Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have recruited Canadian musician Nick Johnston as their fill-in guitarist for their spring 2025 North American tour, which launched Thursday night (May 8) at The Factory in Chesterfield, Missouri. Johnston has stepped in following the departure of longtime MASTODON guitarist Brent Hinds earlier this year.

When MASTODON performed at the Tool In The Sand festival in March, the band hired YouTuber and session musician Ben Eller to play second guitar.

MASTODON is scheduled to perform next at the Sonic Temple festival today (May 9) in Columbus, Ohio, before launching a co-headlining U.S. tour with COHEED AND CAMBRIA on Saturday (May 10) in Salem, Virginia.

Hailing from Toronto, Nick is known for his catchy, melody-driven instrumental music. With his guitar, Nick has been able to carve out his own unique style within a crowded landscape of instrumental guitarists. Nick is a firm believer that "you are what you eat" and that by listening to many different styles, a songwriter can be exposed to different harmonies, rhythms, time signatures and tones. This eclectic inspiration is evident in his sound, which ranges from blues to prog, to jazz, to gypsy, spanning anything and everything in-between. Though his style is ever evolving, his music is consistently detailed and technical while managing to be instantly recognizable as Nick Johnston.

Last year, Johnston released his seventh album, "Child Of Bliss".

Since 2000, Hinds had served as lead guitarist and vocalist for MASTODON, alongside bassist/singer Troy Sanders, drummer Brann Dailor, and guitarist Bill Kelliher.

MASTODON's lineup had remained the same for 25 years, recording eight studio albums, beginning with 2002's "Remission" until the band's latest LP, 2021's "Hushed And Grim".

When MASTODON announced Brent's departure from the band on March 7, they wrote in a statement: "Friends and Fans, After 25 monumental years together, MASTODON and Brent Hinds have mutually decided to part ways.

"We're deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we've shared and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors.

"We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter of MASTODON. As we move forward, all 2025 touring plans will remain intact. We look forward to seeing you on the road."

MASTODON has had nine Billboard 200-charting albums and has been nominated for a Grammy Award six times. The band won a "Best Metal Performance" Grammy for "Sultan's Curse" in 2018.

MASTODON's latest album, "Hushed And Grim", was a double LP recorded at the band's Atlanta studio, West End Sound.

In December, MASTODON and COHEED AND CAMBRIA announced "The Infinite Arc" tour with special guests PERIPHERY. Produced by Live Nation and FPC Live, the 20-city trek will cover the East Coast and Midwest before wrapping up in Waukee, Iowa on June 8.

Kelliher told Guitar World about Hinds's exit: "What can you say about the legacy of MASTODON's first 25 years with Brent? It's been a fun, wild fucking ride, that's for sure. We achieved a lot of things that I never in a million years would have imagined. There's been Grammys, touring with our heroes, like IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD and TOOL. I cherish all of that.

"Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart, and they get interested in other things," he explained. "We wish nothing but the best for Brent in chasing his dreams."

Touching upon the musical and personal chemistry between MASTODON's longtime members, Bill said: "You know, it's amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us. I mean, it's like being married to three other dudes, traveling the world, trying to stay the course, and having everybody agree. That we managed to do it this long, I feel like that's a feat in itself. You could never replace any of us because we [are the] the sum of four parts. That doesn't mean there's not someone else out there that has stuff to offer in a new direction. I think I'll just leave it there, you know? It was a hard decision we all had to make. It's just… it was just time."

Photo courtesy of Hold Tight

PRIMAL FEAR's new lineup made its live debut Friday (May 9) at the 2025 edition of the Rock In Rautheim festival in Braunschweig, Germany. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Joining Mat Sinner (bass, vocals) and Ralf Scheepers (vocals) in PRIMAL FEAR's current lineup are the band's latest additions, Italian/Cuban sensation Thalìa Bellazecca (ANGUS MCSIX, ex-FROZEN CROWN) on guitar and André Hilgers (AXXIS, RAGE, SILENT FORCE, SINNER, BONFIRE) on drums. Also appearing with the group is Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who has been primarily a studio member of the band for much of the past decade but who has now rejoined PRIMAL FEAR's touring lineup.

Sinner (a.k.a. Matthias Lasch),who also serves as PRIMAL FEAR's producer, reportedly suffered an extreme adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccination in 2021 and received treatment for eight months at various hospitals. As a result of Sinner's health challenges, PRIMAL FEAR canceled all of its planned shows in 2021 and 2022, eventually recruiting Alex Jansen as Mat's temporary replacement.

A few days prior to the Rock In Rautheim gig, Sinner took to his social media to write: "Five years ago, I played my last show with Alice Cooper in Berlin (Rock Meets Classic). Shortly after this show I was declared dead, but doctors brought me back to life. As I was lying paralyzed in my bed, one of my 3 targets was that one day I want to be back rocking on a stage again. Now, 5 years later I'm 75% recovered, 5 years sober, and I will play a show with my beloved PRIMAL FEAR again on Friday evening, supported by some of the best guys I can imagine. Don't expect me jumping around like a young guy, but for sure I will give 200%. And can you imagine my feelings when we will play our classic songs again? Keep your fingers crossed and have a great new week."

PRIMAL FEAR will release its new album, "Domination", on September 5 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The LP's first single, "Far Away", was made available late last month.

"Domination" was recorded in autumn 2024, produced by Sinner and co-produced by Scheepers as well as Karlsson. Rounded off by multiple PRIMAL FEAR mixing/mastering engineer Jacob Hansen at his own studios in Denmark, the album artwork was designed by Death.Milk.Designs.

Warming up at five select summer festivals, PRIMAL FEAR will return to the live front with its longest European tour since 2018. Reigning Phoenix Music labelmates ELEINE have been confirmed as special guests.

In August 2024, guitarists Alex Beyrodt and Tom Naumann, drummer Michael Ehré and bassist Alex Jansen announced their departures from PRIMAL FEAR, writing in a statement: "Dear fans and friends of PRIMAL FEAR, we unfortunately have to inform you today that Alex Beyrodt, Tom Naumann, Michael Ehré and Alex Jansen, who helped us on bass for the last two years, are no longer part of the band PRIMAL FEAR. Triggered by decisions within the band that we do not agree with, this step was anything but easy for us to take. We would like to make it clear that despite the differences of opinion, there was no argument or bad blood.

"We would like to thank you for the time we spent together, the numerous albums, the tours, shows and festivals that have taken us around the world together, and of course for the love of the fans. We wish Mat and Ralf all the best for the future!"

Formed by Sinner in 1997 as an outlet for Scheepers (who had left GAMMA RAY and was a rumored candidate for the then-open JUDAS PRIEST vocal spot, but was considering early retirement from metal),PRIMAL FEAR has emerged as one of the most consistent European metal bands, rarely straying from its core PRIEST-styled power metal sound.

PRIMAL FEAR 2025 is:

Ralf Scheepers - vocals
Mat Sinner - bass, vocals
Magnus Karlsson - guitars
Thalìa Bellazecca - guitars
André Hilgers - drums

After their March 5 acoustic performance at Los Angeles's Grammy Museum, SMITH/KOTZEN principals Richie Kotzen and Adrian Smith were interviewed by FOZZY frontman and professional wrestler Chris Jericho. Professionally filmed video of the event can be seen below.

Featured songs:

* Glory Road 0:00
Interview Part 1 4:54
* Solar Fire 7:41
Interview Part 2 13:13
* Scars 17:09

Some excerpts from the interview appear below.

On the origins of SMITH/KOTZEN:

Adrian: "I always feel weird saying this, but actually, my wife met Richie in a bar. It was perfectly innocent, Richie assures me. She was a fan of his music. I'd heard [his] album 'Mother's Head Family Reunion'. I thought it was fantastic, but it was quite a few years ago, and he'd sort of dropped off our radar. Then my wife said, 'Have you seen what Richie's doing lately?', and I checked it out. It was fantastic. I moved to L.A. part-time about 15 years ago, and almost 10 years ago, Richie and I became friends. We used to jam at my house — in a little room, we'd play BAD COMPANY, Stevie Ray [Vaughan], anything just for a laugh. And then my missus said, 'Why don't you guys write together?' I wouldn't have thought that – I mean, this guy does it all, but the combination is unusual. But it works. I'm happy to be involved in it. It's been very productive. We write very easily — the writing, it just flows. [We want to] keep this music alive."

On their shared influences:

Adrian: "In the early '70s, in my mid-teens, I was really open to this music I discovered — DEEP PURPLE, HUMBLE PIE, [and] later on, FREE, BAD COMPANY. That's music I grew up with, and it stays in your blood. It makes such an incredible impression on you when you're a kid — you hear it, and it just knocks you sideways. Having said that, Richie's got his own influences... but we take that basic sort of spirit, and then make it into a song that you can remember, not just a riff played over and over again. You try make a song out of it that's got some substance."

Richie: "I think that's what connects [us] — Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, HUMBLE PIE, FREE, BAD COMPANY, Paul Rodgers, early Rod Stewart. Personally, I kind of delve a little into the jazz/fusion world — I played with Stanley Clarke for a while, and I'm a big fan of that style. George Benson was my first concert I ever saw, and that floored me. To me, he's the greatest guitar player ever. Shortly after that, I saw Stevie Wonder… that had a big impact on me. Then on the other side of the coin, when I was very young, [I discovered] IRON MAIDEN… Every morning before school when I was little, 'Woe to you…' [the intro of 'The Number Of The Beast'] would echo throughout the house as I got dressed."

On whether it's unusual for Kotzen to share the spotlight with another guitarist:

Richie: "It's a nice departure. It's like, you take a break from yourself, and it's nice to kind of lay back and support someone singing. I come from the school as a musician that if there's vocals [and] if there's singing, everything is designed and built to support the singer, the vocal. That's the focal point. If there's no singer, if it's instrumental music, then everything is built and designed to support either the soloist or saxophone or whatever it is, or the melody. In this instance, I kind of adopt that philosophy — to support Adrian when he's singing [and] make sure whatever I'm doing complements what he's doing, and if he's going to take a solo, the key to it is to listen. A lot of times, what happens with a lot of rock musicians, they get on stage and figure, 'Well, I'm just gonna do me, and I'm going to just play all this shit that I learned how to play. I'm going to fit it in where I can,' and that's not real musical. We both listen to each other, [and] we respond as a conversation. It's a creative conversation, and it's very rewarding…

"I have a lot more experience playing in a trio. I'm very comfortable with it. The dynamic of the improvisation element is what attracts me to it, because it's easy for three guys to kind of play off of each other and create on the spot, so the music kind of reflects that. [SMITH/KOTZEN] is different, because in a sense there's more structure. [Adrian] and I work out a lot of things that we're going to play together and how we fit together. It's hard to compare and contrast, because it really is two different animals. It's two different hats. But I love what we're doing, so I don't want to compare one to the other. They're different – not better or worse, just different."

On how making SMITH/KOTZEN albums differs from making albums with IRON MAIDEN:

Adrian: "MAIDEN these days, we record live in the studio. We don't even rehearse – someone brings a song in; we play it a few times; and the producer goes, 'I think I've got that.' With Richie, we sit down, the two of us, in a room. There's no producer – there's nobody, just us. And we build the song from scratch, from a demo usually – and we just build it, and build it, and build it until that will turn into the master that you hear, but it started life as something on one of our hard drives. It's great – you can go at your own pace. I think for this [new] album, we wrote six songs two years ago, then we had a break because we were busy, and then we came back and said, 'Well, what do we need? We need a fast one; we need a ballad.' And then we just finished it off."

On whether they scaled down their expectations when launching a side project together:

Adrian: "I didn't really think beyond just doing it for the satisfaction of doing it, although as it sort of developed, I thought, 'Well, maybe this has got some legs.' I've done a lot of stuff in the past, and I just haven't really followed through with it as strongly as I should have, but this one, I was so pleased with it, I thought, 'You should go get this out there. I think people would enjoy it.'

Richie: "I don't really think very much beyond what I'm working on in that moment. When Adrian and I were writing together, I didn't have any kind of expectations beyond, like, 'Let's just finish the song that we're working on,' and once we had a collection of songs that we liked, it became, 'Wow, let's release it – let's make a record.' I don't really step outside myself and analyze too much, like, 'Oh, I'm playing for 200 people,' or, 'I'm playing for a thousand people,' or this or that – I do the music because I love making music, so that's the only real thing I focus on, and if there's a gig to be done, to make sure I'm prepared."

SMITH/KOTZEN's second album, "Black Light/White Noise", was released via BMG on April 4.

In a new interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, the members of the iconic British rock band DEEP PURPLE were asked how it feels to be "a  bridge between generations". Drummer Ian Paice responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Kids are still listening to rock roll. It doesn't matter what sort of rock and roll. It's all related to what we did and where we got it from, but it's still rock and roll. You can put different names to it. The music, obviously, evolves, it changes, but it's still very closely related. So I think that's the connection. And the generation we came from, where for kids music was the only thing — not the most important [thing]; it was the only thing… Nobody had money, nobody had a car, no computers, no phones. Money, it was nothing. Music was your everything. And I think over the last couple of generations, kids do more things — they have more wealth, they have more toys to play with. But those bands that are still here from that generation still can teach a lot of the younger musicians what's important. And I don't mean by sitting down and learning — just by listening and watching. And I think that's the connection for younger musicians. They see something which, for us, was natural and for them has to be sort of learned. And the only way you learn is by watching and listening. So that's the connection."

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "=1", came out in July 2024 via earMUSIC.

There simply aren't enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution DEEP PURPLE has made to rock music. Having sold more than 100 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there's little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the "Fifth Most Influential Band Ever". The band as also presented the "Legend Award" at the 2008 World Music Awards and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016. DEEP PURPLE truly are "rock royalty".

