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18 июн 2025
PIGGY D. Says MARILYN MANSON Is 'An Inspiration To People': 'I'm Proud To Stand Next To Him'
 In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", Matt Montgomery (a.k.a. Piggy D.) was asked how he landed the gig as the bassist in Marilyn Manson's band. The 49-year-old musician, who had previously played with Rob Zombie, responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Referral. It's a small, small community. Yeah, the timing worked out. Things are meant to be. I guess that's the universe working the way it should.
"It's been really cool to be along for the ride for this rebirth," Matt added. "And the band is killer, and we have a great time, and the shows have been rad. And, yeah, I can't say or feel any better about it."
When MikeZ noted that it must be "great" working with a newly sober Manson, Montgomery concurred. "Yeah, he's amazing," he said. "His focus is sharp and he is an inspiration to people; he really is. And I'm proud to stand next to him, because I think he's representing hard. And as somebody that's been in and out of sobriety over the years, it's amazing to see somebody turn their life around. It's always an amazing story. It doesn't matter who they are. It's always an amazing story. The miracle is never lost on me. You put a microphone in front of it, you can do some good. And it's cool."
Matt also talked about another addition to Manson's band, guitarist Reba Meyers, who has previously played with the Grammy-nominated act CODE ORANGE. He said: "It's great to have a female voice doing the female vocal parts. It's really cool. And she adds so much color and texture to the songs. Yeah, she's awesome. She's a joy."
Asked if the Manson setlist pretty much "writes itself" nowadays, Matt said: "I wouldn't say it writes itself. There's a new [Manson] record [out, 'One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1'], and [Manson's cover of Phil Collins's seminal song] 'In The Air Tonight' just came out. So there's an agenda, obviously, 'cause there's a want to play this new material, but there's also songs you probably should play. And then there's been some interesting curveballs. On the last tour, we did 'Long Hard Road Out Of Hell' [from the soundtrack to the 1997 motion picture 'Spawn'], which was a nice addition. So it's cool. It's cool. There's a wealth of material to pull from, if you wanna get weird and do weird stuff. He knows what he's doing. And personally, what do I love? I love the hard stuff. But that's just because it makes me think it's 1996 again, which was a good time — nostalgic for different reasons. But I enjoy all of it, honestly. It's all very musical and fun stuff to play, and I'm honored to be able to play it."
Matt played his first show with Manson last August at the kick-off concert of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's summer 2024 arena tour.
Montgomery joined Rob Zombie in 2006 as the replacement for Rob "Blasko" Nicholson. Nicholson left Zombie in May 2006 in order to join Ozzy Osbourne's recording/touring band. Nicholson rejoined Zombie in 2024 following Montgomery's departure.
Montgomery's debut performance with Rob Zombie came on May 24, 2006 during an appearance on CBS's "Late Night Show With David Letterman".
Montgomery played bass on the Rob Zombie studio albums "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" (2010),"Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" (2013),"The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" (2016) and "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" (2021).
In addition to his work with Zombie and Manson, Montgomery has collaborated with Alice Cooper, John 5 and Wednesday 13. He's also released solo music and is a member of THE HAXANS alongside NEW YEARS DAY singer Ash Costello.
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18 июн 2025
Watch: FIREHOUSE Performs New Single 'Mighty Fine Lady' At Minnesota's BENAFEST
 Fan-filmed video of FIREHOUSE performing the band's latest single, "Mighty Fine Lady", live on June 14 at the BenaFest in Bena, Minnesota can be seen below (video uploaded by the Christine Zemien-Martin channel on YouTube).
"Mighty Fine Lady" marks FIREHOUSE's first release with the band's new lead vocalist Nate Peck, 2023 "American Idol" golden ticket recipient from Season 21, who officially joined the group in 2024. He replaced late FIREHOUSE frontman C.J. Snare, who died on April 5, 2024 at the age of 64 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
In a recent interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Peck stated about how "Mighty Fine Lady" came about: "I hit up [FIREHOUSE guitarist] Bill Leverty one day [earlier this year], and I was, like, 'Hey, man, let's work on a song.' And he has all these all these riffs that he's put down into his computer. And he sent me over a riff, and I came up with the first verse and the song was written rather quickly. But we're really excited about the song. We're excited to play it live."
According to Peck, "Mighty Fine Lady" was written primarily "over the phone. I'd send a voice memo, on the iPhone," he explained. "I'd send [Bill] over kind of like the melody and everything, singing, and he would send a guitar track back through the phone, and [we] just kind of [put it together] over the Internet."
Asked if FIREHOUSE has been working on any other news songs since the completion of "Mighty Fine Lady", Nate said: "We would like to work on some more. I think we've got a couple more in the works, but [we're gonna] kind of let this one ride out a little bit and see what happens."
Last month, Leverty reflected on Snare's illness and Peck's eventual addition to the band, telling Anthony Bryant of The Hair Metal Guru: "It was about two and a half years before [his death that] C.J. was fine. Then he had some stomach pain. And we were playing at a gig in Milwaukee. And he walks over to me, kind of like when I'm starting the intro to 'Love Of A Lifetime' or something, and he's just, like, 'Man, I've never felt this bad.' And I'm going, 'You wanna stop and take a break?' And he said, 'No, I'll get through it.' Because he had the 'show must go on' vibe. Man, that guy was tough. So we finished the show and, and I'm, like, 'Man, maybe go get that looked at. And he said, 'Yeah, it'll probably go away.' We didn't know what it was. And then it didn't get any better. We had a little time off. So he went to the doctor — actually, he went to the emergency room. And they said, 'Yeah, you've got an obstruction, a bowel obstruction, so we've gotta remove that.' So [after] surgically removing it, he was back two weeks later singing. You'd never know that he had a scar from having that taken out — and he had gotten some really bad news with it, lab results and stuff like that. And he's, like, 'Look, I wanna keep this private. I don't wanna talk about it.' Let's not mention this. But it was very bad news. And biopsy lab results were not good at all. So that was his first surgery to have it removed. He had another major surgery that was a 12-hour procedure, and he was back singing in six weeks. And you would never know it. He had a scar [about 10 inches] long… And you would never know it with this guy. That's how tough he was. And then, that was about two years that he was doing great, and then he started getting sick again. And so he went in for a third surgery. And that's about the time when Robby Lochner [JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE] said, 'Yeah, I know you guys have a lot of shows on the books and you might need a substitute. And you've gotta check this guy out.' And I'd never heard of him. And I don't watch 'American Idol'. I shouldn't. I should now because… But I checked out Nate's Instagram and he's got all these songs that he sings from the greatest singers of all time, in my opinion. And he just knocks 'em outta the park. And he's just singing live. He got a camera here, and he's just singing into his microphone, and it's just awesome. And so I called him and I said, 'Hey, I'm Bill from FIREHOUSE. We've got a couple of shows coming up. Would you be interested in filling in for C.J.? C.J. should be back around July.' And he said, 'Oh, I would love to.' I sent him the song list. I said, 'Do you know any of our songs?' He says, 'No. I've heard 'Love Of A Lifetime' before, but I don't know any of the songs.' So I'm, like, 'Well, I'll send you the songs. And we'll be talking on the phone. And you can get ready by kind of practicing or whatnot.'"
