In a new interview with J.J. Caithcart of Different Stages Radio, guitarist Patrik Jensen of Swedish thrash metal pioneers THE HAUNTED spoke about the band's upcoming tenth studio album, "Songs Of Last Resort", which will arrive on May 30 via longtime partners Century Media Records. Asked why it has taken so long for him and his bandmates to release the follow-up to 2017's "Strength In Numbers", Patrik said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've never taken a break. We've always been wanting to write the next album. Ola [Englund, THE HAUNTED guitarist] has always had new material, 'cause he has his YouTube channel. He demos stuff all the time and he has to write stuff every week. Jonas [Björler, THE HAUNTED bassist] was feeling burnt out from writing two AT THE GATES albums on his own. His twin brother wasn't in [AT THE GATES at the time]. Anders is back [in AT THE GATES] now. But, yeah, so [Jonas] was burnt out from that.

"See, when THE HAUNTED started out, we were rehearsing band," Patrik explained. "We were a rehearsing band for much longer than the other of our Gothenburg peers. So that's how we write our music. The kind of thrash that we play, it kind of leans forward, and it needs that live feel to it to make it feel appropriate to the genre. But after we changed a lot of members in 2012, we all live in different cities — all of us. Even different countries, as our drummer Adrian [Erlandsson] lives in London since '99 when he left THE HAUNTED to join CRADLE OF FILTH.

"But yeah, so after 'Strength In Numbers', I felt that… It feels a bit stiff. I wanted the next album to sound more like THE HAUNTED did back in the day. And I didn't know that what I had on my computer, the tools I had, the guitar plugins [were] holding me back. But to try to get things moving, I booked a studio here in my hometown. We flew Adrian over, so just him and me, we were gonna have six days in the studio and write songs. I had a bunch of ideas. We were gonna make a fair amount of songs here. So we had everything set up. We went back to my place. He was crashing on my couch. We were gonna start fresh the following day. Adrian comes down with a tummy bug and he's wiped out for three days. And then, on day three, of course I get it, 'cause that's how tummy bugs work. So I was still sick when he had to go back and pack everything up and get on his plane home. So not one single minute came out of that, that whole thing. So that was a bummer. That was 2021. We also had the pandemic in between there. But in 2018 I started working as leading a guitar team at a company that makes guitar plugins. So, in March last year, we put out a high-gain guitar plugin, the ENGL Savage. And when I played that, I realized that this sounds just like I'm sitting in the rehearsal space. That's where I grew up. Ola, he's a few years younger than the rest of us, so he's used to playing everything in the computer; that's how he's always done it. But all of a sudden it felt like home. I could get everything out of my right hand that I want. So between March last year and the end of summer — so what is that, six months? — I had written 11 songs for this album. I had no idea I was so held back by the tools I had at my disposal. So all of a sudden I had songs, Ola has always had songs. I told the other guys, 'Okay, we're gonna record this in November.' I found a studio, the studio that I've learned to know through the work I do with THE HALO EFFECT. And, of course, they were happy, but they were skeptical. With so many years and nothing happening, they were, like, 'Are we really gonna be ready?' 'Yeah, man, we're gonna be ready.' And eventually, Jonas got going too. And, yeah, we entered the studio and this thing came out."

Regarding how "Songs Of Last Resort" turned out, Jensen said: "You're always happy about a new album, but we didn't know. We think it's a really good album. We didn't know when we entered the studio that it was gonna be more than a new album, if that makes sense. But when things started to get added, the beginning of the mix, when we started to hear the songs with vocals and solos, we were, like, in our chat group, 'This sounds really good.' Everyone was chiming in. So maybe it was worth the wait, but, yeah, we never intended it for to be eight years. Now we're back on track. I've already started to write for the next album, 'cause it's just so easy. I say 'easy' — it is work, but I don't feel held back anymore."

According to Patrik, the reception to the LP's first two singles, "Warhead" and "In Fire Reborn", has been "very good. As a band, because it's been eight years, we were curious if people even remember us," he said. "So we've, or at least I have, read the comments [from people online]. I know a few other guys [in the band] have too. People are very happy about the songs. We are very happy about them, of course, but there's a lot of great comments. And we've never had the numbers of views on YouTube increase so fast that we have with these two songs. And friends have texted me, people I know all around the world, and some of the nicest or the best compliments I've ever gotten is that people say that it feels like coming home. And I understand what they mean.

"When I grew up, I listened to KISS," Patrik explained. "No one else listened to KISS in my class, when you're, whatever, 12. And then one summer into seventh grade or eighth grade, I show up for school and everyone has JUDAS PRIEST patches and SAXON and, whatever, Ozzy [Osbourne]. And so I just dove headfirst into that. It was great. And I thought, 'Oh, KISS is just old bag. I don't care about them anymore.' Then on TV, I saw a live video of 'Love Gun', and I was, like, 'Ah, this is the band I cared so much about.' And that made me feel like coming home again. So I know exactly what people mean by that, and that is the best compliment I've ever gotten, I think. Like, 'Oh, yeah. I cared so much about this band, and they're back.' It means a lot."

The official music videos for "In Fire Reborn" and "Warhead", both of which were directed by Patric Ullaeus of rEvolver (IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY, DIMMU BORGIR),can be seen below.

With music recorded by Oscar Nilsson at Studio Bohus, main vocals recorded by Björn Strid at The Cellar Studio, "Songs Of Last Resort" was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios (KREATOR, ARCH ENEMY, SEPULTURA). Artwork was once again provided by longtime visual collaborator Andreas "Diaz" Pettersson.

"Songs Of Last Resort" track listing:

01. Warhead (03:39)
02. In Fire Reborn (03:18)
03. Death To The Crown (02:56)
04. To Bleed Out (04:29)
05. Unbound (03:34)
06. Hell Is Wasted On The Dead (02:53)
07. Through The Fire (03:01)
08. Collateral Carnage (04:03)
09. Blood Clots (01:30)
10. Salvation Recalled (03:26)
11. Labyrinth Of Lies (03:30)
12. Letters Of Last Resort (04:06)

"Songs of Last Resort" will be available as a limited CD mediabook and poster (including the bonus track "Feeding The Furnace"),as a standard CD jewelcase, as a digital album and as a 180g LP and poster.

THE HAUNTED 2025 is (left to right in photo)

Ola Englund – rhythm, lead guitar
Jonas Björler - bass, backing vocals
Marco Aro - lead vocals
Adrian Erlandsson - drums
Patrik Jensen - rhythm guitar

THE HAUNTED's upcoming LP will be the follow-up to the band's ninth studio album, "Strength In Numbers", which was released in August 2017 via Century Media. That disc was recorded at Parlour Studios in the U.K. with producer Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR, THE EXPLOITED). The artwork for "Strength In Numbers" was created by THE HAUNTED's longtime designer Andreas Pettersson.

