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

At the 2025 edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival in the United Kingdom, GOJIRA drummer Mario Duplantier spoke to Bloodstock TV's Oran O’Beirne about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to the French progressive metallers' 2021 album "Fortitude". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We already did record some drums and guitars and basses.

"It took us a long time. We needed that time, I think, just to make sure we are all on the same page, make sure what is GOJIRA is bringing next is strong enough," he explained. "Also, we don't have that much pressure. We are not a young band anymore. We're not like SLEEP TOKEN or LORNA SHORE where the next album is so important. We've been a band for 30 years, so GOJIRA is already an established band. It doesn't mean that we can be lazy — it doesn't mean that — but it's very crucial to take the time to bring something fresh and new and powerful."

Mario added: "For the new songs, we took so much time just to make sure everything is fine and powerful enough and — I don't know — smart enough as well. But it's on the way, it's on the way. 2026, for sure."

A year ago, Mario's brother, GOJIRA guitarist/vocalist Joseph Duplantier, told Chuck Armstrong of Loudwire Nights that he and his bandmates were "in the middle" of working on their next studio album. He said at the time: "We're trying to deliver something that is meaningful and impactful. We're very ambitious in terms of writing songs and the quality of it. And we wanna take a clear step forward and upward with this album. So we're putting all our love and energy on it."

This past February, GOJIRA was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 67th annual Grammy Awards, which was held at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center) in Los Angeles, California. GOJIRA was nominated for "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!)" — a version of the French Revolution-era standard "Ah! Ça Ira!" — which the band performed at last year's Olympic Games opening ceremony.

In July 2024, GOJIRA performed a surprise rendition of "Ah! Ça Ira" alongside opera singer Marina Viotti as well as a number of beheaded figures representing the slain Queen Marie Antoinette. The performance took place outside the Conciergerie, a former prison and residence of French kings during the French Revolution where Antoinette was held before she was beheaded in 1793.

GOJIRA made history as the first metal band to ever perform at the Olympic Games. The performance made international headlines and was widely regarded as one of the most talked about moments from the 2024 summer Olympics.

Prior to winning this year's Grammy, GOJIRA had been nominated for a Grammy Award three times — twice in 2017, for "Best Metal Performance" and "Best Rock Album" ("Magma") and once in 2022 for "Best Metal Performance".

GOJIRA is considered a standard-bearer for French rock and bringing French rock to an international audience. Metal Hammer declared GOJIRA "metal's most important band" in 2016.

"Fortitude" entered Billboard's Top Albums chart at No. 1 in May 2021, while also claiming the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Top Current Albums, Current Rock Albums and Current Hard Music Albums tallies. The release also marked a career high debut on the Billboard 200 for GOJIRA, arriving at No. 12, with several career high chart positions and Top 10 debuts in countries around the globe including: France (No. 2),United Kingdom (No. 6),Australia (No. 3),Germany (No. 8),Belgium (No. 2),Netherlands (No. 4),Denmark (No. 3),Portugal (No. 4),Finland (No. 2) and Norway (No. 10).

Furthermore, GOJIRA concluded a month-long fundraising initiative in support of the indigenous-owned NGO The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon. Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, the charitable campaign raised over $300,000 through an auction and raffle of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends in METALLICA, TOOL, SLIPKNOT, SLAYER, Slash and more. All proceeds were donated to APIB to support their work aiding the indigenous tribes of the Amazon who have suffered immensely — victims of deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence, and harassment.

Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),"Fortitude" is GOJIRA's first album in five years and the follow-up to 2016's Grammy-nominated LP "Magma". A collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world and then make it happen, "Fortitude" has been earning widespread critical praise with Rolling Stone naming it one of their best albums of April 2021 and remarking "It's all the rage of death metal mixed with the conscience of punk rock and the musicality of progressive rock." NPR hailed "Another World" as "an apocalyptic banger," and Paste called "Into The Storm" a "much-needed revolutionary anthem." Stereogum declared, "hearing this band operating at their peak is a life-affirming thing," while Revolver attested "Fortitude" "could spark a revolution."

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

In a new interview with Dave Lawrence, host of "All Things Considered" on Hawai'i Public Radio, TOOL guitarist Adam Jones reflected on his band's participation in last month's "Back To The Beginning" concert in Birmingham, United Kingdom, which marked Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH's final performance. Speaking about SABBATH's influence on TOOL, Adam said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, [SABBATH guitarist] Tony Iommi's just a huge influence, because not only is he just an amazing player, but his playing was obtainable. It's not like Eddie Van Halen where you go, 'Oh, I'm not even gonna try. That guy is just this crazy wizard.' So to have that as an inspiration — to me, an obvious inspiration, in at least my playing… And then doing the show was just such an honor. Out of all the bands, we got asked, Sharon [Ozzy's wife and manager] and Ozzy and their family have been incredibly supportive to our band."

Asked if he had an "endearing" story to share about Ozzy, Adam said: "There's many… There's so many stories and good memories, real positive. But the one that I really like that stands out was we were playing [U.K.'s Castle] Donington. They told us, 'Oh, the Osbournes would like to have you guys for dinner.' And we were, like, 'Wow. That'd be cool.' So we sat down and we were in this huge room in this castle and had dinner. It was a hotel, so there's people serving there, but we were the only ones there. It was really fun, really inspiring, kind of like watching their show. [It was] Sharon, Ozzy and Jack [Osbourne, Ozzy and Sharon's son]. And it was funny, 'cause Ozzy was sober, but he kept sneaking downstairs to the hotel bar and sneaking a drink and coming back. And Sharon had had that stomach surgery, so she wasn't supposed to eat certain things, and she was eating french fries and stuff that makes your stomach expand, and after surgery you're not supposed to have that stuff. So she kept taking trips and coming back, going, 'Yeah, I just threw up my meal. I'm really sorry.' But it was with laughter. And they were very open. And Jack's great. I love him. I've seen him grow up, and he's been a huge supporter of our band and a really good guy. So, yeah, that dinner, it's a core memory."

Regarding whether he got a chance to spend any time with Ozzy or the other members of BLACK SABBATH at "Back To The Beginning", Adam said: "I didn't see Ozzy until they wheeled them by at one point just before they went on. And I'm kind of sad about it. It makes me kind of choke up. It was such a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. But the good really outweighed the bad. And it was a crazy sendoff. And the part where he thanked — I think it was during the Ozzy set, Ozzy thanked the crowd about his career and if it wasn't for them… I mean, everyone was crying… Those were really heavy words. And you'd think about growing up, listening to all that music and how it affected you, and you don't hear a lot of people express that. I mean, they might say 'thank you' at the end of the night. They might say, 'We really appreciate our fans,' but I just don't think that cuts as deep."

Jones continued: "What a day. It was really overwhelming being able to perform and then watch the show at the same time, watch the other bands. It was just quite a day. And then, a week later, Ozzy dies. And it was just shocking. But I kept telling people, it felt like a historical moment, just growing up, listening to that. I mean, I remember skateboarding ramps and listening to BLACK SABBATH and maybe smoking pot. I'm not gonna admit to anything. And then where I am now, being on the stage playing their music for those guys. I can't think of anything I've done that's been like this."

Not long before "Back To The Beginning" took place, Jones told Guitar World magazine about BLACK SABBATH: "I always wanted to do a compilation of music that scared the shit out of me when I heard it for the first time. BLACK SABBATH was like that for me. I loved horror movies, and [SABBATH] had the same temperature to me. There's just something romantic about it. I feel lucky that there are so many songs I'm obsessed with. I still put that music on today, and I get the same thing I was getting out of it when I first heard it. I can't say that about a lot of bands."

Asked how far back his personal SABBATH fandom goes, Adam said: "To when I was young. We had different [radio] stations in Chicago that were my main source of music. And I have an older brother and sister who influenced my early taste. It goes way back. I think everyone has the same story of how wonderfully haunting and attractive that music was, how they were innovators and influenced so many people."

On the topic of how Iommi shaped his guitar playing style, Jones said: "You're talking, like, '70s headphones turned up all the way — and air guitaring! [Laughs] Learning later in life that he's missing parts of his fingers was inspiring because when you're a kid, and you're playing guitar, you go, 'I could never be as good as a real rock star,' and here's a guy that is a professional, a rock star and amazing, and he's missing parts of his fingers. It's inspiring. It makes you feel like, 'I can do that.'"

Asked if Tony's style affected his riff writing, Adam said: "It's why I'm obsessed with drop D. The stuff he did — the tone, the playing the notes and then pulling off, you know, the open D, or whatever tuning they had that's comparable — it was just haunting, and the riffs were so good. I could play them, but there's a vibe, and it's wonderful. And if you don't hear it in TOOL, you probably aren't really into BLACK SABBATH."

Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate filed in London also said Osbourne suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.

A private funeral service for Ozzy was held on July 31 on the 250-acre grounds of the house the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife bought in 1993 in Buckinghamshire, England. Only 110 of the singer's friends and family members attended the service.

Photo courtesy of Gibson (via Prime PR Group, Inc.)

Zoë M. Federoff has announced her exit from CRADLE OF FILTH.

The 33-year-old Federoff, who joined CRADLE OF FILTH in 2022 as the band's female vocalist and keyboardist, released the following statement earlier today (Sunday, August 24) via social media: "It is with deep regret I share that for personal reasons I am unable to continue this tour and continue in general with CRADLE OF FILTH.

"Please respect my privacy and my family's privacy. I will answer no further questions. Be kind to my successor. I wish her and my now former bandmates well.

"At least, like Roy Khan said over a decade ago, God was there after all.

"Yours, Zoe".

CRADLE OF FILTH kicked off a 13-date Latin American tour on August 21 in Limeira, Brazil and performed in São Paulo, Brazil on Saturday, August 23. The band is scheduled to play in Buenos Aires, Argentina tonight (Sunday, August 24).

Federoff married CRADLE OF FILTH guitarist Marek "Ashok" Šmerda this past January in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona.

Meanwhile, CRADLE OF FILTH leader/frontman Dani Filth took to the band's social media to write: "Hello Filthlings, a strange turn of events have manifested out here on tour for CRADLE OF FILTH in South America. 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.

"In life, one cannot always foresee what the future holds for us, but we will remain ever-professional and continue on with 'The Screaming Of The Americas' concerts for our fans without allowing any of this to sully our onward trajectory.

"So, our South and Central American brethren, we will see you at the next spat of relentless shows.

"The shows have already been incredible in Brazil and we are just so exceptionally appreciative of your massive and passionate attendance, my friends and fiends alike.

"Long live the FILTH!"

A couple of hours after sharing her initial post, Federoff returned to her social media to write a follow-up message. She wrote: "Couple clarifying points since so many people decided to speculate in the nastiest possible ways.

"- 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.

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

"At this time there is nothing further I wish to clarify and I'd appreciate keeping the ugly rumors off my page and out of my inbox.

"Please enjoy the remaining shows on this tour and give a lot of love to Kelsey, who is one of the greatest singers I've ever been privileged to hear. You'll love her."

When Federoff announced her engagement to the 50-year-old Šmerda a year and a half ago, she took to her social media to clear up a few rumors, writing in part: "I never knew Ashok before I joined COF. He had nothing to do with me coming on board.

