Bruce Dickinson played the third show of his first extensive North American solo tour in almost 30 years in support of his current studio album, "The Mandrake Project", Monday night (August 25) at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. Fan-filmed video of the entire concert can be seen below.

Joining the IRON MAIDEN singer on "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour is once again his 2024 backing band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who played on Dickinson's "Rain On The Graves" single). Bruce's longtime guitarist and collaborator Roy "Z" Ramirez is not part of the touring lineup.

The setlist for the Tempe show was as follows:

01. Accident Of Birth
02. Abduction
03. Laughing In The Hiding Bush
04. Shadow Of The Gods
05. Chemical Wedding
06. Flash Of The Blade (IRON MAIDEN song)
07. Resurrection Men
08. Rain On The Graves
09. Drum Solo
10. Frankenstein (THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP cover)
11. The Alchemist
12. Book Of Thel
13. Road To Hell

Encore:

14. Tears Of The Dragon
15. Gods Of War
16. The Tower

Dickinson kicked off "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour Friday night (August 22) at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California.

Dickinson's 16-song setlist at the House Of Blues included the live debut of "The Mandrake Project" track "Shadow Of The Gods" as well as the first-ever performance of the IRON MAIDEN song "Flash Of The Blade", from the band's 1984 album "Powerslave".

Prior to launching into "Flash Of The Blade", Dickinson told the crowd:  "Nobody has ever played this song, apart from on the record, of course, but nobody has ever played this song. And it's a song that I wrote. So I don't know whether any of you have got any clue what song it might be. But like usual, it's a conundrum. I shall not tell you. You will just have to figure it out. It probably won't take long… You'll die as you lived in a flash of the blade."

Bruce talked about the setlist for "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour during an interview last week with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. He said: "We are doing a mixture of songs from 'Accident Of Birth', from 'Chemical Wedding', from 'More Balls To Picasso', obviously from 'Mandrake', and that's, frankly, more than enough for a full show. And in actual fact, I've got seven solo albums to pick from, so if I end up doing — as I will do, in probably in '27 — end up doing another tour with another album, then I'll still have plenty of songs to pick from, from those albums. 'Cause there's songs that people go, 'Why haven't you played that song?' I said, 'Well, I can't play every single song. You have to wait. We'll do it next time.' But 'Shadow Of The Gods', for example, off 'Mandrake', has never been played live until now. So we're gonna play that song every night, because it's a really cool track and it's the most requested track off 'Mandrake'. We've not played it, so we're gonna do that one every night."

Regarding the addition of "Flash Of The Blade" to the setlist, Bruce said: "We've actually dropped a MAIDEN song in there. We haven't done that, like, ever. And so I said we're not a MAIDEN covers band, but I'm gonna do one song, and it'll be a song that I wrote. We're not covering [a song] that [MAIDEN guitarist] Adrian [Smith] wrote with me or [MAIDEN bassist] Steve [Harris] or something. And my wife said, 'You should do this song,' song X. I went, 'Oh, why?' She said, 'Well, nobody's ever played it. You've never played it. Why have you never played that song?' I said, 'Well, I don't know.' She goes, "Everybody wants you to play that song.' I said, 'Who's everybody?' And she's on social media, so she does all this stuff. I don't do social media. So I have no clue. And so I mentioned it to the band. I said we should do it. What do you think if we tried to learn this?' And they dogpiled me, like, 'Oh my God, that would be amazing.' So anyway, next day they'd learned it and they played it to me instrumentally. I was just, like, 'Holy crap. Now let me see if I can still remember how to sing it.' So we're gonna do that."

Dickinson also confirmed that some of the shows on "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour will see him play another MAIDEN song, "Revelations". He explained: "Now, I've gotta learn another MAIDEN one as well, because we're doing a festival in São Paulo in the middle of the tour. We dip down to Brazil [to play] this huge festival. And it's actually 40 years since I set foot in Brazil [for the first time] with Rock In Rio. So I thought, well, for the anniversary, I'm gonna go down there. I really do have to do a kind of a MAIDEN track in celebration of the fact that, 'Yeah, look, it's been 40 years.' And there was a famous incident where I'd split my head open with the edge of a guitar, blood pouring down my face. That was the image that that still played on national TV now when they talk about Rock In Rio; they use that moment. And that moment was during a song called 'Revelations', which happened to be a song that I wrote. So I thought, 'Hey, we'll get the band to learn 'Revelations'.' And then my wife came in and said, ['You've gotta play 'Flash Of The Blade']. I went, 'Okay, okay, okay.' Well, now I just love it. I'm just, like, 'Yes, absolutely.' So we're gonna play ['Flash Of The Blade' Friday] night and then the secret will be out and social media will be, like, 'Oh my God, they played that song.' So if you wanna hear that song, whatever the hell it is, or you might not give a stuff — I don't know. So we'll be dropping that in and out here and there, teasing people a little bit. But it's such a blast on the tour. Such a great fun playing with these guys."

Asked what it is like going from playing stadiums with IRON MAIDEN to performing mostly in theaters with his solo band, Bruce told WRIF: "There's no comparison. One is one type of thing, one is the other type of thing. So I don't go into a theater going, 'Oh my God. I wish I was playing a stadium.' No, I relish the idea of going into a theater. It's great. And the same thing — if I go into a stadium, I don't go, 'Oh, I wish I was playing a theater.' No, I'm playing a stadium. That's what you're doing and that's what's in front of you."

He continued: "I love performing and I love wherever I am, whether it's three people, 300 or 300,000. Things change a little bit, techniques change a little bit from one to the other to the other, but it's still a performance and you're still trying to do the best thing by everybody there. So, yeah, I love it."

Dickinson also talked in more detail about "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour, which will take his solo band across North America, including shows in New York, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida and Canada, with festival appearances at Rocklahoma (Oklahoma) and Louder Than Life (Kentucky). The tour also includes a quick return to Brazil for the prestigious The Town festival at the City Of Light in São Paulo.

"It's the same band that did the tour last year," Bruce said. "We did 55 shows together. So, we're a crew now. This is not me standing on the spot and saying, 'Oh, nobody else come within 10 feet of me. Your aura is disturbing my vibe.' No. I mean, we are a band — we sweat together, we get messy, and eye contact. It's a great rock and roll band. And we have fun. We're heavy emotional creatures on stage. So we can play to make you wanna jump up and down in pogo. We can play to make you cry and we can play to put a smile on your face. And hopefully all of those things. So when you leave the show at the end of the evening, we hope we've made your life better."

He continued: "We're a great crew. It's a great show live. We've got a video wall. We've got MAIDEN's sound engineer, MAIDEN's monitor engineer, MAIDEN's lighting engineer as well. And they all love doing it because they love getting their hands dirty in theaters. [MAIDEN's lighting designer] Rob Coleman, on the lights, gets to play and go, 'Hey, yeah, that's weird. Look at that structure on stage. If I put a lamp there' and blah, blah, blah, 'I can get a really great effect.' So we can kind of do things on the fly in theaters or work with what we've got. It's fantastic. You can improv a little bit there. And it's not the same show every night. With MAIDEN, it is. I mean, sure, there are variations in the way that this song is better one night than it was last night and things like that. But with this band, we're so flexible, we can go, 'What's the setlist today? Well, let's shift things around a bit. Let's do that. Oh, we haven't done that song for a while. Let's drop that one in there.' And [if] we're playing Boston and New York back to back, [we can go], 'Oh, yeah. We should definitely play two different songs so people don't go, 'Ah, I went to both shows and they did the same stuff.' [We want them to go], 'Ah, they did something different.'"

Prior to the April 12, 2024 Whisky A Go Go show, Bruce last performed with his solo band on in August 2002 at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.

Roy played guitar on Dickinson's 1994 album "Balls To Picasso" and went on to produce, co-write and perform multiple instruments on Bruce's subsequent three solo albums, "Accident At Birth" (1997),"The Chemical Wedding" (1998) and "Tyranny Of Souls" (2005).

O'Callaghan is an Irish musician who joined WHITESNAKE in 2021 and toured with the David Coverdale-fronted outfit the following year. She also hit the road with Dickinson in 2023 as part of a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates in Europe and South America.

Californian drummer Moreno previously played on "Tyranny Of Souls" and has worked with BODY COUNT, Jizzy Pearl, Dizzy Reed and Steve Stevens, among others.

Italian keyboard wizard Mistheria has collaborated with an array of artists live and in the studio, including Rob Rock, Mike Portnoy, Jeff Scott Soto and Joel Hoekstra.

"The Mandrake Project" arrived on March 1, 2024 via BMG.

Bruce and Roy recorded "The Mandrake Project" largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by Mistheria and Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's previous solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

Dickinson's reworked version of his classic 1994 album "Balls To Picasso", now titled "More Balls To Picasso", arrived on July 25.

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith.

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and acclaimed metal vocalist Jeff Scott Soto have once again joined forces and released their second album, "Unbreakable", on August 15 via Rat Pak Records. The duo ELLEFSON-SOTO is joined by Italian guitarist Andy Martongelli and Paolo Caridi on drums and features 11 studio tracks with guest appearances from Tim "Ripper" Owens (KK'S PRIEST, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and BURNING WITCHES frontwoman Laura Guldemond.

The official Elia Turra-directed music video for the album's third single, "Vengeance", featuring Owens, can be seen below.

Ellefson says: "One of the darker tracks from our new album. We are honored to have Tim 'Ripper' Owens with us on this one as he and Jeff tell the savory story of sweet revenge."

Soto adds: "I loved this song when I was the only singer on it, but I loved it even more when we got our friend Tim 'Ripper' Owens to duet with me on it. It's heavy, tons of attitude and full metal assault!"

