak the sound for me, and when he did that, it really helped. They said, 'Just play,' and I was, like, 'Arrrgh!' I had maybe a minute to put myself into a real mood. I just needed to block everything out and go deep emotionally. We hit record and I didn't know what the fuck to play but something was going to come out... Something always does."

Hammett added: "That solo was raw emotion. I had no idea what to do; it all came to me as I played — real improvisation. I was so happy after that, really excited and inspired."

As a result of "The Unforgiven" experience, Hammett went on to embrace a more spontaneous approach to his solo playing instead of writing his parts out before entering the recording studio.

"I knew I needed to do more of it, and ever since that moment, I've worked on being better at improvisation and completing music thoughts that are very much listenable," Hammett explained. "Forming complete solos naturally, if you know what I mean.

"For 'The Black Album', I came in with 80 percent of the stuff worked out and 20 percent was improvised, including 'The Unforgiven' solo. Nowadays I prefer to have it the opposite way, with 20 percent worked out and 80 percent improvised, because it's more exciting, more spontaneous and honest.

"I don't know what's going to be on the album as much as anyone else. It feels right doing it like that, it feels better — rather than composing something and making it fit, sometimes forcing things where they might not feel right. Pure improvisation is more real and human."

A little over two years ago, Hammett dismissed the idea that his solo on the METALLICA song "Lux Æterna", from the "72 Seasons" album, was bad because it wasn't hard to play. "Yeah, my fucking friends down the street could probably play a better solo than 'Lux Æterna' — but what's the point?" he told U.K.'s Total Guitar magazine at the time. "For me, what's appropriate is playing for the song and playing in the moment."

Kirk's "Lux Æterna" solo was criticized by some as his "worst solo", while some YouTubers even performed their own "improved" versions. Hammett acknowledged that he saw some of the online hate, saying: "I was just laughing the whole time. I could string together like six or seven three-octave arpeggios in 16th notes, sit there every day and practice it and go, 'Hey, look what I can do!' but where am I gonna put it? That won't work in any METALLICA song. Arpeggios? Come on! In a guitar solo, mapped out like a lot of people do, four or five chords with a different arpeggio over each one? It sounds like an exercise. I don't want to listen to exercises and warm-ups every time I hear a song."

Hammett added: "The only guys out there who I think convincingly play arpeggios as a means of expression are Joe Satriani, Yngwie [Malmsteen] and Paul Gilbert."

Kirk went on to say that he soloing style has changed as METALLICA's music has evolved.

"I know my modes, Hungarian scales, symmetrical scales, I know all that shit. Is it appropriate? Maybe earlier in our time, but not now," he said. "What's more appropriate is coming up with melodies that are more like vocal melodies. And guess what? The best scale for mimicking vocal melodies is the pentatonic."

Hammett also pushed back against the suggestion that he does not appreciate technique, saying: "I love from-the-heart playing, and I've heard real technical playing that's from the heart. Allan Holdsworth, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Yngwie — they all play from the heart, but for a lot of guys it's just like sports or the Olympics. Music is to reflect beauty, creativity, feeling, life. There is a place and there's an audience for all that stuff, but I feel there comes a time when people just get tired of that.

"Today, you know, people are doing really interesting stuff with technique," Hammett concluded. "Technique is reaching new boundaries and I love that, but I have to stress it's important to play for the song. If you do that, your music will have that much more integrity and lasting power."

Back in 2010, WINGER/WHITESNAKE guitarist Reb Beach told the "Decades Of Distortion" radio show about Hammett's guitar playing: "I don't know the guy [Kirk], but I think he's one of the worst guitar players I've ever heard in my life. I've never heard a solo from that guy that was any good. . . This guy is out of tune, and his vibration... what is it? Vibrato. Oh my god. It sounds like a beginner."

He continued, "Back in the '80s, he was always voted best guitar player, and I'm like, 'What?! That guy is terrible.' I hate to say that because I might meet him one day.

"What's he play in? MEGADETH? METALLICA? Is he in METALLICA?" Reb added. "Oh, then I have no problem doing that because in their biggest video, 'Nothing Else Matters', when they threw darts at a poster of Kip Winger, and then they showed it live — 20,000 people every night laughing at WINGER — I don't mind saying that Kirk Hammett sucks."

Hammett released his debut solo EP, "Portals", in April 2022 via Blackened Recordings.