Back in 2017, Englund told Heavy Music HQ about the differences between "Strength In Numbers" and its predecessor, 2014's "Exit Wounds": I think with 'Exit Wounds' that there was a hunger and urge to just show that THE HAUNTED is not slowing down or done, for that matter. That album is full force throughout. For 'Strength In Numbers', we definitely had more time to reflect and not rush into the studio in the same way. The songs slowly developed over time and overall it feels like it's a more mature album. Also, of course, the guys let me take a much bigger role for the album writing with this one, and I definitely felt more comfortable to take more space."

Photo credit: Linda Florin

In a new interview with The Music Heals, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal spoke about the healing and unifying nature of music in the world. Asked how music has helped him personally get through the tough times, both as a listener and as a musician, Thal said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Music is just one of those things, when you write songs, when you play, it medicates and alleviates and does everything you need to not go insane. It's an outlet. It's something positive to focus on. It's building something of beauty that usually, the source of it is something of pain very often that you could just take and be able to turn into a song that other people that are going through the same things can feel and relate to, and know they're not alone and someone is saying it for them and putting it into words in a way that maybe they couldn't express themselves. And it's very healing in a big communal way. So as a musician, definitely, whatever is killing you inside, music revives you. And I think it does the same for listeners, in the same way. We wouldn't play music if we didn't enjoy listening to music and loved it so much that we wanted to pay it back to the world, what the world is giving us. So it's just one big thing."

Regarding the idea that music has a powerful ability to unite people, fostering connections and a sense of community across different backgrounds and cultures, Thal said: "Music is definitely the most universal language there is. You could take people that even politically would be enemies, and they'll be hugging each other at a concert and enjoying themselves and be brothers and sisters in that way, the way they should be.

"I did a lot of work with different embassies and consulates around the world, and they often said — they know it — music does what politics can't," he continued. "It brings people together when they're divided. And I've seen it. I've been to places where I've been crowd surfing on a group of people that normally would not be as loving. So many experiences. Music does that. It takes people that have nothing in common and it shows 'em that they have everything in common. They have the most important thing in common, just the core of their humanity, of their soul, they have in common. And music just connects us all on that primal core level. Everything else is bullshit on top of that. What you do for a living, where you live or whatever kind of social bullshit we've divided ourselves with, music takes all of that away, and we are just a bunch of souls with none of that shit. Yeah. That's what music does."

Thal's latest instrumental album, "Bumblefoot ...Returns!", came out on January 24, 2025. It arrived 30 years after Thal's debut solo instrumental LP.

"Bumblefoot ...Returns!" features collaborations with iconic musicians, including Brian May, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, Derek Sherinian, Jerry Gaskill and others.

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and appeared on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an effort which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.

Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career and other projects after spending eight years playing in GUNS.

Thal spent a few years recording and touring with SONS OF APOLLO, which also featured drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Derek Sherinian and bassist Billy Sheehan. SONS OF APOLLO released its second studio album, "MMXX" (pronounced: 20/20),in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

Thal is also a member of ART OF ANARCHY, which released its third studio album, "Let There Be Anarchy", in February 2024 via Pavement Music.

Former VENOM drummer Antony "Abaddon" Bray is putting the finishing touches on a book, "The View From The Metal Throne - The Story Of Abaddon & Venom", with Greek journalist Andreas Andreou (Metal Hammer Greece). The book, which is nearly completed, will include a foreword by Metal Blade Records founder and CEO Brian Slagel.

Bray says: "This is my view on the mythical early years, the accomplishments, all the ups and downs of the band. The struggle, the passion, the vision, the hard work, the music, the shows, the adventure."

While Bray and Andreou are working on the layout, they invite every fan who wants to contribute. If you have high-quality unpublished photos that YOU took, you can send them to the address in the Facebook post below. These could be photos you took from VENOM live shows with Abaddon and photos from backstage. Bray and Andreou are also looking for photos from the studio, from Neat Records, photos you have from press releases, photos from the '80s and the '90s, photos you have with Abaddon and VENOM. Names of all the fans whose photos are chosen and and used in the book will be added to the book's thanks list. The deadline is June 2.

In a June 2023 interview with The Meista - Brews & Tunes, Bray was asked about the possibility of a reunion of VENOM's classic lineup, also featuring frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant and guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn. He responded: "I don't see why not… I thoroughly believe that, put the three of us in a room together and it would just start again. I really believe that. The balls would be there. The intent would be there. The heart and the soul would be there. Because it's what we do. We're not virtuoso players. We're not geniuses at what we do. What we are good at is being together and being in the band, and I can't see why that shouldn't happen again… I can see it happening. A lot of people say not, but I can see it happening."

Abaddon's comments came six months after Cronos told Metal Hammer magazine that the chances of a reunion of VENOM's classic lineup are "less than zero. I owe them nothing, and they've got nothing I want," he added. "We still get fans saying, 'The VENOM legions want the old lineup back together.' We tried in the '90s and it wasn't well received. The last thing I want to do is get onstage with those other two doddery old fuckers and put on a subpar performance. I'm getting better album sales now, so why the fuck would I want to go back to that? I just want VENOM to be great."

Asked if he felt sad that there's no relationship between the three of them now, Cronos said: "Yeah, of course it's sad. But we had a blast, and I'll cherish those memories."

Earlier in 2022, Dunn said that he would like to see the classic VENOM lineup celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band's "Black Metal" album.

Released in 1982, "Black Metal" is considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. VENOM's second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the extreme metal subgenre of black metal. The band classic lineup trio of Dunn, Lant and Bray recorded two further studio LPs, "At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM is still fronted by Cronos and headlines festivals all over the globe and continues to release new music while Dunn and former VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan had joined forces in the similarly named VENOM INC.. Dunn left VENOM INC. last year and was replaced by former NEVERMORE and ANNIHILATOR guitarist Curran Murphy.

Dunn spoke about a hypothetical VENOM celebration during an interview with Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live! He said: "If you think that of impact and the influence that this band has had and our place, our place in musical history is secure. When people talk about heavy metal and influential bands in heavy metal, VENOM's always gonna be up there somewhere. We might not be top of the list, but we're gonna be there somewhere. And to have had that much impact and to have that much reverence from your peers; everybody knows the name 'VENOM.' And every anniversary of this band has gone past and it has never been celebrated."

In a February 2022 Facebook Live chat, Dunn called upon Lant and Bray to come together with him for some sort of a VENOM celebration, saying: "I'll never retract anything I've said, because I'm sorry but it's true. Regardless of what him or him thinks, it's true; it's just as simple as that. I'm not gonna go out there and blatantly talk a lot of bollocks like one of us did. What I've said is absolutely true, and I've put it in print — into the book as well. It's there. It's absolutely true. But we're at that age now… We've just been through a massive fucking pandemic where nobody's done anything. We've got fucking a war in Europe at the minute. [All the issues we've had with each other], it fucking pales into insignificance; it's fucking bollocks.