During a recent appearance on Rock Camp: The Podcast, Ellefson stated about ELLEFSON-SOTO:  "We started writing [the material for the first album], I think, [a few] years ago up in Wembley. The guitar player of the group, Andy Martongelli, is out of Italy. So we started composing. We had a record, and he said, he goes, 'Dude, just call Jeff Scott Soto to sing.' And this was back in 2021 during COVID. So I hit Jeff. We sent some stuff back and forth. It sounded great. We just kept sending stuff. And finally [Jeff] just said, 'Rather than me just sort of being the hired singer here, I'd really like to just be a part of this.' It was music to our ears. I'd rather do that too. I could pay you to sing on every song, but I think we've got something pretty cool here."

Ellefson continued: "So the first record, of course, is always about kind of finding each other, so really it's me and Jeff and Andy Martongelli — and our drummer Paolo as well; he's also from Italy. So half the band's Italian, half the band's American, I guess. As that first record came out, it really had a great response to it, and so Andy and I started writing the second one. And we got it finished up back… I wanted to get everything done before Jeff went on tour with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA back in November [of 2024]. So that was kind of our goal and our deadline, which we did. We mixed the record in the New Year and got it all teed up and ready to go and shot the videos and everything."

Regarding how "Unbreakable" compares to 2022's "Vacation In The Underworld", David said: "The second record, you feel a little more comfortable with each other, 'cause you're just musically more comfortable, personally you're more comfortable. And we didn't know if there's ever gonna be a second record."

Ellefson went on to say that he loves the "Unbreakable" album title. "I think it speaks to a lot of my life for sure, and I think it speaks to all of us," he added. "I hope our audience relates to it, that together we're stronger. And no matter what kind of stuff we go through, we all go through stuff. It's called life. It's called being human. And I think as long as you just kind of keep moving forward…

"I remember watching a yoga DVD one time and the instructor said, he goes, 'As humans, we're wired to think forward, and forward is where hope is.' That's why when you think it's over, that's when your hope's gone and dreams die and it's over," David explained. "So I think as humans, at least in my life, it's, like, just always say yes, always keep moving forward because that keeps the hope alive. It keeps the fire burning and the target is always ahead of you, not behind you and lamenting and wishing that it would've been different. And it's always about moving forward. So I think 'Unbreakable' is very much a representation of us just keep moving and keep making music."

Recorded at Rogue Studios in Wembley, U.K. by Alessio Garavello and produced by Chris Collier (MICK MARS, KORN, FLAT BLACK),"Unbreakable" is a sonic assault packed with catchy riffs, melodic vocals, and thoughtful lyrics that blends their classic metal roots with modern rock intensity.

"This album digs even deeper," Ellefson said in a press release. "It's heavier, more personal, and shaped by everything we've experienced on and off the stage." Soto added: "The energy we poured into this one — it's the sound of two lifetimes colliding in riffs, rage, and redemption."

Ellefson further commented: "One of the things I like most is I feel like you can hear a real sense of brotherhood on our records, that we're really in the creative process together as a band. The consistency of our sound has remained intact while allowing us to further build upon each other's strengths from our debut album. It's an honest, organic approach that blends well and lets us explore new sounds and musical paths. At the end of the day, I don't think there is anything that an artist desires more than that!"

"Unbreakable" is available on all major streaming platforms, with limited edition autographed vinyl, CD and cassette bundles exclusively through Rat Pak Records.

Track listing:

01. Unbreakable
02. SOAB
03. Shout
04. Hate You, Hate Me
05. Poison Tears (featuring Laura Guldemond of BURNING WITCHES)
06. Ghosts
07. Vengeance (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens of KK'S PRIEST)
08. Snakes And Bastards
09. It's Over When I Say It's Over
10. The Day We Built Rome
11. Death On Two Legs (bonus track) (CD and vinyl)

In a March 2025 interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, Soto spoke about the status of the second album from ELLEFSON-SOTO. He said at the time: "The record's in the can.

"The way Erik Martensson, he's the ringleader, the overseer [of Soto's W.E.T. project], David is that with ELLEFSON-SOTO," Jeff explained. "He pulls the songs together, he gets the timing together, he gets the label side, all the industry-side stuff together. I just have to relax and sit back while I'm doing all the million of other things that I'm doing, and I come in and then I dive in and I put my input.

"I love working with David and Andy [Martongelli], who's our guitar player and also co-writer in the band. And I love the fact that they allow me to be me.

"I've proven myself as an artist, producer, writer, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, but there are still times where I'll do something and they'll go, 'Hmm, [it's] not really what I thought you were gonna do. Can you try more of this? Try more of that?' I don't mind that at all, because whatever is good for the song, the best thing for the song, of course. But when it comes to ELLEFSON-SOTO, I'm really, really headstrong on the ideas I come up with, and when I send it to David, [I'm] like, 'Oh, God, I hope he doesn't say, 'Oh, I don't know, man.'' And every time, him and Andy say, 'Home run. You knocked that one out of the park. That's awesome.' And that's what motivates me to wanna do more and to give my all into that, even that situation, because I know if I'm making them happy with what I'm turning in, I know in the end, it's gonna be a cohesive sound and project."

Regarding the songwriting approach on the second ELLEFSON-SOTO album, Jeff said: "It's weird because the first album, when we did it, it wasn't supposed to be an album. I was doing songs with David and Andy. We were just writing songs and recording songs during the pandemic. And it turned into, 'Hey, we're on to something here. We can't give these songs to someone else or just use 'em as catalog music. We have something here.' And that's what made us put that out as an album. This time around, we actually went in to record and write an album. We didn't say, 'Let's just write songs and see where it goes.' We actually went in and said, 'This is the sound. This is what we created on the first album. Now let's expand on it.'"

He added: "It's really, really good. I don't listen to my own stuff that often unless I have to learn songs for a tour or a show, but I actually find myself listening to this record just to listen to it."

ELLEFSON-SOTO's debut album, "Vacation In The Underworld", was released in October 2022 via Rat Pak Records. The duo was joined by Martongelli on guitar and keyboards and Paulo Caridi on drums. Giada Jade Etro from the Italian power metal band FROZEN CROWN made a guest appearance on the song "The Day Before Tomorrow". Steve Conley and Ken Mary from FLOTSAM AND JETSAM performed on the title track, "Vacation In The Underworld".

"Vacation In The Underworld" was produced by Chris Collier and featured eleven tracks and three bonus recordings.

To officially launch the project, Ellefson and Soto played concerts in September 2022 in Italy where they performed some of the music as well as ran through various catalog highlights, including selections from MEGADETH and Yngwie Malmsteen. They were joined by Martongelli as the musical director, as well as Caridi on drums and Valerio De Rosa on rhythm guitar.

In March 2021 — two months before David was fired from MEGADETH — Ellefson and Soto announced that they had been collaborating on some new material under the moniker ELLEFSON-SOTO. The ELLEFSON-SOTO version of the RIOT classic "Swords & Tequila" was simultaneously released across all digital streaming outlets via Ellefson's Combat Records.

When Ellefson's collaboration with Soto was first announced, David said in a statement: "Jeff and I have been friends for so many years that it's great to finally collaborate on some material together. He has such a distinctive voice and perfect style for some new ideas my guitarist Andy Martongelli and I have been composing. We are excited about the progress of it all and thought this would be a perfect time to give a little sneak preview."

At the time, Jeff added: "As COVID-19 became a big negative around the globe, it actually offered many artists a chance to finally collaborate with one another that might have never happened otherwise… As I have known David for many years, I knew from our other efforts outside of our day jobs that we could come up with some badass jams…and here we are, letting you in on our cool little secret."

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

During a new appearance on "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, FILTER frontman Richard Patrick — who has been very vocal with his political views in recent years as an outspoken opponent of the Republican Party's hard-line stance on social issues — was asked if he feels there are enough artists asking the hard questions in music these days. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think there's enough artists asking the hard questions, but I also understand that people don't necessarily wanna be force fed information from their rock stars. So I like to say what I like to say. I've never had a problem talking about politics and music. My first song, 'Hey Man, Nice Shot' [about the public suicide of Pennsylvania state treasurer R. Budd Dwyer on January 22, 1987] was about a politician that supposedly embezzled money and he pulls out a gun and shot himself. [It was] a true story [about] R. Budd Dwyer. And so I'm always talking about weird political subjects at some point in time.

"Yeah, I hope that the good in this country and in in this world isn't being killed or assassinated, taken out," he continued. "I hope that when all is said and done that we realize that we're given a chance to live on this earth, and if we can make a difference and help people and bring each other together, I think that we'd be better off as a species.

"I think that we should — it's like Rodney King [motorist who was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in 1991 after a high-speed chase and later became a reluctant symbol of racial tension in America] said, we should all try and just get along," Richard added. "And I think as poignant as that was, it really is, treat thy neighbor as you treat yourself, treat your people with the same respect and dignity that you wanna be treated. And I think we should get back to that.

"I certainly have said some things online that I'm not necessarily proud of to this day, but at the same time, I get people's anger and I just hope that ultimately we see the better side of our nature and aim towards that."

Back in March 2019, FILTER's concert in El Paso, Texas was canceled after Richard posted an anti-Donald Trump video on Facebook. At the time, Patrick said the venue informed FILTER that it "didn't like" the Facebook comments and said it had received threatening phone calls over the anti-Trump post. The venue also claimed that it was "illegal" to display the American flag upside down, which the band had planned to do during the show.

In a statement to Billboard, the venue confirmed what it told Patrick about the threatening phone calls in response to FILTER's Facebook video about Trump. The venue's general manager also noted that his staff was uncomfortable with FILTER's plan to display the American flag upside down and turn the concert into what he called a "political rally."

