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DUSTIN DOUGLAS & THE ELECTRIC GENTLEMEN

Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen

CHRIS ADLER On Working With MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE: 'He's The Most Generous, Nicest, Kindest Guy'

Former LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler says that getting the call to play with one of his favorite bands, MEGADETH, was a "dream come true".

Adler played drums on MEGADETH's 2016 album "Dystopia" and took part in most of the band's live shows in support of the CD between January and May of that year. On those shows in late 2015 and early 2016 where Adler was unable to perform with MEGADETH, he was temporarily replaced by Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE),the veteran extreme-metal skinsman who had worked as the band's drum tech since 2011. Since May 2016, MEGADETH has utilized the services of Dirk Verbeuren, the Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based drummer who had previously played with SOILWORK for more than a decade.

In a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, Adler stated about what it was like to work with MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine: "Oh, man. [It was a] dream come true. Yeah. Everybody loves to pick on Dave, and I feel bad for him. He had a rough time growing up, and I know his whole story, and we spent a lot of time talking about stuff. And Dave's a really — he's a very nice guy. He's troubled, but in a way that makes him one of the best in the world. And, man, can that guy play guitar — it's unreal.

"When I was a kid, skateboarding or whatever, I got the cassette tape, listened to all this punk rock and all that stuff and I heard that MEGADETH song, and that really set me on the path to do everything that I did," Chris explained. So to get that call was a dream come true."

Reflecting on his studio sessions with MEGADETH, Chris said: "It started with… We met a few times just to see if we'd be able to get along. We had met in 2005 on a tour and got along then fairly well. And so he brought me to Nashville. I think for about two or three months he rented me a house in Nashville near him. And we would get together at a studio that was kind of in the middle and just jam all the time. It was just me and him for, I think, two months, kind of writing the stuff and going over the stuff. They had a great engineer, Chris Rakestraw, that was there helping us put parts together and thinking about stuff. And I was totally wide-eyed, [and it was] like a dream-come-true kind of moment. But I was still professional about it in that I know I'm only here for the session work. But that turned out so well that basically he asked me to be in the band, and two years later we're touring the world and the thing wins a Grammy, which was insane. [That was] maybe another thing that caused tension in LAMB OF GOD. I had done a record with PROTEST THE HERO that won them a [Canadian] Grammy [equivalent]. Now I go join MEGADETH and that wins a Grammy. What's going on here? But, yeah, it was a thrill."

Elaborating on his personal relationship with Mustaine, Adler said: "Because of really who he is and the attention that he would have in any room that he would walk into, it's hard to get into that inner circle. But once you're in, he's the most generous, nicest, kindest guy. He's got a beautiful family. They're all wonderful people. I understand the defenses, the walls that are built up a little bit, just for his own protection, really. Maybe he could have said things differently here and there along the way. It's not for me to say. But we had a amazing time together, and I still consider him a friend and it was an honor to be a part of that for as long as I was."

Dirk was recommended for the MEGADETH job by Adler, who called Verbeuren "probably [one of the] top three drummers in the world."

During a July 2016 press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, Mustaine said that Adler was never a full-time member of MEGADETH and was merely "a session guy" for the "Dystopia" album and some of the subsequent shows. "It was what you could call 'work for hire,'" he said.

Four months earlier, Mustaine told the South Orange, New Jersey radio station WSOU that he "thought it was really inspiring being around [Chris] and his positive energy and really optimistic outlook towards life and music in general. It was good for me [and] it was good for the band."

Asked in a 2021 interview with Saint Virus Bar how he landed the MEGADETH gig, Chris said: "I'm in L.A. I'm recording drums for [LAMB OF GOD's 'VII: Sturm Und Drang' album]. We had been on tour in 2005 with MEGADETH. And I get a call really early in the morning — like, six in the morning. And it is Dave Mustaine's guitar tech, a guy named Willie G who I became good friends with along the tour; a great guy. And Willie's, like, 'Hey, your phone's gonna ring in about five minutes, and you should answer it.' I'm, like, 'Okay. Sure.' And the phone rings in five minutes, and it's Dave. And Dave's, like, 'Hey, I enjoyed touring with you. Good chat now and then.' He's not a particularly social guy on tour, but we did hang out a couple of times for breakfast or whatever. And he's, like, 'There's a lot of people that I really trust that tell me you're somebody that I think I should be talking to right now. I'd really like to go back and make a pretty sick thrash record, and I'm interested in having you be a part of that, if you'd like to be.' And it was a 'Candid Camera' kind of moment. 'Is something happening?' It really was the band that changed my life, and now I'm on a phone call that's about to change my life again."

Back in October 2015, Adler spoke to the "Eddie Trunk Podcast" about what he thought about MEGADETH's "Th1rt3en" (2011) and "Super Collider" (2013) albums and how that affected his involvement in the making of "Dystopia". He said: "They were not my favorite MEGADETH records, but I think it's great that that band has been able to do those things — whatever they wanted to do — and not try to please everybody, and it's not gonna be the same every single time. Just even creatively, within LAMB OF GOD, doing this song that we have, 'Overlord', it's nice to be able to just, once in a while, stretch out and do something people might not expect or just indulge your creative path in a different way. So I think it's cool that [Mustaine] did that. But, yeah, it was super intimidating for me to come in and do that, because this guy's my hero. Now, the big thing was none of the material was stinker stuff. I mean, the guy is writing amazing stuff just all day long; in his sleep he's writing better riffs than… well, the whole world. So there was never a time where I came in and said, 'I really don't like this. This sucks,' or something like that. It was just more like, 'Well, what do you think about speeding it up? What do you think about making this part a little bit shorter, making this part a little bit longer?' And I felt like it was important for me to do that, because he could have hired anybody to come in there and just do what they were told. And I felt like the reason that he did call me, and maybe that the reason there were no other auditions, is because he didn't want me to come in there and just say, 'Yes, yes, yes.' I felt like it was important for me to try and contribute. And when it became obvious that he was open to it, I was thrilled to be now in the process and not just be a hired guy."

Regarding some MEGADETH fans' desire to see the band make an all-out thrash album and how "Dystopia" fit into that, Chris told the "Eddie Trunk Podcast" at the time: "Well, I am a MEGADETH fan, and that's exactly what I want as well. And now I'm in MEGADETH, and I seem to have the ear of the creator. So, I feel like it's absolutely the best that MEGADETH can be right now at putting out a thrash metal record. And that is not in any way… I'm not trying to step back from that idea, but 1990 is never gonna happen again; it's just not gonna happen. You can't write 'Peace Sells Part 2', LAMB OF GOD couldn't write 'New American Gospel Part 2'. People move on from those times, including the listeners. Everybody wants the album you did two albums ago, and that's just always the way it's gonna be for every band. So I think Dave was on the same page as me, which was: 'Now is the time to really speed things up. Let's get thrashy.' And I think that's why he called me, and I pushed for that the whole time. And I didn't have to push hard; it was already there. The material is insane."

In a 2015 interview with "The Jasta Show", Chris stated about the songwriting sessions for "Dystopia": "When I first heard the demos, it was well played and it was drum machine, drum samples and stuff, and it wasn't really, kind of, my style of playing. It felt like, kind of, what had been going on before, where it was just [hums a basic beat]. And I really wanted to not have to do that. And so, right away, I brought that up [to Dave]. I said, 'Listen, I'm thankful that you're calling me. But are you calling me because somebody is telling you to call me, or are you calling me because you've heard what I've done and you want me to do some of that — at least some of that — on your record. Because this stuff that's on here is not… that's not cool.'"

Adler went on to say that Mustaine was open to suggestions during the songwriting process. "For example, we did a [cover of a] song called 'Foreign Policy' by FEAR — and old punk rock tune — and it was fun," he said. "And it's a punk rock tune. But as we soon as we learned it… We learned it and played it in one day. And I'm throwing in a ton of double bass. And he stops the song in the middle. He's, like, 'Woah woah woah. What's with the double bass? It's a punk rock song. What are you doing?' I was, like, 'Yeah, it's a punk rock song. But FEAR was a punk rock band. MEGADETH is a metal band. This is MEGADETH. Let's do this the MEGADETH way.' And we kind of moved on to other things. And the next day he came back in. He said, 'You know what?! I was thinking about that last night. You're right, man.' He was, like, 'Let's do this. Let's make it MEGADETH.'"

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Watch: FOREIGNER Performs With LOU GRAMM In Santiago, Chile During Spring 2025 Latin American Tour

Fan-filmed video of FOREIGNER's entire May 7 concert at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile can be seen below.

Handling lead vocals for most of the set was FOREIGNER guitarist Luis Maldonado, while original FOREIGNER vocalist Lou Gramm joined in for the last four songs.

Featured songs:

00:00 Preshow
01:50 Intro
03:09 Double Vision
06:47 Head Games
12:30 Cold As Ice
17:55 Waiting For A Girl Like You
24:00 That Was Yesterday
28:37 Dirty White Boy
33:25 Feels Like The First Time
38:50 Urgent
47:00 Keyboard Solo (Michael Bluestein)
52:00 Drum Solo (Chris Frazier)
56:00 Juke Box Hero (with Lou Gramm)
1:08:17 Long, Long Way From Home (with Lou Gramm)
1:11:30 I Want To Know What Love Is (with Lou Gramm) (first verses in Spanish)
1:19:00 Hot Blooded (with Lou Gramm)
1:27:13 Post-show final

FOREIGNER kicked off its spring 2025 Latin American tour on April 28 at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico.

In March, FOREIGNER singer Kelly Hansen released a statement regarding his absence from the band's Latin American and Canadian tours. The 64-year-old vocalist, who has fronted the legendary rockers for the past two decades, said: "We had a great start to our touring year with a sold-out run in Florida, and I am so looking forward to continuing my journey with this incredible band.

"However, some residency issues have forced me to limit appearances outside of the USA this year and this means that I will miss some international shows," he explained. "FOREIGNER's upcoming South American run will feature our incredible bandmate Luis Maldonado, who has been recording some of our hits in Spanish, and he will be handling most of the lead vocals along with Lou Gramm who will be guesting with FOREIGNER for those shows. I know they will smash it!

"FOREIGNER is touring Canada in the fall as a prelude to the launch of a production of 'Juke Box Hero', the musical featuring our songs, and I unfortunately will miss that one too. Luis Maldonado will handle the lead vocals but in order to focus attention on the musical, we have asked Canada's own Geordie Brown, who starred in the original workshop productions in Calgary and Edmonton and the sold-out run in Toronto at the Ed Mirvish Theater, to sing a few songs in our set. I know Luis and Geordie will do a great job on this leg, and I can't wait to hear how it goes!"

Prior to the Mexico City concert, Gramm most recently joined FOREIGNER's current lineup on stage at the end of the band's March 15 concert at the BayCare Sound in Clearwater, Florida to perform two of the legendary rock group's classic songs, "I Want To Know What Love Is" and "Hot Blooded".

Gramm previously said he planned to retire at the end of 2024, but later revealed that he was in talks to make appearances at "select" tour dates with FOREIGNER's current lineup in 2025. Bassist Rick Wills and drummer Dennis Elliott are also expected to appear at some shows, including FOREIGNER's upcoming Las Vegas residency.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

The 75-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year.

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

FOREIGNER's 13-city Canadian tour will begin on October 21 in St. John's, Newfoundland and conclude on November 7 in Kelowna, British Columbia. The tour includes a stop in Brown's hometown at Halifax's Scotiabank Centre on October 24. Canadian rockers 54-40 will provide support.

The last time Brown joined FOREIGNER on stage was for a surprise appearance on the final night of the band's "Cold As Ice" tour in Halifax in March 2019. Brown has stayed in touch with the band in recent years and was in Cleveland this past fall when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

TONY IOMMI On Success Of BLACK SABBATH Ballet: 'It Doesn't Come Any More Unpredictable Than This'

After wowing audiences and critics alike with a sold-out premiere in 2023, Birmingham Royal Ballet's hit production of "Black Sabbath - The Ballet" will commence a U.K. tour in autumn 2025.

Hot on the heels of BLACK SABBATH's farewell gig at Villa Park in their hometown of Birmingham this summer, "Black Sabbath - The Ballet" will return with a homecoming at Birmingham Hippodrome from September 18 to September 27 following dates in Europe and the USA. The production will then visit Manchester's The Lowry, Salford for the first time (October 8-11) before returning to Theatre Royal Plymouth (October 16-18),Sadler's Wells, London (October 22-25) and finishing with a Scottish premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre (October 30 - November 1).

Following a complete sell-out premiere season in autumn 2023, bringing heavy metal fans to ballet for the first time, the 2025 tour will incorporate brand-new audio interviews with BLACK SABBATH band members, voices such as Sharon Osbourne and fans from across the globe. The sound design has also been revised, sharpened and turned up to full volume for this electric night of dance and rock that audiences have never experienced before.

Birmingham Royal Ballet director Carlos Acosta said: "Back in 2023 we were blown away by the awesome success of 'Black Sabbath - The Ballet', selling out at every performance with standing ovations and bringing audiences that had never experienced live dance before to the theatre. Now, in 2025, we are cranking the volume up to 11 with a big, bold U.K. tour that is sure to knock everyone's socks off!"

BLACK SABBATH co-founder, lead guitarist and co-songwriter Tony Iommi said: "BLACK SABBATH have always been innovators and never been predictable, and it doesn't come any more unpredictable than this! It was incredible to see what Carlos and the team at Birmingham Royal Ballet did back in 2023 — bringing our music to life in a way I never thought possible! It's fantastic that more fans across the country get to see this extraordinary production this autumn on a U.K. tour."

Composer Christopher Austin is the mastermind behind the classical reimagining of some of BLACK SABBATH's most iconic songs, played live at every performance by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. Tony Award-winning Christopher worked closely with Iommi on the score, creating full orchestrations of legendary BLACK SABBATH tracks alongside new orchestral works inspired by their music. The orchestra is joined by guitarist Marc Hayward who plays live on stage alongside the dancers at every show.

Christopher Austin said: "For the music team, creating the score for this extraordinary ballet has been an exhilarating journey, and it all began with the most amazing gift from Tony: his trust in us to honor the band's music and his encouragement to follow our own new paths with those iconic songs.

"The passion and commitment of the whole creative team at BRB and the overwhelming response from audiences has made 'Black Sabbath - The Ballet' the experience of a lifetime and I can't wait to be back in the theatre conducting this magical show."