"Like I say, I'll never fucking say 'sorry'; I'll never fucking turn around and go, 'Yeah, well, I didn't fucking mean that,'" he continued. "What I said was fucking true. But we missed the 25th anniversary. We didn't celebrate the 30th anniversary. And it's, like, for a band who had such a fucking impact… And, again, my friends, I still find it difficult to take in myself, people saying…

"When I did the interviews for the 40th anniversary of 'Welcome To Hell' — there's another anniversary we fucking missed; nothing done about it; it just passed," Dunn added. "But the thing was, I got these interviews in, and people were saying to me, 'You just don't realize the importance of what you did.' I don't, because I suppose we were so close to it. I've said it a million times — I was just a fucking kid writing tunes in my fucking bedroom living with my mom, and I was lucky; people fucking dig them.

"But it's, like, could we not just fucking celebrate this for once? I mean, fucking hell — I've already died once. And fucking you haven't got long, and you haven't got long, because I know what you've fucking done to yourselves."

Dunn, Bray and Dolan released three albums as VENOM between 1989 and 1992 — "Prime Evil" (1989),"Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the aforementioned Cronos-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

THE VIEW FROM THE METAL THRONE - THE STORY OF ABADDON & VENOM
By Antony Bray with Andreas Andreou

BOOK coming soon -...

Posted by Andreas Andreou on Friday, May 23, 2025

Dennis Dunaway, the original bass player from the ALICE COOPER group, joined Alice Cooper's current band on stage last night (Friday, May 23) at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut to perform the Alice classic "School's Out". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Matt Bingham of the Z93 radio station, Alice spoke about his reunion with the other surviving members of the original ALICE COOPER band — guitarist Michael Bruce, Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith — for an upcoming studio album, "The Revenge Of Alice Cooper", which is due on July 25 via earMUSIC. This highly anticipated effort is heralded as the successor to their iconic records "School's Out", "Billion Dollar Babies", "Love It to Death" and "Killer".

The first single from the album, "Black Mamba", was made available in April, featuring the legendary Robby Krieger of THE DOORS.

Regarding how the reunion with the other original members of ALICE COOPER came about, Alice told Z93 (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the funny thing was when we disbanded in '74, that was not like a divorce; that was a separation. And we all stayed in touch with each other. Everybody did their own music. Dennis worked a lot with BLUE ÖYSTER CULT and things like that. And so on the last four Alice Cooper albums, they played on two or three of the songs. And finally I just said, 'Why don't we just do an album?' And [longtime Alice Cooper producer] Bob Ezrin said, 'I'll do it.' He did all the original ones with us. And the great thing was it felt like no time had gone past us. This album sounds like the album that should have come out right after 'Billion Dollar Babies'. We didn't try to make it sound like the '70s, we didn't try to make it sound like anything — it was just exactly what would've happened in 1975. So I'm really proud of the album. It's just really a clever album."

Asked by Bingham if there was a "déjà vu" feeling surrounding the recording sessions, considering that all the musicians and the producer had previously worked together more than 50 years earlier, Alice said: "Oh, yeah, absolutely. Honestly, it didn't feel like we missed a beat. And I forgot how funny the band was. I forgot how funny Dennis and Neal and Mike were. And every song we just got along on everything. There was no argument about any song. Everybody [was] just, 'Let's try this.' 'Oh, let's try that.' 'Let's try this.' In the end, we agreed to everything, and it sounded great. Now, we did have the luxury of going to different lead guitar players because Glen Buxton, our original lead guitar player, passed away. So, Robby Krieger played on 'Black Mamba' and a couple other songs. And so we had a bunch of different lead players on it."

In a truly special moment, "The Revenge Of Alice Cooper" features a posthumous appearance by Buxton, the original ALICE COOPER guitarist who passed away in 1997, through an unreleased recording that seamlessly blends the past with the present on "What Happened To You", featuring his original guitar part.

Asked how important it was for him that Buxton was somehow incorporated into the album, Alice said: "Very much so. One of the reasons why we did disband, I think, in '74 was the fact that we were exhausted, and we really couldn't put the band back together without Glen. I mean, he was so much a part of the heart and soul of this band. He was like our Keith Richards, and there was no replacing him. It just wouldn't have sounded like ALICE COOPER. So, we had to work around him. And everybody had incredible affection for Glen Buxton. Even when he got to a point where he pretty much couldn't really do what he used to do, we never would ever have taken it out of the band — ever. But he did pass away. And so it was one of those things where there — the whole album is dedicated to Glen. One of the luxuries we had was Dennis Dunaway never throws anything away. He had tapes from us when we were the SPIDERS in high school. And so he had a lot of Glen Buxton stuff that was on tape. And we took a couple of the Glen Buxton guitar solos and then wrote songs around those solos just so we could have Glen on the album."

Cooper added: "We had not heard any of [those old tapes before]. And Dennis happened to say, 'I have a whole bunch of Glen Buxton just on rehearsal tapes and on demos and stuff.' And so as soon as we heard that, Bob Ezrin went, 'Well, give 'em to me, and let's see what I can salvage off that.' And so the stuff that we salvaged off that, that's when we wrote the song around that bit."

On the possibility of the surviving original members of the ALICE COOPER band  going on tour in 2026, Alice said: "We haven't even gotten to that point of even talking about it. Just the other day, we knew that 'Black Mamba' came out, but we didn't know that they went on pre-sales. It was number one in pre-sales in America, number one in pre-sales in England, number one in pre-sales in Europe. So, it was a shock to us that that many people wanted to hear new, old Alice Cooper."

One of the bonus tracks on "The Revenge Of Alice Cooper" (box set and limited smart format) also includes a long-lost gem from 1970 — a raw, alternate take of "Return Of The Spiders" (not the version heard on "Easy Action") — recently unearthed from original multi-tracks missing for 50 years and now enhanced and mixed by Bob Ezrin.

Alice, Neal, Michael and Dennis reunited with Ezrin in an old-school recording studio in Connecticut, rekindling the magic from the 1970s. This album is a celebration of friendship, nostalgia, and the timeless sound that solidified Alice Cooper as a rock icon. Fans can expect a powerful and nostalgic experience that bridges the gap between the band's storied past and their vibrant present.

From the venomous bite of "Black Mamba" to the rebellious charge of "Wild Ones" and the soft, haunting melodies of "See You On The Other Side", every track feels like a rock 'n' roll classic.

"The Revenge Of Alice Cooper" is going to be released on July 25 in a wide variety of formats and limited vinyl colors. It will also be available as a limited box set and as a limited art print (smart format),featuring exclusive access to two bonus tracks from the start, plus the full album automatically delivered as a high-definition download on release day.

The original ALICE COOPER group redefined rock in the early 1970s, blending raw, hard-hitting music with shocking theatricality. With Bob Ezrin at the helm, they pioneered shock rock, delivering rebellious anthems, dark storytelling and over-the-top stage shows featuring guillotines, snakes, and macabre theatrics.

Albums like "Love It To Death" (1971),"Killer" (1971),"School's Out" (1972) and "Billion Dollar Babies" (1973) turned them into superstars, producing legendary hits like "I'm Eighteen", "Elected", "School's Out" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy". Their mix of hard rock, glam, and horror made them one of the most influential and controversial bands of their era, leaving a permanent mark on rock history.

