Swedish/Canadian/American extreme metal titans ARCH ENEMY have released the video for a new song called "Paper Tiger". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Blood Dynasty", which is slated due on March 28 via Century Media Records.

ARCH ENEMY founder and guitarist Michael Amott states: "With 'Blood Dynasty' almost here, we thought we'd sneak in another single for you. 'Paper Tiger' is a personal favorite — these riffs are so much fun to play. The accompanying video was shot on a German airfield last summer with our visionary friend Mumpi. Turn it up and let it roar!"

Following the surprise drop of their single "Dream Stealer" in July 2024, the subsequent release of "Liars & Thieves" in October 2024 and the "Blood Dynasty" title track in December, "Paper Tiger" marks the fourth single offering from the highly anticipated album.

Amott previously stated about "Blood Dynasty": "This new album pushes the boundaries of what we've done before — it's everything you've come to expect from this band, and then some! We can't wait for you to hear it and feel the energy we've poured into every track. Welcome to the 'Blood Dynasty'!"

"Blood Dynasty" track listing:

01. Dream Stealer
02. Illuminate the Path
03. March Of the Miscreants
04. A Million Suns
05. Don't Look Down
06. Presage
07. Blood Dynasty
08. Paper Tiger
09. Vivre Libre
10. The Pendulum
11. Liars & Thieves

Next to the limited deluxe editions that feature two exclusive bonus tracks, fans can direct their attention to the limited liquid blood vinyl that is exclusively available in the band stores and limited to 666 copies.

"Dream Stealer" marked ARCH ENEMY's first new music since the release of the "Deceivers" album, which came out in August 2022.

"Dream Stealer" was mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios. The video was directed and produced by Patric Ullaeus.

Six months ago, Amott told Pulp Magazine about "Dream Stealer" and ARCH ENEMY's plans for new music: "We've been staying busy for sure and are really focused on writing and recording new stuff in between the touring we're doing. I'm kind of always coming up with new musical and lyrical ideas though — I just keep going as it's what I enjoy doing anyway. Making music is a natural process, and it's pretty much a daily thing, so it can be hard to pinpoint exactly when everything was conceived. I do, however, actually remember that the initial seed for 'Dream Stealer' was written during a songwriting session I did with Daniel [Erlandsson, drums] in Los Angeles, California, two years ago, and then it's been rearranged and updated a lot till it reached its final state that you're now hearing."

Asked if it was a conscious decision to go back to the "classic ARCH ENEMY" direction and approach with "Dream Stealer", Amott said: "I've seen some seriously great feedback from the fans, and that's always very encouraging, of course. Personally, I don't know if I’d necessarily say 'Dream Stealer' is a throwback to the sound of the past, but I get what they mean — the song has the energy and speed that is very exciting and infectious. Maybe there is a hint of vintage ARCH ENEMY in there, and why not? I'm looking forward to playing it live on stage — I think it is going to be intense as hell."

ARCH ENEMY played its first concert with new guitarist Joey Concepcion on April 24, 2024 at Musinsa Garage in Seoul, South Korea. The show was part of ARCH ENEMY's 2024 Asian tour.

In December 2023, ARCH ENEMY announced that it had "amicably" parted ways with longtime guitarist Jeff Loomis.

Jeff, who was the main songwriter in his previous group, NEVERMORE, joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, but was not involved in the writing for the latter act's last two albums, 2017's "Will To Power" and the aforementioned "Deceivers".

ARCH ENEMY is:

Alissa White-Gluz - Vocals
Michael Amott - Guitar
Joey Concepcion - Guitar
Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums

Photo credit: Katja Kuhl

L.A. GUNS' new album, "Leopard Skin", will be released on April 4, 2025. It will mark the first fruit of L.A. GUNS' reunion with Cleopatra Records, a label known for its diverse roster and innovative approach to music production. The LP's first single, "Taste It", was released today on all digital outlets, along with a Jason Wisch-directed music video which can be seen below.

"There's the saying, 'a leopard never changes its spots,'" L.A. GUNS' founding guitarist Tracii Guns says. "But even so, they have a million different spots. And they're all unique. It's the same with L.A. GUNS. We can't shed our leopard skin, but there's a lot of different spots in this band."

Those spots run the gamut from early anthems like "Electric Gypsy", "Rip And Tear" and "Over The Edge" to indelible ballads like "It's Over Now" and "The Ballad Of Jayne" to more recent classics like "Speed", "Cannonball" and now, the ten tracks that comprise the new album.

Not only is "Leopard Skin" hot on the heels of 2023's "Black Diamonds" album, but is also L.A. GUNS' fifth studio effort in seven years, since the core team of guitarist and band founder Tracii Guns and singer Phil Lewis reunited in 2017. "Leopard Skin", like the last few L.A. GUNS records, reconvenes the tight-knit lineup of Guns, Lewis, bassist Johnny Martin, guitarist Ace Von Johnson and studio drummer Adam Hamilton, but beyond that it is its own unique beast. True to form, it's a hard-and-heavy, tough-as-nails L.A. GUNS set. But the music also presents the band at their funkiest, rowdiest, most classic-rock-worshipping best. And it's clear they're having a helluva lot of fun playing it.

Explains Tracii: "When we started doing records again in 2017, I wanted to be really aggressive. We hadn't put out anything new in a lot of years, and we needed to be focused to have an impact. This one was a different approach. Musically, it was more about James Brown and soul music, with some '70s sensibilities — things like Joe Walsh and THE ROLLING STONES and the NEW YORK DOLLS. And the process was more organic. It was, 'Here's a riff, go for it. Let's see how many riffs we can build after this riff, and then going into the next riff.'"

The results speak for themselves. You want a four-on-the-floor AC/DC-style stomper? Cue up anthemic opener "Taste It". Slippery funk-rock? Try out "Lucky Motherfucker" or "Don't Gimme Away". Rollicking '70s-style glam? Drop the needle on "If You Wanna". Swampy, slide guitar-laced grooves? Crank up the ZEP-tastic "The Grinder".

Where does that position L.A. GUNS in 2025? Tracii returns to "Leopard Skin". "The song title 'Lucky Motherfucker' kinda says it all," he says. "Because I don't know how many other bands that have been around almost 40 years are still out there not just touring consistently, but putting out records consistently, and the thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger from year to year."

He continues: "So the work ethic is yielding what it's supposed to, you know what I mean? The fans stay excited, we stay excited, and we keep making records. And as long as we have that opportunity and there's a place for this music in the world, there's no reason to ever stop."

