Sammy Hagar has commented on David Lee Roth's return to the live stage, saying he is "happy" that Roth is "out there supporting some of the greatest rock songs in history."

The original VAN HALEN frontman played his first full concert in more than five years on May 3 at the 2025 edition of the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. His 75-minute set consisted of classics by VAN HALEN, in which he was accompanied by a band that included guitarist Al Estrada and four backing vocalists.

Hagar — who replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band, all of which topped the U.S. chart — weighed in on Roth's stage comeback in an Instagram post, writing (edited for clarity): "If I may add my two cents here, comparing us today or comparing us in the old days really is not what it's all about. It's all about VAN HALEN, one of the greatest bands, some of the greatest songs in rock history. We were both involved and both had pluses and minuses.

"I am happy that Dave is out there doing it like Mikey [former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony] and I," he continued. "Supporting some of the greatest rock songs in history, like I said. The fans deserve it, good or bad. I believe we're both doing our best and I'm actually happy. Dave is supporting his era and I will support mine as well as my solo career and side projects for the rest of my life. Everyone should enjoy what we're both trying to do. Keeping the music alive [and] his legacy is important and so is the music both Dave and I wrote with Eddie [Van Halen, VAN HALEN guitarist]."

The highest-charting Roth-led VAN HALEN album was a No. 2, and it took until "1984" to achieve that. (2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth" also landed at No. 2.)

Hagar, who, along with Roth, spent the summer of 2002 co-headlining the laboriously titled "Sammy Hagar And David Lee Roth Tour 2002: Song For Song, The Heavyweight Champs Of Rock And Roll", reflected on the run of shows during an April 2023 appearance on Steve-O's "Wild Ride!" podcast. He said: "At that time [Roth] didn't have a solo career, really. I mean, he did, but he wasn't selling out. I was selling out arenas. I was selling out amphitheaters as Sammy Hagar with the WABOS. And I had a solo career.

"Ask Mick Jagger. Ask Robert Plant. You can be the biggest band in the world and you can't necessarily have a solo career," he continued. "But I had a solo career. So when I joined the big band, I went back to my solo career, I'm good. I still sell a lot of tickets. Dave, he had that sort of a big album, one kind of a big album, but he didn't have a solo career. He was playing small places. So when he came in with me, he was making, like, 25 grand a night, I was making 150 grand a night, and they said, 'Oh, you guys are gonna make the same money. Dave gets to make 150.' I said, 'He ain't fucking made 150 in his life except in VAN HALEN.' But I said, 'I've gotta do this.' So I bent over backwards. And he still always tried to fuck with the rules. He's not a fun guy. He doesn't play well with others. I'm not sure what his problem is… He just always is about, 'How can I make this guy look bad?' And not just me — in life. He's a chest-beating motherfucker. And God bless him, 'cause the early stuff is frickin' great. I personally, I've tried to say… [I thought] he'd be a fun guy to know. But he ain't like that. He ain't like his persona. When you get around him, he ain't that guy. He's some other cat. [Laughs]"

Hagar went on to praise Roth's skills as an entertainer, saying: "He's a showman. Hey, listen, I'm a showman too. But that's his gig. He doesn't care about singing. If he did, he'd take care of his voice or he'd take voice lessons and get warmed up and do something. 'Cause the guy sang so bad last time he was doing shows, it was embarrassing… But he's a showman. Everything's show, show, show, show, show, show, show. And he doesn't care about his voice, which drives me nuts, man. I care more about my voice than I do my dick. If my dick didn't work a couple of times, I'd be okay with it — I'd be bummed out — but if my voice fucks up onstage, I'm fucking bummed, man."

Back in October 2021, Hagar said that he had "no problem" with Roth, telling "The Mike & Carla Morning Show" on the 96.3 KKLZ radio station: "Him and I don't even have a feud. To be honest with you, I have no problem with Dave. I don't know what he's got going with me, but I think he always feels competitive. I think he feels like he has to raise his flag, like, 'I'm VAN HALEN.' 'Cause I had a solo career before VAN HALEN. I was in MONTROSE before VAN HALEN. I've had CHICKENFOOT. Dave has got VAN HALEN, so I think he has to hold on to that kind of tight. But I don't care about that. If someone said, 'Oh, I never knew you [were] in VAN HALEN,' I'd say, 'Eh…'"

In June 2021, Hagar blasted Roth, saying his voice "hasn't aged well" and describing the original VAN HALEN singer's onstage persona as "totally bullshit." He told Brazil's "Inside With Paulo Baron" Internet show: "[David is] a real character. He's a showman. He's all show. I enjoy him. But you talk about cringing. I can't imagine how he feels when he looks at some of them old videos, the way he was dancing and moving, and the way he was singing live sometimes. I don't know how he feels about all that, but I don't think he cares. The difference between him and I [is] I sincerely care — I care about everything I do and I care how it affects people and I care what they think. I care that it touches them and it makes them happy. And what is important to me is enlightening and elevating people spiritually and making them happy and making them have big dreams, making them want to be better themselves. And that's my goal with everything I do — is to bring that to people and change their life, if I can. I don't think he cares about anything like that. And that's the difference between our presence. He's very much into himself, very much into being a showman and doesn't really care. I don't know what he cares about; I really don't. I don't know him. I have no idea who that guy is; I don't think anyone does. But he entertains me. I enjoy watching him do stupid shit."

Asked what he thinks when he sees the way David presents himself to the public, Sammy said: "Well, the first thing I'd say is I look at him and I think, 'Wow. He's a strange person. He's a strange character.' He's not what he's saying he is; he's pretending. He's totally bullshit. Everything he does is thought up and it's an image. It's nothing to do with who he is; he's not exposing who and what he is. And I know this for a fact. I knew that the first time I saw him. I said, 'This guy, he's putting on an image, putting on a show.' He goes back home and goes in his house, and he's a whole different guy — nothing to do with that guy [you see on stage]. He's not honest about his image and his performance. That's what I see when I see him; that's how I feel. But I tried to be friends."

Referring to the time when he and Roth teamed up for the co-headlining tour in 2002, Sammy continued: "When we did our together, I thought it was gonna be so much fun. I thought, 'If he's anything like he claims to be, we're gonna have a good time.' But he wasn't. He was the worst guy to be around. He wasn't ever around. He hides out. You never see him. He puts on this whole big front and comes out, 'I'm here. David Lee Roth is here,' and then he goes and hides again. I don't think he's happy. He's never been married; never had a relationship; never had children. It's, like, man, how do you live like that? I don't know. I'm a family man. And I love women — I love women and children… He hasn't aged well — his voice. [Laughs] I don't know. It's hard."

According to Hagar, he has tried a number of times to be respectful to Roth, particularly because of David's immeasurable contribution to VAN HALEN's legacy.