Melvin Zoopers has uploaded video of FOZZY singer Chris Jericho's 1980s KISS cover band KUARANTINE performing on May 30 at St. Croix Casino Hertel in Webster, Wisconsin. Check out the footage below.

Featured songs:

00:00 Good Girl Gone Bad
04:28 Fits Like A Glove
09:37 Who Wants To Be Lonely
13:21 Turn On The Night
17:11 Lick It Up

Last year, KUARANTINE released its version of "Good Girl Gone Bad", a classic, hidden gem from the KISS songbook. The song was made available on Madison Records via The Orchard. It was the No. 1 Most Added track on the SMR Rock chart as well as the Most Added song on the Mediabase Active Rock Activator Panel.

When "Good Girl Gone Bad" was first released, Jericho said in a statement: "The mission of KUARANTINE has always been to pull the forgotten gems from the non-makeup, '80s KISS catalog, give them a modern polish, and unleash them on current mainstream rock radio, so they can get the respect they deserve. With that mindset, we feel we've hit another home run with the 1987-released underrated Gene Simmons classic 'Good Girl Gone Bad'. It's got more hooks than a tackle box, with a great chorus and brain-melting solos. This song is the perfect springtime tune to crank in your car and rock out with your unmentionables out! And with two Top 20 singles in our repertoire, we're stoked to get to the Top 10 and beyond. It's time to get KRAZY with KUARANTINE!"

In 2020, Jericho joined forces with TRIXTER/FOZZY bassist P.J. Farley, guitarist Joe McGinness and drummer Kent Slucher to form KUARANTINE. KUARANTINE's lineup is completed by YouTube sensation Charlie Parra Del Riego (guitar).

Five years ago, Jericho was asked by Loud Hailer if KISS was a big influence for how he wanted to perform with FOZZY in terms of putting on a show. He responded: "That's what rock 'n' roll is. My favorite frontmen were always about that — Paul Stanley [KISS], David Lee Roth [VAN HALEN], Mick Jagger [THE ROLLING STONES] and Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN]. It was always about the performance, and that's what rock 'n' roll is to me. I'd rather have a great performance rather than worry about hitting every note properly, which is important too, but you have to have some showmanship. You have to be a frontman, you have to be the party host. And that's I take great pride in doing that."

Regarding how he was first introduced to KISS's music, Jericho said: "I was a big BEATLES fan in the '70s and I was into THE STONES and that sort of thing, so when all of my friends were into KISS, I never really rated them. And then when I started to get into heavy metal, I'll never forget when I saw this video that started with his hands on fire and he looked like he was having the best time ever with his band, making out with chicks and hanging out backstage and then he jumps through a ring of fire, and I'm, like, 'Who is that guy?! Who is this?' 'This is KISS.' 'I thought that KISS wore makeup.' 'No, KISS took their makeup off a few years ago.' 'Well, who is that guy?' 'That's Paul Stanley.' 'Fuck, well, I wanna be like that guy.' So I got into KISS at that timeframe, on the 'Animalize' record, just as they started playing without makeup, and that's my favorite era of KISS. There's a whole sub-genre of KISS fans who love '80s KISS better than '70s KISS, and I'm one of them. And so are the other guys in KUARANTINE. So why not do this and bring a little bit of focus back on to those songs that are great songs that a lot of people just don't know?"

At 12 million strong on social media, there is nothing Jericho can't do. He is easily one of the biggest entertainers of the modern era, cross-pollinating the rock, wrestling, and broadcast realms. Jericho has rocked the world for decades with his band FOZZY, which has garndered 150 million streams (and counting). The band recently performed for over 80,000 rabid fans at an AEW event held at Wembley Stadium, along with a successful, sold-out U.K. tour. He's a main attraction for AEW wrestling, watched by millions of viewers on TBS each week. His over-the-top, rock star persona is one of the most beloved in the history of the sport. He is also a best-selling author a film producer, and actor. He also launched the Chris Jericho Rock N Wrestling Rager At Sea cruise experience. The sixth voyage, "Six On The Beach!," set sail to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic, on January 31 through February 4 of 2025 and once again sold out. Jericho also hosts the incredibly popular and influential "Talk Is Jericho" podcast. It's a top-rated SiriusXM show that has collected over 220 million downloads while clocking 1,000 episodes.