The eight BLACK SABBATH tracks featured are:

* "Paranoid" ("Paranoid" album, 1970);
* "Iron Man" ("Paranoid" album, 1970);
* "War Pigs" ("Paranoid" album, 1970);
* "Black Sabbath" ("Black Sabbath" album, 1970);
* "Solitude" (Master Of Reality" album, 1971);
* "Orchid" (Master Of Reality" album, 1971);
* "Laguna Sunrise" ("Vol 4" album, 1972) and
* "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" ("Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" album, 1973).

A full-length, three-act Ballet Now commission, "Black Sabbath - The Ballet" was created by a host of international talent including lead Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidburg and Cuban designer Alexandre Arrechea with additional choreographers Raúl Reinoso and Cassi Abranches and composers Marko Nyberg and Sun Keting. Dramaturgy is by Richard Thomas and lighting design is by KJ. Metal curator is Lisa Meyer.

The U.S. premiere of "Black Sabbath - The Ballet" will take place at Virginia Arts Festival at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, Virginia in May, with performances set for Friday, May 30 (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday, May 31 (2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.).

Five other U.S. dates (June 4-8, 2025) are scheduled at The Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C.

In an October 2023 video from Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sharon Osbourne the wife and manager of BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne, said: "When I first heard that Birmingham Royal Ballet was putting on a ballet to BLACK SABBATH music, I just thought, this is so left field. It's so not expected. Who would have ever thought the combination? And I just thought, brilliant. This is just so out there that it's wonderful."

Iommi, who had been present at some rehearsals for the U.K. "Black Sabbath – The Ballet" dates, came up on stage at the end of the opening performance to play guitar on the band's classic song "Paranoid". Iommi also took a bow at the end of the night along with the cast and crew. Also in attendance at the event were Iommi's bandmate, SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler and Sharon Osbourne, along with LED ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant and ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA's Bev Bevan, who served as the touring drummer for BLACK SABBATH from 1983 to 1984 and played percussion on "The Eternal Idol" album in 1987.

In April 2023, Iommi was asked by Birmingham World if he could ever have imagined that half a century after he formed SABBATH that Birmingham's ballet company would be dancing to their music. Tony laughed and said: "I wouldn't have believed them, really, to be honest. At the time when I got involved with BLACK SABBATH, I thought it was great, because it was something so different, and hasn't been done before. And I found it, I think, a good challenge.

"I'm looking at our music differently now with this [the ballet], because it is being interpreted in a different way. It's still got the basic things, but then it did have in the different orchestral things coming in. And then I never thought for a minute we would have people dancing to BLACK SABBATH and 'War Pigs' and 'Iron Man'. But here we are, you know."

Regarding Birmingham Royal Ballet's interpretation of SABBATH's music, Tony said: "Birmingham Royal Ballet are very conscious of the work being what it is — the SABBATH music. We don't want to change it so you can’t recognize it. So they've held that part of it, but added another dimension to it. So I was very happy with that."

As for whether he thinks the Black Sabbath Ballet could inspire heavy metal fans to become ballet fans, and ballet fans to become heavy metal fans, Iommi said: "I certainly hope so. I mean, it is a strange combination, but you've got to push the boat out. And, you know, hopefully, we can get everybody together. But they're opposite but they're not at the same time — because it's still creative. They're creating what they're doing. We're creating what we've done, and we're bringing them together. And I think it'd be really interesting to see the SABBATH fans and then to see the ballet fans liking it, hopefully."

Acosta revealed early last year that 60 percent of tickets at that point for the U.K. shows had been bought by SABBATH fans. He said that "BLACK SABBATH is so different from the world of ballet, and I wanted to multiply our reach. I hate to be predictable; I hate for the company to be taken for granted. Everyone knows 'Swan Lake' and 'Cinderella' … [It's] a great opportunity for us to show people the world of dance."

Austin, who supervised the music for the project, said: "Unlike THE BEATLES where you can buy two enormous volumes of all their scores with all the instrumental parts, there's not so much for BLACK SABBATH.

"When I was asked to take part in this project I thought, where do you start? The BLACK SABBATH catalog is enormous, it's so rich and so varied. So the process initially was starting to narrow down the amount of material that we wanted to work with that would furnish us with variety, with richness, with different emotional tones, but also help us create this evening-length show."

Austin added: "What I love about BLACK SABBATH music is the glorious irregularity. All the aspects of music — the flexibility of tempo and feel. And the extraordinary early period Ozzy vocals which are stratospheric, it's exceeding Pavarotti in term of the high notes and ringing power."

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's "Today" program, Acosta said he had been a fan of SABBATH for more than two decades, and said he felt the band's classic protest song "War Pigs" still has particular resonance.

"'War Pigs' is so relevant today, how sometimes politicians and governments hide behind words. And all the wars happening at the moment... it's timeless," he said.

1

Watch: METALLICA's KIRK HAMMETT Unboxes Remastered Deluxe Box Set Of 'Load' Album

Watch below as METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett becomes the first to unbox the long-awaited remastered deluxe box set of METALLICA's "Load" album.

Dubbed "The Whole Kitchen Sink", the box includes more than 10 pounds of content across six pieces of vinyl, 15 CDs, four DVDs, a 128-page book and reproduced memorabilia.

Available for pre-order now, this deluxe box set — along with the standard 180g 2LP, CD, cassette and digital (including a Spatial Audio mix using Atmos),and a 3CD Expanded Edition — hits stores on Friday, June 13 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings.

Remastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering with Greg Fidelman overseeing, the "Load" remastered limited-edition deluxe box set is available now for pre-order at Metallica.com, where full package details and track listings can be viewed. Pre-orders of the deluxe box will receive instant grat tracks "Until It Sleeps (Remastered)", "Until It Sleeps (Herman Melville Mix)", "F.O.B.D. ('Until It Sleeps' Rough Chorus Vocal Idea Mix)" and "Until It Sleeps (Live at Slim's, San Francisco, CA - June 10th, 1996)".

"Load (Remastered)" will be released in formats, including standard 180g 2LP, CD, cassette and digital (including a Spatial Audio mix using Atmos). Standard pre-orders receive "Until It Sleeps (Remastered)" IG, expanded edition pre-orders receive "Until It Sleeps (Remastered)" and "F.O.B.D. ('Until It Sleeps' Rough Chorus Vocal Idea Mix)" IGs. The 2LP, 3CD expanded and deluxe digital versions for the first time ever feature the extended version of "The Outlaw Torn", originally edited for release due to time constraints of the CD format.

The "Load" remastered limited edition deluxe box set is an ambitious and comprehensive time capsule of 1995-97 era METALLICA, jam-packed with exclusives including previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, live performances, on-air and television appearances, and much more. The one-time pressing will include the remastered "Load" album on 180g double vinyl, a "Mama Said" picture disc, and "Loadapalooza '96", a 140g triple album recorded live during METALLICA's Lollapalooza headlining run at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on August 4, 1996. The set's 15 CDs range from the remastered "Load" album to never-before-released collected riffs, demos and rough mixes, B-Sides and rarities, and a wealth of live material, while its four DVDs offer a plethora of behind the scenes, in-studio and live footage, on-air and television appearances, the band's Polar Beach Party visit to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada, and more. Rounding out the box's content are memorabilia including a pack of 14 Rorschach Test cards, a Pushead patch, an 11x17 Lollapalooza poster, a Rolling Stone cover reproduction, a five-pack of guitar/bass picks, lyric sheets, two laminated tour passes and a deluxe 128-page book.

Originally released June 4, 1996, "Load" was the second METALLICA album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, where it would remain for four straight weeks. The 1995 sessions at The Plant in Sausalito, California that resulted in "Load" (as well as 1997's "Reload") would find guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Jason Newsted creating yet another landmark of the METALLICA catalog. Currently, two of "Load"'s four singles — "Until It Sleeps" and "King Nothing" — have been lighting up crowds the world over in regular rotation on the setlists of the band's "M72" world tour.

Released in 1996, "Load" marked a new direction for METALLICA, featuring what one critic has described as "a fresh take on LYNYRD SKYNYRD-tinged boogie rock for the 1990s."

Although "Load" and 1997's "Reload" were warmly received by critics at the time, they've since taken their place among the most reviled work of METALLICA's career.

In a 2013 interview with Revolver magazine, Ulrich said that "Load" and "Reload" are "great records" that "are creatively on par with every other record we've made. Obviously, they're bluesier records, and at that time, we were listening to a lot of LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE and AC/DC, and we had a different kind of foundation than records before or after," he said. "And I understand that there are people who couldn't quite figure out what was going on with the haircuts and the rest of it, and that's fine. But musically, if you strip all that other stuff away, if you just listen to the 27 songs — 'Load' and 'Reload' were intended as one double-record — it's a great collection of songs that is on par with everything else that we've done creatively."

Hetfield has repeatedly expressed his dislike of the "Load" album cover and its inspiration, telling Classic Rock magazine in a 2009 interview: "Lars and Kirk [Hammett, guitar] were very into abstract art, pretending they were gay. I think they knew it bugged me. It was a statement around all that. I love art, but not for the sake of shocking others. I think the cover of 'Load' was just a piss-take around all that. I just went along with the make-up and all of this crazy, stupid shit that they felt they needed to do."

In a 2017 interview with Clash, Hetfield was asked if the band had to make certain compromises along the way in order to be accepted by the mainstream. He responded in part: "As far as doing something that doesn't feel right, I'm sure there's been a few times that it's happened — the 'Load' and 'Reload' era, for me, was one of those; the way that was looking, I wasn't 100 percent on with it, but I would say that that was a compromise. I said, 'I'm going with Lars's and Kirk's vision on this. You guys are extremely passionate about this, so I'll jump on board, because if the four of us are into it, it's going to be better.' So I did my best with it, and it didn't pan out as good as I was hoping, but, again, there's no regrets, because at the time it felt like the right thing to do."

Following the "Load"/"Reload" albums and tour, METALLICA went into a tailspin that resulted in Newsted's exit of, Hetfield spending the better part of a year in rehab and the band nearly splitting up.

In a 2016 interview with TeamRock, Hetfield was asked what he thought late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton might have felt about the drastic changes in METALLICA's look and sound that the band made through the 1990s and early 2000s with albums like "Load", "Reload" and "St. Anger". Hetfield replied: "Well, I certainly would have thought there would have been some resistance, for sure. I think the 'Black Album' was a great album and I appreciate the fact that we did have the balls to do that… I would certainly think that the 'Load' and 'Reload' [era], I would have had an ally that was very against it all — the reinvention or the U2 version of METALLICA."

9

BUCKCHERRY Shares 'Set It Free' Single From Upcoming 'Roar Like Thunder' Album

California rock veterans BUCKCHERRY will release their eleventh album, "Roar Like Thunder", on June 13. The official lyric video for the LP's third single, "Set It Free", can be seen below. The clip was filmed in Los Angeles and directed by Tom Flynn. The video follows the release of videos for the tracks "Roar Like Thunder" and "Come On", both of which are also available below.

As with 2023's "Vol. 10" and 2021's "Hellbound", "Roar Like Thunder" was recorded in Nashville at Sienna Studios and helmed by producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others. All 10 tracks were written by BUCKCHERRY vocalist Josh Todd, BUCKCHERRY guitarist Stevie Dacanay (a.k.a. Stevie D.) and Frederiksen.

"Roar Like Thunder" will be released in North America by Round Hill Records, in Japan by Sony Japan and in the remainder of the world by Earache Records.

"Roar Like Thunder" track listing:

01. Roar Like Thunder
02. When The Sun Goes Down
03. Come On
04. Talking Bout Sex
05. Blackout
06. I Go Boom
07. Set It Free
08. Hello Goodbye
09. Machine Gun
10. Let It Burn

In a recent interview with Stefs Rock Show, Dacanay stated about the making of "Roar Like Thunder": "Josh and I usually start a year before the recording process. We start demoing here [at my home studio in Los Angeles]. And we'll do it on the road. I have a road rig that I bring with [me], and we just start documenting ideas. And then what we do, we set aside a few weeks somewhere along the way and we get with our producer, Marti Frederiksen. He's become like the sixth member of the band… And when we write with Marti, he's in Nashville, so we fly out there in between tours. And what we do is we take all these ideas and we kind of flesh them out more. So from, let's say, 20 ideas, we'll kind of whittle those down to eight, nine, and we'll have songwriting sessions and come up with 10 songs for an album."

In January, Josh told TalkShopLive about "Roar Like Thunder": "It's really great. It's a rocking record from beginning to end. You guys are gonna really love it. We labored over the songwriting for a long time, and it's a lot of fun from beginning to end."

In December, Todd told Indie Power TV about BUCKCHERRY's working relationship with Frederiksen: "Yeah, our relationship with Marti goes way back. We co-wrote 'Sorry' with Marti way back on [the] '15' [album], and then 'Black Butterfly' and 'Confessions'. Marti was all part of all that. It's just unfortunate that we didn't get to continue with him because of the politics in B.C. at the time. So, long story short, it's been great to be back with him. I don't ever wanna do a record without him, and he knows that. He understands this band for what's special about BUCKCHERRY, bringing out those elements in us. I think we bring out elements in him that he likes, and we work as a team. We do what's best for the song. We leave the egos at the door and we get to it and we always make great stuff. So it's been a lot of fun making records."

He added: "And [Marti's] got a mini-me. His son is Evan Frederiksen, and he's on this record too. And he was on the last record, and he's really so Marti-ish. And he's gonna be a big player down the line too. He's great. He's very talented. And just like Marti — Marti started on drums; that was his instrument. And then [Marti] eventually got into songwriting, and he can play guitar and he sings and he does it all. He's always writing with somebody at all times, so he's just a wealth of information. And I always learn so much doing records with him."

In November, Dacanay told Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic about BUCKCHERRY's working relationship with Marti: "We've known him for a very long time. About 20 years ago, he co-wrote [the song] 'Sorry' and then produced the 'Black Butterfly' album after that. So we've known him since then, but we got together with him for [2021's] 'Hellbound' album. We reconnected and, in my opinion, we've done some stuff, sonically and musically, that's been really great. And I love the process. I love coming here [to his studio in Nashville] and working with him. It's such an inspiring kind of environment. And there's a lot of history here at the studio and the vibe here just is real conducive to creating. But yeah, working with Marti, and his son now is an integral part of this camp, a lot gets done pretty quickly. And, yeah, I can't say enough good stuff about this place."