"I used to not wanna cause trouble," he said. "First, in the old days, before I was in VAN HALEN, I ripped him through the fucking coals when I [did] the press, before I ever was in that band. And then when I joined the band, I tried to be nice. And then when I left the band, I tried to be nice about him. And then we did our together, and then I fucking said, 'Fuck this guy. He's an asshole. You can't get along with him. He's no fun. He's full of shit.' And then now, after [VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie's [Van Halen] death, I feel, once again, he's part of the VAN HALEN legacy and he's important. So I wouldn't wanna ruin anything to do with what he brought to that legacy. I want VAN HALEN to go down as one of the greatest rock bands of all time — but not just my [era]; Dave's era [as well]. I want Eddie to be the legend and get the respect that he deserves, and the only way to preserve that is by being kind about the past. And, like in my [2011's autobiography, 'Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock'], like I said, that's the only thing I would probably [change in the book if I was writing it now is I would] soften it up [as it relates to Eddie]. But it's too late — it is what it is. And it's honest. So I'm not lying, I'm not backpedaling — nope, nope. It's all true. But God rest his soul. He brought a lot to this planet, to this business of rock and roll, Eddie Van Halen did. And Dave was a part of it. It's too bad what he's become. [Laughs] But that's different. It's not VAN HALEN anymore."

In November 2020, Eddie's son Wolfgang revealed that his father had contemplated a "kitchen-sink tour" that would have included classic-era bassist Michael 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 in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

The 70-year-old Roth opened the M3 concert with "Panama" and went on to play "You Really Got Me", "Dance The Night Away", "Runnin' With The Devil", "Jamie's Cryin'", "Hot For Teacher" and other VAN HALEN classics before closing with "Jump".

At one point during the show, Roth joked onstage that his M3 performance marked "the end of my first retirement" — a reference to his announcement in late 2021 that he was calling it quits. "How many retirements did Rocky have? Nine?" Roth added.

Prior to M3, Roth's most recent performance was a private corporate gig for Home Depot in 2023.

Earlier this month, Roth announced nearly two dozen summer 2025 solo tour dates. The 21-date trek is scheduled to launch on July 22 in Paso Robles, California and conclude on September 14 in Napa.

Sammy Hagar photo credit: Leah Steiger

In a new interview with the "Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show" on New York City's Q104.3 radio station, Gene Simmons spoke about KISS's upcoming appearance without makeup at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas as part of the three-day "KISS Army Storms Vegas" event, which runs from November 14 to November 16.

"KISS Army Storms Vegas" celebrates the KISS fan club's 50th anniversary and will be the band's first appearance since Simmons, guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer wrapped up their "End Of The Road" farewell tour at Madison Square Garden in New York in December 2023.

Simmons told Kerr (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, this is not a KISS concert. We promised when we sold the IP [KISS intellectual property rights] to Pophouse, an amazing company — they're futurists — about a year and a half ago when we finished touring at Madison Square Garden. There's gonna be a film and there's a lot of stuff coming up. We promised we would never tour again, because, as you noticed, I'm stunning in real life and that's when you want it… While you're on top, get out of the ring. Don't wait for some chump to knock you out. We've all seen boxers and rockers and everything that stayed around too long. 50 years, half a century is plenty of time."

Simmons went on to say that he and his KISS bandmates still want to honor the group's fans. "So that's what we're doing," he explained. "We are showing up for a fan-run event. Three days in November at the Virgin Hotel. Be there or be square. And it's really for the fans. There'll be lots of questions — if they want a back rub or anything. But it's not a KISS concert. We will jump up [and] jam, but certainly we are not bringing the flying rigs and 60 people on the crew and the jets and all that stuff… Other bands will pop up on stage and stuff, but it's really a chance to be more intimate with the fans — actually, to be cornball about it, to our bosses. Because without the fans, I would surely have been asking the next person in line, 'Would you like some fries with that?'"

50 years ago in Terre Haute, Indiana, a small group of fans lit the spark that would become the loudest and proudest fan movement in rock history: the KISS Army. Now, five decades later — and 30 years since the first official KISS convention — KISS is cranking it up to 11 in Las Vegas for the ultimate celebration.

Gene said: "Strange story. There was a guy in Terre Haute, Indiana, as a matter of fact, and in the early days, radio didn't play KISS 'cause we didn't do John Denver kind of namby-pamby stuff… But we just didn't do the la-di-da kinds of songs. We liked to turn the guitars up and have fun, and radio wouldn't play us. So this one guy, [Bill] Starkey, his name was, called the radio station, which was a small building outside of town. 'Play KISS.' 'I'm sorry, kid. We don't play that song.' And he threatened them. He said, 'If you don't play KISS by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, the KISS Army will surround your building and everything.' Of course they did not. So what happened? The cover of the [local] newspaper [ran the headline] 'Kiss Army Invades WXYZ', whatever it's called, and that's where the name came from. And by the way, afterwards, they played KISS. Because they knew that we knew what their home address was, and when they weren't home, we might set their pets on fire. There's that."

Earlier this month, Gene told Rob Rush, the evening host on Long Island, New York's 94.3 The Shark radio station, about KISS's upcoming Vegas appearance: "This is much more a fan gathering. The Kiss Army … are taking over the Virgin Hotel and we will show up, but I don't even know if the entire band's gonna be there. I know Paul and I are gonna be there, and Tommy. [Former KISS guitarist] Bruce Kulick probably will show up, and we'll jam, answer questions and stuff. It ain't a concert — we're gonna do none of that stuff. I may even bring my solo band up there just for [shits] and giggles. So this is more a fan event, like a fan gathering that we're gonna be guests at."

This past March, Gene told Las Vegas Review-Journal that he and his KISS bandmates "will not do the makeup" at "KISS Army Storms Vegas". "We will hold true to the promise [of never playing another KISS show in makeup]," he explained. "There's no stage show. There's no crew. We won't have 60 people levitating drum sets and all that stuff. This is more personal gathering of the tribes, where we meet them, greet them, maybe have a Q&A."

Regarding what else fans can expect from "KISS Army Storms Vegas", Simmons said: "There might be some KISS tribute bands, almost like a convention, if you will. So it's much more personal. And of course, we can't get by without playing, so we'll get up and do some tunes. What they are, how long, I don't know."

When KISS officially announced "KISS Army Storms Vegas", the band said that Stanley and Simmons — along with "special guests" — would play at least one show "unmasked," meaning without their iconic makeup. It was later revealed that Thayer would also appear at the event, along with Thayer's former band BLACK 'N BLUE, as well as former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach and the tribute acts MR. SPEED and KISS NATION: THE KISS TRIBUTE SHOW.

KISS's official "KISS Army Storms Vegas" announcement made no mention of Singer, making it unclear if he will be part of the event.

There will also be question-and-answer sessions with Stanley and Simmons, as well as KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee, where they will share stories, behind-the-scenes moments and answer fans' most burning questions.

Fans can also expect guest performances, including from Kulick, as well as surprise appearances, guest sets and tribute bands.

KISS had previously set a 12-show residency at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas in 2021 and 2022 but ultimately canceled all of the dates.

For more information, visit kissarmystormsvegas.com.