In October 2020, FILTER released the official music video for its then-new single, "Murica", featuring a character that Patrick told Alternative Press was "a Trump-supporting, gun-loving, unmedicated, super-freak 'merican unhinged and at his wits' end. And he's trying to take control of something that is not out of control." He said. "And he's afraid. He's the super-afraid white male. The Trump-supporting nutbag that I hope I can reach. These guys that are so far right that they think CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC [and] BBC are all out to get 'our President Trump.' Like they're all in a conspiracy to be super-left-wing, crazy liars. I'm trying to make an attempt to show them what they look like. These are the guys that can only listen to Fox News and Breitbart and that type of news outlet. They believe every fucking thing that the Rush Limbaughs, the Alex Joneses [say] and listen to only the right wing, 'the truth, man.' They do their 'own research' and believe 9/11 was an inside job, President Obama wasn't a real citizen and the lunar landings were faked. Hillary Clinton personally went out and killed people in Benghazi and it's her fault, she's [a] criminal and 'lock her up.' It's those people that I'm portraying in the video."

On August 8, FILTER released "The Algorithm: Ultra Edition" via the band's No Pulse Records. The album features re-imagined cuts from FILTER's latest album, "The Algorithm", with nine additional tracks.

Photo credit: Chapman Baehler

BON JOVI drummer Tico Torres has shot down rumors that he has retired from the band.

Earlier today (Monday, August 25),Torres shared a short video message via the BON JOVI social media in which he said:  "Hi, everybody. Tico Torres from BON JOVI here. I'm here to dispel a lot of rumors that I've read, people calling me up, saying, 'Did you retire from music, from the band?' Well, no. I have no idea how this stuff starts. Musicians don't retire, especially me.

"Me and the boys, Jon [Bon Jovi] and everybody, we're still making music. I mean, the best we've ever been.

"All I can tell you is don't listen to what you read. It's most likely bullshit. [Laughs]

"See you later."

The rumors of Tico retiring from BON JOVI gained traction earlier in the month when the hosts of the "Bon Jovi Talk" podcast hinted at a possible lineup change. The podcast took to X to write: "Wait.... Has Tico retired???? Apparently David [Bryan] said in the latest podcast with Jon that he and Jon started when they were 16 and now they're the only two remaining in the band...... If Tico is done, that's the band done. Tico is the heart and soul of the band. This isn't a thing to start a rumour or gossip either. I am genuinely asking..."

This past June, BON JOVI played its first full concert since 2022, and the band's first since Jon revealed his vocal cord issues. The show took place in Nashville at Marathon Music Works as part of a weekend travel package organized by Runaway Tours.

Tico is a founding member of BON JOVI, which developed an ingratiatingly melodic and professional variation of hard rock — one that appealed as much to teenagers as to adults. Their videos helped propel 1986's "Slippery When Wet" and 1988's "New Jersey" into multi-platinum status around the world. The New Jersey-based quintet managed to subtly change its image in the early '90s, moving away from metal and concentrating on straightforward arena-rock and ballads.

As a young jazz fan, studying with Joe Morello, Tico never could have imagined the success that would come his way. Even before he joined with Jon Bon Jovi in 1983, Tico had a successful career as a drummer. His studio and live experience with FRANKIE AND THE KNOCKOUTS, Pat Benatar, Chuck Berry, Cher, Alice Cooper and Stevie Nicks helped to establish him as a first-call player.

Torres was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with BON JOVI in 2018.

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Wait....

Has Tico retired????

Apparently David said in the latest podcast with Jon that he and Jon started when they were 16 and now they're the only two remaining in the band......

If Tico is done, that's the band done. Tico is the heart and soul of the band.

This isn't a…

— BonJoviTalk (@BonJoviTalk) August 7, 2025

CRADLE OF FILTH has fired guitarist Marek "Ashok" Šmerda, just hours after the Czech-born musician revealed he was planning to leave the band at the end of the band's ongoing Latin American tour.

Earlier today (Tuesday, August 26),CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth released the following statement via the band's social media: "It is with a grave heart that CRADLE OF FILTH officially announce the firing of guitarist Marek 'Ashok' Smerda from the band, effective immediately.

"Despite all attempts to illegally defame and derail the band, CRADLE OF FILTH WILL NOT cancel any of our South American shows, though fans will have to bear with us being a band with only one guitarist live, that is of course until Ashok's temporary replacement is flown out to join the tour in a few days time.

"Thank you for your understanding in this horrible matter, we are all in a state of shock over proceedings and will share our side to these unfortunate events in due course. Please, respect our decision to part with Ashok now rather than at the end of the tour and avoid speculation as more clarity on the situation will be provided.

"The rest of the band are cool, even if taken aback, and accusations toward management, who work very closely with me and the band are completely unjust and unfounded.

"Patience is a virtue and the truth will always out.

"Thank you once again fellow Filthlings and we look forward to the rest of 'The Screaming Of The Américas' tour here in Uruguay and beyond.

"Your fiend, Dani".

Ashok's announcement that he would depart CRADLE OF FILTH came just days after his wife, Zoë M. Federoff, left the group mid-tour after serving as CRADLE OF FILTH's female vocalist and keyboardist for the past three years.

Earlier today, Šmerda released the following message via his social media: "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".

When Federoff announced her exit from CRADLE OF FILTH, she explained that she was "unable to continue" touring with the band "for personal reasons".

In response, Dani revealed that CRADLE OF FILTH had already brought on a temporary replacement.

"A strange turn of events have manifested out here on tour for CRADLE OF FILTH in South America," he said. "Our keyboardist/backing singer Zoe Smerda has chosen to leave the band mid-tour, effective immediately. We, of course, wish her all the best for the future. And we as a band will continue onward and upward as always, with a replacement singer here in Kelsey Peters, one of the very talented CREWDLE members."

Federoff later returned to social media to offer a "couple clarifying points" regarding her original statement "since so many people decided to speculate in the nastiest possible ways." She wrote: "Ashok isn't cheating. While the turmoil of being in the band has taken its toll on us, we remain very much certain that we love each other. Please be kind to my husband. He is a good man."

She added: "We were already planning to leave the band later this year. Certain events have sped that up for me."

Marek and Zoë got married in January in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona.

Born in Brno, Czech Republic, Šmerda had been the guitarist for CRADLE OF FILTH since early 2014 when he received the invitation to embark on a European tour with the band. Since then, he'd become a full-time member, having toured all around the world with the group while simultaneously having put his hand and heart to the plough on the CRADLE OF FILTH releases "Hammer Of The Witches", "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay", "Existence Is Futile" and "The Screaming Of The Valkyries". All these albums were critically acclaimed by critics and fans and quickly became milestones.

For the last 20-plus years, Ashok gained a lot of experience both in studio sessions and live performances with various bands (ROOT, EQUIRHODONT, INNER FEAR, TITANIC, among others) and other musical projects which have allowed him to develop his playing style, tone, and songwriting.

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In a new interview with The Dark Melody, former STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki was asked if he is working on any new music at the moment. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It doesn't make any sense to make new music anymore, really. Because it costs money, and there are no CDs anymore. Nobody's buying them. You make new records, basically, to tour, but I've been doing maybe 25 records. So I don't consider that at the moment. To me, I wanna have a good production and it costs money. And the music business has changed so much."

Asked if he would consider making music "just for the love of music" and "not so much for the money side of things", Timo responded: "For the love of music, it's the only reason to make music. But something like album production is so much work, it takes months. And really, I don't wanna make these so-called bedroom recordings. For me, you've gotta rent a studio. And Finnvox, the studio [in Helsinki, Finland] where we did STRATO [VARIUS] albums, is 500 euros per day."

Tolkki also talked about his current relationship with the members of STRATOVARIUS. He said: "We're very good friends. I go sometimes to see their gigs here in Finland, which is weird because they still play a lot of my songs. And then [to] hear those from the audience, it's, like, this is really weird.

"I liked the last [STRATOVARIUS] album very much. I think they deserve the success. They worked very hard after I left. So nothing but positive [vibes] there — nothing but positive."

Back in November 2023, it was reported by Seiska and Helsingin Sanomat that Tolkki had been sentenced in Helsinki District Court to 45 days' suspended imprisonment for fraud and forgery. The fraud conviction arose when Tolkki wrongfully applied for income support worth more than €3,000 (approximately $3,200) in 2020.

Tolkki failed to appear in court. In a letter to the district court, he argued that he had been living in a "bad time" when the crimes were committed. Tolkki has said that he suffers from bipolar disorder.

Tolkki wrote more than 100 songs for STRATOVARIUS before leaving the group to embark on a successful solo career back in 2008. He is responsible for writing such power metal anthems like "Black Diamond", "Hunting High And Low", "Speed Of Light", "Paradise", "Forever" and "Destiny". More than four million copies of Tolkki-era STRATOVARIUS albums have been sold.

In recent years, Tolkki reformed the "Dreamspace" lineup of STRATOVARIUS under the moniker TIMO TOLKKI'S STRATO. The musicians — Tolkki (vocals and guitar),Tuomo Lassila (drums) and Antti Ikonen (keyboards) — recorded the classic "Fright Night", "Twilight Time", "Dreamspace" and "Fourth Dimension" albums from STRATOVARIUS.

During an appearance on the Thunder Underground podcast, legendary bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes was asked if there are any plans for him to collaborate with Tony Iommi again. The legendary DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist previously worked with the BLACK SABBATH guitarist on "Seventh Star" (1986),and later reunited with him for "Fused" (2005),in addition to being featured on the "1996 DEP Sessions" (2004) collection of previously unreleased material. Glenn said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Tony and I] are really good friends. He lives on the other side of the world, and when we speak, we talk about, shall we do more work? And it's like a matter of finding a window or an opportunity.