Prior to "Good Girl Gone Bad"'s arrival, KUARANTINE's most recent single was a version of "Silver Spoon", which originally appeared on KISS's 1989 album "Hot In The Shade".

KUARANTINE first debuted in May 2020 with the release of "No No No", which reached No. 25 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The band has since issued its versions of "Heart Of Chrome", featuring former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, and "Love's A Deadly Weapon".

Jericho has surrounded himself with a group of top-notch touring musicians for KUARANTINE. Slucher has been the powerhouse behind the kit for country music sensation Luke Bryan for the past 17 years, from small clubs to headlining stadiums and amphitheaters. McGinness is a rising country singer/guitarist, who has shared the stage with artists such as OLD DOMINION, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE and Granger Smith, and is also a member of KLASSIK '78, a digital tribute to '70s KISS. Farley rose to fame in the New Jersey-based gold-selling rock band TRIXTER, which toured with KISS, POISON and SCORPIONS, before writing and recording two solo albums and eventually joining FOZZY in 2020. Newest bandmember Parra, who hails from Lima, Peru, is a global rock guitar YouTube sensation, amassing more than 850,000 followers.

🚨 The @kuarantine_official Turn On The Night tour 2025 kicks off next month! We will be playing all of your favorite...

Posted by Kuarantine on Sunday, May 4, 2025

Former BUTCHER BABIES singer Carla Harvey made her live debut as the frontwoman of LORDS OF ACID this past Tuesday (May 27) at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, California. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

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

01. Voodoo-U
02. Do What You Wanna Do
03. Lover
04. Drink My Honey
05. Mister Machoman
06. The Power Is Mine Coda
07. (A Treatise On The Practical Methods Whereby One Can) Worship The Lords
08. Rough Sex/Take Control
09. Rubber Doll (Opus)
10. Pussy(Round)
11. I Sit On Acid
12. Scrood Bi U
13. Let's Get High
14. The Crablouse

Encore:

15. Get Up. Get High
16. Out Comes The Evil

When Harvey's addition to LORDS OF ACID's lineup was first announced in January, she said in a statement: "I had three favorite bands in high school: GUNS N' ROSES, PANTERA and LORDS OF ACID. Each one shaped me and uniquely influenced me as an artist. LOA had me hooked from the moment I heard 'I Sit On Acid' as a teenager dancing the night away at Detroit's goth Industrial Haven City Club. My obsession with LOA only grew after I saw Coop's artwork on the cover of 'Voodoo U'. Now I get to record an album and go on tour with my industrial heroes! Pinch 16-year-old me! She'll be the one in the vocal booth. While my new band THE VIOLENT HOUR is set to release its first single, I'm adding a bucket list item to my resume: Reigning 'Acid Queen'. Praise the Lords!"

During an appearance on an October 2024 episode of The Ward Bond Show, Harvey, who works as a grief counselor and an end-of-life specialist, spoke about her decision to leave BUTCHER BABIES after a 15-year run. Reflecting on BUTCHER BABIES' formation and her eventual departure, she said: "It's quite interesting because [prior to BUTCHER BABIES] I had come to a point living in L.A., you get opportunities and they're snatched away from you. You make money, then you lose your money. And I was so tired of the entertainment business. And I was, like, 'I don't wanna do this anymore. I don't wanna play music anymore. I don't wanna act anymore. It's too much. Nothing is ever gonna happen with it.' So that's when I went to mortuary school and I was committed to only working in funeral service from then on out. Well, after a couple years of working, I got my dream job at a very big mortuary in L.A. And at the same time, I got an opportunity to start my band and go on tour for the first time in my life. So I had to make a choice in that moment. I've committed myself to this death-care career. Do I drop it all, everything that I've worked so hard for in school, and go on tour with this band and just see what happens one final time, or do I just stick on my path? And I chose music in that moment, and that was 2009 that I really committed back to music, and 2012 we went on our — we were touring non-stop, so there was no way I could work in funeral service anymore. Well, it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me because our career just exploded, and so I got the best of both worlds. I had gotten my education. I had gotten a taste of working in death care, and then I could still live out my dream, and I am so grateful for that. The last 15 years of my life have been spent on stage, entertaining people in a capacity that I never dreamed I would have, especially after so much disappointment in my early years in L.A. So I got to do that. I got to be a rock star. I got to do all the things. And then 15 years later, my mind kind of changed again. [Laughs]"

Elaborating on her decision to leave BUTCHER BABIES and return to the death-care industry, Carla said: "So there's so much that goes into being in a band, especially as you get older and your life changes, you have relationships, you have a partner. I have a stepdaughter, and the idea, all of a sudden, of being on the road 10, 12 months out of the year became just a lot to handle. And in a band there's five people, and half of those people may feel like they want to be on the road constantly all the time and then some people are, like, 'Maybe it's halftime.' So it doesn't always work out for the greater good of everybody."