Simmons told Rolling Stone in a November 2023 interview that the second Madison Square Garden "End Of The Road" concert would mark "the final KISS-in-makeup appearance."

Kulick was a member of KISS from 1984 until 1996.

According to Billboard, Kulick is one of only two musicians to have not worn makeup while a member of KISS, the other being Mark St. John.

Kulick had performed with the band again at their Kiss Kruise events in 2018 and 2021.

Former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry has released a cover of the band's classic power ballad "Faithfully", featuring a guest appearance by country legend Willie Nelson.

Recorded at Ronnie's Place in Nashville, Tennessee and at Steve's studio, Love Box, the track, which was made available via Dark Horse Records, was produced by Kent Wells and Steve Perry, engineered by Joel McKenne, Kyle Dickinson and Steve Perry.

Additional musicians featured on the duet include Mike Rojas on piano, James Mitchell on electric guitar, Kent Wells on acoustic guitar, Scott Sanders on steel guitar, Steve Mackey on bass, Mickey Raphael on harmonica, and Nir Z on drums.

All proceeds from the new version of "Faithfully" will go to the non-profit Farm Aid organization, founded 40 years ago by Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young in response to the growing crisis faced by American family farmers during the 1980s.

On the reimagined track, Perry shares: "No one has a voice or vocal phrasing anything like Willie Nelson. Singing this duet with Willie has been something I've always wanted to do. After recording 'Faithfully' with JOURNEY, I always felt it would be a great song for Willie too. What a wonderful experience it was to finally sing with Willie. I'm so proud of what we have accomplished together."

Nelson adds: "Working with Steve Perry on 'Faithfully' was a meaningful experience. It was a pleasure to collaborate on this song. I'm proud that we could create something meaningful and use it to give back through Farm Aid."

"Faithfully" was recorded in 1982 and released as the second single from JOURNEY's album "Frontiers" in 1983. It peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their second consecutive Top 20 hit from "Frontiers". Despite featuring no chorus, it has gone on to become one of the band's most recognizable hits and has enjoyed lasting popularity. In a Classic Rock article, "Faithfully" was called the greatest power ballad ever recorded.

JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain began writing the song with only the lyrics "highway run into the midnight sun" on a paper napkin while on a tour bus headed to Saratoga Springs, New York. The next day, he completed the song in full in only a half hour. Cain finished composing the song on a backstage grand piano at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, where the band performed it for the first time. According to the liner notes in JOURNEY's "Time3" compilation, Cain paid tribute to then-road manager Pat Morrow and then-stage manager Benny Collins when he wrote "we all need the clowns to make us smile." He characterized the song as a "road song," remarking, "You know I'm being a good dog out here — don't worry about it."

The inaugural Farm Aid concert, held on September 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, marked a historic moment in the farm movement, raising more than $7 million to support struggling family farmers, but more importantly, raising awareness of the impacts of the crisis. More than 50 artists came together to highlight the urgent need to address the challenges farmers were facing, including skyrocketing interest rates, mounting debt, plummeting land values, crop and market failures, and policies that were tailor-made to push farmers out of business. Since 1985, Farm Aid has grown into an annual festival that has raised more than $85 million, featured performances by more than 500 artists who generously donated their time and talent and championed policies that support family farms, promote sustainable agriculture and strengthen rural communities.

Farm Aid is heading to Minnesota for the first time for its 40th anniversary festival on Saturday, September 20, at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The event will launch a year-long celebration of four decades of impactful advocacy, historic cultural moments and unforgettable music.

Farm Aid 40 — a full day of music, family farmers, Homegrown food and agricultural experiences — will feature performances by Farm Aid board members Nelson, Young (and the CHROME HEARTS),Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds),and Margo Price, as well as Billy Strings, NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS, TRAMPLED BY TURTLES, WAXAHATCHEE, Eric Burton of BLACK PUMAS, Jesse Welles, Madeline Edwards and more artists to be announced.

During an appearance on the May 12 episode of SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett spoke about the band's plans to return to the road in 2026 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of POISON's debut album, 1986's "Look What The Cat Dragged In". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " We are [still] planning [on going out next year]… We got a great offer, and to be honest with you, it's in [POISON frontman] Bret's [Michaels] lap right now — honestly. So, we're good to go, and hopefully we can make a deal and do it. I think it would be a shame not to do it, because this is our 40th anniversary — all original members. We're not getting any younger. We can tear it up. We've still got it. Let's do it. That's how I feel about it."

Rockett went on to say that the offer he and his bandmates received was for a "headlining" tour and that most of the POISON members have already agreed to do it. "I'm good to go, [and so are bassist Bobby Dall and guitarist C.C. DeVille]. It is [up to Bret at this point]. And that's just being truthful… I mean, as far as I know, we're good to go. There just hasn't been anything solid. I haven't signed anything or anything like that. But it's more than a year away, or about a year away, so we have time. But hey, with the economy, who knows? [Laughs] I just wanna get out there while we can."

After host Eddie Trunk noted that POISON was considered by many fans to have been the highlight of the 2022 "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and Joan Jett, Rikki said: "Well, I really appreciate you saying that, for sure. We had a great run. Everybody was energetic. Everybody can play, everybody can sing. When we get to a point where we can't do those things, then that would be the time to shut it down. We're not gonna play to track. Now, there are some bands that play to track — industrial bands, different types of bands where what they create is impossible to replicate on stage — so I'm not cutting any of those bands down, that that's what they do. But when bands like ours start to like not be able to do what they did before and then they start making up for it by having recorded tracks, that I don't care for. For our band, I don't want that to ever happen. I think it would be so obvious. We're just not built that way. And I don't think our audience would accept it or really respect it if we did it that way. I really don't."

In response to Trunk saying that POISON is doing it "right way" by having a keyboard player and backing vocalist on stage, Will Doughty, who helps fill out the band's sound when POISON performs live, Rikki explained: "When we did those [early POISON] records — you do a record and then you go and do the vocals. Bret does his vocal part. And then we do backgrounds. So we're all standing in front of a mic, and then you can layer it. So then you do another track of all four of you doing background. So it's really full. And you can't really do that live. We tried not to paint ourselves into a corner too much when we were recording those records. And we had some people that go, 'Well, live is live. And studio is studio.' It's, like, yeah, but our thing's always been that we write our songs to be a soundtrack for our live show. So we can do that a little bit, because people expect a sonic level on record, a particular level, but I don't want it to be a letdown, though, then when they see us live; I don't want that either. And so with Will, it's, like, hey, right there he is. We've got a guy helping us out. It's fucking obvious. We just saw this with David Lee Roth [at the M3 Rock Festival]. He's got those background singers. Did anyone mind that they were there? I didn't mind that they were there. I'll tell you what I would've minded — if I was hearing backgrounds come out of nowhere, and I'm going, 'Where the hell did that come from?' And if that's coming out of nowhere, what else is coming out of nowhere?' And I think that's what the audience thinks. I think the audience just thinks, 'Wow, what else are they doing that's pulling the…? Is this whole thing an illusion?' And most of the time it isn't… But anyway, you have to rehearse a little harder to do that — you do — to be able to pull it off, to be able to sing every night, to play your instrument and sing at the same time."

