Last August, it was announced that the original 1991 lineup of Swedish death metal pioneers GRAVE — Ola Lindgren (guitar, vocals),Jörgen Sandström (vocals, guitar),Jens "Jensa" Paulsson (drums) and Jonas Torndal (bass) — would reunite for a series of concerts in 2025 during which they would perform "an exclusive old-school set" consisting of material from the first three classic GRAVE albums: 1991's "Into The Grave", 1992's "You'll Never See..." and 1994's "Soulless". The first show took place last night (Saturday, April 5) Kulturhuset in Stockholm, Sweden. Fan-filmed video of the gig can be seen in the YouTube playlist below (courtesy of Riepu).

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

01. Into The Grave
02. Eroded
03. Turning Black
04. Day Of Mourning
05. Morbid Way To Die
06. Deformed
07. In Love
08. Soulless
09. Brutally Deceased
10. Black Dawn (CORPSE cover)
11. Christi(Ns)Anity
12. Bullets Are Mine
13. For Your God
14. Extremely Rotten Flesh

Encore:

15. You'll Never See
16. Hating Life
17. And Here I Die

Several additional performances have been confirmed, including appearances at Germany's Party.San Metal Open Air, Czech Republic's Brutal Assault, Switzerland's Metal Storm Over Luzern and The Netherlands' Graveland Festival.

A few days after the reunion of the 1991 lineup of GRAVE was announced, Lindgren took to the band's social media to offer "some clarity" to what the upcoming shows will entail. He wrote: "Many thanks to all of you who commented on last weeks announcement and who are as excited about this as we are. Lets bring some clarity to what this 'reunion' is about.

"So early this year I was approached by the other 3 original members for a meeting. It resulted in the plan to do a couple of rehearsals for fun to see if we were first of all capable and also of course if we enjoyed jamming again.

"I would say that playing together after all these decades went far beyond anyone's expectations so we decided to try get some shows booked and here we are.

"This is initially a plan for festival shows during 2025. At the moment there are no plans to do any touring or recording new material with this lineup but who knows where this might lead us...

"The GRAVE that imploded last year is not dead and buried, it is simply put on ice.

"Tomas [Lagrén, drums] is definitely not fired from the band and it will be his decision if he wants to be a part of any future GRAVE endevours when that time comes."

One of the very first Swedish death metal bands alongside NIHILIST, MORBID and TREBLINKA, GRAVE released its first demo in 1986 under the band name CORPSE, before they switched to GRAVE in 1988. GRAVE's debut album, "Into The Grave", arrived in August 1991 through the then-young record label Century Media.

Lindgren told the "Swedish Death Metal" book by Daniel Ekeroth about how GRAVE landed its record deal: "We sent our third demo to just every label there was. A lot of them kept in touch, such as Earache and Peaceville. But Century Media was working faster than any of them, so we just went with them without thinking too much about it. Century Media invited us down to Germany to record that single ('Tremendous Pain'),and it was only after that we started to discuss a deal. It felt amazing for us to go abroad, so in a way they lured us into their roster! But it turned out well."

After Century Media and GRAVE parted ways after seven albums with the release of 2006's "As Rapture Comes", the band launched two highly acclaimed albums, "Dominium VIII" (2008) and "Burial Ground" (2010) through Regain, before reuniting with Century Media for 2012's "Endless Procession Of Souls" and 2015's "Out Of Respect For The Dead".

In 2019, GRAVE teamed up with Century Media Records to bring back the albums "Dominion VIII" and "Burial Ground" as classy, limited colored and black vinyl editions, hand-numbered digipak CDs limited to 3,000 copies each, and digitally. Remastered in 2019 by Lindgren and mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel of Temple Of Disharmony, these records offer crushing and savage GRAVE tracks that fully live up to the group's morbid legacy.

In January 2024, GRAVE parted ways with bassist Tobias Cristiansson and guitarist Mika Lagrén.

4K fan-filmed video of Y&T's April 4 performance at Uptown Theatre in Napa, California can be seen below (courtesy of Walter Morgan).

In a March 2024 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Y&T frontman Dave Meniketti was asked if he would like to make a follow-up to 2010's "Facemelter" album. He responded: "Yes." But then he clarified: "It's not in production [yet]. You can slap my face, and I'm sorry, but, no, I have not written it yet, no. We will write together as a band, hopefully, because that's the way I like to write generally. I do like writing on my own as well, but I like getting the whole band involved because that creates a different sound than you coming up with everything and saying, 'Okay, now, you play this.'"

In February 2023, Meniketti, who went public with his prostate cancer battle a year earlier, said that he was in complete remission after receiving radiation.

In July 2022, Y&T was forced to cancel its previously announced European tour in order to allow Meniketti more time to recover from the radiation treatments.

Meniketti discussed his diagnosis and treatment during an appearance on an April 2022 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Dave said that while prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men, with one in eight men getting it, it is also one of the most treatable, with a survival rate of over 90 percent after 10 years. "This is one of those cancers, if you catch 'em early, you can be one hundred percent fixed — it's over; it's done; you're sorted," he said. "I mean, sure, it could come back at some point, but even if it does, they can treat it again. You usually outlive this cancer, if you get it early enough. So, luckily, I have gotten it early enough."

Meniketti is the only surviving member of the Y&T lineup — then known as YESTERDAY AND TODAY — that recorded the band's self-titled debut album.

Original Y&T rhythm guitarist Joey Alves died in March 2017 at the age of 63. Two founding Y&T musicians — Haze, 61, and Kennemore, 57, who both had left the lineup — died from complications of lung cancer: Kennemore on January 7, 2011, and Haze on September 11, 2016.

Y&T's current lineup is rounded out by guitarist John Nymann, drummer Mike Vanderhule and bassist Aaron Leigh.

"Facemelter" came out in May 2010 via Frontiers.

🔥 Get ready to rock! Y&T is hitting the Uptown stage on Friday, April 4, 2025! 🎸🤘 With over four decades of iconic hard...

Posted by Uptown Theatre Napa on Tuesday, December 10, 2024

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy and guitarist Warren DeMartini played their first reunion show last night (Saturday, April 5) at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Playing alongside Pearcy and DeMartini were former RATT and QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, former RATT and ROUGH CUTT bassist Matt Thorr and former SLAUGHTER drummer Blas Elias. Thorr and Elias are both current touring members of Pearcy's solo band.

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

The setlist for the concert was as follows:

01. Wanted Man
02. Walking The Dog
03. I Want A Woman
04. In Your Direction
05. I'm Insane
06. The Morning After
07. Back For More
08. Dangerous But Worth The Risk
09. Nobody Rides For Free
10. Givin' Yourself Away
11. Way Cool Jr.
12. Over The Edge
13. Lack Of Communication
14. Lay It Down
15. You're In Love

Encore:

16. Round And Round

Pearcy and DeMartini will also perform a set of RATT classics at the 2025 edition of the M3 Rock Festival, which will take place May 2-4 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Pearcy and DeMartini are also scheduled to play at Rock The Dam 8 in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, on July 26.

In a recent interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, Pearcy spoke about his reunion with DeMartini for a handful of shows this spring and summer:  "How it came about is an interesting story. It all happened around [this year's] M3 [Rock Festival], and some friends of ours over there said, 'Hey, what would it take for you and Warren to headline M3?' And I'm, like, 'Come on. I haven't talked to the guy in eight years.' And the instigation just fired him up, fired me up, and now we've got a handful of shows. And rehearsals went really good the last few days in L.A. And wow — it's amazing. It's like there's the real guy, you know what I mean? Even I'm going, 'Fuck, there's the real dude.'"

According to Pearcy, rehearsals for the shows had lived up to his expectations. "It's sounding really good," he said. "And we're doing a couple of songs that people have been asking for, like 'Givin' Yourself Away' and 'Dangerous But Worth The Risk' and just, whoa. So it's exciting 'cause I don't even play those in my [solo] set."

He added: "I'm telling you, we have some surprises, so it's gonna be very cool… We have a lot of songs, and I never really thought about it. I can actually go out and do the video set, video tour. We have, like, 16 videos. It's, like, holy shit. Even 'Givin' Yourself Away' was a single and video in Japan, not in the U.S."

Regarding the fact that drummer Bobby Blotzer and bassist Juan Croucier, who were both members of RATT's classic lineup, are not playing with Pearcy and DeMartini at the upcoming shows, Stephen said: "Do you know what it is? I had to be really careful with how we went about getting Warren and I, getting reacquainted. And bringing in everybody — besides, everything's not that copacetic — everything's cool to that extent, and then not cool. I didn't want it to be about the band RATT with 'who's this?' and 'who's that?' And in the beginning it was, like, 'Well, let's try it with just Warren and I for a bit and see how it works and take it from there.' But there's no reason for Warren and I to try to make it a RATT thing because it is a RATT thing. I think people will get it. It's a celebration of our music, the legacy. It's not about, 'Oh, we've gotta get the original dudes together.' I don't think people really give a shit."

He continued: "Well, if I had my way, it would be Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist], myself and Warren. So that's why these days I really don't push anything because I think people, they get it when I go out there. They're enjoying it. And this is just an extra special added attraction with Warren coming in. And it's brilliant, at a time where it's never say never, So I'm looking forward to it. We're both looking forward to it. Everybody's excited, pumped. It's a great set. We have a lot of music to play, and we'll take it from there."

As for the possibility of more Pearcy/DeMartini shows to come in the future, Stephen said: "We're taking it really slow here. Besides, I don't wanna go out, nor does, I think, he does wanna go out and do some brutal hundred-city tour. That'll never happen."