Bill continued: "We didn't have any rehearsals with the guy. We had a long soundcheck that day of the New England Rock Fest, which was his first gig, and he just crushed it. I mean, he was really nervous, but he just nailed it. And I sent some video over to C.J., and I was talking to [C.J.] on the phone. He was, like, 'Man, that guy's good.' He goes, 'Bill, that's your guy.' And I was, like, 'Wow.' So the plan was for C.J. to come back in July. C.J. was feeling rough. He had lost a lot of weight. He was really weak. And we were, like, 'Look, man, when you're ready, come on out. We'll have Nate there too. And then you can get out, sing the first song or two, say 'Hey', introduce Nate and you guys sing a couple songs together. You go take a break, come back out, do an encore or whatever, and whatever you feel will do.' But unfortunately, C.J. had a sudden cardiac arrest. And I talked to him the day before. He said, 'Things are looking good, man. I'm, I'm gaining weight. Things are looking up,' is what he said. I said, 'Great.' And the next day he passed… I remember I got the phone call. We were in Texas, and we were connecting. And I said, 'Everybody, come on over here,' 'cause I had just gotten a phone call, and I told everybody that C.J. passed away last night. And we were just sitting in that airport going… We were not at all expecting that, ready for that. It was brutal. It really was."
According to Leverty, Snare gave FIREHOUSE his blessing to continue with Peck as the frontman. "The thing about him is he never wanted us to cancel a show," Bill said. "Even after he got sick, he didn't want us to cancel a show. Especially once we got Nate. Once we got Nate, he's, like, 'Okay, that guy can sound like FIREHOUSE. So, that's your guy.'
Asked if C.J. and Nate ever had a chance to speak to each other, Bill said: "Oh, yeah. All the time. They talked almost daily. C.J. gave him a lot of advice. And one of the things that he would tell Nate is that you're running a marathon, not a sprint. So keep that in mind. Don't come out and blow your voice out in the first song, 'cause you've gotta control yourself, hold it back a little bit, and take care of yourself. And Nate's followed his advice really well."
Regarding how "Mighty Fine Lady" came about, Bill said: "Well, Nate started it. He was, like, 'Send me a riff.' And I was, like, 'Well, okay.' So I'm down here [in my studio], and I dug up a riff or I came up with a riff that would be, I think, something cool that we could maybe do live and maybe turn into a song. And I sent it to him, and he sang on his little iPhone rig, and sent it back to me in a voice memo with the verse, what is the verse now. And I was, like, 'Man, that is so good and sounds so cool. Let me write some music that would be more fitting for a verse, because what you got is a melody and the lyrics are perfect.' So I sent him back something that was more like a verse. 'Cause he sang over the intro riff, and that intro riff on that song, that's the only time you hear that riff, which is kind of what started the song. The only time you hear it in that song is just right the intro. So I sent him back that verse, and he sang on that, and he's, like, 'Oh, yeah. I like that a lot better.' And I said, 'Okay. Now what you're singing about here is the hot chick. So we've gotta come up with something kind of a little classy to make it the hook or what the topic is about.' And we bounced a bunch of stuff back and forth and we came up with 'Mighty Fine Lady'. And we got a chorus together. And so then after the chorus, you kind of have a song, but you've gotta get little pieces to get from the verse to the chorus and little pieces to get from the chorus back to the second verse, and then a solo, and then a little bridge maybe, which we wrote. And he just came up with all these creative ideas and all these great melodies. So then I was, like, 'Well, the song's written,' and [drummer] Michael [Foster] lives an hour away, so he's coming over here playing drums as it's being done. He's putting in his cool stuff, that intro and everything. And so then, we're, like, 'Well, Nate, let's fly you here to Virginia to record it.' And I had him scheduled — he was gonna fly in on a Friday night. We were gonna record Saturday. He was gonna fly out Sunday. And Friday night we went to dinner and we're just hanging out. And I'm, like, 'All right, well, let's go back. You wanna just sing it through to get the rough idea together?' And he sang it through, and it was perfect. So I'm, like, 'Let's not mess with that.' The next day we went through it with kind of a fine-tooth comb and couldn't really find anything to nitpick about. We tried some other options on stuff and kind of fiddled with it a little bit. But it was done that first night, that first take he did. And the guy's just got all these really cool ideas and everything, and the natural way that he sings without even trying just has that bright tone that C.J. was kind of known for. And Nate's got it. To me, it's magic. And we're super fortunate to work with him."
Asked if there are plans for FIREHOUSE to write and record more new music, Bill said: "We would love to. And we're going to. We'll figure out what the next one is, and we'll crank it out. We won't let it out until it's done. It might take a little bit. But in the meantime, that's where you can get 'Mighty Fine Lady' is at firehousemusic.com. We don't have it on any of the streaming stuff as of right now. It'll eventually be up there. But, right now, if you support the band directly, there aren't a bunch of middlemen in there. And it's way better for us."
According to Leverty, completing "Mighty Fine Lady" "was a lot of work. But it was labor of love in putting it together," he said. "A lot of hours mixing it. I think I spent more time mixing it than I did recording everybody else put together, just because I'm not a mix engineer, but I want it to compete with our old stuff, I want it to compete with our third record too, which was mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, the greatest mix engineer out there — one of the greatest. And you want it to compete with the stuff that's out there now and to sound not too far removed, but we also want it to sound like our classic kind of vibe. So there was a lot of experimentation and a lot of work to get it to sound the way it sounds, and we're real happy with the way it turned out."
Peck performed an outstanding audition for "American Idol" judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Richie praised Nate's performance, saying: "That was brilliant... The best rock singer EVER that we've had. You've got it!" Perry looked to the sky and said: "Actually, he's SO good!" High praises from all three judges got him unanimous consent to move onto the next level of the competition. Peck ultimately decided to leave the show to pursue his career in music his own way: playing live music in Nashville's booming rock scene and guest singing with national artists like JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE.
Peck has been singing with FIREHOUSE since October of 2023.
Snare died was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2020 and took a hiatus from the band in 2023 to undergo abdominal surgery. However, his daughter is reported to have stated the official cause of death was cardiac arrest, according to TMZ.
In a statement on FIREHOUSE's social media, Snare's bandmates said he died "unexpectedly" despite his long illness.
They shared their "great sorrow" at losing their "brother… the rock and roll warrior.
"We are all in complete shock with CJ's untimely passing," they wrote.
"CJ was was arguably one of the best vocal talents of a generation, touring the world with FIREHOUSE non stop the past 34 years.
"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Snare family, Katherine Little, friends, and all our beloved fans all over the world."
FIREHOUSE hasn't released a studio album since 2011's "Full Circle", which featured re-recorded versions of some of the band's older songs. The group's last collection of new material, "Prime Time", came out in 2003.
FIREHOUSE reached stardom during the early '90s with hits like "Reach For The Sky", "Don't Treat Me Bad" and "All She Wrote", as well as its signature power ballads "I Live My Life For You", "Love Of A Lifetime" and "When I Look Into Your Eyes".
At the 1992 American Music Awards, FIREHOUSE won the award for "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist". They were chosen over NIRVANA and ALICE IN CHAINS.
