In the wake of keyboardist / backing vocalist Zoe Marie Federoff quitting Cradle Of Filth on August 24, followed by the firing of her husband / guitarist Marek “Ashok” Smerda shortly after due to contractual disputes, COF frontman / founder Dani Filth has checked in with an extensive post to shed more light on the matter.

Check out the initial reports on Zoe’s and Ashok’s departures here and here for background information.

Dani’s statement, shared via social media, appears in full below.

“Greetings everyone,

I think it’s time to reveal my side of the story, now that so many accusations have been levelled at the band, our management, and me personally. I apologise for the slight tardiness of this statement; it was important to approach this in a level-headed manner after reflection. The timing was also difficult, as the band is currently touring South America with arduous travel days, long flights, and shows.

I don’t believe in tit-for-tat or slander, but I do want to clarify the following points:

1. Firstly the contract in question:

This is not a contract that was ever expected to be signed as is, but was the initial framework to build from. I will expand on this further, but I do see that one of the main reasons we are having this situation is because of miscommunication regarding the nature of the contract and what was expected of the parties receiving it.

2. No one in the band is prohibited from working with other groups and substituting their income. We currently schedule tours for about 40% of the year with the rest of the year being available for other commitments. Many of my bandmates have other projects, as can be seen on their own social media pages. WE DO NOT prohibit our musicians from work commitments with other bands, we only ask to plan sufficiently, weaving schedules together as far in advance as the situation allows.

3. I’m sad to see that Zoe is picking facts to fit an agenda but am willing to share the full story including the description of events of the first three days of the South American tour, to show a more balanced picture so that people can make their judgements based on the wider context.

During those first days, heavy drinking, escalating arguments, and repeated public disputes created a very disruptive atmosphere for everyone involved. I personally witnessed heated exchanges between Zoe and Ashok that included both verbal and physical abuse, culminating in a public display in front of the hotel and fans who had gathered for last minute autographs in Sao Paolo. This was not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of abusive behavior that strained the entire team.

While I understand touring is stressful and exhausting, I cannot excuse the effect it had on the rest of us. The decision to continue the tour without them was not taken lightly, but it was necessary for the health of the band and crew.

Also, no one knew anything about her pregnancy and if she was pregnant, why she was drinking at all? She even contacted management on several occasions asking for help in stopping drinking, with lengthy text messages proving this.

4. It is important to me that the artists around me feel like their inputs are seen and valued. I do think that for the most part this is the case, as some of the remaining members have been with me for over 10 years. We are however always looking to improve, so I will take what is happening now as an opportunity to have a better dialogue in the band, crafting a more elaborate contract that makes everyone feel comfortable and protected in the future.

5. Addressing the management:

Dez and Anahstasia of The Oracle Management have been nothing short of wonderful. Caring and understanding, relinquishing commissions to make tours work and working closely with the band to deliver us some amazing opportunities, thinking above and outside the proverbial box.

Having failed to fit in the band, Zoe is now attempting to slander and lie about as much as possible to garner dislike for me and our management. Isn’t it easy to accuse without proof in this day and age when everybody is a such a well-versed online critic? I can only begin to imagine what else I will be accused of as she seeks to destroy this band and business.

Dez is very honest, transparent and truthful and doesn’t get paid until I allow the accountant to pay him.

This means everything goes through my accountant and then said accountant sifts through all the financial numbers to see what can and cannot be afforded. Dez never handles any of the moneys coming in.

Dez called out for Zoe’s firing, to which Ashok spoke out for her and went after the Royal family of heavy metal and we won’t have anybody speaking about Ozzy’s wife like this.

Now to elaborate further as promised. Firstly the contract in question:

Yes it was a shitty contract, but one that was put forward to help further dialogue with two members that had been causing a lot of drama behind-the-scenes. Started from a harmless and well-reasoned email from Zoe asking for a pay-rise for the band, which was approved within days without any pushback, Zoe’s communication continued to get ruder and to escalate to a more threatening depth for seemingly no reason, especially considering her original request was approved from the get-go.

The tensions were growing and at the point of sending that contract, we had already received resignations from both Ashok and Zoe, so we decided not to spend any budget on a tailored contract, which in retrospect was a mistake as it further escalated the situation. Unfortunately we sent out an old, but never before used contract that was too brash, not as elaborate as it deserves to be and one that doesn’t capture the full picture of the actuality of being in this band. It wasn’t done with malicious intent, but was intended as a start to negotiations with none of us realising that it has been sitting in a folder, but not used for a reason. I rashly forwarded asking the band to sign.

At the time of sending it, we all (management, myself, and our attorney) had barely any time to look at the contract that was going out giving it a surface glance and just got it out to the band. I hadn’t had a full conversation with the lawyer or Dez about what the contract’s initial intention was (negotiate or just sign and go). This was an oversight on my part and it has been clarified later.

Of course Zoe would show you the worst and it saddens me that the context of what I thought was our dialogue was warped to fit an agenda and made public.

I am talking internally with the rest of the band now to draw up a contract that will best serve all of them and the business.

And yes, unfortunately a band is a business, and when we witness a person stirring trouble, drinking heavily, not writing, threatening to sue the band over use of their image, then something obviously needed to be done.

Zoe and Ashok had already tendered their resignations despite me agreeing to a pay-rise amid additional financial protection, so I was in absolutely no hurry to waste money with our lawyer drafting up a contract that was already destined to be pulled apart anyway.

To say that they only earn ‘X’ amount a year will certainly raise a few eyebrows, however, aside from their wages they are also privy to publishing (they just received an advance, who the management gave up commissions on and I actually put money towards out of my share), publishing royalties, PRS or the equivalent in every country, bonuses for touring if we do well, endorsements and not to mention food everyday and bunks/double room hotels when available on the road.

On Zoe’s departure three days into the twenty-six date tour and having already promised me and management that they would see out the tour in a professional manner, Zoe and Ashok proceeded to drink and argue between themselves for the first three days.

Having already argued all afternoon in front of everyone backstage, Ashok wanted to stay back and have a few drinks after the show, arguing with Zoe to the contrary. Later, he was with fans and members of our crew, when Zoe stormed downstairs at the hotel to drag him back to the room, telling people to ‘f—k off’ along the way and causing a scene. There are many witnesses to this, including that of her throwing things at him.

In Zoe’s defence, I do account her outburst on the fact that we had barely eleven hours sleep in four days, but again I don’t think this is a worthy excuse. No one else behaved in this manner. We were too tired to for a start!

The next morning, which was a very early lobby call, Ashok was clearly still drunk and again, the two of them argued heavily at the airport resulting in Zoe deciding to leave the tour and book a flight back to Arizona, citing Ashok’s alcoholism and partying by text. Ashok remained as a courtesy to the band, and as testified by several people, stipulated that his marriage was not working out. That, however is none of my business.

What is my business however, is keeping the tour moving and with this run costing nearly $200,000 in just expenses and wages alone, the thought of flying out new people and booking them visas, hotels and flights was obviously a little overwhelming. I quite selfishly thought that without the constant drama that we witnessed on a daily basis, Ashok would concede to enjoying the rest of the tour with us.

However that was not to be the case, as one minute he was crying on people’s shoulders, the next morning pushing out a statement about his departure from the band amid other revelations, having spoken to his wife on the phone. Naturally, due to these fresh insights he was fired on the spot.

Which brings me to ‘fat shaming’.

Never has this been undertaken.

Dez never said anything about persons being fat or being too heavy. All he said to Anabelle (our previous keyboardist) is ‘please watch your health you have touring and videos coming up’, to which she sent a picture of herself eating a selection of buns (which I found funny at the time!).

Of course any manager would express these sentiments.