"We have no plans to leave COF as we truly enjoy working together, not to mention working with several of our closest friends. Dani has been the greatest and most supportive leader possible when it comes to our engagement.

"We remain happily committed to his team in COF."

Federoff is an American vocalist and songwriter from Tucson, Arizona, where she still resides with her daughter and husband. She began her formal training in classical vocals at the University Of Findlay in Ohio and additionally studied under NIGHTWISH vocalist Floor Jansen. She released her first two albums in 2013 and 2017 with gothic/power metal band INSATIA. Feeling restricted by the scope of the project, in 2017 she cofounded international symphonic metal band CATALYST CRIME with XANDRIA drummer Gerit Lamm, with a lineup including Jonah Weingarten of PYRAMAZE, Canadian guitarist Kaelen Sarakinis, American guitarist Chena Roxx, as well as the unexpected addition of her own father, Matt Federoff, on bass. Zoe credits her love of metal and live performance to her father and sees working with him professionally as one of the greatest achievements of her career.

In addition to her own bands, Zoë has guested as a vocalist for ATROCITY and THE VIVALDI METAL PROJECT. She has also written and edited lyrics for numerous bands, including SERENITY and CONFIDENTIAL. In her spare time, she enjoys being a hiker, book collector and political campaign professional. She is also an active advocate for public education, having been a classroom teacher and student mentor.

CRADLE OF FILTH's 14th studio album, "The Screaming Of The Valkyries", was released in March via Napalm Records.

It is with deep regret I share that for personal reasons I am unable to continue this tour and continue in general with...

Posted by Zoe Marie Federoff on Sunday, August 24, 2025

Couple clarifying points since so many people decided to speculate in the nastiest possible ways.

-Ashok isn’t...

Posted by Zoe Marie Federoff on Sunday, August 24, 2025

Hello Filthlings,

A strange turn of events have manifested out here on tour for CRADLE OF FILTH in South America.

Our...

Posted by Cradle of Filth on Sunday, August 24, 2025

In a special episode of his video podcast "The David Ellefson Show", former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson shared his reaction to the band's announcement that its upcoming LP will be the band's last. The Dave Mustaine-led outfit will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026. Asked for his "thoughts" on MEGADETH "calling it quits", Ellefson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a lot, 'cause, of course, it brings up years and years of thoughts, feelings, emotions, some great, some not so great. I always say these gold records on the wall — which, the only reason I have 'em up is 'cause we have a podcast [laughs]; it just makes for a good backdrop — but I look at 'em, 'Countdown [To Extinction]', 'Peace Sells', 'Beavis And Butt-Head', 'Rust In Peace', they all have a story in 'em. And some of the stuff in the '90s were better stories — the band was cohesive, the management was consistent, the music, I think, was collaborative. We went to new heights, we explored new territory that you could only dream of doing, Grammy nominations, festivals, the world for touring was really opening up everywhere. So, really great stuff. In the middle of it, of course, and around it was addictions, rehabs, canceled tours, lost finances in the millions. And so for things to sort of flush out the way that they did with now me not being part of the final farewell of something I started, as one can imagine, [it's] probably not something I'm super happy about. And saying that while still being grateful for all that it was, because I think at some point you have to find a path through it because this is reality."

Referencing Mustaine's debilitating injury in 2002 that caused severe nerve damage to his left arm and hand, and rendered him unable to play the guitar for a while, Ellefson continued: "Look, I feel like Dave Mustaine ended our friendship in 2001, and that was it. And he ended it very loudly, very publicly. He personally signed his name to it. He said we would never play music together again. And that's it. That is it. So from there on, I, I moved on. And I learned from 2002, with the career-ending nerve damage to his arm, and then two years later there's a new album with a new band and new financial terms and I'm not part of it and lawsuits to settle business matters, and just all the things go, there's a whole story there of a lot of this stuff. I was out, then suddenly I was back, and it was great. And he and I tried to mend fences, as I think we did. He was generous to me. Things were good.

"Clearly MEGADETH is a Mustaine family-run business," Ellefson added. "And it started that way, I think, probably a little while after I came back to the band [in 2010]. 'Cause when I came back to the band, it was not — it was Dave. And I kind of became the good friend to Dave. I knew him and he knew me in a way that no one else could. Dave had his friends before me growing up in California, but I've certainly known him one of the longest of most anybody on the planet, at least from inner workings of a band kind of thing. So, as bands go though, there can be tensions, there are all those things. Certainly what was made clear to me in 2004 is, 'Hey, it's a new day. It's a new way. Dave's in charge. It's not gonna be what it was. It's not gonna be collaborative.' [Former MEGADETH drummer] Shawn Drover always used to remind me of that. He goes, 'Dude, those days when of us all getting in a room and writing a record, dude, those days are long gone.' In fact, I remember when I came back and we were doing the 'Th1rt3en' album after about a year on the road, Dave asked me, he said, 'Oh, I'd like to have you write.' I said, 'You know what? No. Why don't you write the songs? I'll play bass for you. Let's just keep it clean. Keep it simple. Let's not even blur the lines.' And that's why I did other musical things. I did the ELLEFSON solo records and various other things to just have a little… I [thought], 'Let me take my creative stuff over there.' I knew in no way was that ever gonna sort of trump the brand, if you will, be bigger than the MEGADETH brand, yet it was a way to have a little creative outlet on the side, kind of get my yayas without interfering with MEGADETH. 'Cause I knew — look, we got it back together. Let's keep it clean, let's keep it simple. Let's just do that. And I think every time we tried to write, it was always a sore spot. It was problematic. And I was, like, 'Oh, I wish we weren't even going down this road.' Now, of course, everybody wants their name on the record, everybody wants to feel some of the financial windfall. And how things are split financially doesn't always have to how they're split with the credits and stuff like that.

"There's a weird thing in bands that how things are financially split… If you're a founding member of a band, to some degree you should be entitled to a piece of every everything and all of it, basically, 'cause it wouldn't exist if you weren't there," David noted. "And that deal got changed in 2004. That immediately changed the landscape. It changed my feelings about it. It drew us into a legal dispute — rightfully so. And no one wins in lawsuits, to some degree, yet sometimes they have to happen because things need to be done the way they need to be done. And I guess the good news for me is financially it landed certainly much better for me, and getting paid directly for my sources rather than… 'Cause sometimes that's what happens, is money goes through the channels of the organization and sometimes people don't get paid. So that needed to happen, and I'm glad I went through the process. It's not a fun process — I didn't sleep for nine months because of it — but that's when I had my little band F5 and I was trying to at least kind of keep my nose creatively involved in some stuff.

"So, there's a lot of history here with this band. This band started with a resentment. It started with a 'fuck you', Dave's sort of revenge against [his former band] METALLICA. And it wasn't entirely that. I mean, that gets a little blown out of proportion. To some degree, Dave was his own artist away from METALLICA. He had 'Mechanix' and some songs before METALLICA, and he certainly wrote songs after. So I think that that's a little unfair to paint that entirely on Dave that MEGADETH was just this revenge toward METALLICA. It may have been often fueled by it, but how could it not be? He was not a founding member of METALLICA. He was there for, as I always call it, a year and a half in the life of METALLICA. And [he] certainly changed the course of what they did. But they went on and had their own successes.

"But, look, for Dave to call it quits or to retire, I should say… Farewell… I don't even know if he's retiring. He's just basically saying MEGADETH's over… Would I like to be a part of it? Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't?" he admitted. "I'm a founding member of it. I'm a 30-plus-year member of it. Is that gonna happen? Who knows? It's too early to tell. I don't know what they have planned. I have no idea what it is. They just made an announcement about it. Do I think there should be some sort of farewell that everybody gets to participate in? I mean, look, [the] 'Back To The Beginning' [concert in Birmingham] with BLACK SABBATH. Look, they made nice. They brought all four of BLACK SABBATH['s original members]. They brought everybody back. You had [former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Jake [E. Lee]. Now, was everybody there? No. There were some key people — Bob Daisley — some people that weren't there. But for the most part, they brought a lot of the people back. And just speaking of BLACK SABBATH, they brought the original, the core four back, and they said goodbye. Not only did they say goodbye, everybody got to say goodbye to them. And I think when you're doing a farewell, that's important, that you get to say goodbye and everybody gets to say goodbye to you. I think that that's an important part of it. But that's me. I'm not in the band anymore. I have no say in it. So that's just me. That's just one guy with an opinion, quite honestly."

After podcast co-host Joshua Toomey opined that "everyone that was ever in MEGADETH should also be able to say their farewell too" and be part of the celebrations in some way, Ellefson said: "Well, I strongly stand against the notion that MEGADETH was only Dave Mustaine, 'cause it wasn't. And everybody knows that. So, if Dave needs to retire, wants to retire, I get it. I understand. He's given a lot. It's taken a lot out of him. It's taken certainly a toll on him, as anyone can imagine. So, look, God bless you, brother. If you're done, this is it, you wanna go do something else with your life, spend time with your family, just not play guitar, I get it. I mean, dude, believe me, I'm 60. There's some days I just kind of go, 'God, really? Should I write another album, another song? Do I really wanna go on stage?' And the answer always comes back to yes, I do. So I do. So I can't speak for him, and I'm not gonna speak for him. But, look, again, I haven't talked to the guy now in four and a half years, so I have no idea what his reasoning is, what the thinking is behind it.

"Someone made a point, they said we're all fans of MEGADETH music, even if we're not maybe fans of a particular lineup of the band, or we're not fans of certain members of the band, we still all love MEGADETH music," he continued. "And I thought, okay, I'm down with that. I can get behind that."

Referencing Mustaine's decision to fire Ellefson in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter, David said: "It's unfortunate that things landed between me and Dave where they did, because as I said right from the beginning, they didn't have to. And I made it very clear on the phone call when they were firing me that they didn't have to do that. It was unnecessary. Whatever those circumstances are were nothing to be feared. We can move on. But whatever. They made their decision, so let the chips fall where they may. I don't really even like going back to that period of time, because I felt like there was a lot leading up to that stuff behind the scenes, conversations that Dave and I were having about things that maybe we just weren't agreeing on. And that's okay. You can agree to disagree. You don't have to agree on everything.

"[OVERKILL singer] Bobby Blitz said something really good to me when I was touring with OVERKILL," Ellefson added. "'Cause he said he and D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist], they're the boss. They run OVERKILL, they run the band. And he said, 'No matter how we go into the room with separate ideas, we come out as one voice.' And I thought, 'Man, that's a great way to put it.' And I always felt like Dave and I did that. No matter what we felt like when we got in the room, we leave this room as one voice. And Dave being the leader, Dave being the self-appointed voice of the group, let him have that voice. So I always felt like I stood behind that. I was unified with him. Whether I agreed with it or not, you get on board with it and that's what it is, and you go with that. And look, for the most part, Dave's way worked pretty good. I wasn't there to defy that."

Mustaine and the rest of MEGADETH have yet to reveal the final album's title, release date or the band's remaining tour dates.

In a press release announcing MEGADETH's final album and farewell tour, Mustaine thanked fans for their commitment and love while celebrating the band's impact on the music world.

"There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional," Mustaine said. "Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them."

He continued. "We can't wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it's now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it's now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it's our last studio album. We've made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour.

"Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything."

The follow-up to 2022's "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" will be released via Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label, and is expected next year.

Fans can register for early access to exclusive information and offers surrounding the upcoming final album on MEGADETH's web site. Pre-orders for the LP will start on September 25. The initial run of farewell tour dates will also be announced later this year.

For its final album, MEGADETH is once again working with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on MEGADETH's last two LPs, the aforementioned "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Back in October 2022, Mustaine once again said that he was the sole founding member of MEGADETH. The guitarist/vocalist made the comment in an interview with LifeMinute to promote "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!". While discussing the MEGADETH "sound", the now 63-year-old musician said: "There's a misnomer that there were two people that founded MEGADETH. I was the founder; I was the only one in the beginning. There was a bass player before who just was… who just left. So it's been my vision. When I got kicked out of METALLICA, I got kicked out of METALLICA; no one else was with me on the bus coming home."

Mustaine's comments came nearly seven years after he implied in an interview with the Cape Girardeau, Missouri radio station Real Rock 99.3 that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band because, he said, "MEGADETH was already in its formative phase long before I even knew David Ellefson." Ellefson later said that he was "technically" a founding member of MEGADETH because he was "in the room" the day MEGADETH decided to change its name from the previous working moniker of FALLEN ANGEL at the suggestion of the band's then-guitarist Greg Handevidt.

In February 2016, just a month after his original remarks were published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Mustaine was asked by Ticketmaster what it means to have a longtime collaborator like Ellefson back in the band after so many lineup changes. He responded: "David and I have been friends for a long time, even during the lawsuit. I had made it clear that I loved him, and I loved his family. I said that the truth would come out and that it was very unfortunate. The lawsuit was dismissed, I forgave him, and we got back in business again. It's been fun ever since."

He continued: "There's a couple web sites out there that don't like me and they're trying to twist some of my words around about David Ellefson being in the band or not being in the band, or being a founding member or not being a founding member. And that shit don't matter, because it's a gossip web site. The truth is, me and Dave are partners, we make good music together, he's in MEGADETH, we're going on tour. Hopefully people will know when they see him on stage and not think he's somebody else. [Laughs]"

In February 2016, Ellefson was asked by Cranked Up Live about Mustaine's comments to Real Rock 99.3 where the MEGADETH leader implied that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band. Ellefson said: "Well, it's interesting… Yeah, I did see [the article on BLABBERMOUTH.NET]. And it's interesting. The headline was very misleading and was obviously meant… It was very inflammatory. It was meant to be a hamburger bomb thrown over into the middle of our campaign. And I think I saw it as that. So, again, open the story, read it. They didn't even say that. They didn't even say what the headline says. That headline was misconstrued.

"Now, look, when Dave came home from METALLICA, he had another bass player, kind of a kid he was almost teaching how to play bass, and another guitar player he had been working with a little bit, and a singer, named Lor. And those were kind of the first people that, I think, in April and May of 1983 that Dave was just kicking some ideas around [with], seeing if he could get anything going. But the day me and my friend Greg Handevidt knocked on Dave's door and asked him where to buy some cigarettes and beer, that was the day that there was a unity that moved forward, because me, Greg, Dave, that singer Lor and our drummer Dijon Carruthers, who helped create a lot of the lyrics and the concept of 'Black Friday' on the 'Peace Sells' record, that was… we were the group that were rehearsing for a few weeks, working on these new songs Dave was writing. And one day we came back to… I think it was me and Greg's apartment… And it was Greg who suggested… We were talking about band names, and Greg suggested… There was a name kicking around, FALLEN ANGEL, that I think Dave… That was kind of working title that he had. But he had a song called 'Megadeth', which was later retitled to become 'Set The World Afire'. And it was my friend Greg who suggested, 'I think we should call the band MEGADETH.' And it was decided that day, so, I mean, technically, whoever was in the room that day was a founding member of MEGADETH. And, again, I don't know why there has to be so much importance on that. I know, I was there. And quickly, all those other members either scattered or were let go, and within a month or so, it was me and Dave standing next to each other — Dave and Dave of this new group called MEGADETH.

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe has paid tribute to former MASTODON guitarist Brent Hinds, who died Wednesday night (August 20) in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta. He was 51.

On Saturday (August 23),Blythe took to his Instagram to share a photo of Hinds and he included the following message: "For the last few days Hurricane Erin traveled up the coast, bringing huge waves to our beaches- this is what us East Coast surfers wait all year for. Thursday morning I paddled out with some friends down in NC to ride some monsters. The sets were breaking well overhead, & I had that excited, nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach that comes when you head out into big swell to surf waves of consequence. I took a few on the head getting out, then got utterly destroyed dropping into a gigantic bomb, & finally I managed to catch 3 or 4 big waves that pushed the edges of my limited skill level. I got out of the water with a huge smile on my face, overjoyed to be alive in that moment, so very happy to be a 54 year old man who can still do such things. An hour later, I got the news that Brent Hinds had died in a motorcycle accident. He was 51, just 3 years younger than me.

"In many ways, Brent was like a hurricane — a wild & uncontrollable force well known for wreaking havoc wherever he touched down. Like a hurricane, Brent could be destructive at times. But also just like a hurricane, he produced rare things of pure beauty; these massive, gorgeous, waves of sound that provided people so much joy. Anyone who ever met him has a Brent story, because he was uncompromisingly himself, with a take it or leave it attitude. I knew & traveled the world with him on tour for over 20 years, & I did some pretty insane things with him in the early days. I have countless Brent stories- but none of those are really important now, though.

"A few hours after I heard he had died, I went back into the ocean- the swell had dropped some, but it was still big enough to warrant a few butterflies in the stomach. In my head as I paddled out was 'Floods Of Triton', the song my band did with MASTODON. One line in particular, 'A hurricane's ghost...', kept echoing in my mind. To my knowledge, the solo for that song was the last thing Brent recorded with MASTODON. I sang a bit of it sitting there on my board in the ocean, then turned & caught a nice sized wave for him, literally riding a hurricane's ghost. When I got out of the water, I could still hear the song we made together in my head the storm had passed, but the music remained. It still does.

"When you make music with other people, together you create something bigger than the individual musicians, forming something eternal. Music is comprised of sound waves, a form of energy. Energy can neither be created or destroyed- it only changes form. All music travels the cosmos forever- this is the meaning of another line I wrote for 'Floods Of Triton': 'Scream into eternity, remember this- all rivers run to the sea.' As individual musicians, we are just channels, rushing into the larger ocean that we call music. And as individual musicians, we are mere human beings, with all the attendant problems & flaws & moments of beauty & joy that come with the human condition. I am this, my bandmates are this, the MASTODON guys are this, & Brent was certainly this- beautifully flawed human beings. No matter what we create together, in the end we are just human beings. It is important to remember this.

"So I have been sad in an oddly numb sort of way for the last few days— someone I spent so much time with is gone, & as so often happens when a friend dies, I don't really understand that yet. But my sadness grows much sharper when I think of Brent's family, his other friends I know, & of my brothers in MASTODON. This is a truly terrible situation for everyone involved, something that NO ONE wanted to happen— that is the bottom line. It's not a soap opera, ok? Remember that.

"I took many photos of Brent over the years- this is the last portrait of him I ever shot. Every portrait I have of him shows a devilish twinkle to his eyes, & this one is no different. I found it the day I learned he died, but didn't feel like posting it, or really saying anything-sometimes it is better to be still & quiet. Instead I went into the sea, & rode waves, & heard various music he had made in my head. Sunset was beautiful that day, & I watched it from a boat in the sea. Even in a boat, the swell was big beneath to make me a little nervous- Brent would have enjoyed that ride, as he liked such things.

"Rest in peace, Brent- you were a TRUE rock n' roll wild man. Thanks for the tunes, the crazy times, & the many, many laughs. You will be missed.

"'Remember this- all rivers run to the sea...'"

Hinds was reportedly riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle 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.

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".

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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In a new interview with FOX5 Las Vegas, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, who just launched a North American tour with his solo band, spoke about the task of balancing his solo projects and his recording and touring commitments to the legendary heavy metal act. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just got done with doing stadiums in Europe [with MAIDEN]. So we were doing, like, 75,000 people and stuff like that. And now I'm doing the House Of Blues [in Las Vegas with my solo band]. So, there's just horses for courses. There's different things that happen in that kind of environment, like the club, small theater, stuff like that, and it's brilliant, 'cause it's really intimate one on one.

"We don't have any problems with scheduling our extracurricular activities, really," Bruce explained. "I mean, MAIDEN gets set in stone a year or a couple of years in advance. In fact, with this same [solo] band I'm making a new record in January next year, and I'm thinking about 2027, to have that released and a tour and stuff. So we can schedule things around the whole MAIDEN world, which is brilliant."

Touching upon the similarities between his solo material and MAIDEN's musical output, Bruce said: "My stuff is, obviously, related, 'cause I write some of the MAIDEN songs and everything. But it's a little bit more varied. I mean, you've got the big old ballads like 'Tears Of The Dragon' and stuff, which, of course, I shall be playing [on the North American tour]. 'Cause I've got seven solo albums out now. It's a lot of stuff to pick from."

Dickinson kicked off his first extensive North American solo tour in almost 30 years in support of his current studio album, "The Mandrake Project", Friday night (August 22) at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California. 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.

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".

Before 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."

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.

During an appearance on the August 14 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was asked if he and his bandmates would be interested in doing a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, the 17,600-capacity venue which has transformed live entertainment since opening in September 2023. He responded: "No. It's not MAIDEN. MAIDEN's about the relationship between the band and the audience, and the show, whilst it's a show, is an enhancement to what we do. The Sphere, as far as I can gather — I mean, I appreciate what you're saying about it's all encompassing, it's this and that, it's the other — but I think the band would be very uncomfortable with the idea. I mean, we just do a lot of stuff — we run around, we go around — and at the Sphere, what's the point? What's the point? In fact, what's the point of even being there, if you're a band?"

A massive, spherical venue known for its immersive entertainment experiences, including concerts and films, featuring a state-of-the-art 16K resolution wraparound screen and a powerful sound system, the Las Vegas Sphere is nestled near the Venetian Resort and Wynn Las Vegas just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The Sphere has already hosted residencies from a number of legendary rockers, including U2, PHISH, DEAD & COMPANY and THE EAGLES.

Earlier this month, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich confirmed that he and his bandmates were "considering" doing a residency at the Sphere in the fall of 2026 after the group's scheduled "M72" world tour dates conclude with another European run next July. Ulrich told "The Howard Stern Show": "I was there seeing U2 the first night, when they took that stage, I wanted to see it for myself before I saw it on YouTube or read about it. I was there, like everybody else that was there that night, I was completely blown away, and felt that was the beginning of another chapter in live performances.

"I'm not going to bullshit you, I would fucking love to do it, let there be no question about it," Lars added. "It's not signed, sealed and delivered, but speaking to me and asking my opinion, I would fucking love to do it."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett also expressed an interest in playing the Sphere, telling The Hollywood Reporter in April: "That's a great example of how venues are changing. That's using modern technology to the fullest, to really up the levels of production and entertainment, connected to A.I. and making it a crazy experience."