Dacanay went on to speak in more detail about the BUCKCHERRY songwriting process, saying: "There's a considerable amount of preparation before we actually get in here to track the album. So we'll spend the year writing and demoing songs, and then we'll pick out the songs we wanna focus on. And then I'll make a demo of the 10 songs and give 'em to the rest of the guys — Kelly [LeMieux, bass], Francis [Ruiz, drums] and Billy [Rowe, guitar]. They'll learn the songs in kind of what they wanna do their parts. And then we'll all fly in… What happened this time is we all flew in pretty early in the morning and just started cranking it out. And these guys are — they're crackerjacks. So they can get in and do their respective parts in a day, 10 songs, and then their second day would be about just touch-ups or revisions or something like that. But each guy knocks his parts out in a couple days. So they were in and out of here in four or five days, I believe. We had two studios going. There's four studios here. So at one point we'll have two rooms going — one with, let's say Billy's in one room and Kelly's in another tracking or Francis. Francis, at one point, was the only one… When he starts it off, there's nothing else to start recording, so Francis goes first and knocks out the majority of it, and then everyone else just starts jumping in."

"Vol. 10" came out in June 2023. The 11-song LP featured 10 new BUCKCHERRY originals and, as a bonus track, a cover of the Bryan Adams classic "Summer Of 69".

In November 2023, BUCKCHERRY released a new holiday song called "Tell 'Em It's Christmas".

BUCKCHERRY previously released another holiday song, "Christmas Is Here", back in 2010.

In the summer of 2020, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July of that year.

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY enlisted Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

The 20th-anniversary deluxe edition of the double-platinum BUCKCHERRY album "15" on physical and digital formats arrived on January 17 via Endurance Music Group. Originally released in 2005, the album featured the four-times-platinum single "Crazy Bitch" and the two-times-platinum single "Sorry". The deluxe edition was issued in North America on a two-vinyl-LP format featuring the album's 11 original songs as well as four bonus tracks recorded in 2005 and three newly recorded acoustic tracks by Todd and Dacanay.

BUCKCHERRY will perform the "15" album in its entirety on all 2025 tour dates which begin in March.

Photo credit: Tommy Sommers

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Longtime ALICE COOPER Guitarist RYAN ROXIE Drops New Single 'Better Than You'

Longtime Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie is back with "Better Than You", marking his most recent music output since contributing to Cooper's 2023 album "Road".

The new single was launched together with a uniquely disturbing interview: Ryan Roxie being interviewed by his younger clone, an exact A.I. copy of himself. The complete interview was written and executed by A.I.

With "Better Than You", Roxie takes on the digital age with satirically biting lyrics and a guitar-driven punch.

Roxie says: "This one came from the perspective of the 'doom scroller' — which, let's be honest, could be all of us these days. We scroll through the night, watching everyone else live their best lives, and we get hit with suspicion, FOMO, etc… but maybe, just maybe, we realize our own lives really aren't so bad after all. In fact, WE may be better off than what is being visually force-fed to us."

Known for his storytelling approach to songwriting, Roxie sees music as his therapy.

"The good, the bad, the ugly — it's all in there if you follow the lyrics," he says. "But that's the thing, these feelings aren't just mine. They're inside all of us. That's why I tell as many people as I can to pick up an instrument and write their own songs. Plus, it's cheaper than a therapist."

But "Better Than You" isn't just about the message — it's part of a bigger release strategy that Roxie is rolling out for 2025 and 2026. Instead of the traditional album-first approach, he's embracing a singles-first model, much like the early days of THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES.

"The plan is to release songs in small batches — giving each track its own moment," Ryan says. "We spend so much time writing, rehearsing, and recording, why not let every song have its time in the sun? Then, once we have enough, we'll put them together as an album and celebrate them all over again."

Roxie first joined Alice's band in 1996 and toured, wrote and recorded with him for much of the next ten years, including the albums "Fistful Of Alice", "The Eyes Of Alice Cooper" and "Dirty Diamonds", along with the live DVDs "Brutally Live" and "Live At Montreux". After several years absence, Ryan rejoined Alice's band in time for the legendary rocker's 2012 "No More Mr Nice Guy" tour.

For more on Ryan Roxie, his new music, and the All Excess Pass, visit www.ryanroxie.com.

Press photo credit: Victor Chalfant

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SABATON's Eleventh Studio Album Was Completed Before Label Switch, Says JOAKIM BRODÉN

In a new interview with Mexico's Summa Inferno, SABATON's frontman, co-founder and principal songwriter Joakim Brodén spoke about the band's latest single, "Templars", which marks SABATON's debut release under the group's new record label, Better Noise. The song tells the tale of the rise and fall of the Templar Order, a brotherhood of warrior-monks founded in 1119 after the First Crusade, dedicated to protecting pilgrims and sacred Christian sites in the Holy Land. In 1307, King Philip IV of France betrayed them, driven by greed. He seized their wealth and ordered the arrest and execution of many, including their Grand Master — the supreme commander of the holy order. Asked if the rest of SABATON's upcoming album will also focus on the Crusades, a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites considered sacred by both groups, Joakim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't wanna spoil the surprise, but let's just say the next album will not be about World War I or II. We wanna wait with the announcement. It's a different theme, but I can reveal it's not only gonna cover sort of the Crusader era. There will be more there. There is a concept, for sure, and a theme for the album."

Brodén went on to say that SABATON completed work on the follow-up to 2022's "The War To End All Wars" album before he and his bandmates signed with Better Noise. "We have had this in the bag for quite some time, but, as with everything else, things take time — timing, sorting everything out," he explained. "But, yeah, we've been with [SABATON's longtime label] Nuclear Blast for a long time and we're still really good friends, so there's no animosity there or bad blood. We just thought it was time for the next step."

Asked how he and his SABATON bandmates decide which topics to cover in their songs, in light of the fact that their lyrics primarily focus on military history, particularly focusing on wars, battles, and acts of heroism, Joakim said: "Ooh, that's a good question. It's a weird answer, though. Sometimes it's not really us deciding. In many cases we start with a theme or the concept of an album first, which then limits us, or sets the scene sort of — this is what we're working with — because we need to create those limitations for the creative process for us. It helps us, actually. And then let's say we decided a hundred years of the Swedish Empire, let's tell that story, but then at that point, we didn't know exactly which stories. And in some ways, some of those are the ones we decided ourselves and we researched a lot, some of those stories we decided we were gonna do, we didn't have the right music that would fit it or we couldn't tell the story the way we wanted. And sometimes it's actually fans writing us over the years. On certain albums, we've had e-mails from fans, like three years earlier, and it was, like, 'Oh, that's a great idea. Maybe we'll do something on that one day.' So our fans are a huge inspiration helping us out, because every nation has their own sort of history. And it's uncommon for, let's say, Scandinavians to know too much about Latin American history, and vice versa, I would guess. I mean, obviously we are aware of the Conquista and you are aware of the Vikings, but that's sort of where it ends. So sometimes it's also the song that decides, because we have a piece of music and we knew what the theme was, but we didn't know which exact battle. And then the song decides the lyrics and the story."

Last month, Brodén spoke to El Cuartel Del Metal about SABATON's decision to sign with Better Noise Music after a decade-and-a-half-long run with Nuclear Blast. Regarding what prompted the label switch, Joakim said: "Basically, they've gone through some changes, Nuclear Blast, over the years, [having] been bought up by [global digital music company] Believe [in 2018], and while I have no hard feelings towards any one of them, this felt like the next logical step. Because for the past two albums, it seemed like we had hit the roof, to us sometimes, of our reach with Nuclear Blast. With that said, we have good friends still, and we have good friends and lovely people who work there. So this is more of a — what do you call it? — intellectual decision of what's the best next step for SABATON and not emotional, 'Oh, we've been fucked over by a label.' No, we haven't."

The Nuclear Blast relationship with SABATON dated back to 2010's World War II-themed "Coat Of Arms" album.

Along with the digital release of "Templars", SABATON is offering its fans a special one-sided 12-inch vinyl single which is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide and set to be released on June 27.

The strikingly cinematic "Templars" video was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia (Belgrade Fortress within Kalemegdan Park and Smederevo Fortress),both of which provided a striking and authentic backdrop for the epic battle scenes.

SABATON — Joakim Brodén (vocals),Pär Sundström (bass),Chris Rörland (guitar),Thobbe Englund (guitar),Hannes Van Dahl (drums) — has always had a signature focus on writing songs about historical battles, wars, and acts of heroism that have solidified their impact with their loyal and longtime fans. SABATON has accumulated more than three billion streams across all streaming platforms and almost two billion views on YouTube.

Better Noise Music is known for its creative artist development, innovative cross-media strategies, and ability to build international success stories. It was named Billboard's No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Label and No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Imprint of 2024, after its history-making run of five consecutive years as the No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Imprint (2018-2022). In 2023 Allen Kovac moved up to chairman role and over the last two and a half years the company has been run by Dan Waite CEO, Steve Kline COO and president, Harris Masood CFO and Paul Cormack GM.

Since SABATON's 2005 debut LP, the band has released 10 studio albums (some of which have been certified as gold, platinum, and even quadruple platinum),seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.

2022's "The War to End All Wars" was the last SABATON album to feature guitarist Tommy Johansson. He has since been replaced by a returning Englund.

Thobbe originally joined SABATON in April 2012 and amicably parted ways with the band in July 2016 to focus on his personal life and expand his creativity. He rejoined SABATON in February 2024.

Englund recorded two studio albums with SABATON, namely "Heroes" (2014) and "The Last Stand" (2016),and assisted with the songwriting of some very popular songs including "Shiroyama" and "Fields Of Verdun", among others.

In November 2025, SABATON will embark on a 20-city European run dubbed "The Legendary Tour". The band teased the trek as "a huge celebration of SABATON's music, storytelling and the incredible bond they share with their fans", featuring "The Legendary Orchestra and other surprises," resulting in "something unprecedented."

Last fall, SABATON served as main support to JUDAS PRIEST on the legendary heavy metal band's North American tour.

In the more than two decades since their launch, SABATON has achieved quadruple-platinum sales, headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts across the globe, and earned a legion of loyal fans by being self-managed and carving out a reputation as one of the most innovative bands in rock. SABATON combines standout stage design and production with epic concept albums, linking real-life historical war events with classic kick-ass metal. To date, the band has released ten studio albums, amassed six gold, two platinum, and one four-times-platinum awards, seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.

When SABATON hit the 20-year mark, they headlined both stages at Wacken 2019 — the biggest metal festival in the world — simultaneously. Meanwhile, in 2023 as part of a charity initiative, SABATON donated their full-length animated movie to museums around the world in order to increase awareness and visitor numbers, and successfully encouraged people to support the preservation of history in these establishments. During SABATON's 25th-anniversary year, the band released the "Tour To End All Tours" concert film, and through independent distribution, it was screened in more than 1,200 cinemas spanning 28 territories.

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SLIPKNOT Isn't 'Diligently' Working On New Music Right Now: ' My Inspiration Is Nearly Zero', Says JIM ROOT

When SLIPKNOT played at The O2 arena in London, England last December, the band's guitarist Jim Root spoke to Guitar Interactive's Jonathan Graham about the possibility of a follow-up to SLIPKNOT's 2022 album "The End, So Far". Asked if he and his bandmates have been working on new music, Root said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not diligently. Honestly, we've been touring so much since [drummer] Eloy [Casagrande] joined the band that my inspiration is nearly zero. And there's a bunch of music that was written during COVID that I'm not interested in. And I think everybody else in the band gets it too, and I think they're kind of, like, 'Okay, we need to just kind of, like, maybe sweep all that shit under a rug and start fresh.' And I wanna get touring behind us. I wanna have at least a month off just to shut my brain off and sleep and all that kind of stuff. And then when I find myself going out to my little home studio and putting riffs together, then I'll know it's time to start."

A year ago, SLIPKNOT revealed that a new song "Long May You Die" was recorded during some of the early sessions with Casagrande.

In an interview with Brazil's Veja São Paulo, Eloy hinted that he and his new bandmates had worked on new material together, saying: "I think that was also part of the audition. They threw new ideas at me to see what my songwriting was like," he said. "They wanted to test me in every way."

However, Casagrande clarified that "I'm still trying to understand how the dynamics of the band work. It's not so clear yet how things work in terms of records and new songs. We've written a few things, and they're shelved for the time being.

"I don't think there’s any pressure to record new material," he added. "But I'm sure they want to, I don't know when, because right now the band is focused on celebrating its 25th anniversary."

For of the band's gigs in 2024, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT was celebrating its 25th anniversary last year.

After parting ways with Jay Weinberg in November 2023, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer in March 2024, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption "Rehearsal."

The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision. Jay followed up with a statement of his own, saying that he was "heartbroken and blindsided" by his dismissal.

Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.

Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA in February 2024, shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band's 40th-anniversary farewell tour.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA more than 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

"The End, So Far" arrived in August 2022. It marked the band's the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

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See AC/DC's Entire Pittsburgh Concert During Spring 2025 North American Tour

Jim Powers has uploaded video of AC/DC's entire May 8 concert at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Check it out below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
02. Back In Black
03. Demon Fire
04. Shot Down In Flames
05. Thunderstruck
06. Have A Drink On Me
07. Hells Bells
08. Shot In The Dark
09. Stiff Upper Lip
10. Highway To Hell
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. Sin City
13. Rock 'N' Roll Train
14. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
15. High Voltage
16. Riff Raff
17. You Shook Me All Night Long
18. Whole Lotta Rosie
19. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

20. T.N.T.
21. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

AC/DC kicked off its 2025 North American "Power Up" tour on April 10 at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

AC/DC — guitarist Angus Young, vocalist Brian Johnson, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and bass player Chris Chaney — is performing in 13 stadiums coast to coast this spring. This run will conclude on May 28 in Cleveland, Ohio at Huntington Bank Field. Along the way, they will play some of the most iconic and historic stadiums in the world, including Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on May 24. Support on the trek is coming from THE PRETTY RECKLESS.

AC/DC played the 24th and final concert of its "Power Up" European tour on August 17, 2024 at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.