With a body of work spanning seven decades, DEEP PURPLE has helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band's inception. The celebrated MKII line up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore was responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early 1970s, including "Made In Japan", universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.

Known as one of the hardest-working bands ever, DEEP PURPLE has continued to release No. 1 albums and tour globally since forming in 1968, with little rest. In 2007 (almost 40 years after being formed),the band performed 40 dates in France to an award-winning audience, and they continue to spend much of their year on the road selling out arenas across the globe.

DEEP PURPLE has stayed true to its musical roots taking from an eclectic mix of styles to create a distinctive sound that defines the band today, but which in turn, has created a legacy that very few bands could ever hope to replicate. The band has written and produced so many "classic," well-known songs, that its audience range widely in age and background — something the band has readily embraced.

DEEP PURPLE's recent studio album "Whoosh!" (2020),followed their worldwide chart-topping albums "Infinite" (2017) and "NOW What?!" (2013). 2024 saw the release of their brand-new album "=1". On all albums, DEEP PURPLE joined forces with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of KISS, PINK FLOYD, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper.

Furthering their collaboration with Ezrin, in 2021 and during the pandemic the band recorded a collection of cover songs from their own homes (normal for most bands nowadays, revolutionary for a band that records everything together in the studio),creating an eclectic and celebratory history of their roots in music, in the shape of "Turning To Crime".

In 2022 came the sad news of Steve Morse's departure due to personal circumstances. Moving forward, DEEP PURPLE sought out the masterful skills of guitarist Simon McBride and played the year out in style, exciting crowds with a new energy and excitement.

Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride continue with renewed vitality, pushing the boundaries of hard rock to audiences around the globe, proving that DEEP PURPLE are very much here to stay.

Photo credit: Jim Rakete (courtesy of The Outside Organisation)

After throwing the Internet into a frenzy of chaos, speculation, and unexpected genre detours, ATTACK ATTACK! is officially back in full force. The band's first full-length record since 2012, "Attack Attack! II", is set for release on August 8, 2025 via Oxide Records.

Today, ATTACK ATTACK! unleashes not one, but two massive new singles: "Dance!", featuring Will Ramos of LORNA SHORE, and "Chainless". Fresh off blindsiding fans with a country remix, the real version of "Dance!" sees the metalcore titans teaming up with one of deathcore's most recognizable voices, Will Ramos, for their first ever official feature that blends sheer aggression with off-the-wall energy. On the other hand, "Chainless" offers a powerful, anthemic counterbalance that's wrapped in explosive riffs with unshakable momentum.

ATTACK ATTACK! will return to the road for its upcoming headlining run, "The Roadside Rumble Tour", which is set to tear through the U.S. beginning Thursday, May 15. The band will be joined on the road by fellow heavy-hitting forces CONVICTIONS, DOWNSWING and UNCURED.

Formed in 2007, ATTACK ATTACK! has become a staple in the metalcore scene, amassing over 100 million streams across major streaming platforms on multiple chart-topping records. As torchbearers of the genre, the band continue to push the boundaries of metalcore while solidifying their place in its ever-growing legacy. Known for their no-holds-barred approach, ATTACK ATTACK! remain unpredictable as ever, with more bold twists in store for the year ahead.

"Attack Attack! II" track listing:

01. One Hit Wonder
02. Dance!
03. Chainless
04. Walk On Water
05. Karmageddon
06. Live, Love, & Die
07. I Complain On R/Metalcore
08. Big Booty Britches
09. Without You
10. Sacrifice
11. Jump Jump!

If you went to Warped Tour in the mid 2000s, shopped at Hot Topic, or were active on MySpace, then you have heard the name ATTACK ATTACK! While the band's early career was relatively short-lived, their reputation has done nothing but grow since the band went on indefinite hiatus in 2013. Known for incorporating dance/electronica music with metal, the band consistently bent the rules of songwriting. They took the sounds they liked and crafted seemingly incompatible genres into anthems for local Ohio scene kids, and later, audiences across the globe. After years of silence, ATTACK ATTACK! exploded back on to the scene in 2020. They're here to remind you that rules are made to be broken, adversity is meant to be overcome, and that legends never die.

Photo credit: John Scheuermann

THREE DAYS GRACE will release its eighth album, "Alienation", on August 22 via RCA Records. The official music video for the LP's second single, "Apologies", can be seen below.

For the first time in over a decade, original THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam Gontier is back, joining Matt Walst on vocals along with Neil Sanderson (drums),Brad Walst (bass) and Barry Stock (guitars).

The twelve tracks on "Alienation" all play a pivotal role in defining this significantly new-but-nostalgic chapter of the band.

Sanderson comments: "'Alienation' is a journey through inner collapse and outward defiance. The songs reflect isolation as a condition of existence, not just circumstance. Some of what we write about — anxiety, addiction, heartbreak, disconnect — are often a different wave of the same storm. And yet buried in all the wreckage is something human — still reaching out."

Produced by Zakk Cervini, Dan Lancaster and Howard Benson, "Apologies" bursts to life with riveting guitar riffs, immediately pulling listeners into the dynamic soundscape. Echoing the raw spirit of classic 2000s rock, the energetic tempo drives momentum forward into the chorus, creating an urgent and electrifying atmosphere. Soaring vocals cut through the mix, amplifying the emotion behind the lyrics, while the tight rhythm section anchors the track with steady intensity.

Sanderson told HardDrive Radio about "Apologies": "It's a song that talks about feeling like you're too far gone to be saved, that you sometimes become a lost hope. Even though you have all these people around you that care about you and love you and demonstrate that, you're almost apologizing to those people, saying, 'Hey, I appreciate the love, I see the effort, but I just feel too far gone.' And I think it's something that people feel. They don't wanna let others down. And when you're in a moment of weakness, it's important to talk to people. But sometimes people are apprehensive 'cause they don't wanna let the people that they love down. And that song is a journey through that."

"Alienation" track listing:

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

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

In an interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Sanderson stated about how the band's new two-singer arrangement came together:  "First and foremost, we're a family. We all grew up together in a small town, and so Matt, who came in 2013 to replace Adam, he's been in the band for, yeah, 12 years now. But he's Brad, our bass player's younger brother. So he was around as a kid when we were first just jamming in basements and trying to figure out our sound as we were teenagers, and he wasn't even a teenager. And so for him to come in was just a very natural fit. And then, as time progressed on, we just started having open conversations, which is the notion of, like, what would this be if we joined forces and we become a five-piece? And it creates a completely new dimension and facet for the sound of THREE DAYS GRACE and our ability to artistically branch off into just different things that we can do with having two voices that are uniquely different, but come together in such a powerful way. So it feels like we've kind of come full circle and we've closed this loop. And it's just fate, I guess, that we're all seeing eye to eye now and the band sounds bigger than ever. And, yeah, it's a great time to just see it all come into one full force moving forward."

Regarding the musical direction of the upcoming THREE DAYS GRACE album and how "Mayday" fits into that, Neil said: "It's definitely dynamic. 'Mayday' was a song that we — I guess we were pulling some inspiration from our [2006] record 'One-X' with songs like 'Animal I Have Become' and things like that, where it's a really driving-force song. The lyrics are really a social commentary about how sometimes you feel in life that you're like hurling at just warp speed through time and space and you don't quite know who's at the wheel… It feels like everything can be in fast forward and sensory overload, which isn't always healthy for the human brain. And basically just making the decision whether you're gonna swim against the current or whether you're gonna fall in line with other people, and making those choices on a daily basis. So that's what that song's about. The rest of the record, we have a lot of really heavy moments. We do love sort of down tempo heaviness. I mean, we listen to a lot of PANTERA and stuff like that, and that is contrasted with some songs that I think are really going to bring out the emotion, because they're emotional to us. And I think that's the strongest connection with THREE DAYS GRACE and our fans, is that we're writing from the heart and from the gut and deep down in the psyche and putting it out into song. And when people can relate to that and see their own lives in that music, then that's the most powerful thing you can have as an artist. So there's a lot of that where we stay true to ourselves and we're not afraid to write about the real deep down stuff. And that seems to always resonate with our fans because it's coming from a real place."

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

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

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

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

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

Asked how he and Matt delegate the vocal responsibilities on THREE DAYS GRACE's new material, including "Mayday", Adam said: "Yeah, that's what we've been doing. I mean, we're all sort of writing the new stuff together, so we've been sitting in a room together, coming up with all this material and stuff… We're in a room together and coming up with all that stuff… But yeah, I think the recording of vocals, who's gonna sing what and where, it's come pretty natural. There's certain parts that we both now know, like, 'It might make more sense for me to sing this part or you to sing this part.' And at the same time, working with a couple of different producers on stuff, we did get some guys that would have some good input and just a good idea of what to do with two singers, 'cause it hasn't really been done before — not in this world. So we wanna make sure we're doing it right. So getting an outside point of view from a producer or something to put his two cents on where the guys should go and that sort of thing, that's helped out a lot too. But, yeah, in general, it's been pretty seamless. The whole thing has been really easy to navigate through."

"Mayday" was produced by Zakk Cervini and Dan Lancaster with vocal production by Howard Benson. In addition, the band released an epic CiRCUS HEaD-directed visual to accompany the track which can be found below.

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

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

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

In a separate interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Neil stated about Adam's return to THREE DAYS GRACE: "We had been talking and we've kept in touch. And the band was just talking about, like, how great would this be for us and for the fans and for the nostalgia of THREE DAYS GRACE. And then he got up on stage with us [for a guest appearance], and then we just thought, 'Let's make something new. Let's sit down and write a song.' And once we kind of got into that songwriting process, it just felt really natural and it felt right. And I think for the fans, we're giving them something that we haven't done before and hasn't really been done much in the past."

On the topic of the "Mayday" video, Neil said: "It was a really fun video to make. It was kind of especially cool for me because very rarely as a drummer do you get to make a video where you don't have to fake playing drums all day. [Laughs] And so, yeah, complete melee goes on on the plane. And it's kind of an analogy to just feeling like we're hurling through life at warp speed, and sometimes it doesn't feel like there is a pilot that's in control of things. But it's also a bit of a celebration, like, 'Hey, if we're going down, we're all going down together.'"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Matt Barnes

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

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

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

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

The official music video for "Spider Lilly", which was directed by My Good Eye Visuals, can be seen below.

The recording lineup for "Spider Lilly" is still the same, with King Diamond handling lead and backing vocals plus playing the Hammond Organ, Andy La Rocque and Mike Wead on guitars, Pontus Egberg on the bass, and Matt Thompson on drums. There is also a special guest appearance by Danish female vocalist Myrkur with some additional backing vocals.

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

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

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

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

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

At the time of the video's release, King commented: "'Masquerade Of Madness' was released digitally in 2019 before our North American tour. During rehearsals, we took one full day to film 'Masquerade Of Madness' with David Brodsky and Allison Woest. We spent all day and all night recording while performing the song with our full tour stage show choreography. After the tour, Covid happened.

"The video was all but forgotten as the world came to a standstill — we never saw a single frame from all the footage. Years later, as things began to pick up and writing began for both new MERCYFUL FATE and KING DIAMOND records, we wondered, what happened to that video from four years ago? So we decided to check in with David Brodsky and a couple of weeks later, we had the first cut of the video.

"I was speechless! I had nothing to criticize and after just a few notes from Andy La Rocque, the video for 'Masquerade Of Madness' was finished! There's so much mood and black and white is used in a perfect way with Jodi's performances. The visuals fit the music flawlessly and this is now among my favorite KING DIAMOND videos along with 'Sleepless Nights' and 'Welcome Home' — and not to forget of course, our double live DVD."

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

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

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

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

Photo by Jeremy Saffer

To celebrate 40 years of doom metal mastery and the release of their brand new four-track EP "Black Star", Swedish epic doom metal pioneers CANDLEMASS have unveiled a cover of BLACK SABBATH's legendary hymn "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". The title track of the classic 1973 SABBATH album was reworked by CANDLEMASS and comes with an official music video, which can be seen below.

With solemn intensity and seismic presence, CANDLEMASS transforms the song into a funeral march worthy of doom’s highest pantheon. A majestic tribute that honors the past while shaking the crypt walls of the present.

CANDLEMASS mastermind Leif Edling comments: "'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' needs no introduction — one of the best songs ever recorded, if you ask me. Maybe not the obvious choice, but it's been a dream for me to do it one day and here it is. Our rendition of 'S.B.S.' (Mass Bloody Mass?)."

"Black Star" is being released today (Friday, May 9) via Napalm Records.

The "Black Star" title track seamlessly merges haunting melodies with deeply introspective lyrics, brought to life by the inimitable voice of Johan Längqvist. Written by Edling, it delves into themes of existential struggle, temptation, and the allure of darkness — an intense atmosphere imbued with CANDLEMASS's signature sound.

CANDLEMASS comments: "'Black Star' is the big heavy track. Contains a bit of everything, Melodic verse, monolithic riff, up-tempo SABBATHy mid part, grand ending a la RAINBOW!"

With "Black Star", the genre-defying band unveils two brand-new songs alongside two cover versions of timeless classics. The EP is available in various formats, including a strictly limited vinyl edition featuring a 12-page vinyl booklet, an A3 poster, and a tote bag.

Edling commented: "Not all bands get to see their 40th birthday and it certainly hasn't been an easy ride. But many ups and downs later, we stand here as survivors, veterans even… a bit scarred perhaps? Still ready though to unleash another piece of doom-laden metal upon an unsuspecting world. You have to do something when you turn 40, right? Anyway, as always, it's been fun recording some new stuff as well as covering a couple of old favorites."