U2 opened the building with 160,000-square-foot LED screens and 4D features, playing to more 700,000 fans across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024. The shows commemorated one of U2's most successful albums, the chart-topping 1991 release "Achtung Baby", played in its entirety, along with select tracks from other U2 LPs.

Sphere's next-generation technologies include the world's highest-resolution LED display that wraps up, over and around the audience, creating a fully immersive visual environment. The venue also features the world's most advanced concert-grade audio system, Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, which delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest.

A key component of the Sphere experience that makes audiences feel like they've been transported to another world, Sphere's 10,000 haptic seats are integrated with Powersoft's infrasound system. Powersoft Mover is the company's revolutionary compact transducer that uses haptic feedback to provide event-goers with a more convincing, realistic experience, engaging the senses beyond visual and audio stimulation. Powersoft's patented moving-magnet technology is more durable, accurate and efficient, relying on an audio signal with ultra-low-frequency reproduction to make the chairs vibrate and shake as desired for each performance. To accompany the infrasound haptic system, Powersoft also supplied 2,500 audio channels for the seats, provided by 718 Powersoft Quattrocanali amplifiers.

RAVEN frontman John Gallagher has shared a new video message from the hospital, less than a day after it was announced that the British/American metal trio was postponing its previously announced summer/fall 2025 European tour due to the bassist/vocalist's health.

In the video message, which can be seen below, John states:  "Hey there, everybody. Not the video I wanted to make, but here we are. So, as you can see, I'm in the hospital and there's my metal horns. I got in on the 12th of August with bad headaches. They put me in surgery the next day. Found out I had a bleed on the brain. So we don't want any aneurysms and strokes and crap like that. So they went in, did the thing. [They] had to go in again on the 19th, bit more substantially, and things are working out. I am getting there, but as sad as it may seem, we're not going to be able to make the European tour. I'm just not strong enough, and as you know, our show is all about strength. And once I'm ready, we will come back better than ever. So thank you all and we will see you very soon. Rock until you drop."

When the RAVEN tour postponement was first announced on Saturday (August 23),RAVEN members John, guitarist Mark Gallagher and drummer Mike Heller wrote in a statement: "Raven Lunatics, got some unfortunate news for you! We are very sad to say that we have to postpone the upcoming European Tour due to John's health. He was admitted to hospital with a massive headache on August 12th. Following a CAT scan, it was determined that he was suffering from a bleed on the brain, Subdural Hematoma. Surgery was planned for the next day, then a further, more invasive surgery was performed on the 19th. He is now doing good, but of course, needs to recuperate and will not be able to fly on a plane.

"Very few shows have ever been cancelled in our 50 year career.

"We are working with our agency Dragon Productions, as well as the promoters to reschedule these dates.

"We would like to thank our booking agent Bart Gabriel, the promoters and of course all the Raven Lunatics who were coming to the shows for your understanding.

"We will be BACK – STRONGER than ever! Rock Until You Drop!"

Considered part of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" movement of the early '80s, RAVEN is perhaps best remembered for its trailblazing tours in America in the early '80s that gave groups like METALLICA and ANTHRAX their first taste of the road.

In a 2014 interview with CantonRep.com, John stated about RAVEN's tour with METALLICA, dubbed the "Kill 'Em All For One Tour", the moniker coming from the combination of the bands' two albums at the time: "It was like guerilla warfare. There were 17 people in a six-person Winnebago. We ended up spending most of our time traveling in the back of one of the trucks, because it was more sanitary! You'd turn up in places like Oklahoma City going, 'Doesn't this remind you of the 'Blues Brothers?' And it was except there was no chicken wire, so when people were throwing (crap) around, it would hit you! But we'd played for punks in workingman's clubs in the North of England, so we just gave it back, kicked their beers over, jumped on the tables, and said, 'Are you with us or against us?' That was our job. It was METALLICA's first tour. We showed them the ropes, and they were completely out of control. It was great. It was like this big gang traveling across America."

RAVEN's classic albums "Rock Until You Drop", "Wiped Out" and "All For One" virtually invented both the speed metal and power metal genres, with the band consistently pushing the envelope while retaining its unique sound and attack — both in the studio and in their true element: onstage.

In a 2005 post on RAVEN's official message board, John stated about RAVEN's influence on other pioneering metal bands: "Anyone ever listen to the middle of 'Aces High' by IRON MAIDEN and compare it to part of 'Faster Than The Speed Of Light' [by RAVEN]? How about the chorus riff of METALLICA's 'No Remorse' to [RAVEN's] 'Lambs To The Slaughter'?? Makes me laugh...!"

RAVEN's latest EP, "Can't Take Away The Fire", came out in February via Silver Lining Music.

In a new interview with Metalshop TV, SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith and drummer Barry Kerch spoke about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the band's upcoming eighth studio album.  Barry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Listen, it's not quite done yet. When it's done, it'll be out. I can tell you there'll be two more songs that come out this year, and you will get a record next year, probably, I would imagine, within — we're hoping for March. We're close, but we're never gonna release anything that isn't up to our standards, and we're just not there yet. So, soon. Next year."

Added Brent: "Our whole thing about it was this: it was the idea of if we do it in a traditional setting in regards to releasing the record that we are creating right now, it would be a lot longer of time since the last album. And so we said, let's give them a couple of songs earlier in the year and then give them two more songs at the back half of the summer into the fall and announce the record in the fall, and it'll be out next year — probably late February, early March of 2026."

Kerch and Smith also talked about SHINEDOWN's massive success in the U.S., with Barry saying: " Radio built this band, for sure. This band was built on radio, because, look, we've been around for 22 years, 23 years, but really touring for just 21 years. And we never said no to radio. 'Hey, you wanna play our radio fest?' 'Can you come do an interview?' 'Can you come do these things?' And when you do those things, you gain mutual respect and then they might play your song a couple more times that week or whatever. So this band was definitely built on radio, and we will never turn our backs on radio. However, things have changed over those 20 years. And yes, Spotify's important. Yes, iTunes is important. Yes, Pandora's important. All of those outlets are important. To me, I look at it, and I think Brent would agree on this, is I want our song played on all of those things, and I want it to climb all of those charts. I wanna be on the top of all those playlists because the youth goes to those maybe more than they do radio, but all of it puts yourself out there and makes the band grow even more. So I think all of those outlets are important. They all just do different things. And, yeah, we could talk about Spotify maybe not giving back as much as artists would like and things like that, but the devil is who you know, and it is what it is these days. So you still wanna grow with all of those organizations."

Added Brent: "One thing that I'll say about the radio, though, because when you're being specific to said the United States and Canada, they're similar, but the difference in the u the U.S. to any other country is this, and I can just be honest about it. The platform for streaming broadens you out to an entire planet, but you're competing with 240,000 songs a day on just the Spotify streaming service alone. And it's not even counting Apple, Pandora, Shazam, Amazon — I can keep going — YouTube. I mean, people need to understand also, too, as far as streaming is concerned, YouTube is the number one place to listen to music. It's the highest, and it's not even talked about, but that's where most people listen to music. But in the United States of America, there's 50 states. In those 50 states, there are multiple cities. And in those cities, there are multiple towers that curate to that market. And you have AM and FM [radio], so you have talk radio, and then you have radio. Usually talk is AM, but FM, you have country music, you have alternative stations, you have rock stations, you have pop stations, you have hip-hop stations, you have urban stations, you have rhythmic stations. There are so many towers in every state, in every city. There's a culture in each one of those cities and there's a branding, if you will, and something that separates that city from every other. And their market share and their community, they double down on that. So it is a different thing in the U.S. than any other country. 'Cause you'll go into the U.K., there's three radio stations. You'll go into even the Czech Republic, I think there's one station. So the dynamic of that — yes."

Smith continued: "This is the way we've always looked at it, and I mean it from a global sense too. The reality is that the way that I've always seen it and the band has seen it and why radio is such a predominant thing for us, is it did build our band, because there were moments with the streaming services where they wouldn't give us playlisting, but radio was always there. We're also a band that's on five formats in the United States. So it's not just one style of music or one type of listener. And to their credit, I would say this: streaming will get your music played, but radio will give you a career."

Earlier this month, SHINEDOWN released a brand new single, "Killing Fields", via Atlantic Records. The track arrived just days before SHINEDOWN headed off on the largest and most ambitious tour it has ever set out on in its career. Performing at arenas all across the country, the tour kicked off on July 19 at Boston's TD Garden and the next day they performed at Madison Square Garden (the first time they have ever performed there as a band),as well as Los Angeles's Kia Forum on August 3. Joining on the second leg of the tour are BUSH and Morgan Wade on all shows.

"Killing Fields" is the third new song SHINEDOWN has made available in 2025 after the simultaneous release of "Three Six Five" and "Dance, Kid, Dance" in January. Breaking rules and doing what few artists have been able to achieve, "Three Six Five" is currently charting at five different radio formats: already hitting No. 1 at Alternative, it also has hit Top 10 at Hot AC and AC, No. 16 at Active Rock and is approaching Top 20 at Top 40 radio.

The massive support at radio can also be derived from the inspirational message of the song. Upon release of the animated music video, which featured storylines of three people each dealing with loss in their lives over the course of a year, and how they navigated through it, inspired fans all over the Internet. Many wrote in their own stories of loss and used the comment section of the video almost as an online therapy board.

Released simultaneously with "Three Six Five" was "Dance, Kid, Dance". The song has literally made history for the band as when it reached No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart, it marked SHINEDOWN's 22nd song to reach No. 1 on the chart. On the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart (where it also hit No. 1) SHINEDOWN became the only band in the chart's history to get 20 No. 1s on the chart. Not to mention when the song entered the Top 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, SHINEDOWN tied with the FOO FIGHTERS for the artists with the most songs to hit the top 10 in the chart's history with 32 songs each. On Mediabase, SHINEDOWN holds the record for the most No. 1s, No. 5s and No. 10s on the Active Rock chart, with a total of 24 No. 1s on the Mediabase chart. All these incredible accomplishments continue to solidify that SHINEDOWN have made a name for themselves in rock and are one of the biggest bands in the world.

This year has also come with some historic wins for the band as they recently took home two trophies at the iHeartRadio Music Awards where they won "Rock Artist Of The Year" and "Rock Song Of The Year" for "A Symptom Of Being Human". The awards were in celebration of the banner year they've had as "A Symptom Of Being Human" has hit nearly 125 million global streams and charted at five radio formats including a No. 1 at Active, Top 10 at Alternative, Top 10 at AC, Top 15 at Hot AC and a Top 20 at Top 40. The song, off SHINEDOWN's "Planet Zero" album, resonated with fans across the globe for the unifying message of its lyrics: that it is our human connections that matter the most.

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

For the tour, SHINEDOWN has teamed up with Musicians On Call and will be donating $1 for every ticket sold for the tour. As the nation's leading provider of live music in hospitals, Musicians On Call (MOC) has delivered the healing power of music to patients, families, and caregivers in healthcare environments for 25 years. More than one million people across all 50 states have experienced the joys of live music in the hospital setting through MOC's bedside, virtual, and streaming programs. MOC volunteers perform live for children and adults facing any health challenge, including Veterans recovering in VA facilities, family members supporting loved ones in need, and healthcare workers caring for patients. The collaboration is just one of the many charities SHINEDOWN supports as they frequently give back to organizations in need.

Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz

During an appearance on "The Tucker Carlson Show", conservative rocker Aaron Lewis was asked for his opinion of Bruce Springsteen, who can best be described as Lewis's political polar opposite, having been a vocal opponent to U.S. president Donald Trump on many occasions. The STAIND frontman said of the New Jersey-bred musician who became rock 'n' roll's voice of the working class (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that he is a disgusting display of not appreciating what was handed to him, in this country as being an American, the success that he has had. The fact that he duped us all with one of the most anti-American songs ever and called it 'Born In The USA' as some sort of celebration of how great it is to be born in the USA. I'm angry at myself for not seeing it for so long and actually giving him, in my mind, the credit of being a representation of blue-collar America."

Lewis continued: "I think that [Springsteen] has forgotten where he came from. I think that if you're not careful doing this, this career that that me and him have both been so blessed to have had, if you're not careful, it will consume you. And it's obvious that it creates a situation where you've lost sight of the reality of the country that you live in because you've lived such a cush… you've had so much, you have so much that it's really easy to take a stance that is so anti everything that you were lucky enough to have, lucky enough to create, lucky enough to change your situation in life. And he's just lost touch with the struggles. He's lost touch with the struggle."

Referencing the fact that Springsteen is a long and prominent supporter of Democratic presidential candidates, Aaron added: "It seems like most people who have lost touch with the true struggle of life, those are the people that vote for these fucking idiots. Those are the people that feel like they have to virtue signal. Those are the people that, somewhere along the way, they feel guilty for the success that they have had, so they somehow have to make it up with this nonsensical bullshit that… You grew up at the same time… I did. It was the most unracially driven... The verbal beating that we took over and over and over, our whole childhood of you don't judge a man by the color of his skin, you judge a man by the content of his character… It was the best that our country has ever been. And I think that that didn't work well for the Democrats and the Communists, because they thrive in the chaos. They want us at each other's throats. They want us bickering internally so that we have no sense of shared country pride, that we have no sense of shared morality because they've created so many things artificially for us to fight about."

Lewis previously called out Springsteen in his controversial solo single "Am I The Only One". The song, which took aim at liberals and touched on American flags burning and statues that had been removed in the country, saw Aaron criticizing Bruce at the end of the track, singing: "Am I the only one who quits singin' along every time they play a Springsteen song."

Asked during a 2021 appearance on The Daily Wire's "Candace" show why he chose to call out Springsteen in the song's lyrics, Lewis said: "Because he's always portrayed himself as the all-American middle-class guy. And during all of this craziness, he said that if one man is re-elected to the office of presidency that he was gonna move to Australia. How American is that? You're gonna bail on America just because you don't like the guy that may have gotten into office?"

In his 2016 memoir "Born To Run", Springsteen called "Born In The USA", the title track off his blockbuster seventh album, "a protest song," with the track's lyrics telling of a local loser who's railroaded into military service during the Vietnam War, scarred by his experiences in Southeast Asia, and completely forgotten about by his country when he returns home.

Lewis, who is widely considered to be one of the most politically conservative musicians in rock, made headlines in September 2021 when he urged his fans to chant "Fuck Joe Biden" during a STAIND concert in Pennsylvania.

Aaron told the Anchorage Press in a January 2020 interview that he considered the first Donald Trump impeachment by the House Of Representatives as the clearest representation of what's wrong with America these days.

Lewis was a staunch critic of President Barack Obama, telling a crowd at one of his solo concerts in 2016: "Barack Obama should have been impeached a long fucking time ago. Every fucking decision he makes is against the Constitution, it's against what's good for our fucking country, and he is truly the worst fucking president that we have ever had in the history of this fucking country."

That same year, Lewis told Billboard that he would support Trump in the U.S. presidential race, even though he was "disappointed" by the real estate mogul "with the bickering and the name-calling." Lewis added that he voted for Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's closest competitor in the Republican nomination race, in the Massachusetts primary.

In June 2021, Lewis made headlines when he accused the U.S. Democratic Party of fighting against every major civil rights initiative and of having a long history of discrimination.

In March 2022, Lewis told the Los Angeles Times that he doesn't blindly listen to information that is delivered by the mainstream media.

"I'm not uneducated; I'm actually really smart, and I look for myself. I seek other options of information," he said. "I refuse to believe that a huge, gigantic corporation has our best interest in mind."

Asked where he gets his news, Lewis said: "I have news feeds and people that I follow on Telegram. Dan Ball. Andrew Wilkow. Mark Levin. If I'm gonna watch any sort of news source on television, it's Tucker Carlson."

This past June, Springsteen ripped Trump during his "Land of Hopes And Dreams" tour, calling Trump a "treasonous" president who's "persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent." Springsteen later told The New York Times that Trump is a "moron", but only partially responsible for the "tragic" state of America. "I think that it was the combination of the deindustrialization of the country and then the incredible increase in wealth disparity that left so many people behind. It was ripe for a demagogue," Springsteen told The New York Times. "While I can't believe it was this moron that came along, he fit the bill for some people. But what we've been living through in the last 70 days is things that we all said, 'This can't happen here.' 'This will never happen in America.' And here we are." He added, "It's an American tragedy."

TESLA guitarist and songwriter Frank Hannon has announced the upcoming release of "Reflections", a new solo instrumental album arriving September 12. Written and recorded in the wake of personal loss and life upheaval, "Reflections" is Hannon's most intimate and revealing work to date — a 13-song collection of cinematic, Western-influenced guitar instrumentals tracked as raw first takes on his cell phone. Marked by intricate fingerpicking, soulful slide, and deeply felt melodies, the album captures Hannon reconnecting with his roots — musically, emotionally and spiritually — while offering a rare, unfiltered look into the heart of a guitarist who has helped shape American rock music for more than four decades.

Rooted in soulful bottleneck slide guitar and inspired by Hannon's late father-in-law, ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND legend Dickey Betts, the album's latest single "One More Time" is out today; a melodic, blues-infused shuffle that captures the upbeat side of the record. The accompanying video offers a personal glimpse into Hannon's home life with horses and features him playing a rare Gibson SG once owned by Betts himself.

"This song is a tip of the hat to melodic slide guitar–the kind Dickey played so beautifully on songs like 'Pony Boy' and 'Crazy Love'," Hannon shares. "I feel blessed to have spent the past 24 years learning from him and hearing his stories. I really miss him."

"Reflections" came to life during a period of grief and dislocation. The Hannons had been away from home for three years, staying by Betts's side during his final battle with cancer. After Betts's passing, Hannon and his wife evacuated during back-to-back hurricanes, traveling cross-country with a trailer full of horses–one of which later had to be put down. When they finally returned to California, Hannon climbed to his attic, picked up one of his most sentimental guitars, and began to play.

"Someone once told me, 'play guitar like you'll never be able to play again,'" he says. "That's what I did on this album — it's all from the heart."

The album's sound is just as honest as its origins. Using an Audigo wireless mic and mobile app, Hannon recorded and mixed every track directly on his cell phone–layering guitar parts, adjusting EQ, adding reverb and delay, and building fully realized recordings from first-take ideas.

"I was blown away by the sound quality and ease of use," Hannon says. Even mastering engineer Kevin Reeves, whose credits include THE BEATLES and John Coltrane, noted how little processing the mixes required due to the warmth and fidelity captured by the Audigo mic.

While best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of TESLA — whose hits like "Modern Day Cowboy", "Little Suzi" and "Love Song" helped define a generation — Hannon has always stood out for his melodic instincts, expressive tone, and acoustic virtuosity. His signature intro to "Love Song", inspired by Bach, remains one of the most iconic moments in '80s rock guitar. In 1990, TESLA's "Five Man Acoustical Jam" helped usher in the unplugged era, further cementing Hannon's legacy as a versatile and soul-driven player.

Outside TESLA, Hannon has released three solo albums, including the LA Music Awards-nominated "Six String Soldiers", and collaborated with artists like Rick Derringer, Dave Meniketti, Pat Travers and Dickey Betts. In 2020, Gibson honored him with a signature model: the Frank Hannon "Love Dove" acoustic guitar.

"Reflections" represents a new chapter. Its sound is steeped in the Western world Hannon grew up in — raised among horses, chickens, and goats in rural Sacramento, with a soundtrack of Johnny Cash and John Denver. That Americana spirit winds through the album and carries through to its quiet tributes, including a nod to cowboy legend Bill Riddle, who mentored Hannon in Western horseback riding and enlisted him to score music for his instructional DVD "True Grit".

"Reflections" is an album that stands on its own, yet remains rooted in the legacy of a guitarist whose heart has always been on his sleeve–and in his strings.

"'Reflections' is a defining moment for me as an artist," Hannon says. "It came together so naturally, and it reminded me how much I love the guitar."

To celebrate the release of "Reflections", Hannon will embark on a limited solo tour this September. The run includes a special performance at Daryl's House in Pawling, New York on September 10, followed by a featured set at Duane Betts's annual Horseshoe festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Hannon will join the lineup on September 12–13. Additional solo dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Photo credit: Brandon Gullion

In a new interview with the "Surviving Rocklahoma" podcast, '80s hard rock queen Lita Ford spoke about the status of her long-awaited new studio album. Ford's upcoming follow-up to 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" was once again helmed by guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who contributes some guitar playing to the disc. Ford said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've had some trouble trying to get it out or it would've been released already — problems with record label stuff, but I think we might have gotten that under control now. And so we should have the record out hopefully by the beginning of 2026. I hope sooner, 'cause it's pretty much ready to go. But it's a dark fairytale record in kind of like [the animated film] 'Shrek', where Shrek meets [Princess] Fiona, but finds out that she's really an ogre. And it's, like, 'Ah', but it's cute, but it's dark. And at the same time, I think a lot of people will be able to relate to that. It's a concept record. It has a theme all the way through the record. It never lets up. There's lots of characters on the record, and it has some pretty amazing guitar riffs and guitar playing."

Asked about her collaboration with Hoey and producer Max Norman, best known for working with rock and metal artists such as Ozzy Osbourne and MEGADETH, Lita said: "Gary Hoey, first of all, has been with me for many years, and he has saved my life time and time again on different occasions. And so I always end up going, 'Hey, Gary, are you around next week? Can I come over and can we record?' He's got the greatest studio and a great guitar collection. And then I'll bring a few guitars, and we just have this really magical creative thing that happens between us. It's almost like I'll start a sentence and he finishes it, or vice versa — he'll start a sentence and I'll finish it. We make a good team in the studio. And so he produced this record. It took a long time to write it and record it, for multiple reasons. He's always on the road, I'm always on the road, and trying to get our time schedules together. One of our songwriting partners died in the process. And COVID shut everything down; COVID shut everything down for a year. 'Well, can we get in to do those drum tracks now?' 'No. It's COVID.' So it was a problem at the time, but we got around it, and all is good. Max Norman mixed the record. And Max's family — we all come from the same place in the rock music industry, and he did a fantastic job. I have [singer/songwriter/producer] Jean Beauvoir [CROWN OF THORNS, PLASMATICS] on one track, that wrote an amazing track, and he is such a great producer and just really brought that track to life. And now we have Adam Parsons Entertainment who's managing us, and we're gonna find this record a good home. We have a couple of possibilities now, so it's coming soon."