Alice Cooper has sold countless millions of records worldwide and shaped rock history forever. Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011, their music remains as powerful and relevant as ever.

Now, with "The Revenge Of Alice Cooper", the original band reunites for one more epic chapter, reclaiming the sound and legacy that made them legends.

Cooper told Billboard that making a new album with his original bandmates "was very much like this was our next album after [1973's] 'Muscle Of Love', just like, 'Okay, this is the next album.' Isn't that funny after 50 years? All of a sudden it just falls into place."

Ezrin said about the making of "The Revenge Of Alice Cooper": "None of them has changed much as a person. Obviously, everyone's older and more mature and more settled, but when we all get together and I watch the interplay between them, it's like they just walked out of high school and were hanging out in the local cafe. They just revert to type. They revert to who they were as kids when the first got together… and make music together like they did 50-some years ago."

As for the possibility of the original COOPER band hitting the road again, Alice said: "We haven't even gotten to that point yet. I don't really see it being a full-out tour; it would be very, very hard, I think, if you haven't done it for a long time. But I could see it being a feature, like going into certain cities — Detroit, New York, L.A., London maybe, and doing a half-hour or 40 minutes in a club or something. We always leave those things open, and if it looks feasible, then we do it."

"The Revenge of Alice Cooper" track listing:

01. Black Mamba
02. Wild Ones
03. Up All Night
04. Kill The Flies
05. One Night Stand
06. Blood On The Sun
07. Crap That Gets In The Way Of Your Dreams
08. Famous Face
09. Money Screams
10. What A Syd
11. Inter Galactic Vagabond Blues
12. What Happened To You
13. I Ain't Done Wrong
14. See You On The Other Side
15. Return of the Spiders 2025 (bonus track)
16. Titanic Overunderture (bonus track)

Formed in 1968, the original ALICE COOPER band forged a theatrical brand of hard rock that was destined to shock and had never been seen before. Within five years, they would release no fewer than seven studio albums, amongst them their international breakthrough "School's Out" (including the Top 10 hit of the same name) and the U.S. No. 1 "Billion Dollar Babies" (1973). By 1974, the band had risen to the upper echelon of rock stardom... and then it dissolved.

In October 2015, over 40 years later, record store owner and superfan Chris Penn convinced the original lineup to reunite for a very special performance at Good Records, his record store in Dallas, Texas. Alice, Michael, Dennis and Neal were joined on stage by Alice's current guitarist Ryan Roxie (standing in for Buxton).

Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he's best known for. With a schedule that includes six months each year on the road, Cooper brings his own brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock rock, Cooper (in both the original ALICE COOPER band and as a solo artist) has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where mainstream media can present real-life shocking images.

During an appearance on the Music Buzzz podcast, keyboardist Don Airey, who has played with countless hard rock greats, including BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, DEEP PURPLE and WHITESNAKE, was asked how he goes about going into a session with a band that is "established and known". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Walking into the BLACK SABBATH sessions, they had a terrible reputation — [guitarist] Tony Iommi for hitting people, [singer] Ozzy [Osbourne for being] mad. And so I walked in with my keyboards and set them up and then they all came in. And the first thing Ozzy said, 'Would you like a cup of tea?' 'I'd love one, please, Ozzy.' So we sat down, had a cup of tea. It was like being in someone's front room with a family, which is what they were — they were a family… They were just wonderful. Same with JUDAS PRIEST. Same with all these bands. Same with PURPLE."

Regarding how the DEEP PURPLE job came about for him back in 2002, Don said: "Jon [Lord, former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist] fell ill. And they had some sessions, they had some festivals [lined up] and [DEEP PURPLE bassist] Roger [Glover] phoned me up. He said, 'What are you doing tomorrow?' 'I'm conducting an orchestra at a Welsh festival.' He said, 'What are you doing the day after?' I said, 'Nothing much.' He said, 'Well, DEEP PURPLE needs you. We're doing the [a festival in] Skanderborg [Denmark]. Jon's ill. Can you stand in for him? Just three gigs.' I said, 'Okay.' Can you send me the setlist, Rog? 'He said, 'Oh, setlist?' He said, 'Whatever you fancy.' I had a run-through in the afternoon with [then-DEEP PURPLE guitarist] Steve Morse. He had a number called 'The Well-Dressed Guitar' that Jon would never learn. So with me coming in, he saw his chance to get it in the set. So he taught me 'The Well-Dressed Guitar'. So that was included in the set as well. So I went on stage and I just had to wing it, really. You either do or you don't… I stood in for Jon for 20 gigs and then thought nothing more of it except how wonderful it'd been. And then they phoned me up and said, 'Jon's left. We've got four names on the to-do list, all of 'em yours. Would you join?' I said, 'I'll have to sleep on it. Yes.'"

Don briefly joined BLACK SABBATH in the late 1970s, playing keys on the album "Never Say Die!", before answering Cozy Powell's call to fly to New York and join RAINBOW.

On a break in 1980, Don played on Ozzy's debut solo album, "Blizzard Of Ozz". At the conclusion of the RAINBOW tour, Don flew to Los Angeles and climbed aboard the Ozzy crazy train, staying for another three-year stint that saw the album "Bark At The Moon".

Airey released his latest studio album, "Pushed To The Edge", on March 28 via earMUSIC.

Joining Airey on "Pushed To The Edge" is an all-star lineup featuring Carl Sentance (NAZARETH) and Mitchell Emms ("The Voice UK") on vocals, DEEP PURPLE guitarist Simon McBride, drummer Jon Finnigan, and bassist Dave Marks.

Photo credit: Franz Schepers

In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, EMPEROR frontman Ihsahn (real name: Vegard Sverre Tveitan) was asked if it surprises him to see a black metal group like his band have so much success nearly three and a half decades after EMPEROR's formation. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, totally. I'm always surprised. I'm also very grateful for that fact. But I think it's also a matter of the times we live in.

"We came in a time where there was time spent where you got to develop a relationship to a band or an artist. And prior to that, of course there were a lot of musicians and a lot of bands, but, say in '60s, most people, young people would choose either BEATLES or ROLLING STONES. There was not that much to pick from. But these days with social media and having access to any album…

"I'm sure you're probably younger than me, but I'm sure you can appreciate the feeling of when you're a kid and you save up money to buy that album on vinyl. And sometimes you don't know. You only had the money for that album and not the second one, and you had to choose. You didn't have access to everything, so it was a priority. You developed a relationship [with the artists]. At least I would read all the lyrics, all the liner notes. And we didn't have any information about who these people were, so you tried to grab on to… There was a big part of imagination involved. And you create a very special relationship, I think, to artists and albums that way. These days, that whole thing, unfortunately, I feel is devalued, because there's so many people who, they don't have a relationship to artists; they have their relationship to playlists, whatever. It's just whatever is popular music at the time. And perhaps within the metal community, rock and metal people are still more dedicated to that. But it changes so fast, it's really hard for younger bands to have the time to develop that relationship, where there is myself, who started out in the early '90s, it was still that time where you could develop that relationship over a longer period."