Dez never spoke to Sarah Jezebel Deva about anything within the band. She was not in the band, however he did speak to her when she went online speaking ill of me and that’s exactly what a good manager does.

I expect my manager to have the artist’s back at all times.

*Incidentally Sarah actually emailed me to say how nice it was to meet me at the show in Torquay a few weeks ago and to ask if I’d still be interested in covering an Eighties pop song we both loved.

Touring itself is a very expensive business now, but that’s something you can read about anywhere online.

I, as many of my colleagues in the music industry, have been pretty much an alcoholic by definition at one or two stages in my career and this is why I can observe her erratic patterns of behaviour and it is also why I have been teetotal from the booze for nigh on three year now.

Anyhoo I could prattle on forever, I just wanted to clear up a few things and then be out of your hair.

Thank you to all the many bands, fans and fellow musicians who have proffered their support in this matter. You guys are much appreciated indeed!

Onward and upward as they say! See you on the road!”

Former Cradle Of Filth keyboardist / backing vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft, who was a member of the band from 2013 – 2020, has weighed in on the recent resignation of COF keyboardist / backing vocalist Zoe Marie Federoff, and the subsequent dismissal of her husband, COF guitarist Marek “Ashok” Smerda.

For those unfamiliar, details of the sordid backstory can be found here. According to Schoolcraft:

“I’ve been asked a lot this past week as to why I haven’t come out with the full story of what happened to me in my old band and the details around why I truly left vs the band-aid statement of ‘mental health.’ The reason I haven’t fully spoken out yet is that if/when I do come forward I will need legal representation and counselling and in Canada that can cost me upwards of tens of thousands of dollars based on my case.

I’ve sunken a lot of my business and personal finances into completing/marketing my next album this year so I don’t have the financial means to fight this right now. Plus it will be a lot of reliving my trauma from gathering all the receipts and I also don’t have the mental capacity or energy to do that at the moment either.

I know and believe my reason is also the reason as to why other members are not coming forward. The most abusive people in our industry hide behind their money and power (lawyers) they’ve spent decades building off of exploiting others everywhere and every which way they can. Something that is gruellingly exhausting to fight against when you exit with a broken spirit and low income. Which makes the option of moving on in silence the most logical choice. Even when your story is the truth and you have the proof.

I’m really, REALLY proud of Zoë and Ashok for breaking the silence and to other past members and crew who’ve spoken up on the absolutely unethical work environment that band is. Please know I am better these days and thriving far away from that chaos. I came so close to losing my life back then, and unfortunately Zoë and Ashok had to lose a future child because of it. NO ONE should have to tolerate any of this when desiring the dream of being a career musician and wanting to work in our industry. NO ONE.

I’m sure this opens the door to many more questions. Those of which may be answered one day. Please know my silence isn’t compliance, it never was. It has been practical and survival.
Thank you.”

Former Cradle Of Filth keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff, who quit the UK extreme metallers on August 24, has shared an update via social media on behalf of herself and her husband, former COF guitarist Ashok, who was recently fired from the band.

Says Zoe:

“A further statement on the departure of myself and Ashok from Cradle of Filth and a warning to our successors — READ THE CONTRACT.

We planned this transition out of Cradle of Filth months ago. Management is dishonest, manipulative, and tries to take money that belongs to us with no contract between us session musicians and him. When I called them out on this attempted theft of album advance money from Screaming of the Valkyries, they called me ‘cancer’ and ‘dead horse’ and threatened to fire me.

The frontman does nothing to stop them and hides behind them while they belittle and steal. We hold the frontman responsible for hiring this management and never advocating for his team, only himself. Other ex members try to tiptoe around this and only blame management — management works for the frontman.

“He might not get his hands dirty, but in the end, he directs them. The atmosphere he creates is threatening and abusive and constantly exploits us for very low wages yet also demands exclusivity to Cradle’s schedule. We do not make even the bare cost of living, yet we are told not to tour with other bands to supplement income. It is madness to keep people locked in poverty for the ego of one person.

“We attach the contract they attempted to trap all session members in for a 25% raise (the first raise in 7 years). Our lawyer called it the most psychopathic contract a session musician could ever be handed. We did not sign and made a decision to leave this year instead.

“So — we left because we were being used and paid less than the cost of living, the environment is toxic and threatening… and the toll this was all taking on our lives and our marriage grew too great. The health toll it took on us also led me to miscarry our first pregnancy on tour. We chose to leave to save ourselves and create a better future for our family. Now that we are out — the sun is shining, our family has hope, and we hope every session musician who thinks about joining Cradle reads this contract and talks to a lawyer.

“Good luck to whoever tries to make it work next. And remember — we all know the guy who says all his exes are crazy. Are you sure all of them? Or could the problem be you, 40+ people later? Farewell to the fans and our fellow session members and crew. They were the only part of this that remain good memories.”

View Zoe’s post, which includes the above-mentioned contract, below.

In a separate post, Ashok shared:

“Dear fans and friends,

I ask you to please respect my wife and myself in this transitional period. I am indeed leaving Cradle of Filth at the end of this current tour, and the reasons behind this are conclusions my wife and I came together at long before this week. We simply do not feel like Cradle can provide for our future, and in fact hinders it. Among other reasons it is a lot of work for relatively low pay, the stress is quite high, and we haven’t felt for a while like this band actually prioritizing/caring about members. It has been years of unprofessional behavior from people above us that led to our decision.

I have also asked all compositions of mine removed from upcoming releases including Ed Sheeran collab. This song feels like foolish clown antics for me at this point anyways- first it was charity single for kids, then for profit single, then on next album, and now who knows and I just do not want to be involved anymore, no disrespect to Ed Sheeran.

And meanwhile so many “brilliant” Internet brains trying to speculate on personal affairs between me and Zoe- just stop this, please. We are trying to start new chapter.

And I am going to finish this tour strong! For the fans and for my friends in this band and crew! It is my last ride with Cradle and I am proud to give it my best. I am sad to not share the stage with my wife these last times but I respect why she left and I am happy our friend Kelsey Peters has been given opportunity to shine.

This is all I have to say for now. Leave my wife alone. NEVER insult her or her choices in my presence… or else.”

In an interview with Jarek Szubrycht as part of "Mystic Talks" at this year's Mystic Festival in Gdańsk, Poland, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke about the band's plans to release new music with SEPULTURA's current touring drummer, 23-year-old Greyson Nekrutman, who officially replaced SEPULTURA's longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February 2024. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We recorded four new songs with Greyson on drums. I don't think nobody knows that, but there we go. We have four new songs, and we have the intention, next year, to release an EP, just to celebrate this momentum. It's original songs that we worked [out]. It's already recorded and everything, and we're taking our time, really, to see where it's gonna be the good time to do it."

Regarding how the new SEPULTURA material came about, Andreas said: "It was very spontaneous. We had a situation that we played the 70000 Tons Of Metal [cruise in January 2025] and we stayed in Miami. 'We have this studio. We have a few ideas. Okay, let's do it.' [Laughs] And it was great. No pressure from labels, no due date. The songs [don't] even have [names] yet. [Laughs] But it's great… We did it in our time with no rush. There's no names [for the songs]. We can decide that later. We're still mixing the material — no rush. And it's great. Because of the farewell [tour] idea, we can do that as well, to plan something like that, or not plan something like that, plan as less that we can to really to challenge ourselves artistically to work something like that."