This past June, Lita confirmed to Dawn Osborne of TotalRock that her new album will include a collaboration with German metal queen Doro Pesch. "It's waiting to come out," Ford said. "And I'm dying. It's so good. It's not a ballad, and it's not a fast song. It's just a really powerful, mid-range song. And it will reduce you to tears."

As for how the song with Doro came about, Lita said: "When I ran into Doro, she was receiving an award in Los Angeles, and she says to me, 'Lita, we have to do a song together.' And I said, 'I've got it. I've got the title. I know what the title is.' Because sometimes you just grab titles, and you don't even know why. It's just something that sounds amazing. And so I wrote it down in my little book of titles. And soon after that, Doro had came along and she said, 'Let's write something.' And I got the title. So, I went ahead and wrote the song. And Doro did not write the song, but she sure sang the hell out of it. She came out and nailed it. So it was a great honor to work with Doro again."

In July 2024, Ford told Joe Rock of Long Island's rock station 102.3 WBAB about her upcoming LP: "The studio, for me, has always been trying to teach everybody what I wanna hear. And a lot of that is because they basically don't know themselves as a producer or an engineer. I've had some of the greatest engineers and I've had some of the greatest producers, and this album — we're finished with it now — [was produced by] Gary Hoey. Gary Hoey is a great musician, great guitar player. And Gary and I — I can throw any idea at Gary, and he would try and make it happen. And the thing about being in the studio is you try and make things happen, and if they don't happen, then they don't happen. You can only try. And so we got real creative with guitars and we played — there's a lot of great guitars on this new record. I'm really excited about it."

Lita went on to say that the creation of her new album was completely in her control. "There were no songwriters that I had to work with because somebody else wanted me to work with them," she explained. "This is strictly Lita and what Lita wanted to do. And it's a concept record. There's a big story behind it. And so it's gonna open a lot of doors for a lot of things. And a lot of people are gonna be able to relate to this record. And it has some great musicians. Bobby Rock played drums on it. Jean Beauvoir wrote one of the songs with me. And it's just a great record. And Gary Hoey, of course, produced it. Max Norman, who mixed it — Max Norman did a lot of stuff for Ozzy and MEGADETH, and he's just a metal guy. So it's all in the right hands. I've got all the badass people behind me. Got a new manager, and it's all good."

In May 2022, bassist Marten Andersson (STEELHEART, LIZZY BORDEN, LYNCH MOB) officially joined Lita's touring band. Andersson replaced Marty O'Brien who became the touring bassist for DAUGHTRY.

In a 2023 interview with "THAT Rocks!", the YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, Lita stated about her next LP: "The problem is we've had so many things happen over the last few years. Our manager died; George Marshall died [in] '22. And then my songwriting partner died. And it's just been devastation. But we take all that pain and everything and we just put it right back into the album. And then we recorded the drum tracks in Minneapolis during Black Lives Matter and COVID. Everything was locked down and the place was boarded up and the guys had shotguns and Rottweilers. And then we went in and did drum tracks. And it was awesome. Just memories of just pure badassery."

Regarding what her plans are for live shows in support of her upcoming LP, Lita said: "Well, what I would like to do is put together a theatrical show, sort of like a rock guitar opera kind of thing. It's been done before and different bands have done it before, but I think in this case, it might be a little different and just to bring the whole show not to life just for audio, but for visual reasons also."

In January 2021, Lita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that her new album contains "some of the best guitar playing" she has heard "in decades." She added: "And I'm not blowing smoke up my own ass, but Gary and I just nailed it with the guitar playing on this record.

"I'm a huge fan of people like Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter from Alice Cooper's 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. I mean, there's some really great duo guitar players — [JUDAS PRIEST's] Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing… Those guitar players don't exist anymore — they just don't exist. If you wanna hear them, you have to go back in time a little bit and dig them up into your favorite library, favorite music catalog. But I think Gary and I really nailed it on this next record. It's, like, oh my God. I'm crying — I'm just, like, crying listening to this stuff. It's so badass."

Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Lita in the past, but never before made available.

Nine years ago, Lita released an autobiography, "Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books),an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

In an interview with Stefan Nilsson of Roppongi Rocks, founding WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp was asked if he has any plans to release new music under the MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION banner. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, you're obviously not the first one who has [asked about] that. The difficult part is, and we all know that from all our favorite bands, what do they play live? The greatest hits — all the big songs. And it's just the thing — I mean, how is MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION going to sound? And MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION on stage is going to play songs from the four [WHITE LION] albums. We're not gonna say 'we're gonna play a new song' because that new song, it cannot be represented by the name. WHITE LION are the four albums. So, you know what? It would have to be a completely different project under another name. And I'm highlighting the word 'project', because it's not going to be a band. We're not gonna be able to tour under a new name when I can't go on stage without the WHITE LION name… And the money is also not big enough."

"Songs Of White Lion - Vol. III", the third album in a series where Tramp reinterprets songs from his former band WHITE LION, will arrive on September 19 via Frontiers Music Srl. As was the case with "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. I" and "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II" once again sees Tramp accompanied by his current solo band.

In a recent interview with Dawn Osborne of TotalRock, Tramp was asked if "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. III" is the final album in the series. Tramp responded: "I think when the first one came out, I was still very unsure about really what it was I was doing. To be honest, I think that I somehow both pushed myself into it and felt somehow obligated that since I couldn't go anywhere, regardless of if I showed up on stage with an acoustic guitar or two monkeys, they still will put WHITE LION on the poster. And so I had to find a way to deal with that. And I was speaking with Marcus [Nand], which now does the fine guitar work, and I had asked him if this was possible to sort of [put together] a refurbished version of the classic WHITE LION songs that sounds like how I sound today but at the same time is as close to the original as possible. So when we had done the first one, the first thing any interviewer did was, [they asked] will there be a number two? And, obviously, I started thinking about that. And as we got into number two, I knew there was gonna be a number three."

Asked if he has now re-recorded all the WHITE LION songs or if there are still some that he left out, Mike said: "No. No. And I really had hoped that I wouldn't get confronted with this, because somebody actually spoke to me the other day. He says, 'You know what? I know you you're talking about the completion of the trilogy.' He says, 'I think you [should] just record all the songs so that all the songs have been re-recorded and then that's that.' And I started thinking, 'Wow, okay.'"

Tramp continued: "It's sort of an easy thing to take on because most of the work is already there. Now jumping aside, doing the number three, we went in to do that album completely different than we did the first one. And had I known that we were going to do all three, I wouldn't have made the first one being like a 'greatest hits'. I would've balanced it. I wouldn't have put 'Tell Me', 'Wait' and 'Little Fighter', the big WHITE LION songs, on one album; I would've spread them out. Now as we're doing volume three, a lot of people have already said, when they hear this, this feels like a fresh new album. It's very heavy, it's the dark songs, et cetera, et cetera, and it doesn't just feel like you've just gone in there… Because there's a lot of songs that might not have been the familiar songs with the sort of average rock fan, the WHITE LION fan that knows the three songs. But for those who know the darker tracks from 'Fight To Survive' and 'Big Game' and things like that, this is an album that I really, really actually enjoy myself listening to."

In July, Tramp spoke about how this series of recordings came together, stating in a press release: "For me, the point of re-recording the old classic WHITE LION songs was all about letting the audience know how the band would sound if they come to see us live. Bringing the sound up today and away from a world no more.

"When I started with 'Vol. I', I must admit, I never thought I'd do 'Vol. II' and now 'Vol. III'," he continues. "But having done it all now, makes all the more sense to me. If I have to be active playing WHITE LION in 2025 and onward, there's got to be a natural progression in every way. That is exactly what this trilogy is all about."

In this final installment, Tramp revisits and reimagines ten more essential songs from the WHITE LION catalog, bringing them back to life with the passion, perspective, and authenticity that only decades of experience can deliver.

Once again backed by his trusted bandmates — Marcus Nand (guitar),Claus Langeskov (bass) and Morten Hellborn (drums) — Tramp offers fresh but respectful renditions of these classic tracks, capturing their spirit while elevating them with a more refined, seasoned sound.

From the raw defiance of "Fight To Survive" to the cinematic power of "Warsong" and the infectious rhythm of "Radar Love", this album is both a celebration and a reawakening.

Standing as more than a simple re-recording project, "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. III" is the emotional conclusion of a trilogy — a journey through time, memory, and music that connects the past to the present with integrity and fire.

"Songs Of White Lion - Vol. III" track listing:

01. Dirty Woman
02. Warsong
03. Fight To Survive
04. She's Got Everything
05. In The City
06. If My Mind Is Evil
07. Cherokee
08. All Burn In Hell
09. Don't Say It's Over
10. Radar Love

In a January 2025 interview with Australia's Heavy, Tramp was asked how he has managed to keep his voice in shape after all these years. Tramp, who turned 64 earlier that month, said:  "You know what? Obviously, you will recognize that it's the same singer, but it was very important for me that the growth of Mike Tramp through all the albums that I've done and the touring and the traveling became… Let's say, in reality, [WHITE LION] had not broken up. There would have been a natural progression. Vito Bratta and myself, which, of course, were the foundation of WHTIE LION, the songwriters, already knew that when we recording 'Mane Attraction', our fourth album, our last album. If you go back, you will already see that we were making the first step towards prog rock, where we wanted the band to go. We were going much more towards bands like JOURNEY, KANSAS or STYX and whatever bands would have come. We wanted the band to be a band of music and little by little, the hair would become less important. So, with my albums that have gone on, my voice has naturally just changed bit by bit a year. So when I reintroduced the WHITE LION songs, I definitely cannot sing them in the same key. So once we refurbished them and once we found the new key to the songs, I also went out there now with the knowledge of knowing that I wrote those songs 40 years ago. I wanted to sort of say, 'I'm gonna sing them a little different.'"

Asked why it was important for him to recreate those songs, Mike said: "Yeah, without any disrespect to myself and the band that I started, I personally cannot stand listening to the versions from that time. I was in a completely different place. So, for me to play these songs again, I had to find something that felt new and fresh, even though it was the same thing. So by singing these songs again and changing the keys of the songs, it's almost like they became fatter and fuller and not so gung-ho. We were so fast and singing so high and flying in the air. Now I'm going up to the mic stand and I'm fully in control. I used to run out on stage with WHITE LION and started screaming at the audience, and the band would look at me, 'He's gonna collapse in 10 seconds.' [Now I'm] going out fully confident and saying, 'We're gonna play these songs now for the sake of music.'"

When "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II" was first announced last year, Tramp said in a statement: "Would Leonardo Da Vinci have re-painted 'Mona Lisa', if he had gotten a second chance? That we will never know, but I can say for sure, that I am beyond thrilled to have gotten a second chance to re-record and sing the songs I wrote between 1983 - 1990. Today I have such a better understanding of how I want to express the songs in my voice than I had when I was in my 20s, it's just a fact, and I've grabbed the chance. 'Songs Of White Lion' is a whole new chapter. [As a] matter of fact, it is current."

Tramp spent most of 2024 and the first half of 2025 touring the U.S. and Europe with his band MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION, which doesn't included any other members of the original WHITE LION group.