Formed nearly four decades ago, FIREHOUSE's classic lineup consisted of Snare, Leverty, Foster and bassist Perry Richardson. Richardson left in 2000 and was replaced by Allen McKenzie in 2003. | 0 | |
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18 июн 2025
DUFF MCKAGAN Says OZZY OSBOURNE Has Been 'A Constant' In His Life Since He Was 'About Six Years Old'
 GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan has released a new 19-minute video on his YouTube channel in which he answers a number of fan-submitted questions, including about his participation in the upcoming "Back To The Beginning" charity event, which will take place on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The concert will mark the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH's last-ever performance and Ozzy Osbourne's final appearance as a solo artist. Asked what Ozzy means to him, Duff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, that's a pretty big question. Ozzy's been a constant — I mean, since I was, I'm gonna say, about six years old, because when I was a little kid, FM radio started and I had all these older siblings. And we had a stereo in the living room of our house, and they would play FM radio. And what FM radio did then was play a whole side of a record, and it was rock — rock and roll music. So it'd be [Jimi] Hendrix and whatever. And I remember hearing [BLACK SABBATH's] 'Iron Man' for the first time, whatever year that was, and however old I was — young — thinking 'Iron Man' was, 'Wow.' It was like a cartoon thing. And 'What is this song?' And was kind of accessible for me. And a few years later when I started playing guitar, I could figure that song out. And SABBATH and Ozzy just remained a constant."
Duff continued: "I love the 'Never Say Die!' record, which is '78. Some people kind of passed over that stuff. And SABBATH going with [Ronnie James] Dio was a really cool period. And Ozzy going on his own and doing his thing was… He became an icon, I think, when he went solo, whatever that means. But there's certain… Iggy [Pop], Lemmy, Ozzy, Prince — there was these constants in rock and roll, and Ozzy remains that."
More than five years ago, Duff helped write and record Ozzy's "Ordinary Man" album over a four-day period. The GUNS N' ROSES bassist collaborated with RED HOT CHILL PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith and guitarist-producer Andrew Watt on the songs, including "Straight To Hell", "Under The Graveyard" and the title track, a duet between Ozzy and Elton John.
"This guy Andrew Watt called," McKagan told the "Jonesy's Jukebox" radio show. "He said, 'Do you have some days this week in the daytime? I need to write an Ozzy record. We have four days to do it.' So we showed up at Andrew's studio. Everything was kind of set up — Chad's drum kit was set up — and it was basically one of those things: 'Who's got a riff?' It was really inspired. … The three of us — Andrew Watt and Chad and myself — we'd never written together, and you know that can go sideways in a hot second. But it didn't.
"Ozzy came, and Ozzy just loved it," McKagan added. "He just came in and started writing words and laid down the vocals. And it was kind of like that. There was definitely urgency to the whole situation. We had so much time to do it, which was only four days. … I think the record is really, really good."
After fans snapped up tickets to "Back To The Beginning" in just 16 minutes, it was announced that the event will be streamed worldwide. Fans will have access to the raw livestream from 3:00 p.m. on July 5, and will also have exclusive access to rewatch the concert in its entirety for another 48 hours.
For more information, visit www.backtothebeginning.com.
"Back To The Beginning" will be captured, produced and distributed by Mercury Studios ("One To One: John & Yoko", "American Symphony", "Metallica Saved My Life"),who are pioneering the way for premium, music-driven storytelling across film, television, podcasts and immersive formats. Mercury has partnered with Kiswe — the global D2C streaming partner behind the record-breaking BTS concert livestream — to deliver this moment of music history to fans across the globe.
The all-day event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, will be hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa, and feature a "supergroup of musicians", including McKagan and Slash (GUNS 'N' ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH) and Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).
"It's an endless amount of people," said Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon. "They're going to be doing some SABBATH songs, some Ozzy songs, and they'll all mix together. Different little groups will be coming on, but they're all icons."
The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.
The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.
Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.
While Osbourne's health issues forced him to scrap most of his live appearances, the musician said he would return if his condition improved.
Osbourne's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially canceled in early February 2023.
Despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022. | +4 | |
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18 июн 2025
See DEEP PURPLE Perform At 2025 Edition of Brazil's BEST OF BLUES AND ROCK Festival
 Video of DEEP PURPLE's June 15 performance at the Best Of Blues And Rock festival at Parque do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil can be seen below.
The band's setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:
01. Highway Star
02. A Bit On The Side
03. Hard Lovin' Man
04. Into The Fire
05. Guitar Solo (Simon McBride)
06. Uncommon Man
07. Lazy Sod
08. Lazy
09. When A Blind Man Cries
10. Anya
11. Keyboard Solo (Don Airey)
12. Bleeding Obvious
13. Space Truckin'
14. Smoke On The Water
Encore:
15. Green Onions (BOOKER T. & THE MG'S cover)
16. Hush (Joe South cover)
17. Black Night
In a recent interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, the members of DEEP PURPLE were asked how it feels to be "a bridge between generations". Drummer Ian Paice responded: "Kids are still listening to rock roll. It doesn't matter what sort of rock and roll. It's all related to what we did and where we got it from, but it's still rock and roll. You can put different names to it. The music, obviously, evolves, it changes, but it's still very closely related. So I think that's the connection. And the generation we came from, where for kids music was the only thing — not the most important [thing]; it was the only thing… Nobody had money, nobody had a car, no computers, no phones. Money, it was nothing. Music was your everything. And I think over the last couple of generations, kids do more things — they have more wealth, they have more toys to play with. But those bands that are still here from that generation still can teach a lot of the younger musicians what's important. And I don't mean by sitting down and learning — just by listening and watching. And I think that's the connection for younger musicians. They see something which, for us, was natural and for them has to be sort of learned. And the only way you learn is by watching and listening. So that's the connection."
DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "=1", came out in July 2024 via earMUSIC.
There simply aren't enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution DEEP PURPLE has made to rock music. Having sold more than 100 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there's little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the "Fifth Most Influential Band Ever". The band as also presented the "Legend Award" at the 2008 World Music Awards and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016. DEEP PURPLE truly are "rock royalty".
With a body of work spanning seven decades, DEEP PURPLE has helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band's inception. The celebrated MKII line up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore was responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early 1970s, including "Made In Japan", universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.
Known as one of the hardest-working bands ever, DEEP PURPLE has continued to release No. 1 albums and tour globally since forming in 1968, with little rest. In 2007 (almost 40 years after being formed),the band performed 40 dates in France to an award-winning audience, and they continue to spend much of their year on the road selling out arenas across the globe.
DEEP PURPLE has stayed true to its musical roots taking from an eclectic mix of styles to create a distinctive sound that defines the band today, but which in turn, has created a legacy that very few bands could ever hope to replicate. The band has written and produced so many "classic," well-known songs, that its audience range widely in age and background — something the band has readily embraced.
DEEP PURPLE's recent studio album "Whoosh!" (2020),followed their worldwide chart-topping albums "Infinite" (2017) and "NOW What?!" (2013). 2024 saw the release of their brand-new album "=1". On all albums, DEEP PURPLE joined forces with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of KISS, PINK FLOYD, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper.
Furthering their collaboration with Ezrin, in 2021 and during the pandemic the band recorded a collection of cover songs from their own homes (normal for most bands nowadays, revolutionary for a band that records everything together in the studio),creating an eclectic and celebratory history of their roots in music, in the shape of "Turning To Crime".
In 2022 came the sad news of Steve Morse's departure due to personal circumstances. Moving forward, DEEP PURPLE sought out the masterful skills of guitarist Simon McBride and played the year out in style, exciting crowds with a new energy and excitement.