Another project that Pearcy says is in the works is an official RATT documentary. "I've been accumulating stuff… and hopefully it can go down sometime this year," he said. "It's gonna be a lot of work., compiling 40 years of shit, and especially going into the RATT vault and locating all of these things and, and then burning all these things and getting them and working."

Pearcy and DeMartini will headline the final night of M3 Rock Festival on May 4.

During an appearance on the January 29 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Stephen said about the lineup of his new band with DeMartini: "We're gonna have Carlos out there, which is cool. And I'm bringing in Matt Thorr on bass, who's pretty much an original RATT guy from 1981, '82, when Jake E. [Lee] and Warren pulled in. And then we're taking Blas Elias on drums from SLAUGHTER and my band. And we're ready to go."

Added Warren: "When I moved up to L.A. to join RATT, I stayed at a house with Jake E. Lee for a few months, and, it was like a three-bedroom [house], and Jake had one, and Matt had the other, and this other musician had the third. And I was on the couch. But Matt goes way back with [RATT]. I'm actually kind of looking forward to checking that out again. He was playing bass at the time I joined [RATT]."

Regarding why they are not playing the M3 show under the RATT banner, Pearcy said: "Well, I'll tell you right straight up — it's not about RATT. It's about the legacy of our music. And who better to deliver it, because we don't have all the proper original elements, which would include [late RATT guitarist] Robbin [Crosby]. So we just decided — no. This is great. This is perfect. I mean, we don't wanna hit a brick wall. We want this nice and smooth. So that's what we intend to do. It's not about that — it's about the legacy of RATT. Period."

DeMartini went on to say that he is open to playing more shows with Pearcy in the future, assuming that everything goes will with the M3 gig.

"Since we announced the M3 show, other stuff has come up," he revealed. "When this [M3 concert] came up, I was treating it as a one-off, but everything has a momentum, or it can have a momentum. And in this case, it just feels better and better.

"I've always wanted to play these songs to the people, like we always have," he added. "So I'm totally game to doing more."

Asked if Blotzer and Croucier will have any involvement in the M3 and other gigs Pearcy and DeMartini plan to play together, Stephen said: "No, no, no. Not on this. No. Like I say, we wanted it to be about the music and Warren and myself delivering it, because it is gonna be a little different. If you were to throw the other guys in the mix, it wouldn't be exactly what it is now, the opportunity."

On the topic of what he has been doing in the seven years since he last played with Stephen, Warren said: "What I always did and what I always do. When I'm not sort of dealing with all the stuff that we deal with in life, I drift back into the studio and either start working on something that I hear in my head or refining something that I have going. So it's been a really nice thing to be able to do all this time, because basically since Stephen and Robbin and I wrote 'Round And Round', it's, like, 'Okay, you can be a writer if you wanna be,' so that's what I do, basically."

Asked if he missed being on stage and being in front of an audience, Warren said: "Oh, of course. It's hard to find words to describe the kind of energy that we have with our audience. It's just fantastic… I did do some gigs with some friends, like the last one was with Billy Gibbons and Sebastian Bach, and we would all play each other's songs. It was two or three songs each. And stuff like that kind of kept it burning, but this is the real fire."

As for a possible setlist for the M3 show, Warren said: "I think we need to really look at the whole catalog. I mean, we did — what? — six records with Atlantic, and we've done three through other labels. There's probably a lot of deep cuts that would be just totally awesome for this." Stephen added: "Oh, yeah. I can think of a few right now — 'Between The Eyes', 'Hard Time', 'Eat Me Up Alive'." Warren continued: "'Givin' Yourself Away' would be cool." Stephen chimed in: "Oh, that would be cool, actually."

Last year, Pearcy celebrated the 40th anniversary of RATT's classic debut album, "Out Of The Cellar", by performing it in its entirety and in sequence for the first time.

RATT exploded on to the national scene in 1984 with the release of "Out Of The Cellar". Featuring an undeniable hook and legendary music video, lead single "Round And Round" hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Out Of The Cellar" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200 and was certified triple platinum. Two more charting singles followed with "Back For More" and "Wanted Man". RATT started the tour as an opening act, but by the end of the tour had climbed to arena headliner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Round and Round," to Mohegan Sun! Pearcy and DeMartini Performing RATT with special guest Vixen are coming to Mohegan...

Posted by Mohegan Sun on Monday, February 24, 2025

On the heels of revisiting Latin American stages and announcing a new album and tour for autumn 2025, Canadian high-octane rock three-piece DANKO JONES has released a new single, "What You Need". The song represents the band's first auditory glimpse from their new album and also marks their debut at their new label, Perception, while their partnership with Sonic Unyon Records in their home country remains unchanged.

While fans still have to be a little bit more patient until learning more about the forthcoming record, the new track comes straight to the point: "If you want it, you got it, we're gonna give you what you need!" Who would even dare to refuse such a teasing offer and say 'no' to this powerful new DANKO JONES tune?! Concise guitar riffing introduces the single before the rest of the band jumpstart "What You Need" leading into its immersive chorus, making it an undeniable future live classic on top.

DANKO JONES's namesake frontman states: "'What You Need' is not only the first single off our new album, it's also the opening cut to it. It's loud, fast, and infectious. Turn this up until the volume knob breaks or your ceiling caves in!"

"What You Need" was crafted with longtime partners — Grammy- and Juno Award-winning producer/mixing engineer Eric Ratz (BILLY TALENT, BIG SUGAR, CANCER BATS) and Grammy-winning mastering expert Harry Hess (Hbomb Mastering) — and arrives in time for the trio's first 2025 European show, which will see them take the Paaspop stage in Schijndel, Netherlands in two weeks. Adam Mallett, another well-known face in the DANKO JONES universe, contributed contemporary single artwork which is additionally displayed on the "Danko Jones Is What You Need" tour admat.

As previously announced, DANKO JONES will promote its upcoming studio album in the traditional way — by embarking on a 15-date tour across Europe, visiting 10 different countries. Further stops might be added over the course of the year.

DANKO JONES is a three-piece rock 'n' roll band from Toronto. They never sleep. They sweat blood. And they are keeping rock alive by doing it better than anyone else.

On duty since 1996, these unstoppable road-hogs have devoted their lives to rousing the people with blistering, no-bullshit, all-action rock. They have rallied a global army of rock-hungry fans, and blown them away with a steady stream of explosive, anthem-packed albums and an absurd number of live shows. From early underground smashes like "We Sweat Blood" (2003) and "Sleep Is The Enemy" (2006),to the band's recent, triumphant triumvirate of "A Rock Supreme" (2019),"Power Trio" (2021) and "Electric Sounds" (2023),DANKO JONES has been a relentless force for rock 'n' roll good, both in the studio and on the road. And they have absolutely no intention of stopping.

"You know what? I like the routine of recording, touring, writing, and repeat," states singer/guitarist Danko Jones. "I can do that till I'm dead! It may sound boring, but it's so hard for a band to achieve. I don't take this lightly. Also, it's a page out of the MOTÖRHEAD handbook so it works! Since 'Electric Sounds' we've been touring and touring. We managed to play in Mexico and Greece for the first time, and we even played Prince Edward Island, a province in Canada we'd never been to before. Other than that, it's been a life of gigs and writing more songs to play more gigs!"

Proving that their time was well-spent, Danko, bassist John Calabrese and drummer Rich Knox have conjured yet another blazing banquet of nourishing rock goodness on their 12th studio record, due for release later this year.

DANKO JONES is:

Danko Jones - vocals, guitars
John Calabrese - bass
Rich Knox - drums

Photo credit: Jon Usual

In a new interview with Tom Wilson of Australia's Sense Music Media, former FEAR FACTORY singer Burton C. Bell commented on ex-FEAR FACTORY bassist Christian Olde Wolbers's recent announcement that he was launching a new project called ANGST FABRIK. Burton said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "ANGST FABRIK. It's how Germans say FEAR FACTORY. And we came across that — we played a venue called Angst Fabrik in Germany years ago.

"But I saw Christian at NAMM [this past January]," Bell continued. "And we spoke and hugged, and it was good to run into him. I'm glad to see that he is doing well. But I don't really think anything about it [laughs], about what he is doing. I mean, more power to him. But there's really only one FEAR FACTORY. There was one FEAR FACTORY, I should say that."

Reflecting on his time with the pioneering Los Angeles-based industrial metal act, Burton added: "I'm proud of everything I did in FEAR FACTORY. We did some really great music. We did a couple boners here and there, but they all can't be winners."

According to the official ANGST FABRIK Instagram page, the group's debut album is tentatively due in 2026.

Bell issued two solo singles in 2024 — "Anti-Droid" and "Technical Exorcism" — and a cover of RAMMSTEIN's "Du Hast" in 2023.

Bell played the first concert with his solo band on June 13, 2024 at 1720 in Los Angeles, California.

Backing Bell at his recent gigs have been guitarist Henrik Linde (THE VITALS, DREN),drummer Ryan "Junior" Kittlitz (ALL HAIL THE YETI, THE ACID HELPS),bassist Tony Baumeister (ÆGES) and multi-instrumentalist Stewart Cararas.