"People are asking, am I singing on [Tony's upcoming solo] album?" Glenn added. "Well, it's not me. It's somebody else. I don't know who it is."

Hughes also talked about last month's "Back To The Beginning" concert in Birmingham, United Kingdom, which marked Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH's final performance. He said: "Well, those guys are family to me. We grew up together. We were born very close to one another. So, I've known each and every member of that band since 1970. So you can imagine we have a lot of history and friendships. So I only wanna say I'm really grateful that they got an opportunity to do this. I think every band deserves to have one last moment. And if that was the last moment — but you never know, do you? [Laughs]"

Asked if that is something he would be interested in doing himself, in terms of announcing his final concert, when that time eventually arrives, Glenn said: "I don't really think like that. I don't think I'm gonna be the one to ever say, 'This is gonna be my last show,' to sell tickets. My last show will be my last show. And I'm hoping I'll be around for a while, but I don't really plan on doing anything. It may change, but I don't know."

Earlier this month, Hughes was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he has "an idea" in his mind on retirement and how he would like to end his career. The former DEEP PURPLE and current BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION member, who turned 74 last week, responded: " Good question. The word 'retirement' is something I don't normally say.

"A good story for you there. In June, I went on a tour of Europe with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. And Joe [Bonamassa, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION guitarist] and I were talking after two shows in that we were thinking before we started that tour that maybe this would be the end of BCC, maybe we've done and dusted what we started out to do. And funny enough, we felt on that tour of Europe that we were actually just getting started. We made a live album, by the way; it'll be coming out early next year.

"I think sometime early this year, I thought, 'Maybe I should slow it down. Maybe I should take it easy,' blah, blah, blah," Hughes admitted. "But ever since I came home from the BCC tour, I'm reinvigorated. I've got new purpose. I've never felt so strong, and I'm really looking forward to doing more shows, both solo and with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION."

Five years ago, Hughes told the "Thunder Underground" podcast that he plans to continue writing music up until his "final day." He said: "People ask me that question — not all the time, but they do ask that question.

"A good friend of mine, who you know of — I won't say who he is — but we've had a conversation about retirement. And I know a lot of people older than me that are still going — [Mick] Jagger and Robert Plant; friends of mine. They're still going 'cause they love music.

"If you are a musician who's a songwriter, you just continue to write," he added. "And that's what I do — I've been doing it for [more than] 50 years. But more so since I've been sober, for the last [30-plus] years, I've been writing more proper songs, about recovery. In fact, I don't know if you know, but most of my work deals with the human condition and about, pretty much, the love factor and recovery and being free, and that's where I'm at."

Glenn's new studio album "Chosen", is set for release on September 5 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In early June, Hughes released the official music video for the "Chosen" title track. It was followed by the "Voice In My Head" video a month later. Earlier this month, Glenn shared "Into The Fade".

This year will also see Hughes busy touring across Europe and South America, with "The Chosen Years" tour starting in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, on September 2 and ending on November 29 in Bogota, Colombia.

Glenn, a native of Cannock, England, absorbed all kinds of influences, including early British hard rock, THE BEATLES and, most importantly, American soul and R&B. The sleek Motown sound from Detroit and the gritty Stax/Volt sound from Memphis left their mark on him.

Hughes first found success in the early '70s with the band TRAPEZE before joining DEEP PURPLE in 1973 during a pivotal lineup change that introduced him and David Coverdale to the group. Despite initial skepticism, the revamped band silenced critics with the release of "Burn" (1974),a powerful album that revitalized PURPLE's sound and remains a classic. During this era, the band headlined the iconic California Jam in front of over 300,000 fans, toured the world aboard their private jet The Starship, and released two more studio albums, "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste The Band", before disbanding in 1976.

Glenn's first solo album "Play Me Out" was released in 1977. He joined former Pat Travers guitarist Pat Thrall to form HUGHES/THRALL, which released an acclaimed self-titled album in 1982. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Glenn Hughes made countless guest appearances (both credited and un-credited) as a vocalist, bass guitarist or songwriter on other artists' albums. The endless list includes — among others — Gary Moore, John Norum and Tony Iommi of BLACK SABBATH.

Since 1992, Glenn has started a prolific solo career with a dozen studio albums where he explored all the different sides of his songwriting and influences: from hard rock to funk and more contemporary sounds. He collaborated — among others — with such musicians as Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),Dave Navarro, John Frusciante and many others. He also founded or took part in some amazing musical alliances such as CALIFORNIA BREED (with Jason Bonham and Andrew Watt),BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION (with Joe Bonamassa and Jason Bonham) and THE DEAD DAISIES.

Glenn has collaborated with Robbie Williams on his new single "Rocket", which was released on May 22, 2025. The track also features a collaboration from Iommi and will be the first time Glenn has been featured on a record with Tony since 2005, when they released "Fused" together.

Glenn also recently joined forces with SATCHVAI, a new collaboration by legendary guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, by writing and singing on their new single "I Wanna Play My Guitar".

Photo credit: Leo Baron

In a new interview with Defenders Of The Faith, BAD COMPANY drummer Simon Kirke spoke about the British supergroup's upcoming Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction, which was announced in April 2025 after decades of eligibility. Asked how it feels to finally be inducted, Simon said: "We're very pleased. We're very honored. Quite honestly, I think it's about time [laughs], but I don't want to appear ungrateful.

"BAD COMPANY, as you know, have been around 50 years. We influenced a couple of generations of bands, so it's about time and we're very happy," he continued. "I'm also happy, because dear old Mick Ralphs, our guitarist who passed away a couple of months ago, learned that BAD COMPANY was going to be inducted just a couple of weeks before he finally passed away. That made us very, very happy indeed."

Asked if fans can expect to see him and BAD COMPANY singer Paul Rodgers perform a song or two at the induction ceremony, which will be held on November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Simon said: "I don't know. I know that we've been approached to play a couple of songs. I've spoken with Paul. Paul's health, as you know, is not good, but I think…I'm crossing my fingers that we will be able to play at least one song. I don't know what it is yet, and I don't even know who's gonna be inducting us yet. I know they have a house band and they're learning, I guess, a handful of BAD COMPANY songs just in case. Cyndi Lauper's gonna be inducted. There's a whole bunch of other acts that are gonna perform. I think the odds of us performing are very good."

Back in September 2023, Rodgers revealed for the first time that years earlier he suffered 11 minor strokes and two major strokes, which nearly ended his career. The now-75-year-old singer-songwriter suffered his first major stroke in 2016 and a second in October 2019, which required him to undergo a major surgery to recover from. At the time, Rodgers underwent a carotid endarterectomy, a procedure to remove plaque from the arteries running through your neck to your brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

This past June, Ralphs died at the age of 81 due to complications from a stroke he suffered in 2016.

Other inductees in the Performer category are SOUNDGARDEN, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, OutKast and THE WHITE STRIPES.

BAD COMPANY has been eligible for induction since 1999 and received its first nomination this year.

The induction ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+, and an edited version will air on ABC at a later date.

Asked by U.K. radio veteran Paul Stephenson of VRP Rocks if he ever got a reason why BAD COMPANY hadn't been nominated earlier, Simon said: "No. Well… Hmm. There are several reasons. One of them being, I think because BAD COMPANY had three lineups, it kind of diluted our currency, if you will. If you can imagine a band like CREAM and they change Ginger Baker or they change Jack [Bruce] or Eric [Clapton], God forbid, a couple of times, it would kind of dilute and muddy the waters of the committee. So as I'm told by this insider, they wanted to do a FREE-BAD COMPANY doubleheader, as it were, like [when] THE FACES and THE SMALL FACES were inducted, but for some reason it didn't show up. There was also a political thing that I can't really go into without getting kind of into hot water, but it was a combination. I think the main thing was the triple lineup… It just wasn't a clear-cut 'Let's induct BAD COMPANY.' There were factors that now have dissipated."

Back in November 2023, Kirke was asked by "The Bob Lefsetz Podcast" how he felt about BAD COMPANY not having been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He responded: "I think it's such a travesty, quite honestly. And not just that, but FREE — FREE certainly should be [in the Hall], because FREE has been around since 1968, and the two bands have been responsible for influencing a lot of bands who are already in the Hall. So I feel pretty bad about it. But I'm not gonna go on too much about it. It's just I think we should be in. Certainly FREE. And I think Paul Rodgers should be in on his own merits, as one of the great rock vocalists of all time. If Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck can be inducted as solo artists, then certainly Paul Rodgers should be in there. That's my two cents."

Later in the chat, Kirke offered one possible explanation for why BAD COMPANY had been overlooked by the Rock Hall.

"I think because of BAD COMPANY's changing lineups over the 50 years that we'd been together, it kind of devalued our currency a little bit," he said. "You had the Brian Howe era, you had the Paul Rodgers era, one and two, when Paul rejoined the band, we had Robert Hart. So I honestly don't know why we have not been nominated — not even inducted; you have to be nominated first, as you know."

In September 2023, Rodgers told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he wasn't bothered by his absence from the Rock Hall. "Well, it doesn't affect my daily life. It doesn't affect what I do in any way at all," he said. "It's one of those things. But I remember years and years ago, Ahmet Ertegun, who was the head of Atlantic Records [and a co-founder of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame], said to me, 'Paul, we're making this museum of rock and roll. Do you guys wanna be part of it?' And I said, 'What, a museum of rock and roll? What's it called?' He said, 'Well, it's called the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.' I said, 'Well, I don't think rock and roll belongs in a museum.' So it's my bad, I guess. And he asked me a couple of times, and I kind of like refused, I guess, basically. So, you know, there you go. Onwards and upwards."