"Leopard Skin" track listing:

01. Taste It
02. Lucky Motherfucker
03. The Grinder
04. Hit And Run
05. Don't Gimme Away
06. I'm Your Candy Man
07. Runaway Train
08. Following the Money
09. The Masquerade
10. If You Wanna

Last July, Tracii told On The Road To Rock podcast with Clint Switzer about the sound of L.A. GUNS' new LP: "It's different than the other records. That's the thing about L.A. GUNS, is I never know what's gonna come out. I don't know what mood I'm gonna be in or whatever, but I'm really proud of what I was able to record. And all the management and Phil and the guys, they're freaking out, like, 'Where'd this shit come from?' So, yeah, I'm always most excited about L.A. GUNS. It's the complete playground for me. I love it."

L.A. GUNS' latest studio album, "Black Diamonds", came out in April 2023. It was the fourth studio album since the much-welcome reunion of the band's core foundation of Lewis and Guns. It followed the well-received studio albums "The Missing Peace", "The Devil You Know" and "Checkered Past", plus the live release "Made In Milan", and a covers EP "Another Xmas In Hell".

In April 2021, a settlement was reached between drummer Steve Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the L.A. GUNS name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Guns and Lewis continue to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS were allowed to perform and record under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS. Riley died in October 2023 at the age of 67.

L.A. GUNS was formed in 1983 and have sold over six million records, including 1988's "L.A. Guns" and 1990's "Cocked And Loaded", both of which were certified gold. "Cocked And Loaded" contained the hit single "The Ballad Of Jayne" that went to No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts. From the mid-'90s to the mid 2000s, L.A. GUNS continued to tour and release new music. Following their successful performance at SiriusXM's Hair Nation festival in September 2016, L.A. GUNS went into the studio to record the critically acclaimed "The Missing Peace", which was the highest-selling release for Frontiers Music Srl in 2017. Their 12th album, "The Devil You Know", was released in 2019 to the same critical acclaim. Since reuniting, Tracii and Phil continue to tour around the world with L.A. GUNS.

Photo by Joe Schaeffer

MASTERS OF REALITY will release its first new album in 16 years with "The Archer", via Mascot Records. The album will be available digitally on March 28 and be available physically on CD and LP on April 11.

To celebrate, MASTERS OF REALITY have revealed a new song, "Mr Tap N' Go", which you can listen to below. They will also be touring in April, with stops in The Netherlands, Belgium, U.K. and Germany as well as Azkena Rock Festival (Spain) and Hellfest (France) in June.

Chris Goss is one of the elusive geniuses of American music. As the singer, guitarist and driving force behind MASTERS OF REALITY, he's spent more than 40 years charting his own musical journey, travelling from mystical blues to desert rock to psychedelia-edged beauty via all points in between.

Goss has positioned himself as one of the most important and influential producers of the last 30 years. The list of bands and artists he has worked with in that capacity is long and illustrious: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KYUSS, Mark Lanegan, FOO FIGHTERS, THE CULT, UNKLE, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland, former HOLE bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, even Hollywood star Russell Crowe. He's the connective tissue which links so much modern music.

"'The Archer' is whoever one perceives as their invisible ruler of fate," explains Goss. "Often, the archer is very visible to those who pay attention. Maybe some even think he is the dictatorial god. Or even a conjured entity. But all can agree that the archer has impeccable skill at hitting the target."

When it was released in May 2024, "Sugar" was their first new music in 15 years. Hypnotic, poignant, and vulnerable, it builds from a stirring melody into a grand, orchestrated swell of emotion, with Goss's ethereal yet soulful voice floating over the top of it.

The characters that occupy "The Archer" are the nameless and faceless people that one sees at times or regularly observes driving on whatever road we're both on briefly.

"Everyone has a story. And their own story is the most important thing in the world to them," he says. "No one is special. Everyone is heading towards, or actually in, their own 'Gethsemane' moment — a New Testament narrative that exemplifies the cold realization of one's fate. Sweating blood is more common than most can imagine."

MASTERS OF REALITY remains in a perpetual evolution. "This album intentionally broke away from the heavier riff rock that we dominated for over three decades," he says. "I hope one can see Nina Simone just as powerful as a heavy blues force, in her emotion, rebellious attitude, raw presentation and not just gothicized blues riffs."

He continues. "The 'stoner and desert rock' riffing was a reason for MASTERS OF REALITY to break away on this record and present our blues in a different light for a minute. Blues isn't a three-chord riff progression. It's life itself. I can easily provide a thousand heavy riffs at the drop of a dime. But I dare any self-proclaimed heavy riff band to have the balls to throw the curve ball that we've thrown with this album."

"Mr Tap N' Go" is a bloodthirsty vaudevillian dancing monster entertaining the planet with a syringe in one hand and a child in the other. "The unauthorized veterinarian trying to scramble all of us animals into sick acceptable submission. And he remains invisible to a large portion of the zombified walking corpses left in the world," he says.

The arrival of "The Archer" — produced by Goss and featuring guitarist Alain Johannes, drummer John Leamy and bassist Paul Powell — heralds the welcome return of MASTERS OF REALITY.

Future-facing, Goss is going to take 2025 with both hands. "The challenge of creating the dynamic range of the new music is a bit daunting at the moment because we haven't done these songs live yet," he says. "But I believe once we're in rehearsals with a bit of sweat, we'll have a blast. A weird, sometimes melancholic blast but that's what the blues is; Laughing at both the devil and our own human folly at the same time."

"The Archer" track listing:

01. The Archer
02. I Had A Dream
03. Chicken Little
04. Mr. Tap N' Go
05. Barstow
06. Sugar
07. Powder Man
08. It All Comes Back To You
09. Bible Head

Tour dates:

April 03 - Nijmegen, Doornroosje - Netherlands
April 04 - Ghent, Democrazy - Belgium
April 06 - Southampton, 1865 - UK
April 07 - Manchester, Rebellion - UK
April 08 - Glasgow, Classic Grand - UK
April 09 - London, 229 - UK
April 11 - Cologne, Artheater - Germany
April 12 - Hamburg, LOGO - Germany
April 13 - Berlin, SO36 - Germany
April 15 - Leipzig, Werk II - Germany
April 16 - Nűremberg, Z-BAU - Germany
April 18 - Frankfurt, Das Bett - Germany
June 19 - Azkena Rock Festival, Vitoria-Gasteiz - Spain
June 20 - Hellfest, Clisson - France

Retromorphosis will release their debut album, Psalmus Mortis, on February 21 via Season Of Mist. While a fresh mutation, Retromorphosis are a proven batch of killer players. This band features former members of Spawn Of Possession, Obscura, Necrophagist and Decrepit Birth.