The "Power Up" European tour marked AC/DC's first with the band's new touring lineup consisting of Johnson, Angus and Stevie Young, Laug and the latest addition to the group's touring lineup, Chaney.

The European tour was the first run of gigs since AC/DC's return to the stage at last year's Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

AC/DC's last tour took place in 2015 and 2016 and had a $180 million gross, with 2,310,061 sold tickets reported to the Pollstar box office.

Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Vasco Rossi. Matt moved to Los Angeles after graduating from South Florence High School in 1986 and after attending college in L.A., Matt became a sought-after studio drummer.

In 2001, Laug supported AC/DC as part of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT on the North American and European legs of the "Stiff Upper Lip" tour.

In its announcement about Laug's addition to the band's Power Trip lineup, AC/DC offered no explanation for the absence of the band's longtime drummer Phil Rudd, who rejoined AC/DC for the recording of the group's comeback album, "Power Up", which came out in November 2020.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession. He was replaced on the band's "Rock Or Bust" tour by Chris Slade, who had previously served as AC/DC's drummer between 1989 and 1994, playing on the album "The Razor's Edge".

Rudd, who appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 previous studio albums, toured in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

AC/DC postponed the last 10 dates of its spring 2016 North American trek after Johnson was advised to stop playing live or "risk total hearing loss." The band went on to complete the European and North American legs of its "Rock Or Bust" tour with GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist." At the time, Johnson had been AC/DC's singer for 36 years, ever since replacing the late Bon Scott in 1980 and making his debut on the classic "Back In Black" album.

To enable him to perform live with AC/DC again, the now-77-year-old Johnson worked with audio expert Stephen Ambrose, who said he could help resolve the singer's hearing problems.

Ambrose, who invented the wireless in-ear monitors that are widely used by touring artists today, claimed to have invented a new type of ear-bud that would allow Johnson to perform without causing further damage to his eardrums. After three years of experimenting and "miniaturizing" the equipment, Johnson previously said the technology could allow him to tour again.

Chaney is best known as the bassist of JANE'S ADDICTION and as a member of Alanis Morissette's touring and recording band. Chaney was also a member of TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS and CAMP FREDDY, as well as being a prolific and versatile session musician, having played with artists including Joe Cocker, Shakira, Slash and Avril Lavigne to Sara Bareilles, Gavin Degraw, Cher, SHINEDOWN and Celine Dion. Chaney is also a founding member and partner in the all-star supergroup ROYAL MACHINES along with Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION),Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY),Josh Freese (FOO FIGHTERS) and Billy Morrison (BILLY IDOL).

Bassist Cliff Williams announced his retirement at the end of AC/DC's 2015-2016 "Rock Or Bust" tour, which also saw Johnson leaving. However, Williams — and Johnson — took part in the recording sessions that resulted in "Power Up". Both of them were also part of the AC/DC lineup that performed at Power Trip.

During an October 2020 interview with Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast, Cliff was asked if Johnson's departure from the road was what led to his desire to stop touring. Cliff responded: "It was before then. I spoke to Angus about it initially. I was at a point — and this is at the beginning of the 'Rock Or Bust' tour — that I just felt, for me, it was time to hang it up. I knew that I didn't wanna keep doing these two-year tours, and I didn't wanna hold them back, so I made them aware of the fact that this was gonna be my last go-round. It was a tough tour to finish. God bless Axl for coming in and helping us out, finish it up. He did a great job. And at the end of that, I was definitely — that was it for me. Done — just done. That compounded the whole thing."

According to Williams, he wanted to take part in the recording sessions for "Power Up" as a tribute to Angus's late brother, founding AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up".

"If 'Back In Black' has [late AC/DC singer] Bon Scott all over it, for me, 'Power Up' has got Malcolm Young," Cliff said. "This is for him. And it's the band that we played together with for 40-plus years. And I wanted to do that — I wanted to come back and do that.

"We did some rehearsals earlier [in 2020] before this darn COVID thing popped up, and we had great rehearsals," he continued. "The band was playing really well. So [they asked me], 'Do you wanna do a few shows? 'Sure'. A few shows. We were planning on doing that. Everyone goes home to their respective homes, and bang, we've been here ever since [because of the coronavirus-related shutdown]."

Cliff went on to confirm that his commitment to AC/DC was only for "a few" dates in support of "Power Up".

"For both [my mental and physical] health," he said. "I definitely have some physical issues, which I won't bore you with the details of. But, yeah, it's tough. I'm very grateful for everything. It's been fantastic. But I just don't wanna do that anymore."

Williams previously revealed that a "terrible" bout with vertigo contributed to his 2016 retirement. He also admitted the return of both Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd convinced him to rejoin the group. "It was like the old band back together," he told Rolling Stone. "It was not like starting over again, but as close to the band that's been together for 40-plus years as we can possibly make it. I didn't want to miss that."

The follow-up to 2014's "Rock Or Bust", "Power Up" was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and "Rock Or Bust".

MASTODON Recruits Canadian Guitarist NICK JOHNSTON For Spring 2025 Tour

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have recruited Canadian musician Nick Johnston as their fill-in guitarist for their spring 2025 North American tour, which launched Thursday night (May 8) at The Factory in Chesterfield, Missouri. Johnston has stepped in following the departure of longtime MASTODON guitarist Brent Hinds earlier this year.

When MASTODON performed at the Tool In The Sand festival in March, the band hired YouTuber and session musician Ben Eller to play second guitar.

MASTODON is scheduled to perform next at the Sonic Temple festival today (May 9) in Columbus, Ohio, before launching a co-headlining U.S. tour with COHEED AND CAMBRIA on Saturday (May 10) in Salem, Virginia.

Hailing from Toronto, Nick is known for his catchy, melody-driven instrumental music. With his guitar, Nick has been able to carve out his own unique style within a crowded landscape of instrumental guitarists. Nick is a firm believer that "you are what you eat" and that by listening to many different styles, a songwriter can be exposed to different harmonies, rhythms, time signatures and tones. This eclectic inspiration is evident in his sound, which ranges from blues to prog, to jazz, to gypsy, spanning anything and everything in-between. Though his style is ever evolving, his music is consistently detailed and technical while managing to be instantly recognizable as Nick Johnston.

Last year, Johnston released his seventh album, "Child Of Bliss".

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

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

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

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

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

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.

In December, MASTODON and COHEED AND CAMBRIA announced "The Infinite Arc" tour with special guests PERIPHERY. Produced by Live Nation and FPC Live, the 20-city trek will cover the East Coast and Midwest before wrapping up in Waukee, Iowa on June 8.

Kelliher told Guitar World about Hinds's exit: "What can you say about the legacy of MASTODON's first 25 years with Brent? It's been a fun, wild fucking ride, that's for sure. We achieved a lot of things that I never in a million years would have imagined. There's been Grammys, touring with our heroes, like IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD and TOOL. I cherish all of that.

"Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart, and they get interested in other things," he explained. "We wish nothing but the best for Brent in chasing his dreams."

Touching upon the musical and personal chemistry between MASTODON's longtime members, Bill said: "You know, it's amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us. I mean, it's like being married to three other dudes, traveling the world, trying to stay the course, and having everybody agree. That we managed to do it this long, I feel like that's a feat in itself. You could never replace any of us because we [are the] the sum of four parts. That doesn't mean there's not someone else out there that has stuff to offer in a new direction. I think I'll just leave it there, you know? It was a hard decision we all had to make. It's just… it was just time."

Photo courtesy of Hold Tight

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Watch: New PRIMAL FEAR Lineup Performs Live For First Time

PRIMAL FEAR's new lineup made its live debut Friday (May 9) at the 2025 edition of the Rock In Rautheim festival in Braunschweig, Germany. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

Joining Mat Sinner (bass, vocals) and Ralf Scheepers (vocals) in PRIMAL FEAR's current lineup are the band's latest additions, Italian/Cuban sensation Thalìa Bellazecca (ANGUS MCSIX, ex-FROZEN CROWN) on guitar and André Hilgers (AXXIS, RAGE, SILENT FORCE, SINNER, BONFIRE) on drums. Also appearing with the group is Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who has been primarily a studio member of the band for much of the past decade but who has now rejoined PRIMAL FEAR's touring lineup.

Sinner (a.k.a. Matthias Lasch),who also serves as PRIMAL FEAR's producer, reportedly suffered an extreme adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccination in 2021 and received treatment for eight months at various hospitals. As a result of Sinner's health challenges, PRIMAL FEAR canceled all of its planned shows in 2021 and 2022, eventually recruiting Alex Jansen as Mat's temporary replacement.

A few days prior to the Rock In Rautheim gig, Sinner took to his social media to write: "Five years ago, I played my last show with Alice Cooper in Berlin (Rock Meets Classic). Shortly after this show I was declared dead, but doctors brought me back to life. As I was lying paralyzed in my bed, one of my 3 targets was that one day I want to be back rocking on a stage again. Now, 5 years later I'm 75% recovered, 5 years sober, and I will play a show with my beloved PRIMAL FEAR again on Friday evening, supported by some of the best guys I can imagine. Don't expect me jumping around like a young guy, but for sure I will give 200%. And can you imagine my feelings when we will play our classic songs again? Keep your fingers crossed and have a great new week."

PRIMAL FEAR will release its new album, "Domination", on September 5 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The LP's first single, "Far Away", was made available late last month.

"Domination" was recorded in autumn 2024, produced by Sinner and co-produced by Scheepers as well as Karlsson. Rounded off by multiple PRIMAL FEAR mixing/mastering engineer Jacob Hansen at his own studios in Denmark, the album artwork was designed by Death.Milk.Designs.

Warming up at five select summer festivals, PRIMAL FEAR will return to the live front with its longest European tour since 2018. Reigning Phoenix Music labelmates ELEINE have been confirmed as special guests.

In August 2024, guitarists Alex Beyrodt and Tom Naumann, drummer Michael Ehré and bassist Alex Jansen announced their departures from PRIMAL FEAR, writing in a statement: "Dear fans and friends of PRIMAL FEAR, we unfortunately have to inform you today that Alex Beyrodt, Tom Naumann, Michael Ehré and Alex Jansen, who helped us on bass for the last two years, are no longer part of the band PRIMAL FEAR. Triggered by decisions within the band that we do not agree with, this step was anything but easy for us to take. We would like to make it clear that despite the differences of opinion, there was no argument or bad blood.

"We would like to thank you for the time we spent together, the numerous albums, the tours, shows and festivals that have taken us around the world together, and of course for the love of the fans. We wish Mat and Ralf all the best for the future!"

Formed by Sinner in 1997 as an outlet for Scheepers (who had left GAMMA RAY and was a rumored candidate for the then-open JUDAS PRIEST vocal spot, but was considering early retirement from metal),PRIMAL FEAR has emerged as one of the most consistent European metal bands, rarely straying from its core PRIEST-styled power metal sound.

PRIMAL FEAR 2025 is:

Ralf Scheepers - vocals
Mat Sinner - bass, vocals
Magnus Karlsson - guitars
Thalìa Bellazecca - guitars
André Hilgers - drums

Watch: ADRIAN SMITH And RICHIE KOTZEN Perform At Grammy Museum

After their March 5 acoustic performance at Los Angeles's Grammy Museum, SMITH/KOTZEN principals Richie Kotzen and Adrian Smith were interviewed by FOZZY frontman and professional wrestler Chris Jericho. Professionally filmed video of the event can be seen below.

Featured songs:

* Glory Road 0:00
Interview Part 1 4:54
* Solar Fire 7:41
Interview Part 2 13:13
* Scars 17:09

Some excerpts from the interview appear below.

On the origins of SMITH/KOTZEN:

Adrian: "I always feel weird saying this, but actually, my wife met Richie in a bar. It was perfectly innocent, Richie assures me. She was a fan of his music. I'd heard [his] album 'Mother's Head Family Reunion'. I thought it was fantastic, but it was quite a few years ago, and he'd sort of dropped off our radar. Then my wife said, 'Have you seen what Richie's doing lately?', and I checked it out. It was fantastic. I moved to L.A. part-time about 15 years ago, and almost 10 years ago, Richie and I became friends. We used to jam at my house — in a little room, we'd play BAD COMPANY, Stevie Ray [Vaughan], anything just for a laugh. And then my missus said, 'Why don't you guys write together?' I wouldn't have thought that – I mean, this guy does it all, but the combination is unusual. But it works. I'm happy to be involved in it. It's been very productive. We write very easily — the writing, it just flows. [We want to] keep this music alive."

On their shared influences:

Adrian: "In the early '70s, in my mid-teens, I was really open to this music I discovered — DEEP PURPLE, HUMBLE PIE, [and] later on, FREE, BAD COMPANY. That's music I grew up with, and it stays in your blood. It makes such an incredible impression on you when you're a kid — you hear it, and it just knocks you sideways. Having said that, Richie's got his own influences... but we take that basic sort of spirit, and then make it into a song that you can remember, not just a riff played over and over again. You try make a song out of it that's got some substance."

Richie: "I think that's what connects [us] — Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, HUMBLE PIE, FREE, BAD COMPANY, Paul Rodgers, early Rod Stewart. Personally, I kind of delve a little into the jazz/fusion world — I played with Stanley Clarke for a while, and I'm a big fan of that style. George Benson was my first concert I ever saw, and that floored me. To me, he's the greatest guitar player ever. Shortly after that, I saw Stevie Wonder… that had a big impact on me. Then on the other side of the coin, when I was very young, [I discovered] IRON MAIDEN… Every morning before school when I was little, 'Woe to you…' [the intro of 'The Number Of The Beast'] would echo throughout the house as I got dressed."

On whether it's unusual for Kotzen to share the spotlight with another guitarist:

Richie: "It's a nice departure. It's like, you take a break from yourself, and it's nice to kind of lay back and support someone singing. I come from the school as a musician that if there's vocals [and] if there's singing, everything is designed and built to support the singer, the vocal. That's the focal point. If there's no singer, if it's instrumental music, then everything is built and designed to support either the soloist or saxophone or whatever it is, or the melody. In this instance, I kind of adopt that philosophy — to support Adrian when he's singing [and] make sure whatever I'm doing complements what he's doing, and if he's going to take a solo, the key to it is to listen. A lot of times, what happens with a lot of rock musicians, they get on stage and figure, 'Well, I'm just gonna do me, and I'm going to just play all this shit that I learned how to play. I'm going to fit it in where I can,' and that's not real musical. We both listen to each other, [and] we respond as a conversation. It's a creative conversation, and it's very rewarding…

"I have a lot more experience playing in a trio. I'm very comfortable with it. The dynamic of the improvisation element is what attracts me to it, because it's easy for three guys to kind of play off of each other and create on the spot, so the music kind of reflects that. [SMITH/KOTZEN] is different, because in a sense there's more structure. [Adrian] and I work out a lot of things that we're going to play together and how we fit together. It's hard to compare and contrast, because it really is two different animals. It's two different hats. But I love what we're doing, so I don't want to compare one to the other. They're different – not better or worse, just different."