This Sunday 15th 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Best of Blues and Rock Deep Purple #bestofbluesandrock #deeppurple #simonmcbride
Posted by Simon McBride on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | +1 | |
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17 июн 2025
WOLF HOFFMANN On ACCEPT's Longevity: 'We Had No Idea' That Our Early Songs 'Would Have As Much Staying Power'
 In a recent interview with Empire Extreme conducted at the 2025 edition of the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann spoke about the legendary German/American heavy metal band's longevity, having celebrated the 45th anniversary of the release of ACCEPT's self-titled debut album in 2024. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It still blows my mind that people really… I mean, it almost feels like this stuff is for eternity, which is something that nobody could have expected. When I think back to all these years ago in Germany, when we were, basically, little kids in a garage trying to start a band and wrote our first songs, nobody could have thought that this stuff is gonna last. And so we had no idea that songs like that would have as much staying power, and then 40 years later, it means something to people and it doesn't seem to go away in a way. It's crazy. And it's a wonderful thing because what else in life is there, what else can you do in life that kind of has that?
"I'd been away from the music business for a number of years, and I kind of realized it there more than ever, no matter what other job you have, I don't think there's anything that has as much impact on other people like music and art in general," Wolf continued. "It's great. It's a privilege, man."
Speaking specifically about the enduring impact of ACCEPT's iconic song "Balls To The Wall", which was released as the lead single from the band's 1983 studio album of the same name, Wolf said: "I remember when I came up with the first parts of that song and I brought it to the guys, I thought, 'Oh, this is a very cool song. I think it's gonna do something for us.' But nobody had an idea that heavy metal would even last this long. Personally, I always thought it's gonna be like — I don't know — maybe like punk or something. It's gonna be a wave that comes and goes, but nobody could have anticipated that that heavy metal is really still around all these years later. And nobody thought of music — when we got into all this, we didn't think of it as a career. We just thought, 'Man, we're gonna do this as long as we can and we're gonna have a bit of fun. And then maybe one day it's all over.' That was kind of everybody's mindset back then, because there was nobody out in their forties or fifties even doing this kind of stuff. Everybody was young."
Over the past five decades, ACCEPT has sold millions of albums and inspired countless musicians. Their energetic live performances and iconic albums such as "Balls To The Wall", "Restless And Wild" and "Metal Heart" have left a lasting mark on the heavy metal genre. Hoffmann's guitar style and musical vision have made the band one of the most respected on the heavy metal scene.
After a hiatus in the band's career, Wolf was introduced to New Jersey singer Mark Tornillo in 2009. The chemistry and fit between them was so remarkable, ACCEPT reformed and almost immediately rose to global success with chart-topping albums. ACCEPT continues to be celebrated for each of their new records with Mark, who is now the longest-reigning frontman of ACCEPT, placing the Hoffmann-Tornillo partnership firmly in the Metal Hall Of Fame.
Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for Udo Dirkschneider, who was the band's original lead singer. Mark can be heard on ACCEPT's last six studio albums.
In a recent interview with Mark Strigl, Hoffmann was asked if ACCEPT's longtime producer Andy Sneap will be involved with the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary album. Wolf said: "He will not be on this one, because he asked for a year off from us. I asked him, I begged him to produce his album, but then we found a good buddy of his. His name is Zeuss [Chris Harris]. He's producing it."
Hoffmann continued: "[Andy is] kind of part of the family now, but he's been touring so much with [JUDAS] PRIEST [as that band's touring guitarist], and he's been working so much in the studio last year. I think he did SAXON, he did PRIEST, he also did DREAM THEATER — he's done a bunch of stuff. So when I said, 'Hey, can we work this year again?' He said, 'Man, can I please have a year off?', which is understandable."
Regarding ACCEPT's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour, which is expected to launch at the end of the year, Wolf said: "It's gonna be a retrospective of the whole 50-year career and, of course, it's gonna feature a lot of the important stuff from the '80s and some deeper cuts. And we're gonna perform with guest singers and guest players, and it's gonna be super exciting, like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You only have one shot at a 50-year anniversary… I don't think we'll get a chance for another one."
Asked what continues to drive him creatively to keep making new music with ACCEPT, Wolf said: "Well, we're still hungry. I still have the energy and I still have the passion for it, so I don't ever feel like I'm at this point where I've kind of had enough or I wanna retire or anything like that. I'm still full force in it, man. And so is everybody in the band. And that is, I guess, what keeps us motivated and what keeps it going. And it's a lot of fun to create stuff that actually means something to the fans. It would be one thing if we were releasing albums and everybody said, 'You know what? Just play the old songs. We don't really need any new stuff.' But the opposite is true. People are really eating the stuff up, and they're really, really happy and they're respecting the fact that we are still working so hard. So the old songs and the new songs kind of live side by side when we perform live. I mean, at one point the classics are always gonna be the classics and they're gonna be featured on radio more and that sort of thing. But when it comes to live performances. I think the fans really appreciate the fact that we play new stuff."
Sneap produced ACCEPT's last six studio albums: "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017),"Too Mean To Die" (2021) and "Humanoid" (2024).
Zeuss has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, QUEENSRŸCHE, SHADOWS FALL, DEMON HUNTER, OVERKILL and REVOCATION, among many others.
Four months ago, Hoffmann told Metal Talks about ACCEPT's 50th anniversary: "Yeah, it's a funny thing. I joined this band when I was 16 and just never left. And here I am all these all these years later, coming on a 50th anniversary, which is crazy. But yeah, it's definitely something that we're very proud of. And not every band is lucky enough to be around for this long and to still be in the business and to still be touring to still have fans.
"I think ACCEPT, we're very fortunate in the way that we achieved the impossible," he continued. "We had a change of lead singers 15 years ago with Mark Tornillo, and things are better than they've ever been for us. I mean, the last few albums have been phenomenal, the touring is going great, we have sold-out shows everywhere. So, I mean, we are really, really fortunate, and I'm fully aware of that. And yeah, to mark the occasion, we're gonna have a special tour. We're gonna release a new album with — we're gonna re-record some of the old classics and some of the deeper-cut songs from back then with guest people, guest singers, guest guitar players, and we're gonna bring this out on the road in '26. So we're working on that for the next year or so.
"This is a milestone that needs to be celebrated properly, and what better [way to do it]?" Hoffmann added. "I mean, we only have one chance for a 50th anniversary. I don't think I'll get another one. With all optimism, I don't think I'll be around 50 years from now, or the fans will be, so we might as well have this opportunity and make use of it. And it's gonna be fantastic. I know it. We're gonna play some songs we've never played before, and it's gonna be great."
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17 июн 2025
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Shares 'Aftermath' Music Video
 Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE — Jesse Leach, vocals; Adam Dutkiewicz, guitar; Joel Stroetzel, guitar; Mike D'Antonio, bass; and Justin Foley, drums — released their latest album, "This Consequence", on February 21, via Metal Blade. The LP arrived alongside a hugely successful winter/spring 2025 tour, yielded a Top 10 single with "I Believe" and landed the band on the covers of Revolver and Outburn.
The album was another reminder of why KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, who have earned several gold and platinum certifications alongside three Grammy nominations, remain one of the most enduring bands of the modern metal scene.
Today, the band proudly shares the evocative video for "Aftermath". For this video, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE collaborated with some of the world's leading environmental groups to highlight damage being done to Earth and things we can all do to help stop it.
Watch the video, produced and directed by Good Eye: Music Visuals, below.
"'Aftermath' is a song about the realization of a tragic event or a war, and the strength it takes to rebuild and the hindsight of the loss, betrayal, and madness that transpired while going through it all," Leach explains. "I think we can all relate to this in one way or another. We see daily the tragedies of humanity as well as the destruction of a place we call home. We have taken so much from our planet and ripped the scales in the incorrect direction."