Asked if SEPULTURA's decision to embark on a two-and-a-half-year farewell tour was motivated in any way by his desire to explore other styles of music away from extreme metal, Andreas said:  "I never felt kind of locked in the SEPULTURA world to write [in a specific style]. We were always very fearless to do whatever we want. I mean, 'Nation' is a very different album, 'A-Lex', all those albums that were inspired by books and stuff. It is, I think, more of the routine of being in a band like SEPULTURA. 40 years — 40 years, man. Have you ever done something for 40 years, like your job? Think about it. [Laughs] It's an amazing achievement inside the entertainment business to have such a band for so long, and ups and downs, to have a following. Every time we were doing albums, we were playing, we had a deal with the record label, regardless of the formation, regardless of the time we were. We played for 10 people, then we were back to play big places and stuff. It's a beautiful history. It's a beautiful history of art and life. And I was kind of feeling to get in that mode of doing another album, doing another tour, it's kind of too predictable. I mean, an artist has to be not in the comfort zone. If you're there, you're fucked, because you're going to lose touch with reality. You're gonna start living in this bubble of what SEPULTURA should be. There's no 'should'. There's a new SEPULTURA every day. We can do anything we want, musically wise, because we conquered that. SEPULTURA is this. It is not thrash metal. It's not heavy metal. It's not dark metal. It's not Brazilian metal. It's SEPULTURA metal. That's why we have a name, right? [Laughs] Otherwise, why have a name? This is SEPULTURA. That's what we are — very free. We're not scared or to take risks. Art is risks. If you do something new, you're gonna take risks. There's no other way. And that's where you learn, with your mistakes or with your errors and your everything. But it's great to stop in a great momentum without fighting, without an external factor breaking up this band. It's our own terms. We chose that very peacefully, a conscious decision. We took two years talking about working out, preparing this, and now we enjoying ourselves. It's amazing. And why not? I mean, it's a privilege to have that, to have that possibility, to stop while we can or to stop in this momentum. And then the future is the future. Let's see. [Laughs]"

Kisser also once again spoke about what SEPULTURA's final concert might look like. He said: "The idea is to do it around October 2026 in São Paulo, Brazil. A big SEPUL-fest type of show, a party with bands that are important. And as a part of SEPULTURA's history, we like to invite every member that was a part of SEPULTURA, including the Cavalera brothers [Max and Igor], to be a part of the concert, to play, to jam. I mean, it's totally irrelevant to discuss the past, who is right, who is wrong. We're never gonna get to a point — we're gonna have two different views of it, and that's fine. This is irrelevant. Let's jam for the fans, to ourselves, to our families [who had] never seen us together. But not only them — Jairo [Guedz], Eloy Casagrande, Jean Patton and Roy Mayorga, musicians that were a part of SEPULTURA in very specific and important moments that kept SEPULTURA flowing and going regardless of our problems and our challenges that we had. So hopefully that will happen. They are gonna be invited. If you wanna be a part of this party, you are welcome. If not, that's fine."

SEPULTURA kicked off its farewell tour on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The sold-out show marked the band's debut performance with Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

SEPULTURA announced Casagrande's departure on February 27, 2024, explaining in a statement that he was leaving to join "another project", with Eloy later confirming that he was the new drummer of SLIPKNOT.

The news of Eloy's exit from SEPULTURA came just two months after the band announced it would celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024 by embarking on a "farewell tour" which will cover the entire globe.

In SEPULTURA's statement, the remaining bandmembers expressed their shock over Casagrande's departure, saying they were "taken by surprise" that their now-former drummer would "abandon everything related to SEPULTURA" less than a month prior to the start of the tour.

SEPULTURA is putting together a live album commemorating its last run of shows. The band is recording 40 songs in 40 different cities for what will be a "massive compilation of our best, most energetic moments on stage," according to a statement released by SEPULTURA in December 2023.

SEPULTURA kicked off the North American leg of the massive "Celebrating Life Through Death" farewell tour on September 17, 2024 at the Concord Music Hall in Chicago, Illinois. The band played a career-spanning set that honored SEPULTURA's 40 years of existence. Joining SEPULTURA on this tour were Florida-based death metal veterans OBITUARY, iconic New York hardcore pioneers AGNOSTIC FRONT, and São Paulo, Brazil's death/thrash metallers CLAUSTROFOBIA.

Photo credit: Edu Defferrari

Vocalist Chris Barnes of death metal veterans SIX FEET UNDER has shared a new video message in which he offered an update on the recording sessions for the band's upcoming album. The follow-up to last year's "Killing For Revenge" is tentatively due in early 2026 via Metal Blade Records.  Barnes said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're in the middle of recording a new album, so we'll be putting out a new album next [year] — early summer, late spring. And the guitars and the drums have been recorded. Jack [Owen, SIX FEET UNDER guitarist] went down to AudioHammer with Jason Suecof again and recorded the guitar tracks. And Jeff Hughell will be recording… Well, he's recording bass right now, in August. And Ray [Suhy] will be recording his lead guitar parts in the beginning of September, probably finishing up right before the tour starts on September 20th."

He continued: "The tour starts September 20th, 'Midnight In Hell' [with EXHORDER, WRETCHED and INCITE], runs through October, finishes up in New Kensington, Pennsylvania on October 25th, and immediately after that last show on October 26th, the morning of, I will be flying directly to Miami, Florida, to my favorite studio where I've recorded 90 percent of SIX FEET UNDER vocals, Criteria Studios in Miami with my good friend Chris Carroll once again."

Barnes added: "I'll tell you what, man — you guys are gonna be amazed by this album. And I'm not hyping it up at all. I'm really just letting you know. It's such a diverse and dynamic album, and bunch of songs that me and Jack wrote together. It's literally just SIX FEET UNDER, all the elements that we've touched upon in our long discography. A lot of what people call groove and heavy, heavy SIX FEET UNDER style and sound of the years past, and also new flavors and ins and outs and really heavy brutal stuff too. I'll tell you what, you guys are really gonna be happy with this album."

Barnes previously stated about the new SIX FEET UNDER music: "Everything production-wise is shaping up and taking form as one of our most interesting albums to date. There is quite a variety and intensity among these new songs, from all-out brutality to old-school SIX FEET UNDER classic groove. Lord Marco [Marco Pitruzzella] got a thunderous sound to his drum tracks, and it complements what Jack did perfectly."

"Killing For Revenge" came out in May 2024 through Metal Blade Records. The LP marked the second effort that Barnes and Owen (ex-CANNIBAL CORPSE) had created together since reuniting for 2020's "Nightmares Of The Decomposed". Owen also produced "Killing For Revenge".

SIX FEET UNDER was initially formed as a side project for Barnes during his final years with the band that he co-founded, CANNIBAL CORPSE. It became the frontman's sole focus in 1995, coinciding with the release of their debut, "Haunted". Only Barnes remains from SIX FEET UNDER's original incarnation, but the quality has remained remarkably consistent. The current lineup of Barnes, guitarists Owen and Ray Suhy, bassist Jeff Hughell and drummer Marco Pitruzzella make for a devastating unit.

While Barnes is the sole remaining member, SIX FEET UNDER is about more than he and Owen. The singer is thrilled with the current lineup, and what each member brings to the table. "Jeff and Marco have been with me for about 10 years," Barnes said in last year's press release. "I'm really fortunate that I have probably the best musicians in metal. If you look at it, we have the same amount of original members as CANNIBAL CORPSE. Jeff is a killer bass player. Marco's probably the best drummer out there. Jack's the greatest songwriter I've ever been involved with over the 30-plus years I've been doing music professionally. And Ray is just a phenomenal guitarist who can play everything from jazz to death metal. The lineup now is untouchable."

"Killing For Revenge", which featured a guest appearance by guitarist Jason Suecof on "Neanderthal", was mixed and mastered by Chaz Najjar at Badlands Recording in Denver, Colorado. The record was released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl.