She continued: "My dad said something to me once years ago, when we had started the band, and he meant it in jest. He said, 'I saw you singing on the Internet. Don't quit your day job.' And at the time I was, like, 'That's the nastiest thing you could say.' But I'm glad I never quit my day job. In fact, all the while, the last 15 years, while I've been on tour, I've been getting more education and getting more certification so that I could continue on because I always had that need to still be in death care in some aspect. I founded my grief coaching company so that I could still be of service to people who need me in that capacity. It was very important to me. And then last year, I was on this major summer tour. We were playing sheds, the outdoor amphitheaters and it was wonderful and every day you're up on stage singing your heart out, but, man, I saw this post about [innovative solidified remains company] Parting Stone looking for a partner success manager. And I thought, 'Man, I wanna apply for this. I wanna see what happens if I can take this job.'"

Harvey added: "There's just so many moments in life where you really have to assess what's best for you. Life changes. And also another thing about the entertainment industry and the music industry, it's not the same as it was for musicians 20 years ago, 10 years ago. My future husband's [ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante] in a legacy band. They never have to worry about having a real job — ever. But bands my size? You're not breaking the bank. You're not really earning a livable wage unless you're on the road 12 months out of the year. You can't support yourself. So I've always had other jobs, whether I'm painting pictures for people or doing my grief coaching on the side. That's a day job that I've been able to maintain throughout my career with music. It was a necessity as well as a passion, because otherwise I'd be couch surfing somewhere. [Laughs] I have nothing. So it's really hard to live passionately and just follow your dreams without something to fall back on or something to assist you. And I tell this to a lot of people, and some people are, like, 'No, man. I don't want a backup plan. This is the only thing I'm ever gonna do.'

"I always thought about, 'Okay, this is awesome right now. What about when I'm 60? What am I gonna do then?'" Carla said. "Because my mom is 72 and she's working all the time still. She loves working. We're not 70-year-olds that are gonna be sitting on a couch or 60-year-olds that aren't gonna be out doing something. Life is different. We're still gonna be working. We have to do something, and I'd rather have that be a career rather than a job that I'm forced to have to sustain myself in the [later] years."

In September 2024, Carla announced that she was launching a new project called THE VIOLENT HOUR. At least some of the early recording sessions for the project have been overseen by producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and URIAH HEEP, among many others.

THE VIOLENT HOUR's first single, "Sick Ones", came out in April via Megaforce Records. The track was co-written by Harvey and Benante, and features MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5.

BUTCHER BABIES announced their split with Harvey in July 2024, saying in a statement that "Carla has been an integral part of our journey, bringing her unique talent, passion, and energy to the band," and wishing "her all the best in her future endeavors."

Carla, who co-founded BUTCHER BABIES in 2010 with fellow vocalist Heidi Shepherd, confirmed her exit from the band in a separate post, saying that she was "super proud" of her work with BUTCHER BABIES and adding that she was "not done making music and performing."

In the fall of 2023, BUTCHER BABIES completed a European tour without Carla, who sat out the trek in order to undergo emergency surgery on her left eye.

In January 2024, Harvey and Benante announced that they were officially engaged.

BUTCHER BABIES released a double album "Eye For An Eye..." and "…'Til The World's Blind", in July 2023. The double album celebrated the tenth anniversary of BUTCHER BABIES' critically acclaimed debut, "Goliath", released on July 9, 2013 via Century Media Records.

Smitten with tales of the Sunset Strip, Harvey made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles from her Native Detroit to play a little rock and roll…and instead found herself the entertainment report for a groundbreaking cable TV news program. After hosting two series and acting in a variety of television programs, movies and commercials, Harvey took a break from showbiz to earn her degree in mortuary science. She embarked on a successful career in embalming and funeral directing before going back to her first love: music.