In 2023, Tramp was asked in an interview about the possibility of WHITE LION reforming for a tour. He said: "When we broke up in '91, we always knew we would never go back together. And a lot of people always talk about reunions. WHITE LION reuniting would not be a better WHITE LION than WHITE LION was, so I'm out there performing the songs, not trying to recreate WHITE LION."

Asked if he has ever thought of calling his solo band WHITE LION and touring with new members, Mike replied: "I can't call it WHITE LION." Pressed about whether he would call his band WHITE LION if he could, Mike said: "I tried, and it cost me money. [Laughs] I think that the audience now is understanding that I'm just keeping the songs alive, and I'm able to perform it in a different way. I'm able to show the image that I'm not coming out there and doing a show but I'm gonna take them through like a greatest hits. I like to tell stories about what the songs are. You can't always do that on a festival when you have one hour, but that is my goal, that I will keep the songs alive. And I think that all the fans and the music fans know who Mike Tramp is and it doesn't need to be called WHITE LION. But it's called 'Songs Of White Lion'."

Back in 2019, Tramp revealed in an interview that he had apologized to guitarist Vito Bratta for trying to resurrect his former band without his onetime songwriting partner and bandmate.

The Danish-born singer hasn't played with Bratta since WHITE LION performed its last concert in Boston in September 1991.

In the 34 years since WHITE LION broke up, Bratta's public profile has been virtually nonexistent, while Tramp has remained active, recording and touring as a solo artist and with the bands FREAK OF NATURE, THE ROCK 'N' ROLL CIRCUZ and, more recently, BAND OF BROTHERS. Tramp also attempted to revive WHITE LION with the 2008 album "Return Of The Pride", featuring new members. Two years later, Tramp ceded ownership of the name WHITE LION to Bratta in an out-of-court settlement.

Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Tramp said that he and Vito are once again on speaking terms following his ill-fated attempt to bring back WHITE LION a decade and a half ago.

"I have, over the past couple of years, been the one out there basically both admitting and apologizing that the only thing that I never planned to do in my career and wanted to do was go back and rehash a version of WHITE LION that had nothing to do with WHITE LION, nothing to do with the guys that played in the band," Mike said. "Mike Tramp's heart was not in it. It was just a moment of weakness, not believing enough in my solo albums. [You listen to] some guys saying, 'Hey, if you put a new WHITE LION together, you can play festivals and get much more money.' And then you fall for that and you engage in it and you go out there, and then you realize it's not what you wanna do. And then, of course, Vito did not want the name WHITE LION to be used without him being in the band. And it actually took a couple of years for me to really understand how much it meant to Vito. And when Vito one day told me in one of these conversations… First of all, he told me, 'Mike, I'm not against you. I just don't wanna turn YouTube on and see the title 'WHITE LION live in so and so,' and somebody doing 'When The Children Cry' solo and it's not me. WHITE LION was you and me, it was our band, we wrote the songs. That is the memories I want for the rest of my life.' And when he told me that, I had tears in my eyes and I totally understood it, because I had also gotten to that point that when we closed WHITE LION, we felt that this is where we wanted to stop it. There was something, going into the '90s, that didn't agree with the things we were looking at, and we wanted to somehow end it on a higher level than something that would not represent us in the future. But it just took many years to really understand it."

Asked if he understands why Vito doesn't want to play music professionally anymore, Mike said: "Yes, I do, because there are actually times when I also don't feel like doing it anymore. When all the magic around us, the stuff that made us fall in love with rock and roll — first of all, our heroes, then the industry, then the touring stuff — when all of that was really exposed that it was a two-faced kind of thing, that the people we thought loved us — and I'm not talking about the fans; I'm talking about the people that made money from us, and stuff like that — turned their back on us and stabbed us in the back, it really ripped us apart. And maybe it's just that I came from a different background than Vito, that I maybe was a little bit stronger or just of a different nature that I just fought back, but Vito just said, 'I just don't wanna deal with this.' And I understand now — I understand it from every conversation that I have with him."

Tramp also once again closed the door on a possible WHITE LION reunion, saying: "I can't be Mike Tramp 1988. I can't sing like that, and I'm not going up on stage and doing a half-assed job, which most of the bands out there are doing."

Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, WHITE LION released its debut album, "Fight To Survive", in 1985. The band had its breakthrough with the double-platinum-selling "Pride" album, which produced two Top 10 hits: "Wait" and "When The Children Cry". The band continued its success with the third album, "Big Game", which achieved gold status.

By the time WHITE LION released its final album, 1991's "Mane Attraction", alternative rock was in the ascendancy, leading to a swift decline of the so-called "hair metal" scene in terms of sales, popularity, radio play, and most importantly, relevance.

Mike released "Songs Of White Lion", in April 2023 via Frontiers Music Srl. "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II" followed in August 2024.

The official DEEP PURPLE YouTube channel has uploaded a new three-minute video of METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich in which he discusses the reissue of DEEP PURPLE's classic 1972 live album "Made In Japan", which has just been made available as 5CD+Blu-ray and 10LP box sets featuring newly remixed versions of all three of its concerts, plus both stereo and Atmos mixes by Steven Wilson. Wilson's stereo mix is also available separately as a 2LP version.

Ulrich says (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hey, everyone. Lars here. I just wanna take a brief second and say 53 years ago, this very weekend, DEEP PURPLE were in Japan for the very first time, and those three concerts were recorded. Two nights in Osaka, one night in Tokyo were recorded and eventually became the 'Made In Japan' album — in my humble opinion, hands down the best hard rock live album ever. I have heard it just about 18,000 times, and every time I hear it, it just gets better and better and better, and it's so crazy cool. It's so lively, it's so energetic and just 'aarghhh'. You know what I mean? You know what I mean?

"Now, there is a reissue, remaster, all that 're' stuff, version of the album that includes — let me get this right — all three nights of the three concerts," he continued. "So not just one version of each of the songs, but three different versions of each of the songs. And it's coming out right now and it's got, obviously, everything else, depending on what package you get. It's got the kitchen sink and more of the kitchen sink and a bigger kitchen sink and all that stuff in it.

"But just going back to the music, the crazy thing about hearing this, and like I said, I've heard it a lot, is that when you hear the three nights of the three the three different concerts, the versions of the songs, they're all fucking so crazy cool, but they're different from each other. So one night 'Child In Time' is this long, and the other night 'Child In Time' is that long and the third night 'Child In Time' is that long, because the solo is a different length. [Then-DEEP PURPLE guitarist Ritchie] Blackmore is in a different mood. [DEEP PURPLE drummer] Ian Paice is playing against him in this kind of way and it sets up these vibes. And then [DEEP PURPLE singer] Ian Gillan goes over here and then [DEEP PURPLE bassist] Roger Glover's holding this down. And [then-DEEP PURPLE keyboardist] Jon Lord goes here on the keyboards and over there, and it's also crazy fucking cool.

"So maybe this is the longest video honoring [laughs] and saluting this great piece of work," Lars added. "I promise you I'll shut the fuck up now. But 'Made In Japan', people, 'Made In Japan', 'Made In Motherfucking Japan' is coming out again as a reissue and all that good stuff. Check it out. Just check it out. Maybe you've already heard it 9,000 times. Maybe you've never heard it. Wherever you fall, just check it the fuck out, 'cause in terms of live hard rock and roll, this is as good as it gets.

"Thank you for listening to this babble. Lars saying over and out."

On August 15, 1972, DEEP PURPLE took the stage in Japan for the first of three shows that would give rise to one of rock's most celebrated live albums, "Made In Japan". Universal Music made available a Super Deluxe Edition of the landmark release on August 15 — exactly 53 years after the first performance was recorded.

"Made In Japan (Super Deluxe Edition)" features new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes of the original by acclaimed producer Steven Wilson, all three concerts newly remixed by Richard Digby Smith, and several rare single edits. It was released as a 5CD/Blu-ray set at retailers nationwide, and a 10LP black vinyl edition, available exclusively from the official artist shop and UMG D2C stores.

A 2LP black vinyl version of Steven Wilson remixes was made available on August 15. The digital companion was also made available everywhere on August 15.

Originally intended as a Japan-only release, this double live album became a surprise global phenomenon. Released in the U.K. in December 1972 and in the U.S. the following March, "Made In Japan" went platinum in America and several European countries.

Singer Ian Gillan, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice — DEEP PURPLE's famed Mk II lineup — turned studio staples like "Smoke On The Water", "Highway Star" and "Space Truckin'" into explosive live statements. "We came halfway around the world and found the audience singing every word. It was magical," Glover recalls in the collection's liner notes.

The band enlisted engineer Martin Birch — who had worked on several of their best-known studio albums — to record the shows to eight-track tape at Festival Hall in Osaka and the Budokan in Tokyo. The performances on "Made In Japan (Super Deluxe Edition)" capture DEEP PURPLE at full throttle, powering through songs from their then-new album "Machine Head", along with fan favorites like "Child In Time", "Strange Kind Of Woman" and "Speed King". The collection also includes rare single edits, like the German version of "Black Night" and the Mexican edit of "Space Truckin'".

The live album garnered widespread critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone declaring it "PURPLE's definitive metal monster, a spark-filled execution of the typical PURPLE style." This recognition led to its impressive ranking at No. 6 on their "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Live Albums Of All Time". AllMusic also praised the album, stating that "DEEP PURPLE pushed its music into the kind of deliberate excess that made heavy metal what it became." Additionally, the album achieved commercial success, landing at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Wilson harnesses the raw energy of the original tapes in his new stereo and Atmos mixes. "It's all completely as it happened on the night," he says. "The album has a power and sense of abandon that they never quite captured in the studio. Hopefully this new mix makes it feel even more like you're there."

CD 1: Original Album (2025 Steven Wilson Remix)

01. Highway Star
02. Child In Time
03. Smoke On The Water
04. The Mule
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Lazy
07. Space Truckin'

CD 2: Osaka, August 15, 1972

01. Highway Star
02. Smoke On The Water
03. Child In Time
04. The Mule (Drum Solo)
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Lazy
07. Space Truckin'

CD 3: Osaka, August 16, 1972

01. Highway Star
02. Smoke On The Water
03. Child In Time
04. The Mule (Drum Solo)
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Lazy
07. Space Truckin'

CD 4: Tokyo, August 17, 1972

01. Highway Star
02. Smoke On The Water
03. Child In Time
04. The Mule (Drum Solo)
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Lazy
07. Space Truckin'

CD 5: The Encores

01. Black Night (Osaka, August 15, 1972)
02. Speed King (Osaka, August 15, 1972)
03. Black Night (Osaka, August 16, 1972)
04. Lucille (Osaka, August 16, 1972)
05. Black Night (Tokyo, August 17, 1972)
06. Speed King (Tokyo, August 17, 1972)
07. Black Night (German Single Edit)
08. Space Truckin (Mexican Single Edit)
09. Smoke On The Water (U.S. Single Edit)

Blu-ray: Steven Wilson Atmos Mix

Super7 will release a new ReAction figure of late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott later this month.

When it comes to guitar legends, few were as wild and untamed as Dimebag. With every electrifying guitar riff, he tore through the airwaves, creating the soundtrack for a generation of headbangers. Super7 will immortalize this iconic shredder in its collection of 3.75" scale music legend ReAction figures.