Last December, Michaels told Ethan Dometrius about POISON's 2026 touring plans: "So here's the deal. I go through '25. We're doing a bunch of these big festivals [with my solo band] … So I'm doing a bunch of those. And then 2026, C.C. and Bobby and Rikki, I'm here because of them, because of us having each other's back in the beginning, through the middle, through right now. And it'll be four years since we've toured, since 'The Stadium Tour', together, and we're just hoping to make this absolutely 40 awesome dates, and just putting every, as we do, putting every ounce of energy on that stage and just bringing an absolute party."

Regarding POISON's mindset when performing live, Bret said: "POISON just goes out there. And I say this, that stadium tour, I was so grateful to be on it. And I just hit that thrust and I couldn't stop… I told 'em, I said, 'I can't stop smiling right now. It's ridiculous.' And we just went out there, and we play real live music. We don't mess around. We just give it, thrills and frills and good times."

Speaking specifically about DeVille's skills as a guitar player, Bret said: "I kid you not, and I get it, POISON's had some good parties, some good times, some highs, lows — that's what you go through as a human being and as a musician — but C.C. and Bobby and Rikki, and I like to put myself in there, we grew up just playing real live music, and C.C. can play; that guy can play… And C.C. up there, his tribute [on 'The Stadium Tour'] to Eddie [Van Halen], who was a friend and he loved, I thought it was not only engaging but it was really sincere. He wasn't doing it just to throw it away; he really meant it."

In September 2024, Bret told Arizona Republic about POISON's plan to tour in 2026: "Yeah, that would be incredible. We've just got to work out all the moving parts. But all original members. There's so much planning goes behind that. When I'm out as Bret Michaels, it's simpler because I'm making all the end decisions. When you're in a band like POISON, it's a committee. You go in there, and you figure it out together. You make sure everyone's good. And hopefully, we can make that work in '26."

Asked if things were "good" between him and his POISON bandmates during "The Stadium Tour", Bret said: "Absolutely. I want to be very clear. Other than an occasional throw down fistfight — I'm not making this up — we're like best friends. But there's no gray area. All of a sudden, we'll get in a fistfight. But the next day, we'll go out and play. We'll work it out like a band of brothers. 'The Stadium Tour' was amazing. We were having fun. We didn't get too many soundchecks. We just dealt with what we were given and were grateful to be there. DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY, they were amazing. They played great. But we just came out, and we knew we had one hour at 6 o'clock to go out there and give it everything we had. And it was one of the only stadium tours that from Live Nation's lips to everyone's ears, it was 98 to 100% filled when POISON went on."

Earlier in September, Michaels released a statement via social media in which he said that he was planning to "perform limited shows" in 2025 to focus primarily on his health, "starting with my diabetes which needs a tune-up, not to mention a little R&R." He added that 2026 "would be the perfect" time for a POISON 40th-anniversary tour, "with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs, and rock the world."

Bret's explanation came two days after Rockett revealed on social media that Michaels was no longer interested in touring with POISON in 2025.

On September 10, 2024, the POISON drummer took to his official Facebook page to write: "I keep getting asked multiple times a day, 'Why isn't POISON touring in 2025 now?' Super simple answer, Bret doesn't want to." The following day, Rikki clarified: "People, I never said that Bret is cancelling the 2025 tour. It didn't get booked. I said the reason POISON isn't touring in 2025 is because Bret doesn't want to. Doesn't matter what the reason for him is as far as what I said. I'm simply telling you why so that CC, Bobby or myself doesn't get blamed. It isn't dirt. It isn't a fight. Just the facts, ma'am. Surmise what you want from it. You will anyway!"

More than a year ago, Bret spoke about POISON's plans to regroup for more shows following the band's 2022 participation in "The Stadium Tour" alongside MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and Joan Jett. During a February 25, 2024 question-and-answer session aboard the Rock Legends Cruise XI, he said about his motivation for going back out on the road with POISON after spending most of his time touring with his solo band: "We've known each other since we've been in junior high school… I wouldn't be here without Bobby or Rikki or C.C. And then, as you go along, we've been together a long time — still great friends. If anyone saw 'The Stadium Tour', that was a party. And when you're out there with that DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY and Joan, you're talking A-plus awesomeness. And we just came out and brought it.

"For me, what it is, we do about a couple of years solo, and then we'll go out and do 35 or 40 dates with POISON," he explained. "And we set it up, we schedule it."

POISON's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

In 2018, POISON completed the "Nothin' But A Good Time" tour with CHEAP TRICK and POP EVIL.

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". An album of covers, "Poison'd", followed in 2007.

Danish rock and rollers VOLBEAT — Michael Poulsen (vocals, guitar),Jon Larsen (drums) and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass) — will release their ninth album, "God Of Angels Trust", on June 6 via longtime label Vertigo/Universal. The LP's arrival will coincide with plenty of summer touring on the band's "Greatest Of All Tours Worldwide".

Ahead of the "God Of Angels Trust" release, VOLBEAT has shared the video for the impactful track and the album's third single "Time Will Heal". Watch it below. The track is a supremely catchy, mid-tempo anthem that captures everything you love about VOLBEAT's sound. The visual pairs performance footage with some sanguine-soaked action in a red room. And a G.O.A.T. Literally.

Overall, though, it's an intensely personal track for the band and its frontman.

"Through life, we go through these ups and downs, and sometimes, it's like turning on a switch and it can change from one minute to another," says Poulsen. "We suddenly get in a sad, emotional mood where there just doesn't seem to be a way to see the light or good in anything. But we always find a way to make things good again. I'm good at turning those moments around quickly, but that comes with accepting the good with the bad and using the bad moments to grow and learn instead of letting them bother you more that it should and having your mind manipulate reality. The important thing is to realize that while nothing can be good forever, do not let the dark side of life take over. Have the confidence to know there will be better days ahead when we're dealing with these moments or demons and we're struggling to find anything good in what we're doing."

He pulls the curtain back even further, sharing, "I'm still struggling with the loss of my father. I would say 80 percent of the time I'm coping with the loss and doing well. But then sometimes, I'm falling into these black holes where everything is empty and nothing is fair. I'm so grateful I have kids because when they come into your life, suddenly, everything is not about you. It's about the kids and you can't spend too much of your energy being down because they need you. So, it's been a blessing having kids. It's the best thing that ever happened to me."

With "God Of Angels Trust", the Danish band — which has scored ten No. 1 songs on the Billboard Mainstream Rock airplay chart, the most ever for a band based outside North America — has thrown caution to the wind, ignored comfort zones, and paid little heed to traditional songwriting in the search for something more immediate and surprising. The end result will thrill VOLBEAT's dedicated legion of fans.