With Psalmus Mortis, they’ve emerged with the missing link in technical death metal’s evolutionary chain. Put their latest single under the microscope and feast your eyes on everything this band are capable of: non-stop blasting, brain-bursting bass fills, solos that would fry a supercomputer and pure unholiness. Listen to “Retromorphosis” below.

Even a lawless field like death metal has exceptions that prove the rule. Retromorphosis spawned from a unique leader of the genre, but their unholy union on Psalmus Mortis is a living testament that you can’t bury what was already undead.

Spawn Of Possession remains one of modern metal’s most accursed influencers. During the early to mid-2000s, the noctambulant Swedes toured both sides of the Atlantic alongside Cannibal Corpse and Hypocrisy. Having scaled the accursed summit to reach death metal nirvana on what was only their third album, after three decades, the band was put to rest. But like an especially pungent spore, the seeds of SoP have been festering in its hallowed crypt, waiting to come alive and haunt the earth once more.

Such is the sordid backstory of Retromorphosis and their debut, Psalmus Mortis. In 2020, amidst the pandemic’s endless lull, one of Spawn Of Possession’s founding members was again bitten by death metal’s radioactive songwriting bug. “I wanted to make an album that wasn’t tied to anything we’d done before”, says Jonas Bryssling. While this new batch of malevolent creations still stemmed from his punishingly technical fretwork, the riffs were splitting off into even more twisted headbanging directions. But to bring these relentless mutations to life, first, he needed a familiar spark.

“There was no hesitation”, Bryssling says when asked about resurrecting the creative energies with his former Spawn Of Possession bandmates. Pairing back up with rock-solid vocalist Dennis Röndum and elastic bassist Erlend Casperson once again yielded promising results during the early phases of Psalmus Mortis. To further test the equation, they added another familiar but no less fearsome shredder. Before joining them for Incurso, Christian Muenzner lent his flaming left hand to two other stone-cold classics: Necrophagist’s Epitath and Cosmogenesis by Obscura. “I don’t have to tell them much”, Bryssling continues. “They know how it’s done.”

Indeed, time has only fermented this group’s mutant chemistry. After spending the summer of 2023 recording Psalmus Mortis in their underground laboratory, Retromorphosis emerged with the missing link in technical death metal’s evolutionary chain. “Vanished” officially cracks open its beaker with the satisfying crunch of the old school, steamrolling out a rugged red carpet for Röndum’s imposing growl. It was the first song Bryssling wrote during the album’s initial trial period, but the band continued to tinker with the album’s eventual lead single after the other eight tracks were hammered into gruesome shape. Muenzner’s solos scream like a poor unsuspecting soul who’s being dragged into the shadows. All the while, Casperson flogs his bass as if hiding a mischievous grin, its ghoulish bounce bringing the lyrics’ cosmic body horror into frightening focus.

“We had rules in Spawn Of Possession”, Bryssling explains, as a matter of fact. “Everything always had to be so intense. Psalmus Mortis is intense, too, but it can also be eerie or even quite simple.”

Simplicity might not be Retromorphosis’ dominant chromosome. Even though it’s fueled by straight-forward, down-picked chugging, the album’s nine-minute monolith “Machine” churns through multiple tempo changes, cranking up the tension with every accelerated blast beat. But the band did opt for a leaner chemical base. Psalmus Mortis was produced by Magnus Sedenberg, who’s been the band’s Swedish engineer du jour dating back to Spawn of Possession’s first two demos. “Reuniting with Magnus felt like the natural thing to do”, says Bryssling, “but for this album, we scraped away some of the studio polish”. With its sludgy distortion and hallucinating speed, “Never to Awake” certainly summons the ’90s untamed spirit. “I prefer my death metal to sound ugly and mean”.

While roughly a decade in the making, Retromorphosis still grip it and rip it on Psalmus Mortis. Heck, chunks of their first album were hung up to dry like butchered livestock after just one crack in the studio, much to their own amusement. “I don’t think there’s a single first take on the SoP albums”, Bryssling laughs. Röndum doesn’t mince words, either. He chews through syllables with all the careful consideration of a meat grinder. And while each tale descends into its own sweaty night terror, they all escalate from bad to worse. Despite its seemingly pedestrian title, “Aunt Christie’s Will” unpacks a maze-like mystery that ends with an especially morbid twist.

Of course, given this crew’s technical chops, Retromorphosis were bound to birth more head-spinning experiments. Psalmus Mortis injects fresh blood into their chilling cosmic horrors by fleshing out their technical arsenal with some unusual instruments of torture. The album opens with doomed power chords, pounding drum fills, then…spooky organ glows, tense strings and a ghostly gothic choir. “That was a new experience”, Bryssling says about adding more synthetic textures to the mix, though his inspiration came from a life-long obsession. “That sense of atmosphere was something old-school bands used to have”. The special effects aren’t just saved for its ominous opening instrumental oeuvre, either. “The Tree” puts a dystopian twist on the age-old tale of human greed with synths that glow like alien guts.

Freakier ambience isn’t the only new life form on Psalmus Mortis. “Everyone knows KC Howard is an insane talent”, Bryssling says. Howard left his brutally precise mark on the scene when he was behind the kit for Decrepit Birth, though Retromorphosis were formally introduced to their new drummer through Röndum, as the two had crossed paths during an episode of the Cali Death Podcast. Howard’s nuclear barrage of double bass kicks feeds the band’s cellular engine like jet fuel, driving high-flying album closer “Exalted Splendour” toward its blinding conclusion.

Ask Bryssling to identify what separates this new baby from their first born and the answer is, in fact, quite simple.”Retromorphosis is more free”. Put the song that bears their name under the microscope and feast your eyes on everything this band are capable of: non-stop blasting, brain-bursting bass fills, solos that would fry a supercomputer and pure unholiness. “I’m the one / chosen son / gifted and reborn”.

With Psalmus Mortis, technical death metal’s chosen ones rise from the grave.

Available formats:

– Digital Download
– CD Digipak
– 12″ Vinyl (Black)
– 12″ Vinyl (Red and Black Marble)

Pre-order/pre-save here.