On how making SMITH/KOTZEN albums differs from making albums with IRON MAIDEN:

Adrian: "MAIDEN these days, we record live in the studio. We don't even rehearse – someone brings a song in; we play it a few times; and the producer goes, 'I think I've got that.' With Richie, we sit down, the two of us, in a room. There's no producer – there's nobody, just us. And we build the song from scratch, from a demo usually – and we just build it, and build it, and build it until that will turn into the master that you hear, but it started life as something on one of our hard drives. It's great – you can go at your own pace. I think for this [new] album, we wrote six songs two years ago, then we had a break because we were busy, and then we came back and said, 'Well, what do we need? We need a fast one; we need a ballad.' And then we just finished it off."

On whether they scaled down their expectations when launching a side project together:

Adrian: "I didn't really think beyond just doing it for the satisfaction of doing it, although as it sort of developed, I thought, 'Well, maybe this has got some legs.' I've done a lot of stuff in the past, and I just haven't really followed through with it as strongly as I should have, but this one, I was so pleased with it, I thought, 'You should go get this out there. I think people would enjoy it.'

Richie: "I don't really think very much beyond what I'm working on in that moment. When Adrian and I were writing together, I didn't have any kind of expectations beyond, like, 'Let's just finish the song that we're working on,' and once we had a collection of songs that we liked, it became, 'Wow, let's release it – let's make a record.' I don't really step outside myself and analyze too much, like, 'Oh, I'm playing for 200 people,' or, 'I'm playing for a thousand people,' or this or that – I do the music because I love making music, so that's the only real thing I focus on, and if there's a gig to be done, to make sure I'm prepared."

SMITH/KOTZEN's second album, "Black Light/White Noise", was released via BMG on April 4.

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IAN PAICE On DEEP PURPLE's Multigenerational Appeal: 'Kids Are Still Listening To Rock Roll'

In a new interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, the members of the iconic British rock band DEEP PURPLE were asked how it feels to be "a bridge between generations". Drummer Ian Paice responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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.

Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride continue with renewed vitality, pushing the boundaries of hard rock to audiences around the globe, proving that DEEP PURPLE are very much here to stay.

Photo credit: Jim Rakete (courtesy of The Outside Organisation)

ATTACK ATTACK! Announces New Album, Shares Two Singles

After throwing the Internet into a frenzy of chaos, speculation, and unexpected genre detours, ATTACK ATTACK! is officially back in full force. The band's first full-length record since 2012, "Attack Attack! II", is set for release on August 8, 2025 via Oxide Records.

Today, ATTACK ATTACK! unleashes not one, but two massive new singles: "Dance!", featuring Will Ramos of LORNA SHORE, and "Chainless". Fresh off blindsiding fans with a country remix, the real version of "Dance!" sees the metalcore titans teaming up with one of deathcore's most recognizable voices, Will Ramos, for their first ever official feature that blends sheer aggression with off-the-wall energy. On the other hand, "Chainless" offers a powerful, anthemic counterbalance that's wrapped in explosive riffs with unshakable momentum.

ATTACK ATTACK! will return to the road for its upcoming headlining run, "The Roadside Rumble Tour", which is set to tear through the U.S. beginning Thursday, May 15. The band will be joined on the road by fellow heavy-hitting forces CONVICTIONS, DOWNSWING and UNCURED.

Formed in 2007, ATTACK ATTACK! has become a staple in the metalcore scene, amassing over 100 million streams across major streaming platforms on multiple chart-topping records. As torchbearers of the genre, the band continue to push the boundaries of metalcore while solidifying their place in its ever-growing legacy. Known for their no-holds-barred approach, ATTACK ATTACK! remain unpredictable as ever, with more bold twists in store for the year ahead.

"Attack Attack! II" track listing:

01. One Hit Wonder
02. Dance!
03. Chainless
04. Walk On Water
05. Karmageddon
06. Live, Love, & Die
07. I Complain On R/Metalcore
08. Big Booty Britches
09. Without You
10. Sacrifice
11. Jump Jump!

If you went to Warped Tour in the mid 2000s, shopped at Hot Topic, or were active on MySpace, then you have heard the name ATTACK ATTACK! While the band's early career was relatively short-lived, their reputation has done nothing but grow since the band went on indefinite hiatus in 2013. Known for incorporating dance/electronica music with metal, the band consistently bent the rules of songwriting. They took the sounds they liked and crafted seemingly incompatible genres into anthems for local Ohio scene kids, and later, audiences across the globe. After years of silence, ATTACK ATTACK! exploded back on to the scene in 2020. They're here to remind you that rules are made to be broken, adversity is meant to be overcome, and that legends never die.

Photo credit: John Scheuermann

THREE DAYS GRACE Announces 'Alienation', First Album With ADAM GONTIER In 13 Years; Shares 'Apologies' Single

THREE DAYS GRACE will release its eighth album, "Alienation", on August 22 via RCA Records. The official music video for the LP's second single, "Apologies", can be seen below.

For the first time in over a decade, original THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam Gontier is back, joining Matt Walst on vocals along with Neil Sanderson (drums),Brad Walst (bass) and Barry Stock (guitars).

The twelve tracks on "Alienation" all play a pivotal role in defining this significantly new-but-nostalgic chapter of the band.

Sanderson comments: "'Alienation' is a journey through inner collapse and outward defiance. The songs reflect isolation as a condition of existence, not just circumstance. Some of what we write about — anxiety, addiction, heartbreak, disconnect — are often a different wave of the same storm. And yet buried in all the wreckage is something human — still reaching out."

Produced by Zakk Cervini, Dan Lancaster and Howard Benson, "Apologies" bursts to life with riveting guitar riffs, immediately pulling listeners into the dynamic soundscape. Echoing the raw spirit of classic 2000s rock, the energetic tempo drives momentum forward into the chorus, creating an urgent and electrifying atmosphere. Soaring vocals cut through the mix, amplifying the emotion behind the lyrics, while the tight rhythm section anchors the track with steady intensity.

Sanderson told HardDrive Radio about "Apologies": "It's a song that talks about feeling like you're too far gone to be saved, that you sometimes become a lost hope. Even though you have all these people around you that care about you and love you and demonstrate that, you're almost apologizing to those people, saying, 'Hey, I appreciate the love, I see the effort, but I just feel too far gone.' And I think it's something that people feel. They don't wanna let others down. And when you're in a moment of weakness, it's important to talk to people. But sometimes people are apprehensive 'cause they don't wanna let the people that they love down. And that song is a journey through that."

"Alienation" track listing:

01. Dominate
02. Apologies
03. Mayday
04. Kill Me Fast
05. In Waves
06. Alienation
07. Never Ordinary (ft. Lindsey Stirling)
08. Deathwish
09. Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight
10. In Cold Blood
11. The Power
12. Another Relapse

Last November, THREE DAYS GRACE released "Mayday", the first single since the return of Gontier.

In an interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Sanderson stated about how the band's new two-singer arrangement came together: "First and foremost, we're a family. We all grew up together in a small town, and so Matt, who came in 2013 to replace Adam, he's been in the band for, yeah, 12 years now. But he's Brad, our bass player's younger brother. So he was around as a kid when we were first just jamming in basements and trying to figure out our sound as we were teenagers, and he wasn't even a teenager. And so for him to come in was just a very natural fit. And then, as time progressed on, we just started having open conversations, which is the notion of, like, what would this be if we joined forces and we become a five-piece? And it creates a completely new dimension and facet for the sound of THREE DAYS GRACE and our ability to artistically branch off into just different things that we can do with having two voices that are uniquely different, but come together in such a powerful way. So it feels like we've kind of come full circle and we've closed this loop. And it's just fate, I guess, that we're all seeing eye to eye now and the band sounds bigger than ever. And, yeah, it's a great time to just see it all come into one full force moving forward."

Regarding the musical direction of the upcoming THREE DAYS GRACE album and how "Mayday" fits into that, Neil said: "It's definitely dynamic. 'Mayday' was a song that we — I guess we were pulling some inspiration from our [2006] record 'One-X' with songs like 'Animal I Have Become' and things like that, where it's a really driving-force song. The lyrics are really a social commentary about how sometimes you feel in life that you're like hurling at just warp speed through time and space and you don't quite know who's at the wheel… It feels like everything can be in fast forward and sensory overload, which isn't always healthy for the human brain. And basically just making the decision whether you're gonna swim against the current or whether you're gonna fall in line with other people, and making those choices on a daily basis. So that's what that song's about. The rest of the record, we have a lot of really heavy moments. We do love sort of down tempo heaviness. I mean, we listen to a lot of PANTERA and stuff like that, and that is contrasted with some songs that I think are really going to bring out the emotion, because they're emotional to us. And I think that's the strongest connection with THREE DAYS GRACE and our fans, is that we're writing from the heart and from the gut and deep down in the psyche and putting it out into song. And when people can relate to that and see their own lives in that music, then that's the most powerful thing you can have as an artist. So there's a lot of that where we stay true to ourselves and we're not afraid to write about the real deep down stuff. And that seems to always resonate with our fans because it's coming from a real place."

THREE DAYS GRACE played its first full show with Gontier in 12 years on February 25 as the support act for DISTURBED on the U.S. leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho.

In a recent interview with Nik Nocturnal, Adam was asked how it feels to be back in THREE DAYS GRACE after such a long absence. He responded: "Well, I think more excitement than anything, man. 'Cause it's just been so long. And it just felt like the right time — it felt like the right time for everybody. So, yeah, just excitement and kind of ready to go."

He continued: "It took a little while to connect with the guys and do a couple shows together, a couple things, but, yeah — just more excitement than anything, and definitely some nostalgia, obviously. But, yeah, I think everybody's really, really excited about this next chapter. It's gonna be quite the year, I think."

Regarding the prospect of sharing lead vocals with Matt in THREE DAYS GRACE's new lineup, Adam said: "Yeah, I was just talking with somebody about that. We got sort of — not lucky, but our voices do blend really well together. And we've noticed it obviously way more now with making the record and recording and all this stuff that, yeah, our voices really blend well. Yeah, so we're fortunate for that, that it's working out the way we had hoped."

Gontier added: "It's been great, man. It's cool. Matt grew up with the band. He's Brad's little brother, and I knew Matt from when he was just a little guy. So I think for them it was a natural fit to get him to take my spot there. And, yeah, now [we're just, like] — let's do it together."

Asked how he and Matt delegate the vocal responsibilities on THREE DAYS GRACE's new material, including "Mayday", Adam said: "Yeah, that's what we've been doing. I mean, we're all sort of writing the new stuff together, so we've been sitting in a room together, coming up with all this material and stuff… We're in a room together and coming up with all that stuff… But yeah, I think the recording of vocals, who's gonna sing what and where, it's come pretty natural. There's certain parts that we both now know, like, 'It might make more sense for me to sing this part or you to sing this part.' And at the same time, working with a couple of different producers on stuff, we did get some guys that would have some good input and just a good idea of what to do with two singers, 'cause it hasn't really been done before — not in this world. So we wanna make sure we're doing it right. So getting an outside point of view from a producer or something to put his two cents on where the guys should go and that sort of thing, that's helped out a lot too. But, yeah, in general, it's been pretty seamless. The whole thing has been really easy to navigate through."

"Mayday" was produced by Zakk Cervini and Dan Lancaster with vocal production by Howard Benson. In addition, the band released an epic CiRCUS HEaD-directed visual to accompany the track which can be found below.

In a December 2024 interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Adam was asked if "Mayday" is a good representation of the material that would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's next studio album. He responded: "I think it's pretty close. I think it was pretty important for us to sort of get some elements in these songs that were super classic THREE DAYS GRACE with some newer elements as well. So I think 'Mayday' is a good representation of that. It's a pretty heavy song, but it's got everything else that we wanted to have in there. So, yeah, I think it's pretty close."

Asked if there was ever any doubt "Mayday" would be the first song to introduce this iteration of the band, Matt said: "We found with 'Mayday' — we listened to, obviously, our ideas and our songs a lot, and with 'Mayday', we kind of all found we never got sick of it. Personally, too, I listened to it over and over again, and I didn't get sick of it. And it takes you on this kind of journey throughout it, and it's not super predictable. And, yeah, [we] just found it was fresh."

Matt also talked about how the idea for having two singers in THREE DAYS GRACE came about. He said: "I think one day I just talked to my brother Brad about it and was, like, 'It'd be sick if Adam came back. And we could both sing, and I can sing the songs of the past 10 years and Adam can even sing a few of those too.' And yeah, it just seems like a new life to breathe into THREE DAYS GRACE and to make it exciting, like the early days or just to freshen it up and, yeah, make it exciting."

In a separate interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Neil stated about Adam's return to THREE DAYS GRACE: "We had been talking and we've kept in touch. And the band was just talking about, like, how great would this be for us and for the fans and for the nostalgia of THREE DAYS GRACE. And then he got up on stage with us [for a guest appearance], and then we just thought, 'Let's make something new. Let's sit down and write a song.' And once we kind of got into that songwriting process, it just felt really natural and it felt right. And I think for the fans, we're giving them something that we haven't done before and hasn't really been done much in the past."

On the topic of the "Mayday" video, Neil said: "It was a really fun video to make. It was kind of especially cool for me because very rarely as a drummer do you get to make a video where you don't have to fake playing drums all day. [Laughs] And so, yeah, complete melee goes on on the plane. And it's kind of an analogy to just feeling like we're hurling through life at warp speed, and sometimes it doesn't feel like there is a pilot that's in control of things. But it's also a bit of a celebration, like, 'Hey, if we're going down, we're all going down together.'"

In April 2023, Gontier reunited with THREE DAYS GRACE onstage during the band's concert in Huntsville, Alabama. Gontier rejoined his former bandmates when they opened for SHINEDOWN at the Probst Arena At The Von Braun Center to perform two classic songs from THREE DAYS GRACE's 2006 album "One-X": "Never Too Late" and "Riot".