SIX FEET UNDER is:

Chris Barnes - vocals
Jack Owen - rhythm guitar
Ray Suhy - lead guitar
Jeff Hughell - bass
Marco Pitruzzella - drums

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In a new interview with Bloodstock TV host Oran O'Beirne, Max Cavalera spoke about his decision to revive his NAILBOMB project for a November 9, 2024 performance at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona as part of the SOULFLY-headlined "Max Cavalera Dynasty Show". NAILBOMB has since embarked on a summer 2025 European tour, during which the band is appearing at a number of festivals, including Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany, Alcatraz in Kortrijk, Belgium and at Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Park in Derbyshire, United Kingdom.

Asked why now was the right time to bring NAILBOMB back, Max said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we never really scratched the NAILBOMB itch entirely. Once the album dropped, that record kind of followed me through the whole — SEPULTURA used to play 'Cockroaches', SOULFLY played NAILBOMB covers. It's always there. And it was a fan favorite, a cult record that people loved. But I don't know why it took all these ears. It just did. But we did this one show in Phoenix and it was just an amazing reaction. And I was, like, 'Man, it would be a waste not to take that to Europe.' … After the show, I was, like, 'Dude, we have to do it,' especially festivals and stuff like that. 'Cause NAILBOMB kind of was born on a festival, with the Dynamo [Open Air festival in 1995]. And we use kind of the same method, which is find the our favorite players from the underground and make a new group. That's how the first group was formed."

Max also talked about the possibility of a follow-up to NAILBOMB's lone studio album, 1994's "Point Blank", which saw the then-SEPULTURA frontman team up with FUDGE TUNNEL's Alex Newport for a dense, industrialized offering that included a variety of samples and punk rock influences. He said: "Unfortunately, I don't think we're gonna have another NAILBOMB record. We're gonna kind of leave that like that, kind of really cult. It's kind of cool that it's like that. Some of those things are best left like that. But live-wise, that record's too good not to play live, man. It's among my favorite things I've ever done in my whole career. And then we had the show in Phoenix. It was so great. And then we came to Europe… The response here has been amazing."

Max continued: "What's cool is that the new generation, young kids get to see this. They never had a chance to see the original [NAILBOMB lineup], and they have a chance now to see it. So it's fun for everybody. It's fun for me. It's a bit different from everything else I do. CAVALERA and SOULFLY. I share with my son Igor, the vocals. He's doing Alex's part. And you've got all the samplers, the machinery. So it's a different show, for sure."

After O'Beirne noted that a lot of the lyrics on "Point Blank" still ring true more than three decades later, Cavalera concurred. "I think Donald Trump made NAILBOMB come back," he joked, before adding: "This album is more relevant now than it was 30 years ago, which is crazy… [But] that's what music's for, I believe. I believe one of the functions of music, apart from entertainment, it is to, like… We've gotta shake people up, man. You've gotta make them aware of situations, make them aware of things, and speak their mind. And it's good to have songs like 'World Of Shit' and '24 Hour Bullshit' and 'Guerrilas', which is anti-war, especially now with the Gaza and Ukraine and all these wars popping up everywhere. It's a timeless record that it's relevant now more than ever. And sonically, man — it's so good to play this stuff live. It's really good."

NAILBOMB's lineup for the "Max Cavalera Dynasty Show" included three guitarists, Max, Max's son Igor Amadeus Cavalera and Travis Stone. The three previously took part in the CAVALERA "Third World Trilogy" tour in Europe. Travis is also the guitarist of PIG DESTROYER. Johny Chow, formerly of STONE SOUR, FIREBALL MINISTRY and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, handled the bass duties for NAILBOMB. Alex Cha, of PIG DESTROYER, was on sampler and Adam Jarvis, of MISERY INDEX and PIG DESTROYER, bashed the drums.

The sonic love child of Max and Newport, this 1994 one-off album from their NAILBOMB union showcased dense, industrialized heaviness, seething with all-out punk aggression. In 13 tracks, the revered duo — crediting SEPULTURA alumni Andreas Kisser and Igor Cavalera, as well as FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares as players on the final product — managed to make an angry masterpiece that meets in the middle of what both SEPULTURA and FUDGE TUNNEL were doing at the time. But as for the visual representation of "Point Blank", the war-time photo of a Viet Cong woman with a gun to her head proves just as striking as the devastatingly heavy music within its sleeve.

Max told TeamRock in 2016 about "Point Blank": "It's just such a pissed off album. Me and Alex were pissed at everything and decided to make a real fuck-the-world 'hate project.' It is one of the most 'fuck-you' albums of all time; it aims at everything, and destroys everything. So, that'd be cool — to be remembered as a person who came here to fuck shit up, NAILBOMB's perfect!"

Max previously talked about NAILBOMB last November in an interview with Sense Music Media. He said at the time: "I love that record so much. I think 'Point Blank' is by far one of my favorite records of all time. It was just a blast to make it. Of course we really didn't care for anything. We just wanted to make a brutal, pissed off record full of industrial sounds and samplers and riffage. And it's crazy that NAILBOMB is 30 years old next year, and we're actually gonna come and do some festivals in Europe in the summer. It's great. I love it. I think it's one of those records that would be a shame not to play live because it's so good. I don't feel the necessity to re-record the NAILBOMB record, but I feel that live it needs to be played. People need to hear NAILBOMB."

Touching upon the musical and lyrical relevance of the NAILBOMB effort, Max said: "In a weird way, 'Point Blank' was almost prophetic. The stuff we were singing about is what's happening right now in the world, unfortunately. You've got stuff like '24 Hour Bullshit' with media. You have 'Sick Life' with the drug problem. You have 'Guerrillas' with the war in the Ukraine. Even the chorus of 'Guerrillas', it's eerie: 'Away from home, learn to hate, die for the land, fucking waste.' I think that's how those Russian kids must feel like right now going to Ukraine. Yeah, it's a prophetic album that is actually more relevant now than when it first came out. It's crazy."

According to Brent Hinds's official obituary, a "celebration of life" for the MASTODON guitarist will be held in Atlanta at a later date. No further details are currently available.

Hinds died earlier this month after being injured in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta. He was 51.

Brent was reportedly riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle late on August 20 when he collided with an SUV at the intersection of Memorial Drive SE and Boulevard SE, less than two miles from downtown Atlanta, according to Atlanta police.

Hinds was found unresponsive by officers who responded to the crash around 11:35 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical workers.

Police said a woman driving a BMW SUV was making a left turn when she failed to yield and struck the motorcycle, which was headed west on Boulevard. The woman remained at the scene and spoke with investigators.

MASTODON drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor paid tribute to Hinds at the end of the band's August 22 concert at the Alaska State Fair as part of the ConocoPhillips Alaska Concert Series at the Borealis Theatre in Palmer, Alaska, Dailor stepped out to the front of the stage and told the crowd:  "We lost somebody very special to us yesterday. Brent Hinds, 25 years with us as our guitar player, one of the most creative, beautiful people that we've ever come across in this world, tragically left us. Very, very unfortunate. We loved him so, so, so very much. And we had the ups and downs of a 25-year relationship. You know what I mean? It's not always perfect, it's not always amazing, but we were brothers to the end. And we really loved each other and we made a lot, a lot of very beautiful music together. And I think that that's gonna stand the test of time, evidenced by you people here tonight."

Brann continued: "So we will continue to play Brent's beautiful, beautiful music that he helped us make, that we formed this band together and traveled the world together, slept in a van together, laid our heads down on beds of fucking kitty litter, got way too drunk to remember anything the next day about a thousand, million times over and over again with the love that we shared and the beauty, all the audiences that we played, for all the stages we stepped on."

He added: "I don't know. We're just at a loss for words. We're absolutely devastated and crushed to lose him and to be able to never have him back again."

A few hours after Brent's death was made public, MASTODON commented on his passing in a statement on social media, writing: "We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief… last night Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident. We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we've shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many. Our hearts are with Brent's family, friends, and fans. At this time, we please ask that you respect everyone's privacy during this difficult time. RIP Brent."