During an appearance on "The HoneyDew", a storytelling podcast hosted by comedian Ryan Sickler, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons said that his late mother taught him "the value of money." He added (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's interesting. Different cultures think of money in different ways. If you're not Jewish, per Benjamin Franklin, a penny saved is a penny earned — by the way, now a penny saved is two pennies earned, 'cause that was before taxes, before America had taxes, federal included — so if you are not Jewish, people say, 'Oh, you're frugal.' If you're Jewish, 'You're fucking cheap.'

"When somebody says I'm cheap, I say, 'Thank you. I'm smart, bitch. I'll see you at the end,'" he continued. "And revenge, for all the people that had something to say about you and about you, the best revenge is to have them work for you. That's the best revenge. Keep your nose right on the grindstone. Work hard, work harder than your next door neighbor. Amass your fortune, whatever that is. And living well is the best revenge.

"I have met the athletic jock in school who was more popular in school, who had some chicks," Simmons added. "Of course, when he wouldn't look, I'd climb on them anyway, but they all pick… they don't look to the future. It's like right here, right now. I never thought about right here, right now. What am I gonna do later?

"I've got my finances in such order that the next two to three generations are taken care of. That's why you have to diversify… So I'm in crypto, real estate, stocks, bonds, futures, commodities."

Elsewhere in the chat, Simmons repeated his previous statement that his children should find their own way in life, rather than relying on vast handouts from their mom and dad.

"Neither [my son] Nick nor [my daughter] Sophie ever got — what is it called? — allowances, where you give your kids money for nothing," he said. "No. You want money? You've gotta do something. Do this. I don't know — mow the lawn, clean this, do that. Then you understand the value of it. And then you don't have to say 'thank you'. You don't owe anybody money.

"The love of labor… If you can get that into the thick skulls of — what's the new gener[ation]? Generation X? What is it? … Generation fucked up," Gene continued. "The entitled generation. 'Cause if you go through your whole life getting your palm greased, which used to mean you get money for nothing, when you turn 18 or 20, whenever it is that you're on your own, you get entitled: 'Hey, I deserve healthcare.' No, actually, you don't. 'I deserve free living.'"

Circling back to his belief that being born into a wealthy household does not give children the right to be entitled to their parents' fortune, Simmons added: "It's up to you. You have an inferred fiduciary duty or an inferred duty to yourself to figure out what the right thing is, to figure out where the right place is and to figure out when the right time is — right thing, right place, right time. I mean, when I was born, my mother used to chew my food for me. I didn't have a tooth in my skull and there was no such thing as baby food in a new country, Israel. There was no baby food. It was just little babies, no teeth. Their moms used to chew their food so they can get protein and everything and fruit and whatever… Before the American system of baby food came in, mothers and fathers in the 1800s would chew their food, just like birds, whatever, for their kids. I know it sounds, like, 'What?' But think about it. And when I was born, I know for a fact I just used to shit whenever I wanted to. Somebody wipes up my shit, somebody chews my food — I'm set. I can cry whenever I want. It's, like, 'This is the best thing.' And then one day it's stopped. 'Hey! So who's gonna wipe my shit? Who's gonna chew my food?' And then you have to do it. And the sooner your kids — or any anybody's kids that you care about — the sooner they learn to be self-sufficient, the more good citizens they'll be."

In early 2024, KISS sold its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Pophouse, a Swedish entertainment group.

While terms of the Pophouse deal were not officially announced, Bloomberg and Associated Press said it was worth upwards of $300 million. However, Simmons insisted that financial gain is "not what [the sale is] about. It's about enjoying life," while adding, "I'm certainly blessed."

KISS continues to be among the most merchandised bands in history and a pioneering force in the music merchandise and licensing industry, with KISS-branded merchandise available in major retailers around the globe, including Nordstrom, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Torrid, Tilly's, Pacsun, Cotton On, Revolve, Nasty Gal, Princess Polly, Target, Walmart and Kohl's, among many more.

Former EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza's previously announced 10-date solo tour of Latin America, which was scheduled to take place in September 2025, has apparently been canceled by the promoter. The trek was slated to kick off on September 4 in San José, Costa Rica and end on September 14 in São Paulo, Brazil. At all the shows, Souza was expected to perform classic songs from his former bands EXODUS, TESTAMENT (Zetro was the lead vocalist for LEGACY, an early incarnation of TESTAMENT) and HATRIOT, as well as the Bon Scott era of AC/DC.

Souza discussed the cancelation of his Latin American tour during a new episode of his Zetro's Toxic Vault YouTube series in which he is joined by his longtime friend and co-host Walter Morgan. Addressing the reasons for the shows being scrapped, Zetro said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A couple of months ago, we did an episode [of Zetro's Toxic Vault] where I had gotten an offer for South America, and I remember telling everybody, I'll believe this when it happens. And then, in between that episode, and then we did another episode, pretty much dedicated to South America where it looked like I was going to South America for 10 shows. Well, that is no longer on the table… But I just want you to know it is not on me by any way, shape, or form."

He continued: "I love you guys. I love everybody down there. You've always been good to me. You're great rabid fans. I was really hoping to start the Zetro thing in South America, but this didn't work out with that… I wanted to come.

"I'm gonna postpone it till next year, but I've gotta find another reputable promoter to come to, because I don't wanna do this to you guys anymore," Zetro added. "This was the whole reason why I didn't wanna do this in the first place. I didn't wanna let you down.

"So for all my South American fans, all the guys in Brazil, in Peru, and Chile and Colombia and Argentina, and Uruguay and Paraguay, everywhere, and in Central America too — Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, you guys are all great, I'm gonna try to get something so I can get down there and do you guys justice and do it right."

Souza went on to confirm that his first two solo shows will take place in Florida late next month: at Piper's in Fort Lauderdale on September 27 and at the Brass Mug in Tampa on September 28. Zetro will also embark on a three-date tour of Australia in early February 2026.

"I have a great set that I'm gonna play," Souza said. "It shouldn't affect anything EXODUS does [on any of the band's upcoming tours] because I'm completely playing absolute different songs that I know they won't play. So if you go see them and you go see me, you are gonna see two different shows. I mean, a couple of the songs are gonna be the same, but not for the most part. The sets are gonna be completely different… I hope you like the set I'm gonna play 'cause it's really old-school deep cuts, and TESTAMENT stuff — well, LEGACY — and definitely EXODUS songs that have not either been played or haven't been played in so long that it's gonna be a treat to play them."

Regarding the possibility of shows in other parts of the globe, Zetro said: "We'll be booking the rest of the world whenever, as the offers come in. And I'm gonna tell you right now, if the offers aren't right, I'm not coming. It's that simple. I'm not gonna try to knock myself dead to go out there. Not at this time. That's why I'm doing this the way I wanna do it."

Backing Souza on stage at the shows — billed simply as ZETRO — will be the following musicians:

* Zakk Frye (SLIKK WIKKED) - Rythm Guitar/Backup Vocals
* Kyle Smith (SLIKK WIKKED) - Lead Guitar
* Andrew Dewar (VICIOUS INTENT) - Drums
* Donny "Death" Weissinger (NASTY TRAST, HATE GRENADE) - Bass

Zetro previously spoke about what fans can expect from his return to the stage on a recent episode of Zetro's Toxic Vault. He said: "I'm not gonna do any [songs from] TENET. And I'm not doing any DUBLIN DEATH PATROL. So let's just get that out. The TENET record — if you guys love the TENET record 'Sovereign' that came out in 2009 — it was myself, Jed Simon, Byron Stroud, Gene Hoglan and Glen Alvelais, we're not doing any of those songs, because I wanna do TENET again. I would like to play some concerts with those guys, so I felt that I really didn't wanna exploit that by playing those songs. Basically, what I'm going to be playing is TESTAMENT [material from the] LEGACY [days], because, again, I want you guys to know — I never played in TESTAMENT; I only played in LEGACY. They became TESTAMENT after I was out of the band. I know they are TESTAMENT songs now, but they were LEGACY songs before and songs that I wrote and actually recorded. So I feel very comfortable playing those. And, obviously, I'll be playing EXODUS stuff as well. What I won't be playing of EXODUS — I will not be playing any 'Bonded By Blood', and I will not be playing any of Rob's [Dukes] era songs."

Zetro continued: "I have so many songs in my own catalog and songs that have never been played live or it's been — what? — 35 years since they've been played or longer. There's songs on this list that I've never played live before. So I thought that instead of giving you guys the same show you might have seen before, I am trying to give you a different show, something when you come and see my band play, you'll hear the songs you won't necessarily hear if you go see EXODUS — or maybe even TESTAMENT. I know Chuck [Billy, TESTAMENT singer] plays some of the [early] songs sometimes, like he'll do an album in its entirety and stuff, and then they'll get played, but the songs, obviously, that I've picked, you guys have never heard me sing 'em before other than on the LEGACY demo. So that's gonna be a lot of fun. And again, songs that I have never played, I think. I think there's a couple of them on there that are absolute surprises that I don't think the band ever played them, and I know we didn't play them in South America. So if I'm looking at the songs that we are going to play, there's maybe, maybe four that you've heard me sing live, maybe. I can't remember. I know we've been going to South America a lot since I rejoined EXODUS back in 2014, and we've played multiple sets down there. But looking at it, I'm gonna say maybe four songs that you might've heard. The rest you've never heard me sing before."

Steve added: "I wanted to do that anyway. I have such a big catalog of songs through my EXODUS years, and I wanted to play some of those songs, some of the songs that either the band never played or does not play anymore. And they're good songs, and they're heavy. And it's something I wanted to do."

As for the possibility of writing and recording new music, Zetro said: "I have to be honest. Right now I kind of don't want to. There's so many songs in my catalog that I could play that you'd rather hear, in my eyes, than going out and trying to write a Dio record or an Ozzy record or a Zetro record. Right now anyway, that's what I wanna do. That could change.