THREE DAYS GRACE later shared a post-performance photo with Gontier on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Soooo we did a thing."

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is currently a member of SAINT ASONIA, which also features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).

Photo credit: Matt Barnes

Three Days Grace

ANDY LA ROCQUE On KING DIAMOND's Next Album: 'Some Parts Are Going Back To 'Fatal Portrait' And 'Abigail''

In a new interview with Guitar World, KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque spoke about the band's forthcoming horror trilogy, part one of which is titled "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920". Asked about his previous comment that the new KING DIAMOND songs would be, in some form, a return to the band's earliest records, Andy said: "It's mainly to get that organic sound back, where everything doesn't have to be… placed perfectly in time, or even in pitch. There's got to be some rock 'n' roll to it. [Laughs] If you listen to an album that's totally perfect, it gets boring. We wanted to make an album where it's a little bit more alive, like it was in the '80s.

"We're trying to avoid the stiffness of the albums of the '90s and early 2000s," he explained. "Really, we're just trying to loosen it up a little bit. Then again, we also had a talk about going back to the roots with the songwriting. Some parts are going back to 'Fatal Portrait' and 'Abigail' when it comes to the riffing style, but it's also going to be totally different from what you've ever heard from us before."

As for a possible timeline for the next KING DIAMOND album, Andy said: "We're going to do some festivals in Europe [this] summer, so everything has to be recorded and done before we do that, that's for sure. We're still working on some of the other stuff we have. It's going to be eight or nine songs on the album, I believe."

Last December, KING DIAMOND released a new single, "Spider Lilly". It was a first-time mixing collaboration with Arthur Rizk, who also mastered the track. The music and lyrics were written by frontman King Diamond.

The official music video for "Spider Lilly", which was directed by My Good Eye Visuals, can be seen below.

The recording lineup for "Spider Lilly" is still the same, with King Diamond handling lead and backing vocals plus playing the Hammond Organ, Andy La Rocque and Mike Wead on guitars, Pontus Egberg on the bass, and Matt Thompson on drums. There is also a special guest appearance by Danish female vocalist Myrkur with some additional backing vocals.

Part of the new "Spider Lilly" video was filmed at the very haunted Pennhurst Asylum outside of Philadelphia on a travel day during the band's 2024 North American tour, two days before Halloween. It was only King himself and actress Jodi Cachia who could participate on that specific day, together with producer David Brodsky, Allie Woest and their killer crew.

KING DIAMOND performed "Spider Lilly" live for the first time at the kick-off concert of the band's 2024 North American headlining tour, which launched on October 15 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. The "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920" trek ran through December 6 in Dallas, Texas. Support came from OVERKILL and NIGHT DEMON. Additional backing vocals for the KING DIAMOND set were provided by the special guest Myrkur.

In November 2024, the KING DIAMOND shows in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (November 20 at Edmonton Convention Center),Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (November 21 at TCU Place),Calgary, Alberta Canada (November 22 at Grey Eagle Event Centre),Portland, Oregon (November 24 at Keller Auditorium) and Seattle, Washington (November 25 at The Moore Theatre) were canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances".

KING DIAMOND's setlist for the fall 2024 tour included two new songs, "Electro Therapy" and the aforementioned "Spider Lilly".

In October 2023, KING DIAMOND released a music video for the 2019 single "Masquerade Of Madness". The clip was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest of My Good Eye Visuals.

At the time of the video's release, King commented: "'Masquerade Of Madness' was released digitally in 2019 before our North American tour. During rehearsals, we took one full day to film 'Masquerade Of Madness' with David Brodsky and Allison Woest. We spent all day and all night recording while performing the song with our full tour stage show choreography. After the tour, Covid happened.

"The video was all but forgotten as the world came to a standstill — we never saw a single frame from all the footage. Years later, as things began to pick up and writing began for both new MERCYFUL FATE and KING DIAMOND records, we wondered, what happened to that video from four years ago? So we decided to check in with David Brodsky and a couple of weeks later, we had the first cut of the video.

"I was speechless! I had nothing to criticize and after just a few notes from Andy La Rocque, the video for 'Masquerade Of Madness' was finished! There's so much mood and black and white is used in a perfect way with Jodi's performances. The visuals fit the music flawlessly and this is now among my favorite KING DIAMOND videos along with 'Sleepless Nights' and 'Welcome Home' — and not to forget of course, our double live DVD."

A month after KING DIAMOND released "Masquerade Of Madness" in November 2019, KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque told The Metal Voice that he came up with the music for the track first before passing it off to King, who "needed to arrange a few things and change just a small few things for making it work with his vocals. And then, of course, he wrote the lyrics for it," the guitarist revealed. "So we [went] a little back and forth until he felt like, 'Okay, this is cool, man. This is the right key to sing in,' and all that."

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the band's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

KING DIAMOND released a DVD/Blu-ray, "Songs For The Dead Live", in January 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The set captured 1987's seminal "Abigail" album in its entirety, twice, and in very different locales: Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015. The performances featured KING DIAMOND's current band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and Matt Thompson.

Photo by Jeremy Saffer

2

CANDLEMASS Shares Music Video For Cover Of BLACK SABBATH's 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'

To celebrate 40 years of doom metal mastery and the release of their brand new four-track EP "Black Star", Swedish epic doom metal pioneers CANDLEMASS have unveiled a cover of BLACK SABBATH's legendary hymn "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". The title track of the classic 1973 SABBATH album was reworked by CANDLEMASS and comes with an official music video, which can be seen below.

With solemn intensity and seismic presence, CANDLEMASS transforms the song into a funeral march worthy of doom’s highest pantheon. A majestic tribute that honors the past while shaking the crypt walls of the present.

CANDLEMASS mastermind Leif Edling comments: "'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' needs no introduction — one of the best songs ever recorded, if you ask me. Maybe not the obvious choice, but it's been a dream for me to do it one day and here it is. Our rendition of 'S.B.S.' (Mass Bloody Mass?)."

"Black Star" is being released today (Friday, May 9) via Napalm Records.

The "Black Star" title track seamlessly merges haunting melodies with deeply introspective lyrics, brought to life by the inimitable voice of Johan Längqvist. Written by Edling, it delves into themes of existential struggle, temptation, and the allure of darkness — an intense atmosphere imbued with CANDLEMASS's signature sound.

CANDLEMASS comments: "'Black Star' is the big heavy track. Contains a bit of everything, Melodic verse, monolithic riff, up-tempo SABBATHy mid part, grand ending a la RAINBOW!"

With "Black Star", the genre-defying band unveils two brand-new songs alongside two cover versions of timeless classics. The EP is available in various formats, including a strictly limited vinyl edition featuring a 12-page vinyl booklet, an A3 poster, and a tote bag.

Edling commented: "Not all bands get to see their 40th birthday and it certainly hasn't been an easy ride. But many ups and downs later, we stand here as survivors, veterans even… a bit scarred perhaps? Still ready though to unleash another piece of doom-laden metal upon an unsuspecting world. You have to do something when you turn 40, right? Anyway, as always, it's been fun recording some new stuff as well as covering a couple of old favorites."

Following the title track, the second new song, "Corridors Of Chaos", marks a true old-school instrumental containing both classic metal riffing and stunning guitar playing by Lars Johansson, showcasing the band's mastery of dynamics. Adding to this tribute, CANDLEMASS delivers a cover of BLACK SABBATH's iconic "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", taking listeners back to 1973. This is followed by their rendition of PENTAGRAM's classic "Forever My Queen", further cementing CANDLEMASS's remarkable contribution to shaping the genre into what it is today.

"Black Star" track listing:

01. Black Star (new song)
02. Corridors Of Chaos (new song)
03. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (BLACK SABBATH cover)
04. Forever My Queen (PENTAGRAM cover)

As previously reported, a one-off world-exclusive performance of CANDLEMASS featuring the band's former vocalist Messiah Marcolin will take place at this year's edition of the Rock Hard Festival Greece, slated for September 12-13, 2025 in Athens, Greece.

Back in October 2022, Messiah and longtime CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman joined Canadian metallers ANVIL on stage at the Slaktkyrkan venue in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the classic ANVIL song "Metal On Metal". The event marked the first time in 16 years that the two musicians performed together.

Marcolin exited CANDLEMASS for the presumably final time in 2006, one year after the release of the band's self-titled album. He was later replaced by Robert Lowe (SOLITUDE AETURNUS),who sang on the band's "King Of The Grey Islands" (2007),"Death Magic Doom" (2009) and "Psalms For The Dead" (2012) LPs. CANDLEMASS's frontman between 2012 and 2018 was Mats Levén, who previously recorded and toured with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and THERION. Seven years ago, CANDLEMASS fired Levén and rehired Johan Längqvist. Längqvist sang on CANDLEMASS's debut album, 1986's "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", before exiting the group and being replaced by Marcolin.

Photo credit: Linda Åkerberg

6

GEORGE LYNCH Says His New Band GEORGE LYNCH & THE MOB Will Feature A 'Rotating' Lineup Of Musicians

In a new interview with Talking With Cars, legendary guitarist George Lynch spoke about his upcoming touring activities following the completion of LYNCH MOB's "The Final Ride" farewell tour celebrating the band's 35-year legacy. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, LYNCH MOB did its last show March 22nd, earlier this year. And so that's it for touring for LYNCH MOB. So I have another entity partially put together, which will probably be a revolving door of different people. But right now I'm just tentatively calling it GEORGE LYNCH & THE MOB, so people can identify with my name and the fact that there's still the LYNCH MOB aspect to that name without the bad connotations."

Asked if GEORGE LYNCH & THE MOB will feature a "rotating" lineup of musicians, George said: "Most likely, yeah. Because we aren't gonna be touring solidly enough to really keep a band together. So it'll just be probably a basket of different people that'll rotate in and out on a need-to basis or whenever they're available."

He continued: "The interesting thing is I've played with so many people in LYNCH MOB that a lot of those people are still friends of mine. They're familiar with me and the material and what people wanna hear. So it's easy. So we've got a couple shows coming up in the summer here. And it is Jaron [Gulino] still on bass from LYNCH MOB. And, we've got Brian Tichy on drums for the next couple shows, and then a vocalist to be determined. We don't know who yet. But we do have a LYNCH MOB record coming out. So, it's being mixed right now. It's all done. It's been done for a second, and it's gonna be a double album — it's gonna be, well, actually two albums. Two separate albums but packaged together. So it's a live album — full live show — and then also a studio album. And that's it. It's mixed right now. So, [it will be out] later in the year."

LYNCH MOB, the band formed by George in 1989 after his exit from DOKKEN, played its "final" concert on March 22 at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota.

In February, George was asked by the Iron City Rocks podcast how he felt about completing one final trek with LYNCH MOB. George said: "Well, it's a mixed bag. I thought that it would make sense to go out with a band that, or a version of the band, which this is, that has remained intact for a while. LYNCH MOB has a history of having a revolving door, so that's been frustrating for me because when I first put the band together in '89, I was hoping for the exact opposite… And, of course, that did not happen. But we have a great time, and when we spend time together and tour, it's just really a dream, fun band. We joke around a lot. We work hard and the band — we bring it when we get on stage and we get in the studio. I thought, 'Well, that's the way to go out.' And also, on the other side of the coin, I'm not getting any younger. I didn't want to be that guy up there on crutches, having to sit down. I wanted people to remember it with some sense of vitality. Yeah, so I think we're kind of ending on a positive note, I would say. And we gave ourselves quite a long window. We decided this last year, and it gave us an eight-month, nine-month window. So it's a long, slow kind of fade into the sunset… And we've got, actually, two records [in the works] — we've got a live album and a live DVD and a studio record."

Asked if he was planning on getting involved in more recording projects in the future once the LYNCH MOB tour was done, George said: "Well, I love being in the studio, and I have a pretty nice studio situation, both in California, where I have my own studio, and in New Mexico, where I have found a home out there and a really wonderful venue, where I'm working now, actually. So, as long as I have something to say, I'll try to say it musically. But I will say that I've sort of spent my — I've done a lot of recording, I've written a lot of songs in the last group of years, since COVID and so forth, so I find myself kind of treading over old ground and saying the same thing, and I don't like that. And I think on occasion I've gotta slow down in my output a little bit. So, as I mentioned, we are working on a LYNCH MOB 'Final Ride' studio record. And beyond that, I've got other records in the pipeline that I am obligated — well, I can do, let's say; I don't know how obligated I am. If I don't wanna do 'em, I don't have to do 'em. One is a fourth THE END MACHINE record for Frontiers. And the other one is a third 'Heavy Hitters' album, which is a series of records that [ex-DOKKEN bassist] Jeff Pilson and I have been doing for Cleopatra Records, which are covers, and that's always really fun to do. I enjoy working with Jeff. I'll be working with Jeff Pilson on both those records. So that might be something that I decide to finish up. But, having said that, those are obligations consistent with my past work, doing THE END MACHINE records and 'Heavy Hitters' records and LYNCH MOB records and various other projects, with KXM and so forth, that I have been doing. But what I'm thinking is I would really like to — not to be super self-indulgent, but do something different. And that requires kind of banking a bunch of experiences and exposure, different kinds of music and styles and saying something unique. Or doing a master guitar record, what I consider would be my magnum opus guitar record. That's easier said than done, but maybe I need [to do something like that]. I don't know. I'm not sure what I wanna do yet. But I'm gonna let this touring schedule ride out and then I'm gonna sort of collect my thoughts [about what my next step will be]."

LYNCH MOB was formed in 1989 after Lynch parted ways with his former band DOKKEN. Their debut release, "Wicked Sensation", was met with critical and fan acclaim and went on to be certified gold in sales by the RIAA. The band would continue on through the years with a cast of talented players joining Lynch throughout their musical journey over the course of six more studio albums.

LYNCH MOB's eighth studio album, "Babylon", came out in October 2023. Joining revered guitarist and band founder for the LP were vocalist Gabriel Colón, bassist Jaron Gulino (TANTRIC, HEAVENS EDGE) and drummer Jimmy D'Anda (ex-BULLETBOYS).