The singer continues: "This song is not just a desperate song with a sense of sadness and anger — it is a call to arms. I'm urging my fellow humans to rise above the helplessness and despair. I want people to see we need to put one foot in front of the other and start to rebuild our lives. Be it from an abusive relationship, a financial hardship, a death of a loved one, or mourning yet another disaster unleashed upon the natural world."
Leach finishes: "We all have power to create change. To me, this works perfectly with the various organizations we partnered with for this video. We all have a responsibility to the amazing place we call home. All of us can make a difference big or small by just contributing to righting the wrongs and repairing the damage we have inflicted on our planet. Our hope is to inspire others to help contribute to keeping our home safe and clean for future generations. It starts right here and right now with us."
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will return to the road this week on the massive "Summer Of Loud" tour, co-headling alongside BEARTOOTH, I PREVAIL and PARKWAY DRIVE.
Fans got their first taste of "This Consequence" with pulverizing track "Forever Aligned", swiftly followed up with the instant classic "I Believe". More recently, the group shared a video for "Collusion".
"Making this record lit a fire under my ass and made me rethink everything," admitted Jesse. "It had to be next level. It had to be different enough for people to really recognize we're putting forth an effort-or what's the point of doing this? There was no repeating ourselves. It was very carefully planned out and passionately written. It sounds like KILLSWITCH, yet there's also a fresh spirit to it."
This time around, the group emphasized working together face-to-face in a Massachusetts rehearsal spot. The process enabled them to apply the pressure on every element. At the collective urging of his bandmates, Jesse poured over his words like never before.
"We pushed him to do more vocal demos and were super tough on him," recalls Adam. "He was so open to feedback though, and he definitely got the lyrics right. I love it when he and I are face-to-face, and ideas are flying around. We work especially well together when we're in the heat of the moment. All of the demoing made for a better record, and there was so much communication between all of the band members."
"It felt like everyone put a ton of effort into this," Mike adds. "It's the first time since 'Alive Or Just Breathing' that we really hashed everything out together in the same room. It was a combined effort, and there are even some things you've never heard from KILLSWITCH."
"I never considered myself to be a part of mainstream society," he goes on. "I've always been in the middle. To me, this record is about the consequences of our actions as humans as we engage in war, hatred, division, and falling in line with control. History repeats itself. We're going to have to answer for our actions-whether it's how we treat the earth or each other. There will be an uprising and a backlash from nature. Cause and effect is a driving theme. We will face a consequence."
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17 июн 2025
LITA FORD On THE RUNAWAYS' 2010 Biopic: 'The Stories That They Told About JOAN JETT Were Just Not Accurate'
 In a new interview with Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini of The Boom Boom Room, '80s hard rock queen Lita Ford spoke out about the infamous 2010 biopic on her former band, THE RUNAWAYS, which stars Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Scout Taylor Compton as Lita. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I felt that THE RUNAWAYS movie was all about Joan, and the stories that they told about Joan were just not accurate. They really made her to look larger than life. And I just didn't agree with any of it.
"I love Scout Taylor Compton," Lita clarified. "I thought she did a fantastic job playing Lita and that she's a really great person and great actress. And I love that they picked Scout for that role. And Scout had reached out to me multiple times, 'Lita, help me with this' and 'help me with that'. And then, of course, they had Kristen Stewart playing Joan Jett. And Kristen Stewart is not one of my favorite people, and neither is Joan Jett.
"The movie is just kind of, for me in my book, I glanced over it when it first came out and just thought, 'Okay, I've seen it. I'm done. I don't ever wanna see it again,'" Lita added.
"Yeah, I would've done it different. But maybe I will one day."
Before "The Runaways" was released 15 years ago, Scout praised Lita, saying: "Lita Ford is an icon of rock and has always been a personal hero of mine. I can't wait for her to see the film. I put my heart and soul into portraying her and to find out she is such an amazing person was truly a blessing for me. It's something I'll never forget."
The first true girl band of the 1970s, THE RUNAWAYS toured internationally and made a dent in the charts before calling it quits at the end of that decade.
In November 2018, Ford told the Daily Mail that a reunion of THE RUNAWAYS will probably never happen. She explained: "Joan Jett is very much in 'Joan Jett land,' I guess you could say. Will she ever come out of Joan Jett land? I don't think so. I think her manager controls that and it's really up to him and her. It seems to me like Joan Jett's manager just runs her life in every way, shape, or form. He's very controlling and he has a real problem with me. He has a real issue with me. He sees me as a threat, which is ridiculous, because she's like my sister and I love Joan. It's ridiculous, it's uncalled for, and it's caused a little bit of rivalry between her and I, which is totally uncalled for. It's his fault."
Ford claimed that Jett's manager has prevented her from even talking about a RUNAWAYS reunion with Jett.
"The hard part is just trying to communicate with Joan without her manager involved," she added.
"We had dinner a couple of years ago, what was supposed to be a girl's night out, and she brought her manager with her.
"So it's like, "Dude, answer the question. I'm trying to ask you a question. Are you interested in putting THE RUNAWAYS back together?' She never answered the question."
Ex-THE RUNAWAYS singer Cherie Currie told the "White Line Fever" podcast in 2016 that RUNAWAYS came close to reuniting three decades ago. "Lita had reached out to us to convince us, me and Joan, to do a RUNAWAYS reunion. And we did, with Kenny Laguna basically at the helm, he secured a tour and Lita, she just basically doesn't get along with Kenny and she just walked away from that."
In a 2015 interview with the WHMH (Rockin' 101) radio station, Lita explained that she decided against a possible RUNAWAYS reunion in the early 1990s because "NIRVANA was just kicking in, and it was really bad timing; it wouldn't have worked. People would have just turned their nose up at it." | +1 | |
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17 июн 2025
Ex-MEGADETH Bassist DAVID ELLEFSON: 'I Miss' DAVE MUSTAINE
 In a new interview with The Delz Show, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke about his current relationship with the band's leader Dave Mustaine. After show host Delz said that he misses seeing Ellefson and Mustaine playing together, David said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I miss Dave too. Look, some of some of the best stories of my life begin with 'the time me and Dave' — fill in the blank. You know what I mean? Because we lived such an interesting life together with that band. We haven't talked in a few years, but I miss the guy, of course. We had a lot of fun. And anytime we've ever had [a falling out] like this [in the past], as soon as we get back together, it's like we just were hanging out yesterday."
This past May, Ellefson spoke about his last stint with MEGADETH, which began in 2010 with a tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the "Rust In Peace" album and ended in 2021 when he was fired after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. He told The Candid Mic With Fran Strine podcast about his initial return to MEGADETH 15 years ago: "I said, 'Look, I'll come back for a month. Let me just get through this tour. We'll see how it goes.' And it went well. And I'd been there as an owner of the company. I was no longer an owner at this point. I was just a hired sideman musician, which, quite honestly, at that point I was okay with. I was kind of, like, well, as much as the owner also can get a lot of the perks, I know the owner of the business gets paid last. And if things fuck up or a show cancels or anything happens, guess what? Now you're on the hook for all the bills too. And that happened a lot over the years. So I was, like, 'Well, let me just try… Let me keep it simple, keep it easy.' And as we went around the world, it was great. With the 'Big Four' [tour featuring METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX], it was cool because I was back in MEGADETH, Joey Belladonna was back in ANTHRAX, Dave Lombardo was back in SLAYER. Everybody was back home, and the excitement for each of our bands as well as all of our bands together was huge."