Tracklisting:

“Obscure Exordium”
“Vanished”
“Aunt Christie’s Will”
“Never to Awake”
“The Tree”
“Retromorphosis”
“Machine”
“Exalted Splendour”

Lineup:

Jonas Bryssling (Spawn Of Possession) – Guitars
Dennis Röndum (Spawn Of Possession) – Vocals
Christian Muenzner (Spawn Of Possession, ex-Obscura and Necrophagist) – Guitars
Erlend Caspersen (Spawn Of Possession, The Allseeing I, Abhorrent) – Bass
KC Howard (Odius Mortem, ex-Decrepit Birth) – Drums

Recording Studio:
Pama Records AB, Kristianopel, Sweden
Sharkbite Studios, Oakland, CA, United States

Production Credits:
Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Magnus Sedenberg at Pama Records AB, Kristianopel, Sweden

After two consecutive new JETHRO TULL album releases in 2022 and 2023, a new record — "Curious Ruminant" — will arrive on Friday, March 7, 2025. Consisting of nine new tracks varying in length from two and half minutes to almost seventeen minutes, this is an album of mostly full band music. Among the musicians featured are former keyboardist Andrew Giddings and drummer James Duncan, along with the current bandmembers David Goodier, John O'Hara, Scott Hammond and, making his recording debut with the band, guitarist Jack Clark.

Following the launch of the album's title track in January, JETHRO TULL is now pleased to reveal the second single, "The Tipu House". Watch the video, once again directed by Costin Chioreanu, below.

Ian describes "The Tipu House" as a song of aspiration in adversity, and comments: "Our societies are filled with those who have risen from relative poverty to positions of greatness in the world and their successes are a beacon of hope for the rest of us, even if 'greatness' is a relative concept at the end of it all."

"Curious Ruminant" will be available on several different formats, including a limited deluxe ultra clear 180g 2LP + 2CD + Blu-ray artbook and limited deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray artbook. Both of these feature the main album, alternative stereo mixes and a Blu-ray containing Dolby Atmos and 5.1 Surround Sound (once again undertaken by Bruce Soord of THE PINEAPPLE THIEF),as well as exclusive interview material. The limited deluxe vinyl artbook also includes two exclusive art-prints. The album will also be available as a special edition CD digipak, gatefold 180g LP + LP booklet and as digital album (in both stereo and Dolby Atmos).

The full track listing is as follows:

01. Puppet And The Puppet Master (04:04)
02. Curious Ruminant (06:00)
03. Dunsinane Hill (04:17)
04. The Tipu House (03:31)
05. Savannah Of Paddington Green (03:13)
06. Stygian Hand (04:16)
07. Over Jerusalem (05:55)
08. Drink From The Same Well (16:42)
09. Interim Sleep (02:33)

Ian Anderson had been saying for months following the release of "RökFlöte" that he would embark on a new project in late 2023. He waited only a few weeks before the first notions began to solidify into some drafted words of intent and in May 2024, some unfinished music recorded earlier with John O'Hara, David Goodier and James Duncan became the starting point for the new songs as they took shape.

Writing the lyrics and melodies for all the newly written material came very quickly once he began in earnest during June and just seemed to slot right in to the musical feel and styles of the earlier recordings.

Anderson's writing here is often on a more personal level of lyric content than we are used to hearing. Interspersed with his usual observational descriptions are the slightly more heart-on-sleeve moments of soul-baring — albeit not on the topics more often paraded by the usual I-me lyric merchants of pop and rock.

Some of the songs are developed from unfinished instrumental demos made some years ago although this does not result in a huge stylistic divide to jump out at the listener. Apart from the signature flute solos and melodies, accordion, mandolin, acoustic and tenor guitars feature on several tracks too, so the subtle backdrop of acoustic and folk rock serves to remind of the TULL heritage of the 70s.

The band consists of:

* Ian Anderson – Flutes, vocals, acoustic guitar, tenor guitar, mandolin, odds and sods, bits and bobs
* David Goodier - Bass guitar
* John O'Hara - Piano, keyboards, accordion
* Scott Hammond – Drums
* Jack Clark – Electric guitar

The album also features:

* James Duncan - Drums, cajón, percussion
* Andrew Giddings - Piano, keyboards, accordion

British death metal veterans BENEDICTION have released a new song called "Engines Of War". The track is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, "Ravage Of Empires", which is due to be released on April 4, 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. "Ravage Of Empires" will be the band's ninth full-length since forming back in 1989 in Birmingham, England.

"Sometimes They Come Back" is not just the title of a horror movie based on a macabre tale by Stephen King, it is also a summary of what happened to BENEDICTION, yet you might like to add a "better than ever before". While never officially disbanded, BENEDICTION's eighth studio album, 2020's "Scriptures", achieved what is usually not an easy feat. It connected well with classics like "Transcend The Rubicon" (1993) and its immediate and memorable songwriting, the heavy-as-a-brick "Grind Bastard" (1998),and also saw legendary vocalist Dave Ingram return with his merciless roar and knack for morbid, twisted lyrics. After two albums with Dave Hunt on vocals, "Scriptures" was BENEDICTION's first record in over a decade, impressing with aggressive up-tempo attacks like "Iterations Of I" and "Rabid Carnality" or the neck-breaking mid-tempo barrage of "Stormcrow", songs that became live staples alongside "evergreens" such as "I Bow To None", "Magnificat", "Subconscious Terror" or "Vision In The Shroud" in no time. With "Scriptures", BENEDICTION even almost cracked Germany's Top 10 by entering at a phenomenal No. 11 of the official German chart, showing that the death metal veterans founded 1989 in Birmingham, England, offered an extremely well-received sonic catharsis when due to the pandemic, people were locked down and pissed off.

With their brilliant new record "Ravage Of Empires" in tow, founding members and guitarists Darren Brookes and Peter Rew, longtime vocalist Dave Ingram, drummer Giovanni Durst and Nik Sampson (bass) will travel far and wide once more. Already confirmed are the "Tales Of The Triple Death" tour with JUNGLE ROT and MASTER kicking off on album release date as well as confirmed appearances at Wacken Open Air and Maryland Deathfest.

Photo by Karen Rew

The new HERMAN RAREBELL & FRIENDS studio album, "What About Love?", will be released on April 11 via Metalville Records.