In addition to writing and recording, Carla has a passion for drawing and penning comic books. Her love affair with the genre started when she discovered the Incredible Hulk at four years old. She spent the majority of her teenage years holed up in her room listening to PANTERA and developing an affinity for drawing her own scantily clad comic book characters. Dubbed a "comic book master-mind" by Hustler magazine, Harvey's first published comic book "Butcher Babies" (a fantasy, horror concept surrounding her now-former band),premiered and sold out at its Comic-Con San Diego debut, leaving fans chomping at the bit for her next comic, "Soul Sucka". Shortly after, she released her first full-length novel, "Death And Other Dances", to rave reviews. Carla's art has been featured in Famous Monsters magazine and has graced the cover of iconic Heavy Metal magazine.

In a new interview with 105.7 The Point radio station, FINGER ELEVEN guitarist James Black offered an update on the band's upcoming studio album under FINGER ELEVEN's new recording deal with Better Noise Music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Our new record is done. We don't have a release date yet, but it's done.

"Last year we put a song out with [Better Noise Music] that was sort of a test balloon, let's say. But the record's done now, and we're just working on getting the promo ready and everything else.

"We thought last year we'd put [a single called] 'Adrenaline' out and a couple months later we'd be done with the record," he continued. "And it took us a whole other year to finish it. But that wasn't 'cause we were trying to perfect it. It's just trying to make every second of it have a buzz to it. And it's good. I feel really good about it."

Asked when fans can expect to see the new FINGER ELEVEN album released, James said: "I don't know. The release date's not locked in yet, but I'm hoping before the end of the year. I mean, it's done. It's called 'Last Night On Earth'."

This past March, FINGER ELEVEN lead vocalist Scott Anderson told Skratch N Sniff about "Adrenaline":  "The new single, I'm excited about it only because there was a promise of, like, 'Oh, okay. This song has a lot of energy.' But for the song to cross the finish line, to complete it and keep that energy up and not lose what's special about whatever demo you were working on, that's what I like most about it.

"We went across the U.S. with CREED last year, and a song like that, you kind of feel, like, okay, it can hang in a giant venue," he continued. "FINGER ELEVEN very often tries to make big music. And so it kind of passed the litmus test there. And it's got this nice kind of hype song quality about it and I really enjoy it."

Anderson added: "The new album is going to have quite a few of those. There's a lot of rockers on the new record. And there's a few kind of songs in between and then there's a mellow tune, but they're all of a really crazy quality, which I'm so excited to let everybody finally hear. And they will be able to hear it very soon — sometime this year."

Asked how the fact that FINGER ELEVEN hasn't released a studio album since 2015's "Five Crooked Lines" changed the writing process, if at all, Scott said: "One of the greatest things that that kind of time can give you is some objectivity. You can take a look at a song and go, 'Oh, okay, that's really good. But you know what? It needs work. This part is not working.' And the scary process of opening up an idea and hoping that it gets better through that, I mean, you've gotta do it. And if you work on a new song and it loses its luster of the newness, then you come back to it and go, like, 'Okay, I see exactly what this is. Let's figure out how to make it better.' And we've been doing that. We haven't necessarily taken a break as a band through those 10 years. It's just that every single one of us has a family now, and there's all kinds of stuff that has taken priority. But we've been making music, believe it or not, all the way through this. So when it came time to say, 'Okay, it's time to put a record out' — it's a very democratic process — we all sat down and said, 'Okay. Let's look at this list of songs and what are our favorites and should we work on. And let's just go one by one.' And we're finally almost done."

Regarding FINGER ELEVEN's label switch from Wind-Up and Concord Music Group to Better Noise Music, Anderson said: "I suppose when you're with a label and then, depending on the size of the label, you've got more resources, but then you have more people sort of keeping tabs on what you're doing. So it's a double-edged sword. So, the nice thing is we've been our own sort of producers, A&R guys throughout most of this process. And now I think we're about to give a label a really, really strong piece of ammunition, sonically, so to speak. And so I'm proud.

"Sometimes you'll deliver a record and you might not get the support that you're looking for," he explained. "There's a million reasons why a song hits or it doesn't hit. But I've got a really great feeling about our team now. And it's so strange to say at this point in my career. It's, like, oh, okay, this is a very, very strong record. I think it's going to surprise a lot of people, just because you go, 'Okay, these guys have been around for a minute,' and you can tell that we still care a lot. And it doesn't matter what I say. You've just gotta listen to the record and go, like, 'Oh, okay. I get it.' It's not just a slapdash pile of songs. We're still pretending like we're 17 and this is the most important thing in the world."