"In the past, I've taken a long time to write and obsessed over so many elements of the songs before finishing them," says Poulsen. "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's excitement to thwart convention is palpable throughout "God Of Angels Trust", a punchy, crunchy album that's undeniably VOLBEAT, yet marches to a fresh new metallic and melodic energy.

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

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

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

As impressive as it is that VOLBEAT wrote and recorded an entire album in about five weeks, what's more incredible is that "God Of Angels Trust" sounds as fleshed out, eclectic, and fulfilling as albums that have taken 10 times longer (or more) to create. In the end, creating such a strong album so quickly was a tremendous challenge that demanded Zen-like calm, a joy for exploration, maximal creativity, and razor-sharp concentration to pull off.

"In some ways, it feels like we've come full circle," Poulsen explains. "If you start drawing a circle over an extended period of time, eventually you've going to get back where you started, and that's how I feel now. I've dealt with medical operations, lineup changes, and all these things, and now it feels like a rebirth. It doesn't feel like we're doing our ninth studio album, it feels like we're on our first album again and there's something really refreshing about that."

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 today's newly announced second show at Copenhagen's Royal Arena on September 20.

"God Of Angels Trust" track listing:

01. Devils Are Awake
02. By A Monster's Hand
03. Acid Rain
04. Demonic Depression
05. In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan's Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom
06. Time Will Heal
07. Better Be Fueled Than Tamed
08. At The End Of The Sirens
09. Lonely Fields
10. Enlighten The Disorder (By A Monster's Hand Part 2)

The official music video for "Reach For The Sky", a previously unreleased track recorded during the sessions for RATT's 1984 debut album "Out Of The Cellar", can be seen below. The song was included on limited-edition versions of the "Out Of The Cellar" 40th-anniversary release celebrating RATT's massively successful first studio album, issued last November via BMG, in partnership with Rhino Entertainment.

The "Reach For The Sky" clip was created by award-winning artist Bob East of Art Of Beast LLC, who has worked as a professional for the past 20 years producing animation, illustration and caricatures for feature films, television, web and print.

Formed in Los Angeles, RATT was featured as an unsigned act on Uncle Joe Benson's "Local Licks Drive Time" show on KLOS-FM. This was their first time on radio and led to their signing to Atlantic Records.

Featuring the classic lineup of Stephen Pearcy (vocals),Warren DeMartini (guitars),Robbin Crosby (guitars),Juan Croucier (bass/vocals) and Bobby Blotzer (drums),RATT exploded on to the national scene in 1984 with the release of "Out Of The Cellar".

Featuring an undeniable hook and legendary music video, the lead single "Round And Round" hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Out Of The Cellar" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200 and was certified triple platinum. Two more charting singles followed with "Back For More" and "Wanted Man".

"Out Of The Cellar" became a huge success, and after the album was released, the band went on a world tour, selling out stadiums and arenas worldwide and sharing a stage with acts such as OZZY OSBORNE, IRON MAIDEN, MÖTLEY CRÜE, TWISTED SISTER and more.

This limited edition of "Out Of The Cellar" was released on November 8, 2024 in red-and-black splatter vinyl with a lenticular cover and an additional neon orange 7" with the previously unreleased track "Reach For The Sky", as well as a limited-edition CD format with lenticular cover and unreleased track.

"Out Of The Cellar" 40th-anniversary reissue track listing:

01. Wanted Man (Cristofanilli/Crosby/Pearcy)
02. You're In Trouble (DeMartini/Pearcy/Crosby)
03. Round And Round (DeMartini/Pearcy/Crosby)
04. In Your Direction (Pearcy)
05. She Wants Money (Croucier)
06. Lack Of Communication (Croucier/Pearcy)
07. Back For More (Pearcy/Crosby)
08. The Morning After (DeMartini/Pearcy/Crosby)
09. I'm Insane (Crosby)
10. Scene Of The Crime (Crosby/Croucier)
11. Reach For The Sky (Crosby/Pearcy/Torien) (bonus track)

Also available are brand new limited-edition color vinyl versions of the albums "Reach For The Sky", "Invasion Of Your Privacy", "Detonator" and "Dancing Undercover".

RATT returned in 1985 with its second full-length album, "Invasion Of Your Privacy". Certified double platinum and also reaching No. 7 on the Billboard 200, "Invasion Of Your Privacy" also featured the classics "Lay It Down" (No. 40 on Billboard Hot 100) and "You're In Love".

"Dancing Undercover" followed in 1986 as RATT toured North America with a then-brand new Los Angeles band called POISON as the opening act. Lead single "Dance" hit the Billboard Hot 100 and spawned another music video hit with "Slip Of The Lip", while "Body Talk" was featured in a key scene in the Eddie Murphy film "The Golden Child". "Dancing Undercover" became RATT's third consecutive platinum album and reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200.

1988's "Reach For The Sky" saw RATT return to the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 album charts, peaking at No. 17. Driven by the bluesy hit and MTV favorite "Way Cool Jr.", "Reach For The Sky" was also certified platinum and became RATT's fourth album in a row to move well over a million copies. "I Want A Woman" was also a successful single and the video captured the excitement and energy of RATT live.

RATT released its last full-length record of the Atlantic era, "Detonator", in 1990. Music was changing, but "Detonator" was still a success, peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and going gold. It was the first RATT album to feature major outside songwriting contributions (Desmond Child, Diane Warren) and guests (Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Schenker). Lead single "Lovin' You's A Dirty Job" hit No. 18 on the rock chart while the power ballad "Giving Yourself Away" reached No. 39.

In 1991, they released the single "Nobody Rides For Free" from the hit film "Point Break", starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.

Hailing from Forth Worth, Texas, FUGITIVE features guitarist and bandleader Blake Ibanez and vocalist Seth Gilmore, who have been pulling double duty by globally selling out shows with both POWER TRIP and FUGITIVE throughout 2024. With FUGITIVE, Ibanez offers up even more of the tectonic plate-shifting aggression he's become known for.

FUGITIVE introduced itself and immediately grabbed the metal scene by the throat with 2022's self-released "Maniac" EP and its two-track follow-up, featuring "Blast Furnace".

Today, the band has announced its signing with Blue Grape Music and has released a new track, the thoroughly crushing "Spheres Of Virulence".

Produced by Ibanez and mixed by Tom Dalgety, the track is the first taste of new music from FUGITIVE since 2023 — and it was well worth the wait.

If you like classic, '80s-era METALLICA and OBITUARY, then you're going to flock to FUGITIVE.

A new video from director Raul Vela IV is coming soon.

More music is expected later this year, with details to be revealed in due course.

FUGITIVE will hit the road this July as part of the "Summer Slaughter" tour, featuring HATEBREED, GRIDIRON, MALEVOLENCE and more.