In March, MASTODON revealed that the band and Hinds had "mutually decided to part ways" after "25 monumental years together."

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

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

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

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

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

Hinds later claimed he had been ejected from MASTODON and called his former bandmates "horrible humans" in a social media post.

Hinds was involved with several music projects apart from MASTODON, including the group GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA — alongside members of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and ALICE IN CHAINS — as well as LEGEND OF THE SEAGULLMEN and the long-running project FIEND WITHOUT A FACE.

More recently, Hinds had a tour, "An Evening With Brent Hinds", set for November and December throughout Europe.

"I'm a free spirit," Hinds said in the MASTODON documentary "The Workhorse Chronicles". "I enjoy life and I live it to the fullest."

Brent played his first show since exiting MASTODON on March 21 with his band FIEND WITHOUT A FACE at 529 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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

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

MASTODON recruited Ben Eller, a guitarist known for his popular YouTube channel, to step in for Hinds when the band played at TOOL's "Tool In The Sand" festival in the Dominican Republic in March. For MASTODON's spring 2025 tour and other recent shows, the band enlisted Canadian musician Nick Johnston. Johnston has six solo records under his belt, and has also worked with POLYPHIA, Guthrie Govan, PERIPHERY and many others.

In the premiere episode of "5 To Rock", a brand-new series on journalist Ricardo Batalha's YouTube channel, acclaimed American vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, JOURNEY, SONS OF APOLLO, SOTO, W.E.T., TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, AXEL RUDI PELL, among others) revisited his early years with Yngwie Malmsteen and the 40th anniversary of the classic album "Marching Out".

After first appearing on two tracks from Malmsteen's debut "Rising Force", Soto recalled how he joined Yngwie's band, the challenges of recording "Marching Out", and how he views those iconic performances today. As a special highlight, the episode features an exclusive track-by-track commentary, with Soto discussing all eight songs he recorded vocals for (the album also contains three instrumentals).

Reflecting on his early days with Malmsteen, Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I remember everything. There's a lot of things in my career that are they're going away. It's hard to remember unless somebody reminds me. But for some reason that beginning, I remember everything.

"Most people don't understand, the first album, when I sang only two songs, there was only two songs that Yngwie was gonna sing," Soto explained. "It was supposed to be a solo album. He was in ALCATRAZZ. They gave him a solo deal. There was no talk of a new band [called] RISING FORCE. 'Rising Force' was the name of the album; it was not the name of the band yet.

"When I joined the band officially — I remember the night he told me I'm officially in the band," Jeff added. "I was at his house, and I always went out to hang out at his house. The other Swedes lived in the house with him, Marcel [Jacob, bass] and the [Johansson] brothers [Anders and Jens]. And they were drinking in the kitchen and talking for two hours. And I'm sitting in the living room going, 'I thought this was celebration. I'm in the band and I'm alone.' And [they were constantly] speaking Swedish. So finally after two hours, Yngwie comes to me and goes, 'Listen. These guys, they told me. Now you're in the band and I'm supposed to record the vocals this weekend. Go home and listen to this. If you can sing this tomorrow in the studio, then we keep it on the record. If it doesn't sound good, I'm doing the vocals.' The other guys in the band knew, they don't want Yngwie to sing, so that's why, 'Hey, we've got a singer now. Let him sing.' So I was not supposed to be on the first album. It was only because, especially the song 'As Above, So Below', there's no way Yngwie could sing all that high stuff. And because I could do it easily when I was 18 years old, he allowed me to sing on that. But we were already working on 'Marching Out', the songs. I already sang the demo for 'I'll See The Light Tonight', I sang the demo for 'Soldier Without Faith'. I sang also 'I Am A Viking' and — there was one more; I can't remember. I already did four [songs], and so he already knew my voice. That's why the guys were, like, 'He should be on the first album.'"

Regarding the making of "Marching Out", Soto said: "We started the pre-production, and then we started recording the album in late 1984. I think we finished my last vocal — for some reason, I have a memory that we finished it on New Year's Eve, 'cause I remember we were singing, [we] finished, and then we went out to a New Year's Eve party. Now, as memory serves everybody else, in February [1985], he got nominated for a Grammy for the first album, 'cause the second album was supposed to be the first official band album. 'Marching Out' was supposed to be the first worldwide release. 'Rising Force' was only for Japan — solo album, instrumental. Then all of a sudden the news came in, Yngwie got nominated for a Grammy. 'Oh, oh. We can't release the band album yet. We have to wait for the Grammys to see if he wins. And then we have some momentum. Then we'll release 'Marching Out'.' By the time we released 'Marching Out', I already left the band. [Laughs]"

Asked what was like working on the music for "Marching Out" with Yngwie, Jeff said: "It was pretty easy. I mean, he had his set ideas. He knew what he wanted already, but again, he's can't sing what he wants me to sing. He can't sing that range. So he would rely on me, if he played it on the guitar or he sang an octave lower, to sing an octave higher so he can hear what it's gonna sound like. From there, I was able to throw in my ideas. I was able to bounce ideas off of him, not just only do what he wanted me to do. It wasn't, like, 'Sing this.' 'Okay.' 'Sing this.' 'Sing this. 'Okay.' I put my identity in everything, but we did it together."

Regarding how he looks back on his performances on the first two Yngwie albums today, Jeff said: "Well, I wish I could be as excited as the rest of the world when they tell me that's the best vocal work I've ever done or that was the beginning of where they discovered me. And it's so classic, it's so influential. I listen to it and I say, 'Arrghh.' I sound like a kid. I don't sound like I found my voice yet. And I remember distinctly, especially on the first two songs, on the first album, but even 'I'll See The Light Tonight' and some of the other songs, I remember thinking — I grew up listening to soul music, R&B music — 'I can't use that style for heavy metal.' But I don't have my style yet, so I'm thinking, 'Let me borrow some Bruce Dickinson, let me borrow some Rob Halford, let me borrow some Ronnie James Dio. This song I can do this like Bruce, I can do this like Ronnie.' I was copying others just to get through that so I sound more metal. Now when I listen, it sounds forced. It doesn't sound like I would sing it today. If I sang it 40 years ago today, I know how to do it now, because I didn't have this experience yet."

More than three years ago, Jeff claimed that Yngwie threatened to cancel his concert in May 2022 in Agoura Hills, California after finding out his former bandmate was in attendance. The following day, Malmsteen disputed Soto's account of what happened in Agoura Hills, writing on his Facebook page: "Kids, don't believe made up BS from people who are trying to stay relevant! He's not important for me to cancel my show to my fans. On the other hand I was told by my agent that he snuck in there without paying so the security threw him out. Certain people make up stories… turn up at my show, get kicked out by security because they snuck in the venue WITHOUT PAYING, then turn around make up a story to try and grab media attention… some people are sick. STOP stalking me and get help".

Eight years ago, Soto engaged in a war of words with Malmsteen over the fact that Yngwie claimed in an interview that he "always wrote everything," including the lyrics and melodies, and simply hired various vocalists to sing his material.

Back in 2017, Soto told the "US American Made Guitars" show that "it's false information" to suggest that he contributed nothing to Yngwie's early albums "because we co-wrote [some of] those songs together. I actually authored those songs," he said. "For him to say, 'I wrote every lyric, every melody,' it's absolute falsity. And he's speaking out of whatever anger or whatever throwaway conversation he might be having, but when it's put on text, it comes across as very crude and very arrogant. So, of course, I don't take that kind of stuff too personally."