This articulated figure captures the powerhouse guitarist in all his glory, adorned with his oversized Razorblade necklace, right down to his iconic pink beard, intricate tattoo detailing, and a whole lotta Getcha Pull. He also comes with a removable Culprit CherryBomb model guitar accessory, so he's ready to unleash those unforgettable solos and power chords on your collection at a moment's notice. Packaged on a full-color blistered cardback, this figure is the ultimate tribute to Dime's legacy.

Order here for shipping in late August.

Founded in 2001, Super7 is the premier pop-culture design house and producer of lifestyle-oriented collectibles, toys and apparel based in San Francisco. Led by designer Brian Flynn, Super7 has harnessed the graphics, aesthetics and energy of his youthful obsession with science fiction, giant monsters, comic books, punk rock, skateboarding, robots and rebellion to build a unique and innovative business that crosses all categories and is not bound by traditional manufacturing boundaries. In addition to its owned branded products, Super7 also designed, manufactured and distributed officially licensed programs for G.I. Joe, Transformers, Disney, Powell-Peralta and Peanuts as well as for music legends IRON MAIDEN, MISFITS, BEASTIE BOYS and more.

Dimebag was murdered while on stage at the Alrosa Villa in north Columbus, Ohio. The shooting happened in December 2004, only moments after the guitarist's then-band DAMAGEPLAN took the stage. 25-year-old Nathan Gale used a 9 mm Beretta handgun to fire 15 shots, killing Dimebag and three other people, before being killed himself by police officer James D. Niggemeyer, who arrived on the scene minutes after Gale began his rampage.

Dimebag and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, formed PANTERA in the mid-1980s in Texas. The band recorded four independent albums before their 1990 major label debut, "Cowboys From Hell", introduced a heavier sound and made them a favorite with metal fans. 1994's "Far Beyond Driven" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 without benefit of a commercial hit single.

The group splintered in 2002 following the departure of volatile lead singer Philip Anselmo. Dime and Vinnie regrouped with DAMAGEPLAN, releasing the band's debut album, "New Found Power", in February of 2004. The group was touring in support of the record at the time of the shootings.

The riffs live on! Celebrate the legacy of Dimebag Darrell with the new ReAction Figure of the legendary shredder,...

Posted by Super7 on Tuesday, August 19, 2025

In a new interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, DEFTONES drummer Abe Cunningham explained the long gap between 2020's "Ohms" and the band's upcoming effort, "Private Music", which is scheduled to arrive this Friday, August 22 via Reprise/Warner. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's five years, which is the longest time we've ever taken, man. And a lot of that was by design. We knew we needed to make a record, and it was part of the plan. Stephen [Carpenter, DEFTONES guitarist] always wants us to, like, he's, like, 'Why are you guys always going? Why don't we ever just take a break?' And so we sort of designed it around his wanting to be able to chill for a minute after a lot of years of doing this, even though he chills a lot."

Abe continued: "We set up the writing periods in different locations. The first one was in Joshua Tree, in the desert, Southern California — a beautiful, very magical, spiritual, alive place in the desert. And that was only maybe six days of that writing, but maybe five songs came out of that. It was a pretty fruitful session. And then we took a month off and then we went to Malibu. So all these chunks of time were separated by maybe about a month, month and a half. And we would kind of marinate on what we had written and have time to live with it a bit and then go back and do more. But the whole record was written in just maybe a month all put together, but over a long time, so we could kind of just chill and take a break. And then recording was in different locations as well. So it kind of makes it fun. It's not all at once, it's not all having to be done at once. It makes it breathe a bit."

Asked if DEFTONES touring bassist Fred Sablan, who replaced Sergio Vega in 2022, contributed to the writing process for "Private Music", Abe said: "Yeah, fully, a hundred percent. Sergio was involved a hundred percent too, man. People, they think he was a sideman. He was fully allowed to write and paid to write — all that bullshit. Fred is the same, man. Fred has contributed to every song and was wonderful to write [with].

"We've known Fred for quite a while," Abe continued. "He's from Northern California, very near where we're from, so when we got with him, there was a certain lingo, just the way that we talk, it was just kind of natural. So, Fred is awesome, man. He's a very solid player. He's very cognizant, very respectful of both Chi's [Cheng, late DEFTONES bassist] style and Sergio's style too, and trying to be himself as well. Chi was more of a finger player, where Sergio played mostly with a pick, — two obviously different styles, and he is trying to meld those two worlds, but also being respectful for both of that. So he's a great, great guy, man. It's awesome."

Cunningham also talked about DEFTONES' ever-evolving sound, which merges heavy metal with atmospheric elements. Asked if he and his bandmates always make a conscious effort to update their sound on every album or if this is something that comes "completely naturally", Abe said: "I'd say it's natural. You can't help sounding like yourself. Of course, I don't think there's anything wrong with us sounding like us. We always try to keep it moving forward. And quite frankly, we don't really sit around and talk about much. There's nothing written, really — maybe some ideas, tiny ideas. Nothing really happens until we're all in the room jamming. And that's how we come up with our music. So, there's not really a concept ever, man. Lyrics come last. The music's always gotta be tight and stand on its own first, and then Chino [Moreno, DEFTONES singer] will add his lyrics. And those are written at the end too. So it's not like it's written around the lyrics — it's all written with us together."

"Our [songwriting process] is pretty old school, pretty simple," he explained. "We're brothers, so there's a lot of fighting. There was a lot of fighting in the past. I think we have better ways of communicating with each other over the years now. But it's brothers getting in a room, talking shit. The most important part is the hang, how we're hanging out, the vibe. Because then the music just kind of comes. We love each other, but it's not always easy, man."

DEFTONES notably recorded and co-produced "Private Music" in various locations in California, including Malibu and Joshua Tree, as well as Nashville, Tennessee with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz. It marks their third collaboration with Raskulinecz who had previously helmed "Diamond Eyes" (2010) and "Koi No Yokan" (2012).

DEFTONES recently received several new RIAA certifications, recognizing recent sales milestones. "White Pony" is now RIAA-certified double platinum, "Diamond Eyes" is RIAA-certified platinum and notable singles "Change (In The House Of Flies)" is RIAA-certified four times platinum and "Be Quiet And Drive" is RIAA-certified double platinum.

Earlier this year, DEFTONES launched their first North American headline tour since 2022 produced by Live Nation, and it proved to be their most significant and successful yet. DEFTONES saw 100% sellout business of an extensive arena run, including legendary venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York, TD Garden in Boston, and even a two-night stand at Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Of the latter, Los Angeles Times raved, "DEFTONES have never been bigger, or more definitional for what young people want out of heavy music in all its gradients. A band ahead of their time for 30 years and counting."

The next round of dates commences on August 22 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia and continues in arenas across Canada and the United States, including Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on September 10 and Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on September 15. This second leg comes to a close on September 17 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. DEFTONES welcome PHANTOGRAM and IDLES as direct support on select dates. THE BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA will open all shows.

Formed in Sacramento, California in 1988, DEFTONES have always defined boundless creativity in the music space. Across nine studio albums, they have carved out an unmistakable sonic identity — ferocious yet dreamlike, while making space for constant refinement and surprise. Now, decades on from the groove-forward sound of their era-defining debut, "Adrenaline", and following a long line of masterpieces including 2000's "White Pony", 2010's "Diamond Eyes" and 2020's "Ohms" — an album that earned them their second and third Grammy nominations — they return with one of the most focused statements of their career: "Private Music". Joining the band's creative core of Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham and Frank Delgado (as well as touring bassist Fred Sablan, who appears on the album) is Raskulinecz. The result is a lean, masterfully paced 11-song set that plays like a new DEFTONES benchmark. Meditating on the beauty and peril of nature, the challenge of cultivating a positive mindset and visions of a journey beyond the physical realm, private music showcases DEFTONES at their most evolved. At once a psychedelic voyage and a skull-rattling wallop, it's the latest peak in a catalog filled with immersive, emotive triumphs.

"Private Music" track listing:

01. My Mind Is A Mountain
02. Locked Club
03. Ecdysis
04. Infinite Source
05. Souvenir
06. Cxz
07. I Think About You All The Time
08. Milk Of The Madonna
09. Cut Hands
10. Metal Dream
11. Departing The Body

DEFTONES recently announced the 2025 installment of their music festival, Dia De Los Deftones. The event, which returned in 2022 for the first time since 2019, will take place on November 1, 2025 at Petco Park in San Diego. Joining the influential alt-metal outfit at this year's event will be CLIPSE, 2HOLLIS, RICO NASTY, DEAFHEAVEN, REGULO CARO, ECCA VANDAL, GLARE and UNIVERSITY.

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

The band KANSAS has welcomed guitarist Scott Bernard as its newest member.

Scott has already performed with KANSAS at several shows over the past year, filling in for guitarist and original member Richard Williams as needed.

Bernard is a New Iberia, Louisiana-born, Nashville, Tennessee-based session guitarist and vocalist who has performed alongside Kenny Loggins for 17 years, serving as guitarist, background vocalist, and musical director for the past seven of those years. Scott has also worked with Michael McDonald, WHITEHEART, John Schlitt, Richard Marx, Al Stewart, Joe Bonamassa, Alan Parsons, Mark Schultz, Michelle Wright, BLUE SKY RIDERS, Terri Clark, Gary Burr, Dave Barnes, Matt Wertz, Shannon Brown, Adam Nitti, Chely Wright, Katrina Elam, Nicole C. Mullen and many others.

"To say that I am excited to join the KANSAS family is quite the understatement," states Bernard. "As a lifelong KANSAS fan, their music has been an integral part of my musical upbringing."

Bernard adds: "My first concert that I attended as a young teen was KANSAS and I have closely followed their career ever since. They were and remain my favorite band ever. I am deeply humbled to be chosen to help perpetuate their legacy, which is both a privilege and a surreal experience."

Original member and guitarist Richard Williams remains an active member of KANSAS but will be scaling back touring.

Williams comments: "Scott Bernard is a fantastic guitar player, a great guy, and is my hand-picked choice to help carry on the legacy of the band KANSAS. He's not only an incredibly talented guitarist and vocalist, but he's also a Wheathead."

Richard adds: "I am not stepping down nor retiring. But I am slowing down. Macular degeneration has made travel increasingly difficult to the point where it impedes my ability to get to as many shows as I want. I will still be at, and perform at, as many concerts as I can.

"Adding Scott as a member of KANSAS, alongside Zak Rizvi on guitar, allows the shows that I'm not at, and KANSAS, to go on well into the future. When we all three are there, we will all perform.

"In 1974 we made a statement that 'KANSAS is a band!' It was true then and continues to be true now."

KANSAS just wrapped a summer series of concerts with fellow classic rockers 38 SPECIAL and continues to tour, with concerts booked throughout 2025 and already into 2026.

Along with Scott Bernard and Richard Williams, KANSAS is currently comprised of vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin, guitarist Zak Rizvi, violinist/guitarist Joe Deninzon, bassist/vocalist Dan McGowan, and original drummer Phil Ehart. Eric Holmquist performs on drums while Phil Ehart continues to recover from a major heart attack.