FUGITIVE is:

Seth Gilmore - Vocals
Blake Ibanez - Guitar
Victor Gutierrez - Guitar
Andy Messer - Bass
Lincoln Mullins - Drums

In 2022, industry veterans David Rath and Cees Wessels formed Blue Grape Music. The name will be familiar to rock music fans, as it was the merchandise company also launched by Wessels, who founded the venerable and esteemed record label Roadrunner Records in the '80s. Rath spent 21 years in the A&R department at Roadrunner, working on albums by a variety of RIAA-certified and culturally important acts, including but not limited to SLIPKNOT, KORN, TURNSTILE, GOJIRA, COHEED AND CAMBRIA, WHITE REAPER, SLASH, TRIVIUM, DREAM THEATER and more. When the label changed management and ownership, Rath guided the company and oversaw the signings of bands like YOUNG THE GIANT and VANCE JOY. Ultimately, the Blue Grape executive team is powered by experience and a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-your-hands-dirty, by-any-means-necessary work ethic. Having just announced the signing of Texas thrash heavyweights FUGITIVE, Blue Grape's inaugural signing was the two-time Grammy nominee CODE ORANGE and since then, the label has gone on to sign an array of rock, metal, and hardcore acts that include SPIRITUAL CRAMP, SUPERHEAVEN, GEL, GRIDIRON, DOFLAME, BIKE ROUTES, SILLY GOOSE, GASKET and HEAVY//HITTER, with several new signing announcements expected this year. Blue Grape Music is distributed globally by The Orchard.

Photo credit: Shirley Salinas

Multi-platinum hard rock powerhouse FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the release of "Best Of - Volume 1", a collection of re-recorded versions of their most iconic chart-topping songs. This move comes in response to the recent sale of the band's original master recordings by their former label, an action made without their knowledge or the opportunity to reclaim their own work.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's founding guitarist Zoltan Bathory says: "We would have loved to have a shot at reclaiming our masters, or at least to be involved in the transaction but we found out after the fact. Surprised, but not surprised. These kinds of behind closed doors deals have become far too common in the music industry. Labels buy, sell or trade artist's work without their knowledge or consent, reducing them to soulless commodities. But life is a chess game so when this happened to Taylor Swift, she responded by re-recording her catalog. After that respectably bold move, her fans switched to streaming the new version out of protest and loyalty. We have one of the most hardcore and loyal fan bases on the planet so I know our fans will do the same."

Coincidentally, this year marks FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's 20th anniversary, and they were already thinking about how to commemorate two decades worth of music, so when this curveball was thrown, they chose to turn it into something positive and powerful. The idea of a remix or remaster wasn't enough, so the band created a completely re-recorded 2025 edition to honor the songs and the fans who have made them matter by being with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH every step of the way.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH emphasized their respect for the original recordings and the people they made them with but are also excited to breathe new life into fan favorites like "The Bleeding", "Bad Company" and "Wrong Side Of Heaven" and to share this new chapter with fans around the world.

The first offering from the 20th-anniversary edition, in a poetic coincidence, happens to be titled "I Refuse", a fan favorite that was always meant to be a single. This reimagined, re-recorded version of "I Refuse", now features guest vocals from Maria Brink of IN THIS MOMENT.

With over 12 billion streams, numerous No. 1 hits under their belt and multiple gold and platinum certifications, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has firmly cemented their place as one of the most successful rock acts of the 21st century. "20 Years Of Five Finger Death Punch (Best Of - Volume 1)", released via Better Noise Music, is available now for pre-order. The collection includes 14 re-recorded hits — including smash singles like "Wrong Side Of Heaven", "Jekyll And Hyde" and "Bad Company" — alongside three bonus live recordings: "Trouble", "Welcome To The Circus" and "The Bleeding".

"Best Of - Volume 1" will be available across all streaming platforms on July 18, 2025, and will also be released worldwide in physical CD and vinyl formats. Fans can choose from a variety of configurations, including a standard CD and a Walmart exclusive CD. The vinyl edition will be offered in several collectible versions, such as a standard vinyl, Walmart exclusive, Best Buy exclusive, a special FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH web store edition, an indie retail exclusive, and a limited edition through Revolver magazine. A special-edition merchandise collection to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary is also available now in the band's official webstore.

"Best Of - Volume 1" track listing

01. Under And Over It (2025 Version)
02. Wash It All Away (2025 Version)
03. Battle Born (2025 Version)
04. I Refuse (feat. Maria Brink of In This Moment) (2025 Version)
05. Jekyll And Hyde (2025 Version)
06. Wrong Side Of Heaven (2025 Version)
07. Lift Me Up (2025 Version)
08. Far From Home (2025 Version)
09. Bad Company (2025 Version)
10. House Of The Rising Sun (2025 Version)
11. Gone Away (2025 Version)
12. Remember Everything (2025 Version)
13. Coming Down (2025 Version)
14. The Bleeding (2025 Version)
15. Trouble (Live)
16. Welcome To The Circus (Live)
17. The Bleeding (Live)

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has held firmly to a top three position on the Billboard Hard Rock charts for the last five years and amassed a record-setting 11 billboard mainstream rock airplay #1s in a row, the longest run of leading consecutive entries in the history of Mainstream Rock Airplay. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has 28 top 10 hit singles and 16 Active Rock No. 1 singles to its name, and the band has released nine consecutive studio albums since 2007, seven of which were certified gold or platinum by the RIAA, as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums.

Photo credit: Chad Martel

EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee and Grammy-nominated singer Halsey performed their collaborative song "Hand That Feeds" live for the first time when EVANESCENCE supported Halsey at her show last night (Wednesday, May 14) at the famed Hollywood Bowl. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

"Hand That Feeds" is taken from the new John Wick spin-off movie "Ballerina", which is due in theaters on June 6. The film marks the first big-screen spinoff for the popular "Wick" series. It stars Ana de Armas as Eve, an assassin seeking revenge on the people who killed her family.

When "Hand That Feeds" was first announced on May 6, Lee took to her social media to write: "So thrilled to bring you a new song, 'Hand That Feeds' with Halsey. We've been fans of each other's work for a long time and it really feels like the universe pulled us together for this moment. We already had the Hollywood Bowl show in place when Lionsgate invited us to work on a song for the Ballerina Movie together, and it's finally time to serve it UP! Cannot wait for you all to hear!!"

In a text message to fans, Halsey shared a snippet of "Hand That Feeds", writing in an accompanying message: "I really hope I see some of you guys on the For My Last Trick tour. Here is something to hold you over … (the answer is yes, I am freaking out about it)."

Halsey has reportedly been a fan of EVANESCENCE since childhood. When promoting her 2024 album "The Great Impersonator", Halsey dressed up as 18 of her musical heroes, one of whom was Lee. Recreating the EVANESCENCE "Fallen" album cover, Halsey wrote on Instagram that Lee was her "OG dark rock queen". Halsey also shared a childhood photo in which she sported an EVANESCENCE t-shirt. "I wore that shirt into the ground," she wrote.

Directed by Len Wiseman, "Ballerina" is produced by John Wick's Chad Stahelski and features performances from Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves alongside de Armas.