The singer went on to say that faulty memory may be at least partly to blame for Yngwie's comments. "Yngwie's written so much of his own stuff, he's written so much on his own when it comes to lyrics and melodies through the years," he said. "Maybe the past eight albums… I don't even know how many albums he's put out, but for that many albums he's put out, clearly his memory is fogged on the albums that he wasn't doing all of that."

He continued: "Joe Lynn [Turner] was a very strong collaborator on the album ['Odyssey'] with he did with Yngwie, as was I, as were some of the other singers that were involved with him. Maybe later on that changed and the other guys were basically just used to sing his words. And I was as well on some songs. I mean, 'I Am A Viking', I didn't write one word or one melody on it. But the stuff that we did together, that's stuff that we did together. And there's some stuff I did on my own that's on there — he didn't add or remove one single thing from it. So, again, it's selective memory. It could be he doesn't wanna talk about me, he's got a bad taste in his mouth about me, so he's gonna do everything in his power to make sure that everybody knows how downplayed my role was in his life and his career."

In the days after Yngwie's original interview with Metal Wani was published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, several of the guitarist's other former singers — including Joe Lynn Turner and Tim "Ripper" Owens — responded on social media, with Turner describing Malmsteen's statements as "the rantings of a megalomaniac desperately trying to justify his own insecurity." This was followed by a retort from a member of Yngwie's management team, who wrote on Malmsteen's Facebook page that the three vocalists "came out enraged, spitting insults and profanities" at the guitarist because "Yngwie said something that they didn't like." The management representative added: " It's very unfortunate that these past hired vocalists must resort to mudslinging and insults to elicit any kind of media attention towards them. Such classless, puerile words are ungentlemanly at best and absolutely disgraceful at worst."

DISTURBED bassist John Moyer has revealed that he is producing the new studio album from former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate.

John, who spent the last couple of weeks traveling in Europe with Geoff as part of Tate's Backstage Pass Travel company, took to his social media on Thursday (August 28) to write: "Well France and Italy it's been fun but it's time for me to go home.

"I am very honored to be producing Geoff Tate's new record. We got some great work done these past 2 and a half weeks. It's been a pleasure working with him and his guitar players Amaury [Altmayer] and Dario [Parente]. All of them are top level musicians and recording Geoff gave me goose bumps every time we tracked. His voice is fire and he's got some great performances on this record."

Back in 2013, Moyer filled in for bassist Rudy Sarzo on several dates with Tate's version of QUEENSRŸCHE as they played the band's classic album "Operation: Mindcrime" from start to finish. Moyer also played with Tate's OPERATION: MINDCRIME project, which released a trilogy of albums between 2015 and 2017.

Geoff recently announced that he was working on the third and final chapter in the "Operation: Mindcrime" album series.

"'Operation: Mindcrime III' is the story from the lead character Dr. X — it's from his perspective," Tate explained to WDR Rockpalast. "'Mindcrime I' and 'Mindcrime II' were really from the character Nikki's perspective. And so that's what we know. But with the new album, we see why we know what we know and what was the inspiration for Dr. X to create 'Operation: Mindcrime' in the first place, which is pretty exciting, pretty intense."

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

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

Tate previously discussed his plans for "Operation: Mindcrime III" in a November 2024 interview with "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern". Speaking about the musical direction of his new solo material, Geoff said: "I would say it has more of an early QUEENSRŸCHE feel. [The new songs are] super heavy, and some of 'em are incredibly technical. They're like algebra. [Laughs] You need a calculator when you're listening to the song. [Laughs] And, of course, some of them are very emotional. It's the last chapter in the 'Mindcrime' series. So it's following the exploits of Dr. X and Nikki and Sister Mary, and picks up at a particular point in their story and kind of does the microscope of what is happening at that particular time with them. And I am just in love with it. I am so happy with everything so far, and I can't wait for people to hear it."

Asked if there will once again be "some of those political interplays" within the lyrical themes on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Tate said: "Oh, I think so. Yeah, I think that people will be able to detect little bits of what's happening around them. And it's an interesting time right now — very interesting. Especially next week [after the 2024 U.S. presidential election], it's gonna be really interesting [laughs] what happens. So, we'll see."

Pressed about whether "a familiar voice" will play Dr. X on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Geoff said: "I can't tell you, actually. But thanks for asking. [Laughs]"

In a 2016 interview with East Valley Tribune, Tate said that he looked back fondly on "Operation: Mindcrime II". "I haven't listened to that album since I recorded it," he admitted. "However, it was a new story. Overall, it went down well live with the audience. I have no complaints or regrets about it."

During QUEENSRŸCHE's 2012 legal battle with Tate over the rights to the band's name, guitarist Michael Wilton submitted a sworn declaration in which he said the idea to make "Operation: Mindcrime II" was first brought to the table by Geoff's wife and QUEENSRŸCHE's then-manager Susan Tate. "The band was hesitant and did not want to lessen the original," the guitarist claimed. "But Susan Tate and Geoff Tate hired a budget producer and took control without really any other input. Scott Rockenfield [drums], Eddie Jackson [bass] and I were squeezed out of having any input in the musical direction or business decisions, thus the project suffered. During the initial writing phase, I would show up to bring my input to the creative process only to find that the producer, the new guitar player (who were both staying with the Tates at the time),along with Geoff Tate had been up late the night before or up early that morning and had written the songs without me. I was then told my ideas were not needed as the songs were now done. I could, however, 'bring my own style' in during the recording after learning to play what they wrote for me. In frustration, I gave up on the writing process knowing that I would at least get to make changes in the studio to bring back the QUEENSRŸCHE sound into these songs that we were known for. The final straw was when they refused to let me to be a part of the final recordings and mixes. I was shut out and they had the nerve to replace some of my parts on my songs. They denied me flying to San Francisco to be a part of my band, telling me that everything was ready to go and I was not needed. Had the communication been better, and had I been aware that parts needed to be recorded or rewritten, I would have been there. It was not until years later that I even became aware of the issues during the final recording and mixing of 'Operation: Mindcrime II'. It was all under the control of Geoff and Susan Tate. Call it delusions of grandeur, but they were convinced that this was going to sell three times more than the original, and to date (six years later) this album has sold fewer than 150,000 copies. The original album sold over 500,000 copies within a year."

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

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

Well France and Italy it’s been fun but it’s time for me to go home.I am very honored to be producing Geoff Tate’s new...

Posted by John Moyer on Friday, August 29, 2025

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy spoke about what it has been like for him to be touring with the band once again after a 13-year absence. The progressive metal legends played their first concert with Portnoy in 14 years on October 20, 2024 at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The drummer, who co-founded DREAM THEATER, played on 10 of the band's albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010. Portnoy returned to DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after being replaced by Mike Mangini, who played with DREAM THEATER across five studio albums and accompanying world tours. Portnoy told WRIF (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been incredible. Even though this is our first time coming through Detroit since I've been back in the band, it's been coming up on two years now for us [as a reunited band]. So, the reunion's kind of — it's been worked in. We spent the first year making our new album, 'Parasomnia', and then we spent the second year, starting this past October, we've been on the road since then and there's no letting up anytime soon. So we've already played almost a hundred shows at this point all around the world. And everywhere we play for the first time, there's just such an energy and excitement and emotion in the audience, people getting to see this lineup together again. So each and every place we go, it's just been overwhelming. The numbers have been great. It's been the biggest tour that DREAM THEATER's ever done. So, I really can't say enough of how exciting it's been. And there's still a lot of gas left in the tank. We have this whole U.S. tour, which is hitting a lot of markets we didn't get to hit the first time around. So we get to share that first experience with so many people. And then we do Australia and Asia after the New Year, next January, February and March. And then we have another European tour next spring. So, yeah, when all is said and done, it's gonna be about a year-and-a-half tour cycle, just getting around to everybody, and it's just been bigger and better than ever."