Ihsahn went on to say that the "very saturated" markets of popular music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music make it challenging for newer bands to break through.

"It's very unfortunate because, of course there's amazing music made still, but most of it will probably never be heard or reach the people who might like it," he explained.

"I love having access to all the music digitally — I can find all stuff that I don't have on physical anymore, and getting recommendations and new music that I probably would never have heard in the first place," he continued. "I think that's amazing. And the same thing with earlier on, there was a record company that would be like a gateway, that people couldn't release [just] anything. But, of course, now it takes nothing, and everybody can release.. You could spend an hour tapping your belly and you could release it on Spotify, or on all streaming platforms for, like, $19 or something. So it's very saturated. But I've gotta say it is what it's. And prior to maybe '60s and '70s and '80s, where records were a big deal, all of music history before that was live music. And even in the '60s, I think, or '50s at least, the people didn't have money to buy records. Maybe one of your friends had the small single player. And then you listen to that, you listen to the radio. So, instead of being too frustrated about, 'Oh, things were so much better in the past,' I think, okay, we had this amazing period where we attached ourselves to records and everything. And now we're kind of back to a place where it's the live experience and that connection, which is the exclusive things. And hopefully it'll be a long time until A.I. takes over that too. [Laughs]"

Ihsahn went on to talk about how the transparency and interaction with fans in the social media age is different from the pre-Internet days when not knowing so much created a certain mystique that is lost on full exposure.

"You had KISS and Alice Cooper [back in the 1980s], and it was mythical," he said. "I remember when I went to my first IRON MAIDEN show, I couldn't believe I was breathing the same air as the actual people in IRON MAIDEN, because we didn't have social media. We didn't know what they had for lunch before they came on stage. And all of that takes a bit of the mystery away. And I think especially in the metal of things, I would argue that much of the success for bands like GHOST or SLEEP TOKEN or SLIPKNOT, because you have the masks and everything. And, of course, they haven't all managed to keep the anonymity, but people want that sense of theater and excitement. They don't want to just see — I've used this example. I've been very fortunate to get to know someone like Rob Halford [of JUDAS PRIEST] during my career, and he's, as I'm sure everybody who's ever met him [will attest], is the sweetest, most humble human being. But when he gets up on stage, he's the Metal God. You don't want humble — on stage you want the Metal God. And you want the drama and the ritual of the whole thing. And the band on stage gives you and the audience permission to let all inhibitions go and let the music drive you to that experience. So, I think with, with all this kind of private interconnections [on social media], yeah, you lose a bit of that."

Ihsahn released his latest, self-titled album in February 2024 via Candlelight. Joining Ihsahn on the LP were Tobias Ørnes Andersen and Tobias Solbakk on drums and percussion, with Ihsahn's son Angell Solberg Tveitan adding additional percussion and violins by Chris Baum. Artwork for the album was created by Ritxi Ostariz, with all promotional photography by Andy Ford.

Photo credit: Andy Ford

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

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

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

Joining Chris in SAVATAGE's current touring lineup are Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Al Pitrelli on guitar, Jeff Plate on drums and Zak Stevens on lead vocals.

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

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

In an interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, Oliva repeatedly emphasized that his injuries prevent him from taking part in the SAVATAGE tour, explaining how his condition has affected even basic activities, let alone performing. "I can't even sing right now because of the pain," he admitted. "I can't stand for too long, and I need time for my vertebra to heal naturally." When asked about surgery as a possible solution, Oliva explained that he had considered it but ultimately decided against it after seeking advice from medical professionals and acquaintances. "They wanted to put metal in my body," he said. "But people I spoke to told me not to do it, that I would regret it. So, I chose to let it heal naturally."

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

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

In September 2021, Jon Oliva was arrested on the west central coast of Florida for driving under the influence as well as possession of a controlled substance. Police charged Oliva with possession of cocaine, which is a felony, and DUI, which is a misdemeanor. Oliva was reportedly arrested again in July 2023 on another cocaine possession charge.

Back in 2016, Jon announced on social media that he suffered a stroke in April of that year. At the time, he said: "It was not as serious as it could have been, but it did leave me with some physical recovery challenges often associated with strokes."

Despite his health issues, Jon said that he didn't regret the way he had lived his life. He wrote: "I lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle since I was 18. It's all I knew and I enjoyed the ride very much. But there comes a time in everyone's life where you have to step back and make some life-changing decisions... which I have."

Shortly after SAVATAGE's reunion performance at the 2015 Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, Oliva claimed that he felt better than he had in 20 years because he had "stopped drinking and eating" in preparation for the concert. He explained: "It's my voice that's freaking me out, because, even when I was in my late 20s, early 30s, doing songs like '24 Hours Ago' were always really hard to do. And, of course, I didn't realize that it was all the drugs and alcohol I was doing. But, after doing that, getting my act together and stuff, singing '24 Hours Ago', it's actually easy now. [Laughs]"

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

Jon's brother Criss, who was one of the founding members of SAVATAGE, was killed in October 1993 by a drunk driver when he and his wife Dawn were en route to the Livestock festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. The driver of the other car was found to have a drunk driving record of seven prior DUIs and having a blood alcohol content of .294 percent.

In a recent interview with Hungary's Hammer World, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna, whose band completed a European tour in March/April 2025, was asked about his plans for the coming months. He responded: "After this European tour, we're taking a full year off. I'll probably start something new during that time — I just don't know what yet. I usually work on GODSMACK for a certain amount of time, and then when we take a break, I shift to solo stuff. I think I might do that again. This year is a bit of a mystery, but I've started getting some offers to focus on TV and film. I'm getting more and more involved in it, so I think I'm going to pursue that a little bit and see where it goes. I might end up writing music for movies or even acting again. I've done that before and I really enjoyed it, so I'd like to do more. I'm definitely exploring other things besides GODSMACK to keep me occupied while we figure out what's next for the band. Right now, I honestly don't know."

Erna continued: "What I do know is there's been a resurgence of GODSMACK. When we come out now, we're playing to bigger and bigger audiences. We did Sofia, Bulgaria — sold out in two days, over 13,000 people. Romania was big and so was Poland. There's this new interest in the band again, and we're seeing a younger generation growing up listening to us. A lot of young kids are coming to our shows now, along with their parents. It's wild. We've survived so much over the years, gone through tough times, and we're still here. We're still relevant and writing good music. People keep coming to the shows, the band hasn't stopped growing, and I couldn't be happier. It's nice to just get back to playing again without any obligations. We're not promoting a new record or anything right now. We're just promoting the brand, the legacy. We're doing these greatest hits shows and playing music simply because we love it. We're back in control again — not the record labels, not the management company. GODSMACK is back in control, and that, to me, is the greatest gift."