Following the title track, the second new song, "Corridors Of Chaos", marks a true old-school instrumental containing both classic metal riffing and stunning guitar playing by Lars Johansson, showcasing the band's mastery of dynamics. Adding to this tribute, CANDLEMASS delivers a cover of BLACK SABBATH's iconic "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", taking listeners back to 1973. This is followed by their rendition of PENTAGRAM's classic "Forever My Queen", further cementing CANDLEMASS's remarkable contribution to shaping the genre into what it is today.

"Black Star" track listing:

01. Black Star (new song)
02. Corridors Of Chaos (new song)
03. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (BLACK SABBATH cover)
04. Forever My Queen (PENTAGRAM cover)

As previously reported, a one-off world-exclusive performance of CANDLEMASS featuring the band's former vocalist Messiah Marcolin will take place at this year's edition of the Rock Hard Festival Greece, slated for September 12-13, 2025 in Athens, Greece.

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.

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 Johan Längqvist. Längqvist sang on CANDLEMASS's debut album, 1986's "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", before exiting the group and being replaced by Marcolin.

Photo credit: Linda Åkerberg

In a new interview with Talking With Cars, legendary guitarist George Lynch spoke about his upcoming touring activities following the completion of LYNCH MOB's "The Final Ride" farewell tour celebrating the band's 35-year legacy. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, LYNCH MOB did its last show March 22nd, earlier this year. And so that's it for touring for LYNCH MOB. So I have another entity partially put together, which will probably be a revolving door of different people. But right now I'm just tentatively calling it GEORGE LYNCH & THE MOB, so people can identify with my name and the fact that there's still the LYNCH MOB aspect to that name without the bad connotations."

Asked if GEORGE LYNCH & THE MOB will feature a "rotating" lineup of musicians, George said: "Most likely, yeah. Because we aren't gonna be touring solidly enough to really keep a band together. So it'll just be probably a basket of different people that'll rotate in and out on a need-to basis or whenever they're available."

He continued: "The interesting thing is I've played with so many people in LYNCH MOB that a lot of those people are still friends of mine. They're familiar with me and the material and what people wanna hear. So it's easy. So we've got a couple shows coming up in the summer here. And it is Jaron [Gulino] still on bass from LYNCH MOB. And, we've got Brian Tichy on drums for the next couple shows, and then a vocalist to be determined. We don't know who yet. But we do have a LYNCH MOB record coming out. So, it's being mixed right now. It's all done. It's been done for a second, and it's gonna be a double album — it's gonna be, well, actually two albums. Two separate albums but packaged together. So it's a live album — full live show — and then also a studio album. And that's it. It's mixed right now. So, [it will be out] later in the year."

LYNCH MOB, the band formed by George in 1989 after his exit from DOKKEN, played its "final" concert on March 22 at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota.

In February, George was asked by the Iron City Rocks podcast how he felt about completing one final trek with LYNCH MOB. George said: "Well, it's a mixed bag. I thought that it would make sense to go out with a band that, or a version of the band, which this is, that has remained intact for a while. LYNCH MOB has a history of having a revolving door, so that's been frustrating for me because when I first put the band together in '89, I was hoping for the exact opposite… And, of course, that did not happen. But we have a great time, and when we spend time together and tour, it's just really a dream, fun band. We joke around a lot. We work hard and the band — we bring it when we get on stage and we get in the studio. I thought, 'Well, that's the way to go out.' And also, on the other side of the coin, I'm not getting any younger. I didn't want to be that guy up there on crutches, having to sit down. I wanted people to remember it with some sense of vitality. Yeah, so I think we're kind of ending on a positive note, I would say. And we gave ourselves quite a long window. We decided this last year, and it gave us an eight-month, nine-month window. So it's a long, slow kind of fade into the sunset… And we've got, actually, two records [in the works] — we've got a live album and a live DVD and a studio record."

Asked if he was planning on getting involved in more recording projects in the future once the LYNCH MOB tour was done, George said: "Well, I love being in the studio, and I have a pretty nice studio situation, both in California, where I have my own studio, and in New Mexico, where I have found a home out there and a really wonderful venue, where I'm working now, actually. So, as long as I have something to say, I'll try to say it musically. But I will say that I've sort of spent my — I've done a lot of recording, I've written a lot of songs in the last group of years, since COVID and so forth, so I find myself kind of treading over old ground and saying the same thing, and I don't like that. And I think on occasion I've gotta slow down in my output a little bit. So, as I mentioned, we are working on a LYNCH MOB 'Final Ride' studio record. And beyond that, I've got other records in the pipeline that I am obligated — well, I can do, let's say; I don't know how obligated I am. If I don't wanna do 'em, I don't have to do 'em. One is a fourth THE END MACHINE record for Frontiers. And the other one is a third 'Heavy Hitters' album, which is a series of records that [ex-DOKKEN bassist] Jeff Pilson and I have been doing for Cleopatra Records, which are covers, and that's always really fun to do. I enjoy working with Jeff. I'll be working with Jeff Pilson on both those records. So that might be something that I decide to finish up. But, having said that, those are obligations consistent with my past work, doing THE END MACHINE records and 'Heavy Hitters' records and LYNCH MOB records and various other projects, with KXM and so forth, that I have been doing. But what I'm thinking is I would really like to — not to be super self-indulgent, but do something different. And that requires kind of banking a bunch of experiences and exposure, different kinds of music and styles and saying something unique. Or doing a master guitar record, what I consider would be my magnum opus guitar record. That's easier said than done, but maybe I need [to do something like that]. I don't know. I'm not sure what I wanna do yet. But I'm gonna let this touring schedule ride out and then I'm gonna sort of collect my thoughts [about what my next step will be]."

LYNCH MOB was formed in 1989 after Lynch parted ways with his former band DOKKEN. Their debut release, "Wicked Sensation", was met with critical and fan acclaim and went on to be certified gold in sales by the RIAA. The band would continue on through the years with a cast of talented players joining Lynch throughout their musical journey over the course of six more studio albums.

LYNCH MOB's eighth studio album, "Babylon", came out in October 2023. Joining revered guitarist and band founder for the LP were vocalist Gabriel Colón, bassist Jaron Gulino (TANTRIC, HEAVENS EDGE) and drummer Jimmy D'Anda (ex-BULLETBOYS).

In August 2020, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker, saying he would no longer record or perform under that name. Two years later, George had a change of heart, explaining that he had to "live with the fact that [the name LYNCH MOB] has some negative connotations that I probably have to continue explaining for the rest of my life, and I don't mind doing that. But it is a brand that I built, and I'm just gonna stick with it. As far as a marketing thing and a brand thing and a business thing and a working thing, and it keeps my band guys working and it keeps the fans happy, it makes sense."

George Lynch image credit: Jordan's Rock Vault

George Lynch & The Mob features a rotating line up of musicians and a more diverse set list than lynch mob… plus we’re going to wear cooler outfits ! 😂 more shows soon! Come out and see us 😎

Posted by George Lynch on Friday, May 2, 2025

☠️ We ride again!! Stoked to get back out with George Lynch & The Mob this year. From George - “George Lynch & The Mob...

Posted by Jaron Gulino on Friday, May 2, 2025

It's been five years since U.S. power metal act VICIOUS RUMORS unleashed their most recent album. Five years during which band mastermind Geoff Thorpe and his crew played well over one hundred and fifty shows, presenting their longstanding career in condensed form and performing a playlist featuring their most important VR classics. These shows have left their mark on the bandmembers while at the same time releasing a burst of new energy. Both these factors are now about to culminate on their upcoming album "The Devil's Asylum", which Thorpe aptly summarizes, saying: "'The Devil's Asylum' sees us return to our roots, which we've combined with contemporary influences."

He continues: "VICIOUS RUMORS look back at a career that spans 45 years, so there's only one goal for us: Everything we do should always be significant, every show, every song, every new album. This band has always stood for maximum intensity, powerful music and lots of new, fresh ideas." In this respect, "The Devil's Asylum" couldn't be more typical of VICIOUS RUMORS and at the same time the album is bound to appeal to new fans.

Alongside Thorpe, there's original member Larry Howe on drums and vocals, with longtime bassist Robin Utbult, who has been with the group since 2019, completing the core foundation of VR. After the songs were written, the addition of two new members has made the band chemistry rise to a new level. There's vocalist Chalice and the second new member guitarist Denver Cooper, who — like Chalice — hails from Cape Coral in Florida.

The first single and video for the song "Bloodbath" is a raw speed metal attack with melodic vocals and thrashy guitar riffs which perfectly combines the group's irresistible heaviness with speed and catchiness.

"The Devil's Asylum" track listing:

01. Bloodbath
02. Dogs Of War
03. Crack The Sky In Half
04. High Hell Hammer
05. Butchers Block
06. Abusement Park
07. Wrong Side Of Love
08. Boring Day In Hell
09. In Blood We Trust
10. Better Than Me
11. The Devil's Asylum

"The Devil's Asylum" will be released on August 29 2025 worldwide (except Japan) through SPV/Steamhammer as a CD digipak, LP version, download and stream.

Thorpe formed VICIOUS RUMORS in 1979. He told The Press Democrat in a 2023 interview that there have been more than 40 different members in the band since its inception.

"One good thing about all of the members is that we have a very good relationship with almost all of them," Thorpe said. "When I need someone to fill in, I've got a lot of people I can call on."

VICIOUS RUMORS has released 17 albums, including three LPs recorded for Atlantic Records in 1990 and 1991, which were reissued as a box set titled "Vicious Rumors: The Atlantic Years" in September 2022.

EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee has collaborated with Grammy-nominated singer Halsey on a new song called "Hand That Feeds". The track, which is taken from the new John Wick spin-off movie "Ballerina", can be streamed below.

This past Tuesday (May 6),Lee took to her social media to write: "So thrilled to bring you a new song, 'Hand That Feeds' with Halsey THIS FRIDAY! 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.

Due in theaters on June 6, "Ballerina" 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.

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 will support Halsey during her show at the famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, taking place May 14. THE WARNING is also on the bill.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

San Francisco Bay Area thrashers TESTAMENT played at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan on May 7 as part of their "An Evening With Testament" tour. The trek celebrates the 35th anniversary of TESTAMENT's third album, "Practice What You Preach", which achieved near-gold status in the United States upon its release in 1989 and became the band's first album to enter the Top 100 on the Billboard 200 chart.

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

01. Practice What You Preach
02. Perilous Nation
03. Envy Life
04. Time Is Coming
05. Blessed In Contempt
06. Greenhouse Effect
07. Sins Of Omission
08. The Ballad
09. Nightmare (Coming Back To You)
10. Confusion Fusion
11. Musical Death (A Dirge) (Acoustic)
12. The Legacy (Acoustic)
13. Rise Up
14. Native Blood
15. Trail Of Tears
16. Low
17. City Of Angels
18. Drum Solo
19. First Strike Is Deadly
20. Return To Serenity
21. Into The Pit

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

TESTAMENT is an undisputed titan of thrash metal. One of the definitive acts of the historic and high-octane genre since they first emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area in 1983, the modern icons established themselves with a series of classic records (released each year from 1987 through 1990). They never wavered creatively, unleashing one acclaimed album after another across four decades.

The band's nearly three million monthly listeners on Spotify alone is a clear demonstration of the enduring strength of the TESTAMENT legions. TESTAMENT's biggest anthems run the gamut of their storied career, from early classics like "Over The Wall" and "Into The Pit", late '90s bangers like "Down For Life" through modern scorchers like "For The Glory Of…" and "Brotherhood Of The Snake".

An internationally recognized heavy metal institution, TESTAMENT regularly appears as a headlining mainstage act at major festivals. Over the years, they've toured alongside BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, KORN, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and LAMB OF GOD, among other contemporaries.

Charismatic frontman Chuck Billy's distinctive voice infuses their signature sound with rich and diverse textures. Primary songwriter and cofounding guitarist Eric Peterson summons endlessly timeless riffs on command. Alex Skolnick, named one of the greatest of all time by Guitar World, was just 18 years old when TESTAMENT recorded their debut, "The Legacy" (1987). Longtime bassist Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, OBITUARY) brings rhythmic heft and fluid dexterity to the proceedings.

Drummer Chris Dovas, the band's newest (and youngest) addition, adds his own passionate bombast while honoring the astounding legacy of former TESTAMENT drummers. (An alumnus including past and present members of SLAYER, WHITE ZOMBIE, DETHKLOK and MACHINE HEAD, among others.)

Both "The Legacy" (1987) and "The New Order" (1988) were inducted into Decibel magazine's prestigious Hall Of Fame, alongside albums from METALLICA, BLACK SABBATH and MOTÖRHEAD. Revolver included "The New Order" on their list of "14 Thrash Albums You Need To Own". Guitar World recognized "Practice What You Preach" (1989) as one of the "Top 10 Shred Albums Of The Eighties". "Souls Of Black" (1990) entered the Billboard 200 at No. 73; "The Ritual" (1992) debuted at No. 55. Guitar World called "Low" (1994) one of the "Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". "Demonic" (1997) and "The Gathering" (1999) saw TESTAMENT mining new depths of extremity without sacrificing their bluesy swagger.

"The Formation Of Damnation" (2008) won "Best Album" at Metal Hammer's Golden Gods Awards, beating out records from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, ATREYU and DOWN. Released nearly 30 years after TESTAMENT's formation, "Dark Roots Of Earth" (2012) became their highest-charting album yet, moving more than 20,000 copies during its first week in the U.S. and debuting at No. 12.

"Brotherhood Of The Snake" (2016) enjoyed another Top 20 debut and hit No. 1 on the Independent chart. "Titans Of Creation" (2020) joined year-end lists in Consequence, Loudwire and Metal Hammer.

TESTAMENT released remastered versions of their seminal albums "The Legacy" and "The New Order" on July 12, 2024, both digitally and on vinyl via Nuclear Blast Records.

JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford says that he is "absolutely gutted" to have to miss the last BLACK SABBATH concert this summer.

Noting that PRIEST is scheduled to play the 60th-anniversary show of German hard rock legends SCORPIONS in Hannover, Germany on July 5 — the same day that the SABBATH event, dubbed "Back To The Beginning", will take place at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom — Rob told Metal Hammer: "I had no idea [the SABBATH show] was happening. It all got announced and was a big deal — [the Hannover concert featuring] SCORPIONS and PRIEST — and suddenly I get this phone call [from Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne]: 'Robbie, I know you've got this gig with SCORPIONS, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys. He'd love to see you.'"

Halford explained that trying to make both performances happen would be "dangerous", adding: "Even with a private plane, there's a word called 'technical', where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems… I was absolutely gutted."

Acknowledging that K.K. Downing will perform at the Villa Park concert, Halford said that the founding PRIEST guitarist will represent "the spirit of the band".

"All my mates are going to be there though, great bands and artists," Rob added. "It's a wonderful and epic moment for SABBATH and heavy metal — it re-emphasizes that Birmingham is where metal came from."

"Back To The Beginning" sold out in less than 10 minutes in February. The concert will mark the first time that the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — have played together in 20 years.

Also set to appear at the event are METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, TOOL, SLAYER, PANTERA, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX and MASTODON.

In addition, there will be a performance by a "supergroup of musicians" including Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS 'N' ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH),Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),Andrew Watt, Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),David Ellefson (MEGADETH),Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR),Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE),David Draiman (DISTURBED),Frank Bello (ANTHRAX),Jonathan Davis (KORN),Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM),Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE),Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT),Sammy Hagar, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX),Sleep Token II (SLEEP TOKEN) and Papa V Perpetua (GHOST).

In August 2023, Halford picked BLACK SABBATH's classic 1970 self-titled debut album as one of the albums he'd be willing to listen to in perpetuity if he found himself stranded and alone on an island. He said: "I would have to go with BLACK SABBATH, the original 'Black Sabbath' album that I think is the motivator for all great things in heavy metal."

Back in 2020, Halford broke down his top 10 favorite albums in an interview with Rolling Stone and explained how they helped make him who he is. Among the records included on the list was BLACK SABBATH's debut. At the time, Halford said about his choice: "They were local guys from the same neighborhood, the same neck of the woods as PRIEST. We literally grew up together, inventing this great music that we love and cherish so much called heavy-metal music.

"I chose the 'Black Sabbath' album just because, like so many bands, your first one or two records really establish who you are as a band," he explained. "It's a bit like PRIEST with 'Rocka Rolla' and 'Sad Wings Of Destiny'; 'Sad Wings Of Destiny' becomes the one we love so much because it becomes defining. With 'Black Sabbath', here was the first example of what heavy-metal music should sound like, just the texture, the tone, the structure of all of the material, Ozzy's very unique voice. It's just become a very important record in the discography of BLACK SABBATH."

Halford joined SABBATH for two gigs to support Ozzy Osbourne on his last shows for the "No More Tours" tour in November 1992 in Costa Mesa, California after SABBATH's singer at the time, Ronnie James Dio, refused to take the stage. Rob also performed with SABBATH members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on August 26, 2004 at the Camden, New Jersey stop of Ozzfest after Ozzy came down with an "attack of bronchitis" and was unable to take part in the concert.

In a recent interview with El Cuartel Del Metal, vocalist Nick Holmes of British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST spoke about the status of the follow-up to their latest album, "Obsidian", which was released in May 2020 via Nuclear Blast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're just kind of leisurely recording our new album. We've been writing it for the last year. And then we've sort of been doing shows in between — festivals, summer festivals last year. I mean, I'm recording later on this month. I think most of the stuff's recorded musically now, so I've gotta do the vocals. And then after that, we're kind of busy now all year — the rest of the year we're gonna be full on with plenty of things going on. So, yeah, it's all starting to kind of build up."

Asked if fans can expect the new PARADISE LOST album this year, Nick said: "Yeah. Well, the first single's out around May the 16th, I believe. So, yeah, I'm guessing it's kind of towards the end of the year [that the full album will arrive], I guess."

In a previously published interview with Alejandrosis, PARADISE LOST guitarist Aaron Aedy stated about the band's next LP: "It's not fully mixed yet, but it's recorded." Asked if he could give fans some details about the musical direction of the new PARADISE LOST material, Aaron said: "No. It's like opening your presents before Christmas. No, I don't wanna go into the new album too much just yet, 'cause I'll wait to see what it's like when it's mixed. It's almost finished, but not quite."

This past March, PARADISE LOST guitarist Greg Mackintosh told Chile's PowerOfMetal.cl that the band's new LP would likely be released "September time." He added: "It's been the longest time we've ever had between albums. But that's kind of because of the pandemic as well… So shit happens. And, yeah, hopefully it'll come out September, October time this year."

As previously reported, PARADISE LOST will embark on "The Devil Embraced" North American tour later this month. The trek will kick off on May 16 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest and conclude on May 24 at Maryland Deathfest.

Earlier this month, PARADISE LOST announced the dates for the first leg of its "Ascension Of Europe Tour 2025". Italian band MESSA will be direct support on all dates, with HIGH PARASITE opening on the U.K. dates and LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE on select mainland Europe shows.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their fourth album, "Icon", PARADISE LOST re-recorded the LP for a special new release. There was also "an extra special vinyl" version of the album, both of which were made available in December 2023.

"Icon 30" was a totally re-recorded version of "Icon", and PARADISE LOST once again worked with longtime collaborator and producer Jaime Gomez Arellano.

PARADISE LOST recorded the vocals and drums for "Icon 30" at Jaime's studio Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. The rest of the album was completed at Mackintosh's Black Planet Studios. "Icon 30" also featured brand new artwork created by Scott Robinson and new liner notes from Kerrang!'s Nick Ruskell.

"Icon" marked a departure from the death-doom sound of PARADISE LOST's early work and was the last album to feature Matthew Archer on drums.

In February 2018, "Icon" was inducted into the Decibel "Hall Of Fame", with the magazine naming it influential to the development of the gothic metal subgenre.

In March 2023, PARADISE LOST welcomed Guido Zima Montanarini as their official new drummer.

In September 2022, Finnish drummer Waltteri Väyrynen left PARADISE LOST to join OPETH. At the time, he issued a statement saying that his decision involved "absolutely no bad blood or drama whatsoever."

Formed in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in 1988, PARADISE LOST were unlikely candidates for metal glory when they slithered from the shadows and infiltrated the U.K. underground. But not content with spawning an entire subgenre with early death/doom masterpiece "Gothic" nor with conquering the metal mainstream with the balls-out power of 1995's "Draconian Times", they have subsequently traversed multiple genre boundaries with skill and grace, evolving through the pitch-black alt-rock mastery of 1990s classics "One Second" and "Host" to the muscular but ornate grandeur of 2009's "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" and "Tragic Idol" (2012),with the nonchalant finesse of grand masters. The band's "The Plague Within" (2015) and "Medusa" (2017) albums saw a much-celebrated return to brutal, old-school thinking, via two crushing monoliths to slow-motion death and spiritual defeat.

Last month, it was announced that ASHES OF ARES, the band featuring former ICED EARTH members Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales, will celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary of ICED EARTH's third album, 1996's "The Dark Saga", on a European tour in September/October 2025. Vidales played with ICED EARTH from 2008 to 2012 and is featured on the band's 2011 album "Dystopia". Barlow served two stints with ICED EARTH, from 1993 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2011.

Recorded in early 1996, "The Dark Saga" was a concept album based on the Todd McFarlane comic book character Spawn (who also appears on the album's cover). Upon its arrival, the LP was praised for Barlow's vocals, as well as ICED EARTH founder, songwriter, guitarist and producer Jon Schaffer and Randall Shawver's guitar playing. Eduardo Rivadavia called Barlow's vocal performance "impressive throughout", while Mike Stagno felt that "Barlow's deeper vocal style also helps the songs sound much more emotional". Rivadavia also named Schaffer and Shawver's interplay the highlight of "The Dark Saga".

Regarding why "The Dark Saga" was an important enough album for him that he wanted to celebrate it three decades after the LP's original release, Barlow told Canada's The Metal Voice (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't talk about ICED EARTH without talking about, for me, entering the band with [1995's] 'Burnt Offerings'. That was huge for me. That was my first foray into actually being in a professional band. But along with that kind of came a dark side of it because it was a really tough time for the band as well, which kind of translated into the music. As everybody, I think, understands with Jon, when he writes, his heart goes out into the music. Whatever he's focused on is that. Just like for that record, he read 'Dante's Inferno', and then you get this giant humongous trilogy from that, because he puts everything he has into it. So, obviously, that's the crown jewel of that record — but, along with other things, that's definitely the crown jewel. But it was just a dark time for the band in general, even though I think I was the shining star at that point. But [it was] a tough time.

"So 'The Dark Saga', for me, and I think for Jon as well, was a renewal, a reinvigoration for the band," Matt explained. "The reason that even Jon got turned on to 'Spawn' was that we were celebrating Christmas. I like collecting action figures and stuff, and I had got all these like Batman and stuff, and Jon was a huge Batman fan, so I think I got Jon a Batman figure, and the other guys liked Spawn figures. And he was, like, 'What the hell's this?' And then he started getting into it, started reading the comics, and the rest is kind of history. And he was totally involved in the entire lore of it and just thought it was just the coolest thing ever. And that's what happened with 'The Dark Saga'.

"For me, it was really cool," Barlow added. "For some members of the band, obviously, members changed and things like that at that point too. It wasn't like a shock, with ICED EARTH, the membership changes from time to time. But for me, it was really a really good time. It was really a positive time for the band. And we did some amazing shit, man. We were able to do a lot more touring on that. We got a lot more recognition. A lot of the songs obviously sounded a little more mainstream, I guess you'd say. The European fans just ate it up. It had all the great aspects, the sing-along stuff, all the really sweet, hooky stuff. The choruses were just really super smooth and just well written. And, of course, you've got Jon just chunking along. So it's got all the cool shit that you would relate to ICED EARTH. And I think that you listen to it and you go, 'Yep, that's ICED EARTH.' And for me, also I was able to get kind of recognized who I am. At the time, in between 'Burnt Offerings' and 'The Dark Saga', I was starting to work with a vocal coach. I had had a little bit of coaching before. My sister-in-law, she was a voice instructor and things like that. But this guy kind of got me and sort of understood and said, and he told me that the coolest thing, and I tell this to every other vocalist that asks me about how I developed my voice or whatever. I just say, 'Do the best you can with what you've got. Figure out what your sweet spots are and focus on those.' And you can broaden your voice, obviously — you can broaden your range and all that — but really focus on those sweet spots in your voice and accentuate that and make that the star of what you're doing. So I really took that to heart. I really started accentuating, obviously, the cool low parts. And then, of course, working with [producer] Jim Morris was just huge as well to really help me bring that kind of stuff out in the studio. And then developing that and bringing that into a live show and everything else. So it was just a really cool growing experience as well with that record. So, yeah, I've got just tons of fond memories of things that that represents for me."

Asked if he and Freddie were concerned at all about going out and celebrating "The Dark Saga" after Schaffer's recent legal troubles related to the guitarist's involvement in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Matt responded:  "We don't live in a tube of silence here. We get stuff. But I think for me, and I think for people that are fans of the music, they don't care about that. I think at the end of the day, it's the music. And I hope that everybody's respectful because I'm gonna celebrate Jon and what he's done. He's written some fucking amazing music, and I've been fortunate to be a part of that. So, outside of that, I'm not gonna get political with anything. We're not talking politics. We're just talking strictly music, and it's for the love of music. And I hope that everybody understands that. That's what the point is. Hopefully we're bringing something cool and special. And I certainly look forward, if Jon wants to tour again and play this music again, I wholeheartedly look forward to that, if that's a possibility. But we're just gonna go out there and just celebrate this music that is very special, I think, for a lot of people. We've been given blessing to do so by Jon, so that's super important to us as well."

Regarding whether he actually asked Jon if the guitarist was okay with Matt and Freddie going out and celebrating "The Dark Saga" this fall, Barlow said: "Yep. Yep. I mean, obviously, we have things that we need to do, as far as we're not using [ICED EARTH] logos or anything like that. We're asking, and we're gonna make sure that the promoters aren't using any logos or anything like that of his, and, of course, Jon, as the writer of this stuff, he will get paid for music that's performed live. And for my little chunk that I'll get paid as well, my writing part of it."

On the possibility of Matt at some point rejoining ICED EARTH, if Jon decides to relaunch the group, Barlow said: "That's something that would be entirely up to, obviously, when Jon… That's Jon's band — a hundred percent — so that's something that Jon would have to decide, whether I would be a part of it or not, either way, but whether ICED EARTH goes out and does it. But I look forward to that, whether it would be me involved with it or somebody else, if that were to happen. And I can't speak to it, 'cause I don't think at this point that… It's not even in the long distance at this point."

Barlow, who works as a police lieutenant in Georgetown, Delaware, went on to say that his day job prevents him from playing a lot of shows with any music project he is involved with.

"I'm still in law enforcement and my schedule [limits how much touring] I can do," he said. "So, I've got some more responsibilities now, and it's good — I feel awesome about that — but it's also taxing. And I don't wanna tax my agency too much on that. So I'm doing it when I can, with vacation and things like that. We're doing the best we can [to play as many ASHES OF ARES shows as possible]. We're trying to spread it out a little bit and do some stuff. We'll see what we can do, man. We'll see what we can do."

ASHES OF ARES released its third studio album, "Emperors And Fools", in January 2022 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels.