Portnoy, who was very "hands on" with DREAM THEATER's creative and business decisions before his exit from the group, was asked if his role in the band is like it was before. He responded: "I wouldn't say it's like before. When I left the band in 2010, I was a control freak and oversaw every aspect — every text, every email, every single aspect of the band, whether it be the merchandise, the fan clubs, the setlist, blah, blah, blah. I was a control freak, very much so. And it's not like that now. The years that I was gone, the band kind of redesigned their internal structure and how they work. [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci ended up taking on a lot of responsibilities. He solely produces the albums now, whereas we used to do 'em together back then. And there was a lot of things, a lot of restructuring they had to do while I was gone. So now coming back to that after 13 years away, I have to be very respectful over what they had built all the years without me, and I'm not gonna come in here and just assume that it's gonna be exactly how it was when I left, 'cause it's not gonna be. And John and I had a conversation even before we solidified me coming back, we just laid out the conversation, like… He was, like, 'Hey, are you gonna be okay not doing this? Are you gonna be okay sharing this?' And we had to kind of lay out all of those dynamics on how we would function internally. And it's okay. I'm actually happier now this way. I think it's a better band dynamic. It's a more true balance now than it was. So, it's kind of the best of both worlds. And there are a lot of areas that were given back to me, like writing the setlists, and with that comes programming the house music at the show and the intermission and all the kind of stuff that goes into the way the show is run, the concert presentation. So, luckily, that has always been my biggest passion. So that's one area that was kind of thrown back to me. And then sequencing the album order; that was always another big one for me. So, yeah, we talked about the ones that were important to share and the ones that were important to delegate and find a happy balance."

After Meltdown noted that he learned over the years that it's best to just do things himself when he wants something done right, Mike said: "That was my old mentality, 'cause the first 15 years of the band, we went through everything as a quote-unquote democracy. But all that meant was we would just fight and bicker until I would beat everybody down. [Laughs] So there was a point about 15 years in, about 1999, 2000, when we made the '[Metropolis Pt. 2:] Scenes From A Memory' album, we decided we're gonna go do away with this fake democracy. And myself and John, we're gonna run the ship. We were gonna co-produce the albums, we were gonna make the business decisions together. And so once we kind of got into that way of running the show, it went a lot smoother. And there was a lot of things that I had freedom to just make decisions on, on my own. I didn't have to go back to the band to discuss and bicker and argue, and it did run much better that way. But then I also see how that could cause a little resentments too, when one guy is making a lot of decisions without the discussion or inclusion of other bandmembers. So I think the way we do it now is, like I said, it's the best of both worlds, and it's a very smooth way of running. And we're much older, we're all in our late fifties and sixties where we're a lot more mature. We don't wanna fight and bicker over what is gonna be the third song on the B-side of the album. A lot of people realize you pick and choose your fights and you pick and choose your battles and not everything is worth fighting over. And it's a much more calmer headspace, more serene way of doing things at this point in our career."

Asked if he thinks there are other bands out there who should follow DREAM THEATER's example and reunite their classic lineups while they still can, Portnoy said: "Yeah. I recommend this to anybody that's on the fence about reuniting with their band, because it's the best thing we ever did. And a lot of people ask me if I have any regrets about leaving DREAM THEATER. I would say my only regret is that it took so long to come back together. I wish it had come back together sooner. So you see [PINK FLOYD's] Roger Waters bickering with David Gilmour or SKID ROW bickering with Sebastian Bach. And all I could say is, guys, you're older and wiser. Do it for the fans, if anything else. I'm so glad that I came back to DREAM THEATER and we ride off into the sunset together. This is the way it was supposed to have been. I couldn't have written it any better. And it would've been one of the biggest regrets of my life if we hadn't reunited. And I look at bands like Sebastian and SKID ROW, or whatever — there's probably a big list that we can name — and you know what? Time does heal all wounds. And I would recommend this to anybody. It's better to be riding off into the sunset together and rekindling a friendship and a love that certainly had to have been there at one point for any of these bands — Roger Waters and PINK FLOYD. It's there somewhere deep down. And it's better to ride off into the sunset together than to be apart and having those deep-seated resentments. Life is just too short for that kind of stuff."

DREAM THEATER kicked off the spring/summer 2025 leg of its "40th Anniversary European Tour" on June 3 at Logomo in Turku, Finland.

DREAM THEATER's summer/fall 2025 "An Evening With Dream Theater" U.S. tour is scheduled for 30 cities across the United States, kicking off September 5 in Reading, Pennsylvania and running through October 25, when it wraps in Long Island, New York. The tour will make stops in Orlando, Floria; Detroit, Michigan; Kansas City, Missouri and Providence, Rhode Island, among others. DREAM THEATER will be performing its latest album in its entirety as well as classics and fan favorites from the band's catalog in what promises to be an unforgettable evening of music.

"Parasomnia" came out on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP marked DREAM THEATER's first release with Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".

"Parasomnia" was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returned once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.

"Parasomnia" is an eight-song, 71-minute set which was recorded at DREAM THEATER's DTHQ studio on Long Island, New York. It is the follow-up to 2021's "A View From The Top Of The World", which debuted at in the top 10 of Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Rock Albums and Independent Albums charts. Six songs on "Parasomnia" are over seven minutes and the closing epic "The Shadow Man Incident" clocks in at nearly 20 minutes.

The North American leg of DREAM THEATER's 40th-anniversary tour kicked off on February 7 at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The trek was "An Evening With Dream Theater" and was the first tour of North America since Portnoy's return to the lineup, joining Petrucci, singer James LaBrie, bassist John Myung and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. The tour concluded on March 22 in New York City.

Portnoy, Petrucci and Myung started DREAM THEATER as MAJESTY in 1985, after meeting at the Berklee College Of Music in Boston. LaBrie came on board in 1991, while Rudess joined in 1999.

Prior to Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER, the drummer and Petrucci worked together on the latter's 2020 solo album, "Terminal Velocity", and toured together. Portnoy and Petrucci also joined Rudess and bassist Tony Levin for a third studio album as LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT in 2021.

Ferocious, uncompromising, and carved straight from the steel heart of classic thrash – Bastard Skull has officially inked a deal with Wormholedeath, marking the start of a new chapter for the East Coast-based metal juggernaut.

The band’s self-titled debut album, Bastard Skull, will be unleashed as a deluxe physical CD edition including three tracks from the More Dread EP. Classic thrash purists and new fans alike can also experience digital streaming with standalone releases:

– Bastard Skull LP drops on October 17
– More Dread EP follows on November 11
– CD Deluxe Edition – TBA

Born from a chance reunion at a Mercyful Fate show in Brooklyn on November 13, 2022, Bastard Skull unites a crew of seasoned veterans with deep roots in the thrash underground. The spontaneous spark between John Blicharz (Annunanki, Blood Feast, Dusk) and Tom Lorenzo (Blood Feast, Without End) lit the fuse. Joined shortly after by George Kostadimas and Mark Mari (Sneak Attack), Bastard Skull formed like a sonic supernova, driven by decades of pure metal instinct.

The band tracked both the LP and EP at Band Mother Recording with none other than Michael Sabatini (Attacker) behind the board. The final mastering touch came courtesy of legendary engineer Alan Douches (West West Side Music), whose resume reads like a metal hall of fame: Aerosmith, Obituary, Nile, The Ramones, Dying Fetus, and beyond.

Bastard Skull and WormHoleDeath now stand united in a shared mission: to tear through boundaries and bring unfiltered thrash metal to fans around the globe. Get ready.

Their lyric video for the title track, “Bastard Skull”, can be found below.

Pre-save the Bastard Skull album here, and pre-save the More Dread EP here.