On "What About Love?", HERMAN RAREBELL & FRIENDS take you back to the '80s and together we return to our very time with the greatest music of this powerful decade. Herman has chosen 12 songs to re-record with good friends and great musicians as a tribute to the greatest hits of a time that was a golden age for him personally. Former OZZY OSBOURNE bassist Bob Daisley can be heard on this album, as can Dann Huff, who was a studio musician on some of the greatest albums in pop history, as well as Howard Leese from the legendary U.S. rockers HEART and singer Michael Voss (CASANOVA, MAD MAX, MICHAEL SCHENKER).

Herman says about this time: "I think that more powerful music has never been created before or since. It was the golden age for me. I enjoyed it. We traveled the world with the SCORPIONS, we met people from all cultures. It was one big rush. Anything was possible at any time.

"With this album, I don't just want to bring back memories of the great hits of the '80s. It's not just about the melodies and rhythms that I miss today. Above all, it's about the feeling that these songs convey. The love, the courage, the optimism that is in them. I think a lot of that has been lost. The groove in 'Here I Go Again', the larger-than-life chorus of 'I Love Rock'n'Roll' and the unshakeable power of 'Rock You Like A Hurricane'. The love and longing of 'I Want To Know What Love Is'. It's no wonder that these songs have held a place in people's hearts for four decades.

"For me, the power, the special spirit of the '80s is in every chord of these songs, every hit on the bass drum. Every take we recorded for this album was pure pleasure. Friends who play great music.

"We hope you feel what we've put into these new recordings: Love, power, optimism! For me, that's the power of the '80s! Anyone who was there will remember. And anyone who missed it deserves to relive it, at least in this way.

"With this in mind: Here I am - Rock you like a Hurricane!"

The album was produced by Herman Rarebell and Michael Voss at Kidwood Studios in Münstertal, Black Forest.

Track listing:

01. In The Air Tonight
02. I Want To Know What Love Is
03. Love Is A Battlefield
04. What About Love
05. Every Breath You Take
06. Sweet Child O' Mine
07. Here I Go Again
08. Addicted To Love
09. Passion Rules The Game
10. Rock You Like A Hurricane
12. These Dreams
12. I Love Rock 'N' Roll

Recording lineup:

Herman Rarebell - Drums

Herman's friends:

Michael Voss - Vocals, Guitars
Van De Forst - Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards
Dann Huff - Lead Guitars
Howard Leese - Lead Guitars
Bob Daisley - Bass
Neil Carter - Keyboards
Jim Vallance - Keyboards
Eva Von Der Forst - Backing Vocals
Lexus De La Foret - Backing Vocals

Back in September 2021, Rarebell blasted his former SCORPIONS bandmates, calling them "rude" and accusing them of "greed" over their apparent refusal to allow him to rejoin the band. Rarebell, who was a member of the SCORPIONS from 1977 to 1995, discussed the possibility of his return to the group in an interview for Classic Rock magazine. Asked if he was disappointed not to have been invited back into the fold following the 2016 dismissal of longtime drummer James Kottak, Herman said: "I'll tell you how disappointed I am. I sent them a message offering my services, and never even got a reply. I thought that was very rude. Now I hear the SCORPIONS are claiming their new album will be a return to the glory days of the eighties. If they're serious about that, they should get [former bassist] Francis [Buchholz] and me back, and also Dieter Dierks who produced all those classic albums. You know why they won't do that? Greed. It would mean having to share everything five ways and not three."

Rarebell also criticized his former bandmates for seemingly not giving him enough credit for their commercial success in the 1980s. "The band never mention me in interviews, which I find ridiculous," he stated. "But there's a new documentary in the pipeline from ITV on the band. I am being interviewed for this, so I can finally set the record straight on my role."

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Herman stated about the huge commercial success of SCORPIONS' 1982 album "Blackout": "Mercury Records was totally behind us and they believed in us. They wanted us to keep making albums. They wanted us to grow and do better each time out. 'Lovedrive' went gold. 'Animal Magnetism' went gold and then 'Blackout' was the first one to go platinum. [Rudolf] Schenker / [Klaus] Meine / Rarebell was a great songwriting team. You can see that from how many successful albums we had. After I left the band, they didn't have any more hits."

Rarebell also talked about the inspiration for the lyrics to "Rock You Like A Hurricane", which was released as the lead single from SCORPIONS' ninth studio album, 1984's "Love At First Sting". "Those lyrics were very easy to write," he said. "I woke up early in the morning after fucking and doing cocaine all night and I opened up the curtains. 'It's early morning, the sun comes out. Last night was shaking and pretty loud. My cat is purring and she scratches my skin.' She had scratched my back during our lovemaking. I just sat down and wrote it right then and there. It was five in the morning and the girl was still in bed as I was sitting there writing it. The next day, I said to Rudolf, 'I have some great lyrics for that riff you have.'"

STRAY FROM THE PATH — Drew Dijorio, vocals; Tom Williams, guitar; Anthony Altamura, bass; and Craig Reynolds, drums — has released the official music video for the band's ferocious new single "Kubrick Stare". Watch it below.

In conjunction with the new song and visual, the band is pleased to announce that it has signed with SharpTone Records.

For "Kubrick Stare", STRAY FROM THE PATH returned to the studio with longtime producer and frequent collaborator Will Putney (BODY COUNT, KNOCKED LOOSE, VEIN.FM). They tapped into a groove almost immediately. Backed by a jarring beat, a stomping guitar riff punctuated by eerie squeals sets the tone for the track. It gives way to a vitriolic verse from Dijorio who wonders: "How much can we fucking bare?" Finally, the hard-hitting hook takes hold: "Oh you traumatized, just walk it off?"

About the track, which is somewhat of a commentary on our digitally driven society, Williams states: "It felt like we were capturing lightning in a bottle. We built the song around those scary chords. Every day, people on the Internet see the craziest things they've ever seen in their lives. Sometimes, it's hard to feel seriously about these atrocities because we see them all day. You're so numb to it that you're just staring blankly."

He continues: "It's unfortunately become normal, and it's driving us crazy. Hence, the 'Kubrick Stare' reference — which was a tactic Stanley Kubrick used to show a character losing his mind. We're locked into our phones, and we probably look like Jack looking out of the window in 'The Shining'."

Expect even more from STRAY FROM THE PATH in 2025. But for now, it's all about that "Kubrick Stare".

STRAY FROM THE PATH will hit the road later this month for a European tour supporting SPIRITBOX.