"Again, I've said this a hundred times, my catalog with EXODUS and with TESTAMENT and HATRIOT, and if I started playing some DUBLIN DEATH PATROL songs or even TENET songs, those are five bands that have all done things," he added. "And another thing. I've done an AC/DC tribute since 2009. It's a good chance you're gonna hear some AC/DC. So I'm making it fun. I'm gonna make it fun."

As for how many tracks will be in his set, Zetro said: "17 songs, I think. I'd say 16 or 17 songs. Some of the songs are long, so I'm gonna say 90 minutes, or it should be close to 90 minutes. So we'll see what happens with that. Maybe we'll add more. I don't know. I doubt it. What I wanted to do is concentrate on these songs that have been chosen and the ones that we're gonna play. And I really want them to be absolutely tight and absolutely performed like they sound on the record. My whole take is if you make the songs sound like they sound on the record, you've done everything you can do to bring them across. Vocally, and I'll be honest with you, I sang the best I have ever sung on that last [EXODUS] tour I did [in late 2024] with HAVOK. I was on fire vocally. And I think a lot of [that has to do with] me keeping my weight down and that sort of thing. I walk six miles every morning. I started playing pickleball the other day.

"I know that I'm 61," Zetro added. "I know that time, it's creeping on me, but I see a lot of artists go out and I cringe when I see them perform because it's just so awful. It's just awful and maybe time to hang it up. And if I felt that way about myself, well, I wouldn't be doing this because I'm the first one to throw the stone at that. But I think there's a lot of validity here. And … that's why I'm doing this — I wanna play some of the songs that I recorded over the years that I never, ever, ever got to play live."

SLIKK WIKKED is a metal/thrash band that was started in 2013 by Zakk Frye in Rochester, New York. Since then, they have released two EPs, including the thrash anthem "Black Wind Of Death", followed by the full-length album "Savage", all of which are available on YouTube and Bandcamp. Zakk also owns and runs 10th Ward Productions, the team helping bring Zetro back to the masses.

Zakk told BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "We will be performing a full 90-minute set of all the deep classics from EXODUS and TESTAMENT/LEGACY. And also ripping tunes from HATRIOT and even AC/DC. This will be an action-packed balls-to-the-wall metal show for all Zetro fans. They will not want to miss this."

Any venues interested in booking Zetro dates can contact Zakk Frye at 10th Ward Productions via [email protected].

Seven months ago, it was announced that EXODUS had parted ways with Souza and had welcomed back Rob Dukes.

Souza joined EXODUS in 1986 after previously fronting the band LEGACY (which, as stated above, later became TESTAMENT). He remained in EXODUS until their hiatus in 1993, but rejoined them for two years from 2002 to 2004. Dukes became the singer of EXODUS in 2005 (following Souza's departure) and stayed until 2014, when Souza returned.

Souza discussed his most recent split with EXODUS during a previous episode of Zetro's Toxic Vault. Addressing the reasons for his departure, Zetro said in part: "I've been doing this since 1986 —1986, in June, I joined EXODUS for the very first time. I was 22 years old. I'm now 61. So to have kind of a rollercoaster ride in music has actually been kind of exciting. It kept my life going. Certain things happen and certain things go on, and you kind of have to deal with them as they happen, like anything."

Clarifying that he "did not quit" EXODUS and "was let go", Souza continued: "I don't read much of what goes on the Internet. With no disrespect to anybody, I don't give a fuck what anybody thinks about me or what you say… But I was made privy by my son of something Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist and main songwriter] had responded to me saying that I didn't quit; I was let go. And I have to agree with his analogy. Being in a band is like a marriage — it truly is — and the marriage was over. And it was. Now, I was never gonna quit, meaning maybe I guess I would never leave the marriage, for whatever reason. But I truly think that it was probably the right thing for me especially, and I hope it's the right thing for them as well."

Regarding his mindset after his latest departure from EXODUS, Souza said: "People were calling me — my friends and my family — asking me if I was okay. And I was fine. I was, like, 'I'm great.' I'm really, really happy and more content. And again, we're in April now, and this went down in January. And actually, I knew in December — I knew before anybody knew, before it was announced. And I was cool with it."

Speaking directly to the EXODUS fans, Zetro said: "I'm gonna miss you guys. I really am. But for me, my life has changed a lot. What I liked when I was younger in my twenties and my thirties are not necessarily what I'm into anymore. I love my family. I mean, I came home and got married to Vickie, who I've been with for 17 years, and she is the love of my life. And you know how hard it is to go away from the love of my life at this point, at 61 years old for five weeks, six weeks at a time? It wasn't easy for me, even though it may not have shown on stage, and it definitely didn't show when I was with you guys, with you fans, and anybody that approached me because I would never want anyone to have an awful experience with me. But I think it was time, honestly.

"I had told Gary, and I told them that I would like to do this till I was 70 and probably not much more than that, but I think in the back of my mind I think I was kind of already done with the rigorous life of touring, 'cause it's very demanding," Souza admitted. "And the business doesn't care about what you have going on. [I'll] give you an example — in 2016, my mother died and I was in El Salvador on tour. I should have been at her bedside, but I wasn't, because I had to do this. I've had dogs pass. I've missed graduations from my children. Any musician that has been in my position can absolutely relate with this, because it is part of it. And a lot of times people don't necessarily think of that. And then there's the guys, there's the musicians that really like to do this, and they'll go out and they'll hit it hard. They'll go from one thing to another."

Elaborating on his reasons for wanting to spend less time on the road, Zetro said: "I've changed over the past few years, even in the last 10 years since I've been back. And I think I'm more interested in what's going on in my house and around what I'm doing here. I like to see my dogs every day. I have three pugs that absolutely love. I have a grandson now. I never get to see them. I wanna see my wife every day. I wanna sleep in my bed every day. It's been something that mentally has gone on and changed. But again, I would've never quit because I'm not a quitter in that type of respect. Everybody's, 'Oh, well, you quit in 2004.' No, I had to leave the band because I had a union job, three little kids and a wife, and I was trying to balance working as a foreman, as a union job, being a father, coaching baseball and soccer, and being a husband and playing in EXODUS, and I couldn't balance all three. The thing that I loved the most was playing in EXODUS, but, unfortunately, it could not take care of my wife and my kids and ballerina signups, baseball signups. The business wasn't paying that much at the time, so I needed to go and take care of my family… So coming back into the band in 2014, kids are grown, I'm set in my job. I was very, very excited. And again, I had a really good time over the last 10 years playing in the band. And it was one of those things that I have to say I'm kind of glad that I've ended up where I'm at right now, I don't like airports anymore. I don't like sleeping on the tour bus anymore… So I'm not saying that this was a decision that I would've made, but I'm saying for myself and to have a few months to look at it, it was definitely the right decision."

Souza went on to say that EXODUS fans should continue to support the band now that Dukes has returned to the group.

"I look at it now as, what about all you guys that are big fans of Rob's era? Just think — now you get to come back and see Rob maybe for the next 10 years and see him continue on," Zetro said. "So if you were fans of his era, like you were fans of my era, or both eras — I know there's some of you [that are] 'I'm [Team] Zetro' or 'I'm [Team] Rob', or whatever, 'I'm cool with whatever EXODUS does,' I get it. And I totally understand that, and I respect every one of you for those things. But now maybe for the last part of the band they get to enjoy Rob and Rob's era of the band. I mean, Gary's gonna continue to write music and record music. And Gary Holt doesn't know how to write a shitty riff. Okay? So you EXODUS fans know what you're gonna get from that, and that's what I have to say."

Souza also addressed the possibility of another reunion with EXODUS down the line, saying: "Will I ever grace the stage with them? No, definitely not. I think it's been done. This was the third time that I had joined the band, so I think it would be a bit redundant to try to do this or do this again. So just so you guys wanna know, I have no desire to do that ever again. It's been done. If you saw my last concert in Los Angeles at the Regent [in December 2024], then you truly saw the last concert that Zetro will ever sing with EXODUS."

Zetro added that he went out on top, both in term of his live performance with EXODUS and his relationship with the band's fans.

"If you saw us on the last tour with HAVOK, then, honestly, I was singing better than I've ever sung through the years," Souza said. "So I don't feel that it was something that, vocally… I did my job — I did my job quite well — and even they'll tell you that. And the fans, you guys know that I bring it. Every time I come, I bring it. And that's just the way it is. And if you walked up to me for a picture or an autograph, I never would say no and I've never pushed you guys away. I would hang out and talk to you about stuff. How many of you fans have spent time after the show talking to me about whatever? Horror, movies, metal sports, whatever. I'll sit out there and talk to you guys 'cause I've never considered myself above anybody."

Asked what specifically he didn't enjoy about the touring lifestyle, Zetro said: "Too much time in the day. Waiting to wait. It's a lot of waiting. Going to an airport, waiting four hours for the flight, getting on the flight for five hours, getting to where you've gotta go. Then you have another six-hour layover before you have another five-hour flight. And line one, line two, security this, security that. I don't have the patience for that anymore. The bus — I know this sounds very pompous. I was very fortunate to get to tour in a bus. I know bands that do not tour in buses… But for me, the bunk started to be very, very uncomfortable. And the only time I could get in there was when I truly had to sleep. But as soon as I woke up, I got up. So there's too much time in a day for you to go to museums or comic bookstores or me to go buy toys and whatever I do on the road. It is just a lot of downtime, and I feel as now 61 years old, I wanna do other things in that downtime. And I don't wanna be doing this, and all of a sudden I end up getting sick or my wife end up getting sick and one of my children, and I have to come home and I've got six months to live, or they've got six months to live and I've missed all of this with them and I missed it all. I don't want to do that anymore. I've missed too much over the years, and it's just kind of where I've been mentally — especially the last few years I've been thinking about that."