Tracklisting:

“Bastard Skull”
“After The Plague”
“Time is the Destroyer”
“Beyond The Fray”
“Iconoclast”
“The Last Death”
“Catch Kill Release”
“Chaos Order”

Bonus tracks:

“More Dread”
“Impalement”
“Raw Nerve”

arkness isn’t merely a theme for Downswing – it’s the environment they’ve learned to endure.

The Albany, New York outfit cultivates a heavy atmosphere and melodic depth, stripping away emotional armour and calloused defences to reveal something raw and defiantly honest. The band’s new album, And Everything Was Dark, serves as both a mission statement and a bold leap forward. It arrives October 24 via MNRK, the band’s new label home. Pre-order it here.

Today, the band shares the video for first single, “For What It’s Worth” (Feat. Travis Moseley of Colorblind). Watch it below. The song is a bleak outburst of betrayal, confusion, and emotional fallout.

“As a collective going into the studio, we knew that ‘For What It’s Worth’ was a heavy favorite,” says vocalist Harrison Seanor. “Right from the opening riff, it just has that energy, that drive. It’s hard not to bang your head.”

Since 2016, Downswing have steadily evolved into a powerhouse of modern metal and groove. The group’s current incarnation emphasizes big choruses, bigger breakdowns, atmosphere, and emotion. “This is the first time it feels like we’re doing exactly what we want,” says Seanor, who joined the band in 2020. “We’re not chasing any specific trend or scene. We’re Downswing.”

Downswing are comprised of Seanor, guitarist Anthony Salvaggio, bassist Chris Arnold, and drummer Nick Manzella. Created with a focus on clarity and impact, And Everything Was Dark builds on the sonic foundation of their earlier work while boldly venturing into new territory. Gargantuan riffs and breakdowns intertwine with massive hooks, textures, and lyrics that resonate deeper than ever before. Downswing formed in 2018 and quickly made waves with their unique blend of metallic hardcore aggression and groove-driven heaviness. Early releases, such as the Dark Side Of The Mind EP (2017) and Good Intentions (2020), cultivated a dedicated following in the underground and earned the band a reputation for high intensity.



Tracklisting:

“No God To Me”
“Emptiness Remains”
“Drowned Out”
“Thanks For Nothing”
“In A Daze”
“For What It’s Worth” (Feat. Travis Moseley)
“Stand By…”
“Serpent”
“Letting Go” (Feat. Elijah Witt)
“Too Little Too Late” (Feat. Chris Roetter)
“Eternal”

Brazilian thrash metal warhorses, Distraught, are back swinging harder than ever, channeling over three decades of rage, grit and social consciousness into their brand-new music video, “Extermination Of Mother Nature”.

Lifted from the band’s latest EP, inVolution, the track is a furious and unrelenting blast that rips through the political negligence and corporate greed responsible for the catastrophic floods that devastated Rio Grande do Sul in 2024 – a disaster that swallowed entire cities, displaced thousands and claimed countless lives.

“This isn’t just a song about a flood. It’s a direct indictment”, says frontman and founding member André Meyer. “Water is supposed to represent life — here it became a weapon of destruction, washing away homes, dreams and broken promises.”

Shot at the historic Lower Platform of the Charqueadas Pier (RS) – once a hub for coal transport in the 1950s and now a haunting monument to neglect — the video amplifies the band’s message with striking, desolate imagery.

Watch the video below:



inVolution is a conceptual EP with five brutal cuts, each representing a natural element — Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Aether — as the band tears through themes of environmental collapse, greed, denialism and moral decay.

With a legacy forged over 35 years, six full-length albums, two live releases and a trail of hard-hitting singles and covers, Distraught stands tall as one of the enduring pillars of Brazilian heavy music. Uncompromising, politically charged and heavier than ever, the band channels decades of rage and reflection into their latest opus, inVolution – more than just a new release, it’s a searing call to awareness through art and aggression. Fronted by André Meyer (vocals) and completed by Ricardo Silveira and Everton Acosta (guitars), Alan Holz (bass) and Thiago Caurio (drums), the band continues to redefine the boundaries of South American thrash.

“Metal isn’t just about attitude — it’s also about awareness”, says founding vocalist André Meyer. “’inVolution’ is a warning about the abyss of human deconstruction we’re headed toward. And it might be closer than we think if nothing changes.”



Stream the EP here.

The band is currently considering a physical release for inVolution and invites labels worldwide to join forces in spreading their latest statement of intent.

Following the release of their Destination album (released in May via ROAR), German gothic metal pioneers, Crematory, continue their legacy of darkness and power with a special series of reissues, unleashed through ROAR – A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music.

Today, the band proudly re-releases limited vinyl editions of the albums Illusions (1995), Das Deutsche Album (1996) and Awake (1997).

In the mid-1990s, Crematory emerged as a leading force in the German gothic metal scene. Formed in 1991, the band fused death metal roots with darkwave and gothic influences, creating a unique sound marked by growled vocals, melodic keyboards, and melancholic themes. By the time “Illusions” was released in 1995, Crematory had refined their identity, gaining international attention with emotionally charged songs and powerful live performances. Their work during this era helped shape the sound of European gothic metal, and alongside 90s cult acts such as Type O Negative, Tiamat, Moonspell, The Gathering and Paradise Lost, Crematory became one of the most successful representatives of their genre.

Each release comes as a collector’s edition and in digital formats – remastered by Crematory guitarist and producer Rolf Munkes – carefully reissued to bring these milestones of gothic and death metal back to the turntable where they belong. Order now:

On October 17, Crematory will continue their reissue campaign with three more fan favorites, once again via ROAR.



Act Seven (1999) – A cornerstone in the band’s catalogue, blending gothic melancholy with thunderous riffs, showing Crematory at the height of their creative force! Believe (2000), the band’s dark yet melodic masterpiece that pushed boundaries with its fusion of electronic elements and gothic metal intensity, marking a bold step into a new millennium. Same like Revolution (2004): True to its name, this album saw Crematory embrace evolution with modern touches while staying deeply rooted in their trademark gothic sound.

This marks a unique chance for fans and collectors to own these defining records in exclusive vinyl form as well as digital — a celebration of more than three decades of relentless gothic metal spirit.

For Crematory, the fire still burns. For the fans, the classics live again. Collect them. Spin them. Keep the legacy alive. Pre-order via the links below.

Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock visionary, Neal Morse, returns to his singer-songwriter roots with the heartfelt and introspective new solo album, Never Been Down This Road.

Available on October 31, you can pre-order the album here. A visualizer for the single “Reach Deep” can be found below.

Known for his work on recent prog-rock masterpieces including No Hill For A Climber (with Neal Morse & The Resonance) and Deep Water (with Cosmic Cathedral), Morse now offers fans a more personal collection, rich with storytelling, emotion, and spiritual depth.

Written in the quiet early hours at the grand piano in his studio – a daily practice for Morse – Never Been Down This Road captures the spontaneous magic of inspiration as it comes. The result is an album that blends deeply personal reflections with narratives of people he has encountered and songs came from day to day inspiration, spanning genres from folk and pop to worship and soul.

Following in the tradition of 2024’s Late Bloomer, this new release showcases Morse’s solo artistry in full. With the exception of saxophone and backing vocals, all instruments and vocals were performed by Morse himself, further emphasizing the album’s raw, intimate nature.

“Never Been Down This Road feels like a journey through my heart, my memories, and sometimes the hearts of characters I’ve imagined,” says Morse. “It’s a quieter kind of album—less about the epic, more about the honest moment. I hope people connect with it the way I have.”



Tracklisting:

“Leavin’ California”
“New Man”
“Reach Deep”
“Open Up Again”
“Never Been Down This Road”
“The Most Important Person”
“The Heart Always Known”
“Breathe The Air”