"Emperors And Fools" was produced by ASHES OF ARES, and mixed and mastered by Byron Filson at Villain Recording in Phoenix, Arizona. The cover artwork was created by Kamil Pietruczynik.

ASHES OF ARES's second album, "Well Of Souls", came out in November 2018 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels. It was the follow-up to ASHES OF ARES's self-titled debut album, which was released in September 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

Seven years ago, Barlow told "The Classic Metal Show" about ASHES OF ARES: "Sometimes it's hard to escape the comparisons [to ICED EARTH], because my voice is still my voice no matter what, and I'm still gonna deliver things emotionally like I have before, so people are always gonna draw comparisons with ICED EARTH, and that's fine; I'm completely cool with that. I'm proud of my time in ICED EARTH, proud of everything that I've done with them, proud of them right now, going on and kicking ass. So I don't have any problem with that whatsoever — the comparisons. But that being said, I want ASHES to have its own identity as well. I think, again, as my writing partner, Freddie deserves that — he deserves to have his own identity in ASHES — and I think that's really important; that's what we're striving to do."

ICED EARTH played its final show with Barlow at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

Barlow, who is married to Schaffer's sister, announced his departure from ICED EARTH in March 2011. In a heartfelt statement, he cited his commitment to his family and the need for ICED EARTH to tour more as the reasons for his retirement; however, he committed to performing with ICED EARTH on all 2011 European festival dates, including Wacken Open Air.

Back in late 2020, Barlow reunited with Schaffer to celebrate the holiday season with an EP called "Winter Nights". Released under the SCHAFFER/BARLOW PROJECT banner, the effort contained the duo's unique spin on five Christmas classics and two ICED EARTH songs.

Last October, Jon was sentenced to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service in connection with his involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial assessment. Schaffer later became one of about 1,500 people accused of crimes related to the riot who were pardoned by President Donald Trump.

This past April, Schaffer said in an interview that the legal issues and professional setback he faced as a result of his involvement in the Capitol riot have been "the biggest gift" of his life, in part because "it is what led" him "to [Jesus] Christ."

Happy Wednesday! - Here is a teaser announcement that an announcement is coming:

A dream of many fans is now coming...

Posted by Ashes of Ares on Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "One" during the band's April 19 concert at at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York can be seen below.

Syracuse marked METALLICA's first show of 2025. Support at the gig came from PANTERA and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

More than 47,500 fans attended METALLICA's concert at the JMA Wireless Dome — more than the former Carrier Dome's previous record of 47,319, set by THE WHO in 1982.

According to Syracuse.com, METALLICA's circular stage allowed fans to fill seats around the entire stadium, which is why total attendance exceeded Syracuse University's current official capacity of 42,774 for football games.

METALLICA's setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Hit The Lights
04. King Nothing
05. Lux Æterna
06. Screaming Suicide
07. Kirk And Rob Doodle
08. The Day That Never Comes
09. Fuel
10. Orion
11. Nothing Else Matters
12. Sad But True
13. One
14. Seek & Destroy
15. Master Of Puppets
16. Enter Sandman

Since opening April 2023 in Amsterdam, "M72" has seen METALLICA play to some three million fans. Variously hailed as "an altogether life-affirming experience" (Billboard),"impossible to leave unsatisfied" (Austin Chronicle),"a stone-cold stunner of a show" (Detroit News),"the mother of all summer concerts" (Worcester Telegram Gazette) and "as tight and furious as METALLICA has sounded in ages" (Los Angeles Times),"M72" continues to amaze fans and critics alike. The tour concluded its triumphant 2024 run with four nights at Mexico City's Estadio GNP Seguros, where METALLICA played to more than 250,000 fans over the course of two No Repeat Weekends.

The "M72" world tour's 2025 itinerary continues the hallowed No Repeat Weekend tradition, with each night of the two-show stands featuring entirely different setlists and support lineups. These include the band's first Nashville shows in five years on May 1 and 3 at Nissan Stadium, as well as METALLICA's return to Tampa after 15 years on June 6 and 8 at Raymond James Stadium. "M72" has also confirmed its much-anticipated Bay Area hometown play, to take place June 20 and 22 with the band's debut performances at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

In a new twist, "M72" 2025 features several single shows bringing the tour's full production, with its massive in-the-round stage, to venues including two college football stadiums: the aforementioned JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York on April 19, and METALLICA's first ever visit to Blacksburg, Virginia, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. The May 7 show at Lane Stadium will mark the culmination of 20-plus years of "Enter Sandman" playing as the Hokies take the field.

In addition to playing football stadiums across the nation, the "M72" world tour's 2025 itinerary will also include one festival headline — May 9 and 11 will mark a festival/No Repeat Weekend combo as METALLICA plays two headline sets at Sonic Temple at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Support on "M72"'s 2025 North American run comes from PANTERA, LIMP BIZKIT, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and ICE NINE KILLS.

"M72"'s 2025 North American leg is produced by Live Nation and presented by new sponsor inKind. inKind rewards diners with special offers and credit back when they use the app to pay at 2,000-plus top-rated restaurants nationwide. The company provides innovative financing to participating restaurants in a way that enables new levels of sustainability and success. METALLICA fans can learn more at inkind.com.

As always, a portion of proceeds from every ticket sold will go to local charities via the band's All Within My Hands foundation. Established in 2017 as a way to give back to communities that have supported METALLICA over the years, All Within My Hands has raised over $15 million — providing $8.2 million in grants to career and technical education programs including the ground-breaking Metallica Scholars Initiative, now in its sixth year, over $3.6 million to combat food insecurity, more than $3.5 million to disaster relief efforts.

The newly formed SATCHVAI band, the electrifying collaboration between legendary guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, returns with their second studio single "I Wanna Play My Guitar", out now. Featuring powerhouse vocals from Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION),the track arrives just one month ahead of SATCHVAI's European summer tour, their first full run as a unified group.

Following the cinematic instrumental release of their debut collaboration "The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1" in March 2024, "I Wanna Play My Guitar" adds another dynamic layer to the SATCHVAI catalogue, blending hard rock, blues, and arena-sized energy.

Anchored by Hughes's unmistakable voice and backed by an all-star rhythm section, the song is a rousing celebration of six-string obsession and pure rock 'n' roll spirit. Directed by ZZ Satriani, son of Joe Satriani, the video for "I Wanna Play My Guitar" captures the electric chemistry between the newly formed SATCHVAI band and Hughes.

"I Wanna Play My Guitar" recording lineup:

Glenn Hughes - Lead Vocals
Joe Satriani - Guitars
Steve Vai - Guitars
Marco Mendoza - Bass
Kenny Aronoff - Drums
Eric Caudieux - Keyboards
Background vocals by Derek Day, Steve Vai and Doug MacArthur

"When I started writing this song, I had no idea how important the contributions from Glenn and Steve would be," Satriani told Guitar Player, which premiered "I Wanna Play My Guitar". "What they brought to the track made it all happen."

According to Joe, he originally approached Hughes and THE DARKNESS's Justin Hawkins to both sing on the track. "I got this crazy idea on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise where Glenn and Justin were both performing," he explained. "Unfortunately, when I got back from the cruise, I tested positive for COVID and I entered into a 10-day fog, forgetting if I had sent the invitations to collaborate. When I finally recovered, I heard back from Justin's people that THE DARKNESS was going to be releasing a record at the same time and he wouldn't be able to contribute to the song, so I sent a rough demo to Glenn and he was into it."

"I Wanna Play My Guitar" sets the tone for SATCHVAI's monumental European tour, launching June 13 in the United Kingdom and spanning iconic cities and festivals throughout the beginning of August.

The full band lineup includes powerhouse drummer Kenny Aronoff, renowned bassist Marco Mendoza and virtuoso guitarist Pete Thorn to complete a stellar quintet that is SATCHVAI.

When Satriani and Vai first announced the members of the SATCHVAI band in January, Joe said: "Finding the right musicians for the SATCHVAI band was at first a daunting task, then an exciting one; there are so many great musicians to choose from! It's no secret that the chemistry between players will always be the thing that makes them a magical live band, and we've found that chemistry with Kenny, Marco and Pete. The upcoming shows will focus on not only our respective solo works, but also the music from our new album. We are so excited to get this show on the road and celebrate it with all of our fans!"

As Vai explained: "When considering forming one band around myself and Joe we talked about the qualities needed for each position, bass, drums, rhythm guitar. It was a surprising challenge to find the right fits."

Drummer Kenny Aronoff is no stranger to Satriani fans. He has toured alongside Joe as part of the CHICKENFOOT band, joined on Satriani solo tours since 2019, played on "The Elephant Of Mars" album, and most recently stepped in for Jason Bonham on "The Best Of All Worlds" tour with Satriani, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony.

"What can I say about the legendary Kenny Aronoff that I haven't said before?" asked Satriani. "No other drummer has the sound, feel, time, groove, and swagger like Kenny. He's an exceptional human being too. He's supernatural!"

"Kenny is the quintessential rock drummer," said Vai. "His time is bulletproof, his tone is fat and clean, and his ability to respond in an improvisational setting is instant. Besides that, he's one of the easiest and most fun guys to tour with — an essential quality on the road."

When it came to adding a rhythm guitarist and bass player, the duo was challenged to find the right combo. Vai had been aware of Pete Thorn for quite a while and knew he was perfect for their band. As Vai explained: "Pete's playing is rock solid with a huge tone in his fingers. His rhythm playing is tight and in tune in a way that's rare, and his intonation is stunning. He's the perfect musician for this band, and we couldn't be happier to have him."

Satriani agreed: "Pete is an all-around monster guitarist. He has that rare ability to shine on rhythm and lead guitar, switching back and forth with finesse. He's got the technical abilities and the rock 'n' roll attitude Steve, and I were hoping to find for our band."

Then came the choice for bassist. Vai said of the addition of Marco Mendoza: "Marco is a bass phenomenon. With his six-string fretless, his bass sings with perfect intonation and swooning vibrato. His wide, rich tone and masterful control of dynamics will bring a new dimension to our songs."

With Satriani echoing, "Marco's musicianship is boundless. He's got a special magic to his bass playing; it's both foundational and out front at the same time. Together with his exceptional singing voice and stage presence, he will be a driving force in our band."

Aronoff said: "I've been performing and recording music with Joe Satriani since 2012 (CHICKENFOOT, Sammy Hagar, G3 and Joe's band) and have performed live with Steve Vai, but the next level is RIGHT NOW because I am joining the SATCHVAI band for a two-month tour this summer in Europe. I am pumped, excited and ready to kick ass!"

Thorn stated: "It sounds like something out of a mad fantastical dream that the 14-year-old guitar-obsessed me would have had….'Joe Satriani and Steve Vai called, they want you to join their new band!' And then I'd wake up and go to 9th grade math class! But it's real! It's a mind-blowing opportunity, and yet I also feel like I've arrived exactly where I've always wanted to be. I'm beyond excited to be of musical service to these legends, and to rock out!"

Mendoza said: "I have to say that getting invited to be part of a great project like this is monumental for me personally! I know it's going to be something very special, and I can't wait to get it started."

Extreme metal giants BEHEMOTH have just released their new album, "The Shit Ov God", via Nuclear Blast Records. The official music video for the LP's fourth single, "Sowing Salt", can be seen below.

With the post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic imagery that dominates the clip, BEHEMOTH enters new territory without sacrificing the visual leitmotif and thematic virulence it has established over the course of its more than three-decade-long career.

BEHEMOTH founder and frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski comments: "'Sowing Salt' is arguably one of the most brutal compositions in BEHEMOTH's catalog to date. Unrelenting. Unapologetic. Absolute.

"The video was directed by Zev Deans, with whom we've had the pleasure to collaborate before. He's crafted a visual that powerfully completes the song — musically and lyrically. And the lyrics? Just as radical and confrontational as music itself."

BEHEMOTH have always been known for not shying away from controversy, and they most certainly remain true to this approach with their 13th full-length. Here's a band that, 34 years in, is releasing its most inflammatory and extreme record to date. Eight songs that go into the fathoms of humanity, divinity, and what defiance means in an age where individuality is prized but everyone is clinging to their saviors — musically, politically, or otherwise. The title of the album is in line with those sensibilities.

Intentionally polarizing, Nergal said of the title: "We chose this provocative title deliberately, rejecting subtlety in favor of a direct and polarizing statement. It's a defiant plunge into the depths, daring to seek the absolute even in the gutter."

But make no mistake, despite its apparent insubtlety, the album title gets a touch of genius when seen in combination with the strikingly clever artwork, which depicts an upside-down version of the most common Christogram "IHS."

Nergal commented: "I've reached a point in BEHEMOTH's journey and my own creativity where words and statements mean less and less. The true essence of who we are and what we stand for lies in our music, our art, our visuals, our sounds, our performances, and the ways we connect with you. I deeply believe BEHEMOTH represents transcendent, timeless art.

"The number thirteen — so magical and significant. If this were to be our final album, I could say I die a proud man. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the most refined, purest representation of BEHEMOTH. No filler, no excess — just the very best we have to offer, handed to you.

"Hail Satan."

BEHEMOTH meticulously chose the audiovisual artists involved on the album. Production on the album was helmed by the inimitable Jens Bogren of Fascination Street Studios (EMPEROR, ENSLAVED, KREATOR, ROTTING CHRIST et al.). Working closely with the band, Bogren's deft hand underscored the band's natural sound while sacrificing none of the mayhem and ferocity which permeates the band's essence. As is always the case with BEHEMOTH, the visuals were as carefully constructed as the sound. The band tapped long-time collaborator and partner in crime Bartek Rogalewicz (BLACK.LODGE.IS.NOW) as well as Dark Sigil Workshop to make the beautifully ominous and unique cover art.