Bell's discography includes multiple live and recorded collaborations with BLACK SABBATH icon Geezer Butler and JOURNEY's Deen Castronovo (as G/Z/R); industrial maverick Al Jourgensen and MINISTRY; and guest vocal appearances with PITCHSHIFTER, CONFLICT, SOIL, STATIC-X, SOULFLY and DELAIN, among others. He's the vocalist of ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS and CITY OF FIRE and, of course, the co-creator of FEAR FACTORY and the only musician to appear on every FEAR FACTORY release from 1992 through 2024.

FEAR FACTORY created a sound that revolutionized extreme metal, defined in no small part by Bell's innovative scream/sing dichotomy and the influences he brought from post-punk and industrial. Songs like "Replica", "Linchpin", "Edgecrusher", "Fear Campaign", "Archetype", "Cyber Waste" and "Zero Signal" are modern metal anthems. "Demanufacture" (1995) and the RIAA gold-certified "Obsolete" (1998) are genre-redefining works heralded by fans and critics as essential albums. Orwell, Bradbury, "Blade Runner", and sophisticated sci-fi and fantasy works fed Bell's lyrics and concepts.

The band toured the world with METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, KORN, MEGADETH and OZZY OSBOURNE, taking bands like SYSTEM OF A DOWN and STATIC-X out as support acts in their early stages. After years of behind-the-scenes band member turmoil and legal issues, Bell left FEAR FACTORY in the fall of 2020.

The 56-year-old Bell had been largely inactive on the musical front since officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY in September 2020. At the time he said that he could not "align" himself with someone whom he did not trust or respect, an apparent reference to FEAR FACTORY founding guitarist Dino Cazares. Bell has since been replaced in the band by the Italian-born singer Milo Silvestro.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Christian Olde Wolbers (@christian_oldewolbers)

Following a monumental emergence, SLEEP TOKEN returns with its second offering, "Caramel", from the band's upcoming album "Even In Arcadia", due on May 9 via RCA Records. The new track blends delicate melodies with heavy rhythms, creating a unique mix of tender beauty and unrelenting force, with vocals that convey haunting vulnerability and unspoken pain.

"Even In Arcadia" is expected to push the boundaries of sound and emotion even further, dissolving into something otherworldly. With their previous single offering from b>"Even In Arcadia", "Emergence", driving their momentum — having hit the Billboard Hot 100 charts, reached number 1 on the Hot Hard Rock charts, and claimed the top spot on iTunes — the band offers a refined and expansive sonic journey, continuing their exploration of emotional depth and enigmatic narrative.

"Emergence" has become the biggest rock streaming debut of the year so far and the ninth biggest rock debut in the past five years, while also landing in the top 15 overall artists to debut this year.

As this next chapter unfolds, the band will embark on their first sold-out arena tour in the U.S. — the "Even In Arcadia" tour — with stops in 17 cities this fall. Promoted by AEG Presents, the "Even In Arcadia" tour will be SLEEP TOKEN's only headline tour in 2025. The band will also make an appearance at the Louder Than Life festival on Friday, September 19.

Formed in London, United Kingdom in 2016, the SLEEP TOKEN members perform under cover of anonymity in cloaks and masks. Only two of the group's pseudonymous members — singer and multi-instrumentalist Vessel and drummer II — are credited as having played or written a note on any of SLEEP TOKEN's three albums so far.

Widely considered one of the biggest rock bands in Britain, SLEEP TOKEN wrapped up a massive U.K. arena tour last December that included two stops at London's O2 Arena.

The members of SLEEP TOKEN have never revealed their true identities and have only done a handful of interviews since forming in 2016.

SLEEP TOKEN masterfully blends epic, emotionally charged anthems with bold, boundary-pushing experimentation that transcends traditional genre limits. With rich layers of atmospheric soundscapes and hauntingly beautiful lyrics, they build an immersive, mystical world where music, emotion, and mythology converge under the being known as Vessel. This world becomes a sacred space for fans to escape, connect, and experience catharsis, fostering deep bonds among those who share in the band's ethos. Their innovative approach has established them as one of the most exciting forces in modern music.

Emerging in 2019 with their debut album "Sundowning", SLEEP TOKEN quickly garnered attention for their unique sound and mysterious persona. Two years later, they achieved mainstream success with their sophomore album, "This Place Will Become Your Tomb", which charted in the U.K. and attracted a growing global following. Their trajectory reached new heights in 2023 with the release of "Take Me Back To Eden", an album that became an international success, topping charts in multiple countries. Notably, standout tracks from "Take Me Back To Eden" have dominated streaming platforms, with "The Summoning" leading the charge. The track became a viral sensation, amassing millions of streams, taking the No. 1 spot on international Spotify viral charts, and earning a feature as a "YouTube Trending Artist On The Rise", appearing on YouTube's homepage and being viewed by millions every day.

With their meteoric rise, SLEEP TOKEN has never played a headline show that didn't sell out. In 2023, Revolver awarded the band both "Artist Of The Year" and "Album Of The Year" for "Take Me Back To Eden", while at the Heavy Music Awards, they took home "Best UK Breakthrough Band" and "Best Album" for the same record. Though notoriously elusive, SLEEP TOKEN's presence in the music world continues to strengthen, with their creativity and mystique drawing increasing attention from both fans and the media, earning praise from outlets like Billboard, Forbes, NME, Revolver and more for their innovative sound and creative vision.

Photo credit: Andy Ford

On the heels of their debut single "Oligarchs", Miami-based rockers MONOLITH are back with a new track. "Mother Martyr" is the follow-up single and further showcases the sound the band is fast becoming known for. The trio comprised of Hernán "Motley" Rodríguez (bass/vocals),Andy Barrow (guitars/vocals) and Mike Mangini (drums) have joined forces to showcase their extensive musical influences that include rock, prog, funk, jazz and Latin music. "Mother Martyr" is a mid-tempo rocker that is a part of a musical universe that MONOLITH has created. The song is propelled by the unforgettable vocals by Rodríguez and Barrow and tells the story of a dancer who leads the double-life of a mother to the patrons of a strip club while balancing motherhood to her young child at the same time. The official music video for the song was directed by the band's visual collaborator Guillermo Figueredo and can be seen below. The song is available via all streaming services.

"We are beyond excited to share 'Mother Martyr' with the world! This is really the central part of our story that ties together every one of the songs we've written. It tells an honest story of a mother working as a dancer and handling the struggles that single working mothers face every day. But of course, she's the mother to our overall story's main character, the 'Starchild', who we already introduced in our first single, 'Oligarchs'," explains Rodríguez. "This has turned out to be such an amazing video, such a long time in the making, and now to finally have it ready to share with the world is an unbelievable feeling. We are so appreciative of the support we received with the release of 'Oligarchs', and we can't wait for everyone to see 'Mother Martyr' and check out this next chapter of the story!"

MONOLITH burst on to the music scene in late February when they surprised the world with the announcement of their first single "Oligarchs". The song grabbed headlines when news spread about Mangini joining band founder Rodríguez and Barrow in this new project. The announcement of MONOLITH would mark the first band Mangini would participate in after his tenure in DREAM THEATER. The music video for "Oligarchs" has been viewed over 140,000 times since it was released.

MONOLITH has been working on a bunch of new material for an upcoming release and more information on that will be available in the future.

MONOLITH is a dynamic and genre-defying band that brings together a unique blend of musical influences and backgrounds, creating a sound that pushes the boundaries of rock, metal, and Latin rhythms. The band formed when seasoned industry professionals — Rodríguez, Barrow and producer Gabo Sanoja — united over a shared vision of crafting music that was both innovative and deeply expressive. Mangini completed the trio's lineup, bringing in a legendary percussive force to the earliest forms of MONOLITH's sound. Together, these artists — each a master of their craft — form MONOLITH, a band that is as much about pushing musical boundaries as it is about creating meaningful, powerful connections with their audience. Their music is a testament to their collaborative spirit, showcasing an innovative mix of genres that promises to challenge listeners and inspire new ideas in modern rock and metal.

Mangini released his debut solo album, "Invisible Signs", in November 2023. Accompanying Mangini on the LP were Tony Dickinson on bass, Ivan Keller on guitar, Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) on lead guitar and former EVANESCENCE guitarist Jen Majura on vocals.

Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Mike Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 40 years ago. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

Mangini made his name in the hard rock world in the mid-1990s when he played with EXTREME, before landing the gig with guitar legend Steve Vai in 1996. Nearly a decade later, Mangini took up a full-time teaching position at the world-renowned Berklee College Of Music.

In a recent interview with Loaded Radio, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was asked how Mangini took the news in October 2023 when LaBrie and the rest of DREAM THEATER broke it to the drummer that Portnoy was coming back. James said: "Well, he was very professional about it. [It was] very admirable of him to have been… He took it in style and class. I mean, obviously, I think it would have been upsetting — it must have been upsetting — but he took it for what it's worth and even saying things like, 'It kind of makes sense, guys. I see why this should be happening and why this would maybe inevitably be happening. It just makes sense for the band and the amount of history that you all have together. It seems natural.' So, yeah, no, he was a class guy. Classy. Yeah."

In a January 2024 interview with Chris Akin Presents…, Mangini was asked if he had any "advance notice" that Portnoy would return to DREAM THEATER in the fall of 2023 or if it was "really immediate". He responded: "Immediate. But it's like… So the fish comes up out of the water, it's immediate, but the fish was swimming for a while. Where was the fish? Whatever."

He continued: "The reason it was easy for me to deal with — very easy, actually — I was, like, 'Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Original guy back in band.' I got I got it. And I didn't have to go do through a drop-down menu; I didn't have to do it. It was just I looked at it and went, 'Okay.' And plus I don't know whether it was intuitive, instinctual [or] intellectual… but I have left so many things on the table for so many years — the publishing of more books, the classes that I wanna teach, the interaction that my own self-development comes largely from me having to teach and talk about it to people. At some point, I mean, I see the whole picture, the grid, and I know what I can't do, and that inspires me.