EVANESCENCE last released new music in March, with the arrival of the song "Afterlife" for the Netflix series "Devil May Cry". The track, which was co-written by critically acclaimed producer, songwriter and musician Alex Seaver, professionally known as Mako, and Lee, was performed live for the first time last night during the Hollywood Bowl show (see video below).

Delivering a number of dynamic rock hits over the last two decades, EVANESCENCE recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its landmark debut album, "Fallen", originally released in 2003. They recognized the milestone with a special anniversary edition of the smash album, which spawned gigantic rock hits like "Bring Me To Life", "Going Under" and "My Immortal", kickstarting a thriving career they're still carrying out today.

To date, EVANESCENCE has released a total of five studio albums, including the multi-platinum "The Open Door" (2004) and "Evanescence" (2011),both of which topped the Billboard 200. In 2021, the band thrilled fans with their first album of new material in a decade, "The Bitter Truth". Now 20 years on, EVANESCENCE continues to scale new heights. Featuring a lineup of Amy Lee (vocals, keyboards),Tim McCord (guitar/bass),Will Hunt (drums),Troy McLawhorn (guitars) and Emma Anzai (bass, backing vocals),the band continues to travel the globe, staging some of the most successful shows of their career, having wrapped a run of sold-out shows in Latin America, including Allianz Parque, a soccer stadium in Sāo Paulo, Brazil, which was the biggest headline show of EVANESCENCE's career to date, drawing 40,000 fans.

Shortly following its release in March 2021, "The Bitter Truth" rose to the top of the iTunes Album charts in 22 countries and also landed the top spot on Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums chart.

EVANESCENCE first topped the Hard Rock Albums chart in October 2011 with its self-titled effort. The album stayed atop the list for three weeks.

"The Bitter Truth" was recorded during the pandemic and confronted the dark realities of the world head-on. Yet its resounding message was one of light: pushing through is better than giving up.

We are so excited to be joining Halsey at her Hollywood Bowl show on May 14th! The signup for the Ticketmaster presale...

Posted by Evanescence on Thursday, February 13, 2025

In a new interview with Markus Brandstetter of Rolling Stone Germany, GHOST leader Tobias Forge was asked if religion played a "big part" in his upbringing. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yes, but not in the traditional sense… We all know people who grew up in religious homes, or maybe in times where religion was more part of the mainframe. However, I grew up with religion from a cultural aspect because my mom is just a very cultural person and very interested in art and films. And so there was a natural sort of influx of more the cultural aspect of…"

He continued: "Whenever we were traveling someplace, we would always go to a church — not for religious reasons, [but] because of cultural reasons, for the artwork, like a museum. And as an imaginative kid, of course I was interested in the fairytale aspect of it. It was almost from an Indiana Jones point of view, because it was magic. But that was a positive thing. That felt historical, that felt magical, that felt ancient and cool. And then the other aspect of it was people in my vicinity that were religious who weren't necessarily very nice, or at least I didn't find them to be very pleasant. And one of them was my teacher in first and second grade. This was late '80s, and she was probably around retirement age at the time. So, she was born in, like, 1915 or something, or '20. I don't know. I don't remember. But she was very much like an old-school disciplinarian — very unmodern, mean. Everybody hated her. And even before I started school, just because in my kindergarten, there was a lot of kids who, who were older and they were, like, 'Yeah, you're gonna end up in her class. She's a real bitch.' So it was sort of served that way as well, and as soon as I started, we immediately clashed. And I remember her so clearly telling — I mean, anybody who was in my class might say that, 'Oh, she never said that,' but I remember clearly that she was, like, 'Had this just been a few years ago, I could have hit you.' And she was, like, 'Back in in the day — it was not very far, very long ago — I would've been allowed to hit you kids.' And you could really tell that she wanted to be that sort of physical disciplinarian. And you can argue maybe that maybe someone like me deserved it. I was very stuck up. I didn't like authoritarian people when I was a kid, so I didn't like it at all. And she was very deeply religious."

Forge added: "As my memory of it, and this might go against what anybody else's memory of it was, but there was a lot of singing psalms, or hymns, and there was a lot of biblical… I think she went off course in the amount of biblical study that we did. On the other hand, that served also my interest in history. So it wasn't like a waste, but she was definitely like an embodiment of, to me, the paradox of her self-proclaimed representing the good side and she was actually evil. She was mean and petty and bitter and represented negativity and regression, and I'd say that skewed me a lot. But I definitely, obviously fell out of favor of her. And then that sort of continued throughout school. We had another [teacher]… When I started seventh grade — I don't know to whatever extent she was religious, but she was definitely a righteous woman and she hated me. And this was right when I was in my most blooming satanic adolescent, 13-year-old kid. And I came into her class and she was, like… I know afterwards, because when my kids started school, for a brief time they actually went to the same school that I attended in seventh grade, and they had the same teacher as I had at the time, and he [told me], like, 'She was really mean to you.' 'Oh, that was not just in my head?' He was, like, 'No. She went around to other teachers trying to color their perception of you and how she wanted you to fail.' But I was very, very opinionated and I tried to diminish her thing with the class. I was the sort of kid that that would stand up in the middle of class and, like, 'Nobody here likes you. You're just a dumb cow.' [Laughs] So I was also a little shit. But as a kid and a teenager, I was in constant sort of collision with the world. I also have a great respect thinking about my own role in it. But if I wanna give myself a little slack, I would say that had I had nicer teachers, it would've been better. There are definitely others that I knew that had other teachers — had I been in their classes, I probably would've succeeded better. Succeeded with what? Things turned out okay. So it's, like, it's fine. But, yeah, that's the short answer to your question."

Forge previously spoke about religion while discussing GHOST's cover of GENESIS's 1992 song "Jesus He Knows Me". He told Australia's The Music at the time about the song's subject matter — a satirical look at televangelism: "It's frighteningly horrible. It's easy not to laugh about the accuracy in which Phil Collins wrote a lyric that ten years ago felt almost dated, even outdated, which now feels so contemporary and important."

He continued: "When we started touring America, I was asked so many times, 'Do you have a problem with the Christian fundamentalists or picket fencers or any of that stuff?' I was, like, 'No, never.' Like, there seems to be a sort of undercurrent of that stuff over there. I didn't see that, we were all over the place, even in the South, and definitely a lot in the heartland.

"My impression of those cities is just wonderful — a lot of nice people who come to rock shows, and they're super friendly, and everything is just fucking dandy," he added. "And then, obviously, the last five or six years, the people are still the same, I still feel that they're in the same climate. But obviously, parallel to that, there is this complete Flat Earth cult that has just decided to throw in the towel. I don't know what their aim is."

Referencing the fact that some televangelists ask people to give cash to earn financial favor from God, Forge said: "I cannot neglect to underline the fact that the followers, they are people who don't know better. I pity them — they are being used and humiliated and the leaders are just completely exploiting them. The exchange is supposed to be: 'Give me money, and I will give you the past back'. Look, I'm a nostalgic person as well. I wish it was 1985, too, believe me. But if anyone would come to me and say that, 'If you pay me $1 or $10 — anything you can spare — and I will give you 1985 back,' I would know you're lying. You're obviously lying. You're obviously telling me something that is not true. But yeah, such is the world now.