"The Shit Ov God" track listing:

01. The Shadow Elite
02. Sowing Salt
03. The Shit Ov God
04. Lvciferaeon
05. To Drown The Svn In Wine
06. Nomen Barbarvm
07. O Venvs, Come!
08. Avgvr (The Dread Vvltvre)

BEHEMOTH recently embarked on a European tour, featuring legendary Norwegian black metal pioneers SATYRICON as special guest. From the ancient lands of Greece, the ever-epic ROTTING CHRIST completed "The Unholy Trinity".

The tour launched on April 4, 2025, in Vienna, Austria and descended across major cities, including Berlin, Paris, London, and Stockholm, before culminating in Prague, Czech Republic on April 27.

Photo credit: Sylwia Makris and Christian Martin Weiss

Chris Adler has opened up about his departure from LAMB OF GOD, explaining that it was "devastating" for him to be fired from what he considered to be his "life's work".

LAMB OF GOD officially parted ways with the drummer in July 2019. He was replaced by Art Cruz, who had previously played with PRONG and WINDS OF PLAGUE, and filled in for Adler on several LAMB OF GOD tours in 2018 and early 2019.

Adler, who has also played drums with a number of metal artists, including MEGADETH, NITRO, BLOTTED SCIENCE and PROTEST THE HERO, spoke about the circumstances that led to his exit from LAMB OF GOD in a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If anybody knows LAMB OF GOD from the beginning, I think they know that I put a lot into that band. The first practice ever was at my house, I kind of picked the guys out and I worked really hard for myself and for the guys the entire time. So that became, really, my identity. That was about as personal as it's ever been.

"When I got to do the PROTEST THE HERO record [2013's 'Volition'], that was one of my favorite bands at the time, so that was a real rush for me to be able to do something. And that was by far the most difficult recording that I did and probably I'm most proud of. I'm really happy for them that they won the Canadian Grammy [equivalent] for that. And so that felt like a personal challenge — can you actually pull this off? — which was amazing. And then, of course, getting the call to do the MEGADETH thing [recording the 2016 album 'Dystopia' and touring with the band briefly in support of the record]. When I was 14 years old skateboarding around and trading cassettes of music, I heard a MEGADETH song for the first time — and I remember the day, I remember the ramp, I remember the board I had — that set me on the path to do exactly this. MEGADETH was the thing that just flipped the switch. So when I got that call, that was the greatest thing, and I was jumping up and down. I could not believe that I was gonna be a part of my favorite band of all time. And to have that record win a Grammy, it was just amazing."

Reflecting on some of the other issues that were going on in his life prior to his departure from LAMB OF GOD, Adler said: "My mom passed away. I was in the middle of a terrible divorce. I'd had the motorcycle accident. And I haven't talked about this before, but at the same time, in 2016, '17, right at the end of '16, I was diagnosed with something called musician's dystonia. I didn't wanna talk about it at the time because I felt like it would really hinder my career, but I've gone through an incredible amount of work to be able to come back from it. What it is, and I've heard Alex Webster [CANNIBAL CORPSE] talk about this before, and I'm buddies with him, and I recently saw the NICKELBACK documentary. I'm not the biggest NICKELBACK fan, but it's a great documentary, if you haven't seen it. Their drummer Daniel [Adair] went through the same thing. It may have been with his arm or his hand, but he was diagnosed with dystonia. And for a drummer — really, for anybody that plays an instrument — it's kind of a death sentence."

Detailing his battle with musician's dystonia, a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and loss of fine motor control during specific musical tasks, particularly those requiring complex and repeated movements, Chris added: "Mine was with my right foot. Dystonia is basically a neurological condition where the nerve that controls the movement of any particular body part basically deteriorates to the point where that motion becomes impossible. So people that repeat the same repetitive motion for decades at a time, this happens to them. It happens a lot to golfers, quarterbacks, first-chair violinists, people that just practice the hell out of what they're doing. And this happened to me with my right foot. So I would be playing a song, and my foot, when I intended it to depress the pedal, would shoot off to the side or shoot back. And that was at the point where I was coming off stage just so depressed with my performance. I think the band was very frustrated with my performance. I did give them the medical paperwork: 'Here's what it is. Here's what we can do. There's just a couple songs that are really aggravating this. The rest I can get through, if you're willing to change 'em.' I think at the time I had also joined MEGADETH, so tensions were really high. And we were never like the most functional group of people traveling around the world, if you know anything about the band. So, whoever was not in the room was basically getting picked on. And I think the combination of things got to the point where they didn't wanna deal with it and I wasn't happy with my performances, so that kind of stopped the train. It was one of those e-mails, 'service is no longer required' kind of thing, and that was devastating, 'cause I felt like it was my baby, it was my project and I put my life into it. It was my identity, so I had to take some time. And, of course, these other things that were going on, and, really, just trying to find a purpose, trying to decide what chapter two was gonna be about."

Regarding how he managed to recover from his battle with musician's dystonia and learn to live with the condition, Chris said: "I knew that I wanted to play. I knew that it would be stupid for me to try to compete with what I had done before because we really did way more than anybody, including ourselves, thought we could have done. 22 years of traveling the world, and I don't really count the awards or accolades, but there really wasn't, I didn't feel, a whole lot more to achieve other than just proving that we were still around. So it wasn't a total death sentence. I think I got off the train at a very good time. It was just because of the other circumstances that contributed to it, that it was difficult for me to find any relief in that. I was more depressed and kind of searching for who I am and what I'm gonna do next. So a couple years of like intense practice, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and really the only way around dystonia is learning to do what you do in a different way. So in that, my right foot was the issue, I really learned how to play drums backwards, where my left foot became my main foot, which would kind of trick my brain into trying to figure out how to get the right foot to not be the lead, which was using a different pathway. So I, over time, practiced that to the point where I was able to do the stuff that you're hearing on the FIRSTBORNE record," he added, referencing his post-LAMB OF GOD project.

When Penfold expressed his surprise that Adler would have been fired from LAMB OF GOD via e-mail after being in the band for 25 years, Chris admitted: "It was devastating to me. It really was. Like I said, I really considered that kind of my life's work. But from my side of the street, I understand. I wasn't capable of playing the songs that we really needed to be playing. These were the songs that were — not all of them, but there were two or three songs that were fairly popular songs, and I understand that would cause them pause as far as why we can't play that. And again, with me taking on the MEGADETH record and that doing so well, with me taking on the PROTEST record and that doing so well, I think the tensions were just high. And like the metal sites always say, everybody's replaceable, right? So, I did take it hard, I did take it personally, and it sent me spiraling for a little while. But I've worked through those resentments, and I've got nothing but love for them continuing on and for each one of them. It was a difficult time, I think, for everybody, and, yeah, it hurt me a lot. But thankfully things have drastically improved in my life. I've gotten remarried, we've got three teenagers, I've got a nice little house, we've got dogs, cats. And now I've got FIRSTBORNE that is keeping me busy all the time. So I could look back on that and really be very, very proud of the time, effort and career that I had with them. And I wouldn't do it any other way. It's unfortunate it ended the way it did, but in the end, looking back on it, I also think that I in that I was forced at the time to walk away from it, since that time, I don't know that there would've been a better time for anybody to depart. At least personally, I do feel like we achieved more than we ever set out to do, and it had gotten to the point where, again, it doesn't really matter what the accolades were, but we had received basically all of them. So now it's just kind of this rinse and repeat proving to everybody that we're still around. And I didn't feel like there was much higher to go. We reached, again, way higher than I ever thought we would. And all the best to them and good luck continuing on. But looking back now, despite where my headspace was at the time, but looking back now in a different mindset, it was probably a very good time to walk away."

Asked if there has been any communication between him and the members of LAMB OF GOD since his official exit from the band six years ago, Chris said: "There hasn't been any. And again, I've worked through those resentments and I think about those guys all the time in a positive way. But since that letter — I believe it was in 2018 — or the e-mail, there's been absolutely no communication whatsoever from either side."

Back in March 2022, Chris Adler has publicly referred to LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton as a "fucking douche." Adler's comment was apparently prompted by Morton's revelation that the guitarist was blocked on Twitter by Lee J. Carter, the American politician who represented the 50th district in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 to 2022. On March 8, 2022, Mark shared a screenshot of a Twitter notification that he was blocked, and included the message, "But whyyyyyyyy?!?!?", to which Chris responded in a since-deleted tweet, "Maybe because you are a fucking douche." Within minutes, Morton fired back with "I usually wait until after dark to drunk message my exes".

Adler previously addressed his departure from LAMB OF GOD in June 2020, saying that "everybody parted on good terms. I left my drum throne in good hands with Art, who has been a friend. I think I met Art when he was 17 years old — I've got a picture of me and him standing outside the bus when he stood there waiting for an autograph. So he and I have been friends for a long time. And, obviously, the guys in the band are not only family," referring to the fact that his brother Willie plays guitar for LAMB OF GOD, "but became great friends over 25 years. And it was quite a career that we had. It didn't end — I don't think anybody from either side would say it ended really particularly well in that I think we all hoped and dreamed and wanted all the same thing but just couldn't seem to get ourselves on the same page, for whatever reason.

"As much as I loved doing what I was doing, it certainly seems like it was kind of a good time to maybe step away," he added. "And I think everybody wins in that regard. And I wish the best for them, and I'm sure they do… You have to speak to them — I'm not sure — but I hope they do for me.

"I didn't leave because I didn't want to be involved with music or play the drums. [And] I didn't leave the band because I was wanting to do something too heavy or too light or anything like that. It was just kind of a mutual crossroads… The shoe didn't fit anymore on either side.

"I'm happy to have had been a part of it. I think if I was [still] in that band, I would be pushing even further than what we've ever done before."

In 2020, Morton spoke to American Songwriter about what it has been like writing and playing with Cruz after recording with Chris for over a decade. He said: "There are differences for sure. Chris was a phenomenal talent, and he's a great drummer, and we made a lot of amazing music together. But Art is also a phenomenal talent and a great drummer. He's more feel-oriented. He's a little less robotic, and I don't mean that as a dig. I don't want to compare them too much. They're just two different drummers. But Art is a real feel, finesse player. I think the prime example I can give is live with Chris we used to play everything to a click. There was a click in our ear and that was a machine that kept timing consistent and the same every night. Within a week of playing with Art live, we were off the click. We were just playing the songs together instead of playing them at the same time. And I think that really made its way into our creative process as well."

After various web sites, including BLABBERMOUTH.NET, picked up Mark's comments, he took to his Twitter to set the record straight about his relationship with his former bandmate. He wrote: "Chris Adler is an incredibly talented person & an incredibly talented drummer. We have made a ton of music together & I'm immensely proud of our collective work. I have said that repeatedly in recent interviews because I mean it. Sites want clicks so they SPIN it another way."

He added in a separate tweet: "Chris and I remain in contact and he knows damn well that I love and respect him."

Cruz made his live debut with LAMB OF GOD in July 2018 in Gilford, New Hampshire.

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, have temporarily paused their “Sunday Lunch” series, after Fripp suffered a heart attack.

On May 7, Toyah shared the following as part of her “Toyah’s Blog”:

“Two Saturday’s ago Robert had flown to Italy for work. The next day he sent me a text in which he said, ‘do not panic but I am in intensive care’. He’d had a heart attack, what he didn’t know after some phone calls from myself to the team looking after him is he possibly had had a silent stroke .

“The good news is all of this happened within the vicinity of one of the best cardiac units in Italy. Within minutes he was with the best cardiac surgeons and specialist available. It was a miracle. He had five hours of surgery to put the first stent in. He was in intensive care for a day, now he is doing incredibly well.

“When I talk to him there is very little different about him, he is obviously in shock and he has medication effecting him but he looks extremely well.

“He looks incredible and I actually think the stents where badly needed. He’s probably feeling the best he has in a long time. We think the heart attack may have happened on his flight returning from Miami four weeks ago .

“I have never felt so stressed in my life, I thought I was just going to pass out with stress. I did a lot of grieving. I was terrified, Robert had to have two surgeries. I realise that he was in the right place at the right time and his guardian angels took really good care of him so any of you that are alarmed by this, he’s in a really good place. He’s been saved.

“We both need to address getting rid of saturated fat from our diets. I eat a lot of butter and we need to get rid of sugar. Both of us have stressful lives and we need to dial that down. I’ve said to Robert I will change my diet. I will change my lifestyle to suit him and rather wonderfully and selfishly for me he says he wants more time with me and to be with me when I’m working, for me that’s the greatest news I could hear and I’m hoping that by May 26th (the astrological shift for the better) all our lives will be improve and this very difficult past 10 months will become something of a past that we never revisit again.”

The couple shared this week’s regular Upbeat Moments video yesterday (May 11) which saw them explain the situation further. They say Robert will be taking it easy for six to eight weeks, but that the “Sunday Lunch” series will continue. Watch the clip below:

Southern California's OF MICE & MEN has returned with a new single, "Another Miracle". The track marks the band's first new music since 2023's "Tether" and OF MICE & MEN'a first since signing to new label Century Media Records. The powerful track — which was produced by the bandmembers themselves — explores themes of desperation, hope, and the relentless pursuit of peace amidst chaos. Known for crafting intimate, heavy-hitting anthems that resonate deeply with fans, the band once again showcases their ability to fuse raw vulnerability with explosive sonic power.

OF MICE & MEN's Aaron Pauley says: "Life is hard. No matter who you are, you're fighting battles big and small on a daily basis. A lot of the time, we feel that the uniqueness of our circumstance prevents connecting with others. 'How could anyone possibly know what it's like to go through what I'm going through?' That being said, everyone, and I mean everyone, knows what it's like to wish for a miracle during a time when everything seems hopeless. It seems to be one of those core human experiences that ties us all together. That's exactly what 'Another Miracle' is about and we hope you enjoy it."