He continued: "For MEGADETH, we got another 10 years, 11 years out of it, won a Grammy. So I feel like a lot of our story together in MEGADETH with me and Dave got to be completed as well. And if that means we never play together again — oh, well. It was a good couple of chapters. And if one day we do, well, then we'll see where that goes. But I think you don't sit around and wait for those things. You just get on with it. You just get moving forward. And I certainly didn't stop. I just kept going."
When host Fran Strine suggested that Ellefson is "busier" now than he has ever have been, David said: "Yeah. And I feel lighter, to be honest with you. I wake up and every day is a day, like, 'All right. What are we gonna do today?'"
Asked if he has spoken with Mustaine since his May 2021 dismissal from MEGADETH, Ellefson said: "Nope. Not one word. No need to. After that? No, I don't need to be your friend. I'll move on.
"Look, the ending of that friendship was a long time in the making," Ellefson explained. "It really started in 2018… There was some stuff that I was just — and I was vocal about it. I stood up for what I felt to be the right thing. And, of course, that was not well received… [It was] just about writing the new album, the next album that took five years to make. And every time I would try to write and put something on it, it would get taken off. And it seemed very personal. And at some point it's just kind of, like, 'Look, dude, if you don't want me here, fuck it. I'll move on.' So I guess it took what it took and what happened, happened. And then that was the moment to just sort of abolish it and make it all go away.
"The first time out the door [in the early 2000s], there was legal stuff [to sort out between me and Dave], 'cause we were legally bound into — we were owners of a business and a corporation. So that's not uncommon, to have that. And a lot of that was just so that I could get paid direct from all the sources, so that my money wouldn't keep flowing through MEGADETH. It was just so I could I get paid directly from Capitol and Warner Brothers and everybody. So it was worth going through that process, as shitty as it is. But because we settled it, it did allow at a later day for me to come back and go through all that again. And that's why I didn't fight my way out the door, and I didn't talk a bunch of smack. It was just kind of, like, 'All right, well, look, if we can't get along, just move on.'
"I'm the guy that I don't close doors," David explained. "I don't slam it in people's [faces and say], 'Fuck you. That's it. And you'll never work in this town again.' Because you're mad in the moment. That's all it is. Just move on. Just keep moving on.
"I didn't see coming back to MEGADETH in 2010, and suddenly there it was. It was in the front view and it worked out great. It was glorious, it was huge and we accomplished a lot of great stuff together. But that group is not about being…
"People always talk about the '90s, the 'Rust In Peace' era, where we were very much a group," Ellefson added. "It was very much a group. We worked together, we fought together, we won together. We scaled the mountains and won the battle together. It's not that anymore. It's the Dave show, and that's the way they want it. And as you can see, I've got a lot of other things I wanna say in my life and a lot of other things I wanna do in my life. And I always try to kind of angle it so that it speaks well back into MEGADETH, rather than oppose it. Why oppose what I've done? That's like shitting on my own work. So it's, like, hold that up in high regard, high esteem, because it is — we really did some great stuff together — and then just kind of move on from it. So, that way you're not tarnishing your own past and your own work. It's, like, why fight with yourself?"
Ellefson was originally 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.
Mustaine reformed MEGADETH 21 years ago. Originally setting out to record a solo album, Mustaine enlisted studio musicians to play on what ultimately became MEGADETH's 2004 "The System Has Failed" comeback album, subsequently recruiting former ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough to take Ellefson's place for the album's touring cycle.
Ellefson sued Mustaine in 2004 for $18.5 million, alleging that the MEGADETH guitarist/vocalist still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.
In his first book, Ellefson admitted that he became a salaried employee upon his return to MEGADETH 15 years ago. He told Metal-Rules.com in an interview: "Going from being a co-founding owner to just a sideman musician was initially why I didn't come back in 2004. I was not happy with the participations that were presented to me. In recent times, coming back, I found great joy in doing music with a lot of other people in other settings that helped me fall back in love with playing music. Now I can come back into or go into musical situations and be able to be there for a purpose and level of pay. Being a sideman absolves you from being involved in all the other stuff. At this point in my life, I would rather leave that stuff on the sidelines. Like American Express says, 'membership has its privileges,' being a sideman has its benefits. In my case, it helps retain a friendship too. In order to have a friendship, I had to give up some ownership."
In his 2004 lawsuit against Mustaine, Ellefson claimed that he "attempted to resolve his differences with Mustaine on an amicable basis and offered to continue to perform with [MEGADETH]." However, his "offers were met with verbal abuse, threats, lies and continued invective from Mustaine." Ellefson also said that Mustaine — a veteran of at least 17 drug rehab stints, according to the bassist — resented Ellefson, a former drug addict, for having kicked his own habit. According to Ellefson's court papers, the battle of the band spread to the Internet when Mustaine posted on Megadeth.com that Ellefson was trying to extort him.
Mustaine gave his version of why the 2004 reunion with Ellefson didn't pan out in a message posted on the MEGADETH web site. In lengthy essay, Mustaine claimed that Ellefson missed several deadlines to accept his offer, which included 20% of the artist royalties on "The System Has Failed", none of the publishing royalties and a $2,500-a-week salary while the band was on the road.
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17 июн 2025
APOCALYPTICA's PERTTU KIVILAAKSO Reveals His 'Wish List' Of Artists To Collaborate With
 At this weekend's Download festival at Leicestershire, United Kingdom's Donington Park, APOCALYPTICA lead cellist Perttu Kivilaakso was asked by Daniel Steer of Mike James Rock Show if there are any musicians left on his "wish list" for possible collaborators on the band's future recordings. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We have worked with an incredible amount of amazing artists. And [METALLICA's] James Hetfield [who guested on APOCALYPTICA's cover of METALLICA's 'One' from APOCALYPTICA's latest album, 2024's 'Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2'], of course, has probably been the top of the list, kind of the dream that it would be unbelievable if he someday does something for us. But, of course, there are still so many fascinating artists. For example, I think that the charisma and incredible person of Nick Cave, for example, could be something really cool to make a dark, gloomy thing with the cello and his expression. Or whomever, like Pink or somebody with a really, really great attitude.
"The lovely thing about APOCALYPTICA is that we are very versatile with our music, that it could go from very beautiful classical elements to brutal thrash metal," he explained. "And even still I would love to work more with the greatest growers — Alissa White-Gluz [ARCH ENEMY] or whomever — great artists there are. So the good thing is that the ideas never kind of end. You only end up having the problem with too many ideas and somebody in a business saying that, 'Not all is possible, guys. Come on.'"
Kivilaakso went on to say that he and his APOCALYPTICA bandmates are grateful to still have a global audience with their unique fusion of classical cello music with hard metal elements. "So far, that has been really working," he said. "And I just somehow started to appreciate more and more the fact that we still can do this for a living and entertain people around the world. And it makes us feel, I guess, blessed in that sense. And that gives you the sparkle to still continue and try to figure out more cool things."
As previously reported, Hetfield attended APOCALYPTICA's March 3 concert at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado. The Finnish cello rockers were touring North America at the time in support of "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica, Vol. 2" — the sequel to their legendary debut record — which came out in June 2024 via Throwdown Entertainment.
"Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2" continues the journey that began in 1996 when cellists from Helsinki's world-renowned Sibelius Academy played symphonic tribute to METALLICA. The "One" single saw Hetfield joining proceedings for a soul-stirring, spoken word of those inimitable, now-immortal lyrics.