Upon its release last August, "Adrenaline" was one of the most added tracks in the U.S. In Canada, it achieved the No. 1 most added spot for two consecutive weeks.

FINGER ELEVEN is the alternative rock band originally from Burlington, Ontario and now based mostly out of Toronto. They are one of the best-selling Canadian bands of all time, have released a series of consecutive hit albums and become among the greatest live bands to ever emerge from the great White North. "The Greyest of Blue Skies", their debut, broke FINGER ELEVEN into the international mainstream, achieving gold status in the United States and platinum in Canada, and smashing the first single "One Thing", across the radio and Billboard charts. Their 2007 album, "Them vs. You vs. Me", launched the single "Paralyzer", setting radio records in the U.S., peaking at No. 1 internationally and going five times platinum, the band's second million-plus seller. They won the Juno Award for "Best Rock Album Of The year" the following year and set an incredible run at rock radio, with an unbeaten 14 weeks at the top spot. "Life Turns Electric", was nominated for a Juno Award for "Best Rock Album Of The Year". "Five Crooked Lines" continued to electrify audiences the world over and their 2023 "Greatest Hits" includes their biggest smash hit in a decade, "Together Right", which topped the radio charts for an amazing five-week run.

FINGER ELEVEN consists of Scott Anderson (vocals),James Black (lead guitar, backing vocals),Rick Jackett (rhythm guitar),Sean Anderson (bass) and Steve Molella (drums).

Photo credit: Jesse Milns

In a new interview with Carlos Guimarães of Portugal's Caminhos Metálicos, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked if he it's difficult adapting to all the social media platforms and technological advancements which have changed the way artists create and promote their music. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it is difficult. But it's the same in everyday life too, isn't it? I mean, we used to get mail and regular postcards and things, and now it's all in this thing [shows his smartphone] and it's all digital and you have to sign up for an app and you have to get a verification code and all that shit all day long. So it's not just in the music business; it's everywhere. And I think we sort of live in the times that are — it's almost like a revolution. It's almost like the technical revolution that happened a hundred years ago, and now in the digital sort of transformation where everything becomes digital.

"Just the other day I wanted to go to a concert, and I was put on a guest list," he continued. "And I had to get this e-mail — there was a link — and I had to download an app and register and [get] a code, and I was worn out after 20 minutes. It was a very simple thing, but nothing is as simple anymore as it used to be… But certain things get easier; other stuff gets more difficult. I remember the good old days when we had to use roadmaps and street city maps and try to find our way through…

"I guess we're right in the middle of it all," Hoffmann added. "And, of course, as a musician, you have to constantly adapt to all the social media and TikTok and this and that, and sometimes it's a bit much for me, but I have no choice. I mean, nobody has a choice, really. It's, like, stay on it, at least to a degree, or to fall away. And I don't think we can afford to fall away. 'Cause some musicians say, 'Ah, it's all bullshit. I don't wanna deal with it.' But more and more realize you can't do that. If you wanna stay relevant, if you wanna stay in the business, you have to stay current with what's going on."

A month ago, Hoffmann told Mark Strigl that longtime ACCEPT producer Andy Sneap won't be involved with the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary album, Wolf said: "He will not be on this one, because he asked for a year off from us. I asked him, I begged him to produce his album, but then we found a good buddy of his. His name is Zeuss [Chris Harris]. He's producing it."

Hoffmann continued: "[Andy is] kind of part of the family now, but he's been touring so much with [JUDAS] PRIEST [as that band's touring guitarist], and he's been working so much in the studio last year. I think he did SAXON, he did PRIEST, he also did DREAM THEATER — he's done a bunch of stuff. So when I said, 'Hey, can we work this year again?' He said, 'Man, can I please have a year off?', which is understandable."

Regarding ACCEPT's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour, which is expected to launch at the end of the year, Wolf said: "It's gonna be a retrospective of the whole 50-year career and, of course, it's gonna feature a lot of the important stuff from the '80s and some deeper cuts. And we're gonna perform with guest singers and guest players, and it's gonna be super exciting, like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You only have one shot at a 50-year anniversary… I don't think we'll get a chance for another one."