"But anyway, the answer to your question is, I got a call and understood the call, and said, 'Okay, let's do a joint statement,'" he explained. "And then the next day, I'm, like, 'Okay.' I'm having coffee and quite literally, at my think tank, looking at my list and going, 'How am I gonna complete this job now? I've gotta fix this or do that. I've got a lot to do.' My studio facility had construction, there was stuff that had to be fixed. I was, like, 'Let me just let all of this stuff happen and breathe and just finish these things.' So that's what my mindset was. I can't tell you anything different because that's what it was."

Asked how he managed to avoid being angry over the fact that he was being pushed out of DREAM THEATER when Portnoy wanted to come back, even though Mangini was the drummer that helped the band win its first Grammy Award, Mangini said: "Well, a) because I don't know that that's what is the full picture. I don't know that that is what happened indeed. And I don't let myself even think about it. People decide things and I respect that. It's just it is what it is."

In early November 2023, Mangini told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his exit from DREAM THEATER and the return of Portnoy: "All I know is the decision was made and when I heard it, all I pictured was, 'Oh, this is an original guy going back to his band. Uh, okay. All right. Let's go to the next thing.' It was nothing more. I was told. It was just nothing more than — it seemed so simple to me. And maybe intuitively it's, like, 'Oh yeah, I get it.' And that was that. That's really it… So that's really the crux of it all is it was an easy thing for me to understand. And then once the news hit and it became real, which is when it set in, because once I knew about it, I just got busy. I was, like, 'Okay, I've got all these videos to finish.'"

The 61-year-old Mangini, who joined DREAM THEATER in 2010, continued: "I'm actually doing like a lot of stuff for my [recently released solo] album. I'll do some drum playthroughs. Not to yap and yap and yap about it, but I have a lot on my cork board and my lists and things to do and things to accomplish and things to complete. There's so much there I haven't been able to do. But once it hit and it became real, it was real quick for me. I'm, like, 'Okay, I get it.'"

When host Eddie Trunk noted that everything about his exit from DREAM THEATER, from the way it was handled to the fans' response to Mike's attitude about it, was "about as good as it could be," Mangini concurred. "It is as good as it could be," Mike said. "I think people are where they need to be. It's, like, there's stuff to do, there's places to be, there's people to see, there are things to accomplish and roles to fulfill and tasks to do. And that's what it is. That's really what it is.

"How lucky am I, how fortunate am I to be just a part of that history, to have all this amazing stuff happen?" he continued. "It's positive, positive, positive.

"I know I've accomplished some things with my career, and I've had a lot of struggles and a lot of things that didn't work or whatever, but for my parents to be in their 90s, to see this happen, and I'm not talking about career stuff; I'm talking about how I've treated people and how they treat me. I mean, I think that's what I want for my kids — I wanna feel well about how they are with people and how people treat them at the end of the day. I think that's just awesome."

Photo credit: Andrea Ballesta

Danish rock and rollers VOLBEAT — Michael Poulsen (vocals, guitar),Jon Larsen (drums) and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass) — will release their ninth album, "God Of Angels Trust", on June 6 via longtime label Vertigo/Universal.

Today the band shares the second taste of new music via the Shan Dan-directed video for the single "In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan's Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom". It's quite the title and quite the song!

Poulsen shares the origin story, saying: "I had so much fun writing these lyrics. It's about the outcasts and fallen angels of God — all the angels that were cast out of Heaven. And I'm being told to collect them in this big wagon and bring them to a barn."

He continues: "There's a ritual going on where the fallen angels are being sacrificed to Satan's spawn to create soldiers for a new dark kingdom. So, instead of inviting my lady out to go to the cinema, I say, 'I have something better. You have to see what's going on in this barn... we've been invited to see the birth of Satan's spawn and watch the world go down. How about that?"

He admits: "I think some people will read the lyrics and go, 'What's wrong with this dude?' But, it's all for fun. It's like a silly horror movie. Or is it?"

With "God Of Angels Trust", the Danish band — which has scored ten #1 songs on the Billboard Mainstream Rock airplay chart, the most ever for a band based outside North America — has thrown caution to the wind, ignored comfort zones, and paid little heed to traditional songwriting in the search for something more immediate and surprising. The end result will thrill VOLBEAT's dedicated legion of fans.

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

Poulsen's excitement to thwart convention is palpable throughout "God Of Angels Trust", a punchy, crunchy album that's undeniably VOLBEAT, yet marches to a fresh new metallic and melodic energy.

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

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

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

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

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

VOLBEAT will return to the road on the "Greatest Of All Tours Worldwide" beginning in June and running throughout 2025. The tour begins in June with a co-headline Canadian run with THREE DAYS GRACE and special guests WAGE WAR, which will be followed by headline treks in the U.S. with special guests HALESTORM and THE GHOST INSIDE, and Europe with special guests BUSH and GEL.

"God Of Angels Trust" track listing:

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

For the first single from "Marc Urselli's Best Of Ramones Redux" that will be released parallel to the forthcoming Magnetic Eye Records Redux Series installment "Marc Urselli's Ramones Redux", Canadian space metal legends VOIVOD have teamed up with no less legendary Australian post-punk vocalist JG Thirlwell (FOETUS) to pay a mind-blowing tribute to the most fitting RAMONES' classic "Zero Zero UFO". The original of the song was released on the U.S. punk rockers' eleventh full-length "Brain Drain" (1989).

VOIVOD drummer drummer Michel "Away" Langevin comments: "One of the proudest moments of my life was when Joey Ramone gave a shout-out to VOIVOD on stage in Montreal in 1994.

"I've been a fan of the RAMONES since their first LP, so you can imagine my excitement when Marc Urselli approached us to cover a song for this album. When he mentioned that collaborations were part of the concept, I immediately thought of JG Thirlwell who has been a good friend since the '80s.

"While we could have recorded any of their songs, I've always dreamed of playing 'Zero Zero UFO'. I was so excited about the opportunity that I might have played it a bit fast, making it challenging for Snake and Jim to fit every word in. Fortunately, Marc's production really makes the track shine, and we're thrilled with the final result. Enjoy!"

VOIVOD have written metal history since their founding in Jonquière, Quebec in 1982. The Canadians starting out as a thrash band with strong hardcore punk leanings that was considered "experimental" or "progressive" right from the start. Their highly unique sound somehow survived multiple changes and shifts in style as well as changes in the lineup that have left Langevin as the remaining original member. There could hardly be a better choice for a homage to the RAMONES and the track "Zero Zero UFO" than VOIVOD. The Canadians were early adopters of a bizarre futuristic space style in artwork and lyrics, and they have already stunned the world with their daring and successful cover of PINK FLOYD's "Astronomy Domine".

Australian vocalist James George "JG" Thirlwell has become a most influential artist after moving to London, U.K. in 1978, where he founded FOETUS as the first of many musical projects with a broad stylistic range that includes post-punk, industrial, and trip hop. Under a variety of pseudonyms such as Clint Ruin and Frank Want, he collaborated with artists such as Marc Almond, THE THE and Nick Cave, among many others.

"Best Of Ramones Redux" track listing:

01. VOIVOD feat. JG THIRLWELL - "Zero Zero UFO"
02. DESTRUCTO DISK feat. TIMO ELLIS - "I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed"
03. IMPOSTOR CULT feat. AMY TUNG BARRYSMITH - "Pet Sematary"
04. OSCAR DUNBAR & THE HEAT INC. - "You're Gonna Kill That Girl"
05. DANIELE BRUSASCHETTO & CHVAD SB - "I Can't Be"
06. SO HIDEOUS feat. GARY LUCAS - "The KKK Took My Baby Away"
07. KING POTENAZ & NEFARIANT - "Time Has Come Today"
08. VENAMORIS feat. EICCA TOPPINEN - "I Want You Around"
09. KAYO DOT & IHSAHN - "Teenage Lobotomy"
10. DUEL - "Chinese Rock"
11. RAW POWER feat. SERGIO MILANI - "I Don't Care"
12. ZENI GEVA & BESVÄRJELSEN - "You Should Never Have Opened that Door'
13. RESTLESS SPIRIT feat. JEFF MATZ - "Poison Heart"
14. DAVID J & PAUL WALLFISCH - "I Wanna Be Sedated"

Rock took a turn towards the bombastic, complex, and symphonic in the early '70s of the last century. YES had released the monumental "Close To The Edge" in 1972, not even a year later GENESIS were "Selling England By The Pound", and LED ZEPPELIN entered the "Houses Of The Holy" also in 1973. It very much looked liked as if the greasy, long-haired kids of rock were all becoming posh and polished. Yet in Downtown New York, a very different scene emerged that begged to differ. In a new club, a bunch of leather-clad rowdy youths that called their band RAMONES gave their debut show at CBGB's on August 16, 1974. They were loud, their hard-hitting songs needed few chords, hardly lasted longer than two minutes, and they barely gave a damn about playing perfect notes. The world of music was about to change forever.

The RAMONES are unquestionably the most ubiquitous American punk rock band of all time, whose spirit of rebellion and music have inspired generations; and still remains alive while all original members have sadly passed far too early.