Since the turn of the century, STRAY FROM THE PATH has infused hardcore with metallic precision, hip-hop attitude, punk spirit, and unapologetic politically charged songwriting unafraid to point out injustice. As such, the New York quartet Ha engendered obsession among a diehard fanbase, selling out shows worldwide. In 2025, an unbreakable creative and personal bond continues to drive the band as they prepare more music for release.

Swedish occult metallers GHOST have announced that there will be a new character fronting the band for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua.

Papa V Perpetua's name was listed as one of the performers for BLACK SABBATH's final concert, set to take place on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

GHOST also confirmed the singer's participation in a social media update, writing: "We wish to inform you V is coming… To Birmingham on July 5th."

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

Asked in a 2019 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show how those different identities empower him as a performer, Forge said: "Speaking just for myself, I know that coming out onstage as another character, looking different, acting different, definitely allows for you to act and behave in a way that you wouldn't normally do. This can be both traumatic and also therapeutical in away.

"Even though it's been a long time since I practiced any sort of martial arts, I almost feel similar to myself back then, like after karate class. I did all kinds of things. I did judo, jiu-jitsu, tae kwon do and karate. After you are sort of cleansed from any sort of violent urges that you had. And in a way, I feel that way. Especially now when we play on our regular nights. When we play that long, any inkling that you have of wanting to dance and rock out is sort of over when you come off stage, which is very nice.

"One of the luxuries of being able to dress up for it and become a different character is that as soon as I am not that character anymore, no one expects me to behave the way that the character does onstage," he added. "No one expects me to be that way offstage. There's been a great handful of rock artists that have had a big problem differentiating themselves from their character onstage. And that leads to a lot of potential problems."

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

The physical home video of GHOST's worldwide Top 10 box office smash feature film debut "Rite Here Rite Now" was made available on December 6, 2024.

Photo credit: Ryan Chang

[MESSAGE FROM THE CLERGY]

We wish to inform you V is coming ………. To Birmingham on July 5th. Slide for more information. #BlackSabbath

Posted by Ghost on Wednesday, February 5, 2025

In a new interview with Lyndsey Parker of Gold Derby, JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford was asked where his positive attitude comes from. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "My sobriety. I just celebrated 39 years this past January, the sixth. One day at a time. It's a great way to live, because you're living in the moment. It's pointless worrying about tomorrow because you don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow. Plans and ideas and dreams are vital, but tomorrow hasn't happened. Yesterday's gone. It's in the past. You can't change anything. You can maybe look at things that could be utilized to fix things in the next opportunity. So living in the moment is just so important. And look, where I'm at in my life, I've got nothing to complain about, absolutely nothing to complain about. But a lot of it is mental health. Regardless of who you are and what you do in life, to try and find the balance and harmony of mental health is really, really important."

He continued: "I used to have really, really, really bad depression, not only when I was drinking, but as I came out of drinking. And I think that kind of came from my mom's side, with the DNA and all that kind of stuff. Somehow I got through that. I didn't go to therapy. No, I did my research. Yeah, a lot of it again is trying to understand… Sometimes there's a chemical imbalance that has to be treated and can be treated successfully with the right pharmaceuticals, but sometimes you bring it on yourself, and that is stress, that is just overworrying about things that really haven't happened or in your mind they might happen and all this plays on into your into your mental health. So that is something that I treasure amongst everything else — sobriety and staying in a mental positive frame of mind. Because negativity is crushing — negative thinking, negative things that you see and hear on the Internet or on the news, I try and just blank that out because it has no value, it has no purpose. It doesn't build, it destroys. So, all of that is just part of trying to find the joy of waking up and thanking God for the day and just getting through the day — and just trying to push out as much goodness and kindness that you possibly can. It's easy to do, and the circumstances surrounding getting to that place can be difficult, but we've all got a good heart. And so all of that is a part of staying in the light. Stay in the light. Stay with the love."

Halford previously talked about his sobriety last May in an interview with Kat Mykals of the 103 GBF radio station. Asked how he stays humble in order to maintain his sobriety when he is literally known to the world as a Metal God, he responded: "First thing in the morning, I say prayers. Last thing at night, I say prayers. I have to — that's part of the sober routine, staying sober.

"I don't think that's ever been lost on me because I know how hard it is for any band to stay together," he continued. "Bands are so complex and so fragile. The toughest bands in the world are like made of glass — they can just shatter and break apart for the craziest of reasons. So to be able to do this work, this job for over 50 years, I am honored and I am humbled by it. I can't believe it, and I'm eternally grateful — I'm grateful every day that I wake up that I'm in this band, JUDAS PRIEST. What a band, what a life, what a story. So, reflection, gratitude, being kind. And it's tough, particularly in the world that we live in. We're surrounded by a constant screaming clutter. And I'm sure being sober has been a big part of my understanding of this. You've gotta try and find your own internal peace and harmony. And that's tough. It's hard work. You can't let it go. You're working at it all the time. So it's a lot of that. But truly, I'm just so, like I said, grateful and honored to be in this band doing the work that I love to do, understanding the power of metal, understanding the power of rock and roll.

"I'm sure people have told you time and time and time again that they've been listening to your show and you've helped them get through a hard part of the day or you played a song that made them cry or you played a song that made them feel good. So this is the power of music that unites us and keeps us all in this connectivity. We call ourselves the metal community in PRIEST, and this inclusiveness, everybody's welcome. And I think again, it's making everybody feel a part of your life.

"When we're up there on stage, when I'm up there being the Metal God and doing my stuff, we're doing this together," Rob added. "It's not just me. Firstly, I can't do that without you guys. I'd be stupid doing that to an empty room. So, that's never lost on me. Every single show is special in that respect, and every single show works its magic for me as a person.

"Before I go on stage, I say my serenity prayer. When I come off stage, I say my serenity prayer. I'm a prayer freak. But it helps me. It's just a beautiful thing. And some of my friends, they say, 'Why are you always praying?' 'I'm not always praying.' I said, 'Do you pray?' I [go], 'Just try it. What have you got to lose? You've got nothing to lose. You've got everything to gain by just finding just even one moment in the day, just like 30 seconds of your day, just close your eyes and say a serenity prayer, and eventually it'll work. Things will start happening. You've got to work at it. It's like love. You can't expect these things to come to you. You can't [go], 'Let me win the lottery. Let me get this. Let me do it.' You can't do that. You've gotta work, you've gotta work. And when you work, when you put in the work, you get the rewards. So all of that is wrapped up in this staying in a sensible, realistic place."