On September 6, Sully will play a solo concert with special guests as part of the Mohegan Sun Sun Patio Concert Series at Sun Patio at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

This past April, GODSMACK confirmed the departure of the band's longtime drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola. In a statement at the time, Erna said that Rombola and Larkin "decided to retire from the band permanently, on good terms, but for no other reason than to fulfill their desire to live a more simple and quiet life away from touring."

He added: "Their departure marks the end of an era, but it also opens the door for new and exciting possibilities. We want to assure you that Shannon and Tony will always be part of our family, and their contributions will forever echo in our music. We respect their decisions and support them wholeheartedly as they pursue their own individual paths.

"Robbie [Merrill, GODSMACK bassist] and I are also excited to explore new directions, and although we have not made any permanent decisions about who may replace Tony and Shannon, we will be continuing this journey together, and we look forward to sharing the decisions we make with all of you as they happen.

GODSMACK kicked off its 2025 European tour on March 22 at Arena 8888 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The day before the Sofia concert, Erna told Elena Rozberg of Bulgaria's Z-Rock radio station that "personal things" were preventing Tony and Shannon from taking part in the trek and explained that "a couple of guest musicians" — drummer Will Hunt of EVANESCENCE and guitarist Sam Koltun of DOROTHY — were playing with GODSMACK while he and Merrill were " trying to figure out exactly what's happening".

In a since-deleted video shared on Facebook, Larkin addressed his absence from GODSMACK's ongoing tour, saying:  "Well, there's been lots of speculation about [why Tony and I are not on the road].

"First of all, I just wanna thank everybody for the outpouring of texts, all my family and friends. I'm okay. Tony's okay. But we did quit the band last year, after lots of talking to Sully and Robbie. And they understood that we didn't wanna tour anymore — that's the reason — and we understood that they wanted to tour. And so we understood each other. And in the end, GODSMACK's out there touring and we are happily here living our lives.

"Tony turned 60. I'm 58. Look, it's not a physical thing. We wanna be home with everything that we love.

"[It's been] 40 years — think of that; 40 years I've been touring. 28 years for Rombola. And we're getting a little older, so we decided to quit it. And that's it.

"But thanks. And we love you all, the fans and everything.

"This wasn't a bad thing, and I know it looks like it, but I will talk more about it in the future. But it's all love. We're brothers for life with Sully and Robbie, and we wish Will and Sam the best. And all the fans, keep going [to the shows]. They're kicking fucking ass.

"As Sully said at the very end, all good things must come to an end. So GODSMACK didn't come to an end — it's just a new chapter for them — and it's certainly a new chapter for Tony and I. And we're already making music, and everybody's happy. So be happy, people."

Larkin joined GODSMACK in 2002 after cutting his teeth with WRATHCHILD (later WRATCHILD AMERICA and SOULS AT ZERO) before getting picked up by UGLY KID JOE in time for a taste of their zenith.

Tony had been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for GODSMACK since the mid-1990s following the departure of Lee Richards.

GODSMACK's spring 2025 European tour featured support from P.O.D. and DROWNING POOL.

The 14-date trek ended on April 12 in Oberhausen, Germany.

GODSMACK's latest album, "Lighting Up The Sky", was released in February 2023 via BMG. The LP was co-produced by Erna and Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER).

The first single from "Lighting Up The Sky", "Surrender", which arrived in September 2022, marked the first release from GODSMACK in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

Join me for The Mohegan Sun Sun Patio concert series on Saturday SEPT 6 at 8PM! Tickets ON SALE NOW at: https://mohegansun.com/events-and-promotions/schedule-of-events/_sun_patio/sully-erna-0906.html

Posted by Sully Erna on Friday, April 11, 2025

TESLA has released the official music video for the song "From The Heart", taken from the band's latest EP, "All About Love".

Released last November, "All About Love" includes four versions of "All About Love" (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of "Walk Away", a concert favorite from "Reel To Real, Vol. 1"; and "From The Heart", an instrumental track by guitarist Frank Hannon.

Frank said: "I recorded this song in my home studio after hearing the melody in my head for weeks on the TESLA tour last year. I layered the parts using my Gibson Dove acoustic for the main track and overdubbing a small Gibson 00 parlor size acoustic that has a punchy sound. Despite the small size of the guitar, it's very loud. I visited the factory with Tommy Shaw when TESLA toured with STYX, and he encouraged me to buy it. This is the lead guitar sound you hear on 'From The Heart'. After I recorded the parts, [fellow TESLA guitarist] Dave Rude learned it and plays it live in concert. It's a fun moment in the show."

"All About Love" EP track listing:

01. All About Love (Electric Mix)
02. From The Heart
03. All About Love (Acoustic Mix)
04. All About Love (Live)
05. Walk Away (Live)
06. All About Love (Hybrid Mix)

TESLA bassist Brian Wheat said in a statement: "We spent six months on 'All About Love', and I think we got this one right. Honestly, I'm really, really proud of it. It's what I think a TESLA fan would expect from TESLA — right down the middle. Jeff [Keith, TESLA singer] sounds great. Frank's doing classic guitar licks again."

During an October 7, 2024 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Wheat said that TESLA had been performing "All About Love" for "probably four or five months, actually, which is kind of reverse to what we used to do in the old days. In the old days, we used to record the song and then go play it live," he explained. "So we played it live and then recorded it."

Regarding the songs contained on the "All About Love" EP, Brian said: "There'll be four different versions of 'All About Love' and two new tracks. There'll be the live version, the studio version and two kind of other alternate versions… It'll be something real nice for the fans. We worked real hard on it, and I'm excited to put it out there. It'll be cool. It'll be a nice piece for the fans to buy."

Last August, Jeff spoke to Joseph Suto of Rock Show Critique about the band's plans to release new music. He said: "Now, at this point, after COVID and everything, we're just releasing singles 'cause people can download them. And from what I understand — they explained it to me, 'cause I don't go on the Internet, but they explained to me, 'Jeffrey, in today's world, you can release a single for people to download, and it's just like back in the '40s and '50s when people would put a little 45 record with a B-side.' So from what I understand, the last two songs we released was 'Cold Blue Steel' and then 'Time To Rock!'."

Wheat and Hannon previously talked about "All About Love" during an appearance on the April 12, 2024 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Frank said: "It's actually the first song that J.K. [singer Jeff Keith] and myself wrote after a dry spell of writing songs during the COVID lockdown. And the first lyric of the song is, 'I wanna get back to where I started.' That was influenced by how we were feeling during COVID. So we chipped away. We made a little demo of it, and then we just kind of shelved it for a while, 'cause I always knew that I wanted the band and BDub [Brian] to produce it and make it sound rocking. And the original demo was really chill and almost sounded like AIR SUPPLY. It was mellow. And I knew, and I told Brian, I go, 'I love this song, but it needs to be rocked out TESLA style.' So that's what we did. And we worked on it over the past six months at soundchecks during the gigs, practicing it and really developing it and turning it into a rock song."