With three chords and straightforward lyrics, the RAMONES embraced a stripped-down, high-energy approach that was both primal and revolutionary when it arrived in the shape of the self-titled debut album "Ramones" in 1976. They went on to influence some of the most recognizable rock, punk and metal bands of the next several decades, ranging from BLACK FLAG, NIRVANA, METALLICA, CIRCLE JERKS, WHITE ZOMBIE, PEARL JAM and GUNS N' ROSES, to name just a few. The mighty MOTÖRHEAD even dedicated a song to them.

The RAMONES perfectly represented and encapsulated the essence of the underground, holding true to their sound and style for decades, inspiring multiple generations, and establishing eternal cultural significance despite never achieving true commercial success themselves.

Magnetic Eye's Redux Series was created to pay homage to classic albums from across music history. The label has charged themselves as chroniclers and archivists to contribute to keeping the memory of outstanding artists and records alive and transfer their music to the sound of new generations.

"Ramones Redux" reimagines and celebrates the punk legends' debut album from start to finish, and is accompanied by "Best Of Ramones Redux", which includes new renditions of deep cuts and classics from across their catalog. As a first for a Magnetic Eye Redux release, this homage to the RAMONES has been masterminded and curated by New York City and London-based Italian-Swiss audio engineer, sound designer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Grammy winner Marc Urselli.

The Magnetic Eye Redux Series features hand-picked classic albums from across the history of rock and metal reimagined in their entirety from start to finish. Artists Magnetic Eye loves from within and outside the heavy rock landscape choose tracks to make their own, bringing these milestone records into the new millennium with crushing heaviness and searing energy. To date, Magnetic Eye has produced Redux editions of PINK FLOYD's "The Wall", HELMET's "Meantime", BLACK SABBATH's "Vol. 4", Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland", ALICE IN CHAINS' "Dirt", AC/DC's "Back In Black", SOUNDGARDEN's "Superunknown" and JETHRO TULL's "Aqualung", which have included artists like RED FANG, Matt Pike, PALLBEARER, THE MELVINS, ALL THEM WITCHES, KHEMMIS, ASG, SUPERSUCKERS, Zakk Wylde, Mark Lanegan, RUBY THE HATCHET, and many more.

KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, Tommy Green of HOLYNAME and Trevor Tyson of HEAL THE HURT joined FLYLEAF vocalist Lacey Sturm on stage on February 28 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Spirit Hall to perform a snippet of the KORN classic "Blind" as well as FLYLEAF's "I'm So Sick". Multi-camera video of their appearance — courtesy of Lacey's official YouTube channel — can be seen below.

Back in 2021, Welch's LOVE AND DEATH side project released the official music video for "Let Me Love You", a fan-favorite cover of DJ Snake and Justin Bieber's smash hit, featuring Sturm.

Lacey released her sophomore solo album, "Kenotic Metanoia", in November 2023.

FLYLEAF played its first concert with Sturm in 11 years on April 27, 2023 at Schoepf's BBQ in Belton, Texas.

Sturm left FLYLEAF in October 2012. She was replaced by Kristen May, who recorded one album with the group, 2014's "Between The Stars", before exiting.

FLYLEAF hadn't performed live since 2016 prior to the Belton concert.

In an interview with Ned of Iowa's Rock 108 radio station, Lacey spoke about how she ended up reuniting with FLYLEAF for their first live shows together in more than a decade. She said: "Well, actually, my assistant that was on tour with us from the very beginning of FLYLEAF; we were called PASSERBY at that time. We were touring in an '88 Ford Club Wagon van, and we had a bunch of gear in the back with a mattress on top, and you could climb in there and sleep. She actually came on tour with us to be a stylist or a merch person — whatever we needed. She was with us from the beginning. So she got married. And we hadn't seen each other in, like, ten years, nine years, and so we all ended up at the wedding together. And that's how it started."

Sturm went on to say that her reunion with FLYLEAF came together in a "more organic" way than has been the case with some of the other high-profile band reunions in recent years. "I think it had to be that way," she said. "There were some offers for us to get back together, to do reunion shows, but we hadn't seen each other, and everybody has different lives, lots of children. So it didn't really make sense in those times, but because we were already connecting, we figured it out."

San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD will release their eleventh studio album, "Unatoned", on April 25 via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings.

The official Mike Sloat-directed music video for the LP's third single, "Bonescraper", can be seen below.

MACHINE HEAD comments: "This one is for those of us with darkness in our heart, a song about love lost, and a song for those who fail at love... but keep on trying… hence, we scrape our bones to numb the pain."

According to a press release, "Unatoned" is "a testament to momentum, an album honed to its sharpest edge, forged on creative discipline and the hunger to push forward. It drips with melancholy melodies, and yet hammers with bludgeoning riffs, soars with anthemic sing-alongs of love lost and sadness, to bellowing power and undeniable confidence. Eleven albums deep, MACHINE HEAD remain as fierce, relevant, and unstoppable as ever."

Written in motion — on the road, in hotel rooms, and across continents — "Unatoned" reflects the raw energy of their return to the global festival circuit after an 11-year hiatus. The LP was recorded at guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn's Jam Room, Sharkbite Studios and Drop Of Sun Recording between July 2023 and December 2024. The album was produced by Flynn, as well as Zack Ohren, who was also responsible for the engineering. The mixing and mastering was handled by Colin Richardson and Chris Clancy at Audioworks UK, and the mastering of the record was handled by Ted Jensen and his assistant Justin Shturtz. The only exception was the track "Landscape Of Thorns" which was produced by Flynn and Joel Wanasek who was also in charge of mixing the single alongside Zack Ohren. MACHINE HEAD once again tapped Seth Siro Anton to create the album artwork.

"Unatoned" track listing:

01. Landscape Of Thorns
02. Atomic Revelations
03. Unbound
04. Outsider
05. Not Long For This World
06. These Scars Won't Define Us
07. Dustmaker
08. Bonescraper
09. Addicted To Pain
10. Bleeding Me Dry
11. Shards Of Shattered Dreams
12. Scorn

MACHINE HEAD performed "These Scars Won't Define Us" and "Unbound" live for the first time during the kick-off concert of the band's North American tour on Tuesday, April 1 at Revolution Concert House And Event Center in Garden City, Idaho. MACHINE HEAD also played in Spokane, Washington on April 3 before teaming up with IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL and UNEARTH for another 25 dates across the U.S. and Canada.

Flynn told "The Garza Podcast" about "Unatoned": "My last album was like a huge renaissance for the band. It just was fucking crazy. We headlined Hellfest [in France]. It was our tenth record. It was a concept record. It was the first time we ever did a concept record. Opening track was a 10-minute-long song. It's nuts.

"I'm fortunate enough to have been in this position a handful of times where I now have to follow up this record that is so beloved by fans, by people," he continued. "It's incredibly successful — elevates the band to another level. And everybody wants us to write another concept record. Everybody is just, like, 'You should just make another record like that one.' And I'm, like, 'You can't, because it's never gonna live up.' Nothing's ever gonna live up, because that moment for so many people... Lars [Ulrich of METALLICA] always talked about this — the reason so many people love [METALLICA's] Black Album, it's, like, they lost the virginity to the Black Album. Nothing is ever gonna top that. People lost their virginity to [MACHINE HEAD's] '[Unto] The Locust' or 'The Blackening' or whatever. Nothing's ever gonna top that. That's just life and stuff.

"So with this record, I set some pretty strict parameters around what I could do," Flynn explained. "And I'm not a big believer in talking about the direction of a record. I always feel like even if we have done it in the past, it never panned out. 'Oh, it's gonna be the heaviest or the thrashing' or the whatever, and you've just gotta follow it to wherever it goes… But I did want to put some structure around it. The last record had a bunch of long songs, so I was, like, 'I don't want any song longer than four minutes on this record.' So that was one structure. The other structure is — [I'm a] huge SLAYER fan to the death; [they're] one of my favorite bands, life-changing bands of all times. And one of the most underrated things about SLAYER is their genius use of chord changes — chord changes fucking galore all over every song. [They'd] have, like, three different chord changes in the lead section, and it the way it sets up the chorus or whatever. So I was, like, 'Every song has to have a chord change outside of the typical structure that you would expect.' … At some point it's gotta go to a key change that totally doesn't go with where the rest of the song went. Last thing is that the music in the last chorus had to be different from the music in the first chorus — maybe the drums drop out, maybe the guitars drop out, maybe that's where the key change happens, but something had to be [different]. The lyrics would always be the same. And at first it kind of took me a minute to kind of get into that mindset, like, 'Wow, this is a really challenging way to write,' but it always just became about trimming the fat, trimming the fat, trimming the fat. And in the end what we came up with was 10 songs plus two instrumentals. It's 41 minutes — the shortest album in MACHINE HEAD history. And I'm really proud of this thing. I really feel like we've got a fucking monster on our hands. It's just really unique."