Today OF MICE & MEN has also shared the official video for "Another Miracle" which was shot by filmmaker Mike Matsui. Guitarist Alan Ashby says: "Working with Mike and his team was awesome. We got to actually do a bit of acting as well as play our instruments. It was super cool having a tactical co-ordinator and learning how to do the proper movements in relation to the SWAT team scenes. It felt like we were part of a big-budget Hollywood movie!"

OF MICE & MEN is currently touring the U.S. with both headline and festival dates, including Summer Daze festival in Elko, Nevada, Warped Tour in Long Beach, California and Louder Than Life in Louisville, Kentucky. Today the band has also announced a European run, with dates kicking off November 27 and concluding December 14. Tickets for that leg are on sale May 14 at 10 a.m. CET / 9 a.m. U.K.

Kicking off an exciting new chapter, OF MICE & MEN has officially signed with Century Media Records. This new partnership paves the way for continued evolution while honoring the sound that has earned them a loyal global following. With fresh creative momentum and new music on the horizon, the band stands ready to make this one of their most dynamic and impactful years to date.

The label's head of A&R Dennis Moll says: "We're beyond stoked to welcome OF MICE & MEN to the Century Media Records family. Witnessing their tenacity, perseverance and willingness to reinvent themselves while sticking to their roots isn't just promising — it's inspiring and fits perfectly to the vision we have as a label. This is the beginning of a great partnership."

Earlier this week OF MICE & MEN launched their new offering for fans via the brilliantly named Micespace (www.micespace.club),a new online community for the band and their fans where the band will be sharing unreleased music and demos, unseen footage from each era of their nine albums, fan club perks on tour tickets and tons more exclusive content.

Since its debut in 2010, OF MICE & MEN has built a devoted global fanbase through relentless touring, powerful live shows, and a string of acclaimed albums. The band's core lineup — Aaron Pauley, Phil Manansala, Alan Ashby and Tino Arteaga — has remained solid since 2016, fostering a deep creative chemistry. Their music frequently explores themes of resilience, mental health, and human connection, striking a deep chord with listeners. With numerous charting singles, award wins, and a new partnership with Century Media Records, OF MICE & MEN continues to evolve while staying rooted in the authenticity that defines the band's sound.

OF MICE & MEN 2025 European tour dates:

Nov. 27 - Docks - Hamburg, DE
Nov. 28 - Hole 44 - Berlin, DE
Nov. 29 - Anker - Leipzig, DE
Nov. 30 - Meet Factory - Prague, CZ
Dec. 02 - Progresja - Warsaw, PL
Dec. 04 - Backstage - Munich, DE
Dec. 05 - Essigfabrik - Cologne, DE
Dec. 06 - Kulturfabrik Kofmehl - Solothurn, CH
Dec. 08 - Bataclan - Paris, FR
Dec. 09 - 013 - Tilburg, NL
Dec. 11 - Electric Ballroom - London, UK
Dec. 12 - Academy 2 - Manchester, UK
Dec. 13 - Bristol Electric - Bristol, UK
Dec. 14 - The Garage - Glasgow, UK

Photo by Nick Roehm

Dean DeLeo of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and TRIP THE WITCH, along with vocalist Pete Shoulder, will release the self-titled debut album from their latest collaboration, ONE MORE SATELLITE, on July 18, 2025 via Symphonic.

"One More Satellite" presents a diverse collection of songs. "I was simply sitting on some songs I wanted to record," says DeLeo. "What started out as an instrumental album, quickly changed soon after Pete and I chatted. He was going to sing on a song or two, then wound up singing on eight of the ten on the record."

The collaboration with U.K.-based vocalist and lyricist Pete Shoulder and DeLeo went quite well and voila, through a transatlantic workflow… ONE MORE SATELLITE was born.

"I was excited to hear the new music Dean wanted to collaborate on," says Shoulder. "We've worked together in the past and it's always been an absolute pleasure making music with him. The stuff he comes up with is so interesting, with so many beautiful, unexpected, twists and turns. It's very inspiring to write to and pushes me into realms that I would never usually think of exploring. I'm very proud of the album we've made."

The debut single, "Paper Over The Cracks", can be streamed below.

DeLeo's son Rocco drums on "Drowning Out The Sun", "Willow Mae" and "Spit It Out". STONE TEMPLE PILOTS drummer Eric Kretz plays on "Serenade" and Brian Tichy drums the rest. Daughter June DeLeo lends a lovely "aaah"…vocal on "Your Call", and longtime collaborator Ryan Williams co-produced and mixed the album.

"One More Satellite" will be available digitally and on CD and vinyl. More merch items, including posters and t-shirts, can be found here.

"One More Satellite" track listing:

01. Paper Over The Cracks
02. Vultures
03. Long Way Down
04. Drowning Out The Sun
05. Serenade
06. Can Of Worms
07. Willow Mae
08. Spit It Out
09. Pull Back The Veil
10. Your Call

DeLeo and Shoulder had previously collaborated on songwriting, including for the album "Lessons Learned" by Dean's younger brother — and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist — Robert DeLeo. They've also worked together in the studio on projects, including a collaboration with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and TRIP THE WITCH. Shoulder has also collaborated with Robert DeLeo on the aforementioned "Lessons Learned" LP and co-wrote songs for it, including "Love Is Not Made Of Gold".

In addition to his work with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Dean DeLeo is known for his role in the short-lived bands TALK SHOW and ARMY OF ANYONE, the latter of which featured Robert DeLeo, FILTER frontman Richard Patrick and session drummer Ray Luzier.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS features three original members — the DeLeo brothers and drummer Eric Kretz.

In 2017, singer Jeff Gutt, a now-48-year-old Michigan native who spent time in the early-2000s nu-metal act DRY CELL, among other bands, and was a contestant on "The X Factor", joined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS after beating out roughly 15,000 hopefuls during an extended search that began more than a year earlier.

Original STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, who reunited with the group in 2010 after an eight-year hiatus but was dismissed in 2013, died in December 2015 of a drug overdose.

Chester Bennington, who joined STP in early 2013, departed nearly three years later to spend more time with his main band LINKIN PARK. Bennington committed suicide in July 2017.

Dean DeLeo photo credit: Wendybird Fotos / Pete Shoulder photo credit: Scott Wynne

Rock band DANCE GAVIN DANCE has announced its highly anticipated new album "Pantheon", set to be released on September 12 via Rise Records. Their first full-length release since 2022's "Jackpot Juicer" — which debuted at No. 8 in the Billboard Top 200 — "Pantheon" sees the band building on their signature genre defying sound with soul shredding breakdowns, pop-infused melodies, frenzied screams, and guest vocals from the legendary master of Pfunk, George Clinton, on the song "Space Cow Initiation Ritual".

In addition to announcing their new album, DANCE GAVIN DANCE has released their new single "Midnight At McGuffy's". Along with the song comes a brand new music video — a surreal, Escher-esque trip through flashing lights and desert landscapes that will leave you questioning what is real.

DANCE GAVIN DANCE drummer Matt Mingus comments: "We're incredibly ecstatic to share our 11th full-length album, 'Pantheon', with the world. We poured our hearts and souls into this record — it has all the signature elements our fans have come to expect, along with fresh sounds and new styles that truly spotlight Andrew as our new vocalist. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride that is 'Pantheon'."

Catch DANCE GAVIN DANCE on the road this spring. The headlining "Return Of The Robot" tour kicks off on May 22. A number of shows are already sold out — including night two in Philadelphia, Toronto, Charlotte, Phoenix, and Riverside — with more expected to sell out soon. Fans in Chicago can also look forward to the fourth annual Swanfest, with special guests GLASSJAW, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, THE FALL OF TROY, Kurt Travis and "Return Of The Robot" tourmates THE HOME TEAM, BELMONT and DWELLINGS.

Gratitude. It's a word that DANCE GAVIN DANCE return to often — and with good reason. Because few words encapsulate the mood in the band as they prepare to lift the veil on the latest era in their storied career. Gratitude for each other. Gratitude for the journey, its lessons and the growth it affords. Gratitude for the outlet in which to express themselves creatively, with freedom and abandon. Gratitude for the fans of old and gratitude for the fans of new, without whom none of this would be possible.

"Pantheon", DANCE GAVIN DANCE's 11th full-length record and the follow-up to 2022's "Jackpot Juicer", is a testament to and document of that gratitude. Emerging from a recent period of trauma and flux — the sudden passing of beloved longtime bassist Tim Feerick; along with various changes within the band's lineup — it finds the newly minted quartet refocused, rejuvenated and reenergized, imbued with an unbridled energy that duly bursts from every inch of "Pantheon"'s 13 tracks.

Formed in Sacramento, California in 2005, DANCE GAVIN DANCE — today comprised of vocalist/guitarist Andrew Wells, his fellow frontman Jon Mess, lead guitarist Will Swan and drummer Matthew Mingus — are a powerhouse of alternative music; true originals and originators alike, crafting an exhilarating cacophony of sounds and disparate styles that harmonizes everything from funk through metalcore to post-hardcore, pop sensibilities colliding with progressive, kaleidoscopic song structures. With four Billboard 200 Top 15 albums to their name and one of the most deeply fanatical fanbases in modern music fueling millions of record sales and billions of streams, as the esteemed Rock Sound magazine attests: "There is no band on earth like DANCE GAVIN DANCE."

"Pantheon" is an album born first and foremost from reflection — on what DANCE GAVIN DANCE was, is, and, crucially, could still be. It's an astonishing listen that sees DANCE GAVIN DANCE shift back towards the band's heavier, more experimental beginnings. Without forgoing any of the accessibility and songcrafting craft of "Jackpot Juicer" and 2020's "Afterburner" before it, "Pantheon" succeeds in sandblasting away the pop sheen that has glossed the band's recent output to leave something altogether edgier, coarser, tactile. Lyrically, it channels thoughts and themes that are similarly abrasive. It's a record that navigates an undercurrent of instability, frustration and exasperation, the jarring, dueling delivery of Wells and his thrillingly erratic, freeform counterpoint Mess the embodiment of "Pantheon"'s inner conflicts and confusion. It poses an abundance of questions while rationing its answers.

"The intention of 'Pantheon' was to build a certain tension, without a proper resolution," Andrew Wells says. "The world is in chaos right now, so there is a lot of solemn commentary on where we're all headed, songs about where we find ourselves in life right now, and the classic DGD absurdism for light and relief amongst the darkness of it all.

"I think 'Pantheon' is a testament to perseverance and the gratitude that we feel today," Wells adds. "Being able to overcome everything that life hits you with, find your people — the people that you trust, people that you love, people that love you — and create art with them, whatever chaos the world has in store for you. It's about getting through the hardest times, getting back to basics, and making something that you love."

"Pantheon" track listing:

01. Animal Surgery
02. Midnight At McGuffy's
03. The Robot With Human Hair: Rebirth
04. The Conqueror Worm
05. Trap Door
06. Strawberry's Daughters
07. Space Cow Initiation Ritual (feat. George Clinton)
08. All The Way Down
09. A Shoulder To Cry On
10. The Peak Of Superstition
11. The Stickler
12. Yikes!
13. Descent To Chaos

In 1976 the seminal line-up of MOTÖRHEAD was solidified a year after the band's initial inception. Known as the "Three Amigos" era of MOTÖRHEAD, Lemmy (bass/vocals),Fast Eddie Clarke (guitar) and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor (drums) joined forces and began their extraordinary journey to the top of the hard rock elite.

In August 1976 the band set up at EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER's legendary Manticore Studio in Fulham to rehearse and showcase the new lineup. While they were there they recorded together for the very first time and now, forty-nine years later, this long-lost tape has surfaced, been dusted off and restored in all its raw glory, to celebrate the seminal hard rock band's 50th anniversary

It's quite surreal, even unbelievable that a whole half century has elapsed since that vital time in 1976. Just as remarkable, especially for those who remember Lemmy hammering the fruit machines of London's pubs or as the era's most extraordinarily approachable rock star, has been this always humble man's ascension to Mount Rushmore-like immortality as rock 'n' roll's ultimate icon, this despite his having sadly passed away nearly ten years ago. Lemmy himself certainly would have cackled.

The dogged struggles MOTÖRHEAD faced in the first four of their 50 years are well documented and the almost accidental manifestation of this album — and the circumstances under which it was recorded — present a previously barely known new element in the band's history from that time when it's very future looked bleak had events not taken a different course.

Part of that early story involved a little-mentioned man called Frank Kennington, who roadied for THE WHO before moving into management and briefly taking on the struggling MOTÖRHEAD. One of Kennington's moves was booking the trio into the converted ABC cinema on Fulham Palace Road that served as prog supergroup EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER's HQ — which was known as Manticore. Named after the mythical beast in Persian folklore that adorned their album sleeves, Manticore was one-stop shopping for bands, with the projection room housing offices while the seatless main auditorium provided a useful soundstage for bands to rehearse in. MOTÖRHEAD were ensconced at Manticore recording their set on Ronnie Lane's mobile studio, which was operated by Ronnie's trusted mate Ron Faucus.

Faucus did a fine job capturing MOTÖRHEAD's blossoming raw power and high-velocity onslaughts on songs that would remain in their live set until 1979. These aging tapes were brought to life with restoration duties dutifully handled by longtime MOTÖRHEAD collaborator Cameron Webb at Maple Studios in California and mastered by Andrew Alekel at Bolskine House in Los Angeles. The result is a truly historical moment in the evolution of hard rock's finest heavy icons, restoring and bringing to the public eye for the first time ever a vital part of MOTÖRHEAD's evolution and history.

"The Manticore Tapes" will be available as a deluxe expanded bookpack containing a double LP and seven-inch single, a single LP, CD and digital.