EXODUS played its first concert with Dukes in nearly 11 years on April 5 at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dukes previously joined EXODUS in January 2005 and appeared on four of the band's studio albums — "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" (2005),"The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A" (2007),"Let There Be Blood" (2008, a re-recording of EXODUS's classic 1985 LP, "Bonded By Blood") and "Exhibit B: The Human Condition" (2010).

MASTODON guitarist Bill Kelliher has paid tribute to his bandmate Brent Hinds, who died last week after being injured in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta. He was 51.

Earlier today (Monday, August 25),Kelliher took to his Instagram to write: "It's been hard to get a grip on my emotions this week.

"We had our good and bad times just like in any relationship. All that we accomplished after that first fistfight in the van 25 years ago.

"I didn't think you’d be taken from us like this, absolute loss of a true one of a kind guitar wizard extraordinaire.

"Keeping up with you taught me a lot. You were a brother, we were a family, you were a wild man not to be tamed, you could f*ck up bowling ball with a feather.

"You weren't perfect but you were always DIRTY-B!! Your vagabond/gypsy/wild child lives on through your music, I will miss your crazy ass Manimal".

Hinds was reportedly riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle late Wednesday (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.

Brent 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. But you guys made it okay for us to come on stage and do this tonight. So that was for fucking Brent, okay?! Thank you guys so much. We will see you real soon. Okay? I'm gonna give you guys some fucking pieces of wood, okay? We love you.

"Thank you, Alaska, for having us. It's the 50th state for us to cross off of our bucket list. So thank you for the amazing milestone and thank you for helping us get through that one. It was fucking tough for us, but you guys are fucking amazing, so thank you, thank you, thank you once again. We'll see you real soon, okay?! We love you, we love you, love you, love you so much. Good night."

A few hours after Brent's death was made public, MASTODON commented on is 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.

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Acclaimed rock innovators THRICE continue the journey toward their upcoming album, "Horizons/West", with the release of their anthemic new single "Albatross", out now worldwide via Epitaph Records. Arriving alongside a cinematic visualizer directed by Sean Stout (DEAFHEAVEN, TOUCHÉ AMORÉ, SCOWL),the track captures the push-pull of a relationship that is as magnetic as it is destructive.

THRICE frontman Dustin Kensrue shares: "We can take the very thing the world has offered us as a token of hope and good luck and destroy it, and in that way, I've found that we often create our own ill omens. Thankfully, I've found it’s not always too late to reverse those same curses."

Following the blistering urgency of lead single "Gnash", "Albatross" takes a more brooding and poetic turn, layering THRICE's signature dynamic post-rock textures over a deeply symbolic narrative. Lyrics such as "our stars are crossed" and "I think you might be my albatross" speak to doomed yet inescapable bonds, while flashes of light hint at beauty within the inevitable collapse.

Stout's lyric video visually mirrors the song’s tension and duality, juxtaposing waves of pain and pleasure, golden grain and swirling ash in a hypnotic dance of creation and destruction.

Serving as a companion to 2021's "Horizons/East", the new full-length album continues the band's bold sonic exploration and philosophical depth, while standing firmly as its own statement. "Horizons/West" blends cinematic post-rock textures, intricate rhythms, and the raw urgency that defined THRICE's early work, offering an album that's equal parts introspection and confrontation.

"This is the first time we leaned into something that felt like a direct continuation, like a sequel to a previous album," says frontman Dustin Kensrue.

Due on October 3, 2025 via Epitaph Records, "Horizons/West" was produced and engineered by the band at New Grass Studios, with mixing and additional production by Scott Evans and mastering by Matthew J. Barnhart, both of whom also worked on THRICE's "The Artist In The Ambulance (Revisited)" (2023). The release continues the band's long-standing DIY ethos and adventurous spirit. The album also marks a lyrical deep dive into themes of personal identity, societal manipulation, technological anxiety, and spiritual awakening.

"A lot of this record is about parsing reality," Kensrue explains. "We're constantly being influenced by algorithms, by fear, by our own social echo chambers. 'Horizons/West' tries to pull the curtain back on some of that. We've always just followed our curiosity, wherever it leads," Kensrue reflects. "We want to keep growing, exploring, and making something that feels honest to who we are right now."

"Horizons/West" track listing:

01. Blackout
02. Gnash
03. Albatross
04. Undertow
05. Holding On
06. Dusk
07. The Dark Glow
08. Crooked Shadows
09. Distant Suns
10. Vesper Light
11. Unitive/West

Following the release, THRICE will embark on a nationwide headline tour this fall, joined by MODERN COLOR and DOWNWARD. The tour kicks off October 17 in San Diego, California and includes stops in New York City, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles, wrapping up November 23 in Anaheim, California.

THRICE fall 2025 tour dates with MODERN COLOR and DOWNWARD:

Oct. 17 - San Diego, CA - Observatory NP
Oct. 18 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
Oct. 20 - Dallas, TX - HOB Dallas
Oct. 21 - Austin, TX - Emo's
Oct. 23 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Heaven
Oct. 24 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus
Oct. 25 - Orlando, FL - HOB Orlando
Oct. 27 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall
Oct. 28 - Norfolk, VA - NorVa
Oct. 29 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
Oct. 31 - Boston, MA - HOB Boston
Nov. 01 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Nov. 02 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA
Nov. 04 - Toronto, ON - Danforth
Nov. 05 - Montreal, QC - Beanfield
Nov. 07 - Cleveland, OH - Globe Iron
Nov. 08 - Detroit, MI - Majestic
Nov. 09 - Chicago, IL - HOB Chicago
Nov. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - Fillmore Minneapolis
Nov. 13 - Denver, CO - Summit
Nov. 14 - Fort Collins, CO - Washington's
Nov. 15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Union
Nov. 17 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore
Nov. 18 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
Nov. 19 - Portland, OR - Roseland
Nov. 21 - San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom
Nov. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - The Novo
Nov. 23 - Anaheim, CA - HOB Anaheim
Nov. 25 - Anaheim, CA - HOB Anaheim

Steadfast and straightforward creative conviction has guided THRICE since they emerged in the late '90s with a sound that combined hardcore grit and progressive ambition, establishing themselves as pioneers among their post-hardcore peers. From the underground punk scene to major labels and influential indie labels, with a rich catalog of intense, meaningful, and emotionally driven albums, THRICE is a singular entity that gains more significance with each new release among their fans. Dustin Kensrue (vocals/guitar),Teppei Teranishi (guitar),Eddie Breckenridge (bass) and Riley Breckenridge (drums) consistently evolve in sound and substance. From their earliest releases to the bold exploration over more than 20 years of material, THRICE built a reputation as a band for musicians and songwriters, and a group with consistent integrity willing to take artistic and commercial risks. "Palms" (2018),their first album for Epitaph, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Indie and Hard Rock charts. And they've never lost their connection to their diverse audience, which is best understood beyond the Billboard charts and massive streams, through personal impact and a relationship forged through years. The double decade anniversaries of "The Illusion Of Safety" (2002) and "The Artist In The Ambulance" (2003) inevitably fed the energy and creative self-assurance that resulted in "Horizons/West". "Horizons/West", their 2025 full-length studio album, arrives as a companion to 2021's "Horizons/East". It continues the themes and sonic ambitions of its predecessor while standing entirely on its own. In 2025, THRICE reaffirms its legacy while continuing to push forward.

Photo credit: Atiba Jefferson

At this year's Brutal Assault festival, Metalshop TV spoke to Kerry King about SLAYER's participation in the "Back To The Beginning" event, which marked Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH's final performance. Asked if he enjoyed being part of the concert, the SLAYER guitarist — who is currently touring Europe with his solo band — said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " Yeah, I made a point to be there all day at the 'Back To The Beginning' show. My friends in MASTODON were playing first, so I wanted to see them. I know HALESTORM was playing early; I wanted to see them. I saw ALICE IN CHAINS soundcheck the day before. I watched Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH play… They had something set up like a giant LED screen backstage with its own P.A., so I just parked myself right in front of it and I had basically a front-row seat to the whole show for those two. I was on stage for METALLICA.

"It was a good day," Kerry continued. "When you do a festival, like we're doing today [at Brutal Assault], a lot of times I don't know who we're playing with, but I knew 'Back To The Beginning' for months, so I had a whole day planned out to watch my friends play. And it was cool. And with Ozzy passing away very soon thereafter, I'm very happy that I was able to be a part of that."

Asked if he remembers the first time he met Ozzy, Kerry said: "[It] probably would've been the late '90s. 'Cause when they were testing Ozzfest, we did all the original ones, when they were like one gig or two gigs, maybe Southern California and Phoenix, just to see if it was a feasible idea. So I'm assuming it was around then, but I don't have that memory. [Laughs]"

Pressed to name "a truly special memory" with Ozzy, Kerry said: "For as many Ozzfests as we did, it seemed like we were always on ones around the time when 'The Osbournes' was a popular TV show. And when we were on the tour, I never saw any of them. It's like they were ghosts. I remember at one of the hotels, 'cause sometimes all the bands stayed in the same hotel and SABBATH was in our hotel, and I opened my door and Tony [Iommi, SABBATH guitarist] goes walking down the hallway with, I'm sure his bodyguard, whoever, and I was such a fan, I just put my head down and said, 'Hey, Tony,' try to be cool, not be a pain in the ass. But years later we were around each other more often, and I'm not sure we became friends, but we became more than acquaintances. And he's one of my superheroes, so it was tough for me to get over that hump."