The album's lead single was "The Four Horsemen", a song that originally appeared on METALLICA's 1983 debut "Kill 'Em All". It features a guest appearance by METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo. | +1 | |
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17 июн 2025
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17 июн 2025
MATT TUCK Says BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Will Resume Work On Band's Eighth Studio Album In August
 At this weekend's Download festival at Leicestershire, United Kingdom's Donington Park, Matt Tuck of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, who have spent the first half of 2025 celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, "The Poison", on tours of Europe and North America, spoke to James Wilson-Taylor of Rock Sound about their plans for the band's eighth album, tentatively due in 2026. Matt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We haven't had a lot of opportunity to get back and focus on it, 'cause since I [last] saw you, we just haven't stopped playing. It's been really intense, but a good intense."
He continued: "There's a lot of love around the world for the band, and we're just trying to kind of make the most of this opportunity, 'cause once [the 20th-anniversary celebration of 'The Poison'] is done, it's done forever. We're not gonna do it again. We're not gonna milk 25, 30, none of that shit.
"But, yeah, I listened to [the new ideas we have come up with so far] a lot when we were [touring] in the States [earlier this year], and, yeah, when I hear it, it still gives me the vibes," Tuck added. "And I think the beginning of August, we're gonna hit the studio for real. And we'll be there until it's done."
Released in 2005, "The Poison" propelled BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE to unimaginable heights. That year saw the Welsh metallers graduate from supporting FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND on their U.K. run in the summer, to ending the year headlining the very same venues just months later. Dropping in October 2005, "The Poison" hit number 21 in the U.K. album charts, becoming a late contender in end of year polls, placing at number seven on Kerrang!'s "Albums Of The Year" list, and since achieving gold status.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and TRIVIUM were on the road together earlier thus year to celebrate the joint 20th anniversaries of their respective albums "The Poison" and "Ascendancy".
Last month, TRIVIUM revealed that plans were scrapped to have the two bands hit other territories around the world as part of "The Poisoned Ascendancy" tour. Details surrounding the cancelations were unclear, although TRIVIUM bassist Paolo Gregoletto said in a livestream that Tuck had pulled out of the tour early as he "didn't wanna do it." Gregoletto also claimed that Tuck made the move because he is "the sole decision maker of [BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE] and he has no respect for us or our crew."
The members of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE later shared a statement on social media saying that they were "grateful" to the fans who wanted to see them live but explained that they had decided to focus their efforts on making a new album instead.
"We're incredibly grateful to have been given the chance to look back at a pair of life-changing albums for us & TRIVIUM, who we have nothing but respect and admiration for," they said. "With that being said, the four of us collectively feel that the time is right for us to divert our full attention towards the next chapter of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE."
They added: "We can't wait to get back in the studio later this summer and finish what we promise you is our best album to date. To go along with this, we are already starting to make plans for the 2026 & 2027 touring cycles, hitting every corner. We are super excited to drop new music for you all. We value our fans above all else and are forever grateful for your support. We'll be back with all of you very soon."
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE released the deluxe version of its latest, self-titled album in August 2022 via Spinefarm/Search & Destroy. This extended release featured four brand new tracks, plus "Stitches", a song previously only available as a Japanese exclusive. Following the CD and digital releases, a vinyl pressing launched in November 2022. | +1 | |
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17 июн 2025
NANCY WILSON Says TRUMP's Military Parade Used HEART's 'Barracuda' 'Without Permission Or Authorization'
 HEART guitarist Nancy Wilson has blasted the Trump administration for using the band's classic song "Barracuda" at Saturday's (June 14) military parade in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. The military parade coincided with U.S. president Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
Last night, Nancy took to her social media to write: "Earlier today, during a parade held in support of our nation's military and organized by President Donald Trump, the song 'Barracuda' by HEART was played without permission or authorization from us.
"'Barracuda', written and performed by Ann [Wilson, HEART singer] and I, is a powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use.
"As daughters of a U.S. Marine Corps major, we hold a deep and abiding respect for the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. On a day meant to honor that service, it's important that music used in such settings reflects not only the tone of the event but also the wishes of the artists who created it."
Nancy included a photo of her wearing a hat that said "No Kings But Us", a reference to the "No Kings" protests across the country on Saturday denouncing what organizers described as Trump's authoritarian policies.
The military parade featured dozens of armored tanks and artillery vehicles, such as HIMARS, army aircraft, including Black Hawk helicopters and Apaches, and more than 6,000 uniformed troops.
Instrumental versions of "Barracuda" and JOURNEY's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" were reportedly among the songs blared during the festivities.
Attendance at Trump's parade, which came with an expected price tag of between $25 million and $45 million, was reportedly dwarfed by the millions who showed up at roughly 2,000 anti-Trump "No Kings" protests in cities and towns all over the U.S.
The Wilson sisters previously objected to "Barracuda" being used for political purposes in 2008 when then-Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin played the song at the Republican National Convention.
Ann told The Hill in a 2018 interview that "Barracuda" could be used by just about any candidate in the 2020 election if they desired. "I think anybody but Trump," she clarified. She also noted that she "definitely wouldn't" vote for Trump in the 2020 election.
This past March, Nancy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she feels "embarrassed" to call herself an American in this day and age.
According to Billboard, the performing rights organizations BMI and ASCAP require political campaigns to obtain licenses to use songs in their catalogs, with a caveat in the license that allows songwriters to object to usage in a political campaign. At both ASCAP and BMI, members can request to withdraw their music from political-campaign licenses.
Photo credit: Epiphone / Prime PR Group, Inc.
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17 июн 2025
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17 июн 2025
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17 июн 2025
DAVID VINCENT Says I AM MORBID Has 'Talked About' Making Original Music: 'I Just Don't Know If Anybody Would Care'
 In a new interview with Altars Of Metal, former MORBID ANGEL bassist/vocalist David Vincent was asked if there are any plans for him to record new music with I AM MORBID, the band which has spent the last few years exclusively performing material that Vincent recorded with MORBID ANGEL. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've talked about it. I have some songs. I just don't know if anybody would care, because it would only be compared to the [classic MORBID ANGEL] records."
He added: "There's a lot of time that passes, and as time passes, you grow. And if there would've been a continuum for so many years, and new record, new record, new record, probably what I would do now would be a bit different, because music and art is a reflection of where you are today. And where I am today is much different from where I was in the '80s.
When the interviewer noted that an album of original I AM MORBID material wouldn't sound like a new version of "Blessed Are The Sick" or "Covenant" but would be a musical representation of whatever was fueling Vincent creatively in 2025, David said: "Maybe. We've talked about it. I just don't know that it's a good idea. I mean, I really wanna keep this kind of as a legacy project. That's what's important to me. And I think that's what's important to fans. And every band probably goes through this. I mean, IRON MAIDEN could come out tomorrow with the very best record that they've ever done — musically, sonically, the composition, et cetera — but when they play live, what do people wanna hear? They wanna hear 'Wrathchild', they wanna hear 'The Number Of The The Beast', they wanna hear 'Flight Of Icarus'. All bands have the same problem. So, nobody cares about the new stuff. They wanna hear their favorites."
When the interviewer brought up METALLICA as an example of a band which has been able to retain many of its original fans while also making new music which has been embraced by younger followers, Vincent said: "But the thing is that METALLICA has been METALLICA. Other than the bass player, they've been a consistent unit that has continued and continued and continued. So the changes and the growth that they've had has been gradual and eventual. It's been a minute since the four [MORBID ANGEL] records that we're talking about now [were originally recorded and released]. So there's not a continuum to go further than that, and people would be, like, 'Oh, yeah. Okay, well, hopefully they'll do 'Covenant Part 2',' or something. And that's just not gonna happen. That's not where I am right now. So I could force it. I could just think a lot and really try to force something, but I don't write that way, number one. Number two, I would feel really bad about myself to do something that was only because it's what's expected. I mean, I'm a rebel. I've always been a rebel. If somebody expects me to do something, that's a perfect reason not to do it. That's my attitude."