Sneap produced ACCEPT's last six studio albums: "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017),"Too Mean To Die" (2021) and "Humanoid" (2024).

Zeuss has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, QUEENSRŸCHE, SHADOWS FALL, DEMON HUNTER, OVERKILL and REVOCATION, among many others.

Over the past five decades, ACCEPT has sold millions of albums and inspired countless musicians. Their energetic live performances and iconic albums such as "Balls To The Wall", "Restless And Wild" and "Metal Heart" have left a lasting mark on the heavy metal genre. Hoffmann's guitar style and musical vision have made the band one of the most respected on the heavy metal scene.

After a hiatus in the band's career, Wolf was introduced to New Jersey singer Mark Tornillo in 2009. The chemistry and fit between them was so remarkable, ACCEPT reformed and almost immediately rose to global success with chart-topping albums. ACCEPT continues to be celebrated for each of their new records with Mark, who is now the longest-reigning frontman of ACCEPT, placing the Hoffmann-Tornillo partnership firmly in the Metal Hall Of Fame.

For decades, ACCEPT has been recognized as a guarantee of high quality and each of their albums has reached the top of the charts, delivering energy, melodies, killer riffs and an impressively powerful stage presence for 50 years.

Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for Dirkschneider, who was the band's original lead singer. Mark can be heard on ACCEPT's last six studio albums.

During a May 28 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", former GUNS N' ROSES and SIXX:A.M. guitarist Darren James "D.J." Ashba was asked if he would ever consider joining a rock band again or putting one together. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Man, it's hard. It would take a lot for me to join another band at this point. I've been touring since I've been 13. I'm kind of at a point right now where GDM [Ashba's solo dance/rock hybrid, which he calls Guitar Dance Music] is so freeing because I don't have to really answer to anybody. Even my label, Universal, has been extremely supportive. They're just letting me be an artist. I'm a big priority there, but I have no A&R person. I can release whatever I want whenever I want. So the freedom of where I'm at in life right now and being able to just truly get my vision from my soul to the ears of the audiences — that's unfiltered. And I'm in a really unique position. So I don't think so."

Ashba continued: "I was in arguably one of the biggest bands in the world. [I am] very, very blessed to have rode that train and had the best time of my life. So I'm smart enough to know — I've seen guys, friends that join these huge bands, and sadly, some of 'em have just… Where do you go from there? I was smart enough to know I'm never gonna join a band in this lifetime bigger than where I've been or create a new band bigger than where we took SIXX:A.M., probably. So I'm at a really cool point in life where, let's try something new. Let's try something completely different. Create something that wasn't here before. That's kind of the road I took. And if I fail, it's all on me. If we can get this thing to crack, then awesome. It opens the door for hopefully other guitar players."

D.J. added: "I think this is just the beginning. We're right at the beginning of EDM… The new thing is becoming live performance with DJing, and you are seeing it happen. But six years ago when I started this, there was very, very, very little of that going on. So we're right at the forefront of kind of a… You can feel it in the air. It's changing. I think this thing's about ready to go. It's got a lot of eyes on it. I'm not gonna give up. So eventually they're gonna have to accept me."

Asked about any possible future activities for SIXX:A.M. and whether he is still in contact with his SIXX:A.M. bandmates, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx and vocalist/producer James Michael, Ashba said: "Yeah, I talked to Sixx, like, two weeks ago. We talked for quite a while just to catch up. We're still all great friends. Me and James talk, but James lives in Ireland now. He's pretty much just at a point in his life where he's kind of… I mean, I read it on the Internet like you guys do. He's putting out videos where he's retired. And I have nothing but mad respect for James and Nikki. There has been talk, 'Hey, let's get together and create some new shit.' But if it never happens, it never…

"SIXX:A.M.'s been weird," D.J. explained. "It's a labor of love. We've never looked at it like a band. I know the world and the label, when 'Life Is Beautiful' hit, they're, like, 'You guys are now a band,' and we're, like, 'No. We're just three producers, three best friends that love to create songs together.' So we've never truly looked at SIXX:A.M. like a band. We still, to this day, don't have a drummer. Every time we tour, we have to get a drummer. But it's one of those weird, weird projects that the radio loves us. Every time we release a song, it seems to get a lot of love there. The fans have been incredibly supportive. And listen, I'm open to doing… That would be the only way I would come back and do a band thing would be if Nikki and James wanted to do another tour. I'd absolutely be down for that. But outside of that, I have no interest of joining a new band or doing anything band-wise. But that would be the one exception, for sure. But I would say, I don't know, honestly. I think we're all pretty open to the possibility of us doing something else in the future. We've never really closed the book on it. I'm down. I know Sixx is busy doing his thing, and James is doing whatever he's doing. So I think if the timing was right, I think we'd all be probably down to do something in the future.