King's solo band kicked off its European tour on July 29 at ZOOM Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany. At the show, Kerry and his bandmates — Mark Osegueda (vocals; DEATH ANGEL),Phil Demmel (guitar; MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE),Kyle Sanders (bass; HELLYEAH) and Paul Bostaph (drums; SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS) — played a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Wicked World" as a tribute to Ozzy, who had died just a week earlier.

At BLACK SABBATH's "Back To The Beginning" charity event on July 5, SLAYER played a six-song set. The California thrash metal pioneers opened their performance with "Disciple" and "War Ensemble" before playing BLACK SABBATH's aforementioned deep cut "Wicked World" from the latter's self-titled album. SLAYER concluded its set by playing three more of its classic songs: "South Of Heaven", "Raining Blood" and "Angel Of Death".

This past April, King told Igor Miranda of Rolling Stone Brasil about SLAYER's appearance at "Back To The Beginning": "It's such an honor to even be thought of to play that, and I'm glad we were actually in the 'working mode' so we can get that offer. It's gonna be awesome. And I drug my feet and picked our song really late, so when there weren't as many obvious choices, but the one I picked is gonna work out really cool. I worked it out with my [solo] band, so me and Paul could rehearse it… It's gonna be killer. What we're doing is cool."

SLAYER famously covered SABBATH's "Hand Of Doom" for the "Nativity In Black II: A Tribute To Black Sabbath" album, which came out in 2000.

Last December, King was asked by Australia's Wall Of Sound which BLACK SABBATH album he would take with him if the planet was being blown up and we were all boarding a big spaceship and he was only allowed to take one SABBATH LP with him. He responded:  "I would take… It's easy and it's hard 'cause I'm a super [Ronnie James] Dio fan. But I would take [SABBATH's sixth studio album, 1975's] 'Sabotage'. Something about the vibe on that record. It's cool. I mean, they're all cool, but something about that one. Maybe 'Symptom Of The Universe'. I don't know. It's nonstop badassery."

Back in 2017, King picked "Sabotage" as one of his 10 favorite metal albums, telling Rolling Stone magazine: "'Sabotage' is just a very heavy record. There's so much good stuff on there. As I picked these records, I picked the ones I'm compelled to play if I'm working out or driving, and 'Sabotage' was my choice for BLACK SABBATH. It has 'Megalomania', 'Symptom Of The Universe', which has definitely got attitude, 'Hole In The Sky'. And it has the instrumental 'Supertzar'. I love that one. It grips me for some reason."

Last year, Kerry was asked by Metal Hammer Greece's TV show "TV War" if he has ever had a negative experience meeting one of his musical idols. He responded: "Yeah. Only once. And I won't even tell you who, because he doesn't deserve it. But nine times out of ten… The last one that I'll say I got over the hump with, 'cause I was still such a fan, was Tony Iommi. And it was very late in our careers, but it's fucking Tony; he's the godfather of all this shit. I think it was, like, 2006, finally. And I knew him before that, but I couldn't talk to him. It was Tony Iommi; I just couldn't do it."

Kerry continued: "in 2006 I went to the Classic Rock Awards in Britain. And I was presenting Tony with an award, and I was nervous as fucking all hell. I was out of my environment. I've done metal shows, I've done the [Revolver] Golden Gods billions of fucking times, but at the Classic Rock Awards, I was out of my element. Fucking Steven Tyler's [AEROSMITH] out there, AC/DC's out there, DEF LEPPARD's out there — people that I've admired in my history but didn't know any of them. So I'm fucking shaking up there. I hit the mic when I'm talking. And I was just a fucking idiot. [Laughs] So, I get to give Tony his award, take a picture with him. Then I felt like we were bros. I was over the Tony hump, and that was cool."

King added: "I've had a lot of heroes, be it from [JUDAS] PRIEST to SABBATH and whoever the hell, [DEEP PURPLE's] Ritchie Blackmore. But, yeah, Tony was the one. I had to climb that mountain and get over it."

More than 40,000 fans attended "Back To The Beginning", which also saw performances from BLACK SABBATH, Ozzy Osbourne, GUNS N' ROSES, METALLICA, PANTERA, LAMB OF GOD and ANTHRAX, among others. Profits from the show will be shared equally between the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

The all-day event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, was hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa, and featured a supergroup of musicians.

A livestream of the daylong event was announced in June. While it was called a livestream, the video was delayed two hours from the in-arena start time.

Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate also reportedly said the 76-year-old musician suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

Ex-I PREVAIL vocalist Brian Burkheiser claims that "an unresolved dispute" with his former band is preventing him from releasing his new solo music.

Earlier today (Monday, August 25),Brian took to his social media to write: "Due to an unresolved dispute with my former band I PREVAIL, I am being blocked from releasing my song 'Phases', as well as other new music.

"I'm deeply disappointed, but I'm doing everything I can to move things forward.

"I want to thank my family, friends, and most importantly, my fans for their unwavering support."

Burkheiser had handled the clean vocals in I PREVAIL since the band's formation in 2013 but was forced to step away from the group's touring activities due to his battle with Eagle's syndrome, a condition associated with the elongation of the styloid process or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament, clinically characterized by throat and neck pain, radiating into the ear. In Burkheiser's absence, co-vocalist/growler Eric Vanlerberghe had handled the bulk of the singing in I PREVAIL, with the help of guitarist Dylan Bowman.

I PREVAIL announced in May that it was "mutually parting ways" with Burkheiser. A month and a half later, Burkheiser posted a series of Instagram Stories in which he claimed there was "no beef" between him and his now-former bandmates. "I love every single one of those guys whether they know it or not," Burkheiser wrote. However, he added that he believed he "didn't deserve how things went down" regarding the circumstances surrounding his departure, before clarifying, "But it doesn't mean they are bad people. I did try to communicate more and I wish that they would've talked to me more," Burkheiser wrote. "But if it took it coming down to this to teach the world this lesson then I'm OK with that because I want to rekindle my friendships with those guys one day."

Burkheiser went on to say that he was proud of Vanlerberghe, who has since become I PREVAIL's primary singer, and encourages fans to buy tickets to the recently completed "Summer Of Loud" tour featuring I PREVAIL, BEARTOOTH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and PARKWAY DRIVE.

I PREVAIL's fourth studio album, "Violent Nature" will arrive on September 19 via Fearless.

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U.S. metal veterans HELSTAR will release their eleventh studio album, "The Devil's Masquerade", on September 12, 2025 through Massacre Records. The effort will be available as a limited mediabook, limited vinyl LP in various colors, and digital formats.

"The Devil's Masquerade" marks a powerful return to the band's roots, bringing back the classic creative chemistry between James Rivera (vocals) and Larry Barragan (guitars). The album was produced and mixed by Barragan at Hombre Malo Studios, and mastered by Robert Colwell at Colwell Mastering.

Lyrically, "The Devil's Masquerade" dives deep into tales of vampirism, demonic possession, and mankind's downfall — drawing inspiration from cult horror films and series such as "Annabelle", "Midnight Mass", "The Exorcist: Pope", and even classic "Twilight Zone" episodes. Each track tells a story, blending myth, horror, and symbolism with HELSTAR's trademark power.

The song "I Am The Way" features an all-star guest appearance by iconic Texas metal voices Robert Lowe, Jason McMaster, Travis Wills, George Call, Mike Soliz, Christopher Salinas, Drew Brown and Jeff Vandenburg.

Rivera comments: "All I can say is that this album is every HELSTAR fan's dream come true. Larry and I went back to the old-school way of working together, and you can hear that energy from the very first track. We've taken the bull by the horns, and we can't wait for everyone to experience the magic we've always created."

An influential force in the American power metal movement, HELSTAR was formed in Houston in 1982 by Barragan, who quickly assembled the band's original lineup, including Rivera. HELSTAR released its debut LP, "Burning Star", in 1984 via Combat Records, and followed it up with a string of seminal releases, including "Nosferatu", before a '90s hiatus. The band became active again with Barragan and Rivera in 2006.

From "Burning Star" (1984) to milestones like "Nosferatu" (1989),and more recent releases such as "This Wicked Nest" (2014) and "Vampiro" (2016),HELSTAR have carved a unique and enduring legacy in U.S. heavy metal. With "The Devil's Masquerade", the band once again proves their legendary status, delivering a fierce and uncompromising new chapter.

Barragan told Robbs MetalWorks about the task of engineering, recording and producing "The Devil's Masquerade": "It's quite an undertaking. 'Cause when you own the studio, the band takes — not takes it for granted, but they're, like, 'Well, I can't make it today. I'll be there in a couple days,' so everything gets extended, whereas if we were actually on the clock and paying [for studio time], it'd be, like, 'No, you're gonna be there.' So that's where it gets a little tough because, obviously, James and I are longtime friends as well, so it's, like, 'Oh, okay, I'll see you next weekend then,' whatever… And we had a lineup change in the middle of the recording session. There were songs that were written by [now-former guitarist] Andrew [Atwood] that, obviously, they're Andrew songs. So, we respect him and we're not gonna take them and go, like, 'Well, you were in the band when you wrote these. So, it was one of those things where you're, like, 'All right, how many songs do we have? How many have I written?' And so it turned out we still had enough to do an album. And I think there was like one additional song that came on there at the end, which was the instrumental. But everything else, I think, was kind of done."

"The Devil's Masquerade" track listing:

01. Avernus
02. The Devil's Masquerade
03. Stygian Miracles
04. Carcass For A King
05. The Staff Of Truth
06. Seek Out Your Sins
07. The Haunting Mirror
08. The Black Wall
09. Suerte De Muleta
10. I Am The Way

HELSTAR is:

James Rivera - vocals
Larry Barragan - guitars
Mikey Lewis - drums
Garrick Smith - bass
Alan DeLeon Jr. - guitars