In 2022, Halford spoke to Spain's Mariskal Rock about how he has managed and avoided the urge to relapse since 1986. "I think about it all the time," he said about drinking alcohol. "It's an addiction. When I'm watching the Phoenix Cardinals play on TV the other day, there's constantly adverts for beer and for alcohol and stuff. And I know it's there. And it's a temptation. So you have to have all of the mental tools ready to get you through that instance. 'Cause it's all about instances. And I live one day at a time. I've lived one day at a time for [almost 40] years now. And that's all that matters. It's the moment. You live in the moment — not yesterday, not tomorrow; it's now. And you have to be ready for when that little beer devil comes on your shoulder and goes, 'Come on, Rob. Have a little drink of beer.' 'Fuck off.' [Laughs] Because I don't wanna feel that way again, man. I don't want to be that person. I was miserable. I wasn't happy. I was bad to people. I don't wanna go through that again. So that's also part of my finding a balance in my day-to-day life."

Rob previously spoke about how he manages to stay clean on the road in a 2020 interview with the "Across The Board" podcast. "It's not easy," he said at the time. "It's very much a day at a time. You're given all the tools and resources from your rehab experience. I use 'em every day. A lot of it is just like mental notes — talking things through. Sometimes I speak 'em out; a lot of it is internal. So that's really vital on a day-to-day level of sobriety.

"When I was in rehab [in 1986], there's anonymity in rehab, but at the same time, you have to tell everybody your life story, so everybody knew what I did. And I remember we talked about the fact that I'm gonna go back to this world of sex and drugs and rock and roll and booze. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to cope, because it won't be a gradual reimmersion into society, so to speak. I won't be able to go tiny steps; I'm just gonna go straight into the deep end. I cannot go to work and say to my bandmates, 'You can't drink. You can't do this. You can't do that,' because it's control. Accept your powerlessness.

"I don't think we ever in the band had a sit-down conversation about this, but I think that there was caring and understanding — as there still is," Halford continued. "But I'd be the last person to say that I have to set a set of rules, because then this whole business of living my life on my terms [turns into something] you push on to other people: 'Well, now, you can't do this,' 'You can't do that.' That's just hypocrisy on the highest level.

"Even now, when we're flying after a show, and the guys are having a beer or a cocktail or whatever, man, I would love that cold beer. I would love a slug of Jack and Coke. I can smell it, 'cause we're in a plane together. It's like this little angel on one side and the devil on the other side. My instant thought is I never wanna be sick again. I never, ever wanna feel that bad ever again. I never want to be in that terrible, dark, lonely place ever again. So it's fleeting. But, again, it's always there.

"When I'm home, especially [during] this COVID thing, [my longtime partner] Thomas doesn't drink. When I first met Thomas, he quit drinking. So that's a support to me. I'm never really around alcohol that much, or drugs, when I'm not working. But, yeah, when my fans, or when PRIEST fans come to see us, yeah, they're gonna have some drinks; they might have a couple of spliffs [and] do whatever else recreationally. They're entitled to. And they are living their lives and they are partying and they are having the time of their lives, as they should. They don't have an alcohol problem; they don't have a drug addiction. There are people that can enjoy these things in life and it [has] no effect on them, in a physical sense and in a mental sense.

"So, it's an absolute miracle," Halford added. "I can only say it's a miracle that I've got that far from January the 6th, 1986 without slipping once. And I'm not boasting, because it's all the past — that's the past; it's gone. I live in the moment. I don't think about yesterday or tomorrow; I'm living now. But I'm grateful that I've been able to get this far without failing. Not failing — that's the wrong word. Without a slip off the wagon — whatever the term is. I'm grateful that I've been able to get this far and stay clean and sober. Because if I didn't, who knows where I would have gone and where I would have ended up?"

Halford credited his belief in a higher power for helping him in his recovery. "When I got clean and sober, that was a major change in my life," he said during an appearance on HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show". "And part of my recovery is just having this higher-power belief. And it works. It works, man. It really, really is important."

Halford added: "There probably will be people listening to [this] podcast who don't have anything like that in their life, and that's great; it's all about acceptance. But I always say to people, if you're thinking about it, the simplest thing I do is I pray. I pray quite a bit, actually. And even if you don't believe in prayer, just have a go. Pray for a good day, or just pray for your friend, or whatever it might be. And it's amazing, man, 'cause it absolutely works. I guarantee, it genuinely does work. And now I'm sounding like [American evangelical Christian evangelist] Billy Graham, but I'm just trying to express some of the things that are important to me on a day-to-day basis that make me able to walk out on that stage each night and do my work."

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Halford said that he quit using substances because he "was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I will always remember the first show I did clean and sober… It was in New Mexico, in Albuquerque," he recalled. "I literally felt elevated, as everything was coming with such clarity. I was able to really… enjoy the performance of JUDAS PRIEST without having all of the other things in front of it. Since that day, it has been a miracle."

Halford added, "Everybody has to face things in their lives at some point. It [doesn't have to] be booze and drugs. You can eat too much, or you can not exercise, or whatever… It is not easy staying clean and sober in rock and roll. There are temptations galore from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, especially when you're on the road. [But] I think we're some of the strongest people, my friends and my sober brothers in metal."

Rob's autobiography, "Confess", in which he discusses his journey to sobriety, arrived in September 2020 via Hachette Books. It was written with Ian Gittins, co-writer of "The Heroin Diaries" by Nikki Sixx.

AEROSMITH bassist Tom Hamilton's new band CLOSE ENEMIES will release its second single, "Inside Out", on February 28 via TLG|ROCK.

Joining the 73-year-old Hamilton in the new group his bass tech Trace Foster, who plays guitar in CLOSE ENEMIES alongside Peter Stroud, who has been playing with Sheryl Crow for 25 years. CLOSE ENEMIES' drummer is Tony Brock, who had a band called THE BABYS and then played with Rod Stewart for 12 years. Fronting CLOSE ENEMIES is Chasen Hampton, a performer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a strong background in the country music scene. CLOSE ENEMIES is also working with "a great lyricist" named Gary Stier.

CLOSE ENEMIES released its debut single, "Sound Of A Train", on January 17, garnering overwhelming praise from both fans and the press. They recently wrapped up a successful string of tour dates, met with enthusiastic crowds and glowing reviews.

In other news, CLOSE ENEMIES has signed with TKO (The Kirby Organization) booking agency. This marks a significant milestone as the band sets its sights on bringing their music to audiences worldwide.