"We've just never seen ourselves like a band," Ashba repeated. "And we just love writing songs. It's a lot of fun. It's therapeutic. It's effortless for us. When we get in a room, we can't write songs fast enough. It's just this weird chemistry the three of us have, and we laugh our way through every record we've ever made. We'll sit on the floor in hotel rooms and order pizza and just laugh our way through the lyrics. And we just always have had such a fun time. And I think it's because the lyrics to our songs cut pretty deep in all three of us. We all dig pretty deep into those wounds. So I think laughing our way through it is kind of a weird — it's very therapeutic, I think, for the three of us. It's our therapy session. [Laughs]"

When host Eddie Trunk suggested that "the likelihood of another" SIXX:A.M. record or a single is "maybe a little higher than actually going out and playing shows," Ashba said: "Yeah. I have no idea. I know if we three were to walk into a room, we'd have four songs written easily before we left the room. That's just how we've always been. I can't explain it. Something magical happens when we get in a room together, and it'd be hard for us to be in the same room without writing a song. So, who knows? I don't know what the future holds."

Regarding how SIXX:A.M.'s hiatus came about, Ashba said: "I do know at the time, I had been touring with GN'R around the world, like, six times or something crazy. We would tour for, like, eight months out of the year, and then as soon as I'd get off tour with GN'R, SIXX:A.M. would book me to go out on another tour. So for six, seven years, I really didn't get much of a break. And I know Nikki was kind of doing the same thing with MÖTLEY. So me and him were burning hard at both ends of the candle. So I think everybody just needed a break. We were just so burnt. And I think it was much, much needed at that point."

As previously reported, SIXX:A.M. will release "Prayers For The Damned & Blessed Deluxe Edition" on June 6 via Endurance Music Group. The new album will be available as a special limited-edition smoke-colored three-LP set as well as on all streaming platforms.

Nearly a decade after the release of SIXX:A.M.'s 2016 albums "Prayers For The Damned" and "Prayers For The Blessed", this deluxe edition set features both albums together with brand-new renditions of "Maybe It's Time" (Piano Version),"Prayers For The Damned" (Piano Version),and an alternative mix of "We Will Not Go Quietly".

Originally formed in 2007, SIXX:A.M. — whose name is a combination of all of the members' last names (Sixx, Ashba, Michael) — emerged as a passion project for Sixx, initially coming together to record a companion soundtrack for his The New York Times best-selling memoir "The Heroin Diaries". Over the years, the trio toured the globe and released six studio albums, a live album, multiple hit singles, including "Life Is Beautiful", "Stars", "Lies Of The Beautiful People", and — from "Prayers For The Blessed" — "Maybe It's Time". SIXX:A.M. announced their hiatus in 2021, marking the end of an era for the band.

With over 500 million streams across digital platforms, SIXX:A.M.'s music continues to resonate with fans worldwide. As the first time both original albums have been available on vinyl in years, this is a must-have for collectors of rock history and fans alike.

"Hits" was released in October 2021 via Better Noise Music. The album was a retrospective celebration of SIXX:A.M.'s biggest hits and fan-favorite songs that also included five previously unheard tracks and mixes, marking the band's first official album with new material since 2016.

Inspired by the release of Sixx's "The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx", SIXX:A.M. members Michael, Ashba and Sixx made "Hits" available as a companion piece to the book.

To date, SIXX:A.M. has three U.S. Billboard top 20 albums and a string of hit singles, with its full catalog consisting of five studio albums — "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" (2007),"This Is Gonna Hurt" (2011),"Modern Vintage" (2014),"Prayers For The Damned" and "Prayers For The Blessed" (2016) — and three EPs, "X-Mas In Hell" (2008); "Live Is Beautiful" (2008) and "7" (2011).

Photo courtesy of Reybee, Inc.

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