Asked if the plan is for TESLA to release a full-length album after issuing "All About Love" as well as the two previously released singles "Cold Blue Steel" and "Time To Rock!", Brian said: "No, not particularly. Because it takes too much time. Here's the thing. It's no secret, we're getting older. Jeff is 65, 66 years old… In order to do an album, it takes so much out of the band — time and energy. And right now, I think we're all on the same page that we'd rather take that time and energy and go around and play while we're still able to play at the level we play at, because we still play very well. Jeff Keith still sings very, very well. And we can address making an album where you can be in a studio and you can do things 26 times and all that thing, if you have to, later. But to sit there and make an album right now… Frank told you, we've been working on this song ['All About Love'] for six months."

Frank added: "It's different now. See, what people don't realize, for a band to make an album that's really great, you have to get locked in a room for about a year and really hash it out and argue and make demos. And then what you're doing is you're fabricating 10 songs, and you'll usually have two great ones and then the other ones are kind of half-assed written unless you spend that time doing it. And that's what we did on the first four albums, or all of our albums that we did up to this point. Now what we're doing is creating singles and touring and playing live and getting them out while they're fresh."

Continued Brian: "Plus there's the whole economic thing about it. We're not a independently multimillionaire wealthy guys. It's a matter of we have to take the time off. We are a working band. Trust me, if we were millionaires, multi-millionaires, and we could afford to take two years off, we maybe would, but we can't. We have to work. We're a working band."

Wheat added: "Look, I would love to go make a record, but like Frank says, I think the songs get compromised because you don't… We spent six months on 'It's All About Love', and I think we got this one right. Honestly, I'm really, really proud of it. It's what I think a TESLA fan would expect from TESLA — right down the middle. Jeff sounds great. Frank's doing classic guitar licks again. But it took six months. We just didn't pull it out of our ass. We worked on it. And to do a 10-song album, even if it's two months a song, that's a year… And quite honestly, you've gotta look at things for supply and demand. Like, how many people want a new TESLA record, a whole new album?

"I'm a statistics guy," Brian said. "And if you wanna get into this, I can go people buying records versus buying tickets. And there are way more people that are buying tickets than are buying records. And they wanna hear all them hits. And then there's the hardcores, which is a much smaller percentage, and you have to go, you have to look at it realistically and go, 'How much gas is left in that tank?'"

Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019's "Shock". The follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.

In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived in May 2023. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

FOREIGNER lead singer Kelly Hansen spoke to Entertainment Tonight about his decision to exit the band at the end of the legendary rockers' summer 2025 tour.

During FOREIGNER's performance on the May 20 season finale of NBC singing competition "The Voice", Hansen announced his departure with a "passing of the torch" to the band's guitarist Luis Maldonado.

Asked why now is the right time for him to leave FOREIGNER,  the 64-year-old Hansen said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's just time for me to do other things in my life while I still can. And it's been a great experience for me and I have nothing but love for this organization and all the guys in the band. But I have other things — I have other fish I wanna fry."

He added: "The band's gonna continue on with Luis and I'm probably gonna pop in here and there and say hi. I've got a fairly new family I wanna spend time with. I've got a lot of projects I wanna complete. I do some cooking stuff, so who knows what's gonna come out in the future with some cooking stuff."

Asked what have been some of the highlights of the farewell tour so far, FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson told Entertainment Tonight: "Wow. It's hard to say any one highlight, 'cause every, everything's been great. But I think the biggest thing for us is making this transition. Kelly having a life is really cool and we're so supportive of that, and it's been such a wonderful thing. But I think making the transition has been a very emotional, but also a very focused thing for us. This is a big change. I mean, he's been singing for 20 years, so it's new horizons, but we're very, very excited about it."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a brand new interview with Justin Young of Monsters, Madness And Magic, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate was asked to name the best piece of music advice he ever got. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know who told me this, actually, but I think that it was Gene Simmons from KISS. We were talking about writing music and that kind of thing, and he said, 'I think the best thing you can do is always just follow your heart. Follow what's interesting, write about what's interesting to you, and don't try to please people. Don't try to write something for somebody else. Write what you know.' And maybe that doesn't sound like something Gene would say, but I think he's very right about that. You really have to write for your own stake of writing and write the music you hear in your head and not try to please your genre or try to make everybody else happy, because you'll never be happy on your own if you're always trying to make other people happy. And you'll never really show your own voice or find your own voice artistically if you're always trying to please other people. So, I don't know. That's the route I've always taken. And it's the advice I give people as well: follow your heart."

Regarding his plans for the coming months, Tate said: "Oh, gosh. Yeah, it's festival season here in Europe, and so I'm playing a few festivals around the region and kind of gearing up for my U.S. tour, which begins again in September. [I'm going out for] another sweep through North America. I'm gonna be going into Canada this time, which I'm excited to see all the Canadian fans, since I haven't been there in a few years. So, yeah, that's pretty much it. Tour. Tour, tour."

Tate recently launched his "Operation: Mindcrime - The Final Chapter" tour. The U.S. leg of the trek, which kicked off on March 18 in Tucson, saw the 66-year-old vocalist performing QUEENSRŸCHE's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album in its entirety for the last time.

Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant."

The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate's replacement, Todd La Torre, has released four albums thus far with QUEENSRŸCHE: 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance".

LION & MAN, the collaboration between vocalist Mandy Lion (WORLD WAR III, WICKED ALLIANCE) and producer/guitarist Ron Mancuso (BEGGARS & THIEVES, RED DRAGON CARTEL),has released a new single, "Red Rain".

"Red Rain" is inspired by Lion's soon-to-be-released autobiographical book and graphic novel.

The video was produced and directed by Gary Orona, while the song was written by Lion and Mancuso.

"Red Rain" was produced, recorded and mixed by Mancuso at Studio77 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The track was mastered by Kane Churko.

"Red Rain" features Lion on vocals, Mancuso on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Lez Warner on drums, Greg Fox on keyboards and Zach Throne on backing vocals.

Mandy is best known for his work with WORLD WAR III, which also included Jimmy Bain (RAINBOW, DIO),Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO) and Tracy G. (DIO). The band produced several videos and toured extensively, headlining and opening for such acts as IRON MAIDEN and ANTHRAX. Appice would eventually be replaced by James Kottak (SCORPIONS, KINGDOM COME) and Mikkey Dee (SCORPIONS, KING DIAMOND, MOTÖRHEAD).

Mancuso is not only a guitarist and songwriter for the band BEGGARS & THIEVES but is also COO of the Bootlegger Italian Bistro, a staple on the Las Vegas scene for many years, the owner of a recording studio, a live concert venue and a writer of jingles and music for the Fox TV network, among others. Ronnie has also toured with Jake E. Lee's RED DRAGON CARTEL and worked with former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley.

More than 20 years ago, Mancuso took the reins as CEO of the Bootlegger, moving his New York-based recording studio Studio77 next door to the restaurant.