Elaborating on the musical direction of "Unatoned", Robb said: "It's not our heaviest record; I would never say that it's our heaviest record. It's got a lot of melody. The last song on the record is a… I'm a total sucker for the Elton John piano ballad. I love Chris Stapleton… And that last song 'Scorn' is… It's, like, I've been trying to write a piano ballad for four albums in a row now, and I failed four albums in a row. And I finally nailed it with this album. I collaborated with this guy Joel Wanasek. I collaborated with Jordan [Fish], ex-BRING ME THE HORIZON, on the whole album. He actually got a piece on the record, which was really cool — added a really amazing element. I've got a few collaborators, like four guys that I work with, but me and this guy, Joel Wanasek, finally nailed down this piano thing… It was the last song I wrote on the record. And I know a lot of people think I'm super Mr. Libtard, social justice warrior guy and that's just not me, but that's kind of just what people think and the haters think. And I just started writing about — not that — but I just started writing about, I don't believe in Trump, but I think the fucking Democrats are a bunch of spineless fucking pussies. And I don't believe in anything anymore. I believe in myself. And I just wrote all of these lyrics kind of in that mindset. And the last line is, 'The wings of an angel, the heart of a king, the strength of a lion, the power I bring. I've lost faith in everyone, follow no more, my heroes have failed me, they look down on me with their scorn.' And so I took all of that. I was, like, 'I don't have any music, but I really like these lyrics.' So I came in with Zack [Ohren] — Zack's my engineer; he's my producer. He is fucking awesome; he's amazing… And I just picked up a guitar and I just said, 'I'm gonna play four chords here and I'm just gonna make this up as I go. I don't even know what I'm doing. I just wanna sing over this to something.' And I did, and I sang it, and I sang it in two takes. I laid out all the lyrics that I had written that morning. I pulled up some shit on my computer. I got two binders of lyrics. I wrote three and a half binders of lyrics from this record alone — just three and a half binders… And I literally sang the song in two takes, and when I was done, I was, like, 'That song's fucking done.' And it's the last song on the record. And I sent the chords to Joel and I was, like, 'Hey, like, can you make this into sad piano chords and put it together and kind of reverse engineer the rest of the song?' And I've gotta say, I'm so proud of this song. It's definitely kind of the outlier of the record, but I really just feel like it's a special song. And it's kind of something we've never done. And when you've been trying to do something for a long time — 15 years, I've been trying to write a fucking piano song — and it always just sounded too dorky… And it [finally] happened [on this album]."

Flynn also talked about his general approach to creating art with MACHINE HEAD, saying: "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just trying to write music. Alls I ever wanted to do was just play guitar and write songs and sing and make motherfuckers circle pit and make motherfuckers jump and sing and fucking headbang and go crazy. That's all I've ever wanted to do.

"I'm not a businessman. I don't know what the fucking right decision is," he continued. "I just know the music that I do and where it comes from, and I do know that I'm really, really, really good at that. I know that. I'm not one of these guys who's good at a million fucking things — I'm not — but I do know that I'm really, really good at that. And I just try and focus on that. And I've got a good team of people that help me make decisions now and I feel like we've all got a good head on our shoulders and what MACHINE HEAD needs to be.

"We're not the heaviest band in the world," he added. "We're heavy, but we've been around for 32 years, and motherfuckers like [SUICIDE SILENCE] came along and LORNA SHORE and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL, and [those bands are] fucking 10 times heavier than we will ever, ever, ever be. I can't sing like that. I don't even wanna try to; it'd be fucking ridiculous to. It would sound stupid for my fucking heavy metal Gandalf ass to be fucking trying to sing like that. We found our lane and we're super lucky that we found our lane and we fucking made that lane a little bit wider and a little bit wider so we can kind of go over here and do this and go over here and do this. But at the end of the day, it's just MACHINE HEAD music. That's what it is to me. It's metal, for sure — a hundred percent."

Last November, MACHINE HEAD released "These Scars Won't Define Us" as the first single from "Unatoned".

MACHINE HEAD's current lineup includes former HAVOK guitarist Reece Alan Scruggs. Scruggs stepped in for MACHINE HEAD's previous guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, who had been unable to make some of the group's dates due to his touring commitments with his longtime band DECAPITATED.

Reece made his live debut with MACHINE HEAD in November 2022 at Strummer's in Fresno, California at the opening show of the "Electric Happy Hour (Live)" tour.

Vogg joined MACHINE HEAD's touring lineup prior to the launch of the band's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour in late 2019.

The rest of MACHINE HEAD's lineup consists of guitarist/vocalist Flynn, bassist Jared MacEachern and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT).

Earlier last year, MACHINE HEAD completed the "Slaughter The Martour" North American tour with support from L.A.'s FEAR FACTORY, Sweden's ORBIT CULTURE and Louisville, Kentucky's GATES TO HELL.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

SLAYER has announced a one-night-only show just added to the band's handful of headline concerts set for this summer. Marking the band's only U.S. East Coast performance in 2025, SLAYER will headline Hershey, Pennsylvania's 30,000-seat Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Ticket pre-sales are available beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8 at 10 a.m. ET, ahead of the general on-sale set for Friday, April 11 starting at 10 a.m. ET. All tickets can be purchased at www.slayer.net. Doors are at 3 p.m. ET and the show kicks off at 4 p.m. ET.

The concert will be hosted by WWE superstar Damian Priest, a well-known "metalhead" and a longtime SLAYER fan. Priest's signature "finisher" is SLAYER's "South Of Heaven", and SLAYER's Kerry King provided guitar for Priest's "Rise For The Night" theme.

This exclusive concert brings together a multi-generation, powerhouse lineup:

SLAYER
KNOCKED LOOSE
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
POWER TRIP
CAVALERA (exclusively performing SEPULTURA's "Chaos A.D." album)
EXODUS (performing "Bonded By Blood" album)

SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya said: "Slayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeerrrrrr!!!!!! One night only, stacked line up, it's going to be f*cking sick!!!! Hersheypark — be there… If not, you're either dead, in jail or a sissy!!!!!"

About SLAYER performing at the 30,000-seat Hersheypark Stadium, guitarist Kerry King commented: "Last year, SLAYER played only two shows, and those shows affected me like playing the 'Big Four' shows did. When we played our first show last year in Chicago, I figured it was going to be great for the fans; maybe there would be some people who had never seen us play before, but the reaction was just completely overwhelming. The fans reacted to us like I'd expect them to react to the biggest band on the planet. It was amazing. So for the Hershey concert, we'll play a SLAYER show, we'll have all of our big fire effects, and just burn everything like we used to."

Added King: "This will be the first time SLAYER has played with POWER TRIP or KNOCKED LOOSE, but I am well aware of them from word of mouth, and hearing their music on Liquid Metal. I'm looking forward to seeing them live."

POWER TRIP said: "Honored to share the stage with one of our all time favorite bands, SLAYER. See you sick f*cks at the riff clinic."

KNOCKED LOOSE said: "We're excited to play with some of the best heavy bands of all time, past and present."

SLAYER's 2025 concert dates are as follows:

July 3 - Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Wales, UK

Lineup:

SLAYER with special guests AMON AMARTH
, ANTHRAX, MASTODON, HATEBREED and NECKBREAKKER

July - 5 - Villa Park, Birmingham, UK

"Back To The Beginning" with BLACK SABBATH

July 6 - Finsbury Park, London

Lineup:

SLAYER with special guests AMON AMARTH
, ANTHRAX, MASTODON, HATEBREED and NECKBREAKKER

July 11 - Quebec Festival d'été de, Québec City, Quebec

Direct support: MASTODON

September 18 - Louder Than Life @ Highland Festival Grounds, Louisville, KY

Lineup: SLAYER, ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON and more

September 20 - Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA

Lineup: SLAYER, KNOCKED LOOSE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, POWER TRIP, CAVALERA, EXODUS

In a recent interview with Australia's Metal Roos, King spoke about SLAYER's future plans, following the band's two festival appearances in September and October after a five-year hiatus. He said: "We're never gonna tour again. We're never gonna make a record again. Mark my word: we're never gonna make a record again, we're never gonna tour again. Because that was the last thing. We said [back in 2018], 'This is our final tour.' It took five years for us to come and say, 'Hey, here's a couple of shows, five-year anniversary.'"

Elaborating on the significance of SLAYER's comeback live performances more than four decades after the band's formation, Kerry said: "I think it's really cool. A lot of fans are into it. There's gonna be haters who say, 'Oh, they retired.' Yeah. Whatever. This is all about celebration. Say a kid was 10 years old when we retired. Now he's 15, 16. [It's his] first opportunity to see us. I think that's important."

King also touched upon the fact that SLAYER's reunion shows were announced just a couple of weeks after he went public with the details of his new solo band and debut solo album. He said: "The [SLAYER] announcement timing was not my favorite, but my band was doing its thing. The festivals SLAYER agreed to play, they wanted to release [the information about us playing there], they wanted to announce [it]. So, the timing wasn't in my favor, but everything went [as it did], and here we are in Australia [with my new band] kicking ass."

Kerry reflected on SLAYER's two reunion performances last fall — on September 22, 2024 at the Riot Fest in Chicago, Illinois and on October 10, 2024 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California — during a recent interview with Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade Records, for the recently launched "100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal" podcast. Regarding how he felt going into the Riot Fest gig, King said: "It's kind of like when we did the first 'Big Four' show, I said, 'This is gonna be really cool for the fans, and it'll be good to see the guys.' And that's about all I gave it. But then we actually played the show and a handful more shows, and I said, 'You know what? This is really cool for me.' And I didn't expect that. And I didn't expect that when we did the Chicago show [SLAYER at Riot Fest]. I went with the exact same idea. I'm, like, 'This is gonna be really cool for the fans, especially fans that were too young to see us.' And I hit the stage and I got goosebumps. I'm, like, 'This is way bigger than I ever gave it credit for.' … [And] we've got a lot of history in Chicago too, so for the reunion show to be there, it was pretty epic. And the response was over the top. It was way overwhelming."

At Riot Fest and Aftershock, SLAYER ran through a 20-song set that included opener "South Of Heaven", "Seasons In The Abyss", "Angel Of Death", "Hell Awaits", "Raining Blood" and the title track of SLAYER's final album, "Repentless".