In August 2020, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker, saying he would no longer record or perform under that name. Two years later, George had a change of heart, explaining that he had to "live with the fact that [the name LYNCH MOB] has some negative connotations that I probably have to continue explaining for the rest of my life, and I don't mind doing that. But it is a brand that I built, and I'm just gonna stick with it. As far as a marketing thing and a brand thing and a business thing and a working thing, and it keeps my band guys working and it keeps the fans happy, it makes sense."

George Lynch image credit: Jordan's Rock Vault

George Lynch & The Mob features a rotating line up of musicians and a more diverse set list than lynch mob… plus we’re going to wear cooler outfits ! 😂 more shows soon! Come out and see us 😎

Posted by George Lynch on Friday, May 2, 2025

☠️ We ride again!! Stoked to get back out with George Lynch & The Mob this year. From George - “George Lynch & The Mob...

Posted by Jaron Gulino on Friday, May 2, 2025

VICIOUS RUMORS Announce New Album 'The Devil's Asylum', Share 'Bloodbath' Single

It's been five years since U.S. power metal act VICIOUS RUMORS unleashed their most recent album. Five years during which band mastermind Geoff Thorpe and his crew played well over one hundred and fifty shows, presenting their longstanding career in condensed form and performing a playlist featuring their most important VR classics. These shows have left their mark on the bandmembers while at the same time releasing a burst of new energy. Both these factors are now about to culminate on their upcoming album "The Devil's Asylum", which Thorpe aptly summarizes, saying: "'The Devil's Asylum' sees us return to our roots, which we've combined with contemporary influences."

He continues: "VICIOUS RUMORS look back at a career that spans 45 years, so there's only one goal for us: Everything we do should always be significant, every show, every song, every new album. This band has always stood for maximum intensity, powerful music and lots of new, fresh ideas." In this respect, "The Devil's Asylum" couldn't be more typical of VICIOUS RUMORS and at the same time the album is bound to appeal to new fans.

Alongside Thorpe, there's original member Larry Howe on drums and vocals, with longtime bassist Robin Utbult, who has been with the group since 2019, completing the core foundation of VR. After the songs were written, the addition of two new members has made the band chemistry rise to a new level. There's vocalist Chalice and the second new member guitarist Denver Cooper, who — like Chalice — hails from Cape Coral in Florida.

The first single and video for the song "Bloodbath" is a raw speed metal attack with melodic vocals and thrashy guitar riffs which perfectly combines the group's irresistible heaviness with speed and catchiness.

"The Devil's Asylum" track listing:

01. Bloodbath
02. Dogs Of War
03. Crack The Sky In Half
04. High Hell Hammer
05. Butchers Block
06. Abusement Park
07. Wrong Side Of Love
08. Boring Day In Hell
09. In Blood We Trust
10. Better Than Me
11. The Devil's Asylum

"The Devil's Asylum" will be released on August 29 2025 worldwide (except Japan) through SPV/Steamhammer as a CD digipak, LP version, download and stream.

Thorpe formed VICIOUS RUMORS in 1979. He told The Press Democrat in a 2023 interview that there have been more than 40 different members in the band since its inception.

"One good thing about all of the members is that we have a very good relationship with almost all of them," Thorpe said. "When I need someone to fill in, I've got a lot of people I can call on."

VICIOUS RUMORS has released 17 albums, including three LPs recorded for Atlantic Records in 1990 and 1991, which were reissued as a box set titled "Vicious Rumors: The Atlantic Years" in September 2022.

Listen To EVANESCENCE Singer AMY LEE's Collaboration With HALSEY On New Song 'Hand That Feeds' For 'Ballerina' Movie

EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee has collaborated with Grammy-nominated singer Halsey on a new song called "Hand That Feeds". The track, which is taken from the new John Wick spin-off movie "Ballerina", can be streamed below.

This past Tuesday (May 6),Lee took to her social media to write: "So thrilled to bring you a new song, 'Hand That Feeds' with Halsey THIS FRIDAY! We've been fans of each other's work for a long time and it really feels like the universe pulled us together for this moment. We already had the Hollywood Bowl show in place when Lionsgate invited us to work on a song for the Ballerina Movie together, and it's finally time to serve it UP! Cannot wait for you all to hear!!"

In a text message to fans, Halsey shared a snippet of "Hand That Feeds", writing in an accompanying message: "I really hope I see some of you guys on the For My Last Trick tour. Here is something to hold you over … (the answer is yes, I am freaking out about it)."

Halsey has reportedly been a fan of EVANESCENCE since childhood. When promoting her 2024 album "The Great Impersonator", Halsey dressed up as 18 of her musical heroes, one of whom was Lee. Recreating the EVANESCENCE "Fallen" album cover, Halsey wrote on Instagram that Lee was her "OG dark rock queen". Halsey also shared a childhood photo in which she sported an EVANESCENCE t-shirt. "I wore that shirt into the ground," she wrote.

Due in theaters on June 6, "Ballerina" marks the first big-screen spinoff for the popular "Wick" series. It stars Ana de Armas as Eve, an assassin seeking revenge on the people who killed her family.

Directed by Len Wiseman, "Ballerina" is produced by John Wick's Chad Stahelski and features performances from Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves alongside de Armas.

EVANESCENCE will support Halsey during her show at the famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, taking place May 14. THE WARNING is also on the bill.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Watch: TESTAMENT Celebrates 35th Anniversary Of 'Practice What You Preach' In Flint

San Francisco Bay Area thrashers TESTAMENT played at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan on May 7 as part of their "An Evening With Testament" tour. The trek celebrates the 35th anniversary of TESTAMENT's third album, "Practice What You Preach", which achieved near-gold status in the United States upon its release in 1989 and became the band's first album to enter the Top 100 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The setlist for the Flint concert was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Practice What You Preach
02. Perilous Nation
03. Envy Life
04. Time Is Coming
05. Blessed In Contempt
06. Greenhouse Effect
07. Sins Of Omission
08. The Ballad
09. Nightmare (Coming Back To You)
10. Confusion Fusion
11. Musical Death (A Dirge) (Acoustic)
12. The Legacy (Acoustic)
13. Rise Up
14. Native Blood
15. Trail Of Tears
16. Low
17. City Of Angels
18. Drum Solo
19. First Strike Is Deadly
20. Return To Serenity
21. Into The Pit

Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

TESTAMENT is an undisputed titan of thrash metal. One of the definitive acts of the historic and high-octane genre since they first emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area in 1983, the modern icons established themselves with a series of classic records (released each year from 1987 through 1990). They never wavered creatively, unleashing one acclaimed album after another across four decades.

The band's nearly three million monthly listeners on Spotify alone is a clear demonstration of the enduring strength of the TESTAMENT legions. TESTAMENT's biggest anthems run the gamut of their storied career, from early classics like "Over The Wall" and "Into The Pit", late '90s bangers like "Down For Life" through modern scorchers like "For The Glory Of…" and "Brotherhood Of The Snake".

An internationally recognized heavy metal institution, TESTAMENT regularly appears as a headlining mainstage act at major festivals. Over the years, they've toured alongside BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, KORN, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and LAMB OF GOD, among other contemporaries.

Charismatic frontman Chuck Billy's distinctive voice infuses their signature sound with rich and diverse textures. Primary songwriter and cofounding guitarist Eric Peterson summons endlessly timeless riffs on command. Alex Skolnick, named one of the greatest of all time by Guitar World, was just 18 years old when TESTAMENT recorded their debut, "The Legacy" (1987). Longtime bassist Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, OBITUARY) brings rhythmic heft and fluid dexterity to the proceedings.

Drummer Chris Dovas, the band's newest (and youngest) addition, adds his own passionate bombast while honoring the astounding legacy of former TESTAMENT drummers. (An alumnus including past and present members of SLAYER, WHITE ZOMBIE, DETHKLOK and MACHINE HEAD, among others.)

Both "The Legacy" (1987) and "The New Order" (1988) were inducted into Decibel magazine's prestigious Hall Of Fame, alongside albums from METALLICA, BLACK SABBATH and MOTÖRHEAD. Revolver included "The New Order" on their list of "14 Thrash Albums You Need To Own". Guitar World recognized "Practice What You Preach" (1989) as one of the "Top 10 Shred Albums Of The Eighties". "Souls Of Black" (1990) entered the Billboard 200 at No. 73; "The Ritual" (1992) debuted at No. 55. Guitar World called "Low" (1994) one of the "Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". "Demonic" (1997) and "The Gathering" (1999) saw TESTAMENT mining new depths of extremity without sacrificing their bluesy swagger.

"The Formation Of Damnation" (2008) won "Best Album" at Metal Hammer's Golden Gods Awards, beating out records from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, ATREYU and DOWN. Released nearly 30 years after TESTAMENT's formation, "Dark Roots Of Earth" (2012) became their highest-charting album yet, moving more than 20,000 copies during its first week in the U.S. and debuting at No. 12.

"Brotherhood Of The Snake" (2016) enjoyed another Top 20 debut and hit No. 1 on the Independent chart. "Titans Of Creation" (2020) joined year-end lists in Consequence, Loudwire and Metal Hammer.

TESTAMENT released remastered versions of their seminal albums "The Legacy" and "The New Order" on July 12, 2024, both digitally and on vinyl via Nuclear Blast Records.

ROB HALFORD Is 'Absolutely Gutted' To Have To Miss BLACK SABBATH's Final Concert

JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford says that he is "absolutely gutted" to have to miss the last BLACK SABBATH concert this summer.

Noting that PRIEST is scheduled to play the 60th-anniversary show of German hard rock legends SCORPIONS in Hannover, Germany on July 5 — the same day that the SABBATH event, dubbed "Back To The Beginning", will take place at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom — Rob told Metal Hammer: "I had no idea [the SABBATH show] was happening. It all got announced and was a big deal — [the Hannover concert featuring] SCORPIONS and PRIEST — and suddenly I get this phone call [from Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne]: 'Robbie, I know you've got this gig with SCORPIONS, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys. He'd love to see you.'"

Halford explained that trying to make both performances happen would be "dangerous", adding: "Even with a private plane, there's a word called 'technical', where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems… I was absolutely gutted."

Acknowledging that K.K. Downing will perform at the Villa Park concert, Halford said that the founding PRIEST guitarist will represent "the spirit of the band".

"All my mates are going to be there though, great bands and artists," Rob added. "It's a wonderful and epic moment for SABBATH and heavy metal — it re-emphasizes that Birmingham is where metal came from."

"Back To The Beginning" sold out in less than 10 minutes in February. The concert will mark the first time that the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — have played together in 20 years.

Also set to appear at the event are METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, TOOL, SLAYER, PANTERA, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX and MASTODON.

In addition, there will be a performance by a "supergroup of musicians" including Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS 'N' ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH),Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),Andrew Watt, Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),David Ellefson (MEGADETH),Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR),Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE),David Draiman (DISTURBED),Frank Bello (ANTHRAX),Jonathan Davis (KORN),Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM),Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE),Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT),Sammy Hagar, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX),Sleep Token II (SLEEP TOKEN) and Papa V Perpetua (GHOST).

In August 2023, Halford picked BLACK SABBATH's classic 1970 self-titled debut album as one of the albums he'd be willing to listen to in perpetuity if he found himself stranded and alone on an island. He said: "I would have to go with BLACK SABBATH, the original 'Black Sabbath' album that I think is the motivator for all great things in heavy metal."

Back in 2020, Halford broke down his top 10 favorite albums in an interview with Rolling Stone and explained how they helped make him who he is. Among the records included on the list was BLACK SABBATH's debut. At the time, Halford said about his choice: "They were local guys from the same neighborhood, the same neck of the woods as PRIEST. We literally grew up together, inventing this great music that we love and cherish so much called heavy-metal music.

"I chose the 'Black Sabbath' album just because, like so many bands, your first one or two records really establish who you are as a band," he explained. "It's a bit like PRIEST with 'Rocka Rolla' and 'Sad Wings Of Destiny'; 'Sad Wings Of Destiny' becomes the one we love so much because it becomes defining. With 'Black Sabbath', here was the first example of what heavy-metal music should sound like, just the texture, the tone, the structure of all of the material, Ozzy's very unique voice. It's just become a very important record in the discography of BLACK SABBATH."

Halford joined SABBATH for two gigs to support Ozzy Osbourne on his last shows for the "No More Tours" tour in November 1992 in Costa Mesa, California after SABBATH's singer at the time, Ronnie James Dio, refused to take the stage. Rob also performed with SABBATH members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on August 26, 2004 at the Camden, New Jersey stop of Ozzfest after Ozzy came down with an "attack of bronchitis" and was unable to take part in the concert.

PARADISE LOST Is Planning To Release New Single This Month, Says NICK HOLMES

In a recent interview with El Cuartel Del Metal, vocalist Nick Holmes of British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST spoke about the status of the follow-up to their latest album, "Obsidian", which was released in May 2020 via Nuclear Blast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're just kind of leisurely recording our new album. We've been writing it for the last year. And then we've sort of been doing shows in between — festivals, summer festivals last year. I mean, I'm recording later on this month. I think most of the stuff's recorded musically now, so I've gotta do the vocals. And then after that, we're kind of busy now all year — the rest of the year we're gonna be full on with plenty of things going on. So, yeah, it's all starting to kind of build up."

Asked if fans can expect the new PARADISE LOST album this year, Nick said: "Yeah. Well, the first single's out around May the 16th, I believe. So, yeah, I'm guessing it's kind of towards the end of the year [that the full album will arrive], I guess."

In a previously published interview with Alejandrosis, PARADISE LOST guitarist Aaron Aedy stated about the band's next LP: "It's not fully mixed yet, but it's recorded." Asked if he could give fans some details about the musical direction of the new PARADISE LOST material, Aaron said: "No. It's like opening your presents before Christmas. No, I don't wanna go into the new album too much just yet, 'cause I'll wait to see what it's like when it's mixed. It's almost finished, but not quite."

This past March, PARADISE LOST guitarist Greg Mackintosh told Chile's PowerOfMetal.cl that the band's new LP would likely be released "September time." He added: "It's been the longest time we've ever had between albums. But that's kind of because of the pandemic as well… So shit happens. And, yeah, hopefully it'll come out September, October time this year."

As previously reported, PARADISE LOST will embark on "The Devil Embraced" North American tour later this month. The trek will kick off on May 16 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest and conclude on May 24 at Maryland Deathfest.