David didn't completely close the door on the idea of I AM MORBID making new, original music, saying: "Well, we'll see what happens. We'll leave it there. We'll see what happens."
During the same chat, Vincent touched upon his reasons for launching I AM MORBID in the first place. He said: "What happened was we felt like that we needed to sort of keep our legacy alive. And that's the reason for creating I AM MORBID, because these are my children, all of these albums. And it's important to me to be able to perform… I love the music. I love everything that I've done. Thankfully, the fans do too. So, it's been good. And the response has been really good. We've been doing this for a while now. So, I'm happy to be alive and healthy and able to do it."
In addition to Vincent, I AM MORBID includes another former MORBID ANGEL member Pedro "Pete" Sandoval (drums),along with guitarists Richie Brown (EXMORTUS, THE ABSENCE, TRIVIUM) and Bill Hudson (NORTHTALE, DORO).
In October 2022, I AM MORBID parted ways with guitarist Kelly McLauchlin (POSSESSED, DIABOLIC, UNHOLY GHOST) and replaced him with Brown.
Brown made his live debut with I AM MORBID at the Grita Fest in Colombia.
I AM MORBID's spring 2022 European tour marked the first time Sandoval and Vincent played together in 12 years.
Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian, was forced to leave MORBID ANGEL in 2010 after undergoing surgery for a prolapsed disc.
Vincent told Invisible Oranges in a December 2013 interview that Pete had "found Jesus," which meant that Sandoval and MORBID ANGEL were no longer "compatible."
Sandoval spent much of the last decade recording and touring with TERRORIZER, whose latest studio album, "Caustic Attack", was released in October 2018 via The End Records.
Vincent previously talked about the possibility of I AM MORBID making original music in a March 2024 interview with Robert Walton of The Metal Meltdown. He said at the time: "Well, there's been some discussion about it. I'm still on the fence. I'm on the fence about that because, with that, there are expectations. And goodness, when you have the catalog that I do and the formula that was part of that catalog, that may or may not be a difficult thing. I mean, there's some days where I feel very inspired to do so, [and] there's other days where I'm, like, 'This is like an old wine. And a young wine doesn't…' Some of the beauty of it is the age of it. So, I don't know. It's an ongoing discussion, but I don't have anything to announce right now."
When Walton noted that EMPEROR's Ihsahn has been reluctant to make a new album with the legendary Norwegian black metal outfit because he feels that it could never live up to fans' expectations, David seemingly concurred. "Well, Ihsahn is a good friend of mine," he said. "I respect him quite a bit as an artist, and I actually agree with him. There is something to that.
"There have been offers [for I AM MORBID to make new music] — substantial offers — but not everything is about money with me. I mean, sure, everybody has bills to pay. We're all humans, we all have needs, but my artistic needs outweigh any greed that may get in the way. I don't allow my needs to push me into doing anything. When it comes to art, it's as pure and organic as possible. And I don't want to let those considerations in."
Vincent left MORBID ANGEL in 2015. He has since been replaced by a returning Steve Tucker, who previously handled bass and vocals on MORBID ANGEL's "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh", "Gateways To Annihilation" and "Heretic" LPs.
In a May 2019 interview with Jorge Botas of the "Metal Global" radio show, which airs on the Portuguese public TV and radio broadcaster RTP, Vincent said that he had every right to perform MORBID ANGEL's classic songs with I AM MORBID. "Times come and life works the way that it does," Vincent said. "And there are times when… It's like a marriage — sometimes they don't always work forever. But that doesn't mean that the children that we've had together, that I don't still love my children. Although Trey [Azagthoth, MORBID ANGEL guitarist and sole remaining original member] and I have some irreconcilable differences, that doesn't in any way preclude me from still having the love and the passion for all of my children."
Asked what he has to say to people who insist that he should not play MORBID ANGEL's early material without the other members of the group's classic lineup, David said: "There's examples of this very situation… I mean, when Ozzy [Osbourne] left BLACK SABBATH, that didn't stop him from playing 'Paranoid' every night, even though he didn't write the song. All of the songs that I'm singing I wrote. So I don't really understand that. But different people become attached to different things. And they have their opinion and I have mine. And I don't really consider this kind of negativity. I don't have it in my life."
In 2019, Vincent released "Something Wicked Marches In", the debut album from his supergroup VLTIMAS, also featuring guitarist Rune Eriksen (formerly of MAYHEM) and CRYPTOPSY drummer Flo Mounier. A follow-up effort, "Epic", arrived in 2024.
In 2017, Vincent issued his debut country single, "Drinkin' With The Devil".
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17 июн 2025
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17 июн 2025
AVATAR's JOHANNES ECKERSTRÖM On Supporting IRON MAIDEN On European Tour: 'I Feel Kind Of Free To Just Enjoy It Purely'
 In a new interview with Wayne Carle Jr. of the 95 WIIL Rock (WIIL-FM) radio station in Wisconsin, vocalist Johannes Eckerström of Swedish metallers AVATAR spoke about the band's upcoming July/August 2025 European tour as the support act for IRON MAIDEN after previously opening for the British heavy metal legends for three shows in Brazil in August/September 2022. Johannes said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it's a full month [of dates we are doing with IRON MAIDEN this time] because nowadays they play every other day. I think they've earned that pacing. Because we got to do it for a bit there in Brazil, I think now I feel kind of free to just enjoy it purely. Because the first time around, that's the most nervous I've been going on stage since — I don't remember when — since probably before existed even. And I think that has something to [do with]… It was just the fandom, of us being fans and the role that IRON MAIDEN play in the world of metal beyond what we think of them, but what everybody thinks of them, I guess. And also it was in Brazil, which is such an IRON MAIDEN place. So it was an intimidation that we felt — a lot of things all at once, and it became incredibly emotional and therefore great. And once we survived that first show and people did not throw rocks and it was a good time, we were kind of able to enjoy the rest of it and start to get into the groove of claiming ownership of your time on stage."
He continued: "That's the challenge with something like that. Yes, it's great to go on tour with your heroes that have inspired you so much and everything, but that is also this opportunity for the band to be seen and heard, and you kind of have to get over yourself a little bit and, yeah, claim ownership, because that is kind of how you make sure that you will deserve the opportunity you've been given. And I think I'm more there now already, because we got to do that trial run… This is less of a question of, like, how do you even do that? I kind of have an idea now. So now just we'll enjoy it for what it is."
AVATAR released a new single, "Captain Goat", in May. The song is taken from the band's upcoming tenth studio album, which will be released later in the year.
AVATAR will embark on a U.S. tour this fall with support from ALIEN WEAPONRY and SPIRITWORLD. Additionally, there is a four-date run supporting METALLICA in spring/summer 2026, along with AVATAR's biggest show ever in Mexico City.
Johannes formed AVATAR in 2001. The band's lineup has remained virtually the same ever since, save for guitarist Tim Öhrström, who entered the fray just over a decade later. AVATAR also includes guitarist Jonas Jarlsby, bassist Henrik Sandelin and drummer John Alfredsson.
AVATAR's latest album, "Dance Devil Dance", came out in 2023. The LP featured a guest appearance by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM on the song "Violence No Matter What". The record also included the single "The Dirt I'm Buried In", which hit No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
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17 июн 2025
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Marilyn Manson