SLAYER was also scheduled to play at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 27, 2024, but that performance was canceled due to severe weather.

The lineup for SLAYER's comeback was the same as the one which last toured in 2019: King and drummer Paul Bostaph, along with Araya and guitarist Gary Holt.

King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", came out in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Photo credit: Ryan Segedi

Japanese pop metal band BABYMETAL recently signed to Capitol Records, which will release the group's new album, "Metal Forth", on June 13. Meaning "beyond metal," "Metal Forth" features collaborations with Poppy, SPIRITBOX, Tom Morello, BLOODYWOOD, POLYPHIA and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL — artists that BABYMETAL has connected with over the years while touring the globe. Their massive track "Ratatata" with ELECTRIC CALLBOY, which has already attained millions of streams across all platforms, will also be included. The official music video for the LP's latest single, "From Me To U (Feat. Poppy)", can be seen below.

Poppy notes of the collaboration: "I have been a fan of BABYMETAL for years and I am so happy for this song to finally be here! They have inspired me so much. Enjoy 'From Me To U'!"

BABYMETAL adds: "A kawaii metal song was born from a collaboration between BABYMETAL and Poppy! Check out Poppy's shouts and BABYMETAL's dance in the Neo Tokyo setting! Kawaii is sprinkled throughout the intense sound! Kimi ni todoke!"

The song arrives with a video that erupts into a high-concept spectacle, pairing their signature choreography with a futuristic world teetering on the edge of destruction. The video builds toward a surreal climax as Poppy, who joins the trio in this chaotic vision, undergoes a dramatic transformation — emerging as a dragon amid the wreckage.

BABYMETAL celebrates its 15th anniversary this year and on their annual "Fox Day" (April 1) — a hugely important date in BABYMETAL lore — the band released the "Legend Map". Described as "a sign from the god of metal, the Fox God," the map unveils their plans for 2025, including the new album and an extensive world tour.

On May 10, the band will embark on its first-ever headline arena tour in Europe, playing 12 shows across eight countries, with support from Poppy and Bambie Thug. The May 30 tour finale will take place at the O2 Arena in London. BABYMETAL is the first Japanese group to headline a show at this iconic venue. The band will kick off its biggest North American tour yet in Houston on June 13 — the day of their album drop, with support from BLACK VEIL BRIDES, JINJER and BLOODYWOOD on select dates. The 24-date run will hit major cities including Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco before wrapping up on July 23 in Phoenix.

The band has also added arena shows in Japan and an Asia tour. In addition to its previous headline outings, BABYMETAL has opened for such artists as Lady Gaga, METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

Tom March, chairman and CEO of Capitol Records, said: "BABYMETAL's groundbreaking sound and compelling artistic vision have not only cultivated a worldwide following, but have also demonstrably shifted global music culture. We at Capitol Records are privileged to join them in this next chapter as we continue to amplify their international reach and influence with the upcoming release of 'Metal Forth'."

Key "Kobametal" Kobayashi, producer and manager of BABYMETAL and CEO of Babymetal World, LLC, added: "This year BABYMETAL celebrates its 15th anniversary and embarks on an exciting new chapter. With Capitol Records as our global partner, the sound of BABYMETAL will resonate across the world as we take on bolder, more dynamic endeavors than ever before. Stay tuned for what's to come."

"Metal Forth" track listing:

01. From Me To U (feat. Poppy)
02. Ratatata (BABYMETAL x ELECTRIC CALLBOY)
03. Song 3 (BABYMETAL x SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL)
04. Kon! Kon! (feat. BLOODYWOOD)
05. KxAxWxAxIxI
06. Sunset Kiss (feat. POLYPHIA)
07. My Queen (feat. SPIRITBOX)
08. Algorism
09. Metali!! (feat. Tom Morello)
10. White Flame

After two landmark performances at the Yokohama Arena, celebrating the birth of Momometal in a spectacular fashion, in March of 2023 BABYMETAL released its highly anticipated concept album "The Other One", which garnered widespread acclaim and introduced fans to a new era of BABYMETAL's sound. This new era was the start of a journey that has seen 2024 become watershed year for BABYMETAL, underscoring their evolution as a groundbreaking force in the music world.

They successfully completed a monumental world tour that started in 2023 and spanned 25 countries across 98 performances, including a slot as special guests to SABATON all around Europe, a co-headliner with DETHKLOK across North America, as well as their own headliners in Asia, Australia and their home of Japan.

Before embarking on a festival run in the summer of 2024, BABYMETAL released their collaboration with ELECTRIC CALLBOY on the hit single "Ratatata", which soared to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart. This collaboration not only highlighted their artistic versatility and ability to innovate, but also reinforced their position alongside other leaders in the metal genre.

Their collaboration with BRING ME THE HORIZON, "Kingslayer ft. BABYMETAL", released in October 2020, was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 25, 2024. Making waves at major music festivals including Download in the U.K., Hellfest in France, Rock Im Park in Germany, BABYMETAL delivered electrifying performances that left music fans across Europe in awe. Audiences at Resurrection Fest (Spain) and Rock Am Ring (Germany) were treated to an extra special live collaboration with ELECTRIC CALLBOY, who performed "Ratatata" alongside BABYMETAL.

In April 2023, BABYMETAL announced the addition of a new third member, Momoko Okazaki, who goes by the name of Momometal.

Okazaki had been a member of BABYMETAL's trio of backup dancers (along with Kano Fujihira and Riho Sayashi),known as "Avengers", since 2019, following the departure of one of BABYMETAL's original members, Yuimetal, in October 2018.

Momoko's addition to BABYMETAL was announced during the band's show at the Pia Arena MM in Okazaki, Japan.

Momoko was once a member of SAKURA GAKUIN and participated in South Korean reality TV show "Girls Planet 999" as a contestant. However, the singer left the series after the show's first elimination round.

In 2018, BABYMETAL announced the departure of Yuimetal, who was formerly one of the members of the Japanese group's core trio. She exited the band, explaining in a statement that she would go on to pursue a solo career as Mizuno Yu.

BABYMETAL was formed in 2010. Their mission was to unify the world through heavy metal by creating a fusion of heavy metal and the Japanese pop genre. Their music contains a stunning mix of electronic pop, a pinch of alternative and industrial rock, and is leveled up by fast-driven heavy metal. Their live shows are ground-breaking and epic visual as well as sound performances. BABYMETAL continued to travel the path of metal with the international release of their three albums, telling the story of the mighty Fox God and his brave metal warriors.

A book about the first ten years of BABYMETAL, "Bessatsu Kadokawa Souryoku Tokushuu", was released in Japan in October 2020. It contains a long interview with Su-metal and Moametal as well as never-before-heard stories from band producer Kobametal from BABYMETAL's decade-long history, photos taken from live shows, a discussion between Demon Kakka and Kobametal, and much more.

Candice Night, who has been married to Ritchie Blackmore for 17 years but has been together with the legendary DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW guitarist for 36, spoke to Dawn Osborne of TotalRock about the possibility of Ritchie returning to Europe in the not-too-distant future for live shows with their long-running project BLACKMORE'S NIGHT. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "As far as flying anywhere right now, Ritchie has actually been told by his cardiologist not to get in a plane. He had a heart attack about a year and a half ago. He's got six stents. And I can't believe he's gonna be 80 on April 14th, which is crazy, but he doesn't look it, still doesn't act it, but eventually medical things wind up catching up with you. So we've gotta make sure we keep him happy and healthy. And he's dealing with gout and some arthritic things. And, of course, his back has always been an issue for years. So it's getting harder for him — it's tricky — but, hey, I've seen people younger than him in wheelchairs on stage doing what they do. So I think he probably doesn't want people to see him that way. I see the other perspective — from a fan's perspective, I would think people would just be happy to be under the same roof with him and listen to him play whatever he comes up with. So, we kind of have this discussion, or argument — I'll say discussion — all the time. [Laughs] But he was just recently at his cardiologist and they said, 'Let's put traveling by plane on hold.' So, hopefully we'll get that all straightened out and that'll change. But I'll let you guys know if it does."

Coronary stents are primarily used to treat coronary artery disease, a condition where plaque buildup narrows or blocks the arteries supplying blood to the heart. By inserting stents for the heart, doctors can effectively restore blood flow and alleviate symptoms.

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT plays "Renaissance music," or "medieval music," with most of the tunes featuring lyrics conjured by Night and melodies crafted by Blackmore.

Ritchie, Candice and their two children reside on Long Island, New York, near Port Jefferson.

Blackmore is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 departure.

DEEP PURPLE drummer Ian Paice said in a 2017 interview that there was "no point" for the band to consider a reunion with Blackmore, explaining that he wouldn't be able to guarantee that every day with the notoriously moody guitarist would be fun.

Blackmore is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 departure.

During his time away from PURPLE, Blackmore established the neo-classical band called RAINBOW, which fused baroque music influences elements with hard rock before gradually progressing to catchy pop-style hard rock.

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of RAINBOW.

In addition to Blackmore and Night (backing vocals),the most recent incarnation of RAINBOW included singer Ronnie Romero, STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT) and backing singer Lady Lynn.

The two shows RAINBOW played in Germany in June 2016 were caught on camera to produce "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", which was released in November 2016 via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, and digital formats.

After Ritchie left DEEP PURPLE for the final time in 1993, he reformed RAINBOW for one album (1995's "Stranger In Us All") and one tour, ending things in Denmark in 1997.