Earlier this month, PARADISE LOST announced the dates for the first leg of its "Ascension Of Europe Tour 2025". Italian band MESSA will be direct support on all dates, with HIGH PARASITE opening on the U.K. dates and LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE on select mainland Europe shows.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their fourth album, "Icon", PARADISE LOST re-recorded the LP for a special new release. There was also "an extra special vinyl" version of the album, both of which were made available in December 2023.

"Icon 30" was a totally re-recorded version of "Icon", and PARADISE LOST once again worked with longtime collaborator and producer Jaime Gomez Arellano.

PARADISE LOST recorded the vocals and drums for "Icon 30" at Jaime's studio Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. The rest of the album was completed at Mackintosh's Black Planet Studios. "Icon 30" also featured brand new artwork created by Scott Robinson and new liner notes from Kerrang!'s Nick Ruskell.

"Icon" marked a departure from the death-doom sound of PARADISE LOST's early work and was the last album to feature Matthew Archer on drums.

In February 2018, "Icon" was inducted into the Decibel "Hall Of Fame", with the magazine naming it influential to the development of the gothic metal subgenre.

In March 2023, PARADISE LOST welcomed Guido Zima Montanarini as their official new drummer.

In September 2022, Finnish drummer Waltteri Väyrynen left PARADISE LOST to join OPETH. At the time, he issued a statement saying that his decision involved "absolutely no bad blood or drama whatsoever."

Formed in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in 1988, PARADISE LOST were unlikely candidates for metal glory when they slithered from the shadows and infiltrated the U.K. underground. But not content with spawning an entire subgenre with early death/doom masterpiece "Gothic" nor with conquering the metal mainstream with the balls-out power of 1995's "Draconian Times", they have subsequently traversed multiple genre boundaries with skill and grace, evolving through the pitch-black alt-rock mastery of 1990s classics "One Second" and "Host" to the muscular but ornate grandeur of 2009's "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" and "Tragic Idol" (2012),with the nonchalant finesse of grand masters. The band's "The Plague Within" (2015) and "Medusa" (2017) albums saw a much-celebrated return to brutal, old-school thinking, via two crushing monoliths to slow-motion death and spiritual defeat.

MATT BARLOW Is Open To Singing For ICED EARTH Again, But Says 'That Would Be Entirely Up To' JON SCHAFFER

Last month, it was announced that ASHES OF ARES, the band featuring former ICED EARTH members Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales, will celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary of ICED EARTH's third album, 1996's "The Dark Saga", on a European tour in September/October 2025. Vidales played with ICED EARTH from 2008 to 2012 and is featured on the band's 2011 album "Dystopia". Barlow served two stints with ICED EARTH, from 1993 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2011.

Recorded in early 1996, "The Dark Saga" was a concept album based on the Todd McFarlane comic book character Spawn (who also appears on the album's cover). Upon its arrival, the LP was praised for Barlow's vocals, as well as ICED EARTH founder, songwriter, guitarist and producer Jon Schaffer and Randall Shawver's guitar playing. Eduardo Rivadavia called Barlow's vocal performance "impressive throughout", while Mike Stagno felt that "Barlow's deeper vocal style also helps the songs sound much more emotional". Rivadavia also named Schaffer and Shawver's interplay the highlight of "The Dark Saga".

Regarding why "The Dark Saga" was an important enough album for him that he wanted to celebrate it three decades after the LP's original release, Barlow told Canada's The Metal Voice (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't talk about ICED EARTH without talking about, for me, entering the band with [1995's] 'Burnt Offerings'. That was huge for me. That was my first foray into actually being in a professional band. But along with that kind of came a dark side of it because it was a really tough time for the band as well, which kind of translated into the music. As everybody, I think, understands with Jon, when he writes, his heart goes out into the music. Whatever he's focused on is that. Just like for that record, he read 'Dante's Inferno', and then you get this giant humongous trilogy from that, because he puts everything he has into it. So, obviously, that's the crown jewel of that record — but, along with other things, that's definitely the crown jewel. But it was just a dark time for the band in general, even though I think I was the shining star at that point. But [it was] a tough time.

"So 'The Dark Saga', for me, and I think for Jon as well, was a renewal, a reinvigoration for the band," Matt explained. "The reason that even Jon got turned on to 'Spawn' was that we were celebrating Christmas. I like collecting action figures and stuff, and I had got all these like Batman and stuff, and Jon was a huge Batman fan, so I think I got Jon a Batman figure, and the other guys liked Spawn figures. And he was, like, 'What the hell's this?' And then he started getting into it, started reading the comics, and the rest is kind of history. And he was totally involved in the entire lore of it and just thought it was just the coolest thing ever. And that's what happened with 'The Dark Saga'.

"For me, it was really cool," Barlow added. "For some members of the band, obviously, members changed and things like that at that point too. It wasn't like a shock, with ICED EARTH, the membership changes from time to time. But for me, it was really a really good time. It was really a positive time for the band. And we did some amazing shit, man. We were able to do a lot more touring on that. We got a lot more recognition. A lot of the songs obviously sounded a little more mainstream, I guess you'd say. The European fans just ate it up. It had all the great aspects, the sing-along stuff, all the really sweet, hooky stuff. The choruses were just really super smooth and just well written. And, of course, you've got Jon just chunking along. So it's got all the cool shit that you would relate to ICED EARTH. And I think that you listen to it and you go, 'Yep, that's ICED EARTH.' And for me, also I was able to get kind of recognized who I am. At the time, in between 'Burnt Offerings' and 'The Dark Saga', I was starting to work with a vocal coach. I had had a little bit of coaching before. My sister-in-law, she was a voice instructor and things like that. But this guy kind of got me and sort of understood and said, and he told me that the coolest thing, and I tell this to every other vocalist that asks me about how I developed my voice or whatever. I just say, 'Do the best you can with what you've got. Figure out what your sweet spots are and focus on those.' And you can broaden your voice, obviously — you can broaden your range and all that — but really focus on those sweet spots in your voice and accentuate that and make that the star of what you're doing. So I really took that to heart. I really started accentuating, obviously, the cool low parts. And then, of course, working with [producer] Jim Morris was just huge as well to really help me bring that kind of stuff out in the studio. And then developing that and bringing that into a live show and everything else. So it was just a really cool growing experience as well with that record. So, yeah, I've got just tons of fond memories of things that that represents for me."

Asked if he and Freddie were concerned at all about going out and celebrating "The Dark Saga" after Schaffer's recent legal troubles related to the guitarist's involvement in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Matt responded: "We don't live in a tube of silence here. We get stuff. But I think for me, and I think for people that are fans of the music, they don't care about that. I think at the end of the day, it's the music. And I hope that everybody's respectful because I'm gonna celebrate Jon and what he's done. He's written some fucking amazing music, and I've been fortunate to be a part of that. So, outside of that, I'm not gonna get political with anything. We're not talking politics. We're just talking strictly music, and it's for the love of music. And I hope that everybody understands that. That's what the point is. Hopefully we're bringing something cool and special. And I certainly look forward, if Jon wants to tour again and play this music again, I wholeheartedly look forward to that, if that's a possibility. But we're just gonna go out there and just celebrate this music that is very special, I think, for a lot of people. We've been given blessing to do so by Jon, so that's super important to us as well."

Regarding whether he actually asked Jon if the guitarist was okay with Matt and Freddie going out and celebrating "The Dark Saga" this fall, Barlow said: "Yep. Yep. I mean, obviously, we have things that we need to do, as far as we're not using [ICED EARTH] logos or anything like that. We're asking, and we're gonna make sure that the promoters aren't using any logos or anything like that of his, and, of course, Jon, as the writer of this stuff, he will get paid for music that's performed live. And for my little chunk that I'll get paid as well, my writing part of it."

On the possibility of Matt at some point rejoining ICED EARTH, if Jon decides to relaunch the group, Barlow said: "That's something that would be entirely up to, obviously, when Jon… That's Jon's band — a hundred percent — so that's something that Jon would have to decide, whether I would be a part of it or not, either way, but whether ICED EARTH goes out and does it. But I look forward to that, whether it would be me involved with it or somebody else, if that were to happen. And I can't speak to it, 'cause I don't think at this point that… It's not even in the long distance at this point."

Barlow, who works as a police lieutenant in Georgetown, Delaware, went on to say that his day job prevents him from playing a lot of shows with any music project he is involved with.

"I'm still in law enforcement and my schedule [limits how much touring] I can do," he said. "So, I've got some more responsibilities now, and it's good — I feel awesome about that — but it's also taxing. And I don't wanna tax my agency too much on that. So I'm doing it when I can, with vacation and things like that. We're doing the best we can [to play as many ASHES OF ARES shows as possible]. We're trying to spread it out a little bit and do some stuff. We'll see what we can do, man. We'll see what we can do."

ASHES OF ARES released its third studio album, "Emperors And Fools", in January 2022 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels.

"Emperors And Fools" was produced by ASHES OF ARES, and mixed and mastered by Byron Filson at Villain Recording in Phoenix, Arizona. The cover artwork was created by Kamil Pietruczynik.

ASHES OF ARES's second album, "Well Of Souls", came out in November 2018 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels. It was the follow-up to ASHES OF ARES's self-titled debut album, which was released in September 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

Seven years ago, Barlow told "The Classic Metal Show" about ASHES OF ARES: "Sometimes it's hard to escape the comparisons [to ICED EARTH], because my voice is still my voice no matter what, and I'm still gonna deliver things emotionally like I have before, so people are always gonna draw comparisons with ICED EARTH, and that's fine; I'm completely cool with that. I'm proud of my time in ICED EARTH, proud of everything that I've done with them, proud of them right now, going on and kicking ass. So I don't have any problem with that whatsoever — the comparisons. But that being said, I want ASHES to have its own identity as well. I think, again, as my writing partner, Freddie deserves that — he deserves to have his own identity in ASHES — and I think that's really important; that's what we're striving to do."

ICED EARTH played its final show with Barlow at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

Barlow, who is married to Schaffer's sister, announced his departure from ICED EARTH in March 2011. In a heartfelt statement, he cited his commitment to his family and the need for ICED EARTH to tour more as the reasons for his retirement; however, he committed to performing with ICED EARTH on all 2011 European festival dates, including Wacken Open Air.

Back in late 2020, Barlow reunited with Schaffer to celebrate the holiday season with an EP called "Winter Nights". Released under the SCHAFFER/BARLOW PROJECT banner, the effort contained the duo's unique spin on five Christmas classics and two ICED EARTH songs.

Last October, Jon was sentenced to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service in connection with his involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial assessment. Schaffer later became one of about 1,500 people accused of crimes related to the riot who were pardoned by President Donald Trump.

This past April, Schaffer said in an interview that the legal issues and professional setback he faced as a result of his involvement in the Capitol riot have been "the biggest gift" of his life, in part because "it is what led" him "to [Jesus] Christ."

Happy Wednesday! - Here is a teaser announcement that an announcement is coming:

A dream of many fans is now coming...

Posted by Ashes of Ares on Wednesday, April 23, 2025

4

METALLICA Shares 'One' Pro-Shot Video From Syracuse Concert

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "One" during the band's April 19 concert at at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York can be seen below.

Syracuse marked METALLICA's first show of 2025. Support at the gig came from PANTERA and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

More than 47,500 fans attended METALLICA's concert at the JMA Wireless Dome — more than the former Carrier Dome's previous record of 47,319, set by THE WHO in 1982.

According to Syracuse.com, METALLICA's circular stage allowed fans to fill seats around the entire stadium, which is why total attendance exceeded Syracuse University's current official capacity of 42,774 for football games.

METALLICA's setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Hit The Lights
04. King Nothing
05. Lux Æterna
06. Screaming Suicide
07. Kirk And Rob Doodle
08. The Day That Never Comes
09. Fuel
10. Orion
11. Nothing Else Matters
12. Sad But True
13. One
14. Seek & Destroy
15. Master Of Puppets
16. Enter Sandman

Since opening April 2023 in Amsterdam, "M72" has seen METALLICA play to some three million fans. Variously hailed as "an altogether life-affirming experience" (Billboard),"impossible to leave unsatisfied" (Austin Chronicle),"a stone-cold stunner of a show" (Detroit News),"the mother of all summer concerts" (Worcester Telegram Gazette) and "as tight and furious as METALLICA has sounded in ages" (Los Angeles Times),"M72" continues to amaze fans and critics alike. The tour concluded its triumphant 2024 run with four nights at Mexico City's Estadio GNP Seguros, where METALLICA played to more than 250,000 fans over the course of two No Repeat Weekends.

The "M72" world tour's 2025 itinerary continues the hallowed No Repeat Weekend tradition, with each night of the two-show stands featuring entirely different setlists and support lineups. These include the band's first Nashville shows in five years on May 1 and 3 at Nissan Stadium, as well as METALLICA's return to Tampa after 15 years on June 6 and 8 at Raymond James Stadium. "M72" has also confirmed its much-anticipated Bay Area hometown play, to take place June 20 and 22 with the band's debut performances at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

In a new twist, "M72" 2025 features several single shows bringing the tour's full production, with its massive in-the-round stage, to venues including two college football stadiums: the aforementioned JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York on April 19, and METALLICA's first ever visit to Blacksburg, Virginia, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. The May 7 show at Lane Stadium will mark the culmination of 20-plus years of "Enter Sandman" playing as the Hokies take the field.

In addition to playing football stadiums across the nation, the "M72" world tour's 2025 itinerary will also include one festival headline — May 9 and 11 will mark a festival/No Repeat Weekend combo as METALLICA plays two headline sets at Sonic Temple at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Support on "M72"'s 2025 North American run comes from PANTERA, LIMP BIZKIT, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and ICE NINE KILLS.

"M72"'s 2025 North American leg is produced by Live Nation and presented by new sponsor inKind. inKind rewards diners with special offers and credit back when they use the app to pay at 2,000-plus top-rated restaurants nationwide. The company provides innovative financing to participating restaurants in a way that enables new levels of sustainability and success. METALLICA fans can learn more at inkind.com.

As always, a portion of proceeds from every ticket sold will go to local charities via the band's All Within My Hands foundation. Established in 2017 as a way to give back to communities that have supported METALLICA over the years, All Within My Hands has raised over $15 million — providing $8.2 million in grants to career and technical education programs including the ground-breaking Metallica Scholars Initiative, now in its sixth year, over $3.6 million to combat food insecurity, more than $3.5 million to disaster relief efforts.

$/\\$

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