See below for full details of "The Manticore Tapes" releases and be sure to visit www.iMotorhead.com for news and updates.

Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST have released a new single. The song "Last Goodbye" is the first taste from the band's seventh album, due later this year.

BATTLE BEAST bassist Eero Sipilä comments: "The spark for 'Last Goodbye' was lit in the least rock and roll place imaginable: a hospital. In 2020, I spent a few weeks there and met an older woman battling cancer — a fight she'd been waging on and off since 1985. It made me wonder: how much can a person take before they give up? But she never did. She kept showing up, kept pushing through the treatments, kept being around. 'Last Goodbye' is a tribute to that human fighting spirit — the will to rise every time life knocks you down. As long as you're breathing, you're still in the game."

BATTLE BEAST's European tour starts with a bang on October 17 with the band's biggest German headline show to date at Hamburg’s Inselpark Arena. The trek, with DOMINUM as the special guest and Sweden's rising power metal force MAJESTICA as the opening act, will keep BATTLE BEAST on the road until mid-December.

BATTLE BEAST released its first live album, "Circus Of Doom - Live in Helsinki 2023", on April 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. The album is available on all DSPs and as a limited-edition CD plus Blu-ray digipak. Recorded at the Helsinki Ice Hall on January 27, 2023, mixed by the band's "keytarist" Janne Björkroth and mastered at the legendary Finnvox by Mika Jussila, this massive live package is a highlight for every dedicated fan out there and perfectly captures the ambitious dystopian carnival show BATTLE BEAST put up during their past touring cycle.

BATTLE BEAST singer Noora Louhimo revealed in November 2023 that she had been diagnosed with a ruptured left carotid artery, causing the postponement the band's tour.

Louhimo joined BATTLE BEAST in 2012 with no previous experience as a metal vocalist but quickly acclimated herself as the replacement for Nitte Valo (a.k.a. Nitte Vänskä).

Three years ago, Noora, who in 2021 released her debut solo album, "Eternal Wheel Of Time And Space", under the NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE banner, admitted publicly that she had been struggling with eating disorders and her weight since she was "a little child" and said that she was "still trying to find a balance." She added that she had "been depressed and anxious sometimes 'without a reason'."

In an interview with Metal Divas, Noora explained how she ended up fronting BATTLE BEAST: "[In] September [2012], I got a call from [then-BATTLE BEAST guitarist] Anton [Kabanen] that they want me to join BATTLE BEAST. I had heard their music and loved the sound and the vocals, so the next day I called Anton and said I'm in.

"Anton found me by accident on YouTube when he was searching for the new vocalist," she continued. "He had been looking for a vocalist — male or female; [it did not] matter. The only thing that mattered was can that [he or she could] sing his songs without compromises.

"I've been singing since I was four years old," Noora added. "While being a huge fan of heavy metal of '80s and a teenager, I had some classical singing lessons when I was 16 years old. Then at the age of 19, I started studying music in pop/jazz line. At the same time, I started doing some jam sessions at bars. There I found my first band (ADMIRAL OCTOPUS) in the blues bar. We used to play rock and blues music from '60s-'70s and Janis Joplin was the reason I got the rasp in my voice. After ADMIRAL OCTOPUS, in 2011, I took part in a singing competition ('Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star') at Henry's Pub of Tampere and won it with Janis Joplin's 'Piece Of My Heart'. That's how my single 'Relax' was born."

BATTLE BEAST is:

Noora Louhimo - vocals
Eero Sipilä - bass
Joona Björkroth - guitars
Juuso Soinio - guitars
Janne Björkroth - keyboards
Pyry Vikki - drums

Photo credit: Marek Sabogal

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's Brooks Wackerman was recently interviewed by Steve Jocz, also known as Stevo 32, a Canadian musician best known as the original drummer of the punk rock band SUM 41. Asked how he landed the AVENGED gig back in 2014, Brooks, who had been a member of BAD RELIGION since 2001, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "My friend Diony [Sepulveda] — he used to be my personal manager, and then he was AVENGED SEVENFOLD's tour manager — they talked to him, and they started establishing a dialogue about, 'Do you think Brooks would be into playing with AVENGED?' So he called me and I'm, like, 'What? It was just so outta — maybe not outta left field, but when you get that call and you just start kind of envisioning yourself in a completely different light. It's, like, metal festivals, even though, to me, AVENGED is so much more than metal, but we are playing metal fest festivals. So, yeah, it was exciting. I'm, like, 'Okay, I haven't felt this way in a while' at the time. I was grateful for all my work with BAD RELIGION, but I was in the band for 15 years, and I wanted to spread the wings a little wider, too, musically. So I'm, like, 'Okay, not only are they interested, but they're also interested in writing with me for this record. They want me to contribute.' And I'm, like, 'Yeah, let's do this.' 'Cause to actually feel like you're a proponent between five guys in a studio, it's special."

Asked if he felt like he wasn't able to do that in BAD RELIGION, Brooks clarified: "The writers were Brett [Gurewitz, BAD RELIGION guitarist] and Greg [Graffin, BAD RELIGION singer], and as they should be, because they created the sound. I always call them the [John] Lennon and [Paul] McCartney of punk rock. There's no one that can write like those guys. I did parameters, but I'm not gonna sit here and say BAD RELIGION didn't allow me creativity — they did — but I will say once I did the second record with BAD RELIGION, that's when I really felt like myself. I didn't feel a hundred percent like myself on [2002's] '[The] Process [Of Belief]', and I think that was a) nerves, b),not knowing the guys, and c) they had all the songs demoed. So by the second record, I was demoing at Brett's house. He wanted to hear what I would come up with and it was more collaborative. But when you get the AVENGED call, it's, like, 'Okay, so the Latin beat that I practiced when I was 12, I can now apply this in a song.' It's, like, just the rhythmic possibilities, the creative possibilities [were endless]…"

Regarding what songs he played at the AVENGED SEVENFOLD audition, Brooks said: "'Nightmare', 'Little Piece Of Heaven', 'Bat Country', I think 'Buried Alive'. Yep, 'Buried Alive'. I think it was just that."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD had been working with Brooks for over a year already following the departure of Arin Ilejay before Wackerman was announced as the band's new drummer. Although Ilejay left the group in 2014, his departure was only announced in July 2015.

Ilejay was AVENGED SEVENFOLD's drummer for four years, playing on 2013's "Hail To The King" album. In announcing his exit, the band thanked him for his "positive energy" but added that it "needed to move in a different direction."

Back in November 2015, AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows told the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast about Brooks's addition to the band: "To be honest, Brooks's name has always been in the mix. It was one of the names we were throwing around when Jimmy [original AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer James 'The Rev' Sullivan] passed away in terms of who was going to step up for [the 2010 album] 'Nightmare'. We felt Mike [Portnoy, DREAM THEATER] was the right choice and we still feel that way. Mike just destroyed on the record. He was perfect. But at the time, our tour manager brought up Brooks's name as well. But at the time he was also busy with BAD RELIGION and it was also… People were going to look at it differently because he was a punk drummer at this point."

Regarding the split with Ilejay, M. Shadows said: "It just became increasingly difficult to be on the same page, not only touring, but with writing and just where we want to take things. We're just a bunch of guys who are all over the place and we have a bunch of different influences and we need somebody who can instantly… who can sit there and say, 'Yeah, I've got that influence too or I understand why we're gonna go here. I understand why we're going to do that.'"

He continued: "It just got to the point where after Mayhem Festival [in 2014], we had just decided to fire on all cylinders the way we want to, we needed to make a change. And we all had our little talk. We said, 'Listen, we can ride this thing out the way it is right now and we'll be fine or we can shake the nest a little bit and we want to fire on all cylinders again. We want to be the baddest band on the planet. We want to just dominate onstage.' And I came up with the idea that I really want to talk to Brooks and see if there's any chance and see where he's at in his life right now."

He went on to say: "Jimmy's missing and you're not trying to replace that and you're just trying to get to the point where if you were to tear this thing to the bottom floor, how would you rebuild it — to just say new band, new mentality, new fire. And one of the things was, 'Let's give Brooks a call and see what he's doing.' It wasn't like we were going to start trying guys out and we were serious about this change. It was, like, 'If Brooks is willing to do this, that's what we want to do.' So it wasn't like we were gonna just start looking for drummers."

During an appearance on "The Jasta Show", Kirk Windstein confirmed that DOWN is working on a new full-length album, tentatively due in 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. The guitarist/vocalist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, all the drum tracks are done and basically the bass tracks as well."

Windstein, who is joined in the long-running heavy metal supergroup by vocalist Philip H. Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower and bassist Pat Bruders, went on to discuss the evolution of DOWN's songwriting, beginning with the band's 1995 debut album "NOLA" and running through DOWN's last two releases, 2012's "Down IV Part I – The Purple EP" and 2014's "Down IV – Part Two" EP. He said: "[Philip and I] talked about it kind of jokingly and stuff, but I'm, like, 'Dude, at some point I think you were just overthinking,' because it went from the simplicity of 'NOLA' where there's so many open areas of just big, simple riffs and shit to really being complex on a lot of songs on 'Down III: Over The Under', where he's almost singing over every part of the song but the guitar solo or something."

Circling back to the writing process for the next DOWN album, Kirk said: "We were out at the [Nodferatu's] Lair [Anselmo's home studio] and I'm, like, I said, 'I haven't been out here writing with you dudes since… It's been, like, since for the first EP,' so maybe 2011, early 2012… So it's kind of like we haven't written together in so long that it was so fresh. I mean, we got together on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and I think we had seven songs written. Because you've got five dudes that can write riffs. I mean, your drummer can write riffs too. And Pat writes great, and Phil writes great. And you've got me and Pepper on guitar. So when you've got five dudes that can write riffs — there's some songs that we all kind of have a riff in it even, or a part or half a riff or something."

As previously reported, DOWN will headline night one of this year's edition of the Milwaukee Metal Fest. The show follows the band's recent Western U.S. tour with DANZIG.

In April 2024, Windstein, who is also the frontman of CROWBAR, told Concrete Spew about the musical direction of the new DOWN material: "It just sounds like DOWN. I mean, it sounds refreshing because we haven't done it in so long, gotten together with me and the guys and done it in — fuck — 12 years or something. So it sounds like DOWN, I think, to me, it sounds more old-school DOWN. And the reason I say that is I think we got to a point where… Like, the 'NOLA' record is so simple, and it just wrote itself; it was so simple. And that's how this is coming about, which is great."

He continued: "We're not overthinking it. We're not trying to make things too complex. Phillip's not trying to write so many lyrics and things. We just kind of got away — I hate to say 'got away', 'cause anything we do is DOWN, but, to me, we kind of got a little bit… We needed to go back and look at each other and just go, 'Let's just get in a room and do it like we did from the beginning.' And that's what it feels like to me. It's very magical. The ideas and the working together, just bounce off of one another, it's a natural thing."

DOWN played its rescheduled concert at Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico on September 27, 2024. The band was originally supposed to perform at at Inn Of The Mountain Gods on June 20, 2024, but the show was called off due to a pair of rapidly growing wildfires which were converging on a village inside a tribal reservation in the state. As a result of the postponement, DOWN played two pop-up shows in Louisiana — on June 20, 2024 at Southport Hall in New Orleans and on June 21, 2024 at Varsity Theatre in Baton Rouge.

Prior to Southport Hall, DOWN's last concert took place in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia.

DOWN made a handful of rare live appearances in the spring and summer of 2022. The band launched a three-date U.S. run of shows in May 2022 at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida. After playing in Atlanta and Dallas immediately after Rockville, DOWN took a three-week break before regrouping for three European festival appearances in June. The aforementioned appearance at that year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival followed in September 2022.

In August 2021, DOWN took part in a very special in-person live and virtual experience. "NOLA Town Throwdown" was held at the Fillmore in New Orleans, Louisiana and featured fans attending the show in person as well as watching it in real time from the comfort of their living room.

In August 2020, DOWN celebrated the 25th anniversary of "NOLA" with a special livestreamed event. Dubbed "The Quarter Century Throwdown", the high-production, multi-camera event took place using cutting-edge streaming technology to create a one-of-a-kind virtual concert experience.

A founding member of DOWN, Windstein left the band in 2013 in order to focus on CROWBAR and his family life. He was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, DOWN's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER),and HONKY.

Windstein announced his return to DOWN in 2019, with the band confirming a number of festival appearances for 2020 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of "NOLA", all of which were later canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic which swept the globe.

Prior to the August 2020 livestream, DOWN's last live appearance took place in August 2016 at the Psycho Las Vegas festival in Las Vegas.

"Down IV – Part Two" sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in May 2014 to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous EP, "Down IV Part I – The Purple EP", opened with around 12,000 units in September 2012 to land at No. 35.

"Down IV – Part Two" was recorded at Nodferatu's Lair and produced by Michael Thompson. It was released via Down Records/ADA Music.

Photo by MetalDave Media

Fresno metallers Haunt have announced their new album Ignite. Release is expected for August 2025.



Ignite formats/merch:
-Die Hard Bundle (pictured above), limited to the first 100 orders. Includes Ignite album art shirt, patch, and signed record on black vinyl
-Four different vinyl variants
-Long sleeve, raglan, tank top, and t-shirts available
-CD and cassette

Preorder on Bandcamp.

Ignite follows-up 2024’s Dreamers and is the band’s 10th full-length album.

Artwork by John Giannelli:



Tracklisting:

“Extraordinary Life”
“Soaring Through The Ages”
“Eventide”
“Early Grave”
“Ignite”
“Not The Same”
“Shattered Past”
“Long Cold Lonely Winter”
“With Our Angel”
“If I Said Good Night”