Blackmore didn't join his former DEEP PURPLE bandmates at the group's 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.

Blackmore previously suggested that PURPLE's manager had blocked him from attending the Rock Hall induction ceremony, and he used that as an excuse for not attending the event.

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who inducted DEEP PURPLE into the institution, praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

Reba Meyers — the Grammy-nominated vocalist and guitar player of CODE ORANGE and current touring guitarist for Marilyn Manson — who released her debut single, "Certain Uncertainty", in late 2024, has unveiled a second glimpse into her eagerly awaited debut album with the release of the dreamy "Got Your Hold On Me" and its accompanying video.

"Being human is painful. Being human and in love with anything or anyone is even more painful I hope we can all find what helps us cope without it killing us or turning us into emotionless robots. For me, writing songs helps," Meyers shares. "Thanks for listening and to all who have supported me so far in any band or project."

The five-minute song was produced by Meyers with mixing by Steve Evetts (THE CURE, THE WONDER YEARS) and mastering by Alan Douches.

Upon its release, "Certain Uncertainty" received widespread praise, with Consequence calling it "more subdued than CODE ORANGE, but still heavy," while Revolver described the track as an "anthemic" song featuring "distortion-graced chords and yowl-rasped vocals."

On her decision to focus on solo work, Meyers explained: "I'm finding that I have the space only now in my life to have a bird's eye view on my adolescence, and that perspective made it the perfect moment to begin to release solo material. A moment I've been sure would eventually come, thought I never knew exactly how it would look. With that, I get to experience the rewarding and nerve-wracking process of allowing myself the platform to be a more vulnerable person, and to explore that natural foundation proudly outside of how I've maybe been portrayed."

Meyers's full-length album is expected later this year, with more details to follow.

Reba is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter hailing from Pittsburgh. Best known as a founding member of the acclaimed band CODE ORANGE, she has earned a reputation as a fearless and innovative artist. In 2020 she became the first female signature artist in ESP guitar history with the arrival of her LTD RM-600.

Meyers has been playing concerts as part of Manson's band since he kicked off a summer tour last August.

Photo credit: Greg Puciato

On the heels of playing Los Angeles's Kia Forum, and releasing recent single "Nod" — "the anthem we need right now" (Vice) — RISE AGAINST has shared its second new single of 2025. Out now on Loma Vista Recordings, "Prizefighter" illustrates the internal battle between making art, maintaining autonomy and meeting the demands of the present day’s never-ending, rapidly shifting attention span.

RISE AGAINST vocalist and lyricist Tim McIlrath says: "'Prizefighter' is about a compulsion to create, that then creates an audience, and then your connection with that audience and your responsibilities to that audience, and how much an artist is obliged to that audience. It's trying to reconcile the shift from spectator to the public arena, and what you owe the people that are your fans versus what you owe your own mental health."

The "Prizefighter" music video showcases the symbolism behind the song, the roaring energy of RISE AGAINST's live shows and the deep devotion of the band's fans.

"Prizefighter" follows RISE AGAINST's blazing return with "Nod" — the band's first new single in three years — which arrived days after the U.S. presidential inauguration, and delivered "a particularly potent rallying cry for the moment" (Rolling Stone). Quickly uniting millions in its call for community and compassion, encouraging listeners to not sit idly by as world events, societal changes and technology shape our ways of life, rise against have since toured across three continents this year, and have made "Nod" a highlight of their live sets.

Produced by Catherine Marks (BOYGENIUS, FOALS, MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA, ST. VINCENT) and mixed by Alan Moulder (NINE INCH NAILS, PARAMORE, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, THE KILLERS),"Prizefighter" now marks a propulsive page-turn in RISE AGAINST's next chapter, revealing another side of the band’s outspoken perspective and prescient point of view.

Like the body of multi-gold and platinum hits that have come before, "Prizefighter" and "Nod" further amplify the type of invigorating music, defiant messages and bulletproof melodies that have earned billions of streams, filled arenas, topped charts, broken records, and, above all, joined fans in an embrace of vital issues. Just as the stakes could not be higher, the Chicago punk rock band is back bigger, louder and more progressive than ever.

Currently in the midst of their "Rise Of The Roach" tour, bandmembers Tim McIlrath (lead vocals/guitar),Joe Principe (bass/vocals),Zach Blair (guitar/vocals) and Brandon Barnes (drums) will be on the road all year long, with a slew of summer festivals, dozens of arena and amphitheater shows, and more on the horizon, all throughout the U.S. and abroad.

In a recent interview with Oran O'Beirne of Overdrive, McIlrath spoke about "Nod", which will appear on RISE AGAINST's upcoming follow-up to 2021's "Nowhere Generation" album, tentatively due later in the year. Regarding when the ideas for the new material came together, Tim said: "Let's see if I can remember. It came after the tour. We were really focused on 'Nowhere Generation' when we were touring. And then we wrapped that up. We took a break, which is pretty standard for us. The touring, it's intense and it takes a lot out of you. And that's kind of our moment where everyone can kind of go reconnect with home and then kind of recharge your batteries. And so we started writing probably a few months after we got off the road from 'Nowhere Gen'. We weren't really rushing or pressuring ourselves.

"This is our tenth record — we've been doing this for a long time — and so it's very organic in terms of timing," he explained. "We write when we feel that urgency to write. We record when we feel like it's ready. We don't do anything that's too rushed. And so that was this record, was when ideas started percolating and we started sharing them. We were, like, 'Okay, I think we have some songs here. Let's start putting them together.' And then we just took our time putting those songs together."

Asked if he and his bandmates still get nervous when they are about to release new music in terms of how it will be received by the RISE AGAINST fans, Tim said: "By the time we release it, by the time you hear it, it had to get through so many checks and balances just for the four of us — every single note, part, lyric, sound — and I'm really confident in the song at that point; we're all really confident. So it's, like, this is the best version of RISE AGAINST in 2025. And so, aside from that, there's nothing I can do about how people accept it. And that goes back to when you were first a band, and you took that leap of, like, 'I'm just gonna make music and put it out there.' And it was a surprise to see that anybody connected to it. And so, in that sense, I'm I'm always appreciative, because I don't expect people to love our band, I don't expect them to love our songs. I'm always consistently appreciative. There's a lot of gratitude when someone goes, 'Oh, I love this song.' Especially when you put out a song this late in our career, people are, like, 'Yo, this is a great song. That's awesome.' That's what you want. And if people don't like it, that's kind of okay too. We're not out here trying to shove anything down anybody's throat. But if you're hearing a new RISE AGAINST song, you're hearing what we think is the best version of ourselves right now."

As for whether "Nod" is a good representation of what fans can expect to hear on RISE AGAINST's upcoming album, Tim said: "Yeah, if I had to piece it in a group of songs that we've put together, 'Nod' is probably among the more traditional RISE AGAINST. I think that you hear it and you hear RISE AGAINST, you hear sort of what we've done and what we have been doing, but in a little bit of a new way. So I think it falls in the category of pretty like traditional RISE, which is a sound that we will always embrace. And there's stuff on the record, I think, that will be less traditional, for sure."

SHINEDOWN has released a music video for the band's No. 1 song "Dance, Kid, Dance". The clip, which was filmed in Brooklyn, New York, brings the viewer into a dark underground world of pure rock fervor and dance. The video opens up with concertgoers trying to break into a vending machine to take "the pills (that) will make you dance" and building into a nonstop crescendo of a mixture of rock and pure adrenaline. Not to mention, the video features the members of SHINEDOWN doing exactly what they do best — bringing the high energy with a killer live performance.

On the new music video and its creative vision, SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith said: "For the video, we really wanted to focus on the dancers. Every one of them brought so much energy to the set, and it was amazing to watch and be a part of. The song doesn’t let up, so it was super important that our performance as a band matched the intensity of the choreography. When it came to the location, everyone agreed that NYC was the place. The backdrop of the city, and the authenticity of the dance culture was extremely important. One of the coolest things about the video for us as a band, is that every time you watch it you see something new, and exciting. We had an absolute blast making it and we hope the fans love it as much as we do."

The video was directed by Lewis Cater, choreographed by Julissa Bond, and edited by Samuel Halleen.

Up next SHINEDOWN will kick off the "Dance, Kid, Dance" tour on April 25 in Des Moines, Iowa. The 36-date run is one of the largest run of shows (and venues) the band has ever put on. It will be the first time the band has ever headlined some of the country's most legendary venues, including Madison Square Garden (July 20),Boston's TD Garden (July 19),Los Angeles's Kia Forum (August 3),New Orleans's Smoothie King (May 6) and more. Joining them on the tour are BEARTOOTH and BUSH (on select dates) and Morgan Wade for all shows.

Smith recently sat down with BEARTOOTH's own Caleb Shomo and talked about how excited they were to be going on tour in an "Off The Record" video series. Filmed at Henson Studios in Los Angeles, the two talked about the origins of each band, how the bands got to know about one another, growing into being an artist, and about what fans can expect on the new "Dance, Kid, Dance" tour. Not to mention they touch on some of rock's favorites, including SLIPKNOT, GWAR, PAPA ROACH, PARKWAY DRIVE, IRON MAIDEN and more.

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

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

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

However, SHINEDOWN aren’t just a rock band. They are SHINEDOWN — a band for everyone — and just like they did with "A Symptom Of Being Human", they have already crossed over with their second 2025 single "Three Six Five". The track not only is already Top 15 at Alternative Radio and Hot AC but it continues to climb.

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