"You never reach the status quo. Unfortunately, the pendulum swings and sometimes you're in the shitter and sometimes the opposite side, that's how it's always been," he said. "That's the horrid thing about the shit that they're trying to sell you, especially when they're trying to sell it as some sort of religion sandwich because they're telling you that the world is linear, and time is linear. In this case, they're talking about heaven or hell. That is not how it really works. Everything else in this world is circular. So why wouldn't that also be circular? That's the true essence of evil — tricking people into believing something in order to get something out of them and trying to sell them salvation."

Earlier this month, GHOST's new studio album, "Skeletá", landed at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 86,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the LP's first week of release. 89% of that figure (77,000) consisted of traditional album sales, with vinyl purchases accounting for over 44,000 copies. Notably, "Skeletá" was the first hard rock album to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 since AC/DC's "Power Up" in 2020, according to Billboard.com.

"Skeletá" arrived on April 25 via Loma Vista Recordings.

Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle". In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the character who fronted the act for its "Impera" (2022) album phase.

The European leg of GHOST's 2025 world tour kicked off on April 15 in Manchester, United Kingdom and will conclude on May 24 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour will launch on July 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and wrap up on August 16 in Houston, Texas.

CANDLEMASS leader Leif Edling has reiterated that the band's upcoming reunion concert with Messiah Marcolin will be a one-off event, with no chance of further dates being added.

As previously reported, Messiah will front CANDLEMASS for an appearance at this year's edition of the Rock Hard Festival Greece, slated for September 12-13, 2025 in Athens, Greece. It will mark Marcolin's first performance with CANDLEMASS in nearly 20 years.

In a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, Edling stated about CANDLEMASS's upcoming concert with Messiah (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it feels great. And we [are celebrating CANDLEMASS's] 40-year anniversary with many happenings, so this is one of the happenings that we have. So we have a special EP out with a couple of tracks, and we will have a special line of merchandise out. And we will do special shows in Sweden, and we will also do the thing with Messiah Marcolin in Athens. So there's several ways we can celebrate. We put a lot of old photos up on social media right now, for example, and I think there's a documentary about CANDLEMASS being filmed during the year as well. So, we celebrate in many ways."

Regarding the possibility of more concerts with Messiah being added, Leif said: "Yeah, it will be a one-off show. Absolutely. And we have no recording plans, we have no reunion plans. There are no plans whatsoever but just one show and one show only. So that's the entire thought behind it. Go down to Greece where we have a lot of true fans, loyal fans, and have a blast. Play a great show and enjoy ourselves for the 40-year anniversary's sake. Not many bands survive to have a 40-year anniversary. So we feel very lucky that we have managed to survive this long."

Asked if he sees the upcoming concert in Athens as "the perfect closure" of CANDLEMASS's chapter with Messiah, Leif said: "I think we had a closure, like, 20 years ago, actually. [Laughs] I mean, we didn't know that we would survive one year after Messiah left. And we didn't know that we would be playing 20 years after. So this is a bonus. And it's a bonus for all the people that would like to see us live with Messiah. So why not? Let's do it. Let's have fun for an evening in Athens."

On the topic of the setlist for the Rock Hard concert, Edling said: "I think we'll do the classics with a couple of surprises. So, I'm sure people will enjoy the setlist that we are discussing right now, actually. But I don't wanna give anything away right now. Let it be a surprise. So I don't think anybody will be disappointed. That I can say."

During the chat, Leif also reflected on some of the "biggest challenges" CANDLEMASS's career, particularly in the first couple of decades of the band's existence. He said: "Well, difficult times — I guess it was when Messiah left the first time, and also the second time. It's not easy for a band to recover after that. We had quite a few changes of singers, and every time you make a singer replacement, you go through a difficult time. But it's been 40 years, so I think it's also kind of a natural thing, when you have such a long career. So, I don't think of it as we have a band with a lot of problems or anything. I mean, if you change a singer every eight years or whatever, I think that's quite natural that some members come and go. If it's not the singer, maybe it's the guitar player or the bass player or the drummer. So this happens in every band on the planet — they change the personnel. But we have four people playing for 40 years together — me, Jan [Lindh, drums], Mats [Björkman, guitar] and Lars [Johansson, guitar]. And now we have Johan [Längqvist, vocals] back in the band, and it's fucking fantastic. So I think we are very lucky to have survived these 40 years, and we are lucky enough to still be regarded as a headliner band or co-headliner band. And we play great shows for a lot of people. And every gig we play, we have all the hands in the air and people are cheering. So it makes me feel fucking fantastic every time, because you still attract people, you still make people happy with your music. That's absolutely fantastic."

In a recent interview with Finland's Chaoszine, Längqvist (a.k.a. Johan Langquist) was asked if he will be a part of CANDLEMASS's upcoming performance featuring Messiah. He responded: "No, I'm not a part of that performance, because the Greeks, they loved CANDLEMASS from the very beginning, and we are very popular in Greece. And I think the reason is because [Messiah] has a part of their history, the music listeners in Greece. So I do respect they wanted us to do a gig with Messiah."

Johan continued: "What can I say? I wish him the best. And he was a character in the band and we've actually met two nights together, partying together. And I wish him the best. I hope they're gonna make a great show down there. Yeah, that's it."

As the godfathers of epic doom metal, CANDLEMASS defined the genre with releases such as "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" (1986) and "Nightfall" (1987). Through their evil riffs, crushing rhythmic attack and dramatic vocals, they changed the landscape of metal worldwide. Led by Edling, CANDLEMASS reunited with Längqvist in 2018, 32 years after the singer performed on "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus".

Längqvist originally exited CANDLEMASS after "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" and was replaced by Marcolin.

Marcolin exited CANDLEMASS for the presumably final time in 2006, one year after the release of the band's self-titled album. He was later replaced by Robert Lowe (SOLITUDE AETURNUS),who sang on the band's "King Of The Grey Islands" (2007),"Death Magic Doom" (2009) and "Psalms For The Dead" (2012) LPs. CANDLEMASS's frontman between 2012 and 2018 was Mats Levén, who previously recorded and toured with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and THERION. Seven years ago, CANDLEMASS fired Levén and rehired Längqvist.

Back in October 2022, Messiah and longtime CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman joined Canadian metallers ANVIL on stage at the Slaktkyrkan venue in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the classic ANVIL song "Metal On Metal". The event marked the first time in 16 years that the two musicians performed together.

CANDLEMASS's new EP, "Black Star", came out on May 9 via Napalm Records.

Johan's solo project JOHAN LANGQUIST THE CASTLE will release its self-titled debut album on CD and vinyl on June 27 via I Hate Records. The record was initially made available digitally without a label in 2024.

Photo credit: Linda Åkerberg