Hamilton says: "Looking forward to TKO helping get our band out in front of the fans."

Foster states: "With TKO in our corner were now ready to take on the world. Jim Lenz and all at TKO are top notch and we're in great hands."

Hampton adds: "From the start, CLOSE ENEMIES has focused on making great music, and it continues to bring the right people into our corner. We're thrilled to team up with TKO booking and can't wait to hit the road again, keeping rock and roll alive and strong into the future."

Jim Lenz of TKO says: "I'm honored to be working with this group of veteran musicians who have a catalog of great music and are putting out great new music! Our team at The Kirby Organization are looking forward to helping CLOSE ENEMIES make close friends and fans on the road this year!"

"Sound Of A Train" is being distributed through Virgin Music Group.

Foster and Stroud recently spoke to the "Is Breakfast Included?" podcast about how the band came together two years ago. Peter said in part: "I'm sure each of us have our own perspective. It was sort of in layers. Trace and I had already been working on another band project, trying to get something off the ground, and then just out of the blue — I think it was at the when an AEROSMITH tour had to go on a hiatus — apparently Tom and Trace had been speaking where Tom said, 'Man, I got all these songs I would love to try to do something with,' and the light bulb goes off in Trace's head, and he goes, 'I know just the guy to come up, and maybe we can get together and help you with that.' So he asked if I'd be interested in going up there and just jamming around, and I said, 'Yeah, well, I think I know just the drummer who would be into it.' And that was Tony Brock, who's a longtime buddy of mine. And we had always been trying to figure out some way to play together. And I figured that Tony and Tom might find some common ground and a good comfort zone playing-wise. So that was sort of the initial get-together."

Trace added: "I had this other band, and I thought we're riding around in a van, doing shows and not making any money. And I'm, like, if I'm gonna do this, I need to up my game, because at our age to be driving around in a van, not to make any money… So I called Peter. Why not? Why not start there? I just thought we could add him to the band I was already in. And then we did it. And it started to work really well. And then, of course, like every other band that you've been in in your life, somebody does something wrong and they're out of the band. Me and Peter were, like, 'This isn't worth it. Let's just wait.' And then, like he said, we started putting this other project together, 'cause we did all kinds of writing and we got the guy from Atlanta, Gary Stier, that was in my original band in Atlanta. I started writing with him, and then I brought Peter in. Peter knows Gary, of course. So the band that I was in in Atlanta all knew Peter, but I didn't so that's the weird thing. And then it just kind of went from there. Everybody's schedule didn't always jibe, and we just tried to make it work, and then we were in Las Vegas with AEROSMITH and I literally went, 'Man, we really gotta do something.' And then I just looked at Tom, and it was one of those moments where you go, 'This is the guy. He's asking for some help,' and this and that. I just walked up and I said, 'Hey…' I didn't ask him. I basically told Tom, I said, 'Hey, we're gonna come to Boston and work on your songs.' And he was, like, 'Well, let me think about that.' And then like an hour later, he was, like, 'I think that's a really good idea.' So that's how it started. And once Tom and Tony played together, it was pretty much a given."

Peter continued: "That was a great five days. I loved it, too, where Trace suggested to Tom, 'Hey, why don't we come up for a couple days, two or three days?', and he goes, 'How about five?' First he was, like, 'Well, let me think about it.' He was like, 'How about five? You guys wanna move up here?' I was, like, 'Man, there you go. I said, 'That's a reflection of somebody who knows hard work right there.'"

CLOSE ENEMIES made its live debut on October 11, 2024 at Eastside Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.

In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Tom said about CLOSE ENEMIES' debut gig: "I was a little bit nervous, you know. But that feeling, it energizes you. It doesn't hold you back. It makes you want to dive in deeper and deeper."

In an interview with AARP, Tom described Hampton as "a gifted singer who really made the songs come to life."

"When I joined, these guys had worked up a bunch of great songs, and I was able to contribute something I had," the bassist continued. "Hopefully, when the time comes, we'll work up some others I've had in my pocket for a while. All of these guys are great musicians, and it's an honor and a challenge to be part of it all. I'm looking forward to seeing how people like it. I think they'll be pleasantly amazed."

The members of AEROSMITH made the announcement that they were retiring from touring on August 2, 2024 — nearly one year after singer Steven Tyler fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.

The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.

Photo credit: Tom Sprafke (courtesy of O'Donnell Media Group)

Sharon Osbourne spoke to BBC News and Reuters about BLACK SABBATH's upcoming reunion concert, which will take place on July 5 in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Ozzy and the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — will perform one last time as part a fundraising event at Villa Park, featuring a host of bands they inspired, including METALLICA, PANTERA, SLAYER, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.

The concert, dubbed "Back To The Beginning", was announced at Villa Park on Wednesday (February 5) by Sharon and Tony.

Proceeds from the show will support Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, a Children's Hospice supported by Aston Villa.

The concert will mark the first time that Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward have played together in 20 years.

Ozzy, who revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, will play a short solo set before joining his SABBATH bandmates for the show's finale, marking his last-ever concert.

Sharon told BBC News about Ozzy: "He's doing great. He's doing really great. He's so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It's exciting for everyone."

According to Sharon, Ozzy, who paused touring "for now" in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery and rescheduled his "No More Tours 2" shows from going ahead several times because of illness, the pandemic and logistical issues, will not play any more shows after the Villa Park event.

"Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's no been no full stop," she explained. "This is his full stop."

In addition, there will be a performance by a "supergroup of musicians" including Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS 'N' ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH) and Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

"It's an endless amount of people," said Sharon. "They're going to be doing some SABBATH songs, some Ozzy songs, and they'll all mix together. Different little groups will be coming on, but they're all icons."

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.

"For Ozzy right now, it's definitely: 'I love you and good night'," Sharon told Reuters.

She added that Ozzy was doing well and excited about the gig. "It's stimulated him," she said. "He's very, very excited and very thankful that he can do it."

Tickets will go on sale on February 14.

BLACK SABBATH is considered a pioneer of heavy metal and was formed in 1968 in Aston, Birmingham.

BLACK SABBATH has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, awarded a Lifetime Ivor Novello Songwriting Award in 2015 and were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

The band has a star on the Broad Street Walk Of Stars in Birmingham, alongside individual stars in their own right, together with a bench in their honor.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.

The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.

"13" was the first album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Osbourne and Butler all playing together.

Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced 11 years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its final reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and Osbourne, Iommi and Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.