In a 2017 interview with All Rock Music & All Music Bands: National & Worldwide, Lion was asked what it was like working with WORLD WAR III and opening up for IRON MAIDEN. He responded: "Well, just try to imagine [how] a 17-year-old fan of BLACK SABBATH and DIO must have felt like when members of his favorite bands auditioned for his band. It was almost comical to sit there pretending that I'm actually auditioning Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice. I mean, what are we trying to find out here? What is the question? It's, like, 'Okay, so you played in the biggest bands in the world with the best musicians on the planet but let's see if you can play…' The whole thing was absurd. Of course Vinny and Jimmy got the gig. I mean, who was going to take it from them?"

He continued: "Opening for IRON MAIDEN was everything you imagine it would be, of course. Especially since we came from playing theaters to stadium size. The fans were extremely kind and the band treated us very well. I'm sure that had a lot to do with the fact that IRON MAIDEN also used to be RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH fans. There was a certain respect that was due to the history of my bandmates, of course."

In a new interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm talked about the band's classic power ballad "I Want To Know What Love Is", which topped the Billboard pop chart more than 40 years ago. Released as a single in November of 1984, the track steadily climbed the charts, peaking at No. 1 on February 1, 1985. It has since become one of the biggest ballads in rock history. Regarding how he and his FOREIGNER bandmates felt about releasing such a mellow song as a single, Gramm said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I remember those times pretty vividly. And we were a little worried that releasing a song like that was going to damage our rock reputation. We had another hit ballad before, 'Waiting For A Girl Like You', but we all felt that this was something different and special and it almost went beyond being a rock song. With the gospel choir in there, it kind of moved it through rock into — I don't know — gospel. It just transcended musical modes, and we were wondering if it would enhance or damage our reputation as a rock band."

According to Gramm, any trepidation he and his FOREIGNER bandmates might have had about releasing "I Want To Know What Love Is" as a single went away very quickly. He said: "As soon as we heard it on the radio and started getting comments from our family and friends, how they never heard a song like that from us, and how much they loved it, and we saw it racing up the charts, we learned it well enough to play to get ready to tour and perform it at a precise time of the set. And we went around the world just to promote the song, talking to radio stations and newspapers and rock magazines. We did a tour of the world just for press. And I remember we were in Switzerland and we had just done a heavy day of promotion, and we had a meal and we were sitting around, sipping a glass of red wine, and the operator from the hotel called and said, 'There's a call for you from Los Angeles.' And we said, 'Well, who is it?' And they said, 'It's Mr. Ahmet Ertegun [Atlantic Records founder].' And so we grabbed the phone, we said, 'Hello?' He says, 'Guys, how are you? You've created a masterpiece, and I just wanna tell you that 'I Want To Know What Love Is' is Number One around the world.' It was an incredible phone call. I mean, you couldn't have scripted it any better. And I wish someone had taped that. [Laughs]"

Less than two years ago, Gramm said that greed was the reason he wasn't listed as one of the songwriters for "I Want To Know What Love Is". The power ballad, which is credited solely to FOREIGNER's founding guitarist Mick Jones, was released in November 1984 as the lead single from the group's fifth album, "Agent Provocateur".

Gramm discussed his supposed lack of contribution to the track during an interview with Justin Young of Monsters, Madness And Magic. Speaking about his involvement with the songwriting process on "Agent Provocateur", he said: " For me, the sticking points were when we started writing songs. Nine out of 10 ideas that Mick showed me, he was playing keyboard and they were midtempo, somewhat rock songs — not heavy or anything. They were nice, they were good songs and the music was nice, but it wasn't dynamic in any stretch of the imagination the way FOREIGNER '4' was. And then, then there was 'I Want To Know What Love Is'. He played me the idea for that song and I liked it. And I was not a ballad guy, but that song was very special. And we worked on that song. He had a house about 20 minutes from my house, so I was over his house at least five out of seven nights a week having dinner and working till one or two in the morning with him on that song specifically. And we would just hit creative dead ends and walk away from it frustrated. But we kept plugging away, and we ended up getting the body of the song correct, and the chorus, lyrics and melody the way we wanted it, and we were set to go in and record it. Mick had a friend, a young black guy, who he knew from years ago, and he heard the song and told Mick that he had been working for a gospel label the past few years. And he says, 'I know what the song needs.' He says, 'It needs a gospel choir in the choruses.' And Mick kind of was taken aback and he thought about it and he goes, 'You could be right.' And his friend says, 'I have just the choir for you. It's New Jersey Mass Choir.' He says, 'They've had hits on their own in the gospel charts.' So on the day that they came down to sing the choruses, I was in one studio next door to where they were — just myself and an engineer. I was singing the lead vocal to the song, which hadn't been done yet. So Mick was consumed with the choir and making sure that that they sounded the way they should, and I was in the next studio over singing the lead vocal. Usually when I would sing the lead vocal, Mick wouldn't be more than three feet away from me offering suggestions, little criticisms and making sure it came out the way he wanted it. When I walked in there to sing that lead vocal, I didn't see him for four hours. And when I saw him, I handed him the tape and I said, 'I'm done'. And he looked at me, like, 'What do you mean you're done? I haven't even heard it yet.' He didn't say that, but then with the gospel choir there in front of the mics, he played my version with my lead vocals on it and my vocals on the chorus too. And the choir sang along with the choruses. And I got goosebumps and chills all over my body. And I looked over at Mick, and he was crying."

Elaborating on the disagreement over songwriting credits for "I Want To Know What Love Is", Gramm continued: "When we were recording that album, at the end of completion of every song, Mick and I would sit down at a table, and on a little piece of paper we would write out what we thought the split was for the song between the two of us as writers, and we'd done that from album one. So, like, 'Hot Blooded' was 50-50, 'Double Vision' was 60 for Mick, 40 for me. And other songs had different, different splits. And I wrote 60 for Mick, 40 for me, and I slid that piece of paper over to him, and he slid one over to me. So I saw him look at my piece of paper, and he didn't smile or anything; he had stone face on. And I picked up my piece of paper. You know what he had on it? 95-5 for him. We had worked on that song since it was just a little tiny idea for weeks and weeks and weeks until it became a song. I was involved in the melody, in the arrangement of the song, and plus I sang the ad-libs and I sang the hell out of the song. And his best offer was 95-5. I was insulted, I was angry and I knew right away why it was. Because he knew that song was gonna be Number One and he wanted it all for himself. But he would sacrifice five percent. I tore the piece of paper up and I says, 'Mick, I know why you're doing this.' I says, 'You want the song for yourself, so it just says 'Jones' under writers.' I says, 'You do that.' I said, 'I don't want any part of it.' So he did. The song went to Number One. The song itself sold millions — millions and millions of songs. I think it went two and a half times platinum just for the single. It was immediately re-recorded by Wynonna Judd. She re-recorded it and had a worldwide hit with it. So it was a Number One hit for three other artists. He made millions and millions of dollars off just that song. I didn't see a nickel."

FOREIGNER kicked off its spring 2025 Latin American tour on April 28 at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Handling lead vocals for most of the set was FOREIGNER guitarist Luis Maldonado, while Gramm joined in for the last four songs.

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